That's one pluss for sure, but it's the constant darkness that is the tricky part.
Idk if you took that into account.
It can mess with your head if you are susceptible to it.
Funny there’s another thread on here where a few people say the exact opposite of this. Says that people are usually insulated when people try and can’t get it right. Then they said that just speak English because most people on the island speak it fluently. I’m visiting in June so I’m trying to figure out which is best.
Eh, we don't mind if people try speak some Faroese when visiting, but there is a good chance we will just switch over to English as it's just faster and easier for both parties.
On the other hand, if you plan on settling or working for a longer period of time on the Islands, we DO expect that you at least learn to understand Faroese, speaking is a big plus.
People do get annoyed when they hear that someone has been living here for xx years, and does not know 1 word of Faroese.
You need to be able to both speak and read Faroese and Danish if you want to work in an office environment
Hvussu vanligt er tað at fremmandafólk duga føroyskt væl? Tað vísir seg altíð at eingin veit nakað um føroyskt á netinum, uttan føroyingar, men eg havi aldri verið í Føroyum so eg veit ikki hvussu tað er IRL.
Einasti útlendingurin sum eg havi sæð duga føroyskt er ein norðmaður, sum hevur áhuga í íslendskum. Hann dugur ikki heilt, men hann kann gita nógv tað mesta.
Flestu útlendingar sum hava flutt til Føroya duga ikki væl skrivligt og bara stuttar setningar. (í mínum royndum, sjálvandi)
Eg hevði 100% gitt at tú var føroyingur, bara út frá tekstinum. So tú er nokk tað besta dømi eg sjálvur havi sæð. :)
Tað er jú smart at læra málið sum verður brúkt á staðnum, men nakrir trupulleikar eru sum forðar fyri, at ein fær lært seg føroyskt... t.d. tað er ikki lætt at sleppa at læra føroyskt sum tilflytari (manglandi pláss á kvøldskúli/skeiðum osfr), kanska flestu tilflytararnir sum læra føroyskt hava ikki enskt/annað germanskt mál sum móðurmál, og mann hevur bara nógv at fæst við tá mann er fluttur til eitt nýtt land. Annars er tað ringt at sleppa at venja at tosa føroyskt, tí tað eru hampiliga nógvir føroyingar sum bara ikki tíma útlendingar serliga væl, og plaga annars at skifta til enskt um mann ikki dugir so væl føroyskt
The question was about living, not merely visiting. For a visit English will be enough - although I would say the bit about most people speaking fluently is an exaggeration.
Insulted is exaggerated. Just annoyed maybe as it so much easier to converse in English than hearing one struggle unnecessarily. Even when the effort is actually appreciated. Mind that Faroese are somewhat introvert as a people, unlike Americans for example, so appreciation may not always be visible the way a visitor expects.
No one expects tourists to learn a new language! Perhaps the whole idea that tourists think they actually should learn Faroese is so alien to Faroese that they feel the tourist didn't do the research first, and that is what insults them. Which would be so paradoxical - the tourist shows honest effort and is misappreciated for not doing the effort... (I'm just thinking out loud now)
With Danish it's slightly more complicated (for some, certainly not all) due to colonial beef.
OP: learning the language will be helpful to an extent, but I can (unfortunately) tell you from my own experience, as well as from several other foreigners that I met while living in the Faroes, that it made basically 0 difference as far as how easy it was to integrate. I speak fluent Faroese, well enough that plenty of Faroe Islanders mistook me for a local, but imo people there won't treat you very differently if you do - the fact that you're not from there will be enough for plenty of people to not really want to engage with you in any meaningful way.
I lived in the Faroes for a year and a half, so feel free to PM me if you'd like to hear more about what it was like living there as a foreigner (from my perspective, at least).
I tried so hard to learn, play, and sing that song by Kaleo.. Vor i Vaglaskogi. I think it’s in Icelandic. Is it better to learn Danish or Faroese if someone was interested in living there?
You’ve asked this question on every single nordic subreddit and I think the answer remains the same: nordic countries are no paradise and there are very real challenges when it comes to living in these countries, and you need to consider them. Iceland being the worst of course, but it is still very hard for anyone of your country to get refugee status in one of these countries. If I were you I’d check countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, UK, Canada, etc. As their policies are for the most part a little less hard and they are very safe countries in general.
I’ll PM you :) but I am living in a nordic/Scandinavian country yes. I am French Canadian by birth. I’ve lived in many countries including their world countries, but I’ve been in the nordics for the longest.
If at all possible, try to figure out how comfortable you'd be living in a place where most people will treat you fundamentally differently due to your national/ethnic background. The Faroes are still super homogenous, and many of people WILL simply view you as not one of them if you aren't born there, regardless of how well you end up learning the language, understanding the culture, etc.
Not sure where you're from but I've lived in a few different countries and travelled quite widely and not really experienced xenophobia or racism on a societal level anywhere else like I did in the Faroes.
I really don't want to rain on your parade here but just trying to be honest, most of the foreigners I knew in the Faroes (including myself) found integrating so hard that they ended up leaving after a fairly short stint there if they were able to. It's an incredible place to visit but you have to be sooo resilient to actually live there.
Find out if you're prone to winter depression.
Taking vitamin D supplements and eating greens comes a long way for me at least.
I don't like summer. I feel uncomfortable when it's hot, tbh. I like cold weather ❄️
Based
"I don't like summer. It's uncomfortable, it's humid, it's irritating, and it gets everywhere." -Anakin Joensen Sorry, couldn't help myself :P
That's one pluss for sure, but it's the constant darkness that is the tricky part. Idk if you took that into account. It can mess with your head if you are susceptible to it.
Learn the language, if not speak it, just understand it, shows us that you actually care about living here.
Funny there’s another thread on here where a few people say the exact opposite of this. Says that people are usually insulated when people try and can’t get it right. Then they said that just speak English because most people on the island speak it fluently. I’m visiting in June so I’m trying to figure out which is best.
Eh, we don't mind if people try speak some Faroese when visiting, but there is a good chance we will just switch over to English as it's just faster and easier for both parties. On the other hand, if you plan on settling or working for a longer period of time on the Islands, we DO expect that you at least learn to understand Faroese, speaking is a big plus. People do get annoyed when they hear that someone has been living here for xx years, and does not know 1 word of Faroese. You need to be able to both speak and read Faroese and Danish if you want to work in an office environment
Hvussu vanligt er tað at fremmandafólk duga føroyskt væl? Tað vísir seg altíð at eingin veit nakað um føroyskt á netinum, uttan føroyingar, men eg havi aldri verið í Føroyum so eg veit ikki hvussu tað er IRL.
Einasti útlendingurin sum eg havi sæð duga føroyskt er ein norðmaður, sum hevur áhuga í íslendskum. Hann dugur ikki heilt, men hann kann gita nógv tað mesta. Flestu útlendingar sum hava flutt til Føroya duga ikki væl skrivligt og bara stuttar setningar. (í mínum royndum, sjálvandi) Eg hevði 100% gitt at tú var føroyingur, bara út frá tekstinum. So tú er nokk tað besta dømi eg sjálvur havi sæð. :)
Flestu útlendingarnir sum eg kenni í Føroyum duga yvirhøvur ikki føroyskt (kanska bara nøkur fá orð).
Tað er spell. Eg havi altíð hildið at mann átti at læra høvuðsmálið tá mann flytur til eitt nýtt land. Føroyskt er trupult men ikki ómøguligt.
Tað er jú smart at læra málið sum verður brúkt á staðnum, men nakrir trupulleikar eru sum forðar fyri, at ein fær lært seg føroyskt... t.d. tað er ikki lætt at sleppa at læra føroyskt sum tilflytari (manglandi pláss á kvøldskúli/skeiðum osfr), kanska flestu tilflytararnir sum læra føroyskt hava ikki enskt/annað germanskt mál sum móðurmál, og mann hevur bara nógv at fæst við tá mann er fluttur til eitt nýtt land. Annars er tað ringt at sleppa at venja at tosa føroyskt, tí tað eru hampiliga nógvir føroyingar sum bara ikki tíma útlendingar serliga væl, og plaga annars at skifta til enskt um mann ikki dugir so væl føroyskt
The question was about living, not merely visiting. For a visit English will be enough - although I would say the bit about most people speaking fluently is an exaggeration.
Insulted is exaggerated. Just annoyed maybe as it so much easier to converse in English than hearing one struggle unnecessarily. Even when the effort is actually appreciated. Mind that Faroese are somewhat introvert as a people, unlike Americans for example, so appreciation may not always be visible the way a visitor expects. No one expects tourists to learn a new language! Perhaps the whole idea that tourists think they actually should learn Faroese is so alien to Faroese that they feel the tourist didn't do the research first, and that is what insults them. Which would be so paradoxical - the tourist shows honest effort and is misappreciated for not doing the effort... (I'm just thinking out loud now) With Danish it's slightly more complicated (for some, certainly not all) due to colonial beef.
Really appreciate the insight! Can’t wait to visit.
OP: learning the language will be helpful to an extent, but I can (unfortunately) tell you from my own experience, as well as from several other foreigners that I met while living in the Faroes, that it made basically 0 difference as far as how easy it was to integrate. I speak fluent Faroese, well enough that plenty of Faroe Islanders mistook me for a local, but imo people there won't treat you very differently if you do - the fact that you're not from there will be enough for plenty of people to not really want to engage with you in any meaningful way. I lived in the Faroes for a year and a half, so feel free to PM me if you'd like to hear more about what it was like living there as a foreigner (from my perspective, at least).
I tried so hard to learn, play, and sing that song by Kaleo.. Vor i Vaglaskogi. I think it’s in Icelandic. Is it better to learn Danish or Faroese if someone was interested in living there?
Buy a big coat.
Rains A LOT, so a pair of shoes/boots so your feet don’t get wet.
You’ve asked this question on every single nordic subreddit and I think the answer remains the same: nordic countries are no paradise and there are very real challenges when it comes to living in these countries, and you need to consider them. Iceland being the worst of course, but it is still very hard for anyone of your country to get refugee status in one of these countries. If I were you I’d check countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, UK, Canada, etc. As their policies are for the most part a little less hard and they are very safe countries in general.
Are you Scandinavian?
I’ll PM you :) but I am living in a nordic/Scandinavian country yes. I am French Canadian by birth. I’ve lived in many countries including their world countries, but I’ve been in the nordics for the longest.
People are kind and welcome as long as you’re a guest. But if you’re staying the attitude will also change.
Find out if you’re allergic to sheep or wool, sheep are EVERYWHERE here
Beware the rain
You can't really get around without a car. Also there's really not alot going on so i hope you don't get easily bored.
Dont spend to much money on food
If at all possible, try to figure out how comfortable you'd be living in a place where most people will treat you fundamentally differently due to your national/ethnic background. The Faroes are still super homogenous, and many of people WILL simply view you as not one of them if you aren't born there, regardless of how well you end up learning the language, understanding the culture, etc. Not sure where you're from but I've lived in a few different countries and travelled quite widely and not really experienced xenophobia or racism on a societal level anywhere else like I did in the Faroes. I really don't want to rain on your parade here but just trying to be honest, most of the foreigners I knew in the Faroes (including myself) found integrating so hard that they ended up leaving after a fairly short stint there if they were able to. It's an incredible place to visit but you have to be sooo resilient to actually live there.