Greenland

Greenland we salute you

because you're awesome!!!

My newest fascination this month is the country of Greenland. Again I like an off the wall country but I have my reasons. So let me explain and hopefully you too will have a new found appreciation and admiration of this fascinating place.

When I was little I played Risk a lot with my cousins and uncles. I always liked Greenland then along with Iceland. I remember reading about the Vikings in Elementary school, I thought it was a cool and unusual thing that the Vikings did when they named Greenland and Iceland with very misleading titles. Their reasoning, if we name the worse land a better name, people will go there first. Greenland sounds so much better than Iceland.

So whenever Vikings are involved there is a greater appeal factor. As you know from my obsession with Antarctica, I love snow and ice. Greenland has the most spectacular ice forms and glaciers outside of Antarctica. The other fact that Greenland is unique is that it is a country, but not quite its own country. Technically it is under Denmark control, but looking toward independence in the future. The trouble is that only a lil more than 56,000 people live there. Greenlanders are a unique mix of the old and new. I was reading a book about it which said, "It's not unusual to see Greenlanders go out fishing or sealing during the day and head back into the town and surf the internet."

Here's a great link to learn some quick facts about the great country of Greenland: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/gl.htm

Other unique facts:

1)Lief Erickson (who discovered the New World BEFORE Columbus) was the first Christian in Greenland. (technically it was his mom who told his father that unless he converted to Christianity and brought a bishop to Greenland he wouldn't be receiving "his marital rights")
2) In order to get a bishop Erick the Red sent the King of Denmark walrus tusks and seal skins, and tipped the tables in his favor with a pair of polar bear cubs.
3) Most Greenlanders are a mix of Danish blood and the native Inuit population.
4) Greenland Air will begin flying out of Baltimore this spring.
5) Iceland/Greenland was a honeymoon possibility for us. (but Antigua's warm beaches won out)
6) Greenland is looking to the FIFA soccer commission to start their own World Cup team.

7) Greenland is the largest noncontinental island IN THE WORLD!
8) Glaciers cover most of Greenland.

So here's where I need you help. I can't GO to Greenland right now, but with March's allowance I want to show my "Greenland support" in the form of a T-shirt. Give me some feedback about which ones you like. Just a few stipulations; not the Greenland dog or anything inappropriate. Here are two links full of choices to consider.

1) http://www.cafepress.com/buy/greenland
2) http://stores.ebay.com/TOPEXPRESSIONS (type in Greenland)

Thanks for your time and help in supporting this great country; the scenic and mysterious Greenland (which has much more ice than Iceland)