Just want to add that there are things I mention that other cultures might relate to or have as well, but I’m from the US so that is my frame of reference.
@mckohtz2 жыл бұрын
As an Australian living in the US, I found the same cultural things were confusing at first. One that I would add was that healthcare is not covered my the US government for citizens and residents and people can go bankrupt if they get sick or injured. Whereas, most other first world countries have some kind of basic universal healthcare and can just go to the doctor if they are sick or injured with no out of pocket expenses.
@happymack66052 жыл бұрын
I’m from the U.S. and I’m confused as to why these things are this way 🤷🏽♀️ Lovely video! 😊
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Yea, I hear you. Thank you! 🙂
@steinthoroliable2 жыл бұрын
a thing that really surprised me in the USA was the lack of sidewalks outside of the downtown areas of cities. spent some time in the suburbs and I had to walk on grass and the road to get to the nearest shop, would've been an easier walk with a sidewalk hahaha
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Yea, I’ve experienced that too. It feels so foreign to not see sidewalks everywhere 😂
@jow.24502 жыл бұрын
I have a sidewalk. Couple of blocks over, same town, there is no sidewalk.
@LunaciaBooks2 жыл бұрын
This reminds me of visiting friends in the US (only been there once), and I was going to a petrol station nearby to be picked up by someone to go somewhere. My friend asked me if she should drive me there, and I was like "Huh? It's a max of five minutes walk?" Getting into the car, out of the garage, and then follow the road with the car would take longer than just walking. Made zero sense to me!
@cbpd892 жыл бұрын
The gun stuff confuses me too, Iceland. I'm from the US and it is disheartening. If it makes you feel better, most people actually want tighter restrictions, but politicians are worried about losing the money from the gun lobby, so they do nothing.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
😢
@Sindrijo2 жыл бұрын
Money in politics and lobbying is terrifying. It is basically legalized bribery, especially when it became anonymized via PACs. It is way too easy for corporations to influence politics.
@GeekFurious2 жыл бұрын
#1: Yeah, it's very confusing for my Icelandic family when they speak English. They will either say cousin to everything or uncle/aunt, depending on which one they're trying to remember they're supposed to use. And the idea of getting them to say niece or nephew is just out of the question. Though, they will say something that is similar to "my sister's son" etc. #2: As an Icelander it was very confusing coming to the US & realizing how little Americans understood about their government. Like, the less Americans know, the more passionate they seem to be about what they don't know. #3: When I moved back to Iceland I was quickly reminded how Icelanders don't coddle their children because they teach them basic survival skills early in life... something American tourists seem not to have. #4: Whenever my Icelandic family brings this one up & mention that NY & NJ have some of the lowest death by gun rates in the country because they have some of the strictest gun control laws. Individual states are not necessarily representative of others. This is difficult for Icelanders to wrap their heads around because they live in one country not 50 countries with their own laws. #5: Whenever my Icelandic family comes here they get so nervous about tipping. It's cute.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Wow, thanks for going through each point and adding your insight and perspective. 🙂
@romanr.3012 жыл бұрын
I was surprised at the relative nomenclature thing. If this is confusing, I can only imagine the headache an Icelander who decides to learn Chinese goes through. Chinese has a specific term for basically any possible kinship relation. Take for example the word "uncle." In Chinese, there is a specific term for your uncle whether they're your dad or mum's brother, whether they're older or younger than your parent, whether they're the eldest or youngest child of their grandparents, whether they're related biologically or married into the family, etc. Though the more specific terms tend to skew towards the dad's side. 大伯 (dad's eldest older brother)、伯伯 (dad's elder brother)、大叔 (dad's eldest younger brother)、叔叔 (dad's younger brother)、姑丈 (dad's sister's husband)、大舅 (mom's older brother)、舅舅 (mother's brother)、小舅 (mom's youngest brother)、姨丈 (mother's sister's husband), ad infinitum.
@13lilsykos2 жыл бұрын
@@romanr.301 - Wow! Thanks for sharing! I didn't know that and I love learning new things.
@camhabibi22172 жыл бұрын
I’m so glad you mentioned gun culture. My friends in Norway are just amazed that we continue to allow mass shootings to take place without meaningful reform. Sadly, the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings took place while I was in Bergen and the Norwegians were so worried about us.
@camhabibi22172 жыл бұрын
I was in Copenhagen during the Las Vegas shooting. So depressing.
@blazefairchild4652 жыл бұрын
Australia had one mass shooting & they canceled gun ownership by civilians,with some very strict laws & regulations. I am not up on them myself.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Yea, it's hard to see the violence continue.
@yoshimajestic16662 жыл бұрын
@@blazefairchild465 and Australia hasn't had a mass shooting since.
@blazefairchild4652 жыл бұрын
@@yoshimajestic1666 yes, I wish other countries would take up some reforms . In the US each human owns 7 guns on average. In my opinion countries should modify the Gun rules to fit their own standards.May be Swiss or Israel ? Something like when you graduate at 18, male or female you are sent to boot camp & then serve your country for a year. You are then trained on Gun use & May have a gun in your home. No graduation or ged ,no army ,no gun. After the year of service you can choose to join the full time army or go to trade school or college etc. This gives one gun per adult. I guess if you need a hunting gun , that would have to be special permission depending on which animals you can find to shoot. The one gun per person or per household should be enough.Sorry if this was hard to understand,I was interrupted so many times while typing I am just going to send it & see to what’s going on.
@petergustafsson16702 жыл бұрын
That thing about kinship terminology was surprising to me. I speak Swedish, another North Germanic language, but much less conservative than Icelandic. However, we have retained kinship terminology that Latin has, but most other Indo-European languages in Europe have discarded over the centuries. We have 2 different words for Aunt, depending on whether she is the sister of your father or mother. We have 4 distinct words for great-grandmother, and likewise with great-grandfather. Whereas English has 2 words for the children of your siblings - nephew and niece - we have 7 distinct words. BTW, none of those 7 words are exact translations for either nephew or niece. And so on and so forth.
@Halli502 жыл бұрын
While I am more seasoned now, as an Icelander I used to worry about tipping when traveling in countries where tipping is expected. My main worry was doing a boo-boo by tipping too little so I tended to be liberal with the tips. I still do, just to be on the safe side. My most embarrassing tipping experience was actually the reverse: I was a domestic airline pilot and on one occasion, on returning from a sight-seeing flight with a bunch of American tourists over the Holuhraun eruption, and elderly lady hung back when we were disembarking. With stars in her eyes she thanked me profusely for the flight and pressed a $100 bill in my hand! I was a bit flustered (my first and only tip received, and a generous one at that), but I decided not to possibly embarrass her by declining the tip, this flight had evidently been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Awww, what a sweet story about that lady tipping you. I also worry about not tipping enough and I grew up in a culture that does it.
@mv_n62032 жыл бұрын
My sister & I were in Iceland back in May of this year. We tipped because the areas we stayed had plenty of non-native Icelander servers who travelled back & forth to work for at least an hour. We figured something extra for their days off hard work would be nice.
@constance78332 жыл бұрын
Very informative video. I’ve been to Iceland a few times and absolutely love the Icelandic People and their beautiful country. Not tipping was a difficult one for me, felt like I wasn’t recognizing their superior service in restaurants. Thanks for sharing all of the information.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
My pleasure and thanks for sharing your experience.
@Sindrijo2 жыл бұрын
I think the right way to do it is to leave a review on trip advisor or Google maps review, good businesses deserve more patronage.
@constance78332 жыл бұрын
@@Sindrijo great point!! I certainly agree and actually leave a review, typically TripAdvisor. Didn’t know I could do the same on Google Maps, thank you for including that!!
@Kim-mz8co2 жыл бұрын
Great video. I live in Cambodia and have also lived in Thailand, and Laos after leaving the US in 2013. I teach English here and was constantly "assisting" and correcting students who call pretty much everyone their brother/sister, or uncle/aunt whether they are related or not. I found this when I lived in Hawai'i too. I don't offer the relationship label in English now unless someone asks. I am older so I get called uncle, father or grandfather and I know that is a show of respect and connection. They want to call their classmates and football mates brother and sister, that's fine by me! I think it's a much better way of relating to the World. I learned about differences in tipping going with a Korean friend to a Korean restaurant in Hawai'i. He warned me against tipping especially in restaurants that don't usually cater to Western tourists because it can easily be seen as an insult--like you're considering them to be a prostitute or someone who can't take care of themselves. So what it pretty much comes down to is that many people around the World are seeing that workers in the US aren't paid a livable wage, that many of us take stupid risks and don't use common sense even to the point of putting our lives in danger, that our political system isn't democratic or representative, and that we are very violent and don't use guns to hunt, but look for guns and ammo that can pierce any shield and kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. I pretty much see the situation in our country of origin the same way.
@Westfjordian Жыл бұрын
To me, one of the biggest things to get used to is "home canning"... We're used to other (older?) preserving methods
@tacrewgirl2 жыл бұрын
I always enjoy your videos and sweaters. You're gorgeous and I love your hair. Are their salons for maintaining your dreads there? Your kitchen is very nice. Thanks for the informative video as always.
@rochellek53272 жыл бұрын
Very interesting. I can see how the relationship names can get confusing 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👏🏽👏🏽
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Indeed. Thanks for watching.
@lesliecouncilor77712 жыл бұрын
Still watching your videos! Thank you for teaching us about cultural differences during this tumultuous times in the U.S.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
My pleasure 😊
@GinaCriv2 жыл бұрын
Yeah Brooklyn!! Hey Jewells, love your walk-thru shots of your home, and backdrop of your kitchen. Very nice
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much
@patrickquinlan75942 жыл бұрын
It’s funny you brought up that issue about tipping. The first time I visited Iceland five years ago, I told a bartender at Bravo about an online article I read that claimed that if you tip servers in Iceland they will be offended. He looked at me incredulously and said “Oh no no, we gratefully accept tips. Yes siree, here’s my tip jar right here. Feel free to contribute any time!” Also, regarding gun violence in America, you wouldn’t think they’d be so perplexed by it based on some of the Icelandic gangster films their movie producers have made over the years, such as Svartur Á Leik, and Reykjavík-Rotterdam.
@mercedes43282 жыл бұрын
Honestly I don't understand the confusion. Just different cultures, that's all. And I believe it's unfair to compare the US and Iceland. The US is composed of so many different nationalities, beliefs, customs, etc.
@thisoldnurse15212 жыл бұрын
I am Canadian and I have a friend who was born in Uganda. She calls me sister.. I am not her sister or a nun. I am white and she is not. So we say “ I am her sister from another mother “ & it is kind of nice that you are close enough friends to be sisters. The big thing in Uganda is you can raise your sister’s child, (blood sister), when she came to Canada to study. She always referred to her niece as her daughter. Same if s nephew came he would be her son? That is one thing I learned about people from Uganda 🇺🇬.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Interesting and thanks for sharing.
@KongTheViking2 жыл бұрын
I agree with all of these as an icelander with a lot of american friends, great video
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear that it resonated with you. Thank you! 😊
@LunaciaBooks2 жыл бұрын
The thing you say about frændi/frænka is really interesting. In Norwegian we have a word "frende", which I guess means the same thing, but it's super old fashioned and rarely used anymore. Also, in some parts of Norway, they still say "faster" (father's sister), "morbror" (mother's brother), etc. I've never given it much thought until this! And, yes, only two parties are a head scratchers for Norwegians as well. As well as the danger signs/rope fences, poor American gun laws, and tipping. 🙂 Seems like Icelandics are a lot like Norwegians! Shouldn't be a huge surprise, knowing where Icelanders came from originally. 😉
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Lol true. Thanks for sharing. 😊
@petergustafsson16702 жыл бұрын
Are those places in eastern Norway? In Swedish, there are no words for "uncle" or "aunt", we always distinguish by gender of parent. Also, frände/fränka still exist in Swedish, but are very oldfashioned, especially fränka.
@LunaciaBooks2 жыл бұрын
@@petergustafsson1670 Nope, we ssy "tante" (aunt) and "onkel" (uncle). I experienced in Jæren/Stavanger area, wich is in the southwest.
@ericfluellen89572 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed this video very informative regarding the subject matter.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Thanks 😊
@baba-sm1fm Жыл бұрын
I am from italy and all the things you mentioned confuse us as well. especially the gun violence. Tipping is the same, the tip is automatically included in the bill.
@angelicabrewer37112 жыл бұрын
Awesome outro! Is that going to be the ending scene going forward? The nature scene is so beautiful and matches the soundtrack perfectly
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Thanks. I’ve been experimenting with different nature scenes at the end. Glad you like it. 😊
@nikkirockznikkirockz85512 жыл бұрын
My gurl and my jaM is back! Although I am a generous tipper (when the occasion calls), but it must be great not to feel pressured to support someone's wages simply becuz they aren't being adequately paid by their employer.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Hi!! Yes, it takes so much pressure off of the interactions and paying at the end.
@nikkirockznikkirockz85512 жыл бұрын
@@AllThingsIceland AmeN! Hey luvz, what's the name/group of the "HooOot" song you play towards the end here? Plz, and thanK yoU for everythanGgh!!! 😘
@manjaman96362 жыл бұрын
We also have a pirate party in Sweden😅 not so successful tho but it is an option to vote on haha
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
😂 interesting. Thanks for sharing.
@ollietsb17042 жыл бұрын
Five? FIVE?!! ONLY FIVE?!! Heck... I was born in the USA... I come up with FIFTEEN in the first 20 seconds of thinking about this-!
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
These are some examples and are not meant to be an exhaustive list. You're more than welcome to list as many as you would like. 🙂
@mollyapteros Жыл бұрын
I married a Swede, so I've run into similar cultural confusions when spending time there. I like the warmth and friendliness with strangers that's more common in the US, but if I had to pick between the two I would definitely go with Sweden. But in a sense we compromised by moving to Scotland lol.
@AllThingsIceland Жыл бұрын
Lol interesting. How is Scotland?
@alleycatgaming1600 Жыл бұрын
The gun thing is complicated. Every state has its own laws. In my state we have some of the weakest gun laws but have only had 1 mass shooting since we've become a state. Everyone I know owns a gun, but we don't have a lot of shootings. We do have guns for protection, when we say that it usually means protection from nature. We have moose, grizzly bears, mountain lions, and wolves. In my state, we don't need strict gun laws because we don't have problems with killing people. When it comes to gun laws, I don't think a lot of people care because guns aren't even in the top 10 leading causes of death in the US.
@EmorettaRobinson2 жыл бұрын
I'm from the U.S and the thing with gun violence has been out if hand for a while. Sadly I thought it was a worldwide thing for a while. And I didn't know that Icelandic people don't refer to their aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins as such. It also appears to me that Iceland uses what we call "military time" after 1 p.m. I looked at things online in Iceland. I saw where the hours a place was open was l07:30-19:00. But I'm enjoying learning things like that.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Yes. While some Icelanders know of it as military time (such as how we say it in the US), it’s just looked at as connects to the 24 hours we have in a day. It’s funny how one culture sees it as specific way of telling time based on a certain career/group of people.
@EmorettaRobinson2 жыл бұрын
@@AllThingsIceland yes that is interesting. My grandfather, an uncle and several cousins were in the military. I think the time is accurate either way.
@feleciawallace84202 жыл бұрын
In the USA, on the black market, stolen guns are plentiful, and the laws don't apply to folks dealing in the Black market. Until the manufacturing of guns stops (which will never happen because of the potential of wars that Govt's must always prepare for in case of an invasion and police control of our neighborhoods) you'll never get criminals to give up their guns despite changes in the laws. It will take 1000+ years for all guns to disappear as relics of the past once the manufacturing of guns disappears.
@ArniAtlason2 жыл бұрын
I live in USA and Tipping others is normal for me now after 13 years BUT I run a small business and when people want to tip me for that service I provide them, then I tell them please don't because that makes me uncomfortable hehe and I'm from Iceland and we don't tip there😄 I will never get used to that.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
😂 thanks for sharing.
@eeewyuck Жыл бұрын
As hospitality specialist I must let you know, it hasn't benn 10 or 15 % since I was in middle school. I'm 38. The minimum is 20% in 2023. And I'm not in a major city. A suburb of one. Once you get into a city it 25% or more. Just a little tid bit. Stay beautiful.
@tjbw85212 жыл бұрын
It would be nice if we Americans further embraced the multi-party system.
@Sindrijo2 жыл бұрын
The only way that is happening is by changing the voting system accross the board. Ranked choice or STV voting instead of 'first past the post' would be a good start, it allows people to vote for a 3rd party or candidate without their vote being worthless.
@tobe27142 жыл бұрын
I feel the same way and I’m American 🤷🏽♀️.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
😂
@helenf.72212 жыл бұрын
The relative names would really be confusing for me! I would have to learn the names so i could understand haha but in another sense, my mothers brother instead of uncle on my mothers side is easier to say
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
😂 fair enough
@dragonbornesoul3202 Жыл бұрын
Þetta með frændi og frænka er alveg rétt hjá þér :). Sambandi við vopn í Bandaríkjunum við stundum skiljum það ekki því eins og þú segir við notum þau aðallega skotvopn í að veiða rjúpur, gæsir og endur einhvers staðar langt upp á heiði. Einnig með pólitíkina, við skiljum stundum ekkki af hverju eru ekki fleiri stjórnmálaflokkar í Bandaríkjunum en þannig er það bara, tveir flokkar.
@eliasg.thomas84232 жыл бұрын
The US gun violence and tips culture are head scratchers for many nations around the world observing/going to the US The fact that Icelanders use an umbrella term for male/female family members instead of being more specific is also weird to me. Somehow i NEED to know if the fraendi is an uncle, a cousin, a nephew or what! Even if if doesn't change anything in the story being told and i don't know the person talked about, i expect that level of details :D
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Usually the context of the conversation makes it clear who they are talking about but I understand what you mean.
@annatraustadottir43872 жыл бұрын
If needed, we simply say my brother's sister, my sister's son etc.
@OZARKMOON19602 жыл бұрын
I'm just curious if in Denmark, the familial relations are addressed the same way. I know in Italy and Spain, and Mexico, they do address aunt/uncle/cousin, etc. Since Iceland's roots are Danish, I wonder if that is where they got that from. Also, isn't Iceland the seat of the longest running government? Remember doing a report decades ago that it was established in something like the 900s. That is wild to me - as an American, where things are not even 250 years old yet.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Hi. Not sure about the familial relations in Denmark but most Icelander’s roots are from Norway. Vikings and farmers settled in Iceland in the 900s but they were, at one point in history, ruled by Denmark for hundreds of years. Iceland has the longest running Parliament. 😊
@Curtis488Ай бұрын
I went from being Republican to Libertarian. But I'm still curious about Icelandic politics
@thisoldnurse15212 жыл бұрын
Yes and I lived in Halifax Nova Scotia for many years and even with the numerous signs at Peggy’s Cove warning of danger of rogue waves and do not go down on the black rocks. (they are wet), despite all this people tourists disobey and do it anyway sometime ending in an unnecessary death.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
That's so sad.
@petrafiedler2022 жыл бұрын
2. - 5. confuses Germans too.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Fascinating and thanks for sharing.
@lisaloewenberg944 Жыл бұрын
I would LOVE to have you teach me Icelandic. Can You help?
@TheDelainaAngela2 жыл бұрын
what do you do for work?
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Digital marketing 😊
@thisoldnurse15212 жыл бұрын
Is it cold in Iceland now? You have lopi sweater on and it is wool and it is summer.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
It's a been a chillier summer in the south.
@ollietsb17042 жыл бұрын
"It's not as if there aren't Icelanders who do stupid things..." Uh. You mean "There haven't been TEN MILLION idiots doing stupid things." The sheer size and population count undermines 'common sense' in Big USA vs. Tiny nations. Andorra... Luxemborg... Iceland... it's also a matter of The Driving Culture where a driver in Dallas-FtWorth or Los Angeles might complete 500 commute miles a week.
@13lilsykos2 жыл бұрын
I hate that people here in the US continue to feed into this "two party system". This is our own fault! Excuse me while my head explodes! Lol! Before anyone says anything, I'm not fussing or getting mad at anyone in particular. I'm especially not fussing at the the woman in the video, obviously. It's just frustrating in general that's its been this way for sooo long and I don't see it changing any time soon.
@AllThingsIceland2 жыл бұрын
Yea, I hear you and understand. I also agree that it is frustrating.
@petergustafsson16702 жыл бұрын
Duverger´s Law. Look it up. USA does not have 2-party system because it is USA per se, it has a 2-party system since it uses the First-Past-The-Post voting system.
@bluesky43852 жыл бұрын
I don't understand the USA and I never have. For the life of me I do not understand a population that just sits back and complains about all the Mass shootings. Yet the outcry to do something about the problem is very short-lived. The Americans will put much more effort into their sports and praise of their sport's hero's, than they will in stopping gun violence. So as far as I am concerned America's problems are not just with their evil and corrupt Politicians. The problems of Mass shootings and on and on problems are also with the American people themselves, for sitting back and not demanding more from their own society. I'm sorry to be so blunt but sometimes it takes tough love to make a point, when people refuse to look at themselves in a mirror. I am happy for you Miss that you have made it to Iceland. You seem to be a level headed American, and I hope that the USA can fix itself. In all honesty though the USA just doesn't seem to care about its own people, and I simply can't respect a country with such distasteful behaviour.
@TinyDragonOnFire2 жыл бұрын
The country as a whole and its inaction is certainly not worthy of respect. I would like to offer an alternative perspective on its people, however. As a US citizen, it is infuriating to me to know that well over half of Americans surveyed want stricter gun control, and yet our politicians are ignoring us and our dead in favor of appeasing powerful lobbyists. As well, politicians who don't represent the majority opinions of the people in their districts or state are still elected due to the process of redlining, which makes it harder for marginalized peoples to get someone into office who would actually fight for them and their needs. So many of the issues facing the US are decided upon not by the people, but by the powerful few who refuse to listen to us and who stay in power due to a system that is functioning exactly as it was designed: to prioritize the rich, white men at the helm. There are so, so many of us who are working hard to change things for the better, to create systems that value and prioritize human life, but on the national level we are shut down by those who prefer their own profit to the wellbeing of their people. Despite this, we continue to work hard to protect those whom our government is failing. Thank you for reading. I hope you're having a lovely day!
@bluesky43852 жыл бұрын
@@TinyDragonOnFire Very well said and so very true. It does seem as though far to many Americans viewpoints are not respected or listened to by some of the Politicians.
@cbpd892 жыл бұрын
I live in the US. I call my representatives regularly, I sign petitions, I vote for candidates who say they support things like gun laws...then they get elected and start never bring it up again. My two state senators have raked in millions of dollars in campaign donations from gun lobbyists. Next to that, my phone calls, my vote is pretty meaningless. And the people who have the power to eliminate that kind of corrupting money from politics are the people who benefit the most from it. We've been demonstrating and protesting and voting and making ourselves heard, but money talks louder.