I have 2 Thanksgiving traditions, both of which I observed on this fine holiday Thursday:
1) Calling the family back in WI, where my mom passes the phone around so I can have 5 minute mini-conversations with various relatives who have a hard time hearing me due to other noisy relatives. Families in Wisconsin are among the loudest in the world.
2) Ordering pizza: As a childfree renter far from home, this is the most relaxing option. And typically only pizza places or select grocery stores are open on this holiday. Most of my post-college Thanksgiving holidays were spent like this since, as a worker in America, you get precious little vacation time so you have to choose carefully for which holiday to travel home (or else suffer the wrath of the corporate HR gods).
This year's call home was pretty mild. The menfolk were subdued from long days in the woods hunting deer. The shitty US economy and the shittier Icelandic economy monopolized most of the conversions but then being a liberal I heard a small earful about "Obama's scary tax plan". But depressing subjects aside, my family is pretty hilarious.
I explained to both my dad and one of my grandmothers that Icelanders don't celebrate Thanksgiving because it's not actually a holiday here. I mean, historically, Iceland never had that whole 'pilgrim-and-indan' thing taking place after the Mayflower landed blah blah blah. My dad, in his typical Chevy Chase-like befuddlement asked, "so...nobody sits down with the family and has big meals or anything?" My grandma was more accepting of Iceland's lack of Thanksgiving and also relieved that some stores sell canned pumpkin here.
Then -- the best part -- the phone was passed to one of my grandpas who asked me what I was keeping busy with here. I told him that I'm learning Icelandic.
"Spanish?"
"No, Icelandic."
"Oh Islamic?"
"No, Ice-landic"
I'll be doing the phone marathon again for Christmas. Stay tuned for snippets from that call home!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Some interesting stats to reinforce what you already know but will make you sound smarter at dinner parties
While the inner workings of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) continually mystify me*, I don't think you need to be an economist or statistician to conclude from these figures from Statistics Iceland that inflation is going through the roof here. It's actually kind of depressing.
Last month's index was pretty bad too, and even more so when compared against the October Wage Index. And it's lovely knowing that in October, the cost of international flights was up 18% in one month. And THAT, people, is why I'll be writing depressing blogposts from Iceland this Christmas instead of writing something [likely equally depressing] from Wisconsin. I also enjoyed the blurb about how car sales have "almost stopped".
If you read the analysis within with these reports, it basically comes down to this: inflation is rising at double the growth of wages. From October 2007 to October 2008, the CPI rose 15.9% while the wage index increased only 8.8% in the same time period. Statistics are fascinating.
In other words: DUH. You knew this already.
*I would like to read more about the CPI and how it's measured and how it's applied internationally, but frankly I don't feel like it right now because I'm supposed to be cramming ...er, studying...for some Icelandic exams. Besides, me stupid American and me no get maths!
Last month's index was pretty bad too, and even more so when compared against the October Wage Index. And it's lovely knowing that in October, the cost of international flights was up 18% in one month. And THAT, people, is why I'll be writing depressing blogposts from Iceland this Christmas instead of writing something [likely equally depressing] from Wisconsin. I also enjoyed the blurb about how car sales have "almost stopped".
If you read the analysis within with these reports, it basically comes down to this: inflation is rising at double the growth of wages. From October 2007 to October 2008, the CPI rose 15.9% while the wage index increased only 8.8% in the same time period. Statistics are fascinating.
In other words: DUH. You knew this already.
*I would like to read more about the CPI and how it's measured and how it's applied internationally, but frankly I don't feel like it right now because I'm supposed to be cramming ...er, studying...for some Icelandic exams. Besides, me stupid American and me no get maths!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Pirates of the Atlantic: Iceland's New Economic Plan
While Barack Obama is busy putting the final touches on his US economic crisis team, I've been thinking of creative ways to save Iceland. I figure that since I spent a few thousand dollars just moving here, I might as well enjoy it for a little while.
Sure, Björk has been rallying about Iceland's prospect of "green tourism" and unique technology companies. But did she ever think about the real alternative, which is piracy? (Yeah, piracy as in "ahoy matey, yer walkin' the plank, yarrrrr"...) I think it's really the last resort. First of all, the banking and finance sector is dead, at least for now, as the nation has lost almost all credability in that area. Second, Icelandic customer service is famously bad so it's not like we can copy India or the Philllipines and open up Dell customer service hotlines or anything. If you think the service was bad the last time you rang the Dell service hotline, just wait until you call 'Dell Iceland'...
So after a short, non-scientific analysis of the Icelandic business climate, I've determined that the best plan for Icelandic economic revival is the "Somali Pirate Business Model" (SPBM).
First let's compare notes on the two countries.
Somalia:
1) Labeled as terrorists. Known to harbor Islamic-extremists friendly to Al Qaeda.
2) Has a failed economy
3) Unstable/corrupt government
4) Has been a threat to international shipping since civil war in 1990's
5) International aid unable to reach those in need due to violence and attacks on supply ships
6) Population: almost 10,000,000
7) Amount of coastline: 3,025 km
8) Main industries: agriculture/livestock, money transfers/internet scams, piracy
Iceland:
1) Labeled as terrorists. Known to harbor spoiled billionaires.
2) Has a failed economy
3) Unstable/corrupt government
4) Has been a maritime threat (to limited countries, ahem) since the Cod Wars in 1950's. Has not suffered from internal civil conflicts, like Somalia, although the inhabitants of Reykjavik are known to tease country folks, or people from Akureyri or Hafnafjörður.
5) International aid probably not going to reach those in need due to government incompetence and whiny bankers
6) Population: around 300,000 (though projected to reach 1 million in 10 years with current birthrate*)
7) Amount of coastline: 4,970 km
8) Main industries: fishing, IT services, Björk, baby-making
Let's review what makes the SPBM work:
Approximately 16,000 vessels pass through the troubled Somali waters every year. In a 12-month period, pirates have attacked over 90 cargo ships and hijacked around 30 for a financial gain of over $150 million in ransom money. The pirates are a motley crew -- an assemblage of several gangs armed with Kalashnikovs. Their overhead expenses are low; they sail on scrappy fishing boats called "skiffs" and if funding is needed, it is procured from a number of newly wealthy gang lords centered in Mogadishu.
The average pirate is 20-35 years old, has a big new house, beautiful women, nice car, and the best Eur-Asian guns they can buy. (Yes, sort of like Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson or Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson...without the guns) The piracy business is tightly run and has little conflict among the various gangs, The professional backgrounds of the pirates fall into 3 categories:
Ex-fisherman (the brains; they know the seas)
Ex-militiamen (the muscles; they obtain the weapons and have connections to big warlords)
Tech experts (the geeks; they maintain the GPS, tracking equipment, satellites, etc.)
The major draw of piracy is that young people in Somalia have little else to turn to and with over 70% of the population living on $2 USD a day, it's an attractive option. Not everyone likes the presence of armed men in their villages, and some feel that it increases the use of alcohol and drugs, but in general local merchants enjoy the extra business the free-spending pirates bring in and of course the government gets it's chunk of profits. Everyone wins (sort of). Furthermore, enforcement has been weak, with the Somali government turning a blind eye to the matter and with the relative unsuccessful attempts of defense by the Indian and Russian navy ships.
So how can Iceland get started?
First of all, Iceland has plenty of ships. That's pretty obvious in a country that has relied on fishing for centuries of survival. And as we've seen with the Somalis, the ships don't have to be fancy. As a bonus, Iceland is a bit more technologically enhanced than Somalia. So think of all the James Bond-esque gadgets the Icelandic pirates could throw together. And Iceland has plenty of expertise in 2 of the 3 basic job backgrounds: fisherman and tech experts. Iceland has no militia (and hardly any "army"...remember that Daily Show special on "Operation Deserter Storm"?) so it may need to recruit thugs from other countries to fill this role.
I couldn't find a good figure on the total number of Somali pirates as a percent of their total population, but I'm guessing that Iceland will have a few thousand unemployed 20-35 year olds within the next 6-9 months who will undoubtedly be pissed off and ready to attack anything. That gives enough time (and motivation) to start training the prospective pirates and procuring funds (probably by force) from Iceland's billionaires. (Think of it as a way for the billionaires to redeem themselves in the eyes of the nation.) What's more, the lure of big houses, beautiful women, and the best cars have already proven to be powerful driving factors for this segment of the population as witnessed by the explosion of trends with Range Rovers and oversized mortgages. Finally, the poor manners exemplifed by many young Icelandic customer service reps will make a perfect fit for the dour, rude stereotype of a pirate's personality.
Most importantly to note, Iceland was settled by a surly brand of pirates, the Vikings. So pillaging ships definitely runs in the blood here.
I also don't have a solid figure on Iceland's maritime traffic, so it's hard to formulate a model to show how many attacks and hijackings would be possible over a year's time. I'm guessing, however, that certain Western European countries (cough, Britain, cough) would be the largest target of attempted seizures and ransom demands. (That is, if British companies have enough money to pay ransoms after the IceSave debacle...). It's sort of like the Cod Wars...revisited.
Only this time, no one gives a shit about the fish. Yaaaarrrrrgghhh!!
P.S. Here's a glimpse of some Icelandic pirates in action.
Sure, Björk has been rallying about Iceland's prospect of "green tourism" and unique technology companies. But did she ever think about the real alternative, which is piracy? (Yeah, piracy as in "ahoy matey, yer walkin' the plank, yarrrrr"...) I think it's really the last resort. First of all, the banking and finance sector is dead, at least for now, as the nation has lost almost all credability in that area. Second, Icelandic customer service is famously bad so it's not like we can copy India or the Philllipines and open up Dell customer service hotlines or anything. If you think the service was bad the last time you rang the Dell service hotline, just wait until you call 'Dell Iceland'...
So after a short, non-scientific analysis of the Icelandic business climate, I've determined that the best plan for Icelandic economic revival is the "Somali Pirate Business Model" (SPBM).
First let's compare notes on the two countries.
Somalia:
1) Labeled as terrorists. Known to harbor Islamic-extremists friendly to Al Qaeda.
2) Has a failed economy
3) Unstable/corrupt government
4) Has been a threat to international shipping since civil war in 1990's
5) International aid unable to reach those in need due to violence and attacks on supply ships
6) Population: almost 10,000,000
7) Amount of coastline: 3,025 km
8) Main industries: agriculture/livestock, money transfers/internet scams, piracy
Iceland:
1) Labeled as terrorists. Known to harbor spoiled billionaires.
2) Has a failed economy
3) Unstable/corrupt government
4) Has been a maritime threat (to limited countries, ahem) since the Cod Wars in 1950's. Has not suffered from internal civil conflicts, like Somalia, although the inhabitants of Reykjavik are known to tease country folks, or people from Akureyri or Hafnafjörður.
5) International aid probably not going to reach those in need due to government incompetence and whiny bankers
6) Population: around 300,000 (though projected to reach 1 million in 10 years with current birthrate*)
7) Amount of coastline: 4,970 km
8) Main industries: fishing, IT services, Björk, baby-making
Let's review what makes the SPBM work:
Approximately 16,000 vessels pass through the troubled Somali waters every year. In a 12-month period, pirates have attacked over 90 cargo ships and hijacked around 30 for a financial gain of over $150 million in ransom money. The pirates are a motley crew -- an assemblage of several gangs armed with Kalashnikovs. Their overhead expenses are low; they sail on scrappy fishing boats called "skiffs" and if funding is needed, it is procured from a number of newly wealthy gang lords centered in Mogadishu.The average pirate is 20-35 years old, has a big new house, beautiful women, nice car, and the best Eur-Asian guns they can buy. (Yes, sort of like Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson or Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson...without the guns) The piracy business is tightly run and has little conflict among the various gangs, The professional backgrounds of the pirates fall into 3 categories:
Ex-fisherman (the brains; they know the seas)
Ex-militiamen (the muscles; they obtain the weapons and have connections to big warlords)
Tech experts (the geeks; they maintain the GPS, tracking equipment, satellites, etc.)
The major draw of piracy is that young people in Somalia have little else to turn to and with over 70% of the population living on $2 USD a day, it's an attractive option. Not everyone likes the presence of armed men in their villages, and some feel that it increases the use of alcohol and drugs, but in general local merchants enjoy the extra business the free-spending pirates bring in and of course the government gets it's chunk of profits. Everyone wins (sort of). Furthermore, enforcement has been weak, with the Somali government turning a blind eye to the matter and with the relative unsuccessful attempts of defense by the Indian and Russian navy ships.
So how can Iceland get started?
First of all, Iceland has plenty of ships. That's pretty obvious in a country that has relied on fishing for centuries of survival. And as we've seen with the Somalis, the ships don't have to be fancy. As a bonus, Iceland is a bit more technologically enhanced than Somalia. So think of all the James Bond-esque gadgets the Icelandic pirates could throw together. And Iceland has plenty of expertise in 2 of the 3 basic job backgrounds: fisherman and tech experts. Iceland has no militia (and hardly any "army"...remember that Daily Show special on "Operation Deserter Storm"?) so it may need to recruit thugs from other countries to fill this role.
I couldn't find a good figure on the total number of Somali pirates as a percent of their total population, but I'm guessing that Iceland will have a few thousand unemployed 20-35 year olds within the next 6-9 months who will undoubtedly be pissed off and ready to attack anything. That gives enough time (and motivation) to start training the prospective pirates and procuring funds (probably by force) from Iceland's billionaires. (Think of it as a way for the billionaires to redeem themselves in the eyes of the nation.) What's more, the lure of big houses, beautiful women, and the best cars have already proven to be powerful driving factors for this segment of the population as witnessed by the explosion of trends with Range Rovers and oversized mortgages. Finally, the poor manners exemplifed by many young Icelandic customer service reps will make a perfect fit for the dour, rude stereotype of a pirate's personality.
Most importantly to note, Iceland was settled by a surly brand of pirates, the Vikings. So pillaging ships definitely runs in the blood here.
I also don't have a solid figure on Iceland's maritime traffic, so it's hard to formulate a model to show how many attacks and hijackings would be possible over a year's time. I'm guessing, however, that certain Western European countries (cough, Britain, cough) would be the largest target of attempted seizures and ransom demands. (That is, if British companies have enough money to pay ransoms after the IceSave debacle...). It's sort of like the Cod Wars...revisited.
Only this time, no one gives a shit about the fish. Yaaaarrrrrgghhh!!
P.S. Here's a glimpse of some Icelandic pirates in action.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Licorice vs. Cinnamon
I just came back from Bonus where I dropped 3000 ISK (~$21 with today's rate) on just candy to send home to the folks in America for the holidays. I'm rather pleased that this year, my 3000 ISK is buying TWICE as much candy as I purchased in December 2007, when Iceland was still a mini-financial-powerhouse with a terribly overvalued currency.
I'm also thrilled that my family members are some of the few Americans who actually LIKE licorice and anise-flavoured treats. Everytime I would travel to Iceland in years past I would always bring home a big bag of candy to California just to force my colleagues and friends to experience the magic that is Icelandic candy. I would also send a little package to my family in Wisconsin. The results of said 'forced-candy-sampling were mixed'. My mom (all 125 pounds of her) could clear through an entire bag of "Gammeldags Lakkrís" black licorice pieces by herself in 3 minutes and I doubt she shared the box of Appolo Lakkrís marzipan treats with anyone else.
The people in California, however, were horrified by anything with a taste resembling anise. They thought that Opel candies were scary, and some commented that the psychodelic design of the little candy boxes looked like something an Ecstacy dealer would push in a San Francisco dance club. And they were also scared to try the chocolates because they feared more licorice was hiding inside. Truth by told, the Icelandic milk-chocolate covered black licorice (lakkrís með súkkulaðihjúp) pieces are little gifts from God. (I recommend 'Nóa Lakkrís') They're so good that your teeth will rot out of your head from eating them and you won't care. We also threw 'Iceland' parties at our flat in Northern CA to also allow people to try dried fish (harðfiskur) and fermented shark (hákarl). That's a whole other story for another time...
My mom loves the Opal liqueur, which is basically a schnapps that tastes like Nói Síríus's popular candies "Red Opal". It's taste is hard to describe. It's tastes like a blend of a medicinal root-cough syrup and black licorice. I know it doesn't sound appetizing the way I described it, but then again most schnapps make me want to hurl. My mom says that the Opel schnapps helps soothe a sore throat. She's pretty old-school that way -- taking shots of Hot Damn or brandy to "kill" the germs in the throat. I think it's a Midwestern thing.
If Americans hate licorice, then Icelanders hate cinnamon. Or at least that's the impression I've gotten from some Icelanders. I don't think they had any traumatic cinnamon experiences in childhood (like any "Hansel and Gretal" traumas) -- I just think that cinnamon isn't common in the cuisine here. That, and they're paranoid that Americans put cinnamon in everything. I don't understand this. My boyfriend's sister once thought that our Crest toothpaste (a mint variety we had brought from the US) had traces of cinnamon in it and therefore she was too grossed out to use it at the summerhouse. (I checked the ingredients and didn't see any artificial cinnamon flavoring. I don't think cinnamon and mint go together anyway.)
I also recall an episode from when I first met my boyfriend while he was a grad student in the US. I noticed that in his meager student apartment, he kept a pack of 'Big Red' gum along with other keepsakes on a book shelf. He had purchased the gum as a joke because he was also nicknamed 'Big Red' by his friends -- but he would never, ever chew the gum itself. He was always wondering why Americans were obsessed with this cinnamon flavor.
I can't say that Americans are obsessed with any particular flavor. As long as it's yummy comfort food, then we don't care how it's seasoned. Plus, cinnamon goodies are probably more popular in the upper Midwestern states because it gets so damn cold there in winters. Yes, cinnamon is popular (in cinnamon rolls, 'red hot' candies, raisin breads, etc.) but I can't say we "put it in everything". Just like Icelanders don't flavor everything with anise. Could you imagine...smoked lambikjöt with anise flavored sauce? Or licorice flavored fish? Not happening. And it's not like Americans are the only ones incorporating cinnamon in their dishes. Ever had South American food? Or Middle Eastern food? In fact, the absolute favorite restaurant dish ever for me AND my Icelander is "B'Stilla", type of Moroccan chicken pie with layers of phyllo dough, nuts, and sweet spices...including a lot of cinnamon! (We used to order this at a restaurant in downtown Madison, WI called The Casbah.)
For an experiment (and due to personal cravings) I made some pumpkin-cream cheese muffins a few weeks ago. (Yes, pumpkin treats are a distinctly American thing -- especially in October and November.) Anyone who has cooked with pumpkin or squash knows that spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are a staple. So I'm glad to say that no Icelanders were harmed from trying my pumpkin muffins. Some people even went back for seconds ; ' ) Next month I plan on making my mom's "candy cane cookies" which uses quite a bit of peppermint extract just to see how the Icelanders react to that.
In the meantime, I'm going to munch on a Draumur bar (Icelandic chocolate bars with a strip of licorice in the middle) and think about the topic of my next post.
**P.S. Icelandic candy links & where to buy some for yourself outside of Iceland:
Góa (candy company)
Nói Sírírus (candy company)
Freyja (candy company)
Nammi.is (online retailer dedicated foremost to Icelandic candies and other delicious treats)
Nordic Store (like Nammi, also sells Icelandic candies, but also sells other Icelandic gifts, sweaters, etc.)
I'm also thrilled that my family members are some of the few Americans who actually LIKE licorice and anise-flavoured treats. Everytime I would travel to Iceland in years past I would always bring home a big bag of candy to California just to force my colleagues and friends to experience the magic that is Icelandic candy. I would also send a little package to my family in Wisconsin. The results of said 'forced-candy-sampling were mixed'. My mom (all 125 pounds of her) could clear through an entire bag of "Gammeldags Lakkrís" black licorice pieces by herself in 3 minutes and I doubt she shared the box of Appolo Lakkrís marzipan treats with anyone else.
The people in California, however, were horrified by anything with a taste resembling anise. They thought that Opel candies were scary, and some commented that the psychodelic design of the little candy boxes looked like something an Ecstacy dealer would push in a San Francisco dance club. And they were also scared to try the chocolates because they feared more licorice was hiding inside. Truth by told, the Icelandic milk-chocolate covered black licorice (lakkrís með súkkulaðihjúp) pieces are little gifts from God. (I recommend 'Nóa Lakkrís') They're so good that your teeth will rot out of your head from eating them and you won't care. We also threw 'Iceland' parties at our flat in Northern CA to also allow people to try dried fish (harðfiskur) and fermented shark (hákarl). That's a whole other story for another time...
My mom loves the Opal liqueur, which is basically a schnapps that tastes like Nói Síríus's popular candies "Red Opal". It's taste is hard to describe. It's tastes like a blend of a medicinal root-cough syrup and black licorice. I know it doesn't sound appetizing the way I described it, but then again most schnapps make me want to hurl. My mom says that the Opel schnapps helps soothe a sore throat. She's pretty old-school that way -- taking shots of Hot Damn or brandy to "kill" the germs in the throat. I think it's a Midwestern thing.
If Americans hate licorice, then Icelanders hate cinnamon. Or at least that's the impression I've gotten from some Icelanders. I don't think they had any traumatic cinnamon experiences in childhood (like any "Hansel and Gretal" traumas) -- I just think that cinnamon isn't common in the cuisine here. That, and they're paranoid that Americans put cinnamon in everything. I don't understand this. My boyfriend's sister once thought that our Crest toothpaste (a mint variety we had brought from the US) had traces of cinnamon in it and therefore she was too grossed out to use it at the summerhouse. (I checked the ingredients and didn't see any artificial cinnamon flavoring. I don't think cinnamon and mint go together anyway.)
I also recall an episode from when I first met my boyfriend while he was a grad student in the US. I noticed that in his meager student apartment, he kept a pack of 'Big Red' gum along with other keepsakes on a book shelf. He had purchased the gum as a joke because he was also nicknamed 'Big Red' by his friends -- but he would never, ever chew the gum itself. He was always wondering why Americans were obsessed with this cinnamon flavor.
I can't say that Americans are obsessed with any particular flavor. As long as it's yummy comfort food, then we don't care how it's seasoned. Plus, cinnamon goodies are probably more popular in the upper Midwestern states because it gets so damn cold there in winters. Yes, cinnamon is popular (in cinnamon rolls, 'red hot' candies, raisin breads, etc.) but I can't say we "put it in everything". Just like Icelanders don't flavor everything with anise. Could you imagine...smoked lambikjöt with anise flavored sauce? Or licorice flavored fish? Not happening. And it's not like Americans are the only ones incorporating cinnamon in their dishes. Ever had South American food? Or Middle Eastern food? In fact, the absolute favorite restaurant dish ever for me AND my Icelander is "B'Stilla", type of Moroccan chicken pie with layers of phyllo dough, nuts, and sweet spices...including a lot of cinnamon! (We used to order this at a restaurant in downtown Madison, WI called The Casbah.)
For an experiment (and due to personal cravings) I made some pumpkin-cream cheese muffins a few weeks ago. (Yes, pumpkin treats are a distinctly American thing -- especially in October and November.) Anyone who has cooked with pumpkin or squash knows that spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are a staple. So I'm glad to say that no Icelanders were harmed from trying my pumpkin muffins. Some people even went back for seconds ; ' ) Next month I plan on making my mom's "candy cane cookies" which uses quite a bit of peppermint extract just to see how the Icelanders react to that.
In the meantime, I'm going to munch on a Draumur bar (Icelandic chocolate bars with a strip of licorice in the middle) and think about the topic of my next post.
**P.S. Icelandic candy links & where to buy some for yourself outside of Iceland:
Góa (candy company)
Nói Sírírus (candy company)
Freyja (candy company)
Nammi.is (online retailer dedicated foremost to Icelandic candies and other delicious treats)
Nordic Store (like Nammi, also sells Icelandic candies, but also sells other Icelandic gifts, sweaters, etc.)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Lost in Translation: compound words & pizzas
Icelanders are fond of taking 2 or 3 different words (or more!) and sticking them together to form one compound word and of course, to my chagrin, hyphens (-) are not utilized for this task. While Icelanders see this as "practical" (why bother to make up a new word when you can take 2 existing words and just put 'em together?) this is a nightmare for foreigners who are learning this language. If you don't already recognize the 2+ words which were compounded then you might not realize that it is, in fact, a compound word (samsettorð). It's a Catch-22, non? In fact, the word itself "samsettorð" is a compound of the adjective samsettur (compound/composite) and the noun orð (word).
Til dæmis (for example):
"eldhúsklukka" = kitchen timer (eldhús = kitchen + klukka = clock/timepiece/timer)
If you were to look up this whole word in the dictionary, you may or may not find it. It depends on the quality and size of the dictionary you're using. Believe me, those travel-friendly pocket dictionaries don't cut it. (Seriously, don't even waste your money on one of those!) You might have to look up each of the words in the compound separately.
ÆFING! (exercise) Go to this free online dictionary ** and try to figure out the words below - some you will find exactly as you typed them, others....you will have to figure it out!:
"ruslapoki"
"bókahilla"
"vínflaska"
"sófaborð"
"rassstór" (my favorite)
"kaffikanna"
"tölvugagnagrunnskerfi" (sorry, this one is long!)
"bankaávísun"
"hálfviti" (also a fun word to throw around!)
**(You could also find the compound words in orðabók.is more easily than the free UW dictionary but Orðabók has a small subscription fee.)
Knowing the rules of these evil samsettorðin, I still did something really stupid today. We got an advertisement in the mail for special tilboð at a pizza place in Hafnafjörður. Only 1000 ISK for a 16" pizza! MMM (Yeah, it's wierd -- Iceland uses the metric system but pizzas and Subway sandwiches are still measured in inches, like in the US.) ANYWAY, what kind of large pizza could we get for the equivalent of less than 8 US Dollars?! That's hella cheap!
The big word on the flyer said "2 ÁLEGGSTEGUNDIR". So I put on my "Hooked-on-phonics" hat and sounded out the words of the compound in English (as I thought they were~)
"ál" = aluminum
"egg" = egg
"tegundir" = type (plural)
A pizza with 2 aluminum egg types? Sounds andskotans delicious! Sign me up for 2 pizzas! Thankfully, my very own live-in-dictionary/boyfriend pointed out that "álegg" actually means "toppings". Duh.
Therefore:
"álegg-s-tegundir" = "topping choices"
Please, people, don't put any aluminum eggs on your pizza. It can't end well.
Til dæmis (for example):
"eldhúsklukka" = kitchen timer (eldhús = kitchen + klukka = clock/timepiece/timer)
If you were to look up this whole word in the dictionary, you may or may not find it. It depends on the quality and size of the dictionary you're using. Believe me, those travel-friendly pocket dictionaries don't cut it. (Seriously, don't even waste your money on one of those!) You might have to look up each of the words in the compound separately.
ÆFING! (exercise) Go to this free online dictionary ** and try to figure out the words below - some you will find exactly as you typed them, others....you will have to figure it out!:
"ruslapoki"
"bókahilla"
"vínflaska"
"sófaborð"
"rassstór" (my favorite)
"kaffikanna"
"tölvugagnagrunnskerfi" (sorry, this one is long!)
"bankaávísun"
"hálfviti" (also a fun word to throw around!)
**(You could also find the compound words in orðabók.is more easily than the free UW dictionary but Orðabók has a small subscription fee.)
Knowing the rules of these evil samsettorðin, I still did something really stupid today. We got an advertisement in the mail for special tilboð at a pizza place in Hafnafjörður. Only 1000 ISK for a 16" pizza! MMM (Yeah, it's wierd -- Iceland uses the metric system but pizzas and Subway sandwiches are still measured in inches, like in the US.) ANYWAY, what kind of large pizza could we get for the equivalent of less than 8 US Dollars?! That's hella cheap!
The big word on the flyer said "2 ÁLEGGSTEGUNDIR". So I put on my "Hooked-on-phonics" hat and sounded out the words of the compound in English (as I thought they were~)
"ál" = aluminum
"egg" = egg
"tegundir" = type (plural)
A pizza with 2 aluminum egg types? Sounds andskotans delicious! Sign me up for 2 pizzas! Thankfully, my very own live-in-dictionary/boyfriend pointed out that "álegg" actually means "toppings". Duh.
Therefore:
"álegg-s-tegundir" = "topping choices"
Please, people, don't put any aluminum eggs on your pizza. It can't end well.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Imagine Lazy Town is Iceland
In this article I scanned in Reuters today the insane, acrobatic guy in the stretchy blue outfit and weird moustache tries to explain how he would save Iceland if it were Lazytown:
Have you ever tried to watch Lazy Town? I did once. I didn't find it as scary as Teletubbies or as annoying as Hannah Montana, but I had to stop after 3 minutes. I figure if I want to watch grown men dance around in spandex bodysuits, then I'd be better off watching a Scissors Sisters concert.
If Iceland were "Lazy Town," the collapse of its banks would all be Robbie Rotten's doing, and in a typical storyline Sportacus would in some way be prevented from rescuing it until its children managed to free him.Well, I'm glad that matter is settled. And to mirror the reality of current events, the Icelandic government wouldn't bother to attempt to prosecute Mr. Rotten or seize his assets.
Have you ever tried to watch Lazy Town? I did once. I didn't find it as scary as Teletubbies or as annoying as Hannah Montana, but I had to stop after 3 minutes. I figure if I want to watch grown men dance around in spandex bodysuits, then I'd be better off watching a Scissors Sisters concert.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Pet-Peeve Series: (#1) Assholes & Car Horns
The first issue of many in my new "Pet-Peeve Series" is LAZY USAGE OF CAR HORNS.
I HATE PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO LAZY TO GET OUT OF THEIR FUCKING CAR TO RING A DOORBELL OR USE THEIR MOBILE TO CALL THE PERSON WHOM THEY ARE PICKING UP AND INSTEAD DECIDE TO SIT ON THEIR FAT ASS AND HONK THEIR HORN REPEATEDLY. As if the one person in the multi-family apartment building on a street full of multi-family units knows that the horn is meant for them and not one of the other 100 people in the same exact vicinity. That is just lazy, and that type of laziness is synonymous with stupidity. This sort of usage of car horns is sadly common in Reykjavík.
TIPS FOR USING THE HORN: You use you car horn to honk at oblivious assholes who cut you off on the freeway or to awaken the driver in front of you who seems to have fallen asleep at the red light or who is applying eyeliner while the light turned green.
Thank you.
--This has been a public service announcement from the person who will pelt your car with lava rocks the next time you honk your horn like an asshole in the street in front of his/her apartment building.--
I HATE PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO LAZY TO GET OUT OF THEIR FUCKING CAR TO RING A DOORBELL OR USE THEIR MOBILE TO CALL THE PERSON WHOM THEY ARE PICKING UP AND INSTEAD DECIDE TO SIT ON THEIR FAT ASS AND HONK THEIR HORN REPEATEDLY. As if the one person in the multi-family apartment building on a street full of multi-family units knows that the horn is meant for them and not one of the other 100 people in the same exact vicinity. That is just lazy, and that type of laziness is synonymous with stupidity. This sort of usage of car horns is sadly common in Reykjavík.
TIPS FOR USING THE HORN: You use you car horn to honk at oblivious assholes who cut you off on the freeway or to awaken the driver in front of you who seems to have fallen asleep at the red light or who is applying eyeliner while the light turned green.
Thank you.
--This has been a public service announcement from the person who will pelt your car with lava rocks the next time you honk your horn like an asshole in the street in front of his/her apartment building.--
Thursday, November 13, 2008
What is "Kreppa"?
"Kreppa" has been an omnipresent term in Icelandic news (and blogs) since October. But what is the Icelandic translation of this word?
VERB
1. flex; clench; curl;
kreppa saman: clench;
kreppa tærnar: make fists with one's toes
NOUN (feminine)
1. (vandræði) crisis; pinch;
2. (lægð í efnahagslífi) depression
The definite article of "kreppa" is "kreppan" (the depression).
Other declensions (for you grammar nerds) include:
Accusative: um KREPPUNA (about the depression)
Dative: frá KREPPUNNI (from the depression)
Genitive: til KREPPUNNAR (to the depression)
VERB
1. flex; clench; curl;
kreppa saman: clench;
kreppa tærnar: make fists with one's toes
NOUN (feminine)
1. (vandræði) crisis; pinch;
2. (lægð í efnahagslífi) depression
The definite article of "kreppa" is "kreppan" (the depression).
Other declensions (for you grammar nerds) include:
Accusative: um KREPPUNA (about the depression)
Dative: frá KREPPUNNI (from the depression)
Genitive: til KREPPUNNAR (to the depression)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
When all else fails, just make a nice PowerPoint preso to detract from your flaws...
Today, a Master's student in Human Resources at Háskóli Íslands handed out employment surveys in my Íslenskt Mál class. On page 3 was this question: "On a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being very well & 7 being very poor) how would you rank your ability to speak Icelandic?"
I answered with a "6". Hmmph...
My Icelandic speaking ability is truly pathetic. Maybe horrific is a better word for it. Even if I understand what I'm reading on a piece of paper, my tongue trips over every unnatural, mouth-bending syllable as if I've loaded up on a cocktail of muscle relaxers and Vicodin. In other words, I butcher the Icelandic language like George W. Bush has been slaughtering the English language for years. (Noo-kyu-ler?) My friends, framburður (pronounciation) is not my friend.
Earlier this semester we were given an assignment in Talþjálfun to interview an Icelander and then present a report orally to the entire class. This Viðtal assignment was worth 20% of our total grade for the semester. Naturally, I freaked out at first but then I hatched a plan. You see, I graduated with a Public Relations degree in 2001, so I know a little something about bundling total shit together and making it look like a pretty package. Anyone with poor public speaking skills or lack of interesting content knows that visual aids can help distract the audience. Raise your hand if you've ever spent more time creating a PowerPoint preso than you have actually spent time researching your subject or practiced rehearsing the oral speech. Anyone? Yeah....that's what I thought.
And, naturally, I interviewed my boyfriend for this assignment...just like 30% of my classmates interviewed their Icelandic love buddies. (Tough interviews, eh? This may be because we're too scared to bother other "real" Icelanders).
So for 5 minutes in class, I tripped over words and forgot my declensions and generally avoided eye contact. But my PowerPoint slides had customized effects complete with all the little annoying flying/spinning objects to ensure that no one would actually pay attention to me. It generally worked on everyone but the professor, who stopped my speech approximately 10 times to correct my grammar or framburður.
THE POINT IS what if Iceland just created a huge, flashy PowerPoint slide deck to distract the world from it's economic problems? Imagine....
"Where's my f***ing Icesave money?"
REPLY: Oooooh look at Slide 16 and the "Zoom in" effect on the word "Geothermal" (Speed: Medium, Direction: Top Left, Time: 2 seconds after Click) and the pretty slide background....yes....you are hypnotized by the PowerPoint....you cannot resist the power of Microsoft...
I answered with a "6". Hmmph...
My Icelandic speaking ability is truly pathetic. Maybe horrific is a better word for it. Even if I understand what I'm reading on a piece of paper, my tongue trips over every unnatural, mouth-bending syllable as if I've loaded up on a cocktail of muscle relaxers and Vicodin. In other words, I butcher the Icelandic language like George W. Bush has been slaughtering the English language for years. (Noo-kyu-ler?) My friends, framburður (pronounciation) is not my friend.
Earlier this semester we were given an assignment in Talþjálfun to interview an Icelander and then present a report orally to the entire class. This Viðtal assignment was worth 20% of our total grade for the semester. Naturally, I freaked out at first but then I hatched a plan. You see, I graduated with a Public Relations degree in 2001, so I know a little something about bundling total shit together and making it look like a pretty package. Anyone with poor public speaking skills or lack of interesting content knows that visual aids can help distract the audience. Raise your hand if you've ever spent more time creating a PowerPoint preso than you have actually spent time researching your subject or practiced rehearsing the oral speech. Anyone? Yeah....that's what I thought.
And, naturally, I interviewed my boyfriend for this assignment...just like 30% of my classmates interviewed their Icelandic love buddies. (Tough interviews, eh? This may be because we're too scared to bother other "real" Icelanders).
So for 5 minutes in class, I tripped over words and forgot my declensions and generally avoided eye contact. But my PowerPoint slides had customized effects complete with all the little annoying flying/spinning objects to ensure that no one would actually pay attention to me. It generally worked on everyone but the professor, who stopped my speech approximately 10 times to correct my grammar or framburður.
THE POINT IS what if Iceland just created a huge, flashy PowerPoint slide deck to distract the world from it's economic problems? Imagine....
"Where's my f***ing Icesave money?"
REPLY: Oooooh look at Slide 16 and the "Zoom in" effect on the word "Geothermal" (Speed: Medium, Direction: Top Left, Time: 2 seconds after Click) and the pretty slide background....yes....you are hypnotized by the PowerPoint....you cannot resist the power of Microsoft...
Friday, November 7, 2008
US Election Night Party: local coverage
It's a very good thing we have some English-language news coverage here (even if it is limited to 5 top stories per day...).
Click here to see coverage of the Election Night party in Rekjavík. This will have to do until I can transfer the crappy photos from my $#)&/$#) Motorola camera phone.
Sjáumst!
Click here to see coverage of the Election Night party in Rekjavík. This will have to do until I can transfer the crappy photos from my $#)&/$#) Motorola camera phone.
Sjáumst!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
YES WE CAN and WE DID (Iceland Style)
I'm WIRED! I just came home from a party held at Grand Hótel Reykjavík which was hosted by the US Embassy in Iceland. I'm proud to say that I was one of the few people to stay and watch the coverage until 4:00 a.m., when the polls on the west coast closed. Seated next to me were my fellow expats Liv & Seth and about 3 Icelanders.
Surprisingly, there weren't so many Americans in attendance. Especially towards the end. By 4:00 a.m., it was probably 50% Americans and 50% Icelanders (I'm excluding the embassy workers who, of course, had to stay until the end). If anyone needed proof of how much other countries invest in following US politics, then they should have seen this party. Maybe it was the free wine and appetizers, but those only lasted until 9:45, a paltry 45 minutes into the start of the festivities. The crowd didn't start to thin out until after midnight. Overall, it looked more like a "whose who of Iceland" crowd with pseudo-celebs and the like. I felt horribly underdressed even in designer jeans, funky tshirt, blazer, and pearls. Afterall, wasn't this a party for Americans? And aren't Americans expected to dress like, well...., Americans? Apparently I didn't get the memo.
There was a mock-election (of course Obama won the Icelandic vote!), a presidential history quiz (which I likely bombed), free McCain or Obama buttons to pin to your outfit, and the best part -- lifesize cardboard cutouts of each candidate. One had to stand in line to get a photo taken with cardboard-Obama, as if he was the real person. I snapped a few with my crappy camera-phone. And since the phone takes such shitty photos, it almost does look like Obama standing there. Once I figure out how to transfer said shitty photos to my laptop, maybe I'll post them here.
The highlight of my night (besides Obama being called the winner, of course) was when my fellow expat Seth and I decided that we should steal some "Obama/Biden" signs off the wall and use them to pose for pictures with cardboard-McCain. We weren't even drunk! One of the embassy workers inquired "Hey are you taking those?" and we were like "No, no, we're just, uh, moving them". Uh huh sure. Another high point came when I was given a brownie for free just because the bartenders were just too tired to bother charging me for one at 3:00 in the morning.
At 4:00 a.m., after CNN & Fox called the election for Obama, the exhausted embassy workers called it a night thereby dispersing us over-caffeinated, over-excited attendees back to our normal lives. During the ride home to "Lego Land" (as the cabbie called Garðabær) I had a fascinating discussion with the cab driver about the differences in European and American hotdogs.
Like Ice Cube, I have to say "today was a good day".
Surprisingly, there weren't so many Americans in attendance. Especially towards the end. By 4:00 a.m., it was probably 50% Americans and 50% Icelanders (I'm excluding the embassy workers who, of course, had to stay until the end). If anyone needed proof of how much other countries invest in following US politics, then they should have seen this party. Maybe it was the free wine and appetizers, but those only lasted until 9:45, a paltry 45 minutes into the start of the festivities. The crowd didn't start to thin out until after midnight. Overall, it looked more like a "whose who of Iceland" crowd with pseudo-celebs and the like. I felt horribly underdressed even in designer jeans, funky tshirt, blazer, and pearls. Afterall, wasn't this a party for Americans? And aren't Americans expected to dress like, well...., Americans? Apparently I didn't get the memo.
There was a mock-election (of course Obama won the Icelandic vote!), a presidential history quiz (which I likely bombed), free McCain or Obama buttons to pin to your outfit, and the best part -- lifesize cardboard cutouts of each candidate. One had to stand in line to get a photo taken with cardboard-Obama, as if he was the real person. I snapped a few with my crappy camera-phone. And since the phone takes such shitty photos, it almost does look like Obama standing there. Once I figure out how to transfer said shitty photos to my laptop, maybe I'll post them here.
The highlight of my night (besides Obama being called the winner, of course) was when my fellow expat Seth and I decided that we should steal some "Obama/Biden" signs off the wall and use them to pose for pictures with cardboard-McCain. We weren't even drunk! One of the embassy workers inquired "Hey are you taking those?" and we were like "No, no, we're just, uh, moving them". Uh huh sure. Another high point came when I was given a brownie for free just because the bartenders were just too tired to bother charging me for one at 3:00 in the morning.
At 4:00 a.m., after CNN & Fox called the election for Obama, the exhausted embassy workers called it a night thereby dispersing us over-caffeinated, over-excited attendees back to our normal lives. During the ride home to "Lego Land" (as the cabbie called Garðabær) I had a fascinating discussion with the cab driver about the differences in European and American hotdogs.
Like Ice Cube, I have to say "today was a good day".
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I have a dream
Lately I've been suffering from bouts of very troubled sleep. Some nights I get only 4-5 hours of sleep due to early classes 3 times a week and then I follow those up with 12-hour sleep-a-thons (more like a coma if you ask me). This, coupled with a nightly dose of Benedryl and my addiction to internet news, has fueled some highly interesting dreams.
Of course the most persistent content in the news lately is the US Presidential campaign. I'm a non-military expat living in a European country so it probably shouldn't surprise anyone that I lean to the Left. This campaign has been giving me waaaayyyy too much anxiety lately because I can't handle the thought of a McCain and Palin victory. I'm fairly certain that McCain suffered a mild stroke when he chose Sarah Palin as his VP pick. "I can see Russia from my house.."
ANYWHO I'm tossing and turning in my bed on Monday night when I have this funny dream about the poll results (meanwhile other people are having pleasent dreams involving...nevermind). I remember someone telling me "Obama leads with over 400 electoral votes!" and I was all "WTF is that even possible?". At that point, I had to wake up to go to the bathroom but returned to bed and had the same dream. Not really sexy, but compelling. So compelling that I had to google "electoral votes" when I awoke. It turns out there are are 538 total electoral votes. I already knew that 270 is the number needed to win, but not knowing the total possible votes bugged me. So I'm happy that I learned something today. But I'll be even happier if my dream really plays out in real life. But anything is possible with the GOP. Remember the last 8 years? Ugh, don't remind me.
Our electoral system is completely stupid. Case in point: Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000 but guess what genius we got instead? But since I'm not an expert on the US Electoral System, I'm going to leave that one alone for now and instead post a REMINDER:
FYI: US CITIZENS IN ICELAND (and anyone else who loves us Yankees)
US Election Night Party @ Grand Hótel Reykjavík
9:00 p.m. - ??? (west coast polls close 4 a.m. Iceland time...)
Food, Drink, Comaraderie, & LIVE coverage from CNN, Fox, etc.
Of course the most persistent content in the news lately is the US Presidential campaign. I'm a non-military expat living in a European country so it probably shouldn't surprise anyone that I lean to the Left. This campaign has been giving me waaaayyyy too much anxiety lately because I can't handle the thought of a McCain and Palin victory. I'm fairly certain that McCain suffered a mild stroke when he chose Sarah Palin as his VP pick. "I can see Russia from my house.."
ANYWHO I'm tossing and turning in my bed on Monday night when I have this funny dream about the poll results (meanwhile other people are having pleasent dreams involving...nevermind). I remember someone telling me "Obama leads with over 400 electoral votes!" and I was all "WTF is that even possible?". At that point, I had to wake up to go to the bathroom but returned to bed and had the same dream. Not really sexy, but compelling. So compelling that I had to google "electoral votes" when I awoke. It turns out there are are 538 total electoral votes. I already knew that 270 is the number needed to win, but not knowing the total possible votes bugged me. So I'm happy that I learned something today. But I'll be even happier if my dream really plays out in real life. But anything is possible with the GOP. Remember the last 8 years? Ugh, don't remind me.
Our electoral system is completely stupid. Case in point: Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000 but guess what genius we got instead? But since I'm not an expert on the US Electoral System, I'm going to leave that one alone for now and instead post a REMINDER:
FYI: US CITIZENS IN ICELAND (and anyone else who loves us Yankees)
US Election Night Party @ Grand Hótel Reykjavík
9:00 p.m. - ??? (west coast polls close 4 a.m. Iceland time...)
Food, Drink, Comaraderie, & LIVE coverage from CNN, Fox, etc.
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