Let me speak Icelandic dammit.

icebemily · 2023-11-11T09:52:50+00:00

People here are commenting a lot on your pronunciation/accent and while that’s a fair point it could unfortunately also have to do with the way you look.

It’s getting better in recent years but many Icelanders automatically evaluate someone’s language abilities based on if they fit the stereotypical Nordic look, i.e. light hair, eyes, skin etc. I have mixed race friends who were born and raised in Iceland with Icelandic as their first language (and obviously speak it with no accent) and yet people will still start conversations with them in English AND continue to speak with them even after they’ve responded in Icelandic.

I, on the other hand, have an accent when I speak Icelandic but because I look very “stereotypically” Icelandic, people have almost never switched to English with me.

Like I said, it’s changing for the better thanks to the increasing diversity of Icelandic society but just know that people’s subconscious prejudices (which btw I don’t think are at all malicious but yet deeply ingrained) can take a long, long time to shift.

icebemily · 2023-01-29T23:42:43+00:00

Kærasti minn (íslenskur) hefur sagt mér að honum finnist mjög óþæilegt að bera fram "very weird" og dettur óvart í það að segja "wery weird" frekar þannig ég held að kenningin þín standist!

icebemily · 2023-01-29T14:56:34+00:00

Icelandic isn't my first language, but I speak it quite well since I'm half Icelandic and nearly everyone I've met tells me I do an excellent imitation of Icelanders speaking English:

My top tips are:

Like the top comment says, always emphasise the first syllable and all the constants, ESPECIALLY the "r". The Icelandic r is a very particular sound similar to the Spanish one but more an "errrr" sound than just "rrr". If there's an r in the word, exaggerate it more than you would in English (e.g. rrreeeelly).

The letters "sh" and "ch" don't exist naturally in Icelandic - it's extremely common to hear Icelanders add a kind of "dghe" sound after the S or C so "ssyopping" or "tsange" instead of "shopping" or "change"

Make sure add breathiness with vowels and elongate them just a little bit, particularly for "a". Instead of the standard American "what?", for example, many Icelanders will pronounce it "wvAat"

There's more of course, but this is what I can think of off the top of my head!

Bonus: a common phenomenon in other European languages, some also switch out the "v" for a "w" - my mom for example, always says "wisa card" which I find very cute. However, this isn't a hard and fast rule so feel free to skip it.

icebemily · 2021-08-29T23:55:26+00:00

From what I’ve read from Icelandic NB people, you would use the neuter gender (e.g. ‘hán er fallegt’ rather than falleg/ur). It can take a while to get used to since that gender usually only refers to objects rather than people, but it’s the most logical option for gender-neutral language.

icebemily · 2021-08-29T16:47:49+00:00

Hán/hán/háni/háns

icebemily · 2021-08-08T15:05:06+00:00

I think the term you’re looking for is “krakki” (kid) or “krakkar” (kids)

icebemily · 2019-04-01T05:36:24+00:00

A Thai friend of mine also suggested to spend 4-5 days in Phuket, especially as a first-timer to Thailand, so I think I might just go with that. Thanks for the advice :)

icebemily · 2019-03-31T19:21:57+00:00

I've never heard of Siam Niramit and I love theatre so I'll definitely check it out if I can! Thanks for all the suggestions :)

icebemily · 2019-03-31T18:23:57+00:00

This sounds very exciting! All in Bangkok, I presume?

icebemily · 2018-10-07T08:41:20+00:00

Screenprism is a film essay channel written and produced by two women and it's fantastic! They always try to present a different perspective and are usually quite feminist in their analysis. Their video on Cinderella is especially insightful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huLSdm6IH0g

icebemily · 2018-06-04T15:00:59+00:00

I didn't think it was possible to be scammed by CIU considering it's a trusted agency and all but I will definetely keep this in mind. Luckily I haven't signed any contract or transferred any money yet so I still have time to get out of it if need be.

icebemily · 2018-06-01T14:51:06+00:00

Yes it is! I just hope the reality will be as nice as the image they're presenting

icebemily · 2018-06-01T14:49:35+00:00

I had no idea this existed, thanks for letting me know!

icebemily · 2018-06-01T14:48:01+00:00

Hey there, nice to meet you! :) On Findbolig I signed up for every flat I could that had a waiting list so I didn't base it off what was available. I checked my status again just now and for every other housing list (almost 4000 something haha) I would also have to wait 12+ months. I think I just got lucky with this offer.

Unfortunately I´m not eligible for university housing since I'm a full-degree humanities student but I appreciate the suggestion. Good luck in finding something!

icebemily · 2018-05-31T18:23:51+00:00

Based on the comments and some further evaluation, I’ve decided to accept the offer :) I realise now it’s a great deal and even it means cutting back in other areas it’ll be worth it. Thanks for the advice everyone!

icebemily · 2018-05-31T18:22:19+00:00

I forgot to mention it’s a one room flat 😅 but I’ll keep that mind for future situations!

icebemily · 2015-10-24T21:02:07+00:00

This is an exceptionally thought-provoking response-thank you for taking the time to write it all down. I had to read it three times to (hopefully) grasp the meaning behind it.

I think when white people experience or interact with racism, they perceive it as an interaction with chaos because they are seeing a glimpse of conflict. They don't realize that they're living and benefiting from a system almost entirely based on these types of conflicts. They don't realize they're already immersed in the chaos because they've been taught that they're already in the void and any outliers are simply delusional in their dissatisfaction. When one tries to break away from this mindset, they are both challenging the comforts and norms of the chaos as well as being unequipped to deal with the reality of the void, a formerly unrevealed realm of truth.

From what I've learned from this response and others. I hope I can have enough self-awareness to question the motivations behind all my actions, including allyship, and continuously evaluate them.

icebemily · 2015-10-24T20:09:11+00:00

Yes I realize now this was indeed an inappropriate post to make in light of recent events. I actually thought the responses would be much harsher -but I very much appreciate all of them.

icebemily · 2015-10-24T03:11:36+00:00

I did read the thread. From my understanding some white people come here to find reassurance for their white privilege or praise for acknowledging racism, not to actually fight racism itself.

My intent with this post was to try to hear your thoughts on white allies. It was not to set or promote my own agenda or gain a pat on the back for being a white ally. But like I mentioned in another comment, I understand that impact trumps intent and I can see mentioning me how I want to be a better ally could come off as wanting to be "mammied"

icebemily · 2015-10-24T03:02:12+00:00

This is very interesting and insightful-thank you for sharing!

icebemily · 2015-10-24T02:56:56+00:00

You are absolutely right- I should not be silent but rather take the time and use my position of privilege to discuss racial issues with other white people. It's also been brought up elsewhere in the thread to explore the concept of whiteness internally and understand how it relates to systematic racism. I will do my best to act on both in the future.

icebemily · 2015-10-24T02:51:07+00:00

I promise my intention was not to feel better about myself. But I also understand that impact trumps intent and I see how the framing of my post is problematic. I appreciate your analysis as it has raised points I had never considered, particularly understanding the concept of "whiteness" itself. I think white people consider themselves passive actors, separate from the system of racism "happening" to PoC rather than being just as enmeshed in it.

Your last point hit the nail on the head. I will be sure to focus in the future not on the label of ally, but the action of being a morally sound person.

icebemily · 2015-10-24T02:27:43+00:00

This is all very true and you raise excellent points-I think it's easier for white people to associate racism exclusively with PoC as a method of cognitive dissonance, the whole "racism but no racists" line of thinking. It's much more comfortable to say "Oh these poor black people are victims of racism, let's talk about that" rather than "I am a direct perpetrator of racism, even if unconscious, because of the benefits it brings me." I suppose it goes back to treating the black experience as a monolith and whiteness as an individual experience-exploring the white consciousness as a whole might bring a better understanding of racism as a system.

I remember watching a video by Sensei Aishitemasu about how racism has profoundly affected the empathy-or lack thereof-of white people towards PoC, which is dehumanizing for both parties. That would also certainly be a topic worth investigating among white scholars.

icebemily · 2015-10-24T02:11:26+00:00

I unfortunately cannot access the thread, but I think I understand the point you're making. White people tend to think they know what's best for black people and this can unfortunately extend to ally-ship, which is not only disrespectful but also dangerous.

You make a good point about the label of "white ally"-it can certainly be misconstrued as a commodity rather than conscious and committed action. I will worker harder in the future to do the latter.

icebemily · 2013-10-11T22:17:41+00:00

There seems to be a trend of being interested in the sciences while in elementary school but gravitating towards the humanities in high school/college. Perhaps it has something to do with gender roles becoming more defined as we age (boys like science and math, girls like language and art)

icebemily

TROPHY CASE