From Foreign to Familiar

WOW Air: The Icelandic Airline’s Fast Rise & Early Demise – Ep. 58

Jewells — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 05:00:31 +0000

It is a little hard to believe that it is almost the one year anniversary of the bankruptcy of Wow Air. This low cost Icelandic airline went bust on March 28th, 2019. On that date last year, everyone was shocked when the airline suddenly ceased to operate. During this episode, I will go over why and how the airline skyrocketed to success, what it was like during its heyday, what caused WOW Air to fail, how its bankruptcy affected the Icelandic economy, and what’s next.

Skúli Mogensen – The Founder of Wow Air

To me, the most logical place to start this story is with Skúli Mogensen, the founder of WOW Air.

Born to Icelandic parents, Skúli spent much of his youth in Sweden. His dad was studying to become a physician there. He is fluent in Swedish and Icelandic. Skúli moved back to Iceland and attended high school and some college years there. He didn’t finish college because his company Oz Communications, a mobile software company, took off, so he dropped out.

According to an interview in the Financial Post, Mogensen credits his entrepreneurial drive to his education at the University of Iceland. One of his philosophy professors encouraged him to challenge everything. He is quoting as saying in the article,

Challenge the status quo, challenge the dogma and challenge whatever worked yesterday. I think today the speed of things requires you to ultimately — maybe not always challenge, but at least ask questions about whether what you are doing today will actually work tomorrow.
Skúli´s Philosophy Professor

Skúli Dropped Out of College to be an Entreprenuer

Skúli was able to grow OZ to over 200 employees. The company sold more than 100 million copies of its messaging software to major mobile operators. Nokia ended up buying OZ communications in 2008 for an undisclosed amount. Along with starting OZ, Skúli also co-founded Íslandssimi, which is now Vodafone Iceland. Additionally, he co-founded CAOZ, a 3-D animation studio that works on production for films, commercials and games. His serial entrepreneurship made him a billionaire. After selling OZ communications, Skúli went into early retirement at the age of 40. However, he quickly grew tired of it after a couple of years.

According to a Forbes article about Skúl in 2018, he said “I was a failure at retirement. I wanted to use technology to disrupt the market and the airline industry is a good sector for that.”

WOW Air was Born in 2011

Skúli was ready to go full force into starting an airline with his own money. His family, friends and investors urged him not to do it back in 2011. One thing to remember about this time is that Eyjafjallajökull volcano had erupted in 2010.

Even though the ash from the eruption had disrupted air travel for people around the world, the media focus on Iceland had exposed to the world that the country was home to some of the most spectacular nature. Icelandic tourism was starting to increase around that time. However, Skúli’s idea of starting a low budget airline helped skyrocket Icelandic tourism into being one of the main industry to revive Iceland after the economic crash.

Cheap Airfare Helped to Fuel Tourism to Iceland

The trans-Atlantic low cost airline started off with fares starting from $99 for basic seats and service. You could fly from some cities in the U.S. to Iceland and the rest of Europe. Those fares, along with the value of Icelandic krona being so low, made traveling to and in the country affordable for many people who wouldn’t otherwise have come here.

Within its first year, the airline transported 110,000 passengers. That number quadrupled just five years later. It’s incredible that in 2017 it had been reported that 2.8 million passengers had flown with WOW Air. I moved to Iceland in the summer of 2016. I remember thinking that it must be so cool to work for that airline. They had such great advertisements, happy looking staff and it seemed like their growth would not stop anytime soon.

Skúli & WOW Air Were Flying High

In 2017, they had surpassed Icelandair, their main rival, for the number of outbound Icelandic passengers and had 38% market share. Skúli was hiring talented people from around the globe because there just weren’t enough people in Iceland to fill the roles. I think the diversity in the company and the fact that people worked in teams, helped to WOW Air to set themselves apart.

By 2018, the airline had purchased 20 planes, had over 1,000 employees, and was flying to over 35 cities internationally. Incredibly the airline had been growing at a rate of 75-80 percent every year since its inception. At least that was the number reported in a Forbes article in 2018.

Trouble in Paradise

From an outsider’s view, the fast growth seemed amazing but on the inside crucial mistakes were being made that would eventually lead to the company’s demise. The biggest red flag is when WOW Air reported a loss of ISK 4.8 billion ($39.3 million, at the time) between July 2017 and July 2018. It was also reported in 2018 in media outlets that WOW Air owed ISAVIA, the state owned company that runs the airport, ISK 2 billion in landing fees. So, the company essentially owed the tax payers of Iceland this money.

On top of that, the rising cost of fuel worked against them. At the end of August 2018, jet fuel had risen to $92 a barrel. That was a 25% increase when compared to the year before. To make matters even more complicated, competition among airlines that have transatlantic routes is fierce. The odds kept getting stacked against WOW Air. Skúli wanted to keep his company alive but he couldn’t do it on his own anymore.

Skúli Turns to Icelandair for Help

In the fall of 2018, the company explored all of its options for staying afloat. Even though bondholders of Wow Air pumped ISK 8.2 billion ($66.9 million at the time) in the airline, it still wasn’t enough. Reality started to hit hard when the airline had to stop operating routes, such as San Francisco, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Edinburgh, Stockholm and Tel Aviv.

That might have seemed bad but the worst was yet to come. The one thing Skúli was dreading was having to go to Icelandair for a bailout. Unfortunately, I am not privy to what it was like to work for WOW Air but it was well known that they saw Icelandair as their biggest competitor. It must have been quite humbling for Skúli to have to swallow his pride and try to convince Icelandair to save his company.

The Talks with Icelandair Go South

During the talks in November, the mutual benefits were laid out on the table. If Icelandair merged with WOW Air, it would solve the company’s debt problems. In exchange, Wow Air would be able to help the national airline be more competitive on the international market. The deal would be that they would continue to operate under their existing brands. This merger would mean that Icelandair would control 3.8% of the Atlantic aviation market.

The shareholders of Icelandair were hesitant about approving this deal and, unfortunately, it fell through. For Skúli, it was a lost battle but he still planned to win the war. Before I go any further, I have to point out that during this time, Wow Air went ahead with operating low cost flights to India, even though it was clearly struggling to stay alive. I don’t know if this was purely an act of desperation by the company or a ploy to show people that they were ok.

IndiGo Partners Shows Interest in Investing

Skúli was in talks with Indigo Partners about a potential investment. Indigo Partners is a private equity firm that has controlling interest in Frontier Airlines (based in the U.S.), JetSmart (based in Chile) and holds stakes in Volaris, a Mexican budget airline, and Wizz Air, a low cost airline in Europe. Obviously, this was potentially a good fit for WOW Air. Not long after the Icelandair deal fell through, it was announced that Skúli and Indigo Partners had made a temporary investment agreement. However, this deal meant that WOW would have to change quite a bit to become the low cost airline that Indigo Partners would agree to invest in.

The main thing for Skúli was that he remained the majority shareholder in the company. Some of the demands of Indigo Partners included streamlining operations. According to an article by Iceland Review,

There were layoffs: 15 WOW employees at the airport, 237 employees of an airport support services company, and then, just weeks before Christmas, 111 additional WOW employees were let go. WOW reduced its fleet from 20 to 11 short- to medium-range aircraft. It sold its flight times at Gatwick, making Stansted its only destination in the UK, and lastly, extracted itself – at substantial cost – from a contract with an Irish aircraft rental company.
Iceland review

IndiGo Partners Changes Up the Terms with WOW Air

All of those changes were made so that Indigo Partners would go ahead with buying 49% of the company. But then Indigo Partners threw a monkey wrench into the deal by changing the terms. Two major changes were made.

The first is that shareholders would have to wait longer to be compensated for their investments and their returns would be linked to the financial success of the airline. The second is that Skúli’s stake in the company would also be linked to the airline’s success. So, if the airline did well then Skúli could end up owning the whole thing again. But if there was more trouble in paradise, he could lose it all.

All of this was unsettling for him and, not surprisingly, he was hesitant about taking the deal. To sweeten the deal, Indigo Partners said they would invest almost double their initial offer – a whooping ISK 10.9 billion ($89.2 million). The expectation was that Skúli would gobble that up but he didn’t and Indigo Partners walked away from the deal on March 21st.

WOW Air Goes Bust

Unexpectedly, Icelandair jumped back in the picture but those talks didn’t amount to anything. In a last ditch effort to keep the company going, Skúli convinced his creditors to convert the debt into shares in WOW Air. One of the main reasons they were willing to do this was out of fear. Everyone assumed that the collapse of WOW Air could mean a big retraction in the tourism industry. It could lead to a recession.

Even with creditors agreeing to change 49% of the company’s debt into shares, someone needed to buy the other 51%. Like a lion stalking its prey, in jumped Indigo Partners again. Once again, the negotiations were not successful. At 8:00 AM on March 28th, WOW Air ceased its operations

The Icelandic Economy Braced for the Worst

The impact of this decision rippled out from within the company. Not only were about 1,100 people going to lose their jobs, but WOW Air passengers were stranded in different cities. It was absolutely awful that so many people were left scrambling to find flights home or had purchased flights that they couldn’t use. Luckily, Icelandair was able to step in and help a lot of people. In addition to passengers being left stranded, Iceland was bracing for the worst.

Personally, I was in the middle of changing jobs at this time last year. I remember hearing about how worried travel companies were about what this meant for their business. There was also a looming labor strike. Some companies had already started to plan layoffs. There was a prediction that the travel industry would struggle over the next nine months and that the GDP of Iceland would contract.

It is true that tourism in Iceland has seen a decline in the last couple of years but the GDP was not badly affected. It grew .2% in the first nine months when compared to the previous year. This is not to say that Wow Air going under has had no effect.

The Tourism Industry was Hit Hard

Three to four hundred WOW Air staff were still unemployed six months after the airline went under. The tourism industry has become even more competitive because everyone is fighting to get the attention of a smaller group of tourists.

The shift of who is coming to Iceland has forced companies to figure out how to adapt new ways of marketing. There has been a big decline in visitors from the United States but it seemed that visitors from the U.K. and China were on the rise.

Tourists from China, in particular, were predicted to be the fastest growing group. However, there is so much uncertainty due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

Attempts to Resurrect & Replace WOW Air

One of the most shocking announcements to happen about a week after WOW Air went under is that Skúli said that he plans to resurrect the airline. The team had learned their lesson and were looking for someone to invest $40 million to finance the venture. As many of you know, that didn’t happen.

Months later Michelle Ballarin, one of the owners of USAerospace Associates, purchased the assets of WOW Air. They planned to start flights under the brand in the fall. Everyone was skeptical but hopeful.

Will a Low-Cost Airline Come Back to Iceland?

At around the same time, former employees of WOW Air decided to start their own airline. Initially it was nicknamed WAB, which was an acronym for “We Are Back” but it later turned into Play Air. I laughed quite hard when I heard that because it sounds too close to “player”. It begs the question, “Who is being played in all of this?” Both resurrections made promises of operations happening soon, as early as fall 2019 and none delivered. Now that the world is in crisis mode, there is no telling if either airline will ever get off the ground. I guess only time will tell.

Random Fact of the Episode

When WOW Air announced flights from the U.S. to India via Iceland, it became the first low cost airline carrier to serve India from Iceland using its A330-300 wide body aircraft. The nearly 12 hour return flight was the longest in its route network.

About a month after starting this route, the airline had to pull out. This was due to the cost of fuel and they were trying to cut down on operations to meet the demands of Indigo Partners to cut a deal.

Icelandic Word of the Episode

Flugvél – flying machine or airplane

I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of the All Things Iceland podcast. If you think someone else will find this episode interesting and/useful please share it. My newsletter is dedicated to sharing even more fascinating information about Iceland.

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Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post WOW Air: The Icelandic Airline’s Fast Rise & Early Demise – Ep. 58 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Coronavirus in Iceland: How it Spread & What is Being Done About It – Ep. 57

Jewells — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 05:11:03 +0000

A few days ago I posted on the All Things Iceland Instagram and Facebook pages that I do plan to give a rundown of how the Coronavirus is spreading in Iceland and what the government has been doing to control it. I do not plan to give updates every few days about the virus.

I think it is important to talk about it. However, I mainly created All Things Iceland to share about Icelandic culture, history, language and nature. Not to just focus on one topic. Also, I think it is nice to be able to escape the news for a while and hear about Iceland.

Like many others, I am closely monitoring what is going on with the virus where I live. I want to do as much as I can to stay safe. I still do my weekly news round-up in my Instagram stories each Sunday. You can check that out if you want to hear about what happened in Iceland the week before.

As I thought about how to format this particular episode, it dawned on me that it might be helpful to give you a bit of backstory regarding when Icelandic officials made it public that they were starting to prepare for the virus coming to the country. Also, I am going to speak a little about how deeply this affects the Icelandic economy, especially the tourism industry.

When Did Iceland Start to Prepare for the Coronavirus?

To start off, Iceland did take note when the World Health Organization’s (or the WHO) China office started sharing reports of the virus spreading in the Eastern Chinese city Wuhan in late December and into January. Of course no one knew it would spread so quickly around the world. In late January, Iceland started to prepare for it possibly coming our way.

According to Iceland Monitor, on January 27th, Þórarinn Guðnason, the Chief Epidemiologist in Iceland, recommended that Icelanders should,

Cancel any unnecessary trips to areas in China affected by the coronavirus, known to cause pneumonia, coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. This applies in particular to the Hubei province.
Þórarinn Guðnason, the Chief Epidemiologist in Iceland

He was also said “health care officials in Iceland are preparing for the possible spread of the virus to Iceland. “That is our approach – that this will arrive in Iceland… We try to prepare as well as possible. We prepare for the worst, hoping it won’t happen. But we assume it will arrive here.”

Chinese Tourism Was on the Rise in Iceland

One thing many people who live outside of Iceland may not be aware of is that Chinese tourism in the country has been on the rise over the last couple of years. Some of the tourists are groups coming directly from China and others are people who were born in China but are studying or working abroad in different places, such as in Europe.

I have worked in tourism Iceland for about four years, from 2016 to present day and it was clear that even though U.S. visitors were still the highest number of tourists that it was evident that numbers were declining fast. Chinese tourists were starting to increase rapidly, especially during the Chinese New Year.

According to an article published in January of this year, Iceland was expecting no less than 130,000 Chinese tourists, which would have been more than the number of Germans expected to visit, and Germans are the third numerous group behind the United States and the United Kingdom. 130,000 might not seem like a lot when you think about the fact that almost two million people visited Iceland in 2019.

However, the potential for more Chinese tourists was growing exponentially. I reported in my weekly news round-up on Instagram back in November that a Chinese airline Juneyao was going to start offering direct flight service from Shanghai to Keflavík airport in March. Of course that is not happening now but that should at least give you an idea that ties between Iceland and China were strengthening.

The tourism industry in Iceland is very competitive and all of the companies are fighting for market share. Many of them have been trying to capture the Chinese market because they could all see the writing on the wall.

Icelanders Expected Coronavirus Infections to Come Directly From China

As a person that lives here and pays a decent amount of attention to the news as well as talks to natives and expats, I can tell you that most of us assumed that Iceland wouldn’t be hit hard by this virus. It felt a world away. Also, most people thought that since this virus originally popped up in China, that it will be either Chinese visitors or Icelanders that had been in China or an already labeled “high risk” area that would bring the virus to the island. Well, to many’s surprise that is not what happened.

People on the Front Lines Started to Prepare

Before any cases of the virus were confirmed in Iceland, a few interesting things happened. First, which was reported on January 31st, is that some employees at Keflavík airport started wearing face masks and gloves. Ísavia, the company that operates the airport, said that they provide the masks and gloves to their employees but it was up to them to wear them.

The second is that Landspítali National University Hospital started reviewing their contingency plans, started planning out routes if they have to transport infected patients to minimize risk of spreading, put in place protective equipment like hospital suits, googles, etc and began educating their medical staff.

As you can tell, the people that work on the front lines such as in travel, like at the check in counters and flight attendants as well as those working in hospitals, were doing their best to prepare. Most of us not in those professions were just going about our daily lives even though the virus has spread to about twenty countries at that time. Also, it was encouraged to only test people if the person suspected they have been infected, which basically meant that the person had just come from China and felt ill. That was in early February.

Icelandic Family Tries to Get Home From China

On February 20th, an Icelandic family (two parents and a child) that had been traveling in China for what was suspected to be quite some time since the outbreak began, requested permission to come home. At that time, the European Union was organizing a flight to bring back European citizens from China and Icelandic authorities were trying to get the family on that plane. Luckily, that was a success.

The family traveled from Wuhan to France and then onto Iceland. They were examined upon arrival and then were instructed to be in quarantine at home for about 14 days. It is important to note that they did not feel ill when they left China nor when they came to Iceland.

Just one day after the family arrived in Iceland, it was reported that seven Icelanders vacationing in Tenerife were in quarantine along with 1,000 other people at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel. The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago and are the southernmost part of Spain. They are a popular vacationing spot for many Europeans, Icelanders included. I had the pleasure of going to Tenerife, the largest of the islands, two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can probably find Icelandic people there at almost any time of the year because there are many direct flights from here to Terenrife. The isolation was due to the fact that an Italian doctor that was a guest at the hotel tested positive with the coronavirus. Police were standing guard at the hotel to make sure that no one entered or left.

The First Confirmed Case in Iceland Was Announced

On February 28th, the dam finally broke. Iceland confirmed its first case of Coronavirus. Surprisingly, the Icelandic man who had the virus had been on a skiing trip with a group of other Icelanders in Northern Italy, which was outside of a defined risk area. The man is in his forties had arrived in Iceland on February 22nd, which means that he was walking around with the virus in the country for some days. After falling ill, he was scanned at the hospital and immediately put in isolation after his infection was confirmed. His daughter and wife were also inspected. On top of that, policemen were trying to trace where he had been since arriving back to Iceland.

After this confirmed infection, it was like a domino effect. More confirmed cases started popping up after just a few days. In less than three weeks, Iceland went from having no confirmed cases to having 182 and over 1900 in quarantine in the country, specifically in the Reykjavík area, which has about three fourths of the population of Iceland. That is according to the numbers that were reported on Monday, March 16th, 2020 at 4:30 pm. I include a graph from a Morgunblaðið article below that shows how the number of cases has increased in this time frame.

Confirmed Infections Are Being Announced Daily in Iceland

A pretty scary occurrence is that five critical care nurses at the National Hospital were infected with the virus. Two of the nurses had been on the ski trip that I mentioned to you earlier and infected their colleagues while on shift together. They are all now in quarantine. Obviously that puts a big strain on that unit.

One very important thing to know is that up until Thursday, March 12th the majority of the people in the country with confirmed cases of the Coronavirus were Icelanders that had been on skiing trips in the Alps (Northern Italy, Austria and Switzerland) and any people that had close contact with those infected people before it was known that they had the virus. It is still the case that over 65% of the infections were due to exposure in a foreign place but now around 28% of the infections happened domestically, The other small percentage of how people became infected is unknown.

The Icelandic Government’s Response to the Spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

With that information, you are probably wondering how the government has responded to all of this. As mentioned in the very beginning of this episode, Iceland’s Chief Epidemiologist did put out a warning about the Coronavirus and expected that it would make its way here. It wouldn’t have been possible to test every single person coming from areas that were not labeled as high risk.

The number is bound to keep going up. Here is an overview of how the government has been handling this incredibly difficult situation. First off, they have been extremely transparent and diligent in informing the public about the confirmed Coronavirus cases. On March 6th, the number of confirmed cases hit 43 and a state of emergency was put in place. Viðir Reynisson, Chief superintendent stated on that day to reporters, “…A ban on public gatherings is probably one of the most effective tools we have in our tool box to slow down the spread of the virus, and we must apply it correctly and in as effective a way as possible. We’re not there yet, but it is inescapable, we believe, that we’ll take that route at some point in time.”

Parliament Pledges to Help Businesses & People in Quarantine

In order to help businesses, the government announced on March 10th that they would take certain action to support and stimulate the economy during this turbulent time. Because tourism is being hit the hardest, they are considering cancelling taxes and fees for that sector for a limited time. After we are in the clear from this outbreak, a major international advertising campaign will launch to attract travelers. Icelanders will be encouraged to travel more domestically. Because all companies will feel the effect of what is happening, the government is working closely with financial services companies and banks.

The Icelandic government has also pledged that all people who are in quarantine will still receive their salaries.

Updates About the Virus Happen Daily

Ever since the first confirmed Coronavirus case on February 28th, there have been daily updates on Facebook by the Almannavarnadeild Ríkislögreglustjóra. That is the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. It might seem odd that this happens on Facebook but over 90% of Iceland is active on the platform. They have been great about announcing press conferences about the Coronavirus, the amount of new cases each day and more.

Two things happened that made some people in Iceland who were already critical of how the government was handling the situation raise their concerns even louder. On March 12th, the news outlets exploded after Trump announced a travel ban on citizens from many European countries. Also, Norway announced that they would shut its borders to stop the spread of the virus. In response to that and more cases being confirmed in Iceland, the government announced a ban on gatherings of more than 100 people on Friday, March 13th.

Some Icelandic Schools Close

All colleges and high schools would be closed. However, preschools and primary schools will still be open starting on Monday, March 16th. This is in place for the next four weeks. Companies of less than 100 people can decide if they are closing. Employees are instructed to keep a 2 meter distance from each other. The reason why preschools and primary schools are still open is that it will be difficult for emergency workers and others needed to help with the Coronavirus outbreak to find people to watch their children. It is a bit of a tricky situation and I have heard arguments for and against it.

Some feel that Iceland should stop people from coming into the country. However, that has not happened as of yet and it might not.

Icelandair Feels the Heat After the U.S. Travel Ban

In February, Icelandair had already made announcements about reducing flights because of how the virus is spreading in Europe. Still, the travel ban to the United States hit them hard. Like I said before, the U.S. is the largest market for the airline. Even though at the time of the announcement, U.S. citizens could still travel to Iceland, many were cancelling their flights. Like many airlines around the world, Icelandair’s stock fell by 22% after the travel ban was announced. To my surprise, the airline still plans to go ahead with scheduled flights to New York, Chicago, Seattle and Washington D.C., over the next 30 days.

As in the U.S., people in Iceland started to get more antsy. Many went to stores to buy toilet paper and other goods. I had to laugh that the news outlets had to put out articles telling people not to hoard. Also, the the sale of canned food has gone up a tremendous amount in some stores. Over the weekend, I purposely stayed away from Costco because it can be quite busy on a regular weekend, so I wanted to avoid any madness.

The Ban on Gatherings is Expanded in Iceland

Over the weekend, the ban on gatherings was further clarified. It was announced that in-person conferences, large meetings, going to the cinema, the theater and so on are banned. Restaurants must arrange their seating to have two meters between tables. Families can sit together but those in different parties must be far enough apart. The restaurants and tourism companies must have hand sanitizer available for guests to use as well.

The fascinating part is that as of March 15th, only Icelandic residents traveling from countries with major outbreaks need to enter quarantine when they arrive in Iceland. Tourists from those same countries do not need to be in quarantine but they are asked to respect social distancing. That last part is a bit worrying to me.

deCode Genetics Steps in to Help Screen People for the Virus

On March 9th, the CEO of deCode Genetics Kári Stefánsson, who I interviewed in episode 50 of this podcast, offered to help the national hospital with screening people for the virus. He is quoted as saying,

We want to help Landspítali [National University Hospital], which has limited capacity,” …“We have the equipment, a lab equipped for work with viruses, and people who are experts at this. What we want to do, in addition to what Landspítali has been doing, is to do a sequence analysis of the virus in those who turn out positive. The idea behind that is to find out how the virus is mutating.
Kári Stefánsson, CEO of decode genetics

This was welcomed by everyone except the Data Protection Authority and the Ethical Review Committee. They felt that the action might require a permit as a scientific study. However, that issue was resolved and now deCode has started to help screen people.

Foss Hotel has been turned into a quarantine for visitors and Icelanders who need a place to stay.

Website Created to Find Updates About the Coronavirus in Iceland

Lastly, an awesome website was recently launched in Iceland to keep people informed about the virus. Data, like the number of confirmed infections, the number of those in quarantine and more is on the site. Of course there is also a lot of information about how to protect yourself and the groups most at risk. The text is available in Icelandic and English. The Directorate of Health and The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management are responsible for this website.

I hope you found this episode helpful when it comes to understanding how the Coronavirus is affecting Iceland. To stay up to date with what I am posting, you can subscribe to my newsletter.

Random Fact of the Episode

On March 15th, Visir published the first results of the voluntary screening by deCode Genetics. About 1% of all Icelanders have the Coronavirus. This is relatively good news but we will get a better picture as more screenings are done.

Icelandic word of the episode

Bros er betra en koss og knús

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post Coronavirus in Iceland: How it Spread & What is Being Done About It – Ep. 57 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Gísli Pálsson – Icelandic Anthropologist, Professor & Author: Ep. 56

Jewells — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:00:03 +0000

I had the pleasure of interviewing Gísli Pálsson for this episode of the podcast in his office at the University of Iceland. He recently retired, but he has served as a professor and Director of Institute of Anthropology at the university. He has written several books, including “The Man Who Stole Himself”, the story about Hans Jónatan, who was the first black citizen of Iceland.

To get a good overview of that story you can check out the video below that I recently published about Hans Jónatan on YouTube.

To stay up to date on what I am sharing, like new podcast episodes, videos, articles and more, sign up for the All Things Iceland newsletter.

During our chat, we talk about many different topics. It was fascinating to talk with him and below are some of the topics we discussed.

The Questions I Asked Gísli Pálsson During The Interview

1. You were born in the Westman Islands. Were you there during the eruption of Eldfell in 1973?

2. What made you interested in studying anthropology?

3. When did you find out about he story of Hans Jonatan and why did you decided to write a book about him?

4. When you were researching for the book, did you find anything surprising or unusual?

5. Another one of your books, “Writing on Ice: The Ethnographic Notebooks of Vilhjalmur Stefansson – an arctic explorer and pioneering anthropologist, is quite fascinating and a bit heartbreaking. How did you uncover the story of about his secret family?

6. After the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, you started a project called the Volcanologues. Can you explain a little bit about that project and why you did it?

7. Through you research and/collaboration with others, have you discovered other fascinating stories or information about Icelanders?

8. How do you choose what you want to research and write about?

9. What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

Some of the Books Mentioned During the Episode

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post Gísli Pálsson – Icelandic Anthropologist, Professor & Author: Ep. 56 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

All About Icelandic Sheep: Ep. 55

Jewells — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 16:15:27 +0000

Icelandic sheep are a mix of adorable and fascinating. During the summer, you can find them roaming freely around the country. For months they are on what seems like the ultimate Icelandic summer vacation – eating, sleeping, and walking wherever they please. Before winter sets in, they are rounded up by the farmers that own them so they can be sheltered from the harsh Icelandic weather.

Regardless of the season, the Icelandic sheep farmer is always at work. If you are interested in hearing a first-hand account of what life on an Icelandic sheep farm is like, I recommend checking out my interview with Pálína Axelsdóttir Njarðvík, creator of the popular Instagram account (@farmlifeiceland). Her account showcases what life on an Icelandic sheep farm life is like from her perspective.

Quick facts about Sheep in Iceland
Icelandic sheep history & heritage
When is the lambing season in Iceland?
What is Réttir?
Sheep farms to visit or stay on in Iceland
Meat Production of Icelandic sheep
Wool Production from sheep in Iceland
How to buy an authentic Icelandic sweater?
Does Iceland have more sheep than people?

Quick Facts About Sheep in Iceland

There are more sheep in Iceland than the number of people that live here
The color of their fleece can be white or a range of browns, grays, and blacks
Multiple births, such as twins, triplets or more, are very common in this breed because of a gene called Þoka that many Icelandic ewes possess
Norwegian Spelsau and Icelandic sheep descend from the same stock
Sheep in Iceland have been bred in isolation for more than a thousand years
Meat production is the main reason for raising sheep in Iceland
Sheep milk was once more widely consumed than cow milk in Iceland

Sheep in Iceland have played an important role in the way of life in the country since the first settlers came to Iceland back in the 9th and 10th centuries. I was surprised to learn so many fascinating facts about them after talking to Pálína and doing some research.

Icelandic Sheep History & Heritage

They are classified as Northern short-tailed sheep and are the largest in their group, which includes Finn, Romanov, Shetland, Spelsau and Swedish Landrac. As mentioned in the quick facts above, the Icelandic sheep descends from the same breed as the Norwegian Spelsau.

While it is the case that sheep in Iceland today are pure breeds, at one time farmers did try crossbreeding with foreign breeds. However, those experiments ended because the cross breeding brought on disease. Eventually, all of the sheep that the result of cross breeding were killed, or what is known as culled. Culling is defined as reducing the population of an animal by selective slaughter.

Iceland is notorious for its harsh weather and over the centuries there have been many challenging times for livestock and their farmers. Due to being bred in isolation for more than a thousand years, the Icelandic sheep has been able to thrive in these conditions. Because of that, they are considered to be efficient herbivores.

While sheep are mostly bred for meat in Iceland now, they have contributed to Icelandic society in a variety of ways over the years. Up until the 1940’s, they were the predominant milk producing animal in the country. It was far more expensive to have a cow before that time, so people consumed sheep’s milk instead.

When is the Lambing Season in Iceland?

Lambing season in Iceland starts in May and lasts for about five weeks. During this month, farmers are working around the clock to monitor and assist the ewes (female sheep) who are birthing the cute lambs. Due to a gene that is named Þoka, pregnant Icelandic female sheep often give birth to multiple lambs at once. They can give birth to twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, and even sextuplets! It is quite amazing to think of that many lambs being born at once.

It isn’t always that the ewes need help with birthing their lambs but it happens often enough that farmers take turns throughout the day and night to check on how everything is going. Normally, lambs are born with their head and front legs coming out first. However, that doesn’t always happen, and that is when a farmer steps in.

Helping Sheep Give Birth is Serious Business

Other times help is needed if the lamb is not breathing or if it is rejected by its mother. When a lamb enters the world, it is crucial that there is a bond between mother and child within the first few minutes. If an ewe is cleaning and drying off their lamb there is a good chance that it has accepted it. Unfortunately, it does happen that an ewe rejects a lamb and starts to ram or kick it.

Pálína talks about this happening to one of her favorite sheep during the interview I did with her. Luckily, she was able to save the lamb and keep it alive by nursing it. Sometimes farmers even find another mother for a rejected lamb. Although it is rare, sometimes an ewe or lamb do not live due to complications in the birthing process.

It might sound sweet that farmers are so attentive during lambing season However, the reality is that the health of the new born lambs and their sheep is essential to their livelihood. It is not to say that the miracle of birth is not appreciated by the farmers. I think it is important to know that the time and effort they put in is a wise investment in their business.

During the summer months, the lambs and sheep head off to roam in the mountains and the countryside until September.

What is Réttir?

Réttir (Rettir) is the annual sheep round-up that happens every September in Iceland. Farmers, their families, friends and tourists go out into the countryside to collect the sheep. Some walk and others travel by ATV or on horseback. Because Icelandic sheep can be anywhere in the countryside, the challenge of collecting them can be quite tedious. I have seen sheep way up on steep mountains and others that have wandered into valleys or the property of others.

If you plan to drive around Iceland during the summer months, just know that sheep will randomly run out into the road. They have the right of way, so please slow down if you see them walking alongside the road. If you do hit a sheep, it is best to call the police (the number is 112) and give them the tag or earmark on the sheep. The police will then contact the farmer, so they can retrieve their sheep.

Photo by Ross Weinberg

It used to be that Icelandic sheep outnumbered Icelandic people two to one. However, due to the Icelandic sheep population decreasing and the amount of people living in Iceland increasing, that is not presently the case. Regardless, the sheep still outnumber the amount of people that live on the island. It is hard to fathom but there are hundreds of thousands of sheep that need to be rounded up. The time honored tradition is certainly not for those that are inpatient or physically unfit. It’s a lot of work to round-up sheep but the reward is worth it.

Take Part in a Réttir

If you prefer to not go out to find the sheep but you still want to experience a Réttir, I have great news for you. Some farmers allow for visitors and Icelanders who have no association with a farm to come to the sorting of the sheep.

In different locations around the country during September, there are lists of Réttir sorting times. I went to one in 2019 and it was fascinating. Basically, all of the sheep and lamb that were round-up were put into a big pen. The farmers then find their sheep, which are marked, and put them into a pen that belongs to their specific farm.

What was so cool about this experience for me was that I was able to see Icelandic sheep up close. Normally, sheep run away from humans because they are afraid. There are very few people that interact with sheep and it seems like the sheep would like to keep it that way.

Earlier, I mentioned that there is a reward for the round-up of the sheep, and that is a celebration called the Réttaball. The farmers in each region have parties where they drink, dance, sing and just have a good time because they have finished the monumental task of collecting and sorting their sheep. One event that many people don’t know about is that after the Réttir, many of the lambs are slaughtered. In the month following the round-up, many restaurants and grocery stores are advertising lots of fresh lamb.

Sheep farms to Visit or Stay on in Iceland

If you ever find yourself interested in visiting or staying on a sheep farm in Iceland, there are lists of different farms around the country. There are two in particular that I am going to share because they are primarily sheep farms and you can stay on them, if you wish. I’ve not been to either of them and have no affiliation with the owners.

Bjarteyjarsandur Family Farm

According to their website, “The Bjarteyjarsandur farm is owned and operated by three different families, all specializing in their different fields; i.e. farming, tourism, education, food processing, and machine work. The farm is situated in a beautiful by the fjord with a lovely seashore. The same family has lived in Bjarteyjarsandur since 1887.”

Along with these different experiences, you can eat farm fresh food, cuddle an Icelandic lamb and soak in a natural hot pot by the sea in summertime.

Sölvanes Farm

According to their website “Sölvanes is a traditional sheep farm located in a beautiful valley of Skagafjördur, North Iceland. Sölvanes is very much a family affair, run by Rúnar Máni and his wife Eydís, both from North Iceland. The two sons and other family members play an active part in the family business.”

I’m quite interested in visiting and staying on a farm. I hope to get a chance to do it one day soon, especially since I know that these are family run places.

If you are curious to learn more about these farms, feel free to check out the links in the show notes.

Meat Production of Icelandic sheep

Icelandic sheep are primarily raised for their meat. It’s estimated that about 80% of income from sheep farming comes from selling it. Lamb is a popular export but in recent years it has been found that exporting sheep or lamb meat is not profitable. This is due to the cost of producing the meat in Iceland being higher than the average price obtained for the meat from other countries.

An article in Morgunblaðið, a local newspaper, states a report suggests “that slaughter houses are too many and their numbers need to be reduced to improve efficiency. Reducing the number of meat processing plants could also improve profitability if the slaughterhouses left were able to increase automation.” It might come as a surprise to some but over the years, Icelanders have decreased their consumption of lamb in favor of eating more chicken. Increasing exports of meat is one way that companies are trying to stay in business.

After reading another article about a lamb producer Fjallalamb planning to export lamb to China, I can only assume that there will potentially be a surge in Icelandic lamb exports. Well, if the company is able to figure out how to cut down the cost of production.

As I mentioned in the section about Réttir, the lamb that have been free-roaming around the countryside are slaughtered not long after the sheep have been rounded up for winter. Icelandic lamb is considered some of the best in the world because the animals are not fed any extra grain, given any hormones and are free range.

Wool Production from sheep in Iceland

When settlers came to Iceland back in the ninth and tenth centuries, among other things, they brought sheep with them. Even though sheep’s wool has been used by Icelanders for many centuries, the Icelandic wool industry is only about 125 years old. The company Álafoss was founded in 1896 and had 200 employees at the beginning. At its peak in the 1970’s and 80’s, it employed 2000 people who would process the wool, then knit, sew and make clothes with it. One of the company’s main trading partners was the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Álafoss went bankrupt and the country’s wool industry went down with it.

Photo by Paul Hanaoka

Resurgence of Wool Production in Iceland

Ístex, which is now the biggest producer of Icelandic wool, started about 25 years ago as a way to revitalize the industry. According to the company, “Ístex was started for the farmers, to keep up their production.”

To give you an example of the amount of wool processed in Iceland, Guðjón Kristinsson, the managing director of Ístex, told the Reykjavík Grapevine back in 2017 that “…there are 500,000 sheep in Iceland, from which the 2000 farmers shear 1000 tonnes of wool a year. This is reduced to 750 usable tonnes after washing; 400 tonnes of the best material is processed into knitting wool, with the second class remainder exported to the UK, mainly for use in upholstery and carpets.”

While Álafoss is still in business and doing well, it is not anywhere near what it was in its heyday. If you are curious about the history of the shop, I recommend visiting. It is only about a 20 minutes drive outside of downtown Reykjavík. It’s off the same road you would take to get to the Golden Circle.

I plan to do a separate episode on the knitting history and culture in Iceland, especially since I recently learned how to knit and am working on my first Icelandic sweater.

How to Buy an Authentic Icelandic Sweater

If you are planning to buy an Icelandic sweater, please make sure that it was made in Iceland. There are many shops that have sweaters that have “designed in Iceland” labels but the wool and manufacturing are from China. They are not authentic Icelandic sweaters. Places like the Handknitting Association of Iceland and Álafoss sell authentic Icelandic sweaters that were produced, designed and knit in Iceland. It helps to keep the local industry going if you buy from shops like the ones I mentioned.

Does Iceland have more sheep than people?

Yes, Iceland has more sheep than people in the country. It used to be that there were two sheep for every one person in Iceland. In recent years, the population of people living here has increased and the population of sheep has decreased. According to an article in the Iceland Review, there were 432,740 sheep in 2018. Sheep numbers were at their highest in 1978. Then, there were over 890,000 sheep! As mentioned earlier, the cost of production of sheep is quite high in comparison to what the farmers are paid, so reducing the number of sheep has cut down on farm operation and production.

Random fact of the episode

Icelandic sheep grow two types of wool. The one closest to their skin is a soft, insulating fiber. While the outer layer is more coarse and protects them against wind and rain. These two layers are combined in Icelandic wool. Wool produced in warmer climates is softer and not as itchy. If you own an Icelandic sweater, you have probably felt itchy if you weren’t wearing a layer between it and your skin. Actually you might still feel itchy but much less than if you’ve had it right next to your skin. Ístex is trying to find ways to reduce the itchiness in the wool fibers.

Icelandic word of the episode

Kind – sheep

Lamb – lamb

I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of the All Things Iceland podcast. If you think someone else will find this episode interesting and/useful please share it. Recently, I started a newsletter that is dedicated to sharing even more fascinating information about Iceland.

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post All About Icelandic Sheep: Ep. 55 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

The Icelandic Education System: Interview with Arnór Guðmundsson – Ep. 54

Jewells — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 12:33:04 +0000

To get a better understanding of the Icelandic education system, I sat down with Arnór Guðmundsson for this episode of the All Things Iceland podcast. In his role as the Director of the Directorate of Education, his agency focuses on testing and producing textbooks for schools in Iceland. We discussed many things. Some of them include the different levels of education in Iceland, how the Icelandic education system compares with other countries, and some challenges the Directorate is facing.

The continued decrease in literacy among Icelandic teenage boys and how the survival of the Icelandic language is threatened by English are topics most people are not aware of who live outside of the country. Arnór was helpful in giving an overview of the system. I have also included answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Icelandic education system, which are not in the podcast interview.

Photo by Evelyn Paris

Arnór’s interview questions

What is the history of the education system in Iceland?

What are the levels in the Icelandic education system?

Do you need to know Icelandic to study in Iceland?

How many universities does Iceland have?

Are there private schools in Iceland?

Is education free in Iceland for international students?

Questions I asked Arnór during the interview:

What made you interested in working in the Directorate of Education in Iceland?
How is the education system in Iceland setup? What are the different levels?
I assume that technology is used quite a bit in schools here. I am just wondering how it is used in the different education levels. Is it used early on or does the introduction of technology start at a later education level?
Is it important to promote and foster creativity in schools in Iceland?
What is the difference in the standard of education between public schools vs private schools in Iceland?
How does the education system in Iceland compare with other Nordic countries?
When a child that doesn’t speak or understand Icelandic enters the education system, is there a process for helping them to learn the language?
What are some challenges regarding the education system that the Directorate of Education is trying to tackle?
I read a recent article about the reading comprehension being much poorer in Iceland than in other countries. Basically, the amount of students that did not achieve basic reading comprehension standards increased quite a bit. What do you think are some of the reasons why reading comprehensions skills among some students has deteriorated?
Is there any concern about how much English is being used among teenagers in Iceland?
You studied at the University of Minnesota back in the 90’s. Do you feel that your education in Iceland back then had prepared you for studying in the U.S.?
Please share your impression of the education system in the United States on a university level
What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

What is the history of the education system in Iceland?

Photo by Zak Boca

One of the oldest educational institutions in Iceland, Menntaskólin í Reykjavík, can be traced back to 1056! For centuries, education in Iceland has been of great importance. However, the first national education law wasn’t passed until 1907. Later, the Compulsory Education Act of 1974 modernized the Icelandic education system. It included a mandate for providing special education services to all students with disabilities.

Three former schools, Prestaskólinn, Læknaskólinn and Lagaskólinn, were combined to create the University of Iceland in 1911. The schools individually taught theology, medicine and law. Naturally, the professors in the early days of the university only taught those classes for those specific fields. Over time, the fields and expertise of the faculty have diversified. This university is the country’s oldest and largest institution for higher education.

Governing Agency for Icelandic Education

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture was established in 1942 and has the jurisdiction of educational responsibility in the country. It issues the national curriculum guidelines for the educational institutions. Most schools in Iceland are public but there are a small number of private schools that have popped up. Interestingly, the Icelandic education system has been decentralized over the years. The local authorities are responsible for the primary and lower schools. While the Ministry is responsible for the upper secondary schools and higher education.

About five years ago, the National Center for Educational Materials and The Education Testing Institute combined to become the Directorate of Education. As mentioned in the podcast interview above, Arnór leads that agency.

What are the levels in the Icelandic education system?

There are four levels of education in Iceland. They are playschool, primary school, upper secondary school, and higher education.

These levels are split into compulsory and non-compulsory. Play school, upper secondary school and higher education are non-compulsory. Primary school is the only compulsory, or mandatory schooling in the country.

Pre-primary school or Play school (Leikskólí)

Photo by Markus Spiske

Parents with children between the ages of two and six can opt to send them to play school. While it is not mandatory for the child to attend this level of schooling, it is helpful for them because specific curriculum has been set up at this level. It is meant to help the child transition to the compulsory education level. Play school is not free but the cost is subsidized by the local municipalities.

About 30% of the fees paid by parents covers the cost of running the playschools. If a parent opts to send their child to a private playschool, they will pay about 10-20% more than the public institutions. The time spent at a play school can vary. The range is normally a minimum of four hours and a maximum of nine hours per day.

Compulsory (Primary) Education

Compulsory education consists of primary and upper secondary school. In Iceland, children between the ages of six and sixteen must attend school. The school year begins between August 21st and September 1st and ends between May 31st and June 10th. Children attend school five days a week and must have a minimum of 180 school days in the year. As in other countries, the parents of children in Iceland are responsible for their children attending school. As mentioned in the history of the Icelandic school system, the municipalities fund the schools and provide the necessary resources. These include teachers, administration, specialists and special education. 100% of students that are supposed to attend school are accepted and this level of education is completely free.

Due to the population in each area around the country, compulsory school sizes can vary widely. It is not uncommon for there to be less than ten students in a rural school in Iceland, but around 1200 students in a school in Reykjavík. Interestingly, around 50% of Icelandic schools have less than 100 students. Regardless, all of the institutions must follow the national curriculum guidelines. Along with the guidelines, schools are required to provide extracurricular activities, assessments for teachers and students, counseling, an annual calendar and a work plan for their school.

Upper Secondary Education (Framhaldsskólí)

Photo by NeOnbrand

Any student that has completed their compulsory Icelandic education has the right to upper secondary education. Within the last few years the length of upper secondary education has changed from four years to three. Students are typically sixteen years of age when they start and nineteen when they graduate. However, this time frame can be different for a student enrolled in vocational courses. All the schools at this level are mixed sex and their are no tuition fees. However, there is an enrollment fee and all students are expected to pay for their own textbooks.

Admittance

If a student doesn’t meet the entry requirements for different courses, they will be given a general study program. Because there are different upper secondary schools in Iceland that provide unique educational experiences, some schools are more popular than others. It is common that an upper secondary school has to turn away hundreds of applicants for the upcoming school year. There are about 40 upper secondary schools in Iceland. Similar to compulsory school, the size of the students in the schools vary based on the population in the area of the country that the school is in. The smallest school might have fifty students, while the largest school can have over 3,000.

Photo by Element5 Digital

The school year is split into fall and spring semesters. Iceland has about 40 upper secondary schools and they are divided into grammar schools, industrial-vocational schools, comprehensive schools, and specialized vocational schools. It is required by law that all of these types of schools are a combination of academic, vocational, artistic, and general programs of study. To be eligible for higher education, a student needs to pass a matriculation examination. It is called a Stúdentpróf in Icelandic and all upper secondary schools in the country can offer it.

One of the fascinating parts about this level of education is that the student is in control, to a degree, of how fast or slow they finish their education. A certain number of course units are available each term. Within those course units are a certain number of course credits. This is more similar to how the system is set up for college students in the United States. Evening classes and distance learning are also offered at many schools. Like compulsory school, counseling services are also offered at this educational level.

Higher Education (Háskólí)

Photo by the University of Iceland

Most of the seven higher education institutions in Iceland are run by the state. Háskóli Íslands or the University of Iceland is the country’s first and oldest university. It was established in 1911, but since then other schools have opened up around the country. There is a mix of private and public universities in Iceland, and they both receive state funding.

Admittance Information

While many students in Iceland attend a higher university at home, there is also a decent amount that choose to study in a different country. The majority of students that want to attend a háskóli must pass an exam. However, work experience can be taken into account for acceptance, when it applies. For students in Iceland, registration for háskóli is from April to June each year. Foreign students must apply by the date specified by each university. Like upper secondary school, the school year for higher education institutions lasts from September to May. They are divided into fall and spring terms.

Financing for Attending a University in Iceland

Thankfully, there are no tuition fees for institutions in Iceland that are run by the state. However, you are required to pay a registration fee. If you opt to attend a private university, you will be charged tuition fees. Every student in Iceland is eligible for financial support from the Icelandic Student Loan Fund. The student’s personal and financial circumstances will determine the amount. People from the European Union or EEA-EFTA countries are also eligible for loans if they meet certain requirements.

Each year the Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture awards scholarships to students of foreign origin. These are given to people intending to study the Icelandic language, literature or the history at the University of Iceland.

Some of scholarships for higher education in Iceland are the following:

For more about grants in Iceland, I suggest checking out the information on the local grants program on U.S. Embassy’s website.

Do you need to know Icelandic to study in Iceland?

Yes and no. The answer to this question depends on if you are studying at the undergraduate or graduate level in Iceland. All undergraduate programs in Icelandic universities are primarily taught in Icelandic. Even though the textbooks and a class or two might be in English, you are expected to fully understand Icelandic if you plan to be an undergraduate student. Many foreigners come to Iceland for graduate level studies (Masters and Ph.D), because a good portion of them are taught in English.

How many universities does Iceland have?

Iceland has seven universities and they are:

Are there private schools in Iceland?

Yes, there are private schools in Iceland across all levels of study. There are a few international schools, as well.

Is education free in Iceland for international students?

Yes and no. Compulsory (or mandatory school) for children aged six to sixteen is free. Play school has an annual fee. State-run higher education institutes in Iceland do not have tuition fees but there is an annual registration fee.

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

I hope you enjoyed listening to this interview. Make sure you are subscribed to the All Things Iceland podcast so you don’t miss new episodes. If the platform you are listening to this podcast on allows you to leave a review, please do so, if you haven’t already.

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post The Icelandic Education System: Interview with Arnór Guðmundsson – Ep. 54 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Top 10 Iceland News Stories of 2019 – Ep. 53

Jewells — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 18:10:44 +0000

When people think of Iceland, they have images of beautiful landscapes, sheep, the northern lights, and glaciers. Many are unaware of the scandals, corruption, and overall fascinating events show up in Iceland news stories throughout the year.

If you have listened to previous episodes of this show, such as the interviews with Dóra, the former President of the City Council, Alda Sigmundsdóttir, Kári Stefánsson, Andie Fontaine, Jón Gnarr, and Andri Snær Magnasson, you will have heard about some of the corruption and drama in Iceland.

I love that those episodes provide insight from the point of view of people who live in Iceland. This list is meant to be a round-up based on how Iceland news was reported by news outlets. Of course, I sprinkle in my opinion every so often. Some of the Iceland news stories on this top ten list have made international headlines. However, plenty of them only appeared in the domestic news headlines.

Easily Keep Up with Iceland News Stories

After I started doing a weekly news round-up in my Instagram stories (@allthingsiceland) each Sunday last year, I became even more intrigued with the news here. I feel that the news in any country gives you some insight into the culture and can help you to understand what that society considers important to talk about. Iceland is certainly no different. It became apparent to me that Iceland news stories have given me another great way to tap into what is trending here and to observe how the culture is changing.

If you like hearing about Iceland news stories, I highly recommend checking out my weekly round-up on Instagram. Along with sharing the news, I give you a bit of my opinion on the story and try to make it interactive.

Another option is to sign up for my free email newsletter. It features a mix of Iceland news stories, facts about the country, videos, upcoming events, tips for travelers, and other goodies. I recently decided to start this newsletter because there is so much awesome content out there. I think email is a great way of sharing it with my fellow Icelandophiles.

To read more about each story that I talk about in this episode, I have included links to the original news articles. Feel free to check those out.

Now, let’s jump into the 2019 Iceland news top ten list!

10. Ed Sheeran’s Concert Broke A Record in Iceland

Icelanders like to play it cool if they see a celebrity walk down the street in Reykjavík. However, they seem to go bananas when a big named performer holds a concert. This is exactly what happened when it was announced that Ed Sheeran would be holding a concert during the summer of 2019.

To my surprise, Icelanders were rushing to buy tickets. Like most people in the world, I know some Ed Sheeran songs, but I can’t say that I am very familiar with the majority of his music. I have a feeling that is the case for many Icelandic people. I guess the buzz around this concert was too enticing for many to pass up. Plus, Ed Sheeran is considered a “friend of Iceland ”. He has this honorary title because he wore an Icelandic national football shirt when Iceland played against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup.

Some of my Icelandic friends admitted that they were only going to the concert because so many others in the country will be there.

Photo by Icelandair

A New Icelandic Record for Concert Attendance

The concert ended up breaking a record, which made Iceland news headlines. The first concert date, Saturday August 10th, sold out almost instantly. Sena Live, the event management company putting on the concert, added a second concert day, August 11th, because of the demand. In total, about 50,000 people in Iceland attended an Ed Sheeran concert. That is about 14% of the population. On the first night alone, 30,000 people attended. This is the first time in the recorded history of Iceland that 30,0000 attended a concert in the country. Granted, not everyone that attended was Icelandic, but the majority were.

I didn’t attend but I did hear that it was a good time. According to the article in the Reykjavík Grapevine,

“…Ed started off with a bang. The crowd cheered. He was completely alone on stage, yet easily captivated the 30,000-strong crowd like it was an intimate bar setting.”
Reykjavík Grapevine

The opening acts for Ed Sheeran included Zara Larsson, James Bay and Glowie, an Icelandic artist.

9. Iceland has over 50,000 immigrants living in the country

Number nine on this list of Iceland news stories, came to light in December when it was announced that Iceland now has over 50,000 people of foreign origin living in the country. As I mentioned in the previous story, that is about 14% of the population. Over the last 8 years, there has been a dramatic increase in immigrants. In 2010, the amount of immigrants was around 8% of the population. That number stayed the same through 2012. When you jump from 2012 to 2018, there is a 50% increase in the number of immigrants. In 2019, the amount was recorded at about 14%.

Below is a bar graph of the change in the population from 1996 to 2019 from Statice.is. It is quite fascinating.

Graph by Statistics Iceland

Before jumping into more facts, I think it is helpful to quickly go over some important definitions on the Statice.is website. I think this is useful for later on when I share more data.

As we are all aware, an immigrant is a person born abroad whose parents are foreign born. In addition, the grandparents of an immigrant are also foreign born. The data on Statice.is separates the count of first and second generation born people living in Iceland. First generation immigrants are people who were born abroad and moved to Iceland. While second generation immigrants are those who were born in Iceland but have parents of foreign origin. A person in Iceland with one parent of foreign origin is considered to have a foreign background.

It was also announced that the number of second generation immigrants in Iceland increased from 4,861 in 2018 to 5,263 in 2019.

Like me, you might be wondering where these people are coming from, why they are moving to Iceland and what impact this is having on the country.

What Countries Do Immigrants in Iceland Come From?

As in recent years, Polish people have made up the majority of immigrants to Iceland. In 2019, there were 19,172 Polish people living in Iceland. That is 38.1% of the immigration population. Following them are Lithuanians (2,884). The third largest immigrant group are people from the Philippines (1,968).

Why Do People Move to Iceland?

People move to Iceland for many reasons. If you listened to episode 34 of this podcast, you will know that I moved to Iceland because I fell in love with an Icelander. While love is a reason that some move here, many of the immigrants from Poland, Lithuania and the Philippines come for work and to have a higher standard of living. It certainly helps that wages are higher here than in their countries. Plus, there are many opportunities to study and have careers in this country.

Where Do Most Immigrants Live in Iceland?

Regarding where people of foreign origin live in Iceland, it is no surprise that the majority of them reside in the capital area. 63.6% of first and second generation immigrants live there. As a whole, more than 60% of the country’s population lives in the capital area, so it makes sense that immigrants end up living there as well.

What Impact is a Growing Population of Immigrants Having on Iceland?

Because immigration has only started to grow rapidly in the last 8 years, there isn’t a lot of information on how this growth is affecting Icelandic society. What I am aware of is that Icelanders are afraid that their language will die out if immigrants don’t learn Icelandic. To be fair, the use of English among teenagers is also a big concern. However, that is another story for another day.

Photo by Iceland Mag

One challenge that immigrants here face is that it takes a lot of time and effort to learn Icelandic. If you are working full-time and trying to learn the language, you can quickly become overwhelmed. Another challenge is that English is widely spoken. The immigrants that speak English in Iceland end up relying on that to communicate. Plus, most Icelanders like to practice their English, so it becomes a vicious cycle.

Learning Icelandic Can Be Challenging

However, there are many immigrants that have learned the language. There are also some that have lived here for decades and can hardly speak it. A study was published in 2017 in the Nordic Journal of Migration Research about immigrants learning Icelandic. It is titled “Immigrant Experiences of Learning Icelandic and Connecting with the Speaking Community”. The study was written by Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir and Pamela Innes. It sheds some light on the obstacles that immigrants in Iceland face when learning the language. I recommend checking it out via the link in the show notes.

What I love about Icelanders is that many of them are very open to multiculturalism. Iceland has been isolated for centuries, yet the many people here feel diversity can have a positive effect on their society. Personally, I am seeing Icelandic traditions living alongside newly introduced traditions from other countries.

It is funny to me that Icelanders have been adopting traditions from the United States. Halloween and Thanksgiving are becoming more popular here. I believe that mainstream media and that the U.S. is kind of idolized here are the contributing factors as to why traditions from there are becoming more popular in Iceland.

8. Iceland on the Grey List

Number 8 shocked me when I first got wind of it. In October of 2019, Iceland was added to the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Grey List. This is due to the fact that the country has not taken sufficient measures to combat money laundering and the financing of acts of terrorism. In 2018, the FATF gave recommendations to Iceland but the country failed to comply with all of them. In a follow up report, the FATF urged the Icelandic government to address all of the recommendations but they were a bit slow to act.

Photo by Alþingi

I have to point out that Parliament did enact two laws after getting the recommendations. The first states that organizations whose purpose is to distribute funds in the public’s interest and that operate across borders must be registered with the Directorate of Internal Revenue. The second bill allows for the government to sell assets that have been frozen or confiscated during a criminal investigation. Of course, conditions apply in that case.

Being grey listed sucks because it puts a stain on the country’s reputation, However, no one is sure if it will have a huge impact regarding business. It could make it more difficult for Icelandic companies to do business abroad but we just have to wait and see. As a resident of the country, it concerns me that the Icelandic parliament has allowed for this to happen. It also makes me wonder just how often these crimes are happening.

7. Icelandic National Police Commissioner Scandal

Photo by DV.is

The drama in number seven feels like something out of a soap opera. The Icelandic National Police Commissioner, Haraldur Johannessen, found himself in hot water with regional police commissioners after making some comments regarding corruption. According to Iceland Review, Haraldur said that he is being

“…strategically run out of office by intentional mistruths and slander about his person. He alluded to corruption within the police force and that his stance had made him some enemies before, stating that if he would lose his position, he’d go into more detail on power struggles behind the scenes.”
Haraldur Johannesen

This statement resulted in eight out of the nine regional police commissioners voting no confidence in Haraldur. They called for him to be removed from office.

A History of Controversy

For the last five years, the relationship between the regional police officers and Haraldur have been rocky. It doesn’t help that communication has been poor and that it has been said that Haraldur leads by fear. In addition to the no confidence vote by the regional police commissioners, a vote of no confidence was also declared by the National Police Federation.

Stundin, an Icelandic newspaper, published an article during the summer of 2019 about Haraldur. It listed some of his actions and internal disputes during his tenure as the national police commissioner, a position he has held since 1998. Allegedly, he mismanaged finances, bullied people in the organization, and after the financial collapse in 2008, he damaged the investigations of the National Commissioner’s Economic Crime Department.

Not surprisingly, Haraldur refused to step down when the story broke in September. While the votes of no confidence are an important step in potentially removing Haraldur from office, the final decision had to be made by the Minister of Justice Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir.

Haraldur’s Controversial Resignation hits Iceland News Headlines

In December it was reported that Haraldur Johannessen would resign but this was also controversial. In exchange for leaving office, he will stay on the payroll for all of 2020 and 2021. Each month he will receive a salary of 1,750,000 ISK ($14,249). During that time he will advise the Minister of Justice on the changes to the organization. In 2022, he will take a paid leave of absence for three months. This cushy resignation was described as a “reward” for Haraldur’s many years of service as the National Police Commissioner. This caused outrage among many, including the chairman of Iceland’s biggest labor union, VR.

Personally, I find this to be ridiculous. Historically, people in power get a decent amount of perks, usually monetarily, when they are forced to resign. I find it annoying that Iceland reminds me of the U.S. in this way.

6. Hatari Showing the Palestinian Flag at the Eurovision Contest in Israel

Number six is another controversial Iceland news story, but in a much different way than what you just heard. If any of you watched Eurovision in 2019, then you are fully aware of Hatari, the band that represented Iceland in the singing contest last May. Hatari translates to Haters. This band has caused quite a stir in Iceland before ever making international headlines for what they did at Eurovision in Israel. The Rekjavík Grapevine has an awesome article titled “Six Times Icelandic Eurovision Stars Hatari Trolled the World”. I highly recommend reading it just to get a better idea about their antics.

Photo by Secret Solstice

The Independent describes Hatari as “…a hyper self-aware, super satirical and pointedly political BDSM trio.” Quite a combination for a band in a song contest that actively discourages blatant political messages. Also, I was very surprised that a BDSM dressed group with a song called “Hatrið Mun Sigra (Hate will prevail)” made it to the finals. This is a satirical, anti-capitalist group and their song is meant to bring attention to the fact that hate will indeed prevail if we people don’t unify. On top of the messaging, the song is quite good. I have included the music video in the show notes. It has English subtitles.

Icelanders Knew Hatari Would do Something

Icelanders expected that Hatari would do something controversial at the event and they were right. During the announcement of votes, three members of the group held up the Palestinian flag when the camera showed them in the green room. Israelis were very upset about this and it was considered a political statement by the Eurovision board. Some people in the crowd booed when they saw the flag. While some Icelanders were proud that Hatari did this, others felt that they could have done more.

To give you some background, Iceland was the first western European nation to officially recognize Palestine as an independent state in 2011. Also, some Icelanders boycotted watching Eurovision in 2019 because it was being held in Israel. It is important to understand that Icelandic people do not hate Israelis. Rather, they are very upset about the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government.

Consequences for Hatari’s Actions in Israel

Some feared that Hatari’s action would get Iceland banned from the Eurovision contest. In the end, two interesting things happened. The first is that the European Broadcasting Union issued a fine to RÚV, the national public service broadcasting organization in Iceland. The fine was for 5000 euros. While RÚV complained that they were unhappy with the fine, they also said they were proud of Iceland’s contribution to the competition. RÚV also decided that they will participate in the contest again in 2020.

The second thing that happened is that the three members of Hatari that flew the Palestinian flag were deliberately given the worst seats on their El Al flight, which is an Israeli airline. This flight was the first leg of their journey home and they were given middle seats. According to a tweet by Daher Dahli, the ground crew of EL AL bragged about giving them terrible seat assignments, saying “This is what they get.”

5. 10 Years Since the Pots and Pans Revolution

The fifth Iceland news story on this list is that 2019 marks ten years since the Pots and Pans Revolution in Iceland. The name is a translation of the Iceland word – búsahaldabyltingin. This revolution happened after the economic meltdown in the country in 2008. During that year, people were protesting and holding rallies outside of parliament because the elected officials had failed to adequately respond to the country’s financial system collapsing.

The combination of an irresponsible government, physical altercations with the police, arrests, and a growing number of protesters resulted in this revolution. Left and right ministers resigned or stated they would not run for office again. By late January of 2009, the government resigned and an emergency coalition had to be formed. It is widely reported that Iceland locked up all of the bankers responsible, created a new constitution and implemented it. The truth is that some bankers were jailed and a new constitution was written but it has never been used. It has been collecting dust in a drawer for the past decade.

The other unfortunate part is the same political parties that led the country down the path to collapse – the Independence Party and the Progressive Party, were back in power in 2013. To add insult to injury, there has been talk recently about privatization of the banks again, which is a huge contributing factor for the financial collapse of 2008. Hopefully, Icelanders don’t allow for this foolishness to happen again.

4. Funeral for Ok Glacier

Photo by NASA

Number four attracted a lot of international coverage because it shows just how much of an impact the climate crisis is having on Iceland. During the summer, a funeral was held for Okjökull glacier. It’s the first glacier killed by climate change. Because it has lost its glacier status, it is now just referred to as Ok. The ceremony was attended by Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Mary Robinson, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Andri Snær Magnason, an Icelandic author that I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing, and many others.

A Memorial Plaque for a Glacier

Andri Snær wrote this message on a memorial plaque that now sits on OK,

“Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it.”
Andri Snær Magnason

According to Science Alert “Along with this passage, the memorial also includes the number 415ppm (parts per million) CO2: the record level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere reached in May this year, the first time this has happened in human history.”

This funeral was covered in many publications, such as The Guardian, NY Times, BBC, The New Yorker and more.

I have personally witnessed the rapid receding of glaciers in Iceland and it is troubling. If you go on a glacier walk with a guide company in Iceland, you will undoubtedly hear about how fast the glacier is melting.

Andri’s New Book About The Climate Crisis

As mentioned in my interview with Andri, he is an environmental advocate who has been fighting on the front lines to protect Icelandic natural resources from money hungry politicians and overseas investors. In the later part of 2019, his new book “On Time & Water” was released in Iceland. The intention of the book is to “ make you understand what our future holds for all of us if we don’t act immediately.”

Like the funeral, his book has received a lot of international attention and will soon be available in 14 languages.

3. Iceland’s Amazing & Awful Weather in 2019

Photo by Robert Lukeman

Icelandic weather is notorious for being unpredictable, but 2019 brought about some surprising conditions for Icelanders and foreigners. The spring, specifically April and May, saw temperatures that were above average. In July, there was a heatwave, which I have to laugh at because the temperatures hit 25.9°C (78.6°F) recorded in North Iceland and 26.9°C (80.4°F) in South Iceland. As a native New Yorker, those temperatures are nowhere near what I experienced when a heatwave was announced in the City. However, I have to admit that I have started to acclimate to Icelandic weather, so it felt quite warm to me. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of sunny days in Reykjavík during the summer. 2019 ended up being the third sunniest year in the city’s history.

2018 Summer in Iceland Was One of the Worst on Record

For those that aren’t aware, Icelanders needed a good summer last year because 2018 was awful. To give you an idea of just how bad it was, the Icelandic Meteorological Office recorded only 70.6 hours of sunshine in June! When compared to a 10 year average, that is only a third of what happens normally. It was a cold and cloud covered summer. People were miserable. Everyone was hoping that 2019 would be better, and thankfully it was in the summer, fall and part of December.

Unfortunately, Iceland experienced its worst storm in about 25 years in December. The blizzard, wind and ice conditions were so dangerous that people were urged to stay off the roads. It is normal for Iceland to have storms but this one caused a lot more damage than anticipated. Around 20,000 people lost power, the wind topped 100 mph in some places, a teenager and about one hundred horses died because of the storm.

Photo by the Reykjavík Grapevine

The government was criticized by locals after the power outages because these areas need updated infrastructure to ensure that the power stays on.

Casualties of the 2019 Winter Storm

The teenager, Leifur Magnús Grétarsson Thislan, was helping to clear ice from a generator when he fell into an icy river and was swept away. While Iceland does have hot springs that can be used for geothermal energy in different parts of the country, many people don’t live near a hot spring so they use hydro powered generators for electricity. Over 40 volunteers searched for the Leifur. Unfortunately, the conditions of the storm made it difficult to find him quickly. When he was found, he was already dead.

Regarding the horses, it is important to know that Icelandic horses normally stay outside during the winter. Some farmers have shelters set up for horses, if they need additional protection. While the horses are a very sturdy breed, they were no match for this storm. About one hundred horses were buried under two meters (about 6.5 feet) of snow. There is a photo of a farmer that was able to dig out his horses and save them. Unfortunately, not every farmer was so lucky. The horse deaths equate to less than 1% of the horse hit by the storm.

2. WOW Airline Collapsed

The collapse of WOW Airlines claimed the number two spot on the 2019 Iceland news list. This story flooded the Iceland news headlines, and caused widespread fear about the stability of the economy. I am dedicating a full episode to the rise and fall of the airline on the one year anniversary date that it went under. Keep a lookout for that in March.

Photo by Rax / Ragnar Axelsson

In 2011, the airline launched and quickly rose to become one of the go to airlines for people traveling to different destinations in the world. It’s incredible that in just six years of operation, it had grown so quickly. The airline had transported millions of people, had a fleet of 20 planes, employed over a thousand people, and flew to thirty-five international cities.

The Fall of WOW Air

Between 2017 and 2018, the financial troubles started to rise to the surface. The airline announced a loss of ISK 4.8 billion ($39.3m). A combination of growing too fast and a bad deal with fuel prices caught up with the founder of WOW. At one point Icelandair considered buying the airline, but that fell through. Keep in mind that Icelandair is Iceland’s national airline and is essentially too big to fail. It was also WOW Air’s direct competitor. That must have made it hard for Skúli to humble himself and ask them for financial support. Indigo Partners, owners of Wizz Air, also considered buying the airline but that fell through too.

Lack of funds meant drastic measures had to be taken. Mass layoffs followed and people in tourism tried to prepare for the worst. Overall, the economy has been fine and the tourism industry has been stable.

However, the story isn’t over yet. A few groups of people have come forward, including Skúli, with announcements of new airlines to replace WOW Air. This pops up in Iceland news headlines everyone couple of months. As of right now (early January 2020), none of them are in operation. I look forward to sharing more about this story in a couple of months.

1. Samherji Scandal Tops the Iceland News Stories for 2019

The top spot on this list goes to the Samherji scandal (aka Fishrot Files) because it has rocked the nation. In fact, investigations are still going on. Samherji is a fishing and fish processing company in Iceland.

According to Stundinn, it is the largest fishing company in Iceland and one of the largest in Europe. Kveikur, an investigative news program on RÚV national public broadcasting network, broke the story.

On their website, it says that,

“For the past decade Samherji has paid hundreds of millions of Icelandic krona to high ranking politicians and officials in Namibia with the objective of acquiring the country’s coveted fishing quotas.”
Kveikur

All of this came to light after whistleblower, Jóhannes Stefánsson revealed the corruption. From 2012 to 2016, Jóhannes was the Managing Director of Operations for Samherji in Namibia. He collected documents on his computer to prove that the company was paying bribes for the quotas and profiting from Namibia’s natural resources. The documents were shared with Wikileaks, who has published 30,000 of them on their site. Of course, this made Iceland news and international headlines.

It was revealed that Samherji had established an offshore shell company in the Marshall Islands to funnel money it made from the fishing quotas in Namibia. Naturally, the tax authorities in Iceland have opened up an investigation.

Consequences of the Scandal

As a result of this scandal being revealed, the CEO of Samherji Þorsteinn Már Baldvinsson has stepped aside indefinitely. Bernhardt Esau, the Namibian Minister of FIsheries and Sacky Shangala, the Minister of Justice in Namibia resigned. Six people were arrested in Namibia while none have been arrested in Iceland.

This scandal certainly isn’t helping to combat Iceland’s money laundering issue that I spoke about in number 8 on this list. I recommend checking out the hour long video that Kveikur put together about this scandal. Link in the show notes.

Share Your Thoughts About These Iceland New Stories

I hit on a lot of stories in this episode and I would love to hear your thoughts about them. To share, you can write in the comment section below.

Random fact of the episode

There was one popular Iceland news story that I did not include on the top ten list. It did go viral but for all the wrong reasons. Two Icelandic seamen committed the cruel act of cutting off the tail of a living young shark. After mutilating it, they threw it back in the water. In the video footage , one of the men is heard saying “Good luck trying to swim, you bastard!”

There is laughing heard in the background as the shark is bleeding profusely as it tries to swim away. Christel Ýr Johansen got hold of the video and shared it on their Facebook account to bring light to what these men did. The seamen were fired for this cruel act. It was reported on RÚV that the men broke several laws. They may face up to a one million krona fine from animal cruelty charges.

Icelandic word of the episode

Newspaper article – blaðagrein

Blað – paper

Grein – article

I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of the All Things Iceland podcast. For your convenience and listening pleasure, this podcast is available on many platforms. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and pretty much any platform that plays podcasts. If you think someone else will find this episode interesting and/useful please share it.

The post Top 10 Iceland News Stories of 2019 – Ep. 53 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Life on a Sheep Farm with Pálína Axelsdóttir Njarðvík: Ep. 52

Jewells — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 15:33:34 +0000

The Icelandic sheep farm is pretty much as old as the country because the first settlers from Norway in the 9th and 10 centuries brought sheep with them. As a native New Yorker that was completely disconnected from raw nature, such as the kind found in Iceland, I find it fascinating and difficult to imagine what it would be like to grow up and work on a farm.

When I came across Pálína’s Instagram account (@farmlifeiceland), I just knew that I had to interview her for the All Things Iceland podcast.

We talked about a variety of things regarding this way of life. Her perspective on life on a sheep farm in Iceland is what is most intriguing.

What I especially love is that she has a unique bond with some of the sheep on the farm. On her account, she documents her relationship with them. It is touching and delightful to see her interact with them so closely. If you have ever tried to interact with an Icelandic sheep, you are probably aware that they normally keep their distance from humans.

Along with showing the fun side of working and living on a sheep farm, Pálina also shows the challenging parts. Her feelings about the lamb slaughtering season is one that really stuck out to me. It was interesting to hear her talk about that in the interview.

I hope you enjoy listening to this interview just as much as I enjoyed conducting it. If you are on Instagram, I recommend checking out @FarmLifeIceland.

Questions I Asked Pálína About Life on an Icelandic Sheep Farm

What was it like growing up on an Icelandic sheep farm?
Why did you decide to start an Instagram account about life on a sheep farm?
During a previous episode, the lambing season was brought up, what’s it like during that time of the year?
What is something about farm life in Iceland that would shock people who are unfamiliar with that lifetstyle?
You show a lot of pictures of Sunna and Brynja, two sheep on the farm. What is your relationship with them?
Have you observed any strange habits of sheep on your family’s farm?
I emotionally connected to one of your Instagram posts, which talks about the most horrible time of the year for you. It happens right after Réttir. What happens during that time and why do you dislike it?
Have you encountered any challenges navigating between city and farm life?
What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post Life on a Sheep Farm with Pálína Axelsdóttir Njarðvík: Ep. 52 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Every Single Word in Icelandic: Interview with Eunsan Huh – Ep.51

Jewells — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 20:58:38 +0000

I had the pleasure of chatting with Eunsan Huh, the awesome creator of the popular Instagram account, @EverySingleWordinIcelandic. On her account, you will find Icelandic words that she has illustrated as icons, which is helping her and others to learn the language.

She has also created a book called “Iceland in Icons: a Pictographic Travel Guide“, which I will have a link to in the show notes of this episode. It was so much fun to chat with her about how she fell in love with Iceland, why she started to learn the language and some of the adventures she has been on around the country.

The Questions I Asked Eunsan During the Interview

You have a very interesting background. You were born in Korea, raised in Australia and Canada and now you have been living in NYC for more than a decade. After being exposed to so many different cultures, what made you gravitate toward Iceland?
When did you decide to start learning Icelandic?
What resources are you using to learn Icelandic and what has your experience been like?
What inspired you to start creating icons for Icelandic words?
You have a book called “Iceland in Icons: A Pictographic Travel Guide”. Obviously, the use of icons to represent places and words in Icelandic make it unique, but what else makes your book different than other travel guides?
How many times have you visited Iceland?
Do you see yourself living here?
I saw on your Instagram that you have stayed and worked on a farm while in Iceland. What was that experience like? Do you recommend that to others?
What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?
You will be speaking at Tedx Reykjavík tomorrow (October 13), which is awesome! If people want to keep up with what you are doing, where should they follow you?

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post Every Single Word in Icelandic: Interview with Eunsan Huh – Ep.51 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Kári Stefánsson – Icelandic Pioneer in Human Genetics: Ep. 50

Jewells — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 19:30:10 +0000

For episode fifty of the All Things Iceland podcast, I interviewed Kári Stefánsson, an Icelandic neurologist who is also the founder and CEO of deCode genetics. deCode is a biopharmaceutical company based in Reykjavík. Kári pioneered the use of,

“population scale genetics to understand variation in the sequence of the human genome.”
WIkipedia

The discoveries from using this approach have helped with developing new drugs. Additionally, the discoveries have helped scientists to better understand cardiovascular disease, cancer, and schizophrenia, just to name a few. Additionally, the population scale approach has served as a model for other national genome projects around the world.

Kári’s Background

Before founding deCode, Kári Stefánsson served as a professor of Neurology at the University of Chicago. Later, he became the Chief of the neuropathology division at Harvard University. Since the founding of deCode, Kári has received many accolades.

While I was curious to hear about his work, we spoke about his views on certain topics in Icelandic society. We also spoke about what he thought of Americans after living in the U.S. for more than 20 years, and, of course, his favorite Icelandic word or phrase. Kári shared his views on climate change, Donald Trump, and many other topics.

The Video of Kári Receiving the William Allan Award in 2017

The Questions I Asked Kári Stefánsson

What sparked your interest in studying genetics?

Why did you start deCode Genetics and why did you choose to do it in Iceland?

Throughout all of the years that you have been working on decoding human genetics, what finding(s) are you most proud of?

Can you share why you chose to recreate the genome of the first Black man in Iceland. First, were some of the Icelanders surprised to find out that they are descendants of a black man? Second, can you provide some insight into why Iceland provides a unique environment to do this type of genome sequencing?

Over the years you have been very vocal in the news about different issues in Iceland. Do you think that because of your status as a highly respected scientist, that it is your responsibility to share your views on these matters or is it mostly from the point of view of a concerned citizen?

In 2016, you announced that you could identify everyone in Iceland that had a high risk of getting cancer. You wanted to work with healthcare specialists to reach out to those people to alert them of the potential danger. However, there was push back. Even though, people had consented to having their genes analyzed, they had not consented to being alerted about possible health risks found in their genes. Has this situation changed at all? Meaning, have any laws changed to make this possible and/or has your opinion changed about contacting people?

You mentioned to me that you live in the United States for over 20 years studying its natives. Did you find out anything fascinating and/or strange about us?

What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Kári Stefánsson.

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me on social media platforms:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post Kári Stefánsson – Icelandic Pioneer in Human Genetics: Ep. 50 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir: An Award Winning Icelandic Singer – Ep. 49

Jewells — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 16:00:38 +0000

Hallveig has won the Classical Singer of the year at the Icelandic Music awards twice and has been nominated three more times. Additionally, she has twice won the Singer of the Year for the Gríman, which is the Theatre awards in Iceland.

Funny enough, I was introduced to Hallveig by her husband Jón after he reached out to me about to being interviewed in the Stuck in Iceland magazine, which they both run. I found it so fascinating to speak with Hallveig about classical music in Iceland.

The Questions I Asked Hallveig During the Interview:

What sparked your interest in studying and singing classical music?
Who were your favorite artists to listen to while growing up in Iceland?
What is the opera and classical music scene like in Iceland?
Do you find that there are a lot of people who enjoy that genre of music and are younger generations interested in becoming classical singers?
What do you feel is the most challenging part of being a classical artist in Iceland?
You have premiered new Icelandic works over the years. What inspires you to make new music?
What singers or composers do you recommend people listen to if they are interested in hearing classical music from Iceland?
You have won Singer of the Year in classical and contemporary music at the Icelandic Music Awards several times and you have performed many solo concerts around the world. Where should people look if they want information on where you will perform next?
What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

Hallveig’s music on Spotify

The Composers & Singers Hallveig Mentioned in the Interview:

Connect with Hallveig

Facebook

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me on social media platforms:

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

The post Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir: An Award Winning Icelandic Singer – Ep. 49 appeared first on From Foreign to Familiar.

From Foreign to Familiar

WOW Air: The Icelandic Airline’s Fast Rise & Early Demise – Ep. 58

Skúli Mogensen – The Founder of Wow Air

Skúli Dropped Out of College to be an Entreprenuer

WOW Air was Born in 2011

Cheap Airfare Helped to Fuel Tourism to Iceland

Skúli & WOW Air Were Flying High

Trouble in Paradise

Skúli Turns to Icelandair for Help

The Talks with Icelandair Go South

IndiGo Partners Shows Interest in Investing

IndiGo Partners Changes Up the Terms with WOW Air

WOW Air Goes Bust

The Icelandic Economy Braced for the Worst

The Tourism Industry was Hit Hard

Attempts to Resurrect & Replace WOW Air

Will a Low-Cost Airline Come Back to Iceland?

Random Fact of the Episode

Icelandic Word of the Episode

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Coronavirus in Iceland: How it Spread & What is Being Done About It – Ep. 57

When Did Iceland Start to Prepare for the Coronavirus?

Chinese Tourism Was on the Rise in Iceland

Icelanders Expected Coronavirus Infections to Come Directly From China

People on the Front Lines Started to Prepare

Icelandic Family Tries to Get Home From China

The First Confirmed Case in Iceland Was Announced

Confirmed Infections Are Being Announced Daily in Iceland

The Icelandic Government’s Response to the Spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Parliament Pledges to Help Businesses & People in Quarantine

Updates About the Virus Happen Daily

Some Icelandic Schools Close

Icelandair Feels the Heat After the U.S. Travel Ban

The Ban on Gatherings is Expanded in Iceland

deCode Genetics Steps in to Help Screen People for the Virus

Website Created to Find Updates About the Coronavirus in Iceland

Random Fact of the Episode

Icelandic word of the episode

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

Gísli Pálsson – Icelandic Anthropologist, Professor & Author: Ep. 56

The Questions I Asked Gísli Pálsson During The Interview

Some of the Books Mentioned During the Episode

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me:

All About Icelandic Sheep: Ep. 55

Contents

Quick Facts About Sheep in Iceland

Icelandic Sheep History & Heritage

When is the Lambing Season in Iceland?

Helping Sheep Give Birth is Serious Business

What is Réttir?

Take Part in a Réttir

Sheep farms to Visit or Stay on in Iceland

Bjarteyjarsandur Family Farm

Sölvanes Farm

Meat Production of Icelandic sheep

Wool Production from sheep in Iceland

Resurgence of Wool Production in Iceland

How to Buy an Authentic Icelandic Sweater

Does Iceland have more sheep than people?

Random fact of the episode

Icelandic word of the episode

The Icelandic Education System: Interview with Arnór Guðmundsson – Ep. 54

Contents

Questions I asked Arnór during the interview:

What is the history of the education system in Iceland?

Governing Agency for Icelandic Education

What are the levels in the Icelandic education system?

Pre-primary school or Play school (Leikskólí)

Compulsory (Primary) Education

Upper Secondary Education (Framhaldsskólí)

Admittance

Higher Education (Háskólí)

Admittance Information

Financing for Attending a University in Iceland

Do you need to know Icelandic to study in Iceland?

How many universities does Iceland have?

Are there private schools in Iceland?

Is education free in Iceland for international students?

Top 10 Iceland News Stories of 2019 – Ep. 53

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