Faroes: accomodation, language
 

Hi;

I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.

I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
somewhere in the book distribution chain.

1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
do you speak English please"?

2) The Fodors guide recommends the Skansin Guesthouse as the best
accomodation in Torshavn. Does anyone have any comments? I am
looking for basic/inexpensive accomondation. Hostel, guesthouse, B&B
are all fine. Inexpensive hotel is fine, too. I am travelling alone,
with a bicycle.

3) I think I need to overnight at least one night in Norðoyar,
perhaps in Klaksvik or Viðareiði. Any recommendations?

4) Does the bus system carry bicycles?

Thanks for any information!

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:

    >Hi;
    >I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >do you speak English please"?

If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.

Google trawls up lots of useful stuff.
http://www.tourist.fo/default.asp?l=EN
http://www.faroeislands.com/Default.asp?sida=681
Accommodation
http://www.tourist.fo/get.asp?gid=fB...5-DC1CF820D598
etc.

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

"Ed T." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] om...
    > Hi;

    > I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    > June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.

    > I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    > somewhere in the book distribution chain.
Lonely Panet's "Iceland / Greenland / Faroes" is also very good

    > 1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    > is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    > do you speak English please"?
I think you'll find that most people on the Faroes speak pretty good English

    > 2) The Fodors guide recommends the Skansin Guesthouse as the best
    > accomodation in Torshavn. Does anyone have any comments? I am
    > looking for basic/inexpensive accomondation. Hostel, guesthouse, B&B
    > are all fine. Inexpensive hotel is fine, too. I am travelling alone,
    > with a bicycle.
There is plenty of budget accommodation in Torshavn. Enquire at the TIC.

    > 3) I think I need to overnight at least one night in Norðoyar,
    > perhaps in Klaksvik or Viðareiði. Any recommendations?
There is plenty of budget accommodation in Klaksvik.

    > 4) Does the bus system carry bicycles?
Yes

    > Thanks for any information!
You're welcome!

Regards
Gerry

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

nitram <[email protected]> wrote:

    >On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>Hi;
    >>I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>do you speak English please"?
    >If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.

They speak Danish as well ! But I don´t think you will have big
problems using English.

Kristian

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 17:32:52 +0200, Kristian <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >nitram <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>>Hi;
    >>>I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>>June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>>I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>>somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>>1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>>is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>>do you speak English please"?
    >>If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >>your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.
    > They speak Danish as well ! But I don´t think you will have big
    >problems using English.

I noticed googling that most of the web sites of accommodation were in
English too.

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

nitram wrote:

    > On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Hi;
    >>I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>do you speak English please"?
    >
    >
    > If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    > your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.

Quite. On my first visit to Sweden, I had brushed up phrases like "talar
ni Svenska?" and nobody understood a single word I said. My wife just
punched me in the ribs and said "do you speak English?".#

    >
    > Google trawls up lots of useful stuff.
    > http://www.tourist.fo/default.asp?l=EN
    > http://www.faroeislands.com/Default.asp?sida=681
    > Accommodation
    > http://www.tourist.fo/get.asp?gid=fB...5-DC1CF820D598
    > etc.

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:20:41 +0200, Tom Peel
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >nitram wrote:
    >> On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>
    >>
    >>>Hi;
    >>>I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>>June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>>I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>>somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>>1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>>is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>>do you speak English please"?
    >>
    >>
    >> If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >> your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.
    >Quite. On my first visit to Sweden, I had brushed up phrases like "talar
    >ni Svenska?" and nobody understood a single word I said. My wife just
    >punched me in the ribs and said "do you speak English?".#

Exactly the same as I found when I went to Norway/Sweden/Denmark. The
pronunciation is nothing like it reads, especially in Danish. It's
pretty hard to find someone who doesn't speak English fluently in
Scandinavia.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

"Tom Peel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > nitram wrote:
    >> On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>>Hi;
    >>>I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>>June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>>I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>>somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>>1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>>is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>>do you speak English please"?
    >> If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >> your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.
    > Quite. On my first visit to Sweden, I had brushed up phrases like "talar
    > ni Svenska?" and nobody understood a single word I said. My wife just
    > punched me in the ribs and said "do you speak English?".#

So far I usually don't even bother with that.

I learnt on my first day here that I didn't need the help of my
new colleagues to translate for me with the canteen staff
(somthing that would be needed with most Germans in this
type of job) so I though that non-english speakers are going
to be in the minority. I also learnt quickly that the standard
of English of the Swedish engineers that I work with is
immaculate, whereas it was common in Germany to work with
an engineer who was relectant to exercise his English.

Nevertheless, I correctly guessed that the mechanic who I
need to repair my car wasn't going to speak English (we got the
sales-man to translate) but other than that I just speak in English
and either they understand me, or what I am asking becomes
obvious because I am foreign ("just how do I put my card
in this swipey thingy by your till").

And yes I know that it's rude, but sometimes asking is
patronising.

tim

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

Deep Foiled Malls <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

    >On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:20:41 +0200, Tom Peel
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>nitram wrote:
    >>> On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>>Hi;
    >>>>I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>>>June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>>>I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>>>somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>>>1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>>>is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>>>do you speak English please"?
    >>>
    >>>
    >>> If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >>> your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.
    >>Quite. On my first visit to Sweden, I had brushed up phrases like "talar
    >>ni Svenska?" and nobody understood a single word I said. My wife just
    >>punched me in the ribs and said "do you speak English?".#
    >Exactly the same as I found when I went to Norway/Sweden/Denmark. The
    >pronunciation is nothing like it reads, especially in Danish. It's
    >pretty hard to find someone who doesn't speak English fluently in
    >Scandinavia.

English is of course widely understood around Scandinavia and
Holland, so if you ask someone if they speak English or address them
with an "Excuse me", you scould consider it more of polite way of
getting peoples attention and giving them a moment to realize that you
are adressing them in English.


Kristian

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

"Kristian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] t2net.dk...
    > Deep Foiled Malls <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
    >>On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:20:41 +0200, Tom Peel
    >><[email protected]> wrote:

    >>Exactly the same as I found when I went to Norway/Sweden/Denmark. The
    >>pronunciation is nothing like it reads, especially in Danish. It's

There's no reason to expect Danish, or any other language,
to follow the English rules for correspondance between
spelling and pronuciation. Even English doesn't follow
the English rules, why should Danish? You can't learn
to pronounce a non-English language by trying to read
the spelling as if it were English.

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:58:47 GMT, "No Spam" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Kristian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected] et2net.dk...
    >> Deep Foiled Malls <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
    >>>On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:20:41 +0200, Tom Peel
    >>><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>Exactly the same as I found when I went to Norway/Sweden/Denmark. The
    >>>pronunciation is nothing like it reads, especially in Danish. It's
    >There's no reason to expect Danish, or any other language,
    >to follow the English rules for correspondance between
    >spelling and pronuciation. Even English doesn't follow
    >the English rules, why should Danish? You can't learn
    >to pronounce a non-English language by trying to read
    >the spelling as if it were English.

You can try with the assistance of a guide book. In practice this
often doesn't work, but you can sometimes make yourself understood.
Places like Denmark, Poland, and Hungary have very strange
pronounciations, so this can't really be done.

My general rule is that I don't bother much about learning the
language where I know English is extensively spoken, whereas in other
countries I ask for help for pronounciation from a local as soon as I
can. Then I scrawl the approximate phonetics into my guidebook
somewhere.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

On 2005-04-16 12:48:43 +0200, Deep Foiled Malls
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> said:

    > On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:20:41 +0200, Tom Peel
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >> nitram wrote:
    >>
    >>> On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>> Hi;
    >>>>
    >>>> I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>>> June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>>>
    >>>> I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>>> somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>>>
    >>>> 1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>>> is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>>> do you speak English please"?
    >>>
    >>>
    >>> If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >>> your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.
    >>
    >> Quite. On my first visit to Sweden, I had brushed up phrases like
    >> "talar ni Svenska?" and nobody understood a single word I said. My wife
    >> just punched me in the ribs and said "do you speak English?".#
    >
    > Exactly the same as I found when I went to Norway/Sweden/Denmark. The
    > pronunciation is nothing like it reads, especially in Danish. It's
    > pretty hard to find someone who doesn't speak English fluently in
    > Scandinavia.

Danish pronunciation requires that you have a golf ball in your mouth.

G;

--
Encrypted e-mail address. Click to mail me:
http://cerbermail.com/?nKYh3qN4YG

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

The Rev Gaston <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Danish pronunciation requires that you have a golf ball in your mouth.
Hngoow do eouu ge' i' ou' weeng eouu aave 'ingishe' ?

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

Padraig Breathnach <[email protected]> wrote:

    >The Rev Gaston <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>Danish pronunciation requires that you have a golf ball in your mouth.
    >Hngoow do eouu ge' i' ou' weeng eouu aave 'ingishe' ?

Yes, there are ATMs.

Kristian

Re: Faroes: accomodation, language
 

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:58:33 +0200, The Rev Gaston <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >On 2005-04-16 12:48:43 +0200, Deep Foiled Malls
    ><deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> said:
    >> On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:20:41 +0200, Tom Peel
    >> <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>
    >>> nitram wrote:
    >>>
    >>>> On 15 Apr 2005 08:09:16 -0700, [email protected] (Ed T.) wrote:
    >>>>
    >>>>
    >>>>> Hi;
    >>>>>
    >>>>> I will be visiting the Faroe islands, arriving afternoon Wednesday
    >>>>> June 8, departing morning Friday June 17.
    >>>>>
    >>>>> I have ordered the Bradt guide to the Faroe Islands but it is still
    >>>>> somewhere in the book distribution chain.
    >>>>>
    >>>>> 1) When I telephone the Faroes to inquire about accomodations, etc.,
    >>>>> is there an appropriate Faroese phrase I should use, that says "Hello,
    >>>>> do you speak English please"?
    >>>>
    >>>>
    >>>> If "Hello, do you speak English, please?" doesn't work you are wasting
    >>>> your time unless you speak the local Faeroes.
    >>>
    >>> Quite. On my first visit to Sweden, I had brushed up phrases like
    >>> "talar ni Svenska?" and nobody understood a single word I said. My wife
    >>> just punched me in the ribs and said "do you speak English?".#
    >>
    >> Exactly the same as I found when I went to Norway/Sweden/Denmark. The
    >> pronunciation is nothing like it reads, especially in Danish. It's
    >> pretty hard to find someone who doesn't speak English fluently in
    >> Scandinavia.
    >Danish pronunciation requires that you have a golf ball in your mouth.

Drinking half a bottle of Gameldansk first helps