Thorgeir Freyr Sveinsson
Thorgier is a native Icelander hailing from the northwestern settlement of Skagafjörður. He holds a Cand.theol. in Theology from the University of Iceland, and a Master’s in Management from Birkbeck College, University of London. Like a true Norseman, Thorgeir has laid anchor in Norway, Finland, and the United Kingdom and is well practiced in the art of navigating new cultures. A keen angler and soccer fan, for a time he ran a guesthouse with his wife in Selfoss, southern Iceland. Today he and his wife live in Reykjavik, where he works as a project manager at the University of Iceland.
Cultural Tip
When travelling in Iceland, make sure you have enough time. Iceland is a lot bigger than people think. One could easily spend a week in the Westfjords area alone, but this is a part most tourists don´t even visit. Plan your trip thoroughly and make sure you have financial resources, as the country is (sadly) notoriously expensive. Apart from that, enjoy your experience and relax – if something goes wrong, remember, ‘thetta reddast´ (it´ll be alright on the night), an expression frequently used by locals when faced by a problem, small or large.
When travelling in Iceland, make sure you have enough time. Iceland is a lot bigger than people think. One could easily spend a week in the Westfjords area alone, but this is a part most tourists don´t even visit. Plan your trip thoroughly and make sure you have financial resources, as the country is (sadly) notoriously expensive. Apart from that, enjoy your experience and relax – if something goes wrong, remember, ‘thetta reddast´ (it´ll be alright on the night), an expression frequently used by locals when faced by a problem, small or large.
Memorable Experience
I used to sing in a choir for many years (which is quite a popular activity in Iceland) and in 2003 we were invited to take part in a cultural festival in the Philippines. Being from Iceland and having never traveled outside Europe before I witnessed numerous things that amazed me. On a trip outside Manila, we were actually guarded by soldiers carrying rifles. You should remember, I’m from a country that doesn’t even have a military, so this was quite unique to me. I even took a picture of the soldiers as I found this to be such an extraordinary thing. Although gun ownership in Iceland is common, you won’t see anyone carrying weapons, and the law requires you to keep your firearms in a locked cabinet.
I used to sing in a choir for many years (which is quite a popular activity in Iceland) and in 2003 we were invited to take part in a cultural festival in the Philippines. Being from Iceland and having never traveled outside Europe before I witnessed numerous things that amazed me. On a trip outside Manila, we were actually guarded by soldiers carrying rifles. You should remember, I’m from a country that doesn’t even have a military, so this was quite unique to me. I even took a picture of the soldiers as I found this to be such an extraordinary thing. Although gun ownership in Iceland is common, you won’t see anyone carrying weapons, and the law requires you to keep your firearms in a locked cabinet.
Websites/links:
- University of Iceland: english.hi.is/staff/thfs
Facebook: Þorgeir Freyr Sveinsson
LinkedIn: Þorgeir Freyr Sveinsson
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