It is true! For the past three weeks I have been teaching myself the Icelandic language at Icelandic Online, which is a service provided by the University of Iceland. I am sure that visitors to this blog have noticed that it is largely written in English. This is because of my respect of the Icelandic culture - I do not want to attempt to write or speak the language until I can do so with some degree of proficiency. I plan on making posts in Icelandic when I learn more of the language, however.
For me it is important for immigrants to embrace the culture of the country they are immigrating to. In the United States, we have many diverse cultures because we want people to immigrate here, and this diversity is a good thing. However, the federal and local governments in the US make it so that proficiency in English is not required in many cases. Most forms and publications, including websites, are available in dozens of languages other than English. Even school textbooks are available in other languages. Of course, all of this comes at a cost to the American taxpayer. I have met people in the US that have been here for more than 30 years and they cannot speak any English.
I feel that if I want to move to a country whose native language is different than mine, then it is my obligation to learn that language. How else would I become a productive member of that society? What better way is there to begin integration into a different culture other than learning the language of that culture? Really, regardless of if one were to either move or visit a country, it is certainly wise to know at the very least basic phrases and vocabulary. What if you need a policeman, or a doctor, or a mechanic? How do you read a menu or find your way around?
It is dangerous and foolish to assume that people everywhere speak your language, and unfortunately that is the point of view of many Americans. I suppose the thinking is along the lines of "since English is prevalent throughout the world, then why should I learn another language".
I am not a stranger to learning languages. I went to a private school and while I was there I studied French for five years. This intensive level of exposure to a foreign language was much more than simplistic conversational phrases as we were reading French literature and Paris Match magazine during the third year. It was a great experience and by learning how to learn a new language, I was prepared to teach myself other languages in the future.
In addition to being taught French, I have taught myself German, Korean, Russian, and Japanese. The last three of those languages I had only learned at a conversant level, but I can assure you that if I had been dropped off in Seoul, Moscow, or Tokyo I could get something to eat, find my way around, get medical care, and perform other basic functions. I am not bragging but I do not know any other American that speaks more than two languages fluently.
Yes, I know that many Icelanders speak English. Still I know that if I am to live in Iceland I will not be happy if I have to rely on my knowledge of English. Icelandic is a wonderful language and there are aspects of it that can be challenging, but that is fine - I enjoy a challenge.
22 January 2011
18 January 2011
Guð Blessi Ísland
Last night my wife and I saw the documentary movie Guð Blessi Ísland, which is about the banking collapse of 2008 and the subsequent resignation of the government. Overall, I found it to be a powerful, moving film that helped an outsider like me understand Icelandic's part of the international banking crisis, something I have studied for some time.
This film has received some criticism for not accurately portraying Icelanders. Director Helgi Felixson follows three Icelanders to show the impact of the economic crisis on them - a police officer, a truck driver, and a witch. Well, she seemed like a nice lady, and her heart was in the right place. I'm sure that when most Icelanders saw her segments in the movie they feared that the entire world would think that Iceland was largely populated by witches who dug through dumpsters to get food. That was not the case with me - instead I saw a desperate woman who was concerned about her son's future. Although I am not a witch, I share her same concerns about my daughter's future in the United States.
During the segments which showed scenes from the Kitchenware Revolution, my 15 year old daughter was watching the screen with a look of horror on her face. Here was this nice, peaceful country that Dad has been talking about moving to, and people are beating on pots and pans and throwing eggs at the Parliament. Oh, and the people were getting sprayed by large canisters of pepper spray, which is something that is not very much fun. I explained to her that she was watching something important - a free society exercising their right to protest their government. I then went on to explain to her that this event was the equivalent of 12 million Americans storming Washington, DC and causing the President and Congress to resign. I saw a look on her face contemplating the ramifications of such an action, and an immediate sense of respect for the Icelandic people.
She also saw that in a truly free society that governments can either be placed into power, or be pressured to be removed. Many would expect that an American child would understand this concept as the United States was born from revolution. However, throughout our history the American government has continually eroded the ability and desire of the American people to enact effective change upon our government. We have a two party political system, and often elections come down to a choice between two spokesmen of different special interest groups and not representatives of the people themselves. Within the past 15 years or so, we have also seen protesting equated to being anti-government. In fact, we have taken extreme measures in the United States to prevent people from protesting, such as deployment of LRAD systems.
Here is a video of LRADs being used against protesters in the US. When I say "protesters" what I really mean is "people trying to walk down the street":
Did you see all the protesters? Neither did I. This video was shot during the G20 meetings in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 2009 but it clearly shows nobody protesting anything. Yes, there were protesters at G20 as some people feel that globalization of monetary policies remove a country's sovereignty. This thinking is similar to Iceland's lack of desire to adopt the Euro or to join the EU. As soon as you join the "club" you are no longer in control of what happens in your country.
Of the three Icelanders that are portrayed in Guð Blessi Ísland, two of them were wanting to leave Iceland and come to the US. I found this to be a little bit ironic, considering that I want to leave the US and go to Iceland. Unfortunately, I think these people had the romantic notion of the United States in their minds and had not considered the reality of such an action. In Iceland when the banks failed, the government was changed, investigations were launched, and people got arrested. In the United States we gave the banks over $12,000,000,000,000 (which we created from thin air) and bandied around toothless words. In essence, nothing changed... so what is to prevent a future banking failure in the US? Nothing at all. Since the United States is virtually owned by the Chinese, how long will it be before the bill comes due? It is frightening to think about and the concept does not paint a positive future for the US.
As someone on the outside looking in I see Guð Blessi Ísland not as a story of documenting the struggle of three Icelanders, but more of a study of Icelandic people as a whole. I would really like to see comments on what both native and expatriated Icelanders think of this movie. I know that it shows a grim side of the Icelandic crisis, but it is important to keep in mind that it was made during the worst parts of the crisis. According to government and media information sources, Iceland is now on the way to recovery and if that's true then I am all the more happy.
This film has received some criticism for not accurately portraying Icelanders. Director Helgi Felixson follows three Icelanders to show the impact of the economic crisis on them - a police officer, a truck driver, and a witch. Well, she seemed like a nice lady, and her heart was in the right place. I'm sure that when most Icelanders saw her segments in the movie they feared that the entire world would think that Iceland was largely populated by witches who dug through dumpsters to get food. That was not the case with me - instead I saw a desperate woman who was concerned about her son's future. Although I am not a witch, I share her same concerns about my daughter's future in the United States.
During the segments which showed scenes from the Kitchenware Revolution, my 15 year old daughter was watching the screen with a look of horror on her face. Here was this nice, peaceful country that Dad has been talking about moving to, and people are beating on pots and pans and throwing eggs at the Parliament. Oh, and the people were getting sprayed by large canisters of pepper spray, which is something that is not very much fun. I explained to her that she was watching something important - a free society exercising their right to protest their government. I then went on to explain to her that this event was the equivalent of 12 million Americans storming Washington, DC and causing the President and Congress to resign. I saw a look on her face contemplating the ramifications of such an action, and an immediate sense of respect for the Icelandic people.
She also saw that in a truly free society that governments can either be placed into power, or be pressured to be removed. Many would expect that an American child would understand this concept as the United States was born from revolution. However, throughout our history the American government has continually eroded the ability and desire of the American people to enact effective change upon our government. We have a two party political system, and often elections come down to a choice between two spokesmen of different special interest groups and not representatives of the people themselves. Within the past 15 years or so, we have also seen protesting equated to being anti-government. In fact, we have taken extreme measures in the United States to prevent people from protesting, such as deployment of LRAD systems.
Here is a video of LRADs being used against protesters in the US. When I say "protesters" what I really mean is "people trying to walk down the street":
Did you see all the protesters? Neither did I. This video was shot during the G20 meetings in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 2009 but it clearly shows nobody protesting anything. Yes, there were protesters at G20 as some people feel that globalization of monetary policies remove a country's sovereignty. This thinking is similar to Iceland's lack of desire to adopt the Euro or to join the EU. As soon as you join the "club" you are no longer in control of what happens in your country.
Of the three Icelanders that are portrayed in Guð Blessi Ísland, two of them were wanting to leave Iceland and come to the US. I found this to be a little bit ironic, considering that I want to leave the US and go to Iceland. Unfortunately, I think these people had the romantic notion of the United States in their minds and had not considered the reality of such an action. In Iceland when the banks failed, the government was changed, investigations were launched, and people got arrested. In the United States we gave the banks over $12,000,000,000,000 (which we created from thin air) and bandied around toothless words. In essence, nothing changed... so what is to prevent a future banking failure in the US? Nothing at all. Since the United States is virtually owned by the Chinese, how long will it be before the bill comes due? It is frightening to think about and the concept does not paint a positive future for the US.
As someone on the outside looking in I see Guð Blessi Ísland not as a story of documenting the struggle of three Icelanders, but more of a study of Icelandic people as a whole. I would really like to see comments on what both native and expatriated Icelanders think of this movie. I know that it shows a grim side of the Icelandic crisis, but it is important to keep in mind that it was made during the worst parts of the crisis. According to government and media information sources, Iceland is now on the way to recovery and if that's true then I am all the more happy.
14 January 2011
Þú ert handtekinn!
Well, you certainly will not ever see this happen in the United States: Iceland's Landsbanki chiefs arrested: prosecutor. I hope that the truth is found and that everyone involved is punished, and that includes people and organizations outside of Iceland.
13 January 2011
Halló!
This blog is a chronicle of my attempt to get a job in Iceland and move my family there. Most people might think I am crazy for wanting to leave the United States and move to a small island near the Arctic Circle that is quite geologically active. Maybe I am, but after doing a lot of research on places to live in the world, Iceland always featured prominently.
Here is a quick checklist of things I found out about Iceland:
Here is a quick checklist of things I found out about Iceland:
- A relatively low tax rate with the benefit of social programs? Yes!
- A press that is considered the most free in the world, with a long history of free speech? Yes!
- A government that is forward thinking and (mostly) listens to the will of the people it governs? Yes!
- A 99% literacy rate, the highest gender equality in the world, fast and cheap Internet access? Yes, yes, yes!
Now, the obvious question is - Why do I want to leave the United States? There are several reasons for wanting to leave the United States, and I will explore them here. It is important to point out, however, that my desire to leave the US is not due to trivial reasons but rather because I am unhappy with events in recent years. Also, I am very concerned with the future of the United States. I see so much rhetoric passed around among US politicians but there is not a real plan for the future. Everybody wants to talk about "change" and "recovery", but there is not much happening to make these things happen.
I am not the type of person to give up or to walk away from a problem - instead I have built my reputation and professional career on my ability to work through problems that others have long abandoned. Unfortunately, I feel that the direction of my home country is not in my control and that this is the best thing to do.
So I will be updating this site and I will post a CV. Hopefully a nice Icelandic company will see it and we can get the process started!
I am not the type of person to give up or to walk away from a problem - instead I have built my reputation and professional career on my ability to work through problems that others have long abandoned. Unfortunately, I feel that the direction of my home country is not in my control and that this is the best thing to do.
So I will be updating this site and I will post a CV. Hopefully a nice Icelandic company will see it and we can get the process started!
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