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The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

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The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same YEARS 2003-2013 Issue 15 × 2013 September 28 - October 10 YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND NEWS POLITICS FILM MUSIC TRAVEL Jóhanna The gender-based Lots and lots of Bam brings us We let fish suck on Sigurðardóttir wage gap widens :( RIFF! “Random Hero” our toes… SPEAKS! 5 year anniversary of the collapse 2008- 2013 THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME... Complete Lots of Download the FREE Grapevine Appy Hour app! Reykjavík Listings cool events Every happy hour in town in your pocket. + Available on the App store and on Android Market. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 2 Editorial | Anna Andersen TRACK OF THE ISSUE ICELANDISTAN 5.0 Anna’s 32nd Editorial have wreaked more havoc on this country than land in the foreign media. anything that’s not directly caused by a natural So much emphasis has been put on this (only disaster. Our economy has been reduced to the possible) course of action that Icelanders them- standards of Eastern Europe at end of the Cold selves have perhaps forgotten what else the new War. As a nation, we are more or less bankrupt.” government has done to stem the rippling effects Almost overnight, our tiny island nation in the of the crash, not to mention all of the events that middle of the North Atlantic became the poster- led up to it. This would at least explain why Ice- child for the global economic crisis—a shiny ex- landers recently returned to power the very same ample of how to do everything wrong. Enraged parties that presided over the country as it geared Five years ago, The Grapevine published its first Icelanders took to the streets and banged on their up for meltdown. post-collapse issue. The cover featured the image pots and pans until the government that presided Or perhaps the fact that we’re not living in Ice- Grísalappalísa: “Skrítin Birta” of a single króna coin, its fish reduced to a mere over the crash toppled over. landistan simply isn’t good enough and Iceland- skeleton. “Welcome to Icelandistan!” read the In came Iceland’s first purely left-wing govern- ers now dream of returning to pre-crash Iceland. Download NOW at www.grapevine.is cover tag. ment, and before we knew it we had become the After all, we’re going to have to find some way to Nobody could know exactly what was in store poster child for miraculous economic recovery— use those new 10,000 ISK bills—roughly equiva- Years of quiet krúttitude being the for Iceland in early October 2008, but the future an equally shiny example of how to do everything lent to the 100 Dollar bill—that are about to go into norm around town have resulted in a certainly looked grim. “HOLY FUCK!” wrote then- right. In particular, the fact that “Iceland let the circulation. youthful revolt of twisting and shout- editor of the Grapevine, Sveinn Birkir Björnsson, banks fail” became a catchphrase appearing in ing, with no other band doing it as in his editorial that issue. “The last few weeks almost every post-crash article written about Ice- loudly as newcomers Grísalappalísa. These dudes are cynical and jaded her collaborator, former Minister of Everything and they sure as hell want you to WHAT A DIFFERENCE Steingrímur J. Sigfússon (who manned the gov- know it! Sort out your inner turmoil ernment decks for most of the past four years) to with the help of this furious punk share their thoughts on the situation, along with tune that proves that being angst rid- FIVE YEARS MAKE the guys currently in charge, PM Sigmundur Davíð den and existentially confused lin- Gunnlaugsson and his collaborator, Minister of gers on well past adolescence, and By Haukur S. Magnússon Finance Bjarni Benediktsson While the latter two that is a-fucking-okay! did not respond to our repeated attempts for com- Five years have apparently passed since the ment (which is unfortunate, and might be telling dreaded economic collapse of October 2008 for their style of governance), Steingrímur shared shook the Icelandic nation to its core. We at Grape- some good thoughts and Jóhanna surprised us vine think this makes for an excellent opportunity by turning in a sharp, condemning article that we to look back on just what happened and attempt to later learned is her first public commentary since discern what, if anything, we have learned since. this spring’s election. A lot of people theorized (and hoped) that Finally, the diligent journalist Sam Knight me- the collapse would mark a sea change in the na- ticulously poured over the WikiLeaks diplomatic tion’s politics and attitudes towards its economy, cables (from #CABLEGATE) concerning Iceland. lifestyle and mode of discourse. That the media The results are a revealing account of Iceland’s would and supervisory authorities would turn economic collapse, as seen through the eyes of vigilant, that we would never get fooled again. US diplomats stationed in Iceland at the time. Has such a sea change occurred? It’s hard to There is a lot of juicy and revealing behind-the- tell when you’re right in the thick of things, but scenes stuff in there, and the article itself grants there are certainly mixed opinions out there. important insight into what happened, placing In our attempts to understand and analyse the some of the events in a new context. Thank you, events that have been unfolding over the past Chelsea. five years, we turned to two noted pundits on the There’s a lesson in there somewhere, one we opposite ends of the political spectrum, Sigrún need to take to heart and remember. Let this be Davíðsdóttir and Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson the first of many collapsaversary celebrations. (fun game: guess which end each inhabits!). We Skál. also asked former PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and Contributing Writers Design: Founders: Björn Teitsson Hrefna Sigurðardóttir / [email protected] Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, Bowen Staines Hörður Kristbjörnsson, Davíð Roach Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, Hannes H. Gissurarson Photographers: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Alísa Kalyanova / www. alisakalyanova.com Valur Gunnarsson John Rogers Magnús Anderssen / www.magnusandersen.co Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík Kári Tulinius Nanna Dís / www.nannadis.com The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ltd. www.grapevine.is Larissa Kyzer Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May [email protected] Mark Asch Sales Director: til October. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole Published by Fröken ehf. Óli Dóri Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The www.froken.is Parker Yamasaki Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri, Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association Patricia Þormar Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key www.saf.is Sigrún Davíðsdóttir Distribution manager: locations along road #1, and all major tourist attractions and tourist Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies. Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson [email protected] information centres in the country. You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles Editor In Chief: Journalist Proofreader: in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions Haukur S Magnússon / [email protected] Larissa Kyzer / [email protected] Jim Rice expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). Editor: Journalist & Listings editor Listings: Anna Andersen / [email protected] Rebecca Louder / [email protected] [email protected] On the cover: Guðmundur Brigir YEARS 2003-2013 Issue 15 × 2013 September 28 - October 10 Halldórsson a.k.a the face of kreppan Editorial: YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND Editorial Interns Submissions inquiries: NEWS POLITICS FILM MUSIC TRAVEL Jóhanna The gender-based Lots and lots of Bam brings us We let fish suck on Sigurðardóttir wage gap widens :( RIFF! “Random Hero” our toes… +354 540 3600 / [email protected] Tómas Gabríel Benjamin / [email protected] [email protected] SPEAKS! Photographer: Magnús Andersen Jonas Kellermeyer / [email protected] magnusandersen.co Advertising: Katarina Landström / [email protected] Subscription inquiries: Clothes: JÖR & Álafoss +354 540 3605 / [email protected] Kristján Leitma / [email protected] +354 540 3605 / [email protected] +354 40 3610 Art Director General inquiries: 5 year anniversary of the collapse 2008- 2013 Publisher: THE MORE Hörður Kristbjörnsson / [email protected] [email protected] THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] THEY STAY THE SAME... Complete Lots of Download the FREE Grapevine Appy Hour app! +354 540 3601 / [email protected] Every happy hour in town in your pocket. Reykjavík Listings cool events + Available on the App store and on Android Market. GEOTHERMAL STEAM ROOMS THERMAL BATHS Be in your SAUNA Visit the Laugarvatn Fontana wellness centre. Relax in steam rooms over aa naturalnatural element hot spring and open air thermal baths. Afterwards try local delicacies inin ourour café.café. Ask us how the locals at Laugarvatn use the steam baths! The perfect rest stop between Thingvellir and Geysir Open everyday 11-21 Make sure your Golden Circle tour completes the geothermal experience www.fontana.is E&Co. – Mynd Ari Magg ICELANDIC WOOL WORN OUT FOR CENTURIES We o!er clothing & other merchandise that reminds us of good old Iceland – Visit our stores: 101 Reykjavík, Akureyri and Geysir, Haukadal. www.geysir.net – Issue 15 — 2013 Say your piece, voice your opinion, send 4 your letters to: [email protected] by the sea Sour grapes & stuff and a delicious lobster MOST AWESOME LETTER Dear Iceland, and poignant Pink Floyd songs there are. If we were named at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri after a classic song (or its singer!), we sure wouldn’t want to You are so ace as is your music, but please please stop the hear it butchered up left, right and centre too! Wait a min- troubadours, come on 'wish you were here' at full blast ute… those troubadours CONSTANTLY demolish ‘Heard It when tring to have a lovely booze with your mates though a Through The Grapevine’! FUCK!!! PA.
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