Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.02.2007, Blaðsíða 2

P_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 0_YEAR 05_FEBRUARY_09_MARCH_08
The Reykjavík Grapevine crew
The Reykjavík Grapevine
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The Reykjavík Grapevine Staff
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Cover illustration by: Sara Riel
On cover: Halldór Kiljan Laxness and the American Eagle
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Iceland has been gripped with handball
fever for the past month. The Icelandic
national team recently participated in the
International Handball Federation World
Championship, the handball equivalent of
the FIFA World Cup. Handball is the single
biggest unifier in Iceland. It brings together
people of different ages, genders, religions
and, lately, races.
Unfortunately, the results were not as
fruitful as many had hoped. Team Iceland
ended up in eighth place, a respectable re-
sult for sure, but a disappointment none-
theless, considering the team lost a game
against Denmark in the eight-team finals
by the narrowest of margins, in overtime.
Had the results of that game been differ-
ent, Iceland would have been in one of the
top four spots. But, such is life in sports (see
www.grapevine.is for more detailed cover-
age of the tournament and an explanation
of the part Tom Cruise played in the whole
fiasco).
In the wake of the tournament, many
Icelanders have felt a little… sad. In Iceland,
it is perfectly reasonable to ponder if there
is life after handball? It ranks right up there
with the other big philosophical questions,
such as: Is there a god? Does life have a
meaning? Should I stay or should I go?
Still, it seems that not everyone is of the
opinion that handball is a matter of life and
death. There are people who believe that
the outcome of handball games, or any oth-
er sporting result for that matter, should be
met with stoic indifference and who fail to
understand how this can affect people. That
is a gross misunderstanding. I can relate to
people who say they don’t particularly en-
joy sports. I myself do not particularly enjoy
fishing and have a hard time imagining my-
self getting worked up over standing waist
deep in a salmon stream. That doesn’t mean
I cannot relate to people who do enjoy fish-
ing. And I cannot relate to people who feel
that the results of a sporting competition
carry no weight for people off the field.
Being a sports fan, like much else in
life, is about picking sides. You pick a side
based on individual preference; there is sim-
ply something on one side that appeals to
you. You enjoy the game and you hope the
results will be favourable to the team you
support. When they aren’t, you feel disap-
pointed. This is the exact same rationale
that takes place in politics, music, public de-
bate, what have you… One side appeals to
you more than the other.
Denying this is preaching absenteeism
and detachment from the world of feelings.
Obviously, sports do not carry the same
weight as important political issues in the
grand scheme of things, but let us not for-
get that wars have been fought over such
preferential matters as religion (actually,
wars have been fought over sporting results
as well). Does religion carry more weight
than sports? And if you think so, why?
Allowing yourself to be affected by
sporting results is another way to affirm and
embrace life. It simply means that you care,
that you are willing to take sides in life and
care about something other than yourself.
To me, that is an admirable quality.
From the Editor’s Chair
Articles
06 The Joy of Failing Miserably
An interview with journalist Eric Weiner
10 194 young people who just wanted to rock
Concert disaster in Buenos Aires
12 Think Like a Tourist
A column by Gabriele R. Guðbjartsson
19 If David Letterman Only Knew
A column by Erik J. Davidek
24 Should You Be Eating This?
Grapevine journalist contemplates the annual Þorrablót celebrations
Features
14 Garage Days Revisited?
TÞM’s Fight For The Right To Party
16 Halldór Laxness and the CIA
Was the CIA spying on him?
Essentials
14 Fiction in the Grapevine:
The Bell of Iceland by Halldór Laxness
Music & Nightlife
21 CD Reviews
20 Those Crazy Kids, What Will They Think Of Next?
Booka Shade at Gaukurinn
Outside Reykjavík
26 Underground
Exploring the Þingvellir lava fields from the inside out.
27 Short Day Trips Around Reykjavík
28 “As long as there’s surf, we won’t be leaving!”
Grapevine follows a group of local surfers to Þorlákshöfn
Info.
B01 Listings
B08 Food Reviews
B09 Bezt í Heimi: Fylgifiskar
B10 Ultimate Survival Guide
B11 Taking Dance to the Extremes
Trolls and Transformations in February’s Grand Premiere