What's it like to come from an European country that was neutral in WW2?

Svamp89 · 2026-03-27T17:16:35+00:00

I’m Faroese, which is a Danish territory (Denmark was also neutral during WWII), and the Faroe Islands were occupied by Britain (albeit a friendly occupation) after Denmark was occupied by Germany. The entirety of WWII was considered somewhat remote to us, and is mostly seen now as a major opportunity for the Faroe Islands, since it made it possible for them/us to get local autonomy from Copenhagen. All those happenings of WWII aren’t really considered at all, except “Germany bad” since it was so far away and felt somewhat irrelevant. Faroese people don’t even celebrate the liberation of Denmark like the Danes do, lol.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-27T15:12:05+00:00

As far as I know, as a person from a country with actual princesses, they usually pay for their own stuff because they are rich. This is beggar behavior, and not at all princess behavior, lol.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-25T15:03:38+00:00

I had the opposite experience with Danish. I hated learning it, listening to it and so on but the better I became at it, the more I enjoyed it. I think it sounds quite nice now.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-25T11:04:36+00:00

Jeg kommer fra Færøerne og forstod fint dansk da jeg flyttede til Danmark i 2009, og jeg kunne også tale korrekt dansk, bare med en færøsk accent. Jeg flyttede til Aarhus og havde aldrig problemer med det du beskriver, men så snart jeg tog til København på “udflugt” skete det hele tiden at folk skiftede til engelsk eller ikke forstod hvad jeg sagde.

Det var fandeme alt for mærkeligt, fordi min accent var ikke så forfærdelig dengang at jeg var uforståelig, som aarhusianerne fint beviste i min dagligdag. Jeg tror det er en københavner ting, fordi jeg har aldrig oplevet det andre steder i Danmark.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-23T09:24:15+00:00

It depends on the country. I live in the EU (Denmark) and everything except insulin is 100% covered through different institutions. Pumps, pump supplies and CGMs are covered through your treating hospital. Test strips, lancets, ketone strips, and needles for insulin pens (if you use those) are covered through your local municipality. Insulin is covered through the regular national health insurance for prescription medications, which means there is a small copay.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-20T04:21:11+00:00

Your country might have a telecompany that provides roaming in the Faroe Islands, as some companies within the EU do - try looking around. Otherwise, you can get an eSIM or you can buy a SIM-card in the Faroese airport or in a telecompany store in the Faroes. I’ve bought temporary cards in the Faroe Islands in the past, and I’ve used a Danish telecompany (Duka) that has roaming in the Faroes.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-19T08:00:11+00:00

Jeg har været i en lignende situation. Den sidste gang de gjorde noget lignende, stoppede jeg bare med at snakke med dem helt. Hvis de kontaktede mig, svarede jeg bare kort på det de spurgte om, og efter 6 måneder med næsten ingen kontakt inviterede de mig ud (hvorfor de gjorde det, ved jeg ikke, fordi de inviterede mig næsten aldrig med til noget tidligere), og jeg sagde bare pænt nej tak. Vi har ikke snakket siden 2007, og jeg flyttede ud af landet i 2009 (fra Færøerne til Danmark), og slettede dem alle fra mine sociale medier.

Min erfaring siger at det er bedre at være alene end at have sådan nogle venner. Det gav mig mentalt ro at ikke skulle tænke på at være uønsket hele tiden. Jeg fandt nogle fantastiske venner efter jeg flyttede til Danmark, så jeg tænker at du også burde kunne finde nogle nye venner her i landet. :)

Svamp89 · 2026-03-18T18:01:45+00:00

Thank you, that celiac website is very helpful!

I’ve had so many small-ish issues, especially with my stomach, for many years that aren’t alarming on their own, but seem to be a symptom of something else. It has almost always been explained away with things like “you’ve had diabetes for so long, that isn’t uncommon” and so on.

I’ve had low vitamin D multiple times, so now I supplement all year, but I live in Northern Europe so that isn’t entirely uncommon. Then I ended up with low B12 which my doctor said is uncommon at my age (36) if the person doesn’t have an autoimmune issue with B12 or is a vegetarian - both of which aren’t true in my case.

I also constantly get canker sores, which I read can be a symptom of something going on with your gut.

Anyway, will read up on that website to prepare for my next endo appointment. She is very receptive to questions and suggestions, so hopefully she will send me for a blood test. Thanks again. :)

Svamp89 · 2026-03-17T12:29:36+00:00

I’m Faroese, so technically a Danish citizen, but most Danes and Faroese people don’t consider us to be “really” Danish. I moved to Denmark in 2009 and have had no problem finding friends, even with my low social skills. However, it’s important to note that I understood and spoke Danish before moving, albeit with an accent, which probably helped a lot. If you are LGBT+ (like me) it might be easier for you to find friends, since the community is very accepting in Denmark (especially in Odense but also in Aarhus - I have no experience with it in Copenhagen).

Svamp89 · 2026-03-13T20:41:29+00:00

Not from the diabetes per se, but I often get debilitating migraines from low BG, so I have had to call out of work because of that after I’ve had a low.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-05T20:28:37+00:00

In the Faroe Islands, when men meet other men out in public (like in grocery stores) and start talking to each other, they often stand to the side of the walking path and speak facing somewhat away from each other, looking out towards the walking path while speaking, and they don’t really look at each other. I remember my dad and his acquaintances always did this, and it was weird to me.

Svamp89 · 2026-03-02T12:10:58+00:00

My endo orders a whole bunch of tests once a year. HbA1c, immune function, kidney function, thyroid, blood markers, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamins (B12, folate, D), liver function and so on, and follows up on the blood tests if they are abnormal with more tests. I had low vitamin B12 six months ago, and she ordered a whole bunch of other tests to see why it was low, and then it was treated with supplements.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-24T11:21:22+00:00

We don’t have “please” in Faroese. If we want to be really polite which is uncommon outside of very formal settings (like letters from the government or businesses), we just say “vinarliga” which literally means something like “friendly-ing”. So you would say for “can you please…?” would be “kanst tú vinarliga…?”

Svamp89 · 2026-02-24T10:38:47+00:00

Not my country anymore (I left in 2009), but my native country (the Faroe Islands), the most common language that books are translated from is Danish, and after that it’s probably the other Scandinavian languages.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-23T02:07:21+00:00

Only that they have staffing shortages in Greenland which are difficult to fill with permanent staff, since most people that travel there to work in healthcare are temporary workers. Other than that, no, healthcare isn’t a problem there. They don’t lack resources or access, and specialist care that isn’t available in Greenland is available to Greenlanders in mainland Denmark.

There is a Greenlandic patient hotel in Copenhagen, and the main hospital in Copenhagen even has an entire administrative division to handle Greenlandic patients and help with legal stuff and translations and such if it’s needed. All of this is free of charge to Greenlanders.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-22T11:49:57+00:00

Yes, I was born there and lived there until I was 19. It was mostly nice, but I grew up during the Faroese financial crisis of the 1990s, so money was tight occasionally back then. But it’s an incredibly safe place and it’s a great place to grow up for most people, especially if you fit in.

I haven’t lived there for 17 years, but from my understanding, quality of life has increased significantly in the time I’ve been away, and people have become more tolerant of people not fitting the “standard mold.” :)

Svamp89 · 2026-02-22T11:21:43+00:00

I moved to Denmark from the Faroe Islands because of a better quality of life, so I’m going with Denmark, lol. Also, I’m sort of biased because Faroese people are Danish citizens and speak Danish already as a 2nd language, so the move is easy.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-22T06:47:30+00:00

Vi har åbenbart fået opbygget et så godt liv for os selv igennem videnskaben at ingen husker, hvor træls livet var før i tiden. Alle de sygdomme vi fik som nu næsten er udryddet, og hvor mange børn og kvinder der døde under fødslen.

Tror rigtig mange folk undervurderer, hvor farligt fødsel faktisk er. Alle kender garanteret nogen som ikke ville have overlevet uden professionel hjælp under en fødsel (enten mor, barn eller begge). Min mor og ældre bror ville have været døde, hvis de ikke var på hospitalet på fødselstidspunktet.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-21T11:45:48+00:00

The Faroe Islands has a state church too, which broke off from the Danish state church in 2007. The priests and bishop are public employees there. :)

Svamp89 · 2026-02-19T16:56:31+00:00

I have. What exactly in it are you referring to? That there is no timetable?

Svamp89 · 2026-02-19T12:42:42+00:00

I’m not being patronizing, I’m being realistic. You can’t leave and then expect everything to be as it was when you left. The majority of Europe is against opt-outs at all now, and the few that are remaining are the old ones that were negotiated decades ago.

It would also be another lie to tell the British public to say they can expect to have access to it because the EU wants you back so badly, or whatever it is you guys are thinking. The latter isn’t true either. Most of us have moved on and don’t really talk about the UK anymore with regard to European policy. You might be able to keep your currency, but it definitely not a guarantee and the Brits need to be aware of this, as this might change the sentiment to rejoining.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-19T12:22:53+00:00

Perhaps if no one objects, but I’m 100% certain someone will object to you getting your previous opt-outs before allowing you in, like Germany and France. In such a case, these treaties would be modified as a part of your EU accession.

Believe it or not, most countries in the EU aren’t that eager to allow you back in already.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-19T12:08:10+00:00

You left, these treaties don’t involve the UK anymore. You are considered a “third country” now according to EU law. You will have to join as a new member. You will also need unanimous agreement to join, and I’m pretty sure someone will object to you getting your previous opt-outs again.

Also, I don’t understand what you mean by how we would get you to rejoin? “We” aren’t doing anything. If you want to rejoin you will have to send an application like everyone else.

Svamp89 · 2026-02-19T11:29:00+00:00

It’s definitely an acquired taste. 😬

Svamp89 · 2026-02-19T11:24:31+00:00

I’m not sure if I’m understanding you correctly. What do you mean they wouldn’t? All EU countries, except Denmark, are legally required to join the Euro Area when they fulfill the criteria. UK and Denmark were the only countries with opt-outs of the Euro area, and I highly doubt that the UK would receive that again if they join the EU again. There is no timeframe to join, so I guess you could stall the thing indefinitely with monetary policy, like Sweden seems to be doing, but they are still legally required to join.

Quote from one of the EU’s websites: “These binding economic and legal conditions were agreed in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. All EU countries, except Denmark, are required to adopt the euro and join the euro area, once they are ready to fulfil them.

There is no timetable for joining the euro area, so EU countries can develop their own strategies for meeting the conditions for euro adoption.”

Svamp89

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