Lögberg-Heimskringla - 21.10.1994, Blaðsíða 6

6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 21. október 1994
EINAR’S ANECDOTES
Guömundur from Deildartunga
The title indicates the
name of an individual
and the place he came
from in Iceland, which is a
farmstead in Borgarfjörd of
Iceland. He was flamboyant
and energetic aside from hav-
ing all the good qualities of an
Icelander as we knew them in
our formative years.
He arrived at Oak Point one
afternoon with the daily pas-
senger train at 4 p.m. during
late October, and high tailed it
over to Dan Halldorsson’s
house, who lived upstairs in
the house our parents rented
from him. Dan was a boarder
and Mundi became a guest at
our table. Both my parents and
Dan were born in
Borgarfjördur so the talk cen-
tred on the area of their origin.
This was heady stuff and moth-
er forgot to check to see if I
had homework. It was fun lis-
tening to them and to heck
with homework, until the
teacher came over on a Sat-
urday and wanted to know
why I was neglecting my
homework. That ended my lis-
tening to all this heady stuff
about the wonderful land from
where our parents came, when
in fact they had all left for
Canada to escape menial
labour, poverty and at times
hunger pangs. Yet they loved
the old country and revelled in
the poetry, sagas, and culture.
It was just that Canada offered
them independence, income
and personal satisfaction of
achievement.
Dan was a hospitable sort of
person and attracted Icelandic
fishermen. Sharing the upstairs
with his old friend Gudmundur
Stefanson, father of Dr. Baldur
Stefanson of world fame for his
rape seed research. The chick-
en house forming a lean-to
attached to the barn was
cleaned out and fitted with a
concrete floor, and the inside
walls received a coating of
whitewash. This became the
home of Steini Skagfeld and
his brother-in-law Jónatan
Johnson during the winter fish-
ing season. To the immediate
east Guðmundur Jónsson from
Deildartunga built himself a
cabin out of new lumber to
accommodate himself and a
hired man. Then east of there
came Sigurdur Eyford and his
son Halli in a spanking new
HERE’S SOMETHING
DISTINCTLY NEW!
3-YEAR MINIMUM RATE GUARANTEE... AND YOU'RE NOT LOCKEDIN.
CANADA SAVINGS BONDS
Now, Canada Savings Bonds offer you 5 3/4% the first year, 6 3/4% the second year, and 7 1/2%
the third year — guaranteed. Yet you’re not locked in because, as always, Canada Savings Bonds are cashable
at any time.These great rates also apply to all outstanding unmatured series of Canada Savings Bonds.
IT’S A WINNING COMBINATION!
With the new 3-year minimum rate
guarantee, you win through the com-
bination of competitive rates and instant
cashability. What’s more, the interest
you eam may be increased if market con-
ditions change, but you’ll never eam less
than these guaranteed rates.
SAFE AND SECURE
Canada Savings Bonds are fully guar-
anteed by the Government of Canada.
They’re a safe, secure investment that
never falls in value.
EASYTOBÖY
You can buy the new bonds at face
value wherever you bank or invest
until November 1. Simply date your pay-
ment November 1, the day the new
bonds start earning interest. And you
may purchase bonds for as little as
$100 up to an individual purchase limit
of $100,000.
All outstanding Canada Savings Bonds
(Series 42 - 48, issued from 1987 to
1993) will also earn:
5 3/4% for the vear beginning Nov. 1,1994;
6 3/4% for the year beginning Nov. 1,1995;
71/2% for the year beginning Nov. 1,1996.
Complete details are available wherever
Canada Savings Bonds are sold.
fáe the myster)> out of imesting!
BUY YOURS BY NOVEMBER 1.
Canada
shack. The bam housed the
horses these stalwart
Icelandic físhermen owned.
All went rather well this
first winter we lived at Oak
Point and the fishermen
were actually able to pay
their debts and have a rea-
sonable chunk of money
after the winter. The only
problem was my academic
standing. I just did not
progress in class and it wor-
ried my parents and teacher;
even the fishermen tried to
point out to me the impor-
tance of an education. The
only one who did not give a
damn was myself. What
good was an education
when I could make money
nailing físh boxes at a nickel
a piece and who needed an
education to be a fisherman,
the whole thing did not
make sense. So what if I did
not pass exams and move
from grade to grade. It was a
wonderful winter. The fish-
ermen at Dan’s village were
of the finest and formed the
base on which my life has
been pattemed.
Guðmundur was about to
introduce a disruptive force
in the way the fish they
caught was to be marketed.
Each summer he worked in
the fish sheds at Gimli for
Armstrong—Gimli Fisheries.
He noticed that they shipped
direct to fish companies in
Chicago and New York. He
inquired discreetly and was
able to obtain shipping tags
from companies in Chicago
and New
York includ-
ing custom
forms and
bills of lading.
He and
some cohorts
decided to
give it a try and packed several
boxes of fish in ice. My father
filled out the forms and a few
days later they received
cheques from the U.S. compa-
nies which indicated the vast
spread between what they
were receiving locally for their
fish and the value on the U.S.
market.
The next thing I knew, I
was filling in these forms for
the fishermen and all of a sud-
den my educational problems
had disappeared. Except in
the school room, where I still
stmggled.
After a number of years
Mundi took off and returned
to Iceland. He married his old
sweetheart and farmed at
Deildartunga where he lived
out his life.
Knowingly or unknowingly
those Icelandic fishermen gave
me the momentum to obtain
an education. Their sense of
faimess and treatment of their
fellow man gave me a base on
which to lean, during the tur-
moil of World War II, where
man management with com-
passion was an all important
factor.
Those of us who grew up in
those Icelandic districts and
urban communities were
indeed fortunate.
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION:
Soups, skyr and fish
to Europe and the U.S.
Icelandic soups and
skyr, a creamy dairy
product, are to be
test-marketed in Europe
and the U.S. following
collaboration between
Icelandic and foreign par-
ties in a project bringing
together foods producers
and technological insti-
tutes on both sides of the
Atlantic.
As detailed in Púlsinn,
the news journal of the
Technological Institute of
Iceland, the Reykjavík
Milk Distribution Centre
(MDC) and U.S. soups
and sauces producer R. L.
Schreiber are in the midst
of preparations to market
clam chowder in Europe.
Quahog supplier
Vestfirskur skelfiskur hf is
to provide the raw materi-
al starting this month,
with the U.K. distribution
company Forte to handle
that side of the equation.
Sales are targeted at insti-
tutional and workplace cafe-
terias as well as hotels and
restaurants.
The MDC’s efforts to pro-
mote skyr have also gener-
ated interest at R. L.
Schreiber, which now plans
to market a dessert made by
the MDC in the U.S.
In a further tangible
development sparked by
the project, dubbed Euro-
mat and partially funded
by Iceland’s government,
fish processor Haraldur
Bödvarsson of Akranes, west
Iceland, has begun sales of
fish steaks to France under
the brand name Dimond
Select with sales to the U.S.
market also getting under
way.
Courtesy ofNews From Iceland