Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.08.2012, Qupperneq 16

16
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 12 — 2012
So, to coin an Olym-
pian metaphor:
Is Iceland really
bouncing back?
Short answer:
Maybe yes, maybe
no. They sure are good
at handball, but they did lose in the
quarterfinals.
A central theory has been tendered
in the international media these last
months: Iceland’s economy is faring bet-
ter than the Eurozone and has emerged
from the grimmest of doldrums, basically
due to the fact that its people are proud,
resilient and self-reliant.
This theory also appears to be
central to President Ólafur Ragnar
Grímsson’s international PR campaign.
Oh, and apparently handball helps too.
In a TIME magazine article, “The
Most Important Team in the Olympics?
Why, It’s Icelandic Handball,” Ólafur
explained the impact that the Icelandic
handball team winning the silver medal
at the Beijing Olympics had on Iceland
(bear in mind the Beijing Olympics were
just before the crash of 2008): “A nation,
after an initial shock, decided to move
forward, and the handball team played a
big role in that.”
Of course a silver medal boosted
morale, as did a second place in the
Eurovision Song Contest the following
year—and let’s not forget Eyjafjallajökull’s
fateful eruption. There’s no doubt that
Iceland had the world’s attention. And,
of course, distractions are always good
during catastrophes.
So, thank you Icelandic handball team.
Thank you Jóhanna and Óskar Páll for “Is
It True?” and above all, thank you Eyjafjal-
lajökull for helping to boost tourism.
In a New York Times article, “A
Bruised Iceland Heals Amid Europe’s
Malaise,” Sarah Lyall writes: “analysts
attribute the surprising turn of [Ice-
land’s] events to a combination of
fortuitous decisions and good luck, but
caution that the lessons of Iceland’s
turnaround are not readily applicable to
the larger and more complex economies
of Europe.”
Meanwhile Financial Times and
Bloomberg report that Iceland is not
only emerging as a pioneer in bank-
ing reforms but also as a model for the
inquiry into the misdeeds of the banking
sector in general. “Europe should look
to Iceland to get a sense of how much
damage an overgrown banking system
can wreak,” Straumur Investment Bank’s
CEO Pétur Einarsson tells Bloomberg.
So who’s right? It’s debatable. No
one really seems to be in agreement
and for the most part, it’s all depends on
when and how you measure success.
While Paul Krugman, of course, still
believes that Iceland is an economic
miracle to be followed, Econmatters, a
website comprising of team of invest-
ment analysts, says: “Iceland is definitely
NOT the ‘fiscal role model that Krugman
intends for people to believe,’ adding
“Iceland had to raise its interest rate five
times since last August to contain infla-
tion.”
The Peterson Institute also refutes
Krugman noting that “measured over a
longer period, Iceland significantly un-
derperforms that of the Baltic countries.”
This is echoed by the Economist,
which adds: “Iceland has not done
significantly better than Ireland despite
the fact that Ireland lacks a currency to
depreciate.”
And on the subject of currency,
Econmatters questions, “…if currency
devaluation is such an economic miracle
cure, why is Iceland looking to adopt the
Euro or Loonie? And there’s a reason
why Greece opted to still stay in the
Euro.”
More ominous still is what Jón Dan-
ielson, a professor at the London School
of Economics, tells the New York Times:
“…both the IMF, which bailed Iceland
out during the crisis, and the govern-
ment had a vested interest in painting a
positive picture of the situation.”
And with a heavy dose of measured
good sense, he goes on: “When I hear
people say that everything is fine, it’s
coloured by P.R. They have clearly stabi-
lized the economy and gotten out of the
deep crisis,” he says, “but they have not
yet found a way to build a prosperous
country for the future.”
But in the scheme of the rest of the
world, could Iceland’s fortitude and good
luck really be a potential role model for
other crisis-struck economies, as Strau-
mur’s Pétur Einarsson seems to believe?
Might the Icelandic underdog actually
win the day, perhaps even pave the way?
It’s all so confusing, as the ‘experts’
appear to be at odds with each other.
But perhaps we shouldn’t hedge all our
bets on the Icelandic handball team.
So you’ve seen it all. You’re on your
third Golden Circle and you probably
know more about Icelandic geography
than any local high school student.
You’ve spent all your money on watch-
ing whales and the rest of your gold
was eaten by the bars. You are lonely
and penniless in Iceland and what you
really need is a friend. The people you
came here with are not your friends
anymore, you’re so sick of them that
you are on the verge of hating yourself
simply for being their friend. You have
a few days left. You have emptied the
minibar. What to do?
Here is a guide to getting a bit
closer to the locals. I’m not talking
about sex. The airlines provide that
kind of information. I’m simply talking
about platonic friendships, if you need
someone to lighten your spirit, join you
in a crazy tequila fiesta, someone to
wake up in a dumpster with, reeking of
fish oil.
1 Numero uno—and this is one of the biggest tourism
conspiracies in this country. If I
disappear after writing this article, it’s
probably because I let you in on this
secret. Here it goes: Take off that
bright coloured coat. Even if it’s a
normal shade, like black, grey or
maybe white—one of those colours
that doesn’t give you a third degree
welder’s f lash in a second—it will still
keep you warm. Trust me. Icelanders
are insanely shallow and fashion aware
people and you just have to join in the
nonsense.
2 Seek out the right crowd. Find someone over thirty that
is professionally obliged to tell you the
truth. This person may be a bartender
or some of the hostel staff. Or that hot
guy from the whale watching thing.
Tell them who you are and what kind
of company you are looking for. You
don’t want to be outnumbered by
latte-drinking Eurohippies in your
Wall Street suit.
3 Speak English. It’s fine. We don’t expect you to do anything
else. Don’t think making an attempt to
speak the language will get you
anywhere. Icelanders are very sarcastic
and judgemental when it comes to that
sort of thing.
4 Throw away your street map. Do it. No, really. Throw it
away. All you need is this paper you are
reading right now. Why? Because I said
so. Talk to the locals about where to go
and what to see. You stand a better
chance of getting acquainted with
people and besides, most of the
interesting cafes and bars switch
locations every two months, so any
map that tells you that this place or the
other is the tits is full of lies, unless it
was published this morning.
5 Start smoking. It’s such a fine way to get to know the people,
if you don’t mind the yellow fingers,
stained teeth, smelly hair, the insane
price of tobacco and the slow and
painful death that follows. It makes
you look cool, and slightly suicidal. You
will also become better acquainted
with Iceland’s lovely weather, as
smoking indoors is strictly prohibited.
6 Go swimming. There are loads of young people, especially in
the hot tubs. Some are even good
looking. Since you’re not from around
here you’ve probably got some fabulous
tan lines and exotic swimwear. And
boy, do we like tan lines.
7 Yes, do get some tan before your arrival. Not like bottle
tan, or beauty pageant tan. I’m talking
about the kind you get when you are
gardening. It makes you look exotic, as
most of the locals are greyish looking;
for them, that yellow thing in the sky is
merely a myth.
8 Read books. Smart people are more interesting. This applies
to any friend making method
anywhere in the world. You can also
pull the cynical sarcastic type. Sarcasm
works. Go to the bar and tell them you
had a wonderful day in the nice
weather and the most awful thing that
could happen to you now would be a
nice, cold beer and a shoulder to cry
on. Hilarity will ensue.
9 Smile, but not too much. We as a rule are not smilers, due to
our horrible dental healthcare system.
It’s not because we don’t like you, so
please do not take it personally if
everyone seems a bit angry looking.
10 Ask around for information, it makes us feel important and
feeling important is the national sport.
Where is the bathroom, which
direction is the ocean? It’s all good. We
love you. Welcome.
Iceland | Local Iceland in the International Eye | July
Words
Nína Salvarar
Photos
Baldur Kristjáns
Words
Marc Vincenz
“
So, thank you Icelandic
handball team. Thank
you Jóhanna and Óskar
Páll for “Is It True?” and
above all, thank you Ey-
jafjallajökull for helping to
boost tourism.„
Island
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More info on www.videy.com
Viðey is an island situated just few minutes from Reykjavík city by ferry.
The island is the perfect place for individuals, friends and families wanting
to enjoy a relaxing but also adventurous getaway from the city life.
Only 7 minutes away from the city
From Skarfabakki to Viðey
From Viðey to Skarfabakki
13:15 14:15 15:15
13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30
11:15 12:15 13:15 14:15 15:15 16:15 17:15
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30
12:00
15:30
From Skarfabakki to Viðey
From Viðey to Skarfabakki
From Reykjavík Old Harbour to Viðey
From Viðey to Reykjavík Old Harbour
Winter (on Sat. and Sun. from 16 September to 14 May)
Summer (daily from 15 May to 15 September)
Ferry schedule
Daily beginner riding tours
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Start at 10:00 and 14:00 from 1 June to 31 August
A Local’s Guide For Tourist On
How To Befriend The Locals