# Ask the person who lives in a tiny country **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240 "2012-02-08T22:50:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/41 "2012-02-10T20:14:19Z")
Just curious: have you ever seen [The Mouse That Roared (1959)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/)? That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title. Maybe some lessons there for your fellow citizens? ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/42 "2012-02-10T20:57:12Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Just curious: have you ever seen [The Mouse That Roared (1959)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/)? That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title. Maybe some lessons there for your fellow citizens? Nope. But I have seen [Passport to Pimlico](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041737/). There were definitely lessons there. Although, alas as I said upthread, we do not have our own defence force. We have between one and three airfields depending on exactly how you define one (and if you are going for three, I’m afraid our prison is built on part of one) ---
**Author:** ![radar1974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@radar1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar1974)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/43 "2012-02-11T09:06:25Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > (As a point of correction, I should make it clear that “getting manx citizenship” is actually pretty straight forward, at least for a Brit. There is actually technically no such thing as Manx citizenship, we are all British citizens one way or another - one can vote after I think about a year of living here continuously, then other rights come avaliable over a five year period, and that’s essentially it. By Manx Citizenship I was referring mainly to a Manx passport (which is different to a UK one). My ex-wife was Manx born (I am UK born) and although we both got our renewed passports from the same office in Douglas, hers had an extra page explaining she did not have rights to work in other EU countries and did not have the same freedom of passage as I did. Of course that contradicts the desire to be a Manx citizen (as it carries restrictions rather than benefits) but it does mean a Manx citizen is different to a British citizen and to become a Manx citizen is not an easy process. (even after living there 13 years my passport was still a British one, not a Manx one) ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/44 "2012-02-11T12:58:15Z")
Doesn’t Lobsang live on a remote island (not New Zealand)? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/45 "2012-02-11T13:24:33Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > My country has less than 100 000 folks in it. More than half of us, including me, are immigrants. > > What do you want to ask? > > P.S. I’m cheating a bit because it’s the [Isle of Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_man) - YCDMV (Your country definition may vary) 10-12 years ago the Govt of the IoM made me an offer to move a business there and so forth. I still think I should have taken it but Lady Chance shot it down due to the size of the place. Just imagine the cute accents our girls would have now. Dang. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/46 "2012-02-11T13:56:07Z")
> [@radar1974](#): > > By Manx Citizenship I was referring mainly to a Manx passport (which is different to a UK one). My ex-wife was Manx born (I am UK born) and although we both got our renewed passports from the same office in Douglas, hers had an extra page explaining she did not have rights to work in other EU countries and did not have the same freedom of passage as I did. > > Of course that contradicts the desire to be a Manx citizen (as it carries restrictions rather than benefits) but it does mean a Manx citizen is different to a British citizen and to become a Manx citizen is not an easy process. (even after living there 13 years my passport was still a British one, not a Manx one) Well yes, but who wants a Manx passport? 😃 Even if I have children on the island and they never visit the UK, my being born there entitles them to a British passport. That even applies to their kids, I think. I am fairly sure you could have got a Manx passport if you had wanted it but, again, there’s really no reason to want one. Although we both probably know a certain kind of person who would SAY they would want it. Edit: Actually I just checked and any UK citizen who is resident here can get a Manx passport if they really want one. And if the things above apply then you will still be entitled to the usual EU stuff. ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/47 "2012-02-11T16:31:48Z")
Wow! 40 plus posts and I have to be the first to ask you about the TT? tell me tell me tell me! ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/48 "2012-02-11T16:45:58Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Is there any perceptible Norse influence remaining in the Manx culture? There’s perceptible Norse influence throughout the majority of the north of the UK, especially in things like dialect and speech patterns. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/49 "2012-02-12T13:46:29Z")
> [@manila](#): > > Wow! 40 plus posts and I have to be the first to ask you about the TT? > > tell me tell me tell me! Could you be a weee bit more specific? It’s a big subject. Takes over the island. Supermarket shelves empty… ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/50 "2012-02-12T16:37:49Z")
Two questions: (1) how hard is it to learn Manx? (2) that giant who is sleeping in the basement of that castle-what does he do when he wakes up? ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/51 "2012-02-12T17:15:29Z")
Is Manx Gaelic more similar to Irish Gaelic or Scottish Gaelic? What’s the best online resource for learning Manx? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/52 "2012-02-12T17:31:16Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Is Manx Gaelic more similar to Irish Gaelic or Scottish Gaelic? > > What’s the best online resource for learning Manx? It’s more similar to Scottish Gaelic, and you can start [here](http://www.learnmanx.com/). ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/53 "2012-02-12T18:15:33Z")
I’m not a stunning (or cunning) linguist so I have no idea how hard manx is to learn in the general, as I know it would be hard for me so have never tried. Would think it is not especially hard as languages go for an English speaker as I don’t recall any complaints by people who have done. I do know some phrases as does everyone really, but I’ve never heard it used in anger. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/54 "2012-02-13T04:25:20Z")
> [@radar1974](#): > > Rick Wakeman certainly does live in IoM (I used to deal with his banking) I have[a CD he made for the IoM](http://www.rwcc.com/title_detail.asp?int_titleID=42), which (I heard) he had to make in order to qualify to live there. > [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > Have I missed anything that radar hasn’t taken care of? The Nunnery - I’d love to know the current ownership and state of affairs there! If it were going cheap right now … ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/55 "2012-02-14T10:01:51Z")
I thought it was owned by the government but now you mention it I have no reason to believe that. It’s basically a conference centre now although they hold various events there. The only other thing I can say about it is that at the outside when you drive past it says something about being a university centre, but if I’m totally honest I don’t know what that is :o ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/56 "2012-02-16T01:22:01Z")
Serves me right for not Googling it myself - turns out [we owned up right up until 1999](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nunnery,_Douglas)! Since then: [QUOTE=wikipedia] the estate was acquired by the Isle of Man International Business School in 1999 to serve as their site of operations, following which the Isle of Man University Centre was established there in 2008. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/57 "2012-02-16T20:14:38Z")
How did the Isle of Man become a sort of U.K. Woodstock in the late 1960s, and did most residents welcome this or view it as an annoyance? Is an Isle of Man residence called a Manxian, or plural Manxians? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/58 "2012-02-17T00:18:54Z")
He’d be a Manxman. Whether anyone’s dared coin “Manxwoman” I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/59 "2012-02-17T00:53:32Z")
Well then, did the Manxmen like having the Who in town for the Isle of Wight? Hold on a second. Isle of Wight is somewhere else. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/60 "2012-02-17T23:04:56Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > How did the Isle of Man become a sort of U.K. Woodstock in the late 1960s, and did most residents welcome this or view it as an annoyance? Is an Isle of Man residence called a Manxian, or plural Manxians? Are you talking about the Isle of Wight festival? Otherwise I have no idea what you **are** talking about. P.S. Isle of Wight is about 400 miles away from Isle of Man and very different. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240.md?page=4)