102 Reykjavík the Missing Puzzle
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102 REYKJAVÍK THE MISSING PUZZLE HegZc\_j]aa^cVcY=_VaiVac/Hi^aaEgdb^h^c\47dWWn;^hX]Zg/Hi^aa9ZVY!Hi^aaGV^h^c\=VkdX 7_g`/Hi^aa8dcigdkZgh^Va>XZaVcYZgh/Hi^aaGVX^hiI]ZAdcZhdbZIgVkZaaZg/Hi^aaLVcYZg^c\ ^c[d#68dbeaZiZ8^in<j^YZVcYA^hi^c\h/BVe!9^c^c\!Bjh^X!6gihVcY:kZcih >hhjZ%($$BVg,"6eg('%%- 02 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 03 2008 | Year 6 | March 07 – April 03 The Reykjavík Grapevine Opinion Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík www.grapevine.is Sparing the Rod 08 [email protected] An opinion by Gabriele R. Gudbjartsson www.myspace.com/reykjavikgrapevine Published by Fröken ehf. Creatures of Comfort 08 An opinion by Marie-Alexandra Hertell Editorial: +354 540 3600 / [email protected] Advertising: +354 540 3605 / [email protected] Articles Publisher: +354 540 3601 / [email protected] Anti-racists Unite 06 An interview with Dane Magnússon The Reykjavík Grapevine Staff Publisher: Remembering Bobby Fisher 16 Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson Part 2 [email protected] Editor: Drink Again! 17 Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / [email protected] Icelanders take on pub quiz Assistant Editor: Steinunn Jakobsdóttir / [email protected] Grapevine Easter Beer Guide 18 Staff Writer: Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir / [email protected] Lindy Hop 19 Contributing Writer: Haukur Magnússon / [email protected] Ian Watson / www.ianwatson.org Art Director: Features Gunnar Þorvaldsson / [email protected] Photographer: 102 Reykjavík: A Vision for the Future 10 Gunnlaugur Arnar Sigurðsson The results of the Vatnsmýri planning competition [email protected] Marketing Director: Top of the Pop 12 Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / [email protected] Interviews with Högni from Hjaltalín and Bergur from Sprengjuhöllin Sales Director: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson [email protected] Support Manager: Outside Reykjavík Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / [email protected] Distribution: Across the Country in 40 Days 20 Þórir Gunnar Jónsson / [email protected] Adventures of the Lonesome Traveller, leg 7 Proofreader: Jane Victoria Appleton Press releases: info. [email protected] Submissions inquiries: Listings B2 [email protected] Subscription inquiries: Food Reviews B10 +354 540 3605 / [email protected] General inquiries: Iceland Press Photos B12 [email protected] Art ‘n’ Roll B14 The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times An interview with artist Egill Sæbjörnsson a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May til When the Garage Doors Open B16 October. Nothing in this magazine may be The Icelandic Battle of the Bands reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be subject to change. The Reykjavík Grapevine can be found in Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður, Kárahnjúkar and at key locations around road #1 and at all major tourist attractions and tourist information centres. You may not like it, but at least it's not spon- sored. (No articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 30.000 copies. From the Editor’s Chair We have just survived February, the coldest, dark- financial crises, or general shitty luck. Wherever handed out. We talk to the most promising pros- est month of the year. Every time we escape this you choose to assign blame, the fact remains that pects. We also explain the havoc that lays ahead gruelling period alive, and relatively unscathed, it recession and lay-offs are just around the corner. in the continuous soap opera that is (or more ac- 102 REYKJAVÍK is cause for celebration. So, take a seat by the bar Not much lighter, is it? Well, perhaps I just have not curately, was) the life (and death) of Bobby Fis- THE MISSING PUZZLE and chuck down a few, and take solace in the fact been able to get used to the idea that it’s March cher. Stay tuned as the story develops. that you still have 11 months to lead a happy life already. Hell, the way things are going, I might as In addition, we bring give you a detailed ac- before February returns again. You find me pes- well predict this to be the year of permanent Feb- count of what to expect in form of art and culture simistic? Well, consider the fact that I am born in ruary. Cancel that drink, honey! I’ll take the wait- in the coming month. Looks like the only thing February. How do you like them apples? and-see approach on any untimely celebrations that could keep February at bay is a copy of the for now. Grapevine. Let’s move on to something lighter. Like, the HegZc\_j]aa^cVcY=_VaiVac/Hi^aaEgdb^h^c\47dWWn;^hX]Zg/Hi^aa9ZVY!Hi^aaGV^h^c\=VkdX economy for instance. Everyone seems to agree As usual, this issue of the Grapevine is full 7_g`/Hi^aa8dcigdkZgh^Va>XZaVcYZgh/Hi^aaGVX^hiI]ZAdcZhdbZIgVkZaaZg/Hi^aaLVcYZg^c\ ^c[d#68dbeaZiZ8^in<j^YZVcYA^hi^c\h/BVe!9^c^c\!Bjh^X!6gihVcY:kZcih >hhjZ%($$BVg,"6eg('%%- that economy is going to shit, although opinions of entertaining and uplifting (!) stories about life vary on whether this development should be on the Devil’s Island. Intellect finally seems to be blamed on the Icelandic krona, the sub-prime loan prevailing in the endless saga of the Reykjavík do- Thanks to crises, Icelandic banking methods, post-heavy mestic airport. We look at what lies (or could lie) GUÞ and Mr. Clean industry development hang-over, international ahead. The Icelandic Music Awards are soon to be 2435 CIN grapevine andrea 050.ai 3/5/08 12:49:43 PM 04 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 03 2008 | Letters Sour Grapes Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to [email protected]. Dear Madam/Sir, Hello, My Name is Arne Jantos, I am from Germany. I am a 49-year-old Sri Lankan bank employee interested I just read about the plannend or even startet demolition of in exchanging ideas through correspondence with a like- old houses and big aereas of rekjavik, and I am really ap- minded Icelander. With a view to having my pen pal request paled about this really bad news. published I visited the websites of several leading Icelandic Just after the flooding of the Karahnjukar, what was newspapers, but unfortunately, most of them are in Icelan- also a badbad news for me and the reputation as a country dic. I am sending this email to give your newspaper a try. of pure nature (what makes thousands of people come every So, if you possibly could publish my request in your newspa- year to visit island), the council of reykajvik starts to destroy per, my details are as follows: old houses, the history of a capital, the culturall live, which is really unique. Name: Bandula Idamegama I’ve been twice in iceland, as a visitor, cause of the Age: 49 two really unique things there is in this land: the absolute Marital Status: Single fantastic natur, wich will be slowly destoyed by the flooding Sex and sexual orientation: Male, straight plans for the whole country, and because of the culturall live Interests: Intercultural - learning, foreign languages, reading, in reykjavik, the absolutly great music scene their, .... and I correspondence, global governance and environmental is- really love the bar: the sircus at the klappastigur 30. It’s a sues, trade union education, civil society activism etc, etc. shame that this all will be destroyed soon to bild some big shopping malls and so on. Postal Address: I would have written much more an d more detailled, Bandula Idamegama but my english isn’t goog enough to express my really really National Savings Bank big anger about that all. Meegoda It seems to me the two visits were mayby my last ones. Sri Lanka sincerely, Arne Jantos E-mail : [email protected] Dear Arne, It would be gratefully appreciated, if this request of mine is I am grateful for your letter, and while your English may suck, published in your newspaper. Thank you in advance for your you speak the international language anger just fine. Your kindness in this regard. feelings are shared by many others, but unfortunately, few of them are in a position to anything about it. Yours sincerely, Editor Bandula Idamegama Dear Bandula, Dear Editor, May your mailbox be flooded with letters from like minded Icelanders of straight sexual orientation. I am looking for people with special talents. Some of them Editor might be really sick and urgently need my blood transfusion. Said talents may include: telepathy, flying, extraordinary strength and the ability to travel through time or physical Dear Sir. objects. If you, or readers of your magazine know of people with similar talents, please contact me at mohinder@primat- I just read the letter from one of your readers in the current echpaper.com issue, i think here name was Jessica but i am not quite sure about it. I got very sad reading it as she, when she finally Dr. Mohinder Suresh decided to move here, had no good experiences here at all. I moved myself more than 5 years ago and though my re- lationship with Iceland and the Icelanders has had its ups Dear Dr. Suresh, and downs i am still in love with the country and with an Surely, you must be joking. Icelander (who does great making up for some other sheep- Editor heads, i admit it). Well, maybe because i got in touch with the language at the age of 18 and as my mother tongue is German, at least the language part was never a big issue for me, at least not in a humiliating way.