Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.12.2009, Síða 2

2
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 18 — 2009
On Cover:
Tómas Tómasson of Hamborgarabúllan
and Úlfar Eysteinsson of Þrír Frakkar
Cover Photo by:
Baldur Kristjáns
www.baldurkristjans.is
Stylist:
Ellen Loftsdóttir
Art Direction:
Jói Kjartans
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry
Association - www.saf.is
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
Advertising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
Publisher:
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Publisher:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson
hilmar@grapevine.is
Editor:
Haukur S Magnússon
haukur@grapevine.is
Journalist:
Catharine Fulton / catharine@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Sigurður K Kristinsson
Haukur Már Helgason
Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl
Valur Gunnarsson
Bob Cluness
Dr. Gunni
Paul F Nikolov
Satu Rämö
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson
Sindri Eldon
Eiríkur Kristjánsson
Þórdís Helgadóttir
Bogi Bjarnason
Brenda M Asiimire
Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir
Ian Watson
Hildur Knútsdóttir
Sruli Recht
Vigdís Þormóðsdóttir
Marc Vincenz
Ragnar Jón Hrólfsson
Hildur Knútsdóttir
Editorial Interns:
Louise Petersson / louise@grapevine.is
Michael Vladimir Zelenko /
michael@grapevine.is
Food Editor:
Sari Peltonen
On-line News Editor
Paul Nikolov
paulnikolov@grapevine.is
Art Director:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson
hoddi@grapevine.is
Design:
Jóhannes Kjartansson
layout@grapevine.is
Photographers:
Hörður Sveinsson / hordursveinsson.com
Julia Staples / juliastaples.com
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson
adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Guðmundur Rúnar Svansson
grs@grapevine.is
Distribution:
distribution@grapevine.is
Proofreader:
Jim Rice
Press releases:
listings@grapevine.is
Submissions inquiries:
editor@grapevine.is
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General inquiries: grapevine@grapevine.is
Founders:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson,
Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18
times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from
November through April, and fortnightly
from May til October. Nothing in this
magazine may be reproduced in whole or
in part without the written permission of
the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine
is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri,
Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Kef lavík, Ísafjörður and
at key locations along road #1, and all major
tourist attractions and tourist information
centres in the country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not
sponsored. (No articles in the Reykjavík
Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions
expressed are the writers’ own, not the
advertisers’).
Do yourself a
favour. Turn to
page ten, right now,
and read Haukur
Már’s feature, Our
Murderous Fences.
It details how the
Greek government
is (mis) treating
the nation’s asylum
seekers and
immigrants, and
how the Icelandic
government keeps sending our own asylum
seekers over there. Take some time to think
about this.
Ponder a government institution that
would send a 19-year asylum seeker old to fend
for himself on the streets of Athens. Without
notice, without a phone-call, without the
chance to pack his belongings or collect his
unpaid salaries. With naught to his name but
some worthless Icelandic Krónur.
Ponder one of the wealthiest nations in the
world – regardless of any economic collapse
– that in the last twenty years has granted
asylum to four persons out of 500 applicants.
Ponder the fact Iceland’s laws and policies
on immigration have been made so muddled
and convoluted that any decision made by
the local Directorate of Immigration can be
argued for with a simple “BECAUSE WE SAY
SO.”
Now ponder this: Recent reports state that
Greece might wind up as ‘the next Iceland’ –
that it is a nation on the verge of total economic
collapse, and that its infrastructure is rotted
and corrupt.
Think: why Iceland? Why Greece? Could
it be that the two nations’ apparent fear of
foreigners, outsiders – the attitude that they
are a burden and a threat to prosperity, rather
than welcome participants to our society –
might correlate with a certain stagnation and
corruption we know all too well?
Reflect on all the world’s most prosperous
regions throughout history. Try and think of
one that was closed off, suspicious of outside
influence, raised walls and borders, shut itself
in a fit of paranoid xenophobia.
I trust you followed the above instructions,
and that they provided you some food for
thought. I am going to get all cheerful and
seasonally spirited in a couple of paragraphs,
wishing you a merry Xmas and all, but before
I do, I’ve got some more complaining to do.
Even though I am generally a pretty cheerful
fellow, the below couple of things get me so
riled up that I am going to write them in all
caps, as if I were shouting:
IF THE ICELANDIC GOVERNMENT
IMAGINES THEY CAN WITHOLD
INFORMATION FROM THE REPORT OF
THE BANK COLLAPSE’S INVESTIGATIVE
COMMITTEE WITHOUT INCITING RIOTS
AND THE BURNING OF XMAS TREES,
THEY ARE SORELY MISTAKEN.
EVEN IF I THINK YOUR ‘ENEMY’ IS
CORRUPT, THAT DOESN’T MEAN I AM ON
YOUR ‘TEAM’ AND THINK YOU ARE ANY
LESS CORRUPT THAN HE IS. I AM NOT
INTERESTED IN JOINING YOUR TEAM
OR FACTION – I AM ONLY INTERESTED
IN LEARNING THE TRUTH. AND I AM
STARTING TO THINK THAT IT ENTAILS
ALL YOU POLITICAL AND CORPORATE
SPORTSTEAMS OUT THERE BEING
CORRUPT AS FUCK.
Ah. That felt good. And I didn’t even shout
about dumbass Alþingi’s stupid, juvenile
filibustering as of late (think I’ll save that for
next issue).
Now, Merry Christmas to everyone!
Editorial | Haukur S Magnússon
Haukur’s 18th Editorial
No, I am not on your team
+ COMPLETE CITY LISTINGS - INSIDE!
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELANDYOUR FREE COPY
Issue 18 – December 4 - January 7 – 2010
Christmas is upon us. While a lot of things are pretty wrong in the world right now,
we feel the only sensible thing to do is indulge in some good old-fashioned Holiday indulgence.
Eat, Drink & Be Merry
www.grapevine.is
SPECIAL SPECTACULAR www.grapevine.is
The merry Christmas men that are plastered all over the Grapevine this issue just happen to be some of the city’s top restaurateurs. Chef Úlfar Eysteinsson runs Þrír Frakkar, Reykjavík’s best loved fish restaurant (Baldursgata 14) and Tómas Tómasson operates the Iceland’s all-time favourite hamburger dive, Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar (various locations). Why do we love having them pose for photos and then putting those photos on our covers? Because they are very awesome people, and their food has given us a lot of pleasure, for instance. But also because they sport these cool, long beards. Why did they grow these beards?
Úlfar: I was being interviewed on the radio last May, and I happened to sport a beard. The journalist asked me why I was so hairy, and I replied that I was protesting the Central Bank’s way-too-high interest rates, that I would not shave until it was down to a one-figure number...
Tómas: I heard Úlfar on the radio, talking about whale meat as usual, and he started talking about his protest. I decided this was something I wanted to get behind, so I called him up immediately afterwards – my friend of 40 years – and told him I would join him in his protest. I’ve been growing a beard since the end of May now, and Úlfar since the beginning of May. They’re pretty hefty beards by now.
Did you envision having to grow your beards this long? Do you expect to cut them anytime soon?
Úlfar: I didn’t suspect it would take this time, but we’ve still had some progress. A year ago, the interest rates were at 18%, they’re down to 11% now. Once they go down by 1.5%, the beards are gone!
Tómas: They’ll announce the new interest rates on December 10th. I am not convinced they will go below 10% then, but I imagine it will happen next year. I hope they do.
We hear you’re planning to do some fun Christmas stuff with those beards...
Úlfar: Yes, we acquired 1.000 decks of playing cards from Icelandair, and a mysterious benefactor sponsored 1.000 candles from Sólheimar. We are in the clouds about this. We’re in the process of gift-wrapping the mall and are planning to dress up in Santa gear and deliver those goods to children at the local children’s hospital and kindergartens around town, spreading some Christmas spirit.
Issue 18
Xmas 09
Tómas’ grill-charred leg of lamb (serves many)You’ll need: a filleted leg of lamb (femur intact), BBQ sauce of choice (“Any brand, almost all BBQ sauce is good”), spices. “Marinade the leg of lamb in the BBQ sauce for 24 hours, preferably at room temperature. Salt and pepper according to taste, then throw it on your barbecue for 45 minutes to an hour – the more burnt, the better. You’ll have to keep turning it from the start – eventually it will start to burn, as I said, but that’s good. Let it burn! The charred flesh is really good. Keep your BBQ sauce of choice on hand throughout the process, so you can douse the leg in it each time you turn. Serve with mushroom cream sauce and potatoes. For the potatoes, you should boil them first and cool them down, then cut them into 4-5 pieces each (without peeling them!) and fry them in olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley.” Photo by Baldur Kristjáns
Úlfar’s Halibut w/Langoustine (serves two)You’ll need: flour, spices, two halibut fillets (around 200 grams each), two large langoustine (split at the middle), cream, white wine and some Icelandic butter. “Coat the halibut in flour and then fry it in hot butter on one side for around two and a half minutes. Then you flip the fish and place the langoustine split-down in the butter. Spice with BBQ seasoning and add garlic and salt according to taste. Splash some white wine over the pan before adding the cream (250+ mls.). The cream will come to a boil, making the gravy nice and thick. If it’s too thick, add some more white wine. Serve with boiled potatoes and salad, if you will, squeeze a slice of lemon over your plate according to taste.“
Look inside for your free copy of
Grapevine's Xmas
Special Spectacular!

Featuring comprehensive
information on everything to
do with the Icelandic Holiday
season, complete Holiday
opening hours and a great
article on knitting your
own Xmas presents!
20%
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While you enjoy the Icelandic winter, we like to offer you a warm 20% discount
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Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir presents:
If Grapevine as an entity were ever to choose a
favourite local band, chances are pretty high that it
would be Morðingjarnir. These guys just somehow
manage to collectively embody everything that’s
good, clean, wholesome and fun about being in a
band and playing music. And what music! Their
latest offering- Flóttinn mikli (“The Great Escape”) is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise sorta dark
musical year; tuneful, joyful, thoughtful and tight as fuck. And it’s too bad you non-Icelandophones
out there can’t understand their lyrics, for they are awesome, too.
Our free track of the month, Sunnudagsmorgunn í Reykjavík (“Sunday morning in Reykjavík”), is a
mellow scorcher that will stick to your brain like cat hair on Velcro. Try it out for yourself!
Our resident comic artist, Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir, is currently teaching a bunch of awesome teenagers a course on the great art of making
comix. We decided it would be a great idea to run the best of her students' output, and hereby welcome pioneer Vilhjálmur Yngvi Hjálmarsson to
the ranks of GV comic artists. Vilhjálmur is 12-years old, and his favourite comic is The Simpsons. He has been making his art for the last three
years. Welcome aboard, Vilhjálmur!
Morðingjarnir
Sunnudagsmorgunn í Reykjavík

mordingjarnir
Download the track of the issue
at www.grapevine.is
TRACK OF
THE ISSUE
Download your
free copy at
grapevine.is
MUSIC
&
NIGHT
LIFE
Comic | Elo Vázquez & Óttar Norðfjörð
ARE YOU BEING DENIED RENEWAL OF
YOUR VISA OR RESIDENCE PERMIT?
THE GRAPEVINE WANTS TO KNOW
For some reason, we’ve started hearing a
lot about new Icelanders and immigrants
to the country being denied a renewal of
their visas or residence permit – often with
little or no explanation.
This has us wondering just how many folks
that have made Iceland their new home
are being sent back – and why this is hap-
pening all of the sudden.
Drop us a line at letters@grapevine.is and
tell us about your experiences with the Di-
rectorate of Immigration and other bodies
of government.