Lögberg-Heimskringla - 12.02.1988, Blaðsíða 6

6-LÖGBERG CENTENNIAL YjEAR, FÖSTUDAGUR 12.^ FEBRÚAR1988
News from Gunnar Thorvaldson
One of the great things about Gun-
nar is his willingness to write and let
his friends know where he is and the
basic daily experiences that he
describes in a very interesting sort of
way.
In 1986 Gunnar visited Iceland and
retumed to proclaim his intentions of
living there for a year, simply be-
cause he liked everything about
Iceland and its people. Since he is re-
tired he believes in doing the things
that defies most people in their life-
time and one of them is to live in
Iceland and share everyday life ex-
periences with our cousins in the
land of our forefathers. In doing so
Gunnar tells an interesting story
which other Western Icelanders will
find interesting especially if they feel
inclined to spend time in Iceland as
a part of the everyday life as it exists
in this distant land of the north.
True to his promise he sent us a
copy of his letter message to friends
and relatives during the recent festive
season, which in part reads as
follows:
I am enjoying Iceland, everyone is
very good to me. I am reading the
paper more and I leave notes in
Icelandic but my speaking ability has
not improved. It is because I don't
talk enough. If I go into a place, say
a book shop, and just speak Canadi-
an they're not aware that I under-
stand nearly everything that is said.
They do a very good job on TV
here but I mostly just watch the
news. I listen to the state radio sta-
tion a lot and whoever organizes the
music does it to suit me. They often
play songs by Maria Markan (she is
related to Margaret Danielsson at
Lundar). She used to come to Winni-
peg more than 50 years ago to give
concerts. She is stiíl alive and living
in Reykjavik. Another voice I like
and hear is Elly Vilhjálms. She is on
some of my records back home.
It's good to be working again. I got
a job at the slaughterhouse in Selfoss
in September when they hired all the
help for the annual sheep slaughter.
It was just over a month but when
the others were laid off, the boss told
me I could stay on as long as I want-
ed. I made mid-December my goal.
There was a bit of a problem on my
first day and I was shouting about it.
I could see a young man smiling to
himself at my Icelandic. When I
looked around at all those hard work-
ing young people, I thought I'll bet
there is a party when this is over.
The big benefit with Sláturfélag
Suðurlands is the free meals during
slaughter time. They also have a large
house for the temporary help, all you
need is a sleeping bag. Kidda at Dal-
bæ 2 loaned me one. The place is
named Fossnes (Falls Point) but
everyone calls it the rottuvellir'
(rathole). Bunkhouse life is fun in
some ways but it doesn't compare
with being in a private home. When
I got the opportunity to rent a room
from Hreinn Erlendsson, I took it.
It's a small world. Hjörtur Hjartar-
son in Lundar is Hreinn's uncle.
Hjörtur was at the conference at
Gimli this spring, he was also on the
stage at the Lundar Reunion in the
act that Gordon was in.
I enjoyed the réttir, that's the fun
part and the final part of the round-
up. The gathering of all the sheep and
horses from the mountains can take
up to a week. They keep bringing
more sheep in to the centre of the
sorting pens. It is a joy to watch
everyone working together and the
dogs working silently along with
them. Most of the men are carrying
a bottle.
I had the honour of shaking hands
with Þorsteinn Pálsson, the prime
minister of Iceland, and got a good
picture of him. Siggi introduced me
to him at the réttir.
The réttaball (roundup dance) was
wild. There is no bar so nearly every-
one is carrying a bottle, usually a
blend of vodka and Coke. The dance
floor is nice at first but with all the
spilling it doesn't stay that way long.
I expected the sláturhúsball to be
wild too but it was really first class.
Much like our thorrablot in Edmon-
ton. It was held in the Selfoss Hotel
and there was a bar and entertain-
ment. One man poked fun of every-
body that worked there and you
could generally tell who he was im-
itating. When he picked on me the
crowd roared, he made fun of the
way I talked and my picture taking.
It went on until 3:00 A.M. just like
all the other dances I have been to.
Selfoss (Seal Falls) is a typical coun-
try town. On Friday and Saturday
nights there are young men cruising
in sports cars and 4WD's. I wish I
was 40 years younger.
They have a word here that I like,
sömuleiðis. We don't have an exact
equivalent, likewise is close. People
are very polite and often they greet
and then say, ''þakk fyrir síðast."
Thanks for the last time and the real-
ly is, ''þakk sömuleiðis.'' When you
thank a lady for a dance, she will say
sömuleiðis.
When I moved in, Hreinn said,
''There is a female ghost in this
house. She opens doors that are
closed and closes doors that are open.
She also moves things, if you can't
find something it is because she has
moved it." He told me how she died
and about some of the items that he
was missing. That very night my
door went click and swung open as
though someone was about to enter.
It was long after I had closed it and
I was in bed but still awake. When
I got up to close it I called out, "The
ghost opened my door." Hreinn was
sleeping and didn't hear me. It hap-
pens often with the bathroom door
too but it doesn't happen if you make
sure they are properly latched.
A strange thing happened on
November 12 though. I left work at
noon because I wasn't feeling good.
When I got home I felt better so I
decided to work on my car. I had bor-
rowed a thickness gauge from Snor-
ri at work to do the points. After in-
stalling the water pump, I decided to
change the points and thought that I
would check the old ones before tak-
ing them out. I went to the tool box
and there was no gauge. I distinctly
remembered putting it in the box and
I checked it three times — no gauge.
I thought, I guess I will have to buy
Snorri a new one. I then went ahead
with the spark plugs and while doing
that I had no need for any tool but
something made me turn and look
into the tool box and directly at the
gauge. I could not believe my eyes.
I than changed the points so I could
return the thing before it disappeared
again.
One Saturday morning, Hreinn
said, ''Someone was ringing the door-
bell at 3 this morning. I ignored it be-
cause I am not interested in talking
to a drunk at 3 in the morning and
who but a drunk would ring your
doorbell at 3 in the morning." That
sounded very sensible to me but I
wondered who it might have been. I
realized that I heard that ringing but
I associated it with a dream. I have
been dreaming a lot here. I now wish
that I would have gone to the door
'cause I know who the callers were.
I wasn't feeling good in November
and went to a doctor. He gave me
two prescriptions which I got at the
drugstore (apotek), I feel great now,
maybe that stuff helped.
The stores are more specialized
here. The drugstore just has drugs,
patent medicines and personal needs.
There are no radios or oil filters.
I am hoping that I will have some
visitors while I am here. I have had
one positive response and one,
Working To Keep Our Heritage Alive
CANADA ICELAND
FOUNDATION
SECRETARY: 1 - 204 - 772-8989
Mrs. S. Borga Jakobson
1145 Dominion St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 2P3
"We’d like to come but it's too cost-
ly." I thought, ''What's money?”
Prices are high here, there are
some bargains though. The car wash-
es are free and there is no collection
at church. Also, if you lock your keys
in the car the police (Lögreglan) will
come and open it.
They have the goofy European sys-
tem of billing for telephones here.
There is a charge for each time that
you use the phone but they just in-
voice for the total charge. The calls
are not itemized, they can only give
detailed information on calls made
through an operator.
Another goofy thing from Europe
is putting a stroke through the 7.
They write a 1 like a 7, to avoid con-
fusion they could simply eliminate
the top stroke on the 1. Instead, they
add a stroke to the 7.
We have had svið (sheepheads) at
work twice. That is a real treat. I
have heard people say how they liked
it and now I know why. The þorshús
gang looked like a bunch of Eskimos
with a bone in one hand and a knife
in the other. I should have had my
camera for that.
Gunnar Thorvaldson is the im-
mediate past president of Norðurljós
Edmonton Icelandic Society.
Tallin & Kristjansson
Barristers and Solicitors
501-55 Donald St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 1L8
942-8171
CANADIAN FRÓN
Send membership fee of
$15.00 single or $25.00 family
to
Icelandic Canadian Frón
764 Erin Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4
Tclephone: 774-8047
750,000
700,000
650,000
600,000
550,000
500,000
450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
Orlglul
218.000
EnOowmtnl
Fund
Heritage Image Pride
A Campaign Tb Raise Funds For The Chair of Icelandic
Language and Literature At The University of Manitoba
Yes, I wish 10 make a donation to ensure that the chair ot lcetandic Language and
Literature at the University of Manitoba continues to serve the needs of the lcelan-
dic community of North America.
NAME _______________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________
PHONE NO___________________________________
Donation in honour of:
Fjallkona Fund _______________________________________________________
Other: ___________________________________________________
Please mail this form with your donation to:
The H.I.P. Committee, #501-55 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1L8
Ipledge: Q □ □ Q
$100.00 $500.00 $1,000.00 Other $____________________________
I intend to honor my pledge in the following manner:
□ Payment in full (cheque enclosed).
□ By annual payment of $__________in each of the next_________years
(first payment enclosed)
□ Through a bequest in my will.
Signature_____________________________________________________________
All cheques should be made payable to the University of Manitoba.
An income tax receipt will be mailed to you.