Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.08.2008, Page 4

4 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 12—2008
LETTERS
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Dear Páll,
I read your article in a recent issue
of the Grapevine and enjoyed it very
much. You say at the end that the team
will meet France on September 27th. Is
this game being played in Iceland? My
wife and I are coming to Reykjavik to
attend the film festival but I’m really
eager to see a football match, and this
one sounds great. The other one I’m
considering is the Valur match.
Hope you can help me with some in-
formation. I’d dearly love to see some
good football in Iceland and your ar-
ticle caught my attention.
Best,
James McNally
Toronto, Canada
Dear James,
I think you would probably do best by
seeing the Valur women’s team. There
you’ll get the best of both worlds really.
About half their players are members
of the national team, but as an added
bonus, you’ll get to see the great Valur,
and make the pilgrimage to Hlíðarendi
Stadium. (We here at the Grapevine
steadfastly refuse to call it the Vodafone
Stadium at Hlíðarendi – corporate spon-
sorship be damned).
Editor
Dearest Grapevine.
Bergur Ebbi Benediktsson’s article ‘The
Image of Iceland’, in the [next-to] last
edition of The Grapevine, is a pathetic
disgrace to an otherwise decent pub-
lication. Not only is the text pointless
drivel of admiration for the inane docu-
ment produced by the Icelandic govern-
ment for self-glorification purposes, but
the article fails to mention that popstar
Benediktsson is not only the cutesy-pie
frontman of Sprengjuhöllin but also
a project manager for the Icelandic
Trade Council, which is one of the par-
ties responsible for the aforementioned
‘inane document’. I sincerely apologize
for my indignant moralism, but jesus
christ, should we be expecting articles
from high level government officials
on their own affairs in the future? Will
you commission employees of the for-
eign ministry to write articles about the
marvelous splendours of NATO-coop-
eration? I’m confident that the minis-
tries of industry or education, justice or
finance, health or business, fisheries or
social affairs would be more than will-
ing to lend you some of their staff to
write their propaganda for you to pub-
lish - not least if you’re willing to cover
up their origin.
I know that summer is busy at the
Grapevine - but when you start fucking
up like this it’s time to sober up and go
to work.
All the best,
Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl
Dear Eirikur
The Grapevine is always open for dis-
cussion and different viewpoints. It
never crossed our mind that everyone
would agree with the statements made
in this article, especially since it has
been a matter of much public debate
since its publication.
However, I would like to point out
that while Bergur Ebbi is a staff mem-
ber on the Trade Council, and the Trade
Council did point a member to the com-
mittee that published the report, these
are two completely unrelated facts. I
agree that this connection should have
been mentioned in the interest of full dis-
closure, and I would like to apologize to
our readers that we failed to do so. This
was an oversight, not a cover-up. How-
ever, I do not believe that Bergur Ebbi
had any other intentions in writing this
article than to present what he believes
to be the highlights of the report.
But, as I stated earlier, The Grape-
vine is always open for discussion and
different viewpoints, so we are happy to
continue to present other viewpoints of
the aforementioned report should they
be submitted.
That being said, I am deeply sad-
dened by your comments regarding our
drinking behaviour. I have not made fun
of your beard sir, so I would expect you
to show us the courtesy of leaving our
personal problems out of the equation.
Editor.
Hi,
I was always interested in Iceland since
my father was stationed there during
World War Two for a short while and
loved the country. He had a ten Kro-
ner silver coin that my mother made
into an Anhänger. I live in Berlin so I
use the word Anhähger for pendant or
whatever it’s called. But there are a few
Icelanders I’ve met in Berlin and in San
Francisco. Great people. Björk has be-
come a darling of the American patriot
movement or I should say the liberty
and freedom movement in America.
She knows what’s going on. She knows
this is life and death situation that we
are facing in this world. Iceland seems
to be a safer place to live as America
or Germany. I’m thinking of moving to
Iceland. I’m a caregiver in a psychiatric
home in Berlin where I’ve worked for 15
years. Do you know if people with my
experience are needed in Iceland? I am
really fascinated by your country.
Sincerely,
Kevin Bodenhammer
Berlin
Dear Kevin,
I think the care-industry in Iceland is
always looking for capable people. Es-
pecially foreigners, it seems, since they
man most positions of the sort in Ice-
land. I am not sure what that means, but
I am pretty sure that it is not positive.
Editor