Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Blaðsíða 4

Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Blaðsíða 4
4 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 16—2008 lETTERS Sour Grapes SAY YouR pIece, voIce YouR opInIon, SenD YouR LeTTeRS To LeTTeRS@gRApevIne.IS oR TexT +354 893 9589 Welcome Card Reykjavík Enjoy the Thermal Pools, Museums, Public Transport and discounts. 24 / 48 / 72 hour cards - Great Value For Money Sold at the Centre and most Reykjavík hotels. I was very interested to read the article published in the March edition regard- ing racism in Iceland. I moved to Iceland from the UK 13 months ago and left after 10 months. During that time I worked in a highly professional and well regarded capacity and dutifully payed my taxes. I did make an inital effort to learn the language but recieved several dispiriting setbacks very early on that has reduced my enthusiasm. I find Icelanders initially very friendly but only to a point and it seems impossible to pass this point. Whenever i have tried to use Icelandic my pronounciation has intentionally or unintentionally not been understood and several times I have been asked why I dont just speak english! I find Iceland very insular and the views of many of its inhabitants discriminatory. I have been especially disappointed with treatment of polish immigrants who seem to be blamed for all that is wrong in Icelandic society. In the UK we have a long proud tradition of integrating other nationali- ties and cultures and I feel that Iceland has some learning and growing up to do before it can be included in a modern Europe. Of course this is not everybody, as I have met and worked with some fan- tastic Icelandic people whom I hope to keep in touch with. My views expressed here refer to the society as a whole and in no way reflect my opinion of individu- als. Many thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion. Regards Simon Fayers Greetings Simon, Thank you for your informative letter. It’s also good to hear you paid your taxes. Maybe they will help in subsidizing the black hole of debt some of our well-mean- ing billionaire playboys have plunged us into. Your points on racism are also welcomed. It is kind of amusing to read so many grand statements about an entire nation of people in a letter denouncing racism. But I digress. There are some real pricks floating around downtown, and I am sorry to hear you had to confront some of them. So, on behalf of my bankrupt na- tion, I apologize. It was good to have you. DUDE ARE BANKS STILL IN CONTROL? I am reading some crazy stuff :( How are things? Anthony Johnson Dear Anthony, To be honest, I don’t really have any idea. None of us do. We are all pretty much at a loss here, and in more ways than one. That said, things are fine – life is good. The weather today was beautiful, I just stole the new Jesu EP off some blog and us at the office also figured out that even if everything goes to hell, we still have enough fish, sheep and potatoes around to feed the 300.000 of us for a long, long time. So let’s celebrate and have us some drinks, yeah? Hey Grapevine! First, let me thank you for running such an excellent publication. I have been visiting your country on and off for the past decade, and I can proudly say I’ve been following you guys since your first issue. It’s proven a tremendous resource on what’s going on over there and has helped me make some great choices when it comes to travel and nightlife (thanks for the Greenland tip, BTW). Your web-site is also looking swell these days. The reason I write you now is to enquire whether I can submit an article for print in the paper. I have been keeping exten- sive travelouges of my visits, and some of them are pretty funny if I say so my- self. Do you take reader submissions? Do you pay for them? Can I be a part of your team? Sincerely, Stephen Lewis Dear Stephen, Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. We try our best to make the paper as good as possible, and sometimes we succeed. It’s good to know you’re paying attention. Of course we welcome and encourage any and all reader submissions. Just send whatever’s on your mind to editor@ grapevine.is - and that goes for the rest of you as well. We pay as much as we can, which isn’t a lot, but I guess it depends on where you live.

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