Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.10.2009, Blaðsíða 8

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 16 — 2009
A year after the economic
collapse and one can’t
help notice that nothing
has really changed. The
oligarchs, though officially bankrupt,
still control Iceland’s industries. Of
the two daily papers, one is run by the
main architect of the collapse, former
PM and Central Bank Manager Davið
Oddsson, and the other is still owned
by Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, one of the
most indebted men in Iceland’s history.
Free speech has been all but
suspended, while no one has assumed
responsibility for any of the decisions
made here in the past twenty years.
Even the Icesave issue remains
unresolved. Which brings us to the
question, are Iceland’s politicians
merely incompetent, or could it be that
they don’t actually want the current
problems solved? It seems the latter
might actually be the case.
In a recent issue of Time Magazine,
columnist Joe Klein calls the US
debate about Health Care a national
embarrassment. Icelanders are no
strangers to national embarrassment,
but let’s let Klein finish. He writes
“Obama should be heartened by
the fact that most of his Republican
adversaries oppose the bill for crass
political rather than ideological
reasons.”
He then goes on to explain this,
saying that the Republicans are
terrified that the healthcare bill will
pass, not because they are afraid
that the results will be a failure, but
because they are afraid that it will be a
success. If Obama manages to reform
health care, end America’s hopeless
wars and rescue the economy, in other
words, pull the US out of the quagmire
the Republicans have mired it in, the
Democrats will be in an unassailable
position for the foreseeable future.
Therefore, the Republicans seem to
have decided to put their own party's’
political interests ahead of the good of
the nation.
They would rather do harm to their
adversaries than take part in doing
good for their people. No wonder
bipartisanship has proven impossible
on this or any other major issue.
The Good, The Bad
and The Icesave
Which brings us to Iceland. A year
after the October collapse, the
Independence Party has proven to
be as irresponsible in opposition as
it was in government. They spent all
of summer squabbling about Icesave
while the nation’s households sank
deeper into debt. Even after they had
made their amendments, they still
refused to support the bill, instead
electing to remain idle as the bill was
passed.
No doubt they hope to accrue
political advantage from this. If the
bill proves a relative success, they will
claim credit for their amendments.
If it proves a failure, they will claim
to never have supported it to begin
with. This argument, of course, can
easily be stood on its head. There
are no good solutions to Icesave,
only various degrees of bad. If worst
comes to worst, it will be because the
Independence Party left the country
in a hopeless position. If the problem
can be solved, it only proves that the
current government is that much better
than the last.
ParTy or PeoPle?
The Progressive Party is little better,
if slightly less obvious. On the same
day that the current government made
their first real proposals, a lowering of
the debt of Icelandic families by up to
40%, it was the Progressive Party that
captured the headlines by announcing
an imaginary loan from Norway.
The Icesave fiasco is something
that was created by the previous
government. Not wanting to see the
country’s problems solved, problems
that were created by itself, is therefore
a case of the Independence Party
offending the people twice. But they
don’t stop there. The party still controls
the city of Reykjavík, and from there
are busy continuing their futile policies,
currently by selling off the energy
supplies and trying to tear down old
houses in the city centre.
From a party-political perspective,
this makes sense. Eighteen years of the
Independence Party rule led to national
bankruptcy. If the Red-Green Alliance
manages to solve the major problems,
it will be the end of the Independence
Party’s dominance in Icelandic politics.
It is therefore understandable that it
chooses to put its own interests ahead
of those of its country. It is also very
unfortunate.
Article | Wintersports Opinion | Valur Gunnarsson
One Nation, One Party,
One Bank Account?
LOuISE PETERSSON
juLIA STAPLES
Welcome to Iceland
Here’s how to find
www.ja.is
WHAT?
WHO? WHERE?
People Businesses Maps Direction
Quick guide to the information
you need while enjoying your stay
Forget hot springs and hot tubs—
it’s time to highlight a slightly more
daunting Icelandic activity. It’s time for
some sea swimming action. One might
wonder why one would want to splash
around in the freezing North Atlantic.
Because believe me, it’s fucking cold. Still
the experience somehow manages to be
totally awesome.
Dark clouds hovered above on the
particular day we chose to try it out; there
was an icy breeze in the air. Standing
on the shore, my toes in the cold sand, I
think to myself why, oh why am I here,
when I could easily be in a number of
other places. Warm places.
Still. It’s 4 degrees Celsius, the water
temperature is a nice 7.5. It’s a lovely day
for a swim in the sea.
Sea swimming has grown more
popular in Iceland over the past few years.
Most people in the Reykjavík area use the
facilities around Nauthólsvík, a.k.a. the
artificial beach, mainly because those
bring access to showers and a hot tub.
So far this year, the number of visitors to
Nauthólsvík is five times what it was last
year. “A few years ago people thought we
were strange. It was almost like we didn’t
dare speak aloud of the fact that we sea
swam. But this has changed now,” says
experienced sea swimmer Heimir Örn
Sveinsson. “It’s been a long process but
after some positive media coverage, more
people became curious and tried it out.”
juST DO IT
Heimir Örn Sveinsson and Benedikt
Hjartarson have both been active sea
swimmers for years—they go several
times a week, all year round, regardless
of the weather. Neither ice nor snow will
stop them. They have promised to give
me some pointers during my first dip in
the North Atlantic. “The first minutes
it’s really important to breathe, otherwise
there is risk that you start panicking and
hyperventilating. So just think actively
about the breathing,” explains Heimir.
While entering the water I do try
to remember the breathing part, only
to realise that I’m both panicking and
hyperventilating in-between gruesome
teeth chattering. I remember Benni’s
words of wisdom: “If you decide to go
in—just do it. Just go. Don’t hesitate.
Keep going until you find that peace and
balance in your body when you get used
to the water.”
There is some risk involving sea
swimming in the cold waters of the
Northern hemisphere. According to
Þórarinn Sveinsson, senior physiology
lecturer at the University of Iceland,
hyperventilating causes a decrease
in swimming ability. And when the
temperature in your arm muscles is
low, they get tired which means you
have difficulty swimming. That really
just means that you’re at a higher risk of
drowning while swimming in cold North
Atlantic waters.
Heimir and Benni assure me that
sea swimming is, in fact, safe as long as
you’re careful and up on your common
sense. Tips include: don’t swim alone,
stay close to shore and listen to your body.
SuRPRISINGLY PLEASuRABLE
The only thing my body told me whilst
submerging into the iciness is that it’s
going really numb. The word COLD
repeats itself in my mind in big bold
letters, but I push myself further until
I find myself swimming. Not only
that, I’m enjoying it. “Sea swimming is
extremely good for your body and mind.
And by taking the challenge you obtain
self confidence to overcome obstacles in
your life,” says Heimir. Apparently it’s
a very healthy way of exercising, at least
according to my sea swimming buddies.
I must admit that after a while in the
water, it does start to get nice. Real nice.
Although not necessarily physically, but
definitely mentally. It remains unknown
whether this emotion will help me
overcome great obstacles in the long run,
but here and now it brings a wonderful
feeling of accomplishment.
Fifty or so metres and approximately
4.5 minutes later, I’ve had enough and
head back to the shore. You would think
that entering the hot tub nearby would be
heavenly after freezing your ass of in the
sea. Wrong. At first you’re shivering in
the hot water and you can’t feel whether
it’s hot or cold. However, after a few
minutes of adjusting it’s utter bliss.
My main conclusion after trying out
sea swimming á la Iceland: the whole sea
versus hot tub thing does not exist. In
the end, both have lots of merit, and the
combo is the height of awesomeness.
The Surprising Pleasures Of The North Atlantic
Sea swimming in Iceland