“My nicknames used to be “Globey” and “Mapy””: Icelandic TikTok calls this geography genius the smartest man in Canada
Aidan Simardone talks about his popularity abroad thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Icelandic
![Iceland Tiktok Aidan Simardone has always been a geography enthusiast, but his nerdy hobby has now elevated him to Icelandic TikTok sensation.](https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC01413-2-scaled-e1695402350583-368x0-c-default.jpg)
Aidan Simardone was always a geography nerd, but his nerdy hobby turned him into an Icelander. Tic Tac sensation. It all happened earlier this week, when the 29-year-old immigration lawyer was approached by an Icelander with a microphone. The intended gag was intended to show how little the average Torontonian knows about Iceland, but in the 47-second viral video, Simardone drops encyclopedic knowledge of the island. Forty-two thousands of views later, the so-called “smartest man in Canada” is enjoying his new celebrity status (even if he needs Google Translate to understand it).
How exactly did this happen? You walk down the street, mind your own business, and then…
It was my girlfriend’s birthday and we were going to the Toronto Vegetarian Festival at Nathan Phillips Square. So we walked, and this guy said to me, “Can I ask you some questions?” I saw he was filming and I was skeptical. We all know those street style interviews which are funny because the people answering the questions don’t know anything. This has become a big trend on TikTok, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself. In the video you can see me asking the guy, whose name is Olaf, “What is this about?” He told me it was general knowledge of Iceland.
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And you were like, Oh, yeah, bring it!
Instead. Like I said, I was familiar with this format. When he told me about the subject, I was excited to be able to flip the script and maybe even tell Olaf a few new things about his own country.
@olafurjohann123 The smartest man in Canada
I think the mic drop moment was when you were able to quote the population of Iceland to within a thousand. Are you some sort of islandologist? Where does this knowledge come from?
I don’t think I have any particular expertise in Iceland, but it’s a country I’ve spent time learning about. I have to say that this moment lasted almost 30 years. For as long as I can remember, I have loved geography. When I was little, my nicknames were actually “Globey” and “Mapy”. When other children read Harry PotterI read atlases, encyclopedias and books on flags.
So you were really popular.
Ha, right? You make a lot of friends as a kid who knows the capital of Guyana. It’s funny, though: all these years later, I’m still the guy who spends his free time looking up random countries on Wikipedia and learning about their history, different religious groups, populations, and economies . Needless to say, this sort of thing doesn’t come up often in everyday conversations, so when I had this interaction with Olaf, it was like: Finally, it’s my time.
So you passed the interview. When did you realize you were internet famous?
After the interview, Olaf shared his TikTok handle with us. I kept coming back, waiting for him to publish it. My biggest concern was whether my hair was okay. When the video was posted, I shared it with my family and friends. Then suddenly I got new followers and mentions from people with names like Helga and Olafer.
Could you read what they said about you? Do you know Icelandic?
No, but I put some comments via Google Translate. Most of the time it was, “WTF? I don’t even know this stuff” or “How can a Canadian know this?” Some people complimented the Canadian education system, but I didn’t do particularly well in school. I was just really into geography.
Like, if I asked you the population of Papua New Guinea…
Let me think. I’m going to say 11 million. I know it’s not 20 million, but more than 10 million.
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Close! It’s 10.4 million, but Wikipedia says 9.9. Wait: are you smarter than Wikipedia?
This has happened before where I’ve been more specific than a quick Google search. I would check carefully. Some of these countries are growing very quickly.
Your geography-savvy status should prove useful in your work as an immigration lawyer.
I think so. If I meet a client from Nigeria, I will tell them: Oh, are you from Lagos, near the coast? Are you from the north, which is more Muslim, or from the south, which is more Christian? I think it helps people feel understood and heard at an often difficult time. In the West we tend to live in a bubble. For example, a war is currently breaking out with Azerbaijan invading Armenia. This would be important context if I was talking to an Armenian customer. Maybe I want to help them apply for refugee status. Even as a person, having an idea of what’s going on in the world is never a bad thing.
Have you ever taken an IQ test?
Stephen Hawking said that IQ tests are for losers: they are somehow arbitrary. I’d be happy to do one, but it’s not something I would place much value on.
What if we tried to Danger? Do not tell me Danger it’s for losers.
I would love to be there Danger. However, I would have to refresh my popular culture.
Oh. So, would you know anything about, say, Joe Jonas’ divorce?
I know he’s getting divorced! I’ve been spending a lot of time on Twitter recently. It’s hard to avoid. But other than that, I don’t know anything about it.
#TeamSophie
Ah OK. It’s useful. You see, you tend to remember things that interest you personally. Some people can quote movie lines. For me, it’s geography. But I forget things on my grocery list all the time.
Have you been in contact with Olaf since the video went viral?
He started following me. It would be good to see him again.
I’m thinking of a reunion in Iceland.
Well, it’s funny because Olaf actually works for Iceland Air. I’d love to go, maybe he could put me in touch.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.