Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.11.2007, Síða 4
04 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 17 2007 | Letters
We were in Iceland last year for our 25th anniversary, and we
LIVED on skyr. I am unable to find a domestic supplier of it
in the States, and just now was unable to find an live online
link to maybe order some from Iceland! Can you advise?
Rumors of Whole Foods carrying the product are definitely
false.
Lauren M
Houston, Texas, USA
Dear Lauren,
So, you like our skyr. That is understandable, as a healthi-
er dairy product is hardly available anywhere in the world.
Except for bovine colostrums perhaps, which is an excellent
dish when boiled and served with cinnamon. I suggest you
try that the next time you visit. But, skyr… no, sorry I don’t
know where you can find it Stateside. I think your best bet is
probably to contact the producer (www.ms.is) and ask them
if it is available somewhere. But one thing I do know. You can
order Icelandic candy from www.nammi.is. Have you tried the
Icelandic liquorice? It is the best in the world!
Editor
Hi
I’m writing to ask is there ever any investigative reporting
done in the main stream media here? Having lived here for
a few years, and experiencing a few different business prac-
tices I wonder if Icelanders are getting screwed.
I mean, do people think about what they get for the
money they spend? On the internet I was surprised to see
I was being charged for using skype which is free as far
as I knew. I have an 80GB Ipod that can store HD quality
movies to store on my cheap 500Gb hard drive, but it’ll cost
me another Ipod to download them? The sales I see adver-
tised aren’t if you look at most of the flyers the prices are
pretty much the same. I come from a big consumer nation
(the US) which has it’s pros and cons, but you can find a
good deal on just about everything.
I guess it’s the lack of competition and other taxation issues I
don’t yet understand, but it seems to me Icelanders work hard
for they’re money and get little in return. The base model
of cars here cost what the luxury model costs in the states
so it’s no wonder people buy them there and import them
here. Computers are okay, but most are way over priced
considering the components in them. I’m a foreigner mar-
ried to an Icelandic woman, and my main connection home
is through the internet. As you can imagine my pay is high
so prices don’t affect me so much, but for the average Joe or
Johannes are there better deals out there or is it a matter of
how you look at it or is it all relative?
Jeffrey Bogans
Dear Jeffrey
Hmm… I would rather say as little as possible about Icelandic
investigative reporting, but I think I know what your problem
is. It looks like you are shortchanging yourself by buying a
cheap Internet subscription. The problem with the cheaper
subscription packages is that they usually include a cap on
available download, 4 gb is a common number, and once you
exceed the download cap, you pay extra for every mb. This
would explain your Internet bill. I suggest you read Ian Wat-
son’s articles on Internet and telephone subscription packages
in issues 12 and 13. It is available online at www.grapevine.
is. Yes sir, stop pinching your pennies on the subscription and
go for the good stuff. Apparently, the prices don’t affect you so
much, since your pay is high. And in case you didn’t know,
downloading movies in illegal.
Editor
Sour Grapes
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