Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.03.2012, Síða 2

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 3 — 2012
Editorial | Anna Andersen
FIND OUT P16
Welcome to karlssonwilker
WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
DesignMarch
Full schedule
inside
March 9 - April 12
On the cover:
karlssonwilker
by karlssonwilker
Ojba Rasta is an eleven-piece dub/reggae band
formed in 2009. In addition to obvious Jamaican
influences, the band says they are inspired by world
and film music. Performing all over Reykjavík since
their inception, the band has grown quite popular
and received much critical acclaim. Indeed, when
Grapevine throws a party, we like to book them.
Right now, the band is working on their first al-
bum, which they plan to release this summer. Bassist
Arnljótur wrote this track, called “Baldursbrá.” He
tells us that it’s a personal love song, but whether or
not you understand the Icelandic lyrics, its upbeat
melody is sure to put you in a good mood. Log on to
www.grapevine.is and let yourself be taken away by
Ojba Rasta’s pulsating flow!
Ojba Rasta: Baldursbrá
TRACK OF THE ISSUE
Download the FREE track at www.grapevine.is
TRACK OF
THE ISSUE
Download your
free track at
grapevine.is
The Reykjavík GRapevine
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
www.froken.is
Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association
www.saf.is
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
Editor in ChiEf:
Haukur S Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Managing Editor:
Anna Andersen / anna@grapevine.is
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
advErtising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
+354 40 3610
PublishEr:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / hilmar@grapevine.is
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Contributing WritErs:
Gerður Jónsdóttir
Valur Gunnarsson
Ásgeir H. Ingólfsson
Íris Erlingsdóttir
Pawel Bartoszek
Egill Helgason
Clyde Bradford
Jacky Mallett
Nanna Árnadóttir
Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson
Bergrún Anna Hallsteinsdóttir
Rebecca Louder
Kristján Guðjónsson
Ragnheiður Axel
Ása Baldursdóttir
Bowen Staines
Salvatore A. Tummolillo
Ragnar Egilsson
Paul Fontaine
Marc Vincenz
Ragnar Egilsson
Sindri Eldon
Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir
Editorial intErns:
Lynn Klein / lynn@grapevine.is
Melanie Franz / melanie@grapevine.is

on-linE nEWs Editor
Paul Fontaine / paul@grapevine.is
art dirECtor:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson / hoddi@grapevine.is
dEsign:
Páll Hilmarsson / pallih@kaninka.net
PhotograPhErs:
Alísa Kalyanova / www. alisakalyanova.com
Hvalreki
salEs dirECtor:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Guðmundur Rúnar Svansson / grs@grapevine.is
Helgi Þór Harðarson / helgi@grapevine.is
distribution ManagEr:
distribution@grapevine.is
ProofrEadEr:
Jim Rice
rElEasEs:
listings@grapevine.is
subMissions inquiriEs:
editor@grapevine.is
subsCriPtion inquiriEs:
+354 540 3605 / subscribe@grapevine.is
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, Seyðis-
fjörður, Borgarnes, 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’).
Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
I recently got a letter from someone in Slovenia who was
interested in Iceland because "Here in Slovenia, where
we’re also struggling with a financial and social crisis,
Iceland is considered a model of how to make things
right."
While in Iceland it feels like we are constantly bom-
barded by bad news, the outside world seems to be ex-
posed to a rosier story. I asked him to elaborate, and he
summed up his impressions of Iceland like this: “Ice-
landers said ‘Fuck off’ to the banks, refused to pay debts
these banks made, threw down the government, elected
another, reduced unemployment, activated economic
growth etc. and now they’re better off.”
The fact that Iceland has become a symbol of hope
in the aftermath of the crisis fascinates me and I often
wonder how much of what the outside world thinks about
Iceland is real and how much of it is a myth that people
have latched onto in the global recession.
In any case, all eyes are once again on Iceland as our
former prime minister, Geir H. Haarde, stands trial for
neglecting to do everything in his power to prevent or
lessen Iceland’s financial crisis in October 2008. This
marks the first time that Iceland’s special Court of Im-
peachment convenes to try a government minister. It also
marks the first and perhaps only case in which a govern-
ment leader is charged and tried over the recent global
financial crisis.
While the world follows the trial, which might lead
people all over the world to think that Iceland is truly a
model of how to make things right, here’s a little bit about
what else is happening:
Homeowners are being “Robbery By Math” (see page
12) due to something called Negative Amortization Loans
and the fact that loans are indexed to inf lation. If Iceland-
ers say, “Fuck off” to the banks and lending institutions,
our pension funds may dry up.
The government, which took over after we “threw
down the government” in 2009, is losing popularity.
There are now three new political parties planning to
run in the upcoming elections. And it is not unlikely that
the party that presided over our collapse will regain its
stronghold in the next election (see “All Tomorrow’s Par-
ties” on page 8).
Unemployment is currently 7%, which is down from
a record 9% in 2010, but up from under 2% prior to 2008,
and this doesn’t take into account the number of people
abandoning ship, moving to Norway or wherever else
seems more appealing, and going back to school for lack
of a better option.
The Icelandic króna is certainly stronger than it was
immediately after the crash, but if certain capital con-
trols, adopted to prevent the currency from completely
tanking, are lifted, we could be in trouble. In the mean-
time this means that the average Icelander cannot go to
the bank and buy foreign currency without proving that
they are leaving the country. See “So You Want To Buy US
Dollars” (page 10).
Oh, and about the Constitution that we crowd
sourced… it’s apparently a fiasco. One of the twenty-five
members of the Constitution Council explains in “The
Parliament That Wouldn’t” (page 14).
So, Are we better off?
It’s entirely relative. It’s probably a whole lot better
in Iceland than it is in many other countries. As Deena
Stryker, the author of a widely circulated article, “A De-
construction of Iceland’s Ongoing Revolution,” stated the
Anna’s 4th Editorial
Iceland: A Symbol Of Hope
last time I dared to question this narrative:
“‘Hope has to come from somewhere’. Surely, AA
knows that since Iceland’s 2008 debacle (if I may be per-
mitted to use that word…) the Icelandic spirit has spread
worldwide. (I will refrain from counting the number of
countries that are seeing mass protests, for fear of getting
the count wrong and igniting another round of recrimi-
nations.) One thing is certain, the 99%ers, whether in
Russia, the U.S. or Europe, owe Iceland big-time, and I
suspect that its people welcome the fact that they are no
longer alone.”
Still, Iceland’s story is no fairy tale. Let’s not forget
that Iceland was also the poster child for “how to make
everything wrong” before the crash.
Yes, you can go surfing in Iceland. And in the winter.
Loving the elements
*or thereabouts
- depending on the elements
Natural
Hot spring steam
baths
Sauna
Geothermal baths
www.fontana.is
Open 2-9 pm