Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.03.2013, Blaðsíða 12

The best Italian/Icelandic
restaurant in town!
Lækjargata 6B • 101 Reykjavík
Tel. 578 7200 • www.pisa.is
10%
Disc
oun
t
of F
ood
FR
U
M
THE FRESHEST FISH ....AND IDEAS!
SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGUR 14 - 101 REYKJAVÍK - 571 1100
After years of study,
strings of awards and
having led kitchens of
some of Reykjavík’s most
esteemed restaurants,
Gústav still sees him
self as just a kid from
up north, with a life-
time passion for fish.
Connecting Expats
The Facebook group bringing together foreigners living in Iceland
By Mark O’Brien
“I met a friend at school back in 2008 who told
me about this great new thing called Facebook—
it was the coolest thing in the U.S. and was just
opening to everyone,” says Koleen Berman, who
founded the page that year. “People were mak-
ing groups for everything, so I made myself a
group—even though it would be ages before Ice-
land caught onto Facebook.”
Persuaded by her husband to leave her native
Canada on promises of “a perfect island that was
only slightly more windy than Saskatchewan,”
Koleen moved to Iceland with her children six
years ago.
STARTED IN A BOUT
OF HOMESICKNESS
“I called the group ‘Away From Home—Living
In Iceland’ because that’s exactly how I felt,”
Koleen explains. “The homesickness was setting
in, and I needed to do something.”
Koleen says the group started small, consist-
ing mostly of women who came to Iceland with
their Icelandic husbands. “So we shared recipes,
went on shopping trips and had play dates,” she
recalls about the early days when the group num-
bered about 10.
As the network has expanded to 2,000 mem-
bers, however, so has its purpose for expatri-
ates, who can find pub quizzes at English Pub
and book clubs through the group. “Most of all
though,” Koleen says, “it’s a place for questions
and discussions.”
Those questions and discussions certainly
show off a rich variety of interests and passions.
One member recently offered to give away a few
kilos of spare mackerel while another offered a
seat available on the Multicultural Council of
Reykjavík.
Among the everyday services and products
members have recently requested help in finding
are chicken wire, horseradish, fat burner supple-
ment, cloth diaper services—and a live chicken to
kill and eat.
The group struggled to help the member
looking for the chicken and she conceded she’d
just have to wait until she visited home—sticking
for now to the dressed variety. Koleen admits that
the group has changed a lot, but she says she is
happy with the direction that it has taken.
AN EXPAT LIFELINE
“There have not been too many quirky messages
in the group,” one of the moderators, Angelique
Kelley, nonetheless insists. “I get a lot of private
messages from people asking me to help them
find jobs. I have had students who are going to
the University of Iceland asking for help to find
apartments, but most ask in the open group.”
Angelique was born and raised in Chicago,
the daughter of an Icelandic mother and a U.S.
Navy father who was stationed at Keflavík in the
1960s. “I came to Iceland in 1987 for my grand-
mother’s 60th birthday, and the family convinced
me to stay so I could learn the language and get
to know them,” she explains. “I was young and
crazy, and had nothing going on back home so I
decided to stay.”
She met her husband, who she calls her
“Viking,” in Grundarfjörður whilst working in
a fish factory, saving money to return home to
the States. Twenty-five years later, she has two
daughters and a granddaughter to her name, and
is an active volunteer for organisations in Reykja-
vík.
“The group really brings expats together and
it is a lifeline for a lot of people coming to Ice-
land,” Angelique proudly concludes. “We have
tried to keep people informed of happenings, and
it seems now that more and more people are just
sharing information themselves, which is great.”
New arrivals scouting for job offers, teachers offering Icelandic lessons… and one lady asking where
she can find a live chicken to eat! These are just some of the notices posted by members of a Facebook
group specially created to help foreigners making their home in Iceland.
Amongst the dozens of posts the Away From Home group
receives daily are some pretty weird and wonderful ones.
Here are our favourites:
“Here I am to sell an UNI gender Bicyle 12" Animator Brand,
suitable for 2+ to 5. Asking Price Isk. 5.000(Can be accept
close figures) Current status -- No Air in front wheel!!”
“Digital Scales just 1000 kr in great condition....”
“is it going to say i am 50kg?”
“Slip-sliding awaaaay...”
“..was meant to post this on my main page.,..
..but everyone should be careful out there!”
“I have one 15 ounce can of pumpkin, perfect for bread
or pie. For sale for 1.000 ISK OBO. But I'm leaving Iceland
tomorrow...”
“Anyone interested for vouchers for wax of armpit, i bought
it on hopkaup for about 450 isk one, the value is 1400 isk, i
have 3 vouchers and i will not be able to make it”
“omg puppy farts are vile. And adorable.”
“Try giving him some waffles. Then they'll get
REALLY nasty.”
“are they for sale?”
“hahahahah! We once had a situation where we actu-
ally had to leave the house. I know what you mean!”
“The long-run supply curve for a product is horizontal with
ATC = 400. Market demand is defined as P = 1,000 - 4Q. The
market is competitive and is in long-run equilibrium with 50
firms in the industry. If demand increases to P = 1,240 - 4Q,
how many firms will be in the industry at the new long-run
equilibrium?”
“Anyone know of a carpet cleaning company please? Some-
one who will come to Hafnarfjordur and clean and stain re-
move a white square of carpet about 10 metres by 10 metres.?
Please. The carpet is really important to find a cleaner”
“you need the 5X steam mop”
“I need a friggin lot of things right now”
“I need to get a UK satellite and its LMB and cables down off
the roof. Can anyone tell me of someone who can do it, Other
than my husband, please.”
“Hi folks, just wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to
buy kangaroo sausages/steaks in Reykjavik?”
"Anyone possibly interested in adopting a homeless cat ? He
is a very beautiful, proud fully grown male. Has been trying
to squat at my workplace for quite some time now. He really
needs a home !"
"Uh, that is my cat - and my building is right in the
background of the picture If he is giving you trouble
please call me at 661-4627 but please rest assured he
is not homeless."
Alísa Kalyanova
Away From Home’s
Best Hits!
Compiled by Thomas L. Moir
12The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 3 — 2013 You can visit the group at www.facebook.com/groups/living.in.iceland/