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Complete Guide to Reykjavík All About Eve Eye on the Geeks of New York Musings of the Modern Viking ISSUE THREE: MARCH 10 – APRIL 6 YEAR 4 JÓNSSON & LE’MACKS • jl.is
Articles The Reykjavík Grapevine crew The Reykjavík Grapevine 06 Out And About An Interview with Filmmaker Róbert Douglas Faxaskála, Faxaporti, Faxagötu 2 www.grapevine.is 14 PMs Take to the Stage to Fight Sexual Violence [email protected] 16 First They Came for the Knife-Wielding Maniacs… Published by: Fröken ehf. 16 A Night at Thai Karaoke Editor: 540-3602 / Racial discrimination shows its ugly head [email protected] Advertising: 540-3605 / 868-8187 / [email protected] 20 Going the Way of Styx Marketing: 540-3603 / 869-7796 / [email protected] The Progressive Party runs out of shelf life Distribution: 540-3601 / 694-2538 / [email protected] 38 The Modern Viking Production: 540-3608 / 849-5611 / [email protected] Ketill the Angry premieres Listings: 540-3600 / 847-7335 / [email protected] Subscription: 540-3601 / 694-2538 / [email protected] Feature Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] Editor: Bart Cameron / [email protected] 18 Deporting Knowledge Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / How an inflated currency rate is chasing off Iceland’s smart economy [email protected] Production Manager: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / [email protected] ssentials Staff Journalists: Paul Fontaine-Nikolov / [email protected] E Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson / [email protected] Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir Bachmann / Purchases That Justify Existence 30 [email protected] 32 Dining, Eating and Grubbing Editorial Interns: Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / [email protected] Advertising Sales: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] Thinking Global, Drinking Local: Iceland’s Amber Revolution 46 Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] Director of Photography: Guðmundur Freyr Vigfússon / [email protected] Music & Nightlife Photographer: Óskar Hallgrímsson / [email protected] Art Direction: Gunnar Þorvaldsson / [email protected] 34 There’s One Born Every Minute Live Concert Review: Goldie Lookin’ Chain Proofreader: Erika Wolfe L]Zc^cYdjWi!Vh`Vc>XZaVcY^Xbdb# Distribution: Jóhann Páll Hreinsson 36 Mississippi Album Reviews 37 Grapevine Singles Reviews Cover Photo by: Gúndi On Cover: Mía Stylist: Sóley Ástudóttir / Emm Make Up: Sóley Ástudóttir / Emm Arts & Culture Sérstakar þakkir: EMM School of Makeup og EMM
33 Icelandic Cinema Grows Up Printed by: Ísafoldarprentsmiðja ehf. # of ground copies: 30,101 Review of Blóðbönd
Outside Reykjavík We are always looking for articles. Send your submissions to : [email protected] 42 Eve Online A Truly Free Market: The Ultimate in Science Fiction You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored. (No articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. 43 The Geeks of Gotham The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’.) Comic conventions return to New York, where they no longer fit in
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Soup of the day + 1/2 panini + koffee = 870 kr. see more at www.wulffmorgenthaler.com Espresso bar open every day 08.00-00.00 - Lækjatorg (main square) Out and About An interview with filmmaker Róbert Douglas
By Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson
At 32 years of age, young director Róbert /// How, then, did you decide to make a Douglas has already made three feature films. movie about homosexual football players? Theatre Department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts His debut in that field was the 2000 film The – I had long felt there was a need for an Sölvhólsgata 13 Icelandic Dream – a football comedy with a Icelandic movie that tackled some of the issues serious streak. Two years later he followed up surrounding homosexuality and homophobia with A Man Like Me, again mixing comedy in our society. Add to that my own lifelong with drama and getting two Edda award obsession with football and you have the basic Goethe Zentrum nominations in the process. Despite such early concept. success, he probably raised a few eyebrows when he first started pitching the idea for his /// Indeed, the beautiful game has featured latest feature; dubbed 11 Men Out (Strákarnir rather prominently in your work before. Is Okkar in Icelandic). After all, it’s not every day this going to be an ongoing theme for you in german cultural work for YOU! you meet somebody who thinks he can make the future, a sort of signature plot element? a commercially viable film about homosexual, – I’m not sure, really. It might be time to go in Icelandic footballers. a different direction, you never know. Now that the film is in the can, it has begun travelling the world alongside its creators, who /// Your film portrays two very different National Library – University Library have high hopes for its potential performance subcultures. What has the reaction been from in overseas markets. The Grapevine caught gays and football enthusiasts respectively? up with director Róbert Douglas soon after he – The reaction has been positive from both got back home from his latest festival appear- groups. All the gays I’ve asked so far have told ance. We asked him a few questions about the me it was a realistic but fresh approach to mak- unique premise of his latest work, its recep- ing a ‘gay movie’ – and I did make a conscious tion at home and abroad, and his future in the effort to avoid common stereotypes. The foot- Icelandic film industry. ball lovers haven’t had any complaints either, although the focus of the film is not much on /// You’ve just gotten back from the Euro- the actual sport. premier of 11 Men Out at the Berlin Film GÚNDI Festival. What was the reception like, and did /// How compatible are the two communi- you secure any distribution deals? ties? One gets the impression that homosexu- – The reception was quite good. We secured ality is still largely frowned upon in the sports deals with several companies to distribute the world. film in various countries around the world. – I don’t think it’s much of an issue for the Citytheatre That includes the United States, which is obvi- players themselves, actually. There is prejudice ously always the hardest market to break into. everywhere, but I don’t think it’s necessarily more pronounced in the sporting world. /// Do you know if distributors generally plan to show the film with the original Icelandic /// Do people tend to assume the actors in 11 dialogue, or will the voices be dubbed for the Men Out are themselves gay? foreign market? – I think most people realise that in a country – It depends on the market. In places like the size of Iceland there isn’t much of a chance Program March – June 2006 Sat / 8 April / 9.30am Tue / 23 May / 8pm France and Germany you basically have to dub of finding a dozen gay actors who can also play Anti-Semitism and Europe's identity Theaterkino [3] foreign films. In the English-speaking world, a decent game of football. That being said, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Benz however, films like this attract the kind of art some of the festival attendees have been curi- René Pollesch – Pop and discourse analysis Head of ‘Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung, house crowd who have come to expect subtitles ous about the orientation of individual actors. March Introduction of the author, director and artistic and dialogue in weird languages. I also think a lot of people had no idea what to Technische Universität Berlin’. director of the ‘Prater’ / ‘Volksbühne’ in Berlin expect from the film – some said that initially Fri / 10 March / 11am Opening lecture of the conference Expert talk & film [Admission free] /// Have you noticed any marked difference they hadn’t even been sure if the guys were New German rock and pop music ‘Anti-Semitism in Iceland’ by the ‘Faculty of Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre between the way Icelanders and foreigners actors or real footballers. for German teaching Social Science and Law’ Sat / 27 May / 1.30pm respond to the film? Further education for teachers University of Akureyri
Goethe Zentrum Jan-Christoph Hauschild: ‘Das Wunder Heine’ Tue / 11 April / 8pm In 2006 is the 150th anniversary of the death of Tue / 14 March / 8pm Made in Germany [2] Heinrich Heine – one of the most famous poets I think most people realise that ‘Kurz & Gut’ ‘Alles auf Zucker’ Lecture & reception [Admission free] Filmlets from Germany Directed by Dani Levy, 2004, 95 min National Library of Iceland – University Library
Cinema [English subtitles, Admission free] A pitiless and self-deprecating ‘Jewish comedy’ in a country the size of Iceland Cinema [English subtitles, Admission free] June Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre Tue / 6 June / 8pm Tue / 28 March / 8pm there isn’t much of a chance of Tue / 25 April / 8pm Das Runde im Eckigen [2] Theaterkino [1] Theaterkino [2] Das Wunder von Bern Frank Castorf - provocation qua principle Directed by Sönke Wortmann, 2003, 118 min finding a dozen gay actors who Introduction of the director of Berlin’s leading Christoph Schlingensief - The aesthetic of loss A ‘feel good’ film about the legendary stage ‘Volksbühne at Rosa Luxemburg Square’ Introduction of the so-called ‘enfant terrible’ World Cup Final Germany : Hungary in 1954 Expert talk & film [Admission free] of German stages and cinema can also play a decent game of Cinema [English subtitles, Admission free] Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre Expert talk & film [Admission free] Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre football. April Fri / 9 June / 3.30pm May Be on the ball – with Germany Tue / 4 April / 8pm – Not much, although Icelanders have a /// What are your personal plans for the Tue / 9 May / 8pm Fifa World Cup 2006 Opening Party Made in Germany [1] tendency to take issue with the way the movie future? Do you think you will keep making Das Runde im Eckigen [1] Transmission of the opening game highlights certain prejudices – we do like to movies in Iceland/Icelandic? ‘Status Yo’ Germany : Costa Rica. Exhibition ‘Planet think of ourselves as a tolerant society. Maybe – I definitely hope so. I’m really enjoying Directed by Till Hastreiter, 2003, 118 min Shoot Goals! Shoot Movies! Football’ by leading photographers of they don’t have the same distance; it’s more myself and hope to get the chance to continue How to set up Berlin’s biggest Hip Hop Jam Short films and cartoons from around the world ‘Magnum Photos’ agency [Admission free] of the is a registered trademark Ampelmännchen AMPELMANN Ltd / www.ampelmann.de personal. making Icelandic films. in just 24 hours? tackling some of the game's marginal issues Citytheatre Cinema [English subtitles, Admission free] Cinema [English subtitles, Admission free] /// Following the trials and tribulations of gay /// Lastly, what are the main obstacles you Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre Academy of the Arts / Department of Theatre www.goethe.de/island footballers seems like a rather unique premise face as an Icelandic filmmaker? for a movie – did it surprise you to learn that – I think the situation facing Icelandic film- another film along the same lines was made makers is decent, but could be better. We’re all quite recently in Germany? working on a very tight budget and that can at – Everyone kept telling me about that ‘other times limit the potential scope of one’s vision. gay football movie’ when I was in Berlin, and What the Icelandic film industry needs most in fact I was already aware of it. However, the of all is more money, but that goes without truth is that production of 11 Men Out was al- saying. ready well under way before we got wind of the German project – I think they were made more or less in the same time period. In any case, I haven’t seen this other movie, but I’m told it’s got a far campier feel. A totally different take on the concept, really. News in Brief
by Paul F. Nikolov, Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson and Sveinn Birkir Björnsson ONE STOP (A note on the news: This is our ic: “It can take time to set yourself look over any and all applications news. Effective February 14th, the up financially when you first arrive for building permits in that area, as Grapevine officially has a staff, and in Iceland. Most non-citizens have well as our environmental recom- all the news stories below are based probably not been here long enough mendations. Depending on what on our research, our reporters out to consider investing in one of the they determine, a final proposal for on the street, getting the beat, often detached or semi-detached houses construction may be made,” said Sig- with soggy coats and liquorice. If that are so typical of those areas.” urðsson. “That would then require SHOP you’re used to the Icelandic take, The report also noted that 15,000 some changes to be made to district check out what happens when we Icelandic citizens are currently living planning,” he added. talk to the sources. If you don’t tala abroad, up from 9,000 in 1990. The Unfortunately, this is not the first the íslensku yet, then at least you’re sharpest rise in the Icelandic expat time Vísir has made errors in its re- reading solid reporting on the big population was in Denmark. In porting on this issue. As the Grape- Hákon fiorsteinn stories.) 2005, there were more than 7,500 vine previously reported, Vísir has in psychologist Rungnat social counsellor Emilía home service day care consultant Icelanders residing in Denmark, the recent past run a misleading story firáinn Steam Halts Traffic Through Key compared to only 3,000 a decade and that gave the distinct impression that Hrund recreational consultant Transport Vein a half earlier. building plots for houses of worship special education consultant Progress Wildly Exaggerated as had already been allotted to the Rus- Samuel support aide Traffic through an important trans- Proposals for Construction of sian Orthodox, Muslim and Ásatrúar port vein was brought to a standstill Orthodox Church Still Mired in communities. just after seven on the morning of Red Tape the 28th of February, after a thick Impregilo Optimistic About cloud of mist enveloped Reykjanes- Despite recent reports by Frét- Kárahnjúkar braut and Ártúnsbrekka. The cause of the disruption turned out to be a ruptured pipe, resulting in a large amount of geothermally heated water escaping onto the road and into the sewer system. One commuter told the Grapevine: “You could see the traffic backed up quite a long way before you even got to the steam. Most people had just stopped their cars as they approached. No one wanted to drive blind into some unknown cloud.” The 40cm large rupture in one of only two main hot water pipelines in the area was most likely caused by erosion. The incident caused some areas to be temporarily cut off from the water supply, but back-up lines were activated and normal service restored within the hour. Less than tablaðið and DV, there are currently three hours after the initial incident no active plans or building proposals Impregilo has said that they expect traffic was flowing more or less for the construction of an Orthodox to complete the Kárahnjúkar dam normally through the affected area. church in the Landakot area of west- project this summer, but others are There are no reports of accidents ern Reykjavík. Those two newspa- not so certain. Actress Margrét Vil- or injuries, although the settling pers, and their online equivalent in hjálmsdóttir, a member of environ- and freezing of the water vapours visir.is, have recently printed stories mental group Hætta Hópurinn, feels reportedly made large sections of suggesting the project is moving that Impregilo’s hopes are slightly road extremely slippery and therefore ahead and that the only obstacle unrealistic. “I don’t believe they’re potentially hazardous. remaining is to acquire the ap- going to finish construction this proval of the nearby Catholic church. summer,” she told the Grapevine. Immigrant Population Booming Furthermore, it was suggested that “We’ve received information that Eva city planning authorities had more things haven’t been going very well home service As of late December, 4.6% of people or less given their blessing to alleged for them up there.” María with residence in Iceland are non- proposals made by representatives of Vilhjálmsdóttir told the Grape- Haraldur service representative manager of Stígur, youth reach centre Bryndís citizens. According to an annual the Orthodox Church. vine that her group and others are education consultant report issued by The National Statis- Contrary to these reports, the planning a lot of events in the area tics Institute of Iceland, the number Grapevine today learned that the this summer, including a festival. of foreign nationals at that point Reykjavík Environmental Health When asked if, with construction as numbered approximately 14,000 and Protection Office (or REHPO, far along as it is at Kárahnjúkar, the individuals – nearly three times as for convenience) has yet to make group intended to focus instead on SERVICE CENTRE IN many as one decade earlier. Around any definitive recommendations a proposed smelter in the north of 25% of that group were Polish citi- regarding the proposed placement of Iceland, Vilhjálmsdóttir said, “With zens, 6% held Danish passports and the church. Örn Sigurðsson, lawyer construction in Kárahnjúkar as far YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD Germans and Filipinos each made and REHPO representative, told the along as it is, it will take a much up around 5% of the total. Grapevine that the Environmental greater effort to stop the project. Reykjavík has 6 Service Centres: The highest percentage of foreign and Health Protection Commit- Of course we need to focus on the nationals was recorded in the soon to tee had in fact recently postponed smelter in the north a lot more, and Service Centre for the residents of Vesturbær, Vesturgar›ur Service Centre for the residents of Brei›holt, be industry-heavy eastern part of the a meeting on the subject of the we intend to do so.” Hjar›arhagi 45-47, tel. 411 1700, e-mail [email protected] Álfabakki 12, tel. 411 1300, e-mail [email protected] country. There, roughly one in every proposed allotment. “There aren’t Service Centre for the residents of the city centre and Hlí›ar, Service Centre for the residents of Árbær, four males holds a foreign passport. even any actual building propos- Smelter’s Effect on Economy Skúlagata 21, tel. 411 1600, e-mail [email protected] Bæjarháls 1, tel. 411 1200, e-mail [email protected] According to Ólöf Garðarsdóttir, als on the table. People have been Uncertain Service Centre for the residents of Laugardalur and Háaleiti, Service Centre for the residents of Grafarvogur and Kjalarnes, Mi›gar›ur head of the population department discussing some ideas, but there is a Sí›umúli 39, tel. 411 1500, e-mail [email protected] Langirimi 21, tel. 411 1400, e-mail [email protected] of Statistics Iceland, the overall long process of review ahead. That The Icelandic króna rose by 1.2% increase across the country can’t be process has barely even begun.” yesterday, which has been attributed entirely explained by the tempo- The involvement of the REHPO to the expectation that Alcoa will rary influx of foreign construction – and its related committee - is build another aluminium smelter in workers to that area. “Clearly, the required because the church is Iceland, only this time in the north most dramatic increase is evident in expected to eventually be built within of the country. Paul Rawkins, the the east – certainly if we look at it one of Reykjavík’s specially desig- senior director of the sovereign team per capita. However, there is also a nated “green areas”. Sigurðsson says for market analyst Fitch Ratings, definite trend upwards in most other that once the committee makes its told the Grapevine that the building areas.” determination about the likely envi- of such a smelter could have a posi- A very small percentage of non- ronmental impact of erecting a new tive impact on Iceland’s economy. citizens live in the suburbs around church in Landakot, their recom- “When most people think of Ice- Reykjavík proper, only 2.8% ac- mendations for the future develop- land, they think of fish,” he told us. cording to the report. Garðarsdóttir ment of the area will be sent to the “This project adds another string to www.reykjavik.is confirms that this has been the case Planning and Building Department. the bow.” Among the advantages to in past years as well, and speculates “The Planning and Building the economy that the building of the Laugavegi 176 105 Reykjavík www.hljodfaerahusid.is Sími 591 5340 that the reasons are largely econom- Department are the ones who then >>> continues on next page The Reykjavík City Call Centre, tel. 4 11 11 11, will provide you with all information on municipal services and operations and connect you to required personnel. 10
the ecology and the economy around tion, indicated that a series of phone in which journalists claimed to be a the lake system.” calls were made from the prison 13-year-old girl seeking to lose her by inmates who apparently had virginity with an older man. When University Trusted Most, Parlia- all the personal identification and the men showed up to a pre-ar- ment Trusted Least PIN numbers required to access ranged meeting, they instead found the company’s accounts. Erlendur reporters waiting with cameras and According to the latest results of Baldursson, a criminologist with the microphones. All faces and license an ongoing poll from IMG Gallup, Department of Prison Services, told plates were, however, blurred out both parliament and the Ministry the Grapevine that such calls could before broadcast. of Justice remain the least trusted have been made from literally any- Reykjavik’s Chief of Police, institutions in Iceland, while the where and the fact of the suspects’ Hörður Jóhannesson, told the University of Iceland continues to be incarceration was incidental to the Grapevine that accepting any and trusted most. crime. all information relating to the sexual One thousand two hundred and “They all get access to a telephone molestation of minors was a matter thirty-nine people between the ages at certain times. Most of them use of policy. of 18 and 75 were asked, “How much that opportunity to talk to their “We would never outright refuse or little trust do you have for the family and loved ones, but if they are to listen to information just because following institutions?,” with 61% caught abusing telephone privileges it was gathered by private citizens. smelter could bring, Rawkins cited to believe she had gone to see an responding. Of those, 86% said they for the purpose of committing a Whether and how we act on that a boost of foreign exchange and a individual she met on the Internet. trusted the university the most. Com- criminal act then that is a matter for information is obviously our preroga- more sustainable foreign debt. At the We tracked this man to a hotel in ing in second were the police, with the police,” said Baldursson. tive, but so far no one has brought us same time, Rawkins emphasised that Burnley, where the girl was recov- 79%, up from 67% in February of The Litla Hraun telephone evidence of any specific wrongdoing. the smelter is no guarantee that it ered,” said Darcy. He added that the last year. Trust in the health system system operates on a system of We very rarely see these cases land will help the economy. police had known the full identity saw a modest rise during the same passwords, with each prisoner hold- on our desks.” “The current situation in Iceland of the man they were looking for in period, from 70% to 73%, while trust ing a unique four-digit code needed Asked whether he was afraid that now is that there´s a strain on the advance. in the Church of Iceland continues a to activate the phones. Despite this, private citizens acting on their own balance of payments,” he told The While the girl is not believed to gradual decline from 58% in March Baldursson believes it may prove dif- to track down sex offenders could Grapevine, “and that could make have been physically abducted or 2004 to 55% today. ficult to ascertain exactly who made interfere with official police inves- things hard to manage, especially in held against her will, Darcy said the The two least trusted institutions what call, as “the numbers can be tigations, Jóhannesson didn’t seem as small an economy as Iceland’s. I fact that she is under sixteen years in Iceland - the parliament and the traded or stolen.” unduly concerned: “Mistakes are think Iceland is still learning how to of age means the Icelander has to Ministry of Justice - are both at 43%, Asked whether the guilty parties always possible, but generally speak- manage the balance of payments.” be charged with the crime of child but this is an improvement from Feb- could expect to have their sentences ing this is the kind of thing you want abduction. “Legally speaking, she ruary 2005, when they were at 35%. extended, he replied: “That’s not for as much out in the open as much as New Political Party Formed in can’t consent to being taken out of Prisoners Stealing from Within us to decide, this is a separate case possible.” Akureyri parental custody. However, she is Prison from whatever they were initially Jóhannesson added that the most co-operating fully with the investiga- convicted for. It’s the job of the important tool for combating Inter- A new political party, called Fram- tion.” Four or five different inmates of courts to mete out punishment; we net molesters was to make kids aware fylkingarflokkurinn, is currently Inspector Darcy also told the Litla Hraun prison are believed to just enforce their judgements.” of their existence and methods. gearing up to run for municipal Grapevine that while such incidents have made fraudulent withdraw- “In these cases we’re not talking elections in Akureyri this spring. have occurred in Lancashire before, als totalling a combined 600,000 Prosecution Unlikely Following about toddlers but older and more The Grapevine spoke to the party’s this was certainly the first time a ISK, most of which has now been Child Molester Expose self-aware children. By visiting founder, Hólmar Örn Finnsson, who foreign national was involved in such recovered. The identity of the alleged schools and distributing pamphlets says that the party’s main platform a case in Burnley. culprits was discovered during the Despite several apparent child like Öruggt Spjall (Safe Chat) we are is, “...addressing the needs of young Despite the circumstances under course of an investigation into the molesters having been lured in by working with the kids to teach them people. This includes building which the pair were discovered, wherabouts of some funds that had an online ad posted by reporters for some basic ground rules for safety more apartments, creating more job no additional charges are expected gone missing from the bank account NFS newsmagazine Kompás, pros- online.” opportunities and providing more to be filed. The case goes before a of a company in Reykjavík. ecution currently remains unlikely recreational activities for people magistrate on the 2nd of March, but The police investigation, which due to lack of evidence. Over 80 between the ages of 18 and 35.” foreign nationals are considered an is now said to be nearing comple- different men responded to the ad, While the idea was hatched last inherent flight risk in the United fall, Framfylkingarflokkurinn is still Kingdom and therefore the Icelander in the process of fully working out has practically no chance of being its agenda, yet Finnsson told us they released on bail. already have ten people prepared to run for city council, and expect Left-Greens in No Mood to Cel- to have the maximum number of ebrate candidates, 22, shortly. Akureyri city council has 11 seats. A representative of the Leftist Green Finnsson told the Grapevine that Party in Skagafjörður has denied the party doesn’t have a firm opinion reports by Morgunblaðið that a party on the creation of an aluminium resolution, passed yesterday, essen- smelter in Húsavík, but said, “If tially celebrated the fact that an alu- there were a smelter, it should be minium smelter is now more likely built here,” adding that the Techni- to be built in Húsavík rather than cal College in Akureyri could train Skagafjörður. Jón Bjarnason, MP people to work in the smelter. “But from the northwest of Iceland, told the main industry in Akureyri is edu- the Grapevine that his neighbours cating people, and it should continue in Húsavík are “still caught in the to be,” said Finnsson. hangman’s noose of the Progressive The party is currently gathering Party’s fanatical aluminium policies.” support around the town. For more He added that it was still unclear information on the party and its where the energy would come from ideas, Finnsson can be contacted at and the people of his constituency 663-5848. “still have no guarantee that this move won’t lead to the construc- tion of environmentally destructive hydro-electric dams that would block Icelander Charged in Internet the flow of their beautiful glacial riv- Child Abduction Page ers.” “No one is celebrating,” said Bjar- A 23-year-old Icelandic man was nason. “In Skagafjörður we certainly charged with child abduction when hope this means we can expect to officers from the Lancashire Police see a more diverse approach to the Constabulary apprehended him in a creation of jobs and industry in our Burnley hotel room he was sharing community, but it would be more with a 14-year-old girl. After being appropriate to send the people of reported missing by her mother three Húsavík our condolences. No one days earlier, the girl was discovered has any idea what kind of environ- in an early morning raid just after mental impact this could have.” five a.m. on the 22nd of Febru- When asked what kind of indus- ary and the man has been held in try he and his party thought would custody since. be more appropriate for the north Inspector Damian Darcy told the of Iceland, Bjarnason cited various Grapevine that the man, who is a options from information technology resident of Reykjavík, had probably to tourism. “On the tourism front, arrived in England shortly before he for example, we have these spectacu- met with the girl. “We believe the lar lakes and rivers that come from man flew over exclusively for the glacial run-off. There is already a purpose of seeing this girl. She was business there offering boat excur- reported missing from her home on sions out onto the lakes. Building a the 19th, and her mother had reason dam in that area would destroy both 12 Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson gives us Grapevine’s Government Guide Grapevine’s Government Guide Who They Are and How They Vote So where do they stand on . . . (and how you can watch it) The Church of Iceland has made it clear that it does not wish for the state to impose on it legislation relating to practices such as gay mar- riage. Is this insistence compatible with the fact that they are state The Leftist-Green Party (Vinstrihreyfingin- Grænt Framboð) funded and Iceland has no separation of church and state? Should Guiding principles: Far-left, pro-environmental, anti-NATO, feminist. that separation be made? Party Chairperson: Steingrímur J. Sigfússon Number of seats: 5 Leftist-Green Party: posed gay rights legislation would the state, parliament should have a Registered members: about 1,400 “It raises the question of whether only open up possibilities for those say in its affairs. We wholeheartedly Ministers: none you can have your cake and eat it, religious groups that do want the support the separation of church and Strange but true: All five Left-Green MPs are firmly against heavy industry. too. However, I have actually had opportunity to perform gay mar- state; this particular issue just high- Website: www.vg.is my doubts in the past about some riages. I’m actually not a member lights the need for that to happen. E-mail: [email protected] of the legislation that has been of the Church of Iceland, but I I’m a member of the national church Phone: 552-8872 proposed to regulate the church’s think separation of church and myself and have no plans to leave, so Address: Pósthólf 175, 121 Reykjavík activities. I believe they should be state is another issue entirely.” this is not about being for or against allowed to maintain a degree of MP Guðrún Ögmundsdóttir religion. Most Icelanders want their autonomy over their own affairs. Progressive Party: church separate from the state, and More worrying is the fact that it “This particular issue, in isolation, I don’t think it’s ever right to dis- seems to me as the church is increas- doesn’t change anything about the criminate against people - whether The Social Democratic Party (Samfylkingin) ingly failing to adapt to changing state’s relationship with the church. it is on religious grounds or not.” times and attitudes in our society.” In accordance with our policies, MP Magnús Þór Hafsteinsson Guiding principles: Left-centrist, social-democratic. MP Ögmundur Jónasson we in the Progressive Party are try- Independence Party: Party Chairman: Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir Social Democratic Party: ing to ensure that everyone has “The debate over the separation of Number of seats: 20 “It’s quite astounding to see the the same rights regardless of their church and state is an important one, Registered members: about 20,000 church so vehemently opposed to sexuality. I also believe the Church and it’s always deserving of attention. Ministers: none giving other religious groups new of Iceland is having an internal We’re not committing ourselves one Strange but true: Within the Social Democratic party, Einar Már Sigurðsson opportunities and rights. They are debate about these matters.” way or the other at this point, but it’s and Kristján Möller are among the strongest supporters of the development free to formulate their own policy MP Siv Friðleifsdóttir an issue that should be looked at.” of heavy industry. on gay marriage, which they are in Liberal Party: MP Kjartan Ólafsson Website: www.samfylking.is fact doing right now, but the pro- “As long as the church is funded by E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 414-2200 Address: Hallveigarstígur 1 (2nd Floor), Box 160, 101 Reykjavík
The Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn) Guiding principles: Right-centrist; believes in fewer economic and environmental regulations while strengthening the social system. Party Chairman: Halldór Ásgrímsson Number of seats: 12 Registered members: about 10,000 Ministers: Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson, Minister of Social Affairs Jón Kristjánsson, Minister of Agriculture Guðni Ágústsson, Minister of Health Siv Friðleifsdóttir, Minister of Industry Valgerður Sverrisdóttir Strange but true: While the party as a whole is heavily in favour of the development of heavy industry, Minister of Industry Valgerður Sverrisdóttir is widely seen as the biggest proponent of that policy. Website: www.framsokn.is E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 540-4300 Address: Hverfisgata 33 (2nd Floor), 101 Reykjavík
The Liberal Party (Frjálslyndir) Guiding principles: Right-centrist, emphasising the rights of fishermen and increasing government transparency. Party Chairman: Guðjón Kristjánsson Number of seats: 3 Registered members: about 2,000 Ministers: none Strange but true: Strange but true: While the party is ostensibly pro-heavy industry, Sigurjón Þórðarson in particular has expressed reservations about the policy’s Grapevine’s Government Guide Bonus: implementation by the government. Website: www.frjalslyndir.is Witness Democracy in Action! E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 552-2600 It’s possible to watch parliamentary Dómkirkjan. Admission is free, you can go up to the gallery and Address: Aðalstræti 9, 101 Reykjavík sessions live, and you don’t need although you might be asked to witness democracy in action. cable – or even a television, check large bags with security Popcorn currently unavailable. for that matter. and remove your hat. From there, The government television station RÚV, attainable by even The Independence Party the poorest TV aerials, regularly (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) broadcasts live from the halls of Guiding principles: Right wing, mouthpiece for privatisation in all areas of parliament. Check RÚV’s listings society. in any of the country’s newspapers, Party Chairman: Geir H. Haarde look for “Alþingi” and tune in. Number of seats: 23 If you prefer, you can also Registered members: about 34,000 watch the action in person – from Ministers: members: about 34,000 a gallery within the halls of Ministers: Strange but true: Árni Matthiesen and Halldór Blöndal are parliament themselves. Simply go among the strongest supporters of heavy industry within the Independence to the parliament’s web page, www. Party. althingi.is, to see the dates and Website: www.xd.is times of the next parliamentary E-mail: [email protected] session. Then make your way to Phone: 515-1700 the parliament building, which Address: Háaleitisbraut 1, 105 Reykjavík faces Austurvellir, and use the entrance opposite the church 14 FRIKKI PMs Take to the Stage to Fight Sexual Violence Iceland embraces the Vagina Monologues
By Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir Bachmann
The backstage at the City Theatre on March event in Iceland. The “congractresses,” as Afterwards, the V-day organisation in Iceland disappointment. 1st, 2006 wasn’t filled with actresses as usual, they were called backstage, were greeted premiered a television commercial from their Apart from the absence of female but Icelandic parliamentarians performing in with warmth and applause when they walked upcoming campaign attacking misconceptions ministers, V-day 2006 was a unique success. the Vagina Monologues. Like other actresses, onstage. Dressed in white and red, they about rape. Parliamentarians have likely never before the MPs sat and rehearsed their lines, some delivered stories of women who love other In today’s political landscape, women shouted out the word ‘cunt’ and faked multiple smoked cigarettes, some tried to figure out women, women who refuse to shave “down are still vastly outnumbered by men--even orgasms in front of a full auditorium, including how the coffee machine worked and the rest there”, women who have been raped and the word for minister in Icelandic, ráðherra, the president, anywhere else in the world. worried about whether or not they’d have to women who discovered their vaginas when contains the word herra, which means It was a powerful reminder and hopefully go to the bathroom during their performance. they were well into their thirties. gentleman or sir. Iceland has twelve ministries, a precedent for other countries, where the When asked whether or not they were nervous, All the performers did well, resting only three of which are headed by women, or Vagina Monologues are still frowned upon. one of them replied: “No. Not until I see the comfortably in their text and delivering it 25%. For some reason, none of these three Having seen the former Minister of President in the audience.” with sincerity under the guidance of María women could participate in V-day 2006. Environmental Affairs say that she’d like to betri kjör á bílatryggingum og bílalánum The world’s first Vagina-friendly President Ellingsen, director. But this performance The Minister of Education, the Minister be licked and the former mayor of Reykjavík and Honorary Vagina Warrior, Ólafur Ragnar wasn’t about Oscar-winning acting skills. It of Trade and Industry, and the Minister of describe a gang rape in Bosnia, we might be Grímsson, was in fact among the audience, was about the issue at hand, about violence Environmental Affairs were all said to be getting closer to breaking the wall of silence as always on V-day since it became an annual against women and how to make it stop. abroad and unable to participate, which was a surrounding women’s issues. Vátryggjandi er Tryggingamiðstöðin hf. 16 columns 17 A Night at First They Going the Way of Styx Thai Karaoke Came for the The Progressive Party runs out of shelf life Racial discrimination Knife-Wielding shows its ugly head by Paul F. Nikolov Maniacs… Not too long ago, a movement known as “pro- tion being against Iceland’s involvement in Iraq gressive rock” began. Starting from the margins and without putting the matter to parliamen- a column by a column by of music culture, bands such as Genesis, King tary vote. Crimson and Yes became considered cutting Today, Ásgrímsson seems more like aging Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir Bachmann Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson edge, arbiters of musical innovation, attract- royalty than a prime minister, engaging in ing legions of fans. But it wasn’t long before such activities as visiting Icelandic Canadians I had an American friend visit me over of pink flamingos flying over a pond. Judging by the media coverage these days, an end to stabbings, not any more than you the inevitable happened - they got cocky, and in Winnepeg, announcing the newly-meas- Christmas. Needless to say, I took him to When our turn came around, we were downtown Reykjavík is a dangerous place to can dispute the effect a total elimination of all then absurd, driving more and more people ured height of Iceland’s tallest mountain, Geysir, Gullfoss and the Blue Lagoon, which warmly received. I realised that there had been be after dark. If you don’t get smashed in the water would have on drownings. If we double away with every giant inflatable pig and each discussing the Cod Wars with George W. is basically mandatory if you’re entertaining no reason to fear that anybody there would face with a bottle or stabbed in the back five the amount of police officers on the street, 15-minute guitar solo, until they eventually Bush, or having a photo-op with the newborn foreigners in Iceland. We took touristy pictures pass judgement on us or be suspicious of us. As times, you’re still lucky to get home before triple their budget and give them more or less became living anachronisms, their once diehard 300,000th Icelander. Occasionally, he will of each other with chattering teeth and frozen a matter of fact, we reaped cheers, smiles and someone slips you a roofie or steals your unrestricted powers to waltz in and out of our fans now embarrassed and ashamed to admit make predictions, whether it’s Iceland entering smiles in the 24-hour dusk, and let out sighs applause from the audience after we tried to cell phone. People from across the increas- homes on a whim – we will see a dramatic drop they ever supported them. Soon, they faded the European Union by 2015 or the final score of relief when we got back into the warm car. harmonise our way through Extreme’s More ingly spread-out Reykjavík area are scared to in crime. The question is not what would solve away. of Chelsea vs. Barcelona, none of which are When my friend had seen enough landscape than Words with dubious results. Quality venture anywhere near the pub-lined streets of the alleged problem, but what we are prepared Decades beforehand - on 16 December taken seriously. This ineffectual and sometimes and I’d taken him to most of the cool places I wasn’t the point, just getting up and doing Laugavegur on weekends. Little old ladies and to give up in order to fix it. 1916, to be precise - the Progressive Party was absurd image has made him the subject of at could think of in Reykjavík, too, I started to it. Suddenly it hit me that I’d sung karaoke hardened policemen are unanimous in their To be sure, the world has had enough formed in Iceland. Starting out as a minor po- least two songs - Ghostigital’s Not Clean and run out of ideas. Finally, I did something that completely sober for the first time in my life, horror and condemnation of the apparent lack experience with governments and police forces litical group within parliament, it became the Skátar’s Halldór Ásgrímsson. For a person had never come to my mind: I actually asked and that it was actually fun. of discipline and rule of law. What’s clearly overstepping their bounds to know that rarely most powerful party in the country, offering who’s been prime minister for about a year and my friend what he wanted to do in Iceland. needed here – they say - are more powers for if ever do authorities give back lost civil liber- new ideas regarding the cooperative movement a half, it would be quite an honour, if either With a beaming smile, he replied: karaoke. An Icelandic friend of mine and fellow karaoke the police, more funding for the police, more ties or relinquish any powers they have man- and national welfare, rallying the support of song had something positive to say about the Now, karaoke isn’t a common phenom- lover showed up at the scene. She knew some everything for these brave defenders of free- aged to wrest from the people and their consti- a great deal of the nation behind them. But man. enon in Iceland. It is considered an outra- of the people at Kaffisetrið and she stayed dom. Whatever we can spare in the way of civil tution. In the United States, people opposed to as more people began to urbanise, and as the geously corny activity that can only be excused behind after my American friend and I had liberties, I’m sure the police will gladly take off the unnervingly wide-ranging powers given to country’s focus shifted from agriculture to fish- Reform, Not Reunion Tours if those participating are obscenely drunk. In sung our share and gone home. After we left, our hands, as well. their government by the terror-inspired Patriot ing, the Progressives seemed anachronistic, and Not to completely slam the Progressives, they fact, I only know of two places to have regular, my friend tagged along with her Thai friends Geir Jón Þórisson, Reykjavík’s chief of Act like to quote Jefferson’s famous quip about then downright corrupt. Today, they stand on do deserve credit for their work with women’s the brink of extinction, kept alive in parliament rights, having been one of the earliest and only by being in a coalition with the Independ- more outspoken proponents of closing the ence Party. If Reykjavík City Council elections wage gap between men and women, along with “We sat like Sunday school chil- “Living and partying in down- were held today, they wouldn’t even earn a the Social Democrats. And then there’s the seat. In other words, the Progressive Party has smoking ban, a bill likely to pass parliament dren and picked out songs from town Reykjavík, one could be become the Styx of Iceland. that would prohibit smoking in restaurants, “Just as modern progressive clubs and cafés in Iceland, which was initially It is often inaccurately reported that the introduced by Siv Friðleifsdóttir – a proposal a large English song list, while a blissfully unaware of the “real- Progressive Party is the least popular party in that 74% of the nation supports, according to Iceland. Not so. According to the latest results rock bands such as God Speed! a Gallup poll from February. These efforts, Thai transvestite sang her heart ity” of constant stabbings and of an ongoing IMG Gallup poll, that honour however, do not appear to be enough. Accord- belongs to the Liberal Party. On the parlia- You Black Emperor have for- ing to Gallup, parliamentary support has been mentary front, the Liberals have the support of steadily dropping since last November, and it’s out to a video of pink flamingos grotesque violence were it not only 3% of the population, as opposed to the unlikely that they will win a seat on city council Progressives’ 10%. In city council, the Liberals saken the laser-light shows this spring. Should they be dropped from the have the support of a little more than 2% of ruling coalition, their 12 parliamentary seats flying over a pond.” presented to us in the form of Reykjavík’s voters, while the Progressives have would inevitably diminish further. 5%. But bear this in mind: the Liberal Party and flower costumes of old for Árni Magnússon’s departure, then, was not advertised karaoke. One of them is the sport to a nearby dance club. Upon their arrival, the hysterical reporting from the was formed in 1998. They have no legacy to a good sign. bar Ölver, the other one is Kaffisetrið, a Thai doormen let my Icelandic friend in, after which point to, are not a part of any ruling coali- a fresher, more current sound “Árni Magnússon was a popular politician, restaurant that turns into a karaoke hot spot on they folded their arms across their chests and tion, and there is no family in the country that especially with people working with issues dealt weekend nights. Ölver was closed due to the refused to let her Thai friends into the club. media and ominous pronounce- can trace a lineage of Liberal supporters. The with by the Ministry of Social Affairs. He’s holidays. I had been told by people who have Seeking an explanation, the doormen told her 90-year-old Progressive Party has all of these that still holds onto the basic been very well received,” Þórhallsson told the gone there that Kaffisetrið had a substantial it was due to dress code. She pointed out the advantages, and are only doing marginally bet- Grapevine. “And Magnússon was picked to be Thai song selection. Being typical Icelanders, fact that she was in fact wearing jeans like the ments from the police.” ter than their eight-year-old comrades. Halldór Ásgrímsson’s successor. It was obvious they were so drunk when they went there that majority of the group, so that could hardly In 1931, the Progressive Party had the sup- principles of the genre, the Pro- that he had been chosen for this position and they couldn’t tell me if there was an English be the reason. The doormen just shook their police and part-time bouncer for Stöð 2, is not giving up essential freedoms for temporary port of 35.9% of the voters in the parliamen- by leaving, Ásgrímsson doesn’t have a successor song selection for my American karaoke enthu- heads and refused to budge. Feeling the blood certainly looking to capitalise on the wave of security. In the Icelandic context, it might tary elections. This figure is proudly mentioned gressive Party would do well to anymore.” siast. The only thing to do was to go there to boiling in her veins, my friend confronted one paranoid hysteria that has followed a recent actually be more appropriate to quote Darth in the “history and organisation” section of the At the same time, Þórhallsson pointed out find out. of the doormen, asking if the real reason was spate of stabbings. If you can even call two Dick Cheney himself: “It is easy to take liberty Progressive Party’s website. What it doesn’t that the Progressives show room for improve- Stepping into Kaffisetrið was like stepping because the rest of the group was of Asian incidents a spate; trickle seems a more ap- for granted, when you have never had it taken say is that’s the last time the Progressives ever come to terms with Iceland’s ment. into a different culture. The place smelled of descent. “Yes. It’s orders from the boss,” the propriate word. In any case, Mr. Þórisson had from you.” gained that much support. After bouncing “Right now they’re being squeezed between exotic spices and the walls were decorated with doorman replied and shrugged. no problem identifying the cause and potential Living and partying in downtown Rey- between 23% and 27% for a few years, party current political mood…” a Social Democratic Party that is getting Thai art and symbolism. We found ourselves solution to the problem that he himself told kjavík, one could be blissfully unaware of the support peaked at 29.7% in 1959, and has been stronger,” he explained, “and the Independ- in a situation that hardly ever arises in Iceland; I was blissfully unaware of this incident until us was getting out of control. The lack of dis- “reality” of constant stabbings and grotesque gradually declining ever since. ence Party. They have to find a base of support we were the Caucasian minority. At the next my American friend left the country. Truth be cipline in Icelandic society in general, he said, violence if it were not presented to us in the The turn of the millennium heralded a Heir Apparent Steps Down the Progressive Party.” in Reykjavík. Right now, they’re seen as a table sat a large group of people who took turns told, I am glad he didn’t witness it. Apart from needed to be counteracted with tougher legisla- form of hysterical reporting from the media parade of bad decisions from the Progressive More recently, there’s former Minister of What caused this division? Þórhallsson puts regional party. Their support of aluminium singing karaoke in their native tongue. It was the blatant racial discrimination that flourishes tion and more police powers. Oh, and money. and ominous pronouncements from the police. Party. First there was the Kárahnjúkar dam Social Affairs Árni Magnússon, who found the cause squarely upon 15 September, 2004, smelters, for example, doesn’t sit well with fascinating to discover how different the Thai in Iceland, what I find the most unjust about You see, Geir Jón has big ideas for the future Certainly, these things do happen. Certainly, project - a hydroelectric dam being built in the himself embroiled in a court case last year when Halldór Ásgrímsson became prime min- people in Reykjavík.” karaoke experience is from the Icelandic one. the events of that night is the fact that I, as of our little island, big ideas that would require no one wants to get stabbed and no one ap- highlands to provide power for an aluminium when Valgerður H. Bjarnadóttir, the former ister of Iceland by switching places with Davíð And this is where the Progressive Party The people at Kaffisetrið weren’t staggeringly an Icelander, was warmly welcomed to a place not just further unfettering of his hands, but proves of stabbings. Curbing violence and smelter in the east of Iceland - initially touted director of the Equal Rights Office, was Oddsson. could maintain its relevance. Just as modern drunk. They weren’t fooling around, singing owned, run and frequented by people of Asian more money and more policemen under his lawlessness is something that should be an by then Minister for the Environment Siv awarded six million ISK (about 100,000 USD) “At that time, the Progressives lost a minis- progressive rock bands such as God Speed! You cheesy hits from the eighties hoping to derive origin. When the tables were turned, Iceland- command. He has floated ideas such as a total important concern in any free society – there Friðleifsdóttir in 2002. This project, which has in damages in the Supreme Court, saying that ter post,” he explained. “So someone had to go. Black Emperor have forsaken the laser-light giggles from the audience. They were simply ers shut their doors. ban on the carrying of knives and making body are few greater freedoms than the freedom to caused dismay to many around the world and Magnússon had unfairly pressured her to quit Siv Friðleifsdóttir had a lot of supporters, and shows and flower costumes of old for a fresher, singing. Nobody laughed. Nobody jumped up Unfortunately, this is not a unique story. searches mandatory for bar patrons in down- live free from the threat of violence, and in sparked not a few protests from within Iceland, her job. Magnússon announced his resignation many people argued that Magnússon should more current sound that still holds onto the on a table during the solo. Nobody was faking These kinds of events are taking place all over town Reykjavík. Never mind all the professions safeguarding that aspect of our liberty the po- continues despite declining support. on 5 March, to take a position at the Bank of go, as he was the newest minister in the party, basic principles of the genre, the Progressive it. the country. Occasionally, the media take (and, in fact, everyday situations) that require lice can potentially be our most valuable allies. Minister of Industry Valgerður Sverrisdót- Iceland. Baldur Þórhallsson, docent of political having started in 2003, while Friðleifsdóttir Party would do well to come to terms with I had heard stories about Icelanders who interest in them, but mostly they are quietly some kind of pocket knife. And if something What we mustn’t do is to allow the interests tir has taken the Kárahnjúkar cause to all new science at the University of Iceland, told the had been Minister for the Environment since Iceland’s current political mood and abandon, were thrown out of Kaffisetrið for making fun condoned. If we like to call ourselves a civilised other than a weapon were to be discovered of the police force itself to shape the discourse levels of cognitive dissonance. When Ms. Grapevine that Magnússon’s resignation had 1999.” for example, what former city councilperson of the karaoke and its participants. I had also country, it’s time to stop acting like white plan- during a routine search, well that person was over their role in society, nor can we allow our- Sverrisdóttir was presented with the results nothing to do with the trial, but rather, with Invariably, Friðleifsdóttir was let go, with Guðrún Pétursdóttir recently described on heard that as a result, the regular Thai custom- tation owners and start respecting basic human breaking the law anyway. selves to give in to the fear of the month and of two polls earlier this month - one from political workings within the Progressive Party Magnússon - the new PM’s groomed successor political roundtable television show Silfur Egils ers are a bit suspicious of Icelanders dropping rights. In the meantime, I urge everyone to try That’s the thing. You can’t argue with the start chipping away at our civil liberties every Icelandic daily Fréttablaðið and another from itself. - allowed to remain. But this decision wasn’t as an “old-fashioned” trust in heavy industry as in. Not knowing if any of these stories were the Thai karaoke experience. It’s a much-need- fact that totally outlawing all knives would put time we’re told the sky is falling. Gallup - both showing the majority of the Þórhallsson believes that there is a division the first unpopular move Ásgrímsson has ever an economic solution. true, I still put on my best, most respectful ed lesson in open-mindedness. nation against the construction of more heavy of sorts within the Progressive Party, which he made. This leaves the Progressive Party with one manner and advised my friend to do so too. industry, her reply was, “I’m happy to hear divides between, “those who support [Prime While Minister of Foreign Affairs, basic choice: come to terms with the whole We sat like Sunday school children and picked (Kaffisetrið is located at Laugavegur 103, 101 that the people of this country are pleased with Minister] Halldór Ásgrímsson and those who Ásgrímsson essentially sold himself a newly of Iceland’s current political and economic out songs from a large English song list, while Reykjavík) the work we’ve been doing so far,” just before question his power. This creates a lot of ten- privatised bank in 2003 through a series of climate and reform their practices accordingly, a Thai transvestite sang her heart out to a video dismissing both polls for not asking the right sion within the party, and it causes conflicts companies owned by him and his family. This, or not change at all, and continue to emerge questions. Sources close to the Grapevine have that are more personal than conflicts with however, wouldn’t be brought to light for every few years, looking as sad and dated as a informed us that even more and bigger protests members of other parties. Magnússon has said another two years. In 2003, people were more Genesis reunion concert, until people forget are being planned for the coming summer. In in the past that he doesn’t take well to negativi- aware of his and then Prime Minister Davíð who they are altogether. the face of this, another aluminium smelter has ty and criticism in the public eye, and he’s been Oddsson’s move to get Iceland in the “coalition been slated for Húsavík, in the north. very much in the middle of this conflict within of the willing,” despite at least 78% of the na-
19
ISLANDE
Projected share of workforce in 2010 in workforce of share Projected
6%
Projected share of workforce in 2010 in workforce of share Projected
6%
Projected share of GDP in 2010 in GDP of share Projected
8%
Kennitala / Personal Code Number / Numéro d’identité Numéro / Number Code Personal / Kennitala
010190-5599
ICELAND
Eiginnöfn / Given names / Prénoms / names Given / Eiginnöfn
HIGH-TECH
Vegabréf nr. / Passport No. / No du passeport du No / No. Passport / nr. Vegabréf Q5833958210
Smart economy has long been a buzzword among Icelandic ing to the common criteria used by OECD and Eurostat, fields conditions, this would be regarded as a temporary situation. The media, politicians and industry leaders. All parties agree that that spend more than 4% of the annual turnover on research and demand for Icelandic króna should be reduced as the projects creating conditions where high-tech industry can flourish is a development should be considered high-tech fields. In 2004, near completion in 2007 and the exchange rate should go down. matter of the utmost importance for the future of the nation’s high-tech industry was responsible for 3.9% of Icelandic GDP. But as Iceland looks towards the end of an era marred by economic growth. For a country like Iceland, which has based It was also responsible for 7% of the nation’s export income, tension in the nation’s economy, government officials have
its economy on limited natural resources, it is vital to be able compare that to the 0.6% it created a decade ago, and you’ll get unveiled plans to continue development of aluminium with up
ÍSLAND turn human resources and intellectual capital into an economic an idea of how fast the field is growing. to three different projects. The fear of recession as the repercus-
advantage. The Irish economic miracle has been upheld as a The Celtic Tiger (a nickname coined by Morgan Stanley sions of the diminished economic activity once the projects are
Projected share of industrial output in 2010 in output industrial of share Projected 30%
Projected share of industrial output in 2010 in output industrial of share Projected glowing example. But now it seems as if the high exchange investment bank to describe the rapid economic growth in The completed has driven government officials to look for ways to
30%
Projected share of export revenue in 2010 in revenue export of share Projected
14%
Fæðingardagur / Date of birth / Date de naissance de Date / birth of Date / Fæðingardagur
01 JANÚAR/JAN 1990 JANÚAR/JAN 01
Þjóðerni / Nationality / Nationalité / Nationality / Þjóðerni
ÍSLENSKT / ICELANDIC / ISLANDAISE / ICELANDIC / ÍSLENSKT
Kenninafn / Surname / Nom / Surname / Kenninafn
INDUSTRY Kóði / Code / Code / Code / Kóði ISL rate of the Icelandic króna is chasing off Icelandic high-tech Republic of Ireland with an analogy to the economic boom in prolong the era of development in heavy industry. Negotiations
companies. Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, commonly referred to are already underway between Alcan and the National Power DEPORTED as the East Asian Tigers) has been the hallmark among nations Company to deliver energy to an enlarged Alcan’s aluminium “We feel like we’re being ripped off,” says Reynir Harðarson, that have embraced the knowledge economy. In the last decade, smelter in Straumsvík in 2007. Preliminary talks have begun creative director and co-founder of the computer game manu- Ireland has been transformed from one of the poorest countries with Alcoa to build a new 250,000-ton aluminium smelter in facturer CCP, makers of Eve Online. We have been discussing in Western Europe, to the being the second highest GDP per Húsavík in Northern Iceland in 2010 while Century Alu- the product and the prospects of his company for a while. A capita earner in the European Union. minium has confirmed their interest in building a new smelter company that employs over 80 people in Iceland. A company The Irish government made a conscious effort to attract in Helguvík in southwest Iceland starting around 2010 as well. that successfully launched a massively multiplayer online com- knowledge-based companies and high-tech employers with law These three projects would push aluminium production capa- puter game with over 100,000 subscribers and became a major and tax reforms and stimulate the education system with invest- bilities in Iceland up to 770,000 tons, at the cost of roughly 400 player in the gaming industry. ments. The result was a rush of IT companies, such as IBM, billion ISK. Harðarson is venting his frustration over the current eco- Dell, Gateway, Microsoft, Intel, Apple and Google, which nomic landscape, which has plagued exporting industries, hit- chose to invest heavily. During the period between 1991-2003, Small Gain – Big Sacrifice ting IT and other knowledge-based companies like CCP hard. Ireland received an average of around 7% increase in GDP, If all of the proposed aluminium projects come to fruition, the This is causing Harðarson’s considerable frustration. peaking at 11.1% in 1999. Unemployment fell from 18% in the combined size of these projects, in terms of costs and produc- “In 2005, our annual turnover was 770 million ISK. If the late 1980s to 4.2% in 2005, the lowest mark in the EU, while tion capabilities, is estimated to be double the size of the current exchange rate between the dollar and the Icelandic króna had wages went up, and foreign debts went down. project in eastern Iceland. According to a report by analysts been the same as it was in 2004, our turnover would have been In 2005, the Federation For Icelandic Industries (FII) from KB Bank, the economic tension, the foreign investment over 850 million ISK.” issued a report on the future of high-tech industry in Iceland. and the increased demand for Icelandic krónur caused by such His complaints are echoed throughout the business com- According to the report, Iceland has a choice between two al- grand scale projects would inevitably push the exchange rate
munity. Especially among companies in the vaguely defined ternatives as grounds to its economic system. Either to compete even higher than it currently is.
PASSPORT PASSPORT VEGABRÉF VEGABRÉF PASSEPORT knowledge industry, which more or less make money exporting with nations with lower wages in basic and heavy industries, or “It would affect Iceland’s economy tremendously if all goods and service. Over the last few years, the Icelandic króna create conditions where high-tech industry can flourish. Not these projects go through,” says Steingrímur Arnar Finnsson, has been an extremely strong currency, maintaining a very high surprisingly, the FII recommends the second option. The added an economic analyst for KB Bank. We are sitting in the bank’s rate of exchange. The US dollar has been devalued over 40% value and salaries of jobs in high-tech industry are considerably headquarters, discussing a new report on the future growth of against the Icelandic króna in the last three years, causing prob- more than in basic industries. aluminium industry in Iceland, which Finnsson co-authored.
lems for many companies, since the US is one of Iceland’s big- In the past decade, some measures have been taken to en- “The economy would expand substantially, reaching its Q5833958210
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DEPORTED Issue 03, 2006 8 Page Listings Section in Your Pocket
even less, as profits from the aluminium smelters will go to their “The basis of the operation will probably still be here in Rey- if the economic landscape were friendlier to exporting industry, foreign owners. In other words, the net gain for Iceland, would kjavík, but we have already relocated one department of the he replied, “Without a doubt. We would be growing domesti- be less than 1% increase in domestic export value. company, and if the currency rate stays as high as it is, we might cally and creating more jobs if the exchange rate was not so Finnsson’s report concludes that it is impossible to maintain be forced to relocate other departments. Under the current unfavourable.” the position that future economic growth is dependent on creat- conditions, any future growth of the company will not be in ing a few hundred jobs in aluminium industry. Iceland, it will be abroad.” The Arctic Tiger “If we build several aluminium smelters in a short span of Despite boisterous talk of developing more export industries time, we could be sacrificing bigger interests for a small gain,” Subsidising Power in Iceland, fish remains the nation’s lifeline. Last year, fish Finnsson insists. “For many companies the thinking has been: But it is not only the IT companies that have been hit by the products were responsible for 60% of Iceland’s export income. OK, we’ll take the blow now, but if they are looking at another soaring currency rate. Hörður Arnarson is the CEO of Marel Like other export industries, the fishing industry has been badly : 3-4 years of the same conditions…” He trails off, and after a hf., a world-leading company in the production and develop- affected by the rise of currency exchange rate. The lesson to SPENCER TUNICK BODY PUBLIC momentary hesitation, he continues. “That could be very hard ment of fisheries and food processing equipment. The company draw from this is that the nation is overly dependent on fishing for exporting companies. It would not surprise me to hear that employs over 360 people and is valued around 16 billion ISK. industry and needs to build more exporting industries to support Akureyri Art Museum, until 30 April as an art object in a public space. That’s what I do.” been the subject of art since ancient times, and Tunick’s companies plan to relocate.” In a conversation with the Reykjavík Grapevine, Arnarson was the economy. Spencer Tunick is best known for his treatment of the While undaunted by legal challenges, the military can work carries on the tradition by making the body a part very critical of the government’s role in bringing heavy industry The question facing Iceland is whether to choose to follow nude. Or in his case, nudes, often hundreds of them. Since often prove to be a mighty obstacle to overcome. of the background. Melbourne 3, 2001, as one example, Runaway Companies to Iceland. the path of the Celtic Tiger, and other countries such as Swe- 1994, he has taken numerous photographs of group nudes “One of the more daunting logistical problems that I’ll shows hundreds of naked bodies covering the banks of a “The government is killing all prospects of further developing “The main point in this case is that these projects are not den and Finland, where the role of more traditional industries in Chile, New York, Australia and other locales. Often, his have to deal with is when the military in a Latin American river, looking for all the world as sexy as sunbathing sun high-tech industry in Iceland,” Friðrik Skúlason states. His on grounds of equal competition,” says Arnarson. “Companies such as steel, paper and wood as the basis of the economy have country will say no, and then you have to try to convince lions. The more festive Brügge 4, 2005 might feature 300
work has landed him in legal trouble – he’s been arrested H.S. company, FRISK has successfully been developing anti-virus in heavy industry receive a special treatment from the state in diminished constantly in favour of more high-tech export com- in New York five times since 1992, and has had to take his the military,” he told us, “because sometimes the land women in nine small boats in a Belgian canal, but again, solutions for companies since 1987 and now employs about 50 favour of other companies. The state’s involvement in these modities such as IT service and telecommunications, making case all the way to the US Supreme Court, who ruled in I want to work on might be military or near a military the bodies are massed so close together and shot from such people in Iceland. “My company has been run with consider- projects is wrong.” them less vulnerable to international fluctuations. Or should his favour. Not that negative reactions bother him much. facility – and then you have to speak to the military in an a distance that they resemble something else entirely. able profit every single year since we started, except for last year While the government does not directly take part in Icelanders rather opt for continued build up of heavy industry in “A lot of the negative reactions I ignore, because I unbelievably refreshing way about the human body. And The overall effect of Tunick’s photographs is that we when we barely broke even. The only reason for that was the building power plants, or directly subsidise the operation of competition with countries from the developing world? think a lot of that is pop media driven,” he told the Grape- sometimes it’s daunting when you want a location, and the become able to see the human body, if not human beings, currency rate,” he continues. aluminium smelters in Iceland, the indirect involvement of the As usual, when economics are concerned, there are no sim- vine. “But negative reactions from governments or other permission has to actually come from the president of the as fragile, vulnerable, and nearly overwhelmed by the world For IT companies like CCP and FRISK, relocation is no government remains considerable. ple answers, but rather differences of opinions. Especially when people trying to stop my work are things I pay attention to, country. That’s nerve-wracking for me.” around them. longer a rhetorical concept, but an imposed reality that demands The state-owned National Power Company does not questions are tied to complex political issues involving employ- because while pornography is a multi-million dollar busi- Looking at Tunick’s works, it’s hard to see what By Paul F. Nikolov attention. “While the exchange rate of the Icelandic króna is so pay taxes from its operations, the required rate of return from ment and living conditions in rural areas. But judging from the ness, my goal is not fornicating, but to work with the body prompts people to be shocked by them. The nude has high, it is very expensive to run a company like ours in Iceland. investments is lower than is expected of private companies and reality facing companies of the knowledge economy, there is It is not out of the question that we’ll relocate. It is something the company receives government insurance on all foreign loans, hardly room to do both simultaneously. we have looked into. When it is a question of hundreds of mil- which guarantees lower interests than other companies can get. lions annually, it becomes a very valid question whether we can “If this was a private investment, we couldn’t complain,” justify keeping the operation here in Iceland,” says Harðarson Arnarson says. “But the playing field is not level. The govern- Reports mentioned: of CCP, whose company projects an income of 1.5 billion ISK ment is subsidising this branch of industry.” High-tech Industry – Future Vision and Forecast next year, almost entirely from export. Like other exporting companies in the high-tech industry, http://www.rannis.is/files/Hataekni_spa_2005_684101049.pdf While some companies may choose to leave entirely, others Marel is feeling the effects of the currency exchange rate. “Since have suggested that they will not leave, but at the same time, all our income is in foreign currency, and all our expenditure High-tech Industry – Development and Position in Iceland that they don’t see a way to expand their companies in Iceland. in Icelandic króna, the development of the exchange rate has http://www.rannis.is/files/hataekni_stada_2005_1832366632.pdf “I would not suggest starting an IT company here in reduced our potential profits, which affects the return of our in- Iceland to anyone. If you have an idea, and want to start a com- vestors, and the compensation of our workers,” Arnarson states. The Growth Of Aluminium Industry In Iceland pany, the first thing you have to do is leave the county,” he says. “We are not creating the number of jobs that we could be http://www.rannis.is/files/hataekni_stada_2005_1832366632.pdf “This industry simply cannot grow here in Iceland under these creating here in Iceland. While the conditions here are what circumstances.” they are, we will continue to expand our company on foreign By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson But although the economic environment is hard, Skúlason soil,” says Arnarson. does not expect to relocate his company, at least not entirely. When asked if they would be creating more jobs in Iceland Music and nightlife events usually start around Í svörtum fötum Þórir / Rivulets (US) Saturday – 1 April 21:00, unless otherwise stated. Pubs close at 01:00 NASA Grand Rokk on weekdays and much, much later on weekends. Ulrik For those just wanting to party, the pubs and Palli from Maus Café Amsterdam clubs don’t get crowded until after midnight on Bar 11 Wednesday – 29 March weekends, although Thursday is a semi-official Stand-up comedy, and then a surprise Live football from noon, DJ Árni Már night out. Inge Mandos-Fruedkabd / Zimt / Kol Compiled by Paul F. Nikolov. visit from a famous Icelander from midnight [email protected] isha Hressingarskálinn Hressingarskálinn Grand Rokk Friday – 10 March Vax, DJ Jonni Tuesday – 21 March Thursday – 30 March Hressingarskálinn DJ Fúsi Troubadour Hlynur Ben plays live music Doom Riders (US) / Changer / I Adapt DJ Pálli Café Amsterdam from Britney Spears to Metallica, then Grand Rokk Bar 11 Brain Police DJ Masz from Radio Flass Gaukur á Stöng Glaumbar TBA Wednesday – 2 March Grand Rokk Vax, DJ Jonni Laibach Sváfnir og Halli Hressingarskálinn NASA Bar 11 Wednesday – 5 April DJ Gundi Friday – 31 March Mammút CD-Release Party. 1000 ISK. NASA Thursday – 23 March Iðnó BRAIN POLICE Hreimur and Vignir, then DJ Masz from Ulrik The musician’s heavy metal band, Brain Police offer precision and rock, El Rodeo and guests, Gulli Ósoma Radio Flass Café Amsterdam Thursday – 6 April with a rhythm section that would make Rush jealous. Bar 11 March 10, Gaukur á Stöng Glaumbar Icelandic Idol live on big screen, fol- Kung Fu Icelandic Idol live on big screen, fol- lowed by the band Dich Milk, then Arni Helgi Valur Hressingarskálinn lowed by the band Dich Milk, then DJ Már from FM957 Hressingarskálinn Stjáni Partýljón Glaumbar Friday – 7 April Glaumbar COD Night – Artists from the Cod record label playing (see www.cod.is) Touch, DJ Jonni Troubadours Gotti og Eisi, DJ Maggi Hressingarskálinn Saturday – 11 March Grand Rokk Hressingarskálinn DJ Fúsi Gulli Ósoma Benefit concert supporting children’s Café Amsterdam Friday – 24 March Bar 11 hospital Barnaspitali Hringsins. Visit www.rjominn.is for more information. Buff Hoffman / Future Future Hip-hop djamm, featuring: Pörupiltar, Grand Rokk Ramses, Hoochie, Eftirspurn, and Café Amsterdam Grand Rokk 7berg with DJ Ace and DJ Frigor playing Live football all day, then DJ Stjáni between sets. Partýljón Gaukur á Stöng Glaumbar Dúettin Ari og Gunni, DJ Jonni Touch, DJ Maggi Hressingarskálinn Hressingarskálinn Birgir Curver DJ Haffi Bar 11 Bar 11 Live football all day, then DJ Stjáni COD Night – Artists from the Cod record Partýljón label playing (see www.cod.is) Glaumbar Grand Rokk LAIBACH Possibly one of the most misunderstood bands in the world, this Slov- Úlpa / Bob Saturday – 25 March enian electro-rock group often employ fascist imagery in their cover Grand Rokk art, their stage performance, and their costumes. But don’t be fooled DJ Fúsi – the group belong to an artist’s commune known as NSK, which uses Sunday – 12 March Café Amsterdam such imagery in order to point out the existence of fascist elements in The Bad Plus Live football all day, DJ Stjáni Partýljón GUSGUS supposedly free societies. The music – especially the singer’s booming Royalty among rock and dance fusion everywhere, Gus Gus at NASA in spring is guaranteed to NASA from midnight bass – were predecessors of Rammsteinn and Icelandic death metal band be a singular high point, something like visiting Studio 54 in 1977 with DeeDee Ramone and Glaumbar Ham. Plus they did a hilarious cover of The Beatles’ Let It Be album in Elton John. Remember when you did that? That was great. its entirety.
Monday – 13 March MUSIC Troubadours Gotti og Eisi, DJ Maggi 25 March, NASA 22 March, NASA Jóse González Hressingarskálinn NASA GusGus Thursday – 16 March NASA Helgi Valur Gulli Ósoma Hressingarskálinn Bar 11 JÓSE GONZÁLEZ The Reykjavík National Theatre COD Night – Artists from the Cod record The last time the Latin Swede came to Iceland for the Airwaves festival, he made City Theatre of Iceland Potential and Svarta dauði quite an impression. And rightly so. González’s music – mostly just acoustic guitar label playing (see www.cod.is) Virkjunin Bar 11 and voice – is heartfelt and touching without being overly sentimental, and the single Grand Rokk On the main stage: Known also as Das Werk, by award-win- Troubadour Hlynur Ben plays live music guitar track often sounds like several. Catch him now before you’ll need to pay half a Carmen ning playwright Elfriede Jelinek. from Britney Spears to Metallica, then month’s salary to see him. The Bizet opera performed in Icelandic. Eldhús eftir máli Sunday – 26 March 12 March, NASA DJ Masz from Radio Flass Kalli á þakinu By Icelandic short-story writer Vala Glaumbar Icelandic version of the “Karlson-on-the- Þórsdóttir. roof” stories by Astrid Lindgren. Pétur Gautur Friday – 17 March Marlene Dietrich Icelandic version of the Henrik Ibsen play. DJ Master Play about the famed actress. Café Amsterdam Ronja Ræningjadóttir Icelandic version of “Ronia the Robber’s Iðno Touch, DJ Jonni Daughter,” also by Astrid Lindgren. Ég er mín eigin kona Hressingarskálinn Talaðu við mig Doug Wright’s play on German transves- túdenta tite Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf, performed Icelandic Idol live on big screen, fol- Dance piece that examines the traditional lowed by the band Dich Milk, then Arni roles of men and women. by Icelandic great Hilmar Snær Guðnason. Már from FM957 Woyzeck Glaumbar kjallarin Georg Büchner’s play, with music from n Nick Cave. Broadway AMPOP Café & Pineapple Bar Nina og Gerry NASA Other stage: Cabaret performance in Icelandic. Gulli Ósoma Alveg brilljant skilnaður Bar 11 One-woman play from Icelandic actress MARCH OF LITERATURE and playwright Edda Björgvinsdóttir. Leikfélag Akureyrar The 9/11s The International Students’ Association and the International Office of the Univer- Belgíska Kongó Maríubjallan sity of Iceland have sponsored an event called “Lectures held in English by Icelandic Grand Rokk Icelandic version of the play Ladybird by Nominated for two “masks” (Icelandic authors,” and it looks like a must. Three Icelandic literary giants – Einar Már Guð- Vassily Sigarev. theatre awards). mundsson, Hallgrímur Helgason and Sjón – will be lecturing, in English, on their Saturday – 18 March Litla hryllingsbúðin Forðist Okkur works and on literature in general, followed by a question and answer period. These Svizz Icelandic version of Little Shop of Hor- Play based on the dark humour comics of three authors have helped shape Icelandic modern literature and should be able to Café Amsterdam Hugleikur Dagsson. rors. provide some insight for those already familiar with their works, or people who want Live football from noon, DJ Frigor from Glæpur gegn diskóinu to know more about today’s literary world in Iceland. Gary Owen’s take on club life. midnight The Icelandic Opera At the Lögberg building, University of Iceland Glaumbar Hungur 8 March - Einar Már Guðmundsson Grapevine columnist Þórdís Elva Þór- La Cenerentola Dúettin Ari og Gunni, DJ Jonni From the libretto by Giacomo Feretti. 15 March - Sjón
THEATre valdsdóttir Bachmann’s play on eating MUSIC Stúdentakjallarinn v/hringbraut - 511 09 05 - [email protected] Hressingarskálinn disorders. 22 March - Hallgrímur Helgason oaj]d]kk PRACTICAL f]logjc Tíu Dropar Café Victor Pravda Ölstofan Kaffibrennslan Argentína Tapas Bæjarins Bestu CLIP INFORMATION Krua Thai Baronstigur 11a Vesturgata 3b Tryggvagata CAFÉS Café Roma 8 Laugavegur 27 15 Hafnarstræti 1-3 22 Austurstræti 22 25 Vegamótastígur 28 Pósthusstræti 9 31 34 37 44 n´SAVE 1 Laugavegur 118 Tryggvagata 14 FOR WIRELESS NETWORKS, TRY: A very nice “grandma” style café. Spelled with a C rather than with Pravda is one of the larger clubs/bars There are no tricks to this one. You Kaffibrennslan manages to be just a RESTAURANTS Argentina is something in the direction For those with a bit of money and time Their menu is simple: It consists of coke Roma, at the far end of the main street Subterranean, as all traditional coffee the more traditional K in order to be in downtown Reykjavík. It’s divided know what you want and you know that nice, “normal” place to go to, and a It’s easy when you know what of South-American-steakhouse-goes- on their hands, the evening is well spent and hotdog. And nothing else. Ask for Kaffibarinn, Bergstaðastræti 1. Laugavegur, is a deli-type coffee house, shops should be. This place makes you more cosmopolitan. This ploy seems to between two floors and also separately you’ll get when you enter this simple, place to be seen at, surprisingly enough you’re doing: good food for a fine-dining-in-Reykjavík. It was the at Tapas, where you can while away the one with everything, and you’ll get a Hressingarskálinn, Austurstræti 20. and one of the best take away places feel warm, both with its atmosphere and be working, as the bar has become a into the Pravda Bar and the Pravda straightforward pub. We are talking both at the same time. A wide variety reasonable price. To make it easier for first restaurant around to offer steaks evening having course after course of dog in a bun with ketchup, mustard, Kaffi Hljómalind, Laugavegur 21. in town. It almost feels unnatural that the generosity of the coffee refills. hangout for foreigners. The Viking ship Club. The club section of Pravda is ideal about drinking beer. Known as the of beverages, both bistro menu and a the rest of us, they have their menu by weight, and it focuses on the beef wonderful miniature dishes served. If remoulade (don’t ask), fried and raw all the tempting cookies, cakes and sitting on top of the house might also for dancing, while the Bar section is hangout for the intellectual circles of terrace outside the bar when the weather outside with images in colour and – but they know their whale, sheep and you don’t feel like getting up right away onion. The standard Icelandic hot dog, other sweet things that are calling your add to the appeal. The crowd is very somewhat more quiet and chilled out, Reykjavík. allows it. The iced coffee beverage is a numbers. Just say the number and eat reindeer as well. afterwards, there’s also a lounge only somehow it tastes better. name on the shelves are actually quite mixed, both in origin and age, and so is with occasional live jazz and sometimes delight. the food. reasonably priced. the music. reggae.
Ráðhúskaffi Kaffitár Vegamót Café Cultura Thorvaldsen Glaumbar Tveir Fiskar Vín og Skel Sægreifinn Hlölla Bátar 2 City Hall 9 Bankastræti 8 16 Vegamótastígur 4 23 Hverfisgata 18 26 Austurstræti 8 29 Tryggvagata 20 32 Geirsgata 9 35 Laugavegur 55 38 Geirsgata 45 By Ingólfstorg
Ráðhúskaffi inside the Reykjavík City Expanded and improved, this is the Vegamót (crossroads) has an appealing The recently expanded Cultura is Posh as the fifth circle of hell. DJs on One of the few proper sport bars in Seafood restaurant, although they also If you like fresh seafood and are in the A place to go for the local touch, even if The first sub sandwich shop in Iceland, Hall is a comfortable choice for the view downtown store for one of the country’s lunch menu, they serve brunch during located in the same building with the Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Reykjavík, so you can go and watch do land-based animals. At lunchtime mood for something a little different, usually a place recommended with this opened in 1986, Hlölla Bátar has a over Tjörnin, especially recommended finest coffee importers. While anything the weekends, and the kitchen is open Intercultural centre. A good value menu, Arrive before 12 if you want to avoid whatever game happens to be on the TV you can have a three-course meal for this cosy but ambitious new restaurant argument instantly looses the exotic. large selection of subs filled and named on the so-called window weather days here is good, the speciality coffee drinks until 22 daily. After that the beat goes friendly service and settings that allow the queue. Civilian attire is looked down screens. The establishment is basically 2300, which isn’t too bad, all things just might fit the bill. Shellfish, salmon, Still, I’d try this one. Sægreifinn (Sea with creativity and imagination. Brave – the days that are beautiful, as long as are truly remarkable: our favourite, the on, and you can check the end results you to either sit down and carry on upon. Do not expect to get in wearing based around the bar, so you won’t have considered. The chef has been awarded squid, lobsters and other creatures of baron) is a combination of a fish store souls might want to try the Gúmmí- you stay indoors. Also art exhibitions, Azteca, an espresso drink with lime and in photos published the day after on discussions, or dance the night away hiking boots. to go a long way for a drink. Open until the Medal of the Order of the White the deep predominate the menu here. and a... well, not exactly a restaurant Bátur (rubber boat), or go local and 80m2s of miniature Iceland and Tabasco. their website www.vegamot.is. If you – tango on Wednesdays starting with five, and has a reputation for late night Rose by the President of Finland. There is no smoking in the restaurant, but a place that serves prepared food, choose Sýslumannabátur (sheriff sub) municipal politics, all conveniently like Oliver, try Vegamót and vice versa. free lessons from 20 to 21:00. partying. but if you want to have a go at sitting located in a harbour warehouse. Smell of with lamb filling. under the same roof. outside there are fleece blankets fish, view over the harbour, old man that provided. looks exactly like an Icelandic fisherman should. What’s not to love?
Grái Kötturinn Segafredo B5 IÐA Shalimar Nonnabiti 3 Hverfisgata 16a 10 By Lækjartorg 17 Bankastræti 5 39 Austurstræti 4 46 Hafnarstræti 11 SPOTthis DOWNTOWN REYKJAVIK Grái Kötturinn (The grey cat) is a cosy With McDonalds long departed from B5 is a newly opened bistro with a Prides itself on being the northernmost The owner is a miser who charges place, and that’s why it’s a shame that the centre of Reykjavík, we got Italian Scandinavian focus on the menu. Don’t Indian restaurant in the world. The daily additionally for everything, but this it’s quite often closed when we knock chain Segafredo, which isn’t a bad trade- be fooled by the impressive collection special, comprised of two dishes on your is almost certainly the best junk food on their door and peer through the off. The staff are expert baristi, and, even of design classics that you see in the plate, goes for roughly 1000 ISK. But we in the Greater Reykjavík area. The window later in the evening. Don’t recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala, subs are great, none of that Subway though Iceland is proud of its coffee, window when passing by – it’s neither Hafnarstræti 44 follow our example and go during the nobody quite tops the Segafredo latte. cold nor overly expensive, but rather a known to be highly addictive. commitment to healthy living, and daylight, it’s especially popular during cozy place with friendly service. 33 they probably contribute significantly the morning hours. Austurstræt 46 42 to the ever-increasing “size” of the nation. They also serve burgers and 39 i 10 ti 26 sandwiches, and have lunchtime offers. 6 21 Dji^c>XZaVcY 22 28 18 49 Bankastræti17 43 Ingólfsstræ 11 3 Kaffi Hljómalind Rósenberg 23 Við tjörnina Quiznos Laugavegur 21 Lækjargata 2 30 Templarasund 3 4 Sólon 18 9 40 Lækjargata 11 Lækjargata 47 Bankastræti 7a Wool, magazines, olive oil, sushi, served one by one on a traditional 24 A peaceful café with perfect windows for Perhaps the closest thing to a jazz club Arabic condiments, imported conveyor belt. If you’ve never heard 47 Laugavegur20 19 One of the best-known fish restaurants A new branch of the American Quiznos Hverfisgata people-watching and a lot of daylight. BARS ´n´ Sólon BISTRO is a nightclub on in town, with old instruments lining the cheese, souvenirs, pastries and more of the highly addictive Egyptian 14 in Iceland, it also kind of rocks. The has entered the thriving downtown Hljómalind is run by a non-profit Friday and Saturday nights, but it walls. People go there for conversation can be had in one stop at Iða on condiment known as “dukkah”, ask 5 cook is Súkkat member and Megas sub market, and it’s you, our dear, organisation and it only serves organic & seems to have more lives than one, since and listening to music rather than Lækjargata. This odd-sounding the staff at the gourmet counter and Skólavörðustígur13 sidekick Gunni. Foodwise, they’re hungry reader that gains from it. A 12 8 fair trade products. in the day it’s a coffeehouse and in the dancing. The place tends to have jazz or combination works surprisingly you might receive a taste-test – they 16 known for innovative fish dishes made good selection of tasty subs, but also evening (weeknights) they have a decent blues- type music, and is developing a well, especially if you’re a tourist or make it themselves. 25 48 from a variety of rare fish and shellfish sandwiches, salads, soup of the day. This menu, as well, and an art exhibition on bluegrass scene. a gourmet. You are free to browse and related raw materials. is Quiznos first European restaurant, the walls to finish the package with an through any of the wide variety Iða mall, Lækjargata 2a, Klapparstígur your response will decide how many artsy touch. of magazines available while you 101 Reykjavík more will come East. try a couple of pieces of sushi,
Mokka Oliver Grand Rokk 38 32 Aktu Taktu First Vegetarian ->ÊV >À}Ê 5 Skólavörðustígur 3a 12 Laugavegur 20a 19 Smiðjustígur 6 41 Skúlagata 15 48 (Á næstu grösum) Ãi>v`ÊÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ>ÌÊ FAST FOOD Laugavegur 20b Kaffi Mokka is the oldest café in Oliver is one of the biggest hits in town As the Viking style garden and logo 31 The drive-in destination in 101 Ü V ÊvviÀÃÊÌ iÊLiÃÌÊ Reykjavík, dating back to the 1950s. It’s at the moment. Good news for the early accurately signal, this is no place for the Reykjavík, Aktu Taktu is busy all Used to be called One Woman the place with dark, smoky atmosphere birds: they open at 8 in the morning weak— yes, chess bars are that tough. 37 29 day and all night. The burgers never Restaurant, as there was always the Êv`Ê>`ÊÜi° and great numbers of loyal customers. with an extensive brunch menu, staying Even if the downstairs atmosphere can 27 disappoint, and the caramel shakes are same woman working there. Has new Their waffles are best in town. Seriously. chic all day long, until late - always feel a bit ominous at times, it’s one of 15 a local favourite. If George Lucas ever owners and a larger staff, but the theme crowded, with an everlasting queue the best venues for live music in town. 45 Austurstræti makes his proposed Icelandic Graffiti, is still vegetarian, with one vegan and outside especially towards weekend Chess, beer and rock’n’roll. Aktu Taktu will have a central role. one wheat-free dish always on offer. The nights. Their Mediterranean menu, Bank Ingólfsstræti astræ only vegetarian restaurant licensed to served in huge portions, is guaranteed gata ti Hverfisgat carry beer and wine. to make you smile. 40 a 2 Lækjar SkólavörðustígurLauga 41 36 vegur 35 Ömmukaffi Kaffibarinn Bar 11 43 4 Pizza King Kebabhúsið /i«>À>ÃÕ`ÊÎ]£ä£Ê,iÞ>Û 6 Austurstræti 13 Bergstaðastræti 1 20 Laugavegur 11 Tjarnargata 34 42 Hafnarstræti 18 49 Lækjargata 2, Kringlan /i\Êxx£ÊnÈÈÈ Þingholtsstræti shopping mall >\ÊÛ`ÌÀ>JÃiÌ°Ã A coffee house where you can find Kaffibarinn is Cool Hip Reykjavík. The rock bar on Laugavegur is one of 7 Yes, you can go here late at night and all kinds of people - all ages, all Blur’s Damon Albarn owns a share the late night party venues in town. Bergstaðastræti grab the best pizza in town, but it is Apart from the multicultural experience nationalities, with very friendly, down- of the bar, probably figuring it was You’ll feel the floor jumping every nsgata Frakkastígur also home to the best lunch specials, that comes with eating the Icelandic to-earth feel to it. Affordable prices on cheaper than buying drinks all the Friday and Saturday, and it’s neither you Óði and food so good you’d eat it sober, version of Kebab, which comes with Crystal Shop and coffee, cakes and the lunch menu. Try time. This place has managed to serve nor an earthquake. Live concerts and a 1 something you can’t say for most food beef and lamb, or Falafel, which comes their speciality, the (South) African latte. as a 101 living room for quite a while nice foosball table upstairs. in Reykjavík. Plan on a fifteen- minute with marinara sauce and pickled Spiritual Gallery already, with DJs often playing on tígur wait during lunch, so it’s best to call or cucumber, this eatery has the best fish the weeknights, with volumes rising Barónss stop at a local bookstore or souvenir and chips in town and a menu that Crystal, Reiki and Spiritual healing. towards the weekend. Friday and shop while your pizza is cooked. would satisfy the United Nations. Detox System foot spa Saturday nights serve as the weekly treatment available also. Icelands largest minirals and crystals shop.
Babalú Sirkus Hressingarskálinn Prikið Gaukur á Stöng Litli Ljóti Hornið Tjarnarbakkinn Bernhöftsbakarí Vitabar 7 Skólavörðustígur 22a 14 Klapparstígur 30 21 Austurstræti 20 24 Bankastræti 12 27 Tryggvagata 22 30 Andarunginn 33 Hafnarstræti 15 36 Vonarstræti 3 43 Bergstaðarstræti 13 50 Bergþórugata 21 Lækjargata 6b The youngest coffee house in Reykjavík “Welcome to the Jungle/ We got fun The celebrated site of one of the more Used to be the oldest continuously Iceland’s oldest bar is now in its early Means “the corner” and the place lives Above the Iðnó theatre, so it’s good The oldest bakery in Reykjavík, Actually a bar, but best known for its is also the homiest. Almost like a living and games,” quote the bard. Elements famous coffeehouses in Iceland, this running traditional coffeehouse on the twenties. During the day it’s a pool pub They have a fish buffet for 2500ISK up to its name. This is actually the oldest place to go before shows, or during if founded in 1834. If you are particular hamburgers. A burger with fries for 500 room away from home, Babalú keeps it of this odd and alternative cultural bar/ coffeehouse/ restaurant brings a street, but, after a change of clientele, and on weekday evenings there are live every evening, with the magic words Italian restaurant in town, celebrating its you prefer a more quiet atmosphere. If about your bread this is about the best is one of the best meal deals in town, simple, quiet and cozy with coffee and institution also include an upstairs that European flair to the city. That is until they now cater to a younger crowd. A rock concerts by a mix of mainstream “eat-as-much-as-you-can” floating in the 25th year, which says something about you sit by the window you get nice view place in central Reykjavík to stock up but special mention must go to the the occasional crêpe. looks and smells like a bus, a garden, about 11, when things get to rockin’, diner during the day and a nightclub on and underground bands. On weekends air. They also have an Icelandic media the scene here before then. Excellent of the pond. It’s not a bad place to try on a variety of freshly baked loaves Forget-Me-Not blue cheese and garlic Gjafir Jarðar. and you can see the true character of weekends, you can also borrow games there is usually a lot of action with quality pizza, pasta and salads—all priced one of Iceland’s culinary specialities, the – they also do a particularly moist extravaganza. a flea market and a queue on weekend person working there every now and Ingólfsstræti 2 nights that looks never-ending. Reykjavík. there, such as backgammon or chess. cover bands playing everything from affordably. lamb steak, one of those rare traditional and juicy version of the ever popular then, so watch out for a curly haired, 101 Reykjavík Britney to the Beatles. . friendly gentleman called Egill. treats that does not come as a shock to vínarbrauð pastries. the uninitiated. Tel: 517-2774 [email protected] www.gjafirjardar.is FILM tv & RADIO (15:45, 17:50,20:00,22:10) The PinkPanther (18:00, 20:00,22:40) Syriana (17:15, 20:00,22:30) North Country (21:00) Munich (16:00) King Kong (22:20) Derailed (15:30, 17:45,20:00,22:20) Casanova 20:00, 22:10) (18:00, 20:00,22:10;VIP:16:00,18:00, Blóðbönd (16:00, inIcelandic) Bambi 2 Sambíóin -Álfabakki (18:00, 20:15,10:30) Underworld: Evolution (18:00, 20:00,22:10) The PinkPanther (20:15, 22:30) Derailed (18:00, 20:00,22:10) Blóðbönd (18:00) Bambi 2 Sambíóin -Kringlan traditional music. ing talkshows,radiosoapoperas,and Government radiostationoftenfeatur Rás 1 RADIO strong fromSkagafjörðursince1992. Iceland’s countrymusicstation,stillgoing Kántríbær over thecountry. Christian broadcastingstation,availableall Lindin ting-edge releases. Iceland’s rockstation,oftenplayingcut XFM rock gearedtowardsurbanclubbingyouth. One ofthe“hnakkistöðvar,”playingpop- FM 957 Office pop,easylistening. Létt 96.7 Talk radiostation,inIcelandic. Talstöðin landic and foreign music from decades past. Iceland’s oldies station, featuring both Ice Útvarp Saga Light popmusic. Bylgjan news discussionprogrammes. tion, featuringavarietyofmusicaswell More progressivegovernmentradiosta Rás 2 (91.9FM) (102.9FM) (98.9FM) (95.7FM) (90.9FM) (96.7FM)
(100.7FM) (99.4FM)
- - - - to replaceBillBixby andLouFerrigno.) (Maybe EricBanawasn’ttheright choice the movieaboutagiantgreenmonster. see Brokeback:AngLee.Sure,he directed But therearetwowordswhyyou should Ennis DelMar(HeathLedger). between JackTwist(JakeGyllenhaal)and will toleratetheforbiddenlovethatrages – this rural setting being the last place that sheep inthemountainsofWyoming fall inloveonesummerwhileherding Mountain, afilmabouttwocowboyswho he hadseenthecontroversialBrokeback cowboys,” afriendscolded,afterIaskedif “I’m notgonnagoseenomovieaboutgay RIDE EMCOWBOY means youcanexpectalotofpalace as faithfultohistorypossible.Which West swear-a-thonDeadwood,Romeis From thepeoplewhobroughtyouWild Rome Thursdays, 21:20;Tuesdays,23:35,Stöð2. pearance isdefinitelywelcome. the Americanobsessionwithphysicalap John Kerry got botox), a show that satirises those gettingplasticsurgerytoday(even the darkcomedy.Fordiversenatureof morticians, Nip/Tuckisprettythickon show involvingplasticsurgeonsinsteadof Often billedasaSixFeetUnder-type Nip/Tuck and 20:00,Stöð2. Monday-Thursday, 18:05;Friday,18:05 language showswhilereadingthesubtitles. ways tolearnIcelandic–watchingEnglish Quebecois, andthisisalsooneofthebest tried toenjoywatchingTheSimpsonsin come asarelieftothoseofyouwho’ve Iceland doesn’tdubtelevision.Thiswill The Simpsons Tuesdays, 21:35,Stöð2. that’s television! tion foracrimehedidn’tcommit.Now break hisbrotherout,whoawaitsexecu a prisonthathehelpeddesign,inorderto a youngengineergetshimselfthrowninto do welltocheckoutPrisonBreak,where bit tooheavyontheassrape?Thenyou’d depressing, pronetoclichéandmaybea Did youfindprisonshowOzalittle Prison Break TV (20:00) Oliver Twist (20:00) Munich Sambíóin -Keflavík (20:00, 22:00). Casanova (18:00, 20:00,22:00) Blóðbönd (18:00) Bambi 2 Sambíóin -Akureyri (17:45, 20:15) Pride andPrejudice (20:00) North Country (17:50, 21:00) Munich (17:40, 20:00,22:20) Casanova (18:00, 20:00,22:00) Blóðbönd Háskólabíó Coming 10March. Frances MsDormand, Marton Csokas. Dir. Karyn Kusama. Stars Charlize Theron, Aeon Flux Coming Soon
- - If fornootherreason, though,buya Ennis. Ledger’s introverted,alienated,suffering a metaphorfortheharshvoidengulfing of theWyomingbadlands,which serveas wilderness, aswellthedustyemptiness in capturingthebeautyofmountain place betweenJackandEnnis,butalso handling theemotionaltug-of-wartaking Lee returnstoformnotonlybydelicately Despite aratherclumsilypacedfirstact, Hidden Dragon. The IceStormandCrouchingTiger, Don’t forgetthatMr.Leealsohelmed Monday-Friday, 17:55,SkjárEinn. the earth. John Ratzenbergerdroppedoffthefaceof Kelsey Grammarwentintorehab,and before TedDansondonnedblackface, comedy stillholdsup.Relivethedays 15 yearsaftertheshow’sconclusion, most popularshowsinIceland.Nearly During itsheyday,thiswasoneofthe Cheers cinematic selectionsworthwatching. visitors andexpatriatesalikewillfindthe subtitles areinIcelandic,naturally,but and Italy,areoftenwellchosen.The come asfarafieldAfghanistan,Mexico 22:00, featureaforeignfilm.Thesecan Sunday nightsonRÚV,usuallyafter Sunday nightmoviesonRÚV Thursdays, 22:25,RÚV. reality? you bewatchingtelevisionifwanted plotlines areflat-outunrealistic,would characters aredifficulttobelieve,andthe of everyshowcanbeexcruciating,the softly moralisesinthebeginningandend While thesing-songynarrationthat Desperate Housewives Sundays, 22:05,Stöð2. any ofthesethings. ful wenowliveinacivilisedworldfreeof and bingeeating.Shouldmakeyougrate intrigue, betrayal,violence,sexual (18:00, 21:00) Walk theLine (17:45, 20:00,22:15) Transamerica (17:50, 20:00,22:10) Capote (18:00, 21:00) Brokeback Mountain Regnboginn (16:00, 18:00,20:00) Nanny McPhee (17:30, 20:00,22:15) Match Point (16:00, 18:00,20:00,22:00) Good NightandLuck (18:00, 20:00,22:00) Final Destination3 Laugarásbíó Coming 17March. Statham, VincentPastore. Dir. GuyRitchie.StarsRayLiotta,Jason Revolver
- By EdwardWeinman another man. drenching hishandwithspittolubricate reservations youhaveofwitnessing aman sions oflonelinessshouldrender mootany Ledger’s facialticsandnuanced expres phone boothisnothingshortofarresting. Ledger handlesthetragicsceneinside road. Andtheymissedit),andtheway There wasonlyonecurvein42milesof a quiet,mutteringdrawl,somethinglike: of howEnnis’sparentsdied(hesayswith of theyear.Ledger’srestrainedrecounting hands downturnsinthebestperformance ticket toBrokebackwatchLedger,who days at10:50andMondays23:15,RÚV. Birta andBaldur(nottheirrealnames), Long-running children’sshowhostedby Stundin okkar Stelpurnar: Saturdays,19:40,Stöð2. 20:00, Stöð2. Strákarnir: MondaythroughThursday, examples ofmodernIcelandiccomedy. rip-off stunts,butbothshowsaregreat Strákarnir isoftenrifewithblatantJackass Stelpurnar isslightlymoresophisticated. “The Girls”–althoughthehumourof – theformer“TheBoys”andlatter just barely.They’rebothsketchcomedy Actually twodifferentshows,butonly Strákarnir/Stelpurnar TV inIcelandic Saturdays at20:15,andrepeatingonSun Ásgrímsson. portrayal ofPrimeMinisterHalldór should beabletoappreciateSpaugstofan’s who don’tknowawordofIcelandic sometimes miss,oftenhit,andeventhose classic senseofcourtjesters,thejokes the longestrunning.Comediansin taken tocourtforblasphemy,andoneof The onlytelevisionshowinIcelandever Spaugstofan 10:30, RÚV. Thursdays andSundays,18:00;Saturdays, ously well. actor whoplaysalltherolesoftenhilari all arethefairytalesre-enactedbyasingle portion oftheshow.Butbestbits an instrument,ordancetakeupalarge provided bychildren–kidswhosing,play where mostoftheentertainmentis (22:00) Underworld: Evolution (18:00, 20:00) Nanny McPhee (18:00) Final Destination3 (20:00, 22:30) The ConstantGardener Borgarbíó -Akureyri (3:40, 17:50 in Icelandic; 17:50 in English) Zathura 22:45) (20:00, 22:45;Luxusbíó,17:00,20:00, Walk theLine (15:45, 17:50,20:00,22:10) The PinkPanther (20:00, 22:20) Underworld: Evolution (15:40, 17:50) Nanny McPhee (15:40, 20:00,22:10) Fun withDickandJane (17:00, 20:00,22:45) The ConstantGardner Smárabíó times. updates onnewfilmsandshowing Visit www.kvikmyndir.isforregularly
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ART Free entrance Ásmundur Sveinsson 05.2005 -05.2006 Free entranceonMondays - Apríl13-16 Open: May-September10-16,Octóber Sigtún Ásmundarsafn EBITA Hulda Hákon 03.03. 2006-09.04. Hverfisgata 18 101 GALLERÍ Natural History II. Olga Bergmann 11.03. –02.04.2006 Free entrance Mondays Open everyday13.00-17.00closed on Freyjugata 41 Listasafn ASÍ Sara Björnsdóttir 04.03.2006 -26.03.2006 Downstairs: Glory Hole Hinriksson Huginn ÞórArasonandJóhannesAtli 04.03.2006 -26.03.2006 Upstairs: Open Laugavegur 23 Kling &Banggallerí Installations InmemoryofH.CAndersen Joseph Kosuth Ilia ogAmiliaKabakov 02.04. –05.06.2006 mannsins – Sýningítilefni120áraafmælislista ESSENS Jóhannes S.Kjarval 15.10.2005 –19.03.2006 Free entranceonMondays Open everyday10–17 Flókagata Kjarvalsstaðir Magnús Árnason Upcoming exhibition; Innar Hanna ChristelSigurkarlsdóttir 25.02 –12.03.2006 Grundarstígur 21 Gallerí Dvergur 3436) (Contact: KristinnMárPálmason,691- Bjarni Sigurbjörnsson 03.03.2006 -Firstopening Free entrance Sat,sun 13–17 Open Fridays12–17 Ingólfsstræti 8 Gallerí Anima The WaterPeople Brian Griffin Until 8April - 17:00. 8:30 –16:00weekdays,Saturdays13:00 Bæjarháls 1 Gallerí 100° Tumi Magnússon 09.03. –29.04.2006 Klapparstígur 33 I-8 gallerí Munaskrá Hulda Hákon 03.03. –19.04.2006 Laugavegur 80 Bananananas – Aretrospectiveexhibition The ManandMaterial Reykjavík. CIA.is, orvisittheirofficeatHafnarstræti16,101 Icelandic Art.Formoreinformation,visitwww. Prepared fortheGrapevinebyCentre
Thursdays (Lastopeningweekend!)
to
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18 - Information cominguponwww,nylo.is – Icelandic,BritishandFinnishartists Cold Climate Free entrance Open Wed–Sun1317 Laugavegur 26 Living ArtMuseum West NordicDesign 11.03. –16.04.2006 Open 12–17closedonMondays Sturlugata 5 Nordic House by thephotographer. – Anexhibitionofseriesself-portraits John Coplans 27.01.-17.04.2006 – Anexhibitionofearlierworks Erro 9.09.2005 -23.04.2006 Free entranceonMondays Open everyday10–17 Hafnarhús, Tryggvagata17 Listasafn Reykjavíkur Gunnlaugur Blöndal Snorri Arinbjarnar 24.02 -30.04.2006 Fríkirkjuvegur 17 Listasafn Íslands Large box:490,-•Small390,-
990,- soups andcoffee with choiceoftwo Salad &Soupmeal Build YourOwn Large box:490,-•Small390,- soups andcoffee with choiceoftwo Salad &Soupmeal Build YourOwn 990,- ...or takeaway ...or takeaway For only For only From mon.-fri.
From mon.-fri. – Paintedthelasttwoyears Still livesofbowlsetc., Pétur Gautur 04.03 –27.03.2006 Open 11–17everydaybutTuesdays. Strandgata 34 Hafnarborg Hafnarfjörður >>>Outside Rvk Kristinn MárPálmason 17.03 -02.04.2006 Sat 11–16 Open Tue–Fri1218 Ingólfsstræti 5 Turpentine Michael Hafsteinn 04.04-18.04.2006 Bankastræti 7 Sævar KarlGallery Presentation ofyoungGermanartsists Opening 25.03.2006–throughApril Kristján SteingrímurJónsson 25.03.2006 –throughApril Laugavegur 37 SAFN : Sun: 13:00-00:00 Fri-Sat: 10:00-03:00 Thu: 10:00-01:00 Mon-Wed: 10:00-00:00 Opening hours and gloriousdesserts from soupsandsaladstoentrees Choose fromourdeliciousmenu, spectacular oceanview
Fine restaurantwith Bersvæði ogSvefnfarar Spencer TunickandHallaGunnarsdóttir 04.03. –30.04.2006 Free entranceonThursdays Open from12-17.ClosedonMondays Kaupvangsstræti 12 Listasafnið áAkureyri Stefán Jónsson 11.02. 2006- Open 13–18FridaysandSaturdays Kaupvangsstræti 12 Jónas ViðarGallery “Kvika” Arna Valsdóttir Kaupvangsstræti 10 Gallerí Box Aftur Hlýnur Hálsson Brekkugata 36 Gallerí + Akureyri 18.03 –13.04.2006 Acute Clarity Rúrí, ÞórVigfússon,ElinaBrotherus Hamraborg 4 Gerðarsafn Kópavogur: : www.aroma.is Phone: 5556996 220 Hafnarfjordur Fjardargotu 13-15 Cafe Aroma
kaldaljós 2006 28 29 Reykjavík Art Museum Gallerí Anima CLIP The Pond and Beyond Flókagata Ingólfsstræti 8 n´SAVE MUSEUMS Grapevine Picks for Museums and Galleries by Paul F. Nikolov The Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús Tryggvagata 17
Kjarvalsstaðir Flókagata, 105 Reykjavík
Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum Sigtún
Austurvöllur Árbæjarsafn 101 Gallerí Árbær www.listasafnreykjavikur.is ta Gallerí Anima City Hall rga ja The Culture House æk L Hverfisgata 15 Kling & Bang www.thjodmenning.is
Reykjavík Museum of Photography Lau The Pon gav Tryggvagata 15 egu www.ljosmyndasafnreykjavikur.is d r
Nordic House Sturlugata 5 www.nordice.is
Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum Laugarmestangi 70 Gallerí Dvergur Slembilukka – Bjarni Sigurbjörnsson www.lso.is These dynamic and emotive paintings – featured at the newly opened gallery Anima – are worth Reykjavík Electrical Museum an extended study. Refstöðvarvegur Gallerí 100o Until 25 March. www.rafheimar.is
ASÍ Art Museum Gallerí 100° Freyjugata 41 Reykjavík Art Museum www.asi.is Kjarvalsstaðir Bæjarháls 1
Einar Jónsson Museum Eiríksgata and the sculpture garden, Freyjugata www.skulptur.is 101 Gallerí National Gallery of Iceland Frikirkjuvegur 7 Hverfisgata 18 Ásgrimur Jónsson collection Bergstaðastræti 74 www.nationalgallery.is ESSENS – Jóhannes S. Kjarval
National Museum of Iceland Known as one of the most celebrated artists from Iceland, this exhibition began on 25 October in Suðurgata 41 honour of the 120th anniversary of his birthday. This is undoubtedly one of your best chances to www.natmus.is see a thorough retrospective of this influential painter. Until 19 March. Kling & Bang gallerí
Laugavegur 23
The Reykjavík Grapevine óskar eftir sölumanni auglýsinga! Æskilegur aldur; 22-35 ár.
Umsókn og ferilskrá sendist á [email protected] Ef þú vilt vita enn meira, hringdu þá í s: 869-7796 Water People – Brian Griffin Famed photographer Brian Griffin brings his pieces to Iceland. These intriguing black-and-white portraits go beyond standard photograph to create abstract, impressionist pieces that are some- times whimsical, sometimes disturbing, and always captivating. Until 8 April. Gallerí Dvergur
Grundarstígur 21 EBITA – Hulda Hákon Glory Hole – Huginn Þór Arason, Jóhannes Atli Henriksson Innar – Hanna Christel Sigurkarlsdóttir Sculpture can be a daunting medium to appreciate. Many times, you find yourself looking at an amorphous red vinyl blob and wondering how long you’re We admit it – it was the name that drew us to this exhibition. But we weren’t disappointed. This This veteran artist has made a name for herself mostly for her efforts in Iceland’s “Paris of the www.grapevine.is to stand staring at it before you can safely move on and not seem like you don’t “get it.” Fortunately, artist Hulda Hákon’s creations are whimsical, some- group exhibition features some pretty intriguing and engaging works from some artists that we’ll East,” Seyðisfjörður. Now she brings a new series to Gallerí Dvergur, one of the more intriguing times disturbing, but always a joy to look at, repeatedly. (hopefully) see more from in the future. spaces in town. Until 9 April. Until 26 March. Until 12 March. 30 GRAPEVINE’S PURCHASES THAT The Venus JUSTIFY EXISTENCE “Vibrance” This women’s razor, in many Razor ways similar to the men’s “M3 � � Power” razor, comes with a AAA battery powering this razor’s stand-out feature: it vibrates. Although the packaging of both the male and female ver- sions attest that a vibrating razor provides Japanese a cleaner, closer shave, the bulbous end to teapots the handle of the Venus Vibrance suggests another, far more bizarre razor use. 1,599 ISK, available at most larger grocery stores around the country. Tasteful but hip, these ceramic teapots come in a variety of colours. Although they don’t look remotely Japanese, they were made in Japan, and hold enough tea for two to four cups of your favourite blend. The simple, easy-to-use design might even help tea edge out coffee as the morning drink of choice in Iceland. Or not. Available at Te og Kaffi, Laugavegur 27, Tel.: 552-6260.
Clothing for infants and tod- dlers can be jaw-droppingly Baby Remember when you got a Lego set expensive. The same amount Swiss Army The Lego Bar clothes for your birthday, and it came in some of fabric and stitching used for knives sort of “theme” such as a farm, or a dishtowel can cost as much as a space station, and you’d end up some name brand jeans. Fortunately, the children’s only using half of the pieces to make something clothing store Bomban is currently having a sale Even though Switzerland hasn’t been to war in over 500 years, completely different? Well, fortunately the new on clothing for children aged up to two years, with they have more soldiers per capita than any other Western generation won’t have to be pained with extrane- tops and bottoms priced at either 500 ISK or 1000 democracy – most of whom are designing pocket knives. Mom- ous Lego pieces. The Lego Bar, at the toy store ISK, without your child looking like he was dressed and-pop hardware store Brynja offers a vast array of Swiss army Leikbær, is set up in exactly the same way as a by the Red Cross. knives, and have everything from simple blade-and-nail file knives “nammibar,” only with Lego pieces instead of Available at Bomban, Laugavegur 41, for 780 ISK to the 12-in-1 “Swiss tool,” for 10,800 ISK, while most candy, for 695 ISK/kilo. On Saturdays, they’re Tel.: 517-5555. of the standard Swiss army knives are in the 1,600 ISK to 2,500 40% off. Take the kids or build the fortress you ISK range. Be that guy who leaps forward to offer to open bottles were always meant to build. and tighten screws at the drop of a hat. Available at Leikbær, Laugavegur 25, Available at Brynja, Laugavgur 29, Tel.: 552-4320. Tel.: 551-1135.
Himalayan salt, which resembles The Salt rose quartz and is usually thousands Lamp of years old, apparently has more uses than pretentious cooking. Gjafir Jarðar, a relatively recently opened New Age shop, sells lamps made from Himalayan salt. According to one employee, such lamps are good at improving wireless Internet connections Silk ties You know you’re upwardly mo- and GSM reception, not to mention just looking bile, and that it’s only a matter pretty cool. If a large, pink crystal that glows from of time before you’re shovelling within doesn’t fit your décor, what will? money into your ever-swelling 3,900 ISK, available at Gjafir Jarðar, Ingólfsstræti 2, bank account, but does everyone else know Tel.: 517-2774. it, too? Now you can make sure they do, for less. The men’s clothing store Guðsteinn Eyjólfsson sf. is selling silk neckties for a laughable 2,200 ISK a piece. Look the part you were meant to play, even if you’re still on a business student budget. Organic Available at Guðsteinn Eyjólfsson sf, Available in both apple-cinnamon snack bars Laugavegur 34, Tel.: 551-4301. and berry flavours, Speltkex organic snack bars claim to be 100% or- ganic. A quick scan of the ingredients confirmed this fact. For all we know. In any event, at 287 ISK for a box of ten, they’re well worth the risk. Available at Yggdrasil, Skólavörðustígur 16, Tel.: 562-4082. By Paul F. Nikolov 32 Between ISK 1000 Between ISK 2500 $ Under ISK 1000 $ $ and ISK 2500 $ $ $ and ISK 4000 $ $ $ $ Over ISK 4000
instead of garish, and there are thankfully no Restaurants fishnets hanging from the ceiling. To the left A seafood feast DINING, is a smaller, more intimate dining room with a large brass mirror and some tasteful portrait a delicious secret paintings, giving it a classic, mid-20th century EATING look, while to the right is another small dining in the center of town room with large windows that open to one of the better views of downtown Reykjavík. & GRUBBING I ordered smoked puffin with mustard sauce as a starter and blue fin tuna for the Paul F. Nikolov on Reykjavík Dining Photos by Héðinn entrée, and my wife went with French onion soup and the vegetarian dinner. While smoked puffin is a bit salty, the plate is sprinkled with The result was a flavourless, tough excuse for fresh-diced carrots, red onions and parsley. reykjavík a pizza. To make matters more confusing, the This touch adds a little more life to the puffin place wasn’t even half full at the time, so not and makes the mustard sauce superfluous. pizza company even the typical dinner rush explanation could No true Icelandic restaurant plate would be account for this sloppiness. But the kitchen did. complete without at least one of the following: RPC has an open kitchen. This is unfortu- tiny, peeled, boiled potatoes and/or vegetables, nate for them, as on this night it was in com- a small portion of salad, and a lot of sauce. It’s HÉÐINN plete chaos, while a few kitchen workers stood as much a part of the national character as the in a circle, talking. Also, two pizza peels – the flag itself. Þrír Frakkar’s entrée plate comes $ $ $ tool that takes pizzas out of the oven – were with all three. For those tired of pretending to resting with their blades on the floor, against be full after eating a small, pretty, and expensive seafood (in this case, bacalao), with one dessert the same dirty, rubber mat that people stood on meal, the dietary frankness will be refreshing. for 4,950 ISK. On the table were three little as they put toppings on the pizza. While it’s not The blue fin tuna was grilled the way it bowls of herb butter, olive oil, and a spice mix likely that this would transmit disease to your should be - hot enough to singe the meat and reminiscent of sweet Balkan spices. These food, it certainly doesn’t look professional. trap all the flavour inside - with just a little were to accompany the jalapeno and sun-dried I would like to believe that this was just a bit of black pepper. The mango sauce added a tomato bread we were served. bad night for the Reykjavík Pizza Company, nice tang to the fish. The vegetarian meal was Owner Kristján Nóí explained that most of but until some serious changes are made to comprised of two main servings: a mixture of their menu is locally produced – with a diver up the staff, the decor, the music choice and the rice and chopped vegetables, and fried veggie north who provides Vín og Skel with mussels, organisation skills of the restaurant, it would be patties. The rice and vegetables were flavour- shrimp and (when available) sea urchins. better to avoid dining there altogether. PN ful, although the veggie patties were slightly The oysters, which were flown in from overcooked. Both plates were served with the Brittany, were fresh and flavourful, and we were HÉÐINN signature potato, carrots, and small iceberg mix. given a bacalao and clam mousse to sample as þrír frakkar There were three desserts: skýr pie, French well, but the real star of the appetizers was harð- $ $ chocolate cake, and ice cream, but we were both fiskur and butter. I’m not making this up. Two too full to consider any of them. small cylinders of butter were rolled in flaked Reykjavík Pizza Company Þrír Frakkar’s domestic and unpretentious harðfiskur and dill, and topped with a wafer of Laugavegur 81 atmosphere was enough to make Lionel Richie harðfiskur, giving this Icelandic staple a fresh Tel.: 561-3838 and Billy Ocean - some of the background look and taste. This only stands to reason, as the I won’t go into a lot of detail about my experi- music selections - bearable or at least ignor- chef, Kjartan M. Kjartansson, was once given able. The intimacy might make it a better idea the task of creating a wedding banquet made ence at the Reykjavík Pizza Company. Located r e s t a u r a n t in the same building as the former Reykjavík to make a workday evening reservation rather only from ingredients within a 20-kilometre Bagel Company, RPC still sells bagels as a part than go during the weekend, although I’d say radius of Akureyri. of their menu, but the main focus is now… the more upscale decor of the left dining room Presentation, as they say, is 80% of food Laugarvegi 55b pizza. And there are a lot of different pizzas is a good place to reserve for celebrations with service, and Vín og Skel understands this www.vinogskel.is to choose from, priced between 775 ISK (for a few friends. Most of all, Þrír Frakkar is a perfectly. Entrees are served in colourful little a small cheese pizza) and 2,100 ISK (for a 16” quintessential and reasonably priced example of pots painted with flowers, so you can serve your pizza with loads of toppings). And many of Icelandic dining. PN self a bit at a time and still keep the food hot these pizzas have imaginative topping choices, by having a lid on the pot. The sides came in Salt as was the case with my order, the Óði Haninn separate little white bowls, and included lobster (the Crazy Rooster) – chicken, grilled pine sauce, fried red potatoes, a mix of diced fennel nuts, Castania mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes vín og skel root, carrots and celery root cooked in orange $ $ $ $ juice and saffron, polenta, and onions braised in and jalapeno peppers. Even though the walls Vín og Skel Hotel 1919 balsamic vinegar and red wine. These sides we of RPC are adorned with some truly atrocious HÉÐINN Laugavegur 55 Pósthússtræti 2 animal portraits, and the background music Tel.: 534-4700 could divide between ourselves, having as much Tel.: 599-1020 or as little as we pleased. selection, Sparklehorse (would you like to hear Every once in a while, a restaurant will go out As a rule of thumb, it is not so much the taste of the food list, making some very good selections for my companion. Overall, Vín og Skel go out of their way to the line, “I wanna be a pig/I wanna suck a cock” $ $ $ of its way to do more on every level, providing that is the real criteria for a restaurant in Salt’s price range. I made my own selections, and my knowledge of wines do something new in the Icelandic restaurant whilst munching on pizza?), wasn’t the best the perfect blend of tradition and imagination. You don’t go into an expensive restaurant hoping to be was quickly put in its place by comparison. Þrír Frakkar scene, and have raised the bar by more than a dinner choice, I was optimistic about the meal Vín og Skel is one such restaurant. Located in a pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. You expect A reassuring feature of the restaurant’s interior is the Baldursgata 14 few notches. Here’s hoping other restaurants itself. courtyard just off of Laugavegur, merely setting it to be good, and you are only surprised when it’s not. open window between the dining area and the kitchen, Tel.: 552-3939 follow their example. PN Unfortunately, we had been waiting 45 foot in the place gives you the impression that Therefore, when my companion and I received one deli- where you can see the chefs preparing your dish. Oth- minutes for our food to arrive when a couple This cosy, mid-range restaurant, in a quiet, you’re in some bistro in Tuscany. Edith Piaf cious course after another we were not surprised. That was erwise, the interior is inspired by a dark and minimalist that had placed their order 15 minutes after residential part of downtown Reykjavík, Þrír was playing, the classic Belgian beer Leffe was Restaurants in Reykjavík to be expected. What did come as a pleasant surprise was approach, with a colour arrangement that varies from black us received their pizzas. Our waitress told us Frakkar is best known for its seafood, but could on tap, and best of all, the restaurant is totally the adventurous menu. to sand and oyster with the occasional warm touch of pa- she would check on our order. A few minutes also be considered an excellent example of the smoke-free (although there is a balcony available Hornið Hafnarstræti 15 Phone: 551 3340 For example, the kangaroo and goat cheese salad, prika and saffron. The seating arrangements run alongside Icelandic dining experience. The walls of the Tapas, Vesturgata 3B, Phone: 551 2344 later, she returned with two dry, lukewarm, for people to get their fix). Tveir Fiskar, Geirsgata 9 Phone: 511 3474 which I had for a starter. An excellent choice I might add. a big street-front window. Although the scenery mostly overcooked pizzas – a sure sign that the pizzas main dining room are adorned with mounted The menu emphasises seafood, and on Vegamót, Vegamótastígur 4, Phone: 511 3040 Another excellent and inventive dish was the grilled tuna consists of the Reykjavík Grapevine offices and a hot dog had been left out, gotten cold, and were quickly fish and a ram’s head, which actually makes weekends they add a theme – a choice of several La Primavera, Austurstræti 9, Phone: 561 8555 with ginger and capers - highly recommended. And the stand, this should dramatically improve once the planned thrown back in the oven for a brief reheating. the room feel more relaxed and domestic, starters and entrees, all reflecting one type of Shalimar, Austurstræti 4, Phone: 551 0292 saffro-spiced seafood soup was another tasty one. As for music hall has been built across from the restaurant. the rest of our meal, chorizo spiced beef tenderloin and the Two points worth keeping in mind: First, the res- lemon and thyme spiced lamb fillet, it was excellent if not taurant’s staff will happily prepare special dishes for both adventurous children and vegetarians upon request. Second, in the A word must be reserved for the service. The casual, lounge bar opposite the restaurant, certain dishes from the yet professional approach of the Salt staff made us feel es- starters menu, such as the seafood soup, can be ordered at pecially welcome. The formal atmosphere that often goes a very reasonable price, which makes it a terrific stop for a with dining in an upscale restaurant was eased into a very light lunch downtown. pleasant and relaxed experience. Our sommelier displayed a good knowledge of the restaurant’s quite extensive wine By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson sushi
[LÆKJARGATA] Grapevine Film Reviews
whO Goldie Lookin’ Chain where NASA bobbing their heads. bunch that evening. He sounds a lot like Eazy-E, and There’s One Born Every Minute They opened up with Shit to Me, a song that employs the same staccato, but his delivery was intense. whEN trashes a long list of female singers. The crowd It seemed like every time he began rapping, especially By Paul F’in Nikolov | Photos by Skari February 10th numbered about a hundred people at this point. during Roller Disco, a nostalgic piece about the 80s Despite the low attendance, GLC performed with the that involved a lot of really bad popping and roboting, 2006 Arriving an hour and a half after the doors opened, passion of a vaudeville act on opening night. Even if the crowd’s response ratcheted up a notch. the photographer and I couldn’t help but notice that only two or three MCs were ever rapping at any given Mystikal looked completely out of place in this there were about seven people in the club, the stage time, the silent members of the crew were constantly group - the baseball cap, longish hair and full beard already adorned with a giant GLC banner bearing the moving - dancing poorly, prat-falling, and, at one made him look more like the stand-in percussionist slogan, “You knows it,” a slogan that succinctly sums point, demonstrating hilariously incompetent break for Phish than a rapper. But when it came time for Icelandic Cinema Grows Up up Goldie Lookin’ Chain’s entire persona. dancing. I half expected unicycles and seltzer bottles to his solo, he proved an MC with presence and is also, Review of Blóðbönd (Thicker Than Water) Comprised of nine MCs from Wales, this group get involved. Their image and their performance are so according to the song in question, “the alchemist in er has often been accused of promoting “chav” culture - clearly satirical that the circus-like feel to the show was Newport.” The references to South Wales were many. Warning! Plot Spoiler - Warning! Plot Spoiler - Warning! Plot Spoil young people with a penchant for track suits, Burberry fitting: they are, in the end, professional clowns. And apart from an overly long and frankly painful A family of three - with another child very soon on the way - is sent into hats, and giant gold coin rings, often associated with Not that everyone got the joke. A scan of the crowd solo from Maggot, the burlesque continued with great a tailspin when the husband, Pétur (Hilmar Jónsson), learns that he is not drug use and violence. But while GLC will sport gold showed most people having a genuinely good time, speed. The show reached a climax with 21 Ounces, the the biological father of his son, Örn (Aron Brink Sigurjónsson), who looks ropes and the occasional Adidas visor, it’s been pretty but there were a few people wearing their thug face whole crowd gleefully singing the chorus, some people to be about ten years old. Örn’s mother Ásta (Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir) – hoodies up, over low-brimmed baseball caps, hands more seriously than others. obvious from the beginning that the intentions of the initially denies having had an affair, so Pétur moves out at once and goes off buried deep in their front pockets, and generally trying GLC definitely deserved credit for the enormous band that penned Your Mother Has a Penis should be on a carnival of booze, self-pity, and starting a live-in relationship with his their best to look like extras from the battle-rap scene amount of energy they put into this show – most bands taken with a grain of salt. emotionally imbalanced receptionist. But rather depicting these events with in 8 Mile. This, of course, is a testament to GLC’s of their stature would have seen an empty club of While we waited, the opening DJ spun some decent a farcical or sentimental treatment, the characters in this family act and react material, with The Fugees’ Oh La La La making brilliance – even with the hilarity and inanity of titles barely 100 people and simply played by the numbers. to each other the way you imagine people would in such a situation - on edge more than a few heads bounce. As the club began like To the Five Valleys (a Welsh interpretation of the But their boundless, non-stop energy was downright but restrained as much as possible. to fill, I noticed a lot more Puma, Nike and Adidas Beastie Boys’ To the Five Boroughs), there are still infectious and well appreciated. One Icelandic attendee Pétur’s descent into a Hotel Nordica minibar-fuelled hell is delivered than I would normally see in Reykjavík. Even the those that find this humour far too subtle for them. I spoke to told me it was the best show he’d seen since with a relaxed honesty by Jónsson. His behaviour ranges from funny to cad- photographer was wearing an Adidas tracksuit top that That GLC is often blamed for people taking them Snoop Dogg this summer and 50 Cent the summer dish to self-destructive, every bit of it wincingly believable. he had bought specifically for this show. Suddenly, and seriously is just as stupid as blaming Marilyn Manson before. It is hard to like Ásta. The self-righteous indignation that she hurls at without warning, television personality and Eurovision for Columbine. Pétur for accusing her of having an affair, considering the evidence (it turns hopeful Silvía Nótt took to the stage, prompting There was almost no between-song chatter, save Set list: out Örn has a different blood type than his parents, who are both Os), not a mad rush to the front. After a brief and nervous for brief, clearly well-rehearsed dialogue to set-up a No Joke to mention the smug front she tries to maintain when she serves Pétur with introduction from Ms. Nótt, Goldie Lookin’ Chain song. These exchanges (“Oi, Eggsy, I noticed you Shit To Me Bad Boy Limp/Robot Short Term divorce papers, make her seem incredibly egocentric. But as unlikeable as she came on stage with guns blazing. didn’t bring your missus up here to Iceland with you.” Midnight Paranoia might be at times, she often shows touching vulnerability, just as Pétur can be What’s the worst part of being a hip-hop act with “I couldn’t. And you know why? Coz she’s a nutter.” Roller Disco 21 Ounces boorish and immature. nine MCs? Unless you know how to work the crowd, – the set-up for none other than Your Missus Is a Guns Sister These two central characters sum up where Blóðbönd succeeds - the film Your Mother Has a Penis you’re just nine guys with microphones. Not much Nutter) also added to the vaudevillian feel of the show. Mystikal avoids the traditional Icelandic cinematic technique of using one-dimen- Your Missus is a Nutter to look at. Thankfully, GLC didn’t just stand there Of the nine, Eggsy was the strongest MC of the sional stock characters that bounce off each other like players in a Benny Hill sketch, and shows us instead real, multidimensional people reacting to a crisis in a highly believable way, warts and all. Pétur’s sister and her fiancé see Pétur through his four-star bender, until he begins to date Anna (Laufey Elísasdóttir), a girl about ten years younger than him who works as a receptionist at his optometry clinic. Pétur’s sister, who comes closest to being the most “stable” character in the story, throws Pétur out when she learns of his affair, so he moves in with Anna. Pétur and Anna’s relationship is one of the best played of the film, as difficult as it can be to watch sometimes. Friends regard Pétur’s almost scary state of denial BERGSTAÐASTRÆTI 13 with disbelief, and Anna proves to be volatile and unpredictable - at one point waking up Pétur’s wife at her home, looking for him. Eventually, her - PHONE: 551 3083 erratic behaviour snaps him out of his pity fog. Örn remains oblivious to the whole story, knowing only that his dad is “away” for the time being, although his friend tells him, “Your mom is acting just like my mom acted when my dad left.” From there on out, Örn doesn’t Oldest bakery in Iceland get a moment’s peace. The movie ends on Örn, too, with all the right ques- tions unanswered. We leave the family in the tense, polite calm of a cease- fire, some compromise reached that no one is happy with, and will surely be the cause of a future catastrophe. since 1834 The chaotic behaviour of people in crisis keeps Blóðbönd going, without attempting to neatly wrap it all up at the end, nor to caricaturise it through- out. If anything could have been done differently, it would probably be avoid- ing the extreme close-ups - we sometimes got a very close look at someone’s eye or nostril, likely in an effort to make us sympathise or feel emotional, though this is mostly just distracting and affected. But overall, Blóðbönd might mark a turning point in Icelandic film in its unflinching portrayal of a family in turmoil. By Paul F. Nikolov MISSISSIPPI ALBUM REVIEWS GRAPEVINE SINGLES REVIEWS
WEEZER – BEVERLY HILLS THE MAGIC NUMBERS – LOVE ME LIKE YOU SIGUR RÓS – SÆGLÓPUR Weezer’s complete indul- through her ‘rock’ phase. A What’s so fucking original the song sections badly struc- You’ve heard one, you’ve radio-friendly synthesism to gence in everything clichéd fairly standard song from an about sounding exactly like tured, the production tame, heard them all; I guess that’s balance things out. A piece of T-Model Ford R.L. Burnside American has now gone so album full of ho-hum medioc- The Velvet Underground? If leaving the song just predict- why they once released an plain, black liquorice: a taste Pee-wee Get My Gun, A Ass Pocket of far over the hill that it has rity, it compares well to your there’s a good answer to that, able enough to bore you, yet album full of untitled tracks. that, once acquired, is reliable, You Better Keep Still, Whiskey, Too Bad Jim, reached the slope of a new hill standard behind-the-counter The Magic Numbers defi- just awkward enough to be Well-paced and steady, predictable, slightly boring and begun an effortless ascent, gummy bear; unremarkable nitely don’t know it, but their intensely annoying. Compara- Sæglópur stays true to Sigur and just too damn long, but She Ain’t None of First Recordings and Honeyboy Edwards but that’s simply because they and sickeningly sweet, and subject matter is hopelessly ble to a fictional candy made Rós’ tried and tested formula some people just swear by the Your’n, bad man Sound Machine Groove Delta Bluesman haven’t had any competi- stays in your body a little unfit for the song’s melody, out of recycled paper. SE while opting for a helping of stuff. SE tion since Britney Spears got longer than it should. SE We interviewed T-Model for Bad man is a bad album, pure A Ass Pocket, an experiment his own guitar. Burnside David Honeyboy Edwards Edwards take on big band the last issue, and complained and simple. As is You Better in which the Jon Spencer stretches out the beats, and visited Iceland a few months Chicago style, but you rarely EMILÍANA TORRINI – HEARTSTOPPER 22-20s – SHOOT YOUR GUN that his comments may be Keep Still, with the exception Blues Explosion teamed plays a distorted slide that not ago and put on a charismatic hear him simply playing and MUGISON – MURR MURR Fashionably witless acoustic malt bread with a mysteri- Nothing in this song - from est hint of originality, but we repeated a bit too often, of the single To the Left to up with one of the most only influenced Jon Spencer, show. The Earwig Records singing. Despite some good Mugison is such a fine guitar riff played repeatedly for three pop with surprisingly brisk ous hole in the centre. Often the atmosphere-setting ham- can’t go around excpecting and that his music wasn’t the Right. She Ain’t None of overlooked and respected but far surpassed him. You collection of his work tunes, especially songs like player that it’s a pity his pre- minutes without any change. drumming and insipid lyrics seen in the general vicinity of mond and the steady march everybody to make original appreciated enough. We were Your’n is a very good blues blues musicians alive, R.L. can also track down the soul- attempts to capture Edwards’ the closer, Bad Whiskey and tentious squeal of of voice and Akin to eating a Kinder egg meant to conjure up the feel- coffee and hot chocolate, it is of the snare drum to the music, can we now? A musical amused, then, to hear that the album—there’s less bullshit, Burnside, got Mississippi influenced Sound Machine storytelling and history, and Cocaine, the CD seems to sorry lyrics ruin this otherwise while the toy and instructions ing of romance in knitwear a big favorite of children and bluesy squelching guitars and Tic-Tac: aside from making same quotes he told us were and a sincere sorrowful tone blues back on the map. Ass Groove. Burnside’s first it falls on its face. You hear have been put together by fine song, but I can’t say I’d be are still inside. SE and oversized headphones. those wishing they still were. completely vacant lyrics the you look social and fashion- even the opening to his latest throughout. T-Model can do Pocket itself, though, mostly recordings, which are mostly Alan Lomax recordings that someone who thought music happy to hear the same guitar Although not really tangy But just like eating a kleina, British music press would un- able, a pointless little snack for release, bad man—“Can’t read, great things, but he is rarely sounds like ass. For great acoustic, have integrity, but make Edwards sound like should play like a History enough to be candy, it does listening to this song stays doubtedly call “pointed” and pointless little people. SE can’t write, ain’t never been consistent for a whole album, R.L., grab Too Bad Jim, lack the playfulness and drive Robert Johnson, and you hear Channel episode. SUPERGRASS – ST. PETERSBURG kind of remind one of a with you awhile, too. SE “scathing” – betrays the slight- to school a day in my life.” and his instincts seem off. when the bluesman wields of his later recordings. kleina, a piece of Icelandic Aimless Britpop that astounds give up and it just sits on in its ability to go absolutely top of your fridge collecting RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS nowhere, sort of like a huge dust, or you eat too much and ROBERT PLANT – ALL THE KINGS HORSES LET IT RIDE easter egg: Eating it seems vomit everywhere; either way, Although embarrasingly through nicely enough, much Ram your tongue hard enough taste-oriented thing, compa- like a nice way to spend time it ain’t going nowhere. SE lacklustre in the lyrical depart- like a plain milk chocolate bar. into your cheek, and this song rable to those insanely sour at first, but then you either ment, this pointlessly pleasant Nothing too exciting, but it actually becomes okay, with frog-shaped things you get at little ballad saunters on does the trick. SE fine country orchestration, the pick-and-mix counters: JAKOBÍNARÍNA straightforward vocal melodies Painful at first, but if you’re Big George Brock and Junior Kimbrough I’VE GOT A DATE WITH MY TELEVISION ROLLING STONES – STREETS OF LOVE and a tight but light rhythm into that kind of thing, you keeping the pace. A very can never eat just one. SE the Houserockers Asie Payton Most Things Haven’t The earthly pleasures of inducing experience hearing Mysteriously chosen over in about three minutes in. Club Caravan Worried Worked Out consumerism simply do not this song, it would have to be several far superior songs on Altogether, the song serves as compare to the utter, aston- eating an entire bag of Skittles the Stones’ latest effort, this a nice reminder that it was in- Big George grew up in and others, and developed A CD description claims over-arrangements. Asie Here you get the dichotomy. baby. The occasional missed In the age of iTunes and podcasting, the Grapevine ishing brilliance of this song, while jumping on a huge bed song was seemingly written deed the Stones who invented Mississippi, then, like Muddy big band electric blues style. Payton could only get talked Payton, like his label-mate You have to be a very big, note, beat, and chord make would be remiss if we didn’t properly cover the and although the production until the springs go bad and to remind people how old the the clichés they indulge in, Waters, BB King, John Lee This CD is his first, and it is off of his tractor to record Junior Kimbrough, had very dangerous looking man, the fragile subject matter and singles scene in Iceland and beyond. For albums, does bring it down a little, proceeding to jump out of gentlemen responsible for it but it doesn’t mean they can’t Hooker and the rest, moved consistent and professional— twice, once at a Juke Joint, enough integrity that he was to sing songs so sweet and vocal lines that much more we rate by beer, for singles, we equate with candy, that is easily overpowered by the second-storey bedroom are. With clichéd, corny lyrics at least try. It is much like North for work. He stopped you hear it and you like it. But once at an Auto Care facility. allowed to sing sweet. Unlike melodic. Kimbrough matches affecting. If you’ve never another local indulgence. everything else in the song, window and onto a trampo- and a twelve-string pluck so a caramel wafer biscuit; a in St. Louis, opened a juke the CD isn’t a standout. You expect to hear low down, Kimbrough, he had pipes to his voice with high-end heard him, or Skip James, his from the bittersweet cynicism line that springs you into the homegrown it’s practically charming, harmless relic from joint to promote Muddy brutal blues—instead you get make the sweet and personal melody lines and some nice biggest vocal influence, you’ll For this issue, all singles are pulled from RÁS 2’s of the lyrics to the thundering house across the street where inbred, the song’s absolute a bygone era, once novel and Clarence Carter style love grand and celebratory. chord work to create a sound probably be shocked the blues compendium of 2005 Rokkland, a collection of the powerhouse that is the song’s there is huge party in a mir- low mark is the extraordinarily robust, but now simply con- songs, without the ridiculous similar to John Lee Hooker goes this personal. best singles played on state radio. climax. If there is a candy that ror-filled room full of bath cheap synth that wafts gently servative and uninviting. SE singing lullabies to a weeping All reviews by Sindri Eldon. Helvítis Íslendingur compares to the goosebump- bubbles. SE
Singapore Sling Taste the Blood of Willie Foster Robert Belfour Singapore Sling My Inspiration Pushin My Luck Listening to countless hours of flights of fancy that their A no-label CD that makes influential and his band was From the opening track, Hill thinking that Belfour’s CD the blues gave us a little better last album, Life is Killing the rounds of the best blues so precise, that the recording Stomp, Belfour gives you will likely get snatched up appreciation of Singapore My Rock n Roll had. Like record shops, My Inspiration may be too clean for people driving, versatile acoustic as a Hollywood soundtrack, Sling and their latest effort, a good blues album, when is a collection of 11 flawless interested in Burnside-style blues. The tone is so cool and assuming something cooler Taste the Blood. Ever since you get in the right mood, big band blues tracks featuring blues. But if you want a consistent, especially when than The Sopranos comes the band’s music was featured you want to play it straight the harmonica legend Willie seminal blues album, this is a Belfour’s bassy mellow vocals along. The best straight blues in The OC, they have been through, and you’re glad for Foster. Mr. Foster was so good choice. come on, that you can’t help album of this millennium. placed in a hipster scene that the slight variations, but happy doesn’t quite suit them. The that the album is consistent. Sling are more a local band Originally, we didn’t care for You can order these Mississippi CDs either through Amazon, the record label Fat Possum, or small locking into one particular the CD. It has since grown on record stores like Cat Head Records, or you can work out an order through a local record shop. Con- sound and tone. Taste the us, and, unlike the previous sider the VAT tax when you make your order. Blood gives you driving and albums, we don’t have to skip All reviews by Bart Cameron. droning, without the brief the occasional track. 39
By Ketill the Angry THE MODERN VIKING RECIPE
It starts with the shoes. Carrie Bradshaw has such terms to describe what they want, but what they Bludgeoning by Chocolate—When spring amazing shoes, and I look at my box set, in its don’t want and what is Other. comes, many of us switch to lighter foods. For humorous pink and black shoebox, and think of Carrie Bradshaw, like Monica Lewinsky, and this reason, March is really the last month a her shoes. their 19th Century counterparts in Victorian Eng- chocolate indulgence can be considered to be Last night, I sat down on my leather couch, land, were entertaining Others that we watched in good form. Find your favourite chocolate lit a few candles, and watched, for probably the to remind us why we stay repressed. The Metro- cake recipe, cut the egg count down, and step twentieth time, An American Girl in Paris Part sexual movement, with which this Modern Viking up the amount of cocoa powder a notch or Deux, the final episode of season six of Sex and is so frequently associated, brought gay culture two. Cocoa powder and pure chocolate have the City. The romance. The heartbreak. That Ver- into the Other category. And now we have Des- a number of positive health effects, most PART 3OF sace dress. Oh, I know Sex and the City is fantasy, perate Housewives, putting the Other in Mother. relating to mood, which are especially helpful Lost and Found Touring the American Egypt 4 but what a world! The whole movement made this Modern Viking during the March cold snap that typically hits Humidifier on, cucumbers on eyes, TMJ bite so uptight, that I could not be settled until I this island. guard in place and the gentle musings of Cold- stumbled upon my DVD of Michael Cunningham’s play on my stereo, I felt an anxious twitch in rapturous The Hours. But that is another story. the back of my head. To be sure it wasn’t my in the Devil’s Country By Bart Cameron | Photos by Gúndi scalp—that thing has been moisturised five ways The Modern Viking is a syndicated columnist un- to Sunday. der the employ of the Reykjavík Grapevine. You “We support our troops. We support our troops. Buy Ameri- of the Tunica Civic Centre. Our destination: the Athletic No, it was anxiety about my obsession with can email him at [email protected] can. We support our troops. Tie a yellow ribbon.” Cheer and Dance National Championships. Losing My Religion Sex and the City, and all of Iceland’s obsession Jesus Christ, just smile and talk about Dodge trucks,” I tell Why are we here? Our spiritual devastation was a long time coming. The three of with Sex and the City, and I was suffering about the two Icelanders I’m walking with. We then pass a giant decal Mainly because we are desperate for human contact after a us who have flown to Mississippi from Iceland are the only peo- what I see as our inevitable disappointment, the THE MODERN VIKING FASHION TIP showing a cartoon peeing on a Dodge insignia. stunning Sunday morning of religious radio, but also because ple on the road not headed to church. We have spent the last unavoidable dissolution of this ultimately super- “This is like hell, right?” my friend says. we are on Highway 61, the blues highway, and we have just seen three evenings with blues musicians who have made no attempt ficial relationship the girls of SatC have formed Fashion is ideological, so if you ain’t Jackie-O, We have walked half a kilometre, and we have another few something that made our souls cry: a gaggle of about a dozen to hide their indulgences in women, liquor. Just as the older hundred metres of black asphalt before we’ll get to the entrance overweight six year olds in make-up and cheerleading costumes. musicians are unabashed about drinking corn liquor and using with those people least familiar with the culture the fur’s gotta go knives in fights, there are rumours about crack cocaine and guns they’re trying to portray. Is Iceland headed for a among the most talented of the younger generation. Big Apple Hangover? This modern Viking had to Sometimes conservatives and Right Wingers When hearing the stories of manslaughter and house arrest, ask himself. get the breaks—they can drive giant SUVs the outsiders among us, the white music fans who have come to Sex and the City, I realise after my twenty- without feeling conflicted, they can wear bow see the best of Mississippi blues, often mutter the words “Jesus” third viewing, was purely a thing of the times— ties and corduroy suits without feeling emas- and “Jesus Christ” in response—when you mutter a religious sadly, those times, the beginning of this millen- culated, as they can throw around the phrase name enough, with so much astonishment, you come to an nium, were dumb and loaded not only with bad “just nuke ‘em” to make up for looking weak, understanding of the Southern phrase “losing my religion,” even double entendres, but with George Orwell-style and they can wear fur. For this reason, Prime when you never had any to begin with. double speak and double think. Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson can wear seal Our one reprieve is an accidental stop at a tourist destina- Hold it, Ketill the Angry, you say. This is a skin—his political beliefs are in line with club- tion. The publishers of Big City Blues, some of the white casual advice column, not some kind of literary bing cute animals as long as they improve the people we came across in Clarksdale, tell us that any visit to survey. And you’re right. Casual advice columns economy. Social Democrat Ingibjörg Sólrún Mississippi would be incomplete without visiting the famous these days are meant to require only the smallest Gísladóttir, however, looks silly in a neck- Shack Up Inn, a blues-themed “beer and breakfast” made up amount of investment on the part of their read- to-toe fur coat, as do the many left-leaning of a row of shotgun shacks and cotton bins set up with modern ers. I am to assume you have read nothing and young women wearing fur at local events in conveniences. Visiting a shotgun shack at an old plantation seems, on the thought about nothing before you came upon Reykjavík these days. The only person on Earth surface, about as disrespectful to local history as you could get. this column. But who made it this way? When did who could convince people that she cared But when we pull in and are greeted by the caretaker and co- literature and philosophy fade away, and when about the environment while wearing fur was owner, Bill Talbot, a gritty and enthusiastic local who is ecstatic did it became all important to be “true to your- Jackie O, and she’s dead. All you other fur to see more foreign tourists, our skepticism eases. Difficult as self, girl” or something like that? To me, thinking people, either go regressive on your politics, life no doubt was in the shacks, to see them firsthand, and to of the coy presentations of sex from four women or go progressive on your clothes. be told the story of each person the shacks were collected from, who looked more like the wives that members is remarkable. Talbot celebrates the best of a difficult situation, of the Long Island Country Club might cheat on and he clings vigourously to the local history and culture: each than Manhattan socialites, I think the stupid, cabin is a veritable gallery of folk art and local history. casual culture came about when sex got reintro- Beaming on a Sunday morning inside a shack he calls “the duced to the mainstream. When Monica Lewin- Cadillac” that had, until the late 1980s, housed a man named sky made her first bow. Cookie who raised three sons in the shack without water or Monica and President Clinton’s childish scan- electricity, Talbot explains his enthusiasm: “We get the best dal caught an international audience, but it was kind of people here. We get cultural tourists who care about ahead of its time. And then HBO gave us four history and music. Every day, it’s great to see who shows up, women with less lustiness than Monica, and less and to see the way people react.” For one hour on this Sunday morning, we’ve seen something of that frightening intelligence of Bill Clinton, to positive. Then, while showing us the cotton bin, Bill Talbot talk about sex for us in a less threatening way, to lets slip how many people have covered his hotel: CNN, USA make us feel better about ourselves for knowing Today, and a dozen or so major foreign papers. “When Robert a little about the Naked Ape. Plant was here a few months ago, he was looking at this stair- My realization is, in 47 and a half hours of well, and do you know what he said? He said it’s the Stairway to casual sex talk from supposedly forward thinking Nowhere.” socialites during 94 and a half episodes of Sex It is such a soul-sucking joke, that all the good of the positive and the City I learned nothing about New York, tourism Mr. Talbot has done is immediately drained from our sex, women or even shoes. bodies. When we take him up on his offer to sample a Moon Go back to the shoes, Carrie’s fundamental Pie, a marshmallow concoction popular in the south, we are put character trait. In those many episodes, while we into that much more of a funk. saw some nice shoes, we never understood what makes shoes good—something any exposure to And then there is the radio. On this December in 2005, the another fictional character’s interests should have radio is full of preachers complaining about an America that is allowed us. Look around: among all these fans of “at war with Christianity,” as President Bush has sent a holiday SatC, do you see anyone wearing decent shoes? card that doesn’t mention Christ. Even Wal-Mart won’t put up Christmas decorations! Go to your bookstore: among all the books One talk radio personality is filling our ears with an attack influenced by SatC, do you see any decent writ- on the residents of New Orleans, whom we have just visited. ing about sex? Go to the movies, turn on your According to this Christian talk show host, the people of the TV, go to the museum: the age of Sex and the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, whose homes were destroyed due City was also the age of Dr. Phil, Oprah Winfrey, to faulty construction of locks along the Mississippi, according Internet porn and Hooters, an age of coy, casual to reports published while we are in America, “have never done talk about sex in which absolutely nothing was anything but be victims, and they’ll just go on being victims and revealed, except that sex is controversial. We living off of the government somewhere else.” weren’t talking about sex with the girls of SatC, The blues is one thing, but ignorance, hatred and intolerance we were talking about them, just as kids who all on a Sunday with just a Moon Pie and a stinging corn liquor talk about porn more and more aren’t using porn >>> continues on next page 40 41
on a night on the town confessed the riding boots,” the Gothic litera- Faulkner, who apparently has been that a flood of New Orleans musi- ture student informs me. forced down the throats of the locals cians were now playing around town, a little too much. boosting the quality of the nightlife Where Authors Are Rock Stars Sitting down for bagels at a even further. “Have you been to Rowan Oaks crammed local diner, the Bot- Oxford proves entertaining by yet?” I am asked politely as I settle tle Tree, a curious patron started night, and still more uplifting by down in the Faulkner section of a lengthy conversation about day. Rowan Oaks, home to William Square Books in downtown Oxford. Björgólf-ur Thor, Iceland’s wealthy Faulkner, is just off the centre of “You can just go in and see Faulkn- investment maverick. My travel town, its grounds making up a popu- er’s riding boots. Exactly how he left companions were pleased, and then lar park, all kept up by the University them. It’s amazing.” a little afraid, that casual knowledge of Mississippi. “I don’t really enjoy Faulkner,” I stretched so far in Oxford. On the day we go to Rowan say, immediately putting an enthusi- Eventually, we were exposed to Oaks, we are the only people to enter astic local at ease. the dangers of reading too much. the building, whereas a number of “No. It’s hard to like what you’re The same patron showed us a paper- people are walking their dogs in the forced to read,” he says, before back from his backpack by a Mr. Bill peaceful grounds, and a couple have recommending no less than a dozen Bryson, travel writer. Bryson, master their wedding photos taken at the Mississippi writers that aren’t re- of clichés and boring stereotypes, had gate to the house. quired but that he thoroughly enjoys. written about three of his favourite Touring Rowan Oaks, home to Since Faulkner, Oxford has Mississippi towns: Oxford, Tupelo America’s single most-respected, been the seat of Southern literature, and Columbus. and, to many, most difficult writer, though the welcome addition of the “It’s not very good,” he told us. “I is a humbling experience. Faulkner, less literary John Grisham, and the feel like I’m learning less with every who wrote as big and aggressive as endowments he has given to the page. I hope you do better.” any national author, seems to live local university, have allowed for an haphazardly. His study features a cot absolute boom of regional fiction in Mentioned in this article: and notes for a film adaptation of his recent years. The quick run through The Shack Up Inn, Pulitzer Prize-winning The Fable of great recent writers who have lived www.shackupinn.com pencilled across the wall. in Oxford includes Barry Hannah, Wal-Mart, www.walmart.com Ole Miss students staff the Larry Brown, Tom Franklin, Willie (Also recommended, Hel-Mart, museum, and they gladly show me a Morris and Beth Ann Finley. www.hel-mart.com) New York Times article claiming the During the school year, the larg- Rowan Oaks, building’s importance. est bookstore in town, Square Books, Square Books, www.squarebooks.com Asked if they spend the day hosts three readings a week, forming reading Faulkner, they both raise a community that, at least according their hands apologetically. One host to the bookstore attendant, “treats says he had read some Faulkner, but authors like rock stars.” really just likes graphic design, the To indicate how book crazy Ox- other, a graduate student in Gothic ford has gone, the owner of Square literature, claims no interest what- Books, Richard Howorth, was soever in Faulkner, famous in many recently elected mayor. circles as the father of Southern For the most part, the hyper-lit- Gothic writing. eracy of Oxford is a blessing—you “What is the most common at- can hold a decent conversation on traction?” I ask. most topics with just about anyone, “A lot of people really like to see as long as you hide your love for hangover in the molars is too much. Meredith looks at me funny and sticker shock – cutting out benefits, walks away. A few minutes later, a destroying wholesalers and signing So, of course, when we see the well-belied moustachioed man from pacts with Satan make for extremely JonBenet Ramsey look-alike squad, Memphis starts to eye me. low prices. But still more appeal- we have to pull over. If we can’t feel I ask a few children about how ing for any tourist to America is the better, at least we now know of a they did, but they all speak just like following: Wal-Mart is a hell of a few thousand people who must feel ESPN jocks, saying they were just pick-up place. worse. in it for the experience, with one We had actually been told this We get through the parking lot, saying, “I’m just here to have fun” our first day in the South. While eat- we make it into the event hall itself, all while keeping a stone-cold game ing a po’ boy at a Mobile, Alabama our press passes evoking a “you’re not face. Finally, when Jerry Lee Lewis’s shop, the cook told us, “If you ever really going to write about this, are Great Balls of Fire comes booming want to pick up a lady, just drive you?” from an older sister assigned through the speakers, my photog- down to Wal-Mart. You don’t even to help sell tickets for the more than rapher, who is fighting to hold back have to say anything.” 4,000-people event, the Southern tears of laughter, announces, “This is Sadly, he couldn’t have been more Regionals of the National Athletic just wrong,” and begs that we get out right. The smiles and conversations Cheer and Dance. quickly. that came our way at the Oxford We are just in time for the five- “One thing you can say is that Wal-Mart had us stunned. Especial- to-eight year-old competition. Four everybody in there was extremely ly when my colleague was somewhat thousand people are packed into a supportive, and all the parents loved forcefully hit on by a college cheer- massive auditorium to watch hun- their children,” I tell my Icelandic leader who was holding hands with dreds of five-to-eight year olds cheer friends, who refusing to speak and her boyfriend… in the gun aisle. in heavy make-up. have decided we should leave the Not until checkout, when a bor- My initial questions don’t work South immediately. derline hysterical mother explained out. “I think I’ve never seen something to me that she had to drive 40 miles To Dana, a mother wearing a so wrong in my entire life,” says one to cover this shift because Wal-Mart shirt that says “My Job List: Hair friend, who spent three minutes at was the only employer who would stylist, Make-up artist, taxi driver, the competition before fleeing for take her in since she started home bank teller. But my favorite job is #1 the car and locking himself in. schooling her hyperactive child did fan!” I ask, “Can you explain to an our collective consciences react. “You international audience what com- Rock Bottom at Wal-Mart have to spend almost half your wages petitive cheer is?” If we are to have our souls sucked dry on gas on a day like this, but you just “Don’t you have ESPN?” she in one day, I decide we should go all have to take the shift to make sure says, indignant, and walks off. out. We drive as fast as we can down you get a better offer later,” our cash- I catch hold of a young-looking the highway, searching for the most ier told me, then smiled and asked if grandmother named Meredith and celebrated of Southern enterprises: I wanted my receipt in the bag or in ask her to fill me in. Wal-Mart. my hand. “Oh, they’ve come a long way I’m am driving to Wal-Mart in Finally, we all agreed we’d hit since cheerleading,” she tells me. a search for rock bottom. Awkward rock bottom. “You don’t hardly know what they’re as the National Cheer and Dance doing anymore. But you still have to Competition was, we at least found Required Reading be proud.” acceptance, familial love and enthu- If you’re going to hit rock bottom, I nod, and we watch the Elite siasm. We expect none of this from Oxford is the town to do it in. The Squad do a pyramid to contemporary Wal-Mart. home of Ole Miss, the town has an 100° Gallery rock music. My gut begins to ache as Five minutes in Wal-Mart, and unofficial motto: “We may not win Reykjavik Energy I realise the song the kids are danc- we aren’t anywhere near rock bottom every game, but we ain’t never lost a Bæjarhals 1 ing to. in American culture – we’re at the party.” 110 Reykjavik “Do you realise, Meredith, that single best tourist spot in the world, As a rule, the bars present local these kids are dancing to Michael according to my Icelandic friends. live music on most nights for mini- Open Mon. - Fri. 8.30-16 and Sat. 13-17 Jackson’s Smooth Criminal?” The main cause for excitement is the mal cover charges. A friend we made - - - 43
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Icel for this travel piece. - k or To Smith, Brokeback was just a story of King Kong did well, A day before flying to New got from the conservative right, Smith said “Brokeback Mountain isn’t a gay movie. Other than…” and he spit on his hand and imitated Heath Ledger’s emblematic scene. longing. He then explained his own interest in gay scenes, as motivated by his brother, who is openly gay and married. Smith wanted to make movies his brother could watch and at least have something he identified with. Smith then pointed out that, genetically and otherwise, he was “one cock in the mouth away from being gay” himself. Not the most insightful com ment, but when repeated five times, it begins to get peculiarly amusing. If They Can Do That in California… Comic conventions have been growing in appeal over the last decade. Last year, San Diego’s famed Comicon brought Peter Jackson and King Kong, David Cronenberg and A History of Violence, Bryan Singer and previews from Superman, and a massive set piece from Corpse Bride. When Catwoman flopped miserably at the box office, it was seen as doing so because it failed to properly court the geeks, whereas X-Men, directed by Mr. Singer, succeeded, ac cording to even the director, because it obeyed the geeks. Cronenberg’s A History of Violence was worshipped by critics, and Sin City opened a whole new genre of comics to the mainstream. It seemed only natural that a comic convention would become a massive cultural force in New York, the birthplace of the modern comic book. - - - - ew y new In one of his many 20-minute answers to There are more heart-breaking confes Kevin Smith, though, lunged full on into
of comic nerds, he explains how lame the RA was for sending a note to his parents. 2) Kevin Smith, the future director, went to college to be a writer, and instead of studying, he stood outside the Saturday Night Live offices “wait ing to be discovered by Lorne Michaels as the funny quiet fat kid.” sions suffused with geek logic and a desperate desire to be liked, trusted, and to be honest at all costs. To differentiate the kind of logic and motivation present among Kevin Smith and the best of the crowd at the First Annual New York Comicon, let me refer to Mr. Smith’s Brokeback Mountain joke. Those of us who have sat through the months of borderline- retarded homophobic Brokeback jokes from Jay Leno and other guy-next-door straight white assholes might say it’s impossible to even broach the subject of Brokeback without com ing off dull. his Brokeback routine. Asked if he, the direc tor of Chasing Amy, identified with Ang Lee regarding the criticism Brokeback Mountain ten-second stupid questions, he tells a person who asks “How do I make a film?” to rack up $30,000 in credit card debt. He then goes on to explain why he dropped out of college after one semester. The reasons: 1) Kevin Smith grew up in New Jersey, moved to New York for school and got into a high-rise dorm. He promptly took up the habit of throwing things at passers-by from the 8th floor. First water balloons, then other things. He went home to New Jersey one weekend to find a note to his parents explaining that the future director came up with the brilliant idea of filling lawn- sized garbage bags with water and dropping them out of an 8th story window to scare NYU students—Smith attended the New School, temporary institution of another famous dropout, Jack Kerouac. Speaking to thousands - - - - tour on “Kevin, I came here to get my $18 back. I Even this won’t get Kevin Smith down. “I need a really big trailer because I need There’s a brief silence. Then the crowd erupts. Many of them know exactly what Mr. Smith is talking about—likely more than Mr. Smith, who is not nearly as obese as he claims he is. The rest of us are absolutely stunned that a celebrated director, writer and overall cultural force just created the single most disgusting mental self-portrait likely ever put out there. Silent Bob, the Likeable Loudmouth Re formed Sociopath from Jersey A tall black kid with acne, a sports jacket, and a red Flash sweatshirt gets to the mic. think we all know that you let us down with the Black Cat and Spider-Man series, and you owe us. It’s a disgrace.” He’s a man determined to connect with his fans, to break down any wall between artist and fan that might exist, and a man determined, most of all, to entertain. He does it with the energy of a sociopath; and he let’s slip that, in fact, he was a sociopath at one point in his life. The Geeks of Gotham where they no longer fit in York, Comic conventions return to New by Gúndi photos Cameron by Bart “I liked acting in Catch and Release because they gave me a really big trailer.” Kevin Smith, known by his screen name Silent Bob, is brag ging. He’s entitled. More than 10,000 fans have filled the basement of the Javitz Conven tion Centre to celebrate him and his colleagues in comics and comic-based film. He has been answering questions for two hours, and will continue until they drag him from the stage so that Todd McFarlane, the man who popular ised Spider-Man, and who created Spawn, will tell a disgusted crowd that he only cares about market influences. a really big bathroom,” Smith says, stepping away from the podium to show the size toilet he needs. “I have such fat thighs that if I don’t spread ‘em wide, when I go to take a shit is streaks all down my legs.” - - - the
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somehow the dream is now extremely similar similar extremely now is dream the somehow dream we Bjartur: Icelander, great Laxness’s to the following where field playing equal an of of As success. at chance a us allow might rules paying are worldwide people 100,000 February, 14th, February of as And this. experience to $20 occasional my than Other them. of one been I’ve limit to able been have I Zero, Ground at binges week. a hour an to fantasy this You I had to vacation someplace that had a decent decent a had that someplace vacation to had I more carry might I that so just café Internet writing of craft the to refer to had I memos, writer American great the Gardner, John fiction. discovered who man the fiction, of teacher and others, among Carver, Raymond trained and great of axioms key the of deal good a down put Fiction. of Art The book his in fiction modern to wanted always I that one and point, key His find to fiction read people that is with, disagree internal deep a matches that stated something belief. writ fiction that role the over taken has munity or Fitzgerald, Like century. 20th the in held ers thoughts key the voice now they Laxness, even un but over grumbling are us of many so that trial on Enron with days, These state. to able number a over concern with and America, in Iceland, in out coming scandals corporate of Reykjavík Opin with so For - - Almost immediately, though, you realise realise you though, immediately, Almost Eve, of community space real-time the In Then the actual game play began. There is is There began. play game actual the Then you work, get rewards, build a reputation, and and reputation, a build rewards, get work, you Long Huey of world the it’s – rewards more get fantasy. ultimate the Eisenhower, or Novel the Overtaking world capitalist perfect this how understand To least at to or player, typical the to connects of idea the to attached so got I how understand planet distant a of moon a to memo a carrying that girlfriend my told almost I that 100,000 for or mining, or finding space pirates – things that that things – pirates space finding or mining, or being. up end they as appealing as be shouldn’t past speed, warp at galaxy a around Shooting etc., guns, larger the buying planets, well-drawn be. would Eve thought I what much pretty was les economics an was expecting wasn’t I What economics enjoyable an of nothing say to – son lesson. capitalist great the entering are you Eve, in that everyone – hitch ultimate one with experiment is What field. playing equal an on enters Eve in enforced, are rules the and rules, are there more, wanted people if broken be could they though patience, and consistency With them. break to take to want you If Eve. in succeed can anybody you if and quicker, even succeed can you risks, squashed get likely can you risks, many too take over. start to have and so competent. so safe a in ship small a with start you say: to little make to best your do you and space, of region errands, running like things doing money some - - - The outstanding graphics, and even better, better, even and graphics, outstanding The As soon as you log on to Eve, you get graph get you Eve, to on log you as soon As 45-minute increments as my three-year-old three-year-old my as increments 45-minute the run to trying overheat to tended computer of proud and amused pleasantly was I program, something together putting for CCP at guys the that refers to a frequent obsession with ama with obsession frequent a to refers that wasn’t I literature, sci-fi in studies genetics teur to referred race primitive more the that surprised Get females. the of nature sexual aggressive the talk bloodline the pas, faux little that beyond ting ultimate the and amusing, be sometimes could chose you bloodline any that be to seemed lesson successful equally be could character your for sexy. and/or tutorial the through you drive effects sound the with comes everything Trek, Star with well—as ultra- an get you 2001, with as and whoosh, a Aura. named sidekick computer talking creepy in case my in played all hours, ten first the For including morphing the entire face shape and and shape face entire the morphing including chose I As options. tattoo of range a for going task disturbing somewhat a bloodlines, and races the gam products like Eve, “With the ing community has taken over the role that fiction writers held in 20th century.” So How Are the Graphics? the Are How So that told was I when asked I thing first The Eve to addicted was mother their and everybody video Approaching graphics? the are how was know to wanted I model, 1990s a from games station space the if well, if… tell really could I if saw I that girls Eve the if Or physics. good had Star the have would brochures advertising in the with planets by buzz might I if Or vibe. Trek space. in flying of sense appropriate you enough—as impressive are they and ics, character, your create to get you game, a begin - - Eve Online Eve
Two hours later, my time ends, and I wake wake I and ends, time my later, hours Two Most people who go to Ground Zero look look Zero Ground to go who people Most When I sit down at Ground Zero, I am am I Zero, Ground at down sit I When And then, on a tip, I walk into Ground Ground into walk I tip, a on then, And I have been playing Eve Online, a multiplay a Online, Eve playing been have I
42 Outside Reykjavík planning how I’ll get back to this place. this to back get I’ll how planning up, only partially, feeling the bond among the the among bond the feeling partially, only up, after feel you that café the at people the of rest a from concert powerful especially an seeing start I and about, knows anyone hardly that band self-conscious, trying to load into my Eve game game Eve my into load to trying self-conscious, tutorial. the complete to yet have I which in somewhat like they’ve been in the place for for place the in been they’ve like somewhat when look to used arcades like much weeks, feel I first at And over. took Jr. Kong Donkey developing 16 year old, who is screaming “When “When screaming is who old, year 16 developing a playing friend a to shoot” corner, the turn you anywhere likely him, with Shooter Person First world. the in awkward, I am taking notes on the kid across across kid the on notes taking am I awkward, on but 12, looks glance first at who me, from late- a of look wearied the has examination closer high-end gaming computer. The experience is is experience The computer. gaming high-end great a seeing Ferrari, a driving between cross a book. good a into pulled being and band, local Zero, the Internet café in downtown Reykjavík, Reykjavík, downtown in café Internet the Zero, for hours two of special afternoon the buy and a on Eve experience to down sit and ISK, 500 space cars), and ideal economic environments, environments, economic ideal and cars), space politically friendly, by made game a play to and buy way same the much fun, is locals outspoken is. album local a ing I’ve been gaming, the game has held me casually casually me held has game the gaming, been I’ve Icelandic standard the are interested—there case this (in cars, and bloodlines with obsessions my face is that I might return to my alley. my to return might I that is face my years five Iceland in here created game online er that week the In ago. years three launched ago, eyes, I can see my frigate launching into warp warp into launching frigate my see can I eyes, to back get to need I hole. worm local a towards hours two through go and face my wash work, wash to going for motivation key A meetings. of It is 1:34 in the afternoon. I haven’t eaten today. today. eaten haven’t I afternoon. the in 1:34 is It amount small the alleyway, the down walk I As my close I When over. me knocks almost sun of by Bart Cameron by Bart The ultimate in science fiction A Truly Free Market: Free A Truly 44 45 me, leaving me to guess how close he might be a newspaper, which is solved with a photo of a with Hollywood royalty. guy in Spider-Man pajamas. On the plane over, I am thinking about the Comic book culture has completely flooded mobs of Hollywood stars that will be packing New York, but people with only casual knowl- the New York Comicon. X-Men III is just edge of the genre wouldn’t know it. At Barnes launching, Superman is approaching, Spi- and Noble on 14th Street, there is a massive der-Man 3, set in New York, is approaching graphic novel section. On every subway car, completion, the Wachowski Brothers, (ahem, I see at least one person reading a standard according to comic geeks, they are now just comic book, and one reading manga—comics siblings), have just made an enormous Natalie are more popular than even tabloid newspa- Portman vehicle written by the best comic pen pers. Natalie Portman and Hugh Jackman in the business, Alan Moore. A New Yorker, posters are everywhere. Michael Chabon, recently won a Pulitzer Prize I visit the most celebrated comic book shop for writing about New York comic culture. The in Greenwich Village, Forbidden Planet, which festival will be enormous. had originally coordinated the convention only to pull out a few months ago. Only one person First Two Free, After That $3 in the store had been to the convention, and he On arrival, though, there are just lines. As far admitted it had not gone well. as the eye can see. The New York State Police “But it doesn’t really matter. It has started. have been called in to control the geeks, who Next year it will be bigger. The press are have arrived en masse for an event that only already writing about it, and no publicity is holds 10,000. In fact, when Kevin Smith is bad publicity. The disappointment won’t stay speaking for two and a half hours for thousands around,” he tells me. of fans, there are thousands more who have He then hints that New Yorkers really waited in a nauseating line the entire time he aren’t impressed with superheroes. “The big has been speaking. draws, the things that bring new readers into The inside of the comic book convention is the store all the time are the comics you don’t not a flight of fancy, a celebration of a jazz age see as much at the conventions: A History of art, but a mob of ugly people in a tight space Violence, American Splendour and Sin City, holding out dollar bills. that’s what people are interested in now. Spi- The energetic and entertaining Neal der-Man doesn’t bring anyone in.” Adams who held forth at length about the I talk with a bleary-eyed employee at For- social implications of the festival returning to bidden Planet, one of the majority of people New York, now sits at the largest booth in the interested in comics who wouldn’t go near the convention signing books next to a sign that “In California, the festivals are much larger, dressed in an ultra-tight Supergirl outfit ap- and simply saying that if Icelanders want to convention. says “autographs: first two free, after that $3,” and they focus on diversity. People are hav- proaches him. Her mother pokes her head in, watch Napoleon Dynamite or his next movie, Why didn’t you go? I ask him. which pretty much says everything. ing fun. Here it seems to be more about…” introducing the girl as an enormous fan of the Beneath, and they can’t get it at theatres, they “I couldn’t think of anything about it that Wedged between geeks talking about the And he gives the slightly ashamed expression film, and asking for an autograph. have his permission to just steal his films. interested me,” he says, then looks out over size of Spider-Girl’s tits, I duck out of the that Californians make in place of the word “And who should I make this out to?” racks of alternative comics. A series of further crowd and find a table with a balding, blond “money.” Wyatt asks. Spider-Man Doesn’t Bring Anyone In questions get single word responses. guy typing away on a Macintosh at a conven- Mr. Wyatt turns out to be the Executive The 14-year old arches her back, curves In the press room and the next day in the I think about telling him that Kevin Smith tion table. There is a giant sign next to him: Producer of Napoleon Dynamite, a film that her neck slightly, and whispers “Supergirl,” newspapers and on television, the first New was entertaining, but realise the guy really “CHRIS WYATT.” he points out I should never have seen, as it holding her mouth open and pouty after speak- York Comicon is regarded as a sensation. Few wouldn’t care. For him, like most readers in Away from the crowd, I ask Mr. Wyatt was never distributed in Iceland. Like the ing, prompting Wyatt to avert eye contact and reporters care to comment on the frustrated New York, comic books, like literature in how he enjoys the festival. He tells me he’s character he helped bring to the screen, Wyatt blush slightly. fans, on the lack of quality product, or on the general, are pretty much something you keep from California, and, love of New York aside, presents the most wholesome view possible of He will tell me later that the girl “was overall ickiness of the event—all indications are to yourself. Making an ass of yourself over it all this convention is not very similar to the one he geekdom. He is explaining the positive energy a little too old to wear a costume like that” this was exactly what they expected. The only is for people from California, or, worse, Jersey. likes to attend. of comics and imagination, when a girl of 14 before moving away from comics altogether, limitation is the lack of good images to run in
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FOREX_grapevine_is2006.indd 1 2006-01-09 11:19:20 46 Thinking Global, Drinking Local: Iceland’s Amber Revolution
by Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson
If you’ve been clocked in the head with a losing control of oneself on foreign soil was bottle recently - as one occasionally is during a common and entirely acceptable pastime a proper night out in Reykjavík - chances for tourists and serious travellers alike. As a are the beverage it once contained was of nation we were new to travel but even more Icelandic origin. On most weekends discarded unfamiliar with the inevitably dire results that Víking, Egils and Thule containers litter the come from of substituting beer for all other moonlit landscape of downtown Reykjavík liquid intake for a fortnight or so. Wherever and sometimes provide us with the hauntingly our countrymen were found unconscious in familiar sound of breaking glass reverberating the eighties, be it on a beach in Benidorm or through our long winter nights. Some foreign outside a conference hall in Brussels, the reason brands even have their own production was almost always the same: too much beer. facilities in Iceland. Using sales figures as a Practically everyone bought the maximum map, and our unsavoury reputation for beer- allowance of one case of beer from the duty- fuelled mayhem as a compass, they navigated free store in Keflavík. Those coveted cans and their way across the oceans to our thirsty shores bottles became a form of currency for frequent as soon as the famous beer-embargo was lifted. travellers; if you didn’t drink it, someone else It’s not surprising, then, that the sales damn sure would. figures for locally made brews are impressive. Out of the top five best selling beers four are Doing it For Themselves manufactured in Iceland and three are native Now that beer is no longer the valuable brands. The reasons are many fold. commodity that it once was, the residents of Iceland have the chance to imbibe quite a Accolades from Abroad wide variety - and, let’s face it, quite a large Sigfríð Arnardóttir, marketing director for quantity - of excellent brews from across the Vífilfell, believes recognition from outside world. The fact that local products outsell the country has played an important role them is a testament to the fact that Icelanders in boosting the standing of Icelandic beer have thankfully learned to brew some pretty locally. “We noticed a massive surge in the damn passable beers of their own. This is more popularity of Thule after it came third in a important than you might think, for as the late Danish beer tasting competition back in 1998 prophet Frank Zappa noted: “If you don’t have – establishing the fine reputation it has today. your own airline and at least one brand of beer The three medals won by Víking also had – you shouldn’t count as a real country.” a noticeable effect. Icelanders take a certain amount of pride in drinking top quality beers The Grapevine could have left it at that, but that are locally brewed,” Arnardóttir told the being a hard-hitting news organisation we Grapevine. “Our market research definitely decided some additional in-depth research indicates that most Icelanders prefer to drink was in order. A crack-team of taste-testers was beer made from Icelandic water,” she added. put to work tasting Icelandic-made beers one By far the biggest seller in the Icelandic evening. The results are as follows: beer market is Víking Gylltur; with well over three million half-litre cans selling every year. -A less than glowing review for the much- A somewhat surprising statistic, given the fact hyped Thule. Our tasters found it too that this particular brand is 5.6% alcohol by watery and bland for their palates, a good volume, noticeably stronger than most other accompaniment to a slice of pizza but nothing big brands and ludicrously potent compared to write a drunken postcard home about. to mainstream beers in the English-speaking world. The cynic might think this explains -On the opposite end of the scale from Thule, everything: Icelanders drink brands like Víking Víking Sterkur has a robust taste and weighs for the simple reason that it gets them really in at 7% by volume. It packed a punch for the messed up really fast – and Icelandic breweries liver and tastebuds alike, definitely a bit too know how to cater to these tastes. Arnardóttir much for some people. Which is to say that it thinks not: “Different people look for different was a resounding success with the small band It’s the journey things in a beer. I think the taste of Víking of drunkards we had assembled. is what has proven to be a big hit amongst Icelandic consumers, the amount of alcohol -Tuborg Grön and Carlsberg, both brewed in - not the destination is almost incidental. Víking Lite, at 4.4%, is Iceland, were a predictably average affair that now the fourth-best-selling beer in Iceland.” It left no particular lasting impression. would seem, then, that Iceland’s alleged (hard-) drinking culture can’t explain all the trends -Good old Egils Gull didn’t disappoint or evident in the nation’s choices of beverage. thrill anyone. Always a quite drinkable, if In the heady days after beer’s re- somewhat average, lager. legalisation the alcohol market here changed dramatically. Icelanders began switching to -Top marks for the more ambitious Egils beer in droves, with nearly seven million litres Premium. It’s brewed with Icelandic barley sold in the first year alone. But due to the and was judged to be a very pleasant lager extremely long hiatus there wasn’t any local indeed. A slightly metallic aftertaste might be brewing tradition to speak of. The closest we accounted for by the can, but overall the flavour Grapevine Ad Index had to a real brewery before the laws were was full-bodied yet surprisingly soft. Especially Accomodation Museums and gallaries passed was soda-maker Egill Skallagrímsson’s considering that it’s 5.7% alcohol by volume. malt factory. Grundarfjörður Youth Hostel 46 Gallery 100° 40 Although the country’s love affair with -Two out of three testers confessed themselves Urðarstekkur Guesthouse 46 Gjafir Jarðar 25 beer may only have begun in earnest after the quite fond of the taste of Víking Gylltur, Reykjavík Art Museum 37 drink was re-legalised in 1989, in truth the while all agreed that it went down incredibly Activities amber nectar of the Gods has a longstanding smoothly considering how sinfully drunk a Blue Lagoon 44 Shopping ÍSLENSKA AUGLÝSINGASTOFAN/SIA.IS HER 29774 09/2005 role in Icelandic culture. It was in a large few cans will make you. Additional samples Goethe Zentrum 7 66°N 3 part the lack of beer on our fair shores, as were duly requested and after sampling them Höfuðborgarstofa 4 Bernhöftsbakarí 35 well as our oft-cursed alcohol taxes, that dutifully for several hours our testers fell into Iceland Symphony Orchestra 10 Elísabet.is 15 once made Icelanders notorious drunkards a deep sleep from which they could not be Iggy Popp Concert 41 Englatár 25 around the world. Less than two decades ago roused – the Icelandic seal of approval. Reykjavík Excursions 13 Forex 44 Hljóðfærahúsið 8 Cafes, Bars and Restaurants Suzuki 11 2 Fiskar 24 Urðarstekkur Guesthouse Classified A Hansen 21 Transportation Cheap accommodation just by bus-terminal at Mjódd Aktu Taktu 28-29 Avis-Budget 45 Urðarstekkur 12 - 109 Reykjavík Aroma 27 Hertz 47 Grundarfjörður Youth Hostel tel: 557-4095 Fjörukráin 31 Do nothing, then rest. Or go hiking, swim- Hressingarskálinn 27 Other ming, horse-riding, whale wathcing, kayak- Kaffi Róma 5 Elisabet.is – insurance 15 The best and easiest way to get to know the rugged ing, golfing and more. Want to be in this section? O-Sushi 32 Icelandic Language Courses 31 Central in Snæfellsnes. Open all year. beauty of Iceland is simply to have your own car. Segafredo 5 International Calling Cards 48 Tel: 562-6533/8956533 Call for information Neighbourhood Service Center 9 [email protected] and rates : 540 3605 Shalimar 25&33 We are your car rental experts in Iceland. +354 50 50 600 • www.hertz.is Stúdentabar 22 Tax Return Deadline 48 Við Tjörnina 25 Hertz locations in Iceland: Keflavík Airport, Reykjavík, Ísafjörður, Akureyri, Höfn, Egilsstaðir Vín og Skel 33 grapevine.is YOUR REYKJAVÍK´S FREE ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER COPY ISSUE THREE: MAR 10 - APR 6
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“That could be very hard for exporting ���������������������� companies. It would not surprise me to �� hear that companies ������������������� plan to relocate,” Steingrímur Arnar Finnsson, KB Bank. Page 18.
“When it is a question of hundreds of millions [of dollars] annually, it becomes a very valid question �������������� whether we can justify keeping the operation ������������������ here in Iceland,” Reynir Harðarsson, co-founder CCP on the effects of the króna. Page 19. ����������������������
“The earthly pleasures of ������������������� consumerism simply �� do not compare to ��������������� the utter, astonishing brilliance of this song, and although the production does bring it down a little…” ����������������� Sindri Eldon on Jakobínarína’s I’ve Got a Date with My Television, ����������������� page 37. ������������������ ����������������� “Carrie Bradshaw, like Monica Lewinsky, �������������������� and their 19th Century ������������������� counterparts in Victorian England, were entertaining ��������������������� Others that we watched to remind ������������������ us why we stay repressed.” �������������������� Ketill the Angry on a thought that ���������� popped into his head. Page 38.
“In the real-time space community of Eve, you work, get rewards, build a reputation, and get more rewards—it’s the world of Huey Long or Eisenhower, the ultimate fantasy.” From the Grapevine travel piece on ���������������� Eve Online, page 42. ���