Asian women looking for love in the Faroe Islands | 101 East

[Music] the remote windswept Faroe Islands are a world away from tropical Southeast Asia but hundreds of Asian women are moving to these sub Arctic islands between Norway and Iceland amid a shortage of local women I'm Steve Chang on this episode of 101 East we meet those travelling to the far reaches of the earth to look for love [Music] at first sight the Faroe Islands make your heart skip a beat secluded in the North Atlantic Ocean it's striking mountains are cloaked in fog there's not a tree or a person in sight hard to imagine for someone from the Philippines and looking so old there's no houses where's the houses you're thinking many have never heard about this tiny country at the door of the Arctic Circle especially in tropical Thailand when I told my friend that I couldn't be in parallel and they say why you go to Egypt home to only 50,000 people and 80,000 sheep it's also cold and wet it's raining a lot and in darkness for more than half of the year I went yeah yeah it feels very gloomy everything is like shock because we come from one country and big country and then here is so small but stay a while and something happens in a place that seems like it's on the edge of the earth women from afar are finding something they yearn for [Music] I've come to find out what it is hundreds of women from Asia are moving to the Faroe Islands and being from a warm climate myself I can't understand how they survive one long dark winter let alone the rest of their lives they marry Faroese men often who they know little about but don't assume they aren't in charge of their destinies to find love you have to take a risk [Music] hence Ireland is the local running star the pride of the islands and of his parents Mary joy and Dan Thompson Mary joy was one of the first Filipinos to move to the Faroe Islands more than 15 years ago they married in the Philippines in 2002 dan had written her love letters for two years after seeing a photo of nary joy babysitting her cousin's children the cousin had also married a Faroese man I asked my address and he started writing to me first it was an introduction of himself that in a single way and that is work and they own the house and trying to sell himself one day decided to come to Philippines and oh yeah he proposed immediately and he wants to get married and what did you think when you first saw him okay it's the same man isn't in the picture 110 days after arriving in the Philippines they were husband and wife [Music] yes 20 mmm yeah but it's okay [Music] [Music] from barely knowing each other to today they've come a long way what a beautiful place this is where your boat is kept along with their athletic son hands AirLand they have two other children Lea who's 12 and Daniel 8 I'm tagging along on this excursion while the boys try to catch lunch [Music] [Music] you know [Music] dan can trace his ancestry in the Faroe Islands back to 1850 they fished in these waters and they worked the land like most here he's a man of few words what made you want to go all the way to the Philippines to find Mary joy you must have said something right because she came back here to the Faroe Islands yeah I think so it said something something right yeah nothing the fish aren't biting today and when it comes to my questions neither is Dan your family's men don't give up [Music] [Music] despite our best efforts at fishing we returned home empty-handed but luckily Mary joy had defrosted the last catch just in case so what's in the sauce and that's not all they've been cooking up and you're pregnant You're Expecting Wow number four in January yes can I help with anything oh that's not so hot okay Mary joy is clearly at home in the Faroe Islands she speaks fluent Faroese went to university here and works as a supervisor at an after-school program for children and teenagers and it's not all the time that a google translator is working it is not I think you're very persistent you do that well done thank you three children and I work also sometimes Wow and then where do you work when they met dan worked at sea on a fishing boat his trip to the Philippines to meet Mary joy was his first to Asia now he works for the Faroe Islands electricity company so that he can be with the family at home is very good thank you I'm very lucky to have them because he helped a lot at home so unless I will not be here what's the main difference between Filipino men and Faroese men Filipino men the Amara patria Elco where a father is the head of the family and finally decides alone but here it's more equality we were both decides we would be both this yeah Maryjo also wanted more opportunities than the Philippines could offer her if your life now what you imagined it would be or has it turned out different yeah oh [Laughter] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] women like Mary joy fulfill a big need on the Faroe Islands over the last decades young women have been leaving in droves [Applause] limited opportunities and a limited gene pool have meant that they've gone abroad preferring more choice in life and love [Applause] [Music] there are now 1,500 fewer women than men between the ages of 18 and 60 so how do the men feel about it [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Finnick Oba is my guide to the Faroes male mind it's after he really brings necrosis a stunted here we who's a person and you define a hash to look we lost its weren't gonna push you have settled how does a journalist and a local rock star thinners one of the most eligible bachelors on the islands he says he's not worried about a shortage of women he's not looking for love but he wouldn't mind a female touch I've got a perfect bachelor pad for ya almost the same price as this one really watch better watch more punch it's a bit bachelor II need someone to know decorate decorated them decorator sweep sweep and decorate I'm not really this we think I'm okay [Music] leaving my broom behind I take up finners offer to visit his bachelor pad it's a glorious evening drive [Music] during summer in the Faroe Islands daylight stretches for 20 hours [Music] and when the fog lifts the scenery is breathtaking I'm looking forward to hearing more about what the modern Faroese man looks for in an ideal woman finna says he hasn't tried to find a woman from Asia but he knows many men who have nice view if the women aren't there it's difficult yeah you can't invent a woman so yeah you have to find women out of elsewhere and the easiest way is the Asian countries I think yes welcome to my Terrace he describes a trend among men his age to look for a match online I have a friend who who got his heart broken by a Faroese woman and he just said I have had enough so he went to on the internet an agency foreign women the Philippines and he found himself a Philippine girl and half yeah it was six months later she was in the violence and they live happily she doesn't speak fairly so I haven't talked to her but he's found love and it's more simple simple life what do you mean by the simple life you know where a life where were a bit more old-fashioned where were there where there's the man role where the man works he works and he makes the all the money and and she is at home making making him dinner and breakfast and in cleaning sort of traditional roles exactly yeah traditional roles what do you think about the women coming here how do you think they see themselves in the society here you know it's very difficult because especially the women from from Asia they don't really have a voice here in the Faroe Islands we don't hear what they think that much we don't hear them in the media but you're the media yeah why don't you do story subscribe yeah and also it's very easy for the media to you know just go after the bad stories you know the problems but there are really many love stories out there it really are to find out if that's true I'm meeting some of the Faroe Islands new female residence Mary joy was one of only a few foreigners when she arrived today there are nearly 300 women from Asia living here [Music] hi how are you nice to meet Mary joy introduces me to her circle and I learned that as well as her cousin her aunt and her mother have also married Faroese men since she moved here do you like living here yeah so it's like a family reunion yeah the most common way for women to meet a Faroese man I discover isn't through the internet but through other family members we are your sisters yeah are you married to brothers unfortunately brother [Laughter] and we have a friend often the women moving to the Pharos are not young brides but women who are marrying a second time and starting afresh and so you brought your children here yeah and do they like it here and my girl she don't want to copy things now in I'm touched by the honesty of Grace who came here six years ago to begin a new life with her Faroese husband six years is not yet enough no it's right what about love oh these women rely on each other for moral support friendship and help navigating their new country it's not always easy but they're happy here and feel it's a good place to raise their children here is we are more safe especially at the night here and now unlocks the doors no no honey store no one something making zero awareness paradise [Music] but sometimes there can be trouble in paradise [Music] in the village of hos week I meet nan phone Saudi from Thailand ten years ago she met a Faroese man through a friend in Thailand she moved here and they married did you think it was going to be like a fairy tale I was thinking like before I move here I was thinking like that it should be like a dream or something because I wash TVs so much television so much then I stuck with that picture image like it's gonna be like wow but when I been here everything just like it's very hard time Nam phone is careful what she says her relationship ended badly and the Faroe Islands is a small place my love is not work out so me and my man is not work out about four years ago so really water but instead of going back to Thailand nan fun decided to stay and build a new life on her own stand up for myself be strong for my cell and I bought how here and my car and I have a good job I have a beautiful kid her daughter Natasha is 4 and her son Joseph is 9 [Music] namsun's mother sister and niece are visiting for the summer holidays it's the first time she's had them here in her new home I remember dad police they call me they say now you get a visa so you can stay here then I go back and asking can you open the account for me because I want to work and I asking where the fish company is they told me the fish company that way that way and then I just go out and start walk through the way they told me I'd give you a job yeah they gave me a job and how did you feel so nice she's worked her way up left the fish factory and is now a manager at a local food business life finally feels good again I can say it is my home because every day I more happy I have like beautiful kid yeah and good job and I can minute myself I can like take care myself what would you tell a woman who's thinking of moving to the Faroe Islands if I can tell them I want to say this country is very beautiful and then people is Feli but if you want to find love it's good idea that you you might to spend him and learn each other is more longer you can then you can decide if everything is not work out you have to be like strong woman it's very hard time for you to start everything alone [Music] the Faroe Islands is a place where the course of life has always been certain [Music] visca Lucia from bottom huh Maya is a big toe Sean Astin arigato antes de la Cruz known to stay infomercial aioli show you for sure Gorman Jennifer and Baylor said a place where each generation marked the passing of the one before a place where tradition matters like the national festival or Lusaka which brings everyone out to the streets to celebrate the long bright summer nights as they have for generations the rowers will do battle at sea [Applause] and the runners compete on the land but take a look at the winner of the Under 17's it's hands L and Thompson a sign that things are changing on the Faroe Islands in this small confident country disagreements about allowing foreigners in a strikingly absent in marrying a feral Islander women from Asia get more than a husband or a family they become part of a tribe perhaps that's why they stay even if things go wrong against the odds in the most unlikely destination they find a place in their hearts they call home thank you that's origin now I can bid on my wrong Roy said to me hey [Music]

Channel: Al Jazeera English

Views: 1,073,455

Rating: 4.5466595 out of 5

Keywords: Philippines, Faroe Islands, 101 East, 101east, love in the Faroes, faroe islands (country), phillipinos in faroes, thai marriage in faroes, Filipinos Faroe Islands, faroe islands dating, 101 east al jazeera, looking for love in the faroes, al jazeera, al jazeera 101 east, asian women, faroe islands documentary, aljazeera english, al jazeera documentary, faroe island, fishing industry, faroe islands national anthem, faroe islands travel

Id: Q0br4Ujitu0

Length: 25min 0sec (1500 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 21 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/[deleted]]

What's really alarming to me is that all of these women are Asian....

That itself implies that Asian women are targeted by men looking for.... what, exactly? Why always Asian? There are plenty of non-Asian women from poor countries as well.

[u/twitty5263]

the kids didnt seem awkward. The boy is a top athlete over there.

[u/cadamsun]

50,000 people.

80,000 sheep.

Shortage of women.

I feel bad for the sheep.

[u/SinodontThatWillBite]

Writes a Thai woman in the comments:

Unsurprising. No Southeast Asian women who really live here since birth can say Southeast Asian men are generally preferable than white men. They are not. Yes, they are more hard-working and more polite, but they are prone to use violence and decide things themselves, thinking women should always follow. They also have many wives, and I mean wives who are brought together to live in the same house. Western men obviously have affairs too but they hide it; in their heart they know it's wrong. But for Southeast Asian men, it's just normal. It's also the rape culture that's shown in the media and even in textbooks which preserve sexism and marital abuse. You just hear of it from every household. (People say it will be a problem when their sons are born looking Asian like those abusive men the mother fears and despises, but hey, it's not easy to get rid of the trauma of many female generations. The sons can do nothing but prove that they are good and different. They are already born more privileged from the efforts of their mothers than if they are born in South East Asia and should be grateful.) Then if we speak of money, the hierarchical gap in Southeast Asia is real huge. Be it Philippines , Laoes, or Thailand, they are all under the military government and the rich bloodlines gather all; the poor are basically living in slums with inherited debts. It's all destined the moment you're born because it's nearly impossible to climb up, especially when you're female. So when a fair society opens the door, who wouldn't step in? The minority of rich girls here are also eager to marry western men. Because they are educated in universities or overseas, they cannot tolerate the typical behavior of Southeast Asian men anymore. And since they are smart they know they should aim for the businessmen, IT guys, or doctors in big cities of the west to join their wealth. The poor girls just have to get these farmboys or fishermen in remote islands like this vid. Well, the women escape the third world go for better future indeed, but the men want them for better life too. All in all it's a satisfying match? One can't be a gold digger if the land doesn't open for digging anyway; it takes two.

[u/sadeurasianguy]

Faroes Islands should be renamed Elliot Roger islands.

[u/[deleted]]

Looking for "Love".

[u/[deleted]]

Listen to these gems: 9:23 Look at the wife's body language (especially when he comes in to hug her), lol. 10:03 The infamous "Asian men are more patriarchal" line. 13:42 "The easiest way to find a woman is the Asian countries"

[u/Logic18002738255]

How are the kids awkward? What's wrong with these relationships? No one is being forced into anything. The first woman traded for a better economic situation for herself and her future kids when she married the awkward and not so attractive man. It seems pretty unselfish or at least reasonably smart to me.

Should the first man just have died alone instead of going to the Philippines to find a partner?