Reykjavík Grapevine - 25.09.2009, Blaðsíða 12

12
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15 — 2009
Dance with Us!
Laugavegi 21 - 101 Reykjavik - 551 6464 Kl
ap
pa
r
st
íg
ur
Laugarvegur
We are here:
All you new int'l student types out there must be interested in submitting some articles to the
Grapevine, right? Well, go right ahead. Do your worst.
We're writing this long-ass piece on the privatization and selling off of Iceland's resources,
something everyone ought to agree is a pretty important issue to ponder, regardless of your
feelings on privatisation. Look forward to reading it in our next issue.
EIRIk, NORwAy, 24
Studies: Icelandic
“I study Nordic languages
back home and I’ve been to
Iceland and fell in love. It’s a beautiful
language, a beautiful country, so why
not? I’ve already done a trip around the
country, some friends and I rented a car
so now I just want to sit back and relax
and check out some of the pools around
the city.”
SUNNy, CHINA, 24
Studies: Icelandic
“I arrived mid-August and
I’ve liked it very much. I’m here
to study for half a year and I want to see
some of the nature and learn about Ice-
landic culture. I’ve just started my studies
so I don’t speak any Icelandic yet, but I’m
looking forward to learning.”
MOLLy,
UNITEd STATES, 20
Studies: Anthropology
“I’m kinda shocked at how few
people are in the city. I can walk from my
apartment to the school or down town
and pass nobody on the streets. I really
like that about it so far. I’m really look-
ing forward to meeting Icelandic people,
learning some of the language and ex-
ploring the country. And drinking beer.”
PAUL, CANAdA, 25
Studies:
A smattering of things
“Iceland is full of paradoxes
and dichotomies and I find it perplex-
ing—mostly in Icelandic people and cul-
ture and I’m not sure how to make heads
or tails of it. I find it very curious though.
The combination of something like
animism while at the same time being
hyper-consumeristic I find very strange.
While in Iceland I’d like to just hang out
and make music. That’s it.”
Article | Education Article | Aftermath
CATHARINE FULTON
JULIA STAPLES
CATHARINE FULTON
HÖRÐUR SVEINSSON
A new season is upon us. The summer
months that have treated us so well
have now bid us adieu, as have the
tourists and the long, bright days.
Temperatures are cooler, nights are
longer, vacations are over and school has
reconvened. This means a fresh batch of
international students have made their
way to Iceland’s magnificent capital
for a semester or two of socializing,
drinking, partying, and studying. In
that order.
wELCOME TO REykJAVík!
Two hundred and seventy Háskóli
Íslands (HI) exchange students
descended on Reykjavík over the past
month, accompanied by some 3 or 4
hundred international degree students.
With such programs as Erasmus
making intra-Europe exchanges a piece
of cake, most of the exchangees hail
from the continent. “German, Finnish,
Danish, Swedish, French and Spanish
students are the biggest groups, but
we do also get an increasing number of
students from North America and Asia,
even one or two Australians and New
Zealanders each year,” says Erla Björk
Atladóttir of HI’s Office of International
Education.
Erla Björk’s office helps new students
with all the pesky paperwork needed to
study in Iceland and finds them places to
live. Along with the Student Union and
the Erasmus Student Network the office
has also arranged a buddy program
that hooks international students
up with Icelanders. Björn Teitsson,
International Officer of Stúdentaráð at
HÍ (SHÍ) hopes that such a program will
“help the foreign students to get into the
Iceland routine as quickly as possible.”
The international students
orientation went down on the 31st
of August and since then ESN, SHÍ
and the HÍ International Office have
been helping the new recruits settle in
with faculty orientations, a “Rat Race”
around campus and a massive “get to
know your buddy” party—complete
with free booze for ESNers—earlier this
month. ESN Reykjavík will keep the
kids entertained the semester through
with ongoing shindigs at Batteríið,
rafting adventures and the like. There’s
nothing like the life of an Erasmus!
AdVICE FROM THE PROS
While a student exchange seems like
somewhat of a no-brainer—go to
location x, meet people, party, go to
class—Erla Björk and Björn have some
advice for the newbies in town.
“International students tend to
stick together and regret not having
made many Icelandic friends during
their stay,” said Erla Björk, “so I always
encourage students to take part in
events organised by the departmental
student associations, that seems to be
the best way to meet locals.”
Björn, on the other hand, suggests,
"[memorizing] the opening hours of
ÁTVR, give learning Icelandic a shot
and basically have a good time. Oh yeah,
look out for the Soirées du Twist!"
It’s Back to School Time!
Welcoming Háskóli Íslands’ new batch of international students
Meet the
new students!
Reykjavík City Council approved
the sale of 32 percent of Reykjanes-
based geothermal energy plant HS
Orka to Canadian-come-Swedish
company Magma Energy on
September 16th in front of a group of
protestors, who grew more rowdy as
the meeting went on.
Earlier this summer Magma
Energy, the latest venture of long-
time mining industry hotshot Ross
Beaty, acquired an 11% share in
HS Orka from Geysir Green Energy.
Beaty’s Magma is now the proud
owner of 42 % of HS Orka, along with
exclusive rights to the geothermal
fields of Reykjanes for up to 130
years.
For perspective, note that in 130
years, everyone currently living on
Earth – and a lot of folks that haven’t
been born yet – will be dead.
In an interview with the
Grapevine, Beaty explained his foray
into geothermal energy. “I’m an
entrepreneur so I’ve started many
companies, and this time around I
wanted to build something green. I
looked at geothermal and it just fit.”
The self-proclaimed environmentalist
shakes off accusations of hypocrisy
for spending the past 35 years
in mining – arguably the most
destructive industry on the planet –
chalking up such beliefs to the bias
and “ignorance” of the public.
Another accusation that Beaty
chalks up to ignorance is the distrust
of the Icelandic people for deals
that see the nation’s resources in
the hands of foreign firms. “I would
suggest that is ignorance and
complete nonsense,” asserted Beaty
when asked his thoughts on Magma
being thought of as an opportunist,
taking advantage of the weakened
Icelandic economy. “It’s just because
Icelanders don’t know what we’re all
about, and they don’t understand the
world that we live in.”
The sale of a portion of Reykjavík
Energy’s share in HS Orka was put
forth as a wise business move by
Reykjavík’s mayor Hanna Birna
Kristjánsdóttir, saying “the only
responsible option for the City of
Reykjavík was to approve the sale of
OR’s shares in HS Orka to Magma
Energy Sweden AB.”
Others on the city council and
members of Alþingi have spoken
out against the deal, however,
expressing concerns for this
landmark agreement opening the
doors for more foreign purchases
and rampant privatization of valuable
natural resources. Social Democratic
MP Ólína Þorvarðardóttir told the
Grapevine “I am deeply worried that
this sale has opened the floodgates
for huge foreign companies to rush
in to get a similar ‘bargain.’ Even
though we are just talking here about
the utilisation right of the resources,
we have to keep in mind that the
profit of the resource depends on
the utilisation right. What’s the use of
having ownership of a resource if you
don‘t have the right to profit from it?”
More information on Magma
Energy, their purchase of HS Orka
and the potential for continued
privatisation of Iceland’s resources
will be available in the October 9th
issue of the Grapevine.
Dirty Deeds Bought Dirt Cheap?
Iceland Starts Selling Its Resources
“Icelanders don’t know
what we’re all about, and
they don’t understand the
world that we live in.”
“International students
tend to stick together and
regret not having made
many Icelandic friends
during their stay.”