From the monthly archives:

June 2008

Björk and Sigur Rós play for the cause

June 28, 2008

Björk and Sigur Rós, two of our most illustrious [read: famous] acts are organizing a mammoth* concert this evening in support of the environment. And not a moment too soon. As the Nicelandic idiom says: oft var þörf en nú er nauðsyn [it was often needed, but now it is necessary], since in the midst [...]

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Bye-bye króna, hello … greenback?

June 26, 2008

Our Prime Minister, Geir H. Haarde, has now come out and said that it would be much more logical for Niceland to adopt the US dollar than the euro. Just picture it: paying for our dried fish and brennivín with greenbacks featuring Abe Lincoln, as opposed to Nicelandic krona notes featuring a picture of YT’s [...]

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Magical mystery tour

June 24, 2008

There’s a place here in Reykjavík called the Family Park and Zoo, which as the name suggests is a park for families [i.e. they have play equipment for kids, rides, etc.] and a sort of mini-zoo, with domesticated farm animals, as well as wild animals found in Iceland: seals, foxes, minks and reindeer. Recently they’ve [...]

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MY ICELAND: Midsummer Night

June 23, 2008

In Icelandic lore, there are four nights a year when mystical, magical things happen: the night before Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Twelfth Night [January 6] and Midsummer Night – tonight. Many amazing things are supposed to happen on this night. Magical stones may be found that will make your wishes come true. Various types of [...]

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Of hate mail and the solstice that came and went

June 22, 2008

Well, I must be hitting the big leagues because I’m getting hate mail and lunatic rants. Yay! I guess. And while I generally have a policy of evicting anyone who comes at me or other readers of this blog with profanities and blatant disrespect, I rather think I shall let those be. Give a man [...]

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Viggo’s pics and mistaken identities

June 21, 2008

Finally got out today to see hunky Viggo Mortensen’s photo exhibit at the Reykjavík Museum of Photography, which opened around three weeks ago. My timing happened to coincide with a) the fact that I was in the neighbourhood, b) it was free, c) a few days ago I saw Eastern Promises and really liked it [...]

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Bear number three??

June 19, 2008

See, I had to write that last post, just so I could keep writing about the polar bears, because of the promise I made at the very end of the post before that, and I never break a promise. Okay… There were some people out touring today, in a place called Hveravellir, which is up [...]

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I think she’s losing it, Hazel

June 19, 2008

“Knock knock” “Who’s there?” “Polar” “Polar who?” “Polar bear” [Pause] “Perish” “Perish what?” “Perish the thought” “Perish Hilton” “Perish France” “Perish see you in your underpants” [Pause] “Knock knock” “Who’s there?” “Could I have a pillow?”* AND NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION Stunning day today. Gorgeous, blazing sunshine this morning and afternoon, but around [...]

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Anyone have a scarebear lying around?

June 18, 2008

So, it has transpired that the polar bear that came to visit yesterday was not only dead tired, it was also sick. More specifically, it was infected with trichinae, a parasite that is reportedly common in bears and other mammals. It lodges in muscles and tissues and causes a disease that can be very painful, [...]

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Another polar bear casualty

June 17, 2008

Well, the polar bear that was discovered roaming around up north yesterday and which they were hoping to capture alive was shot and killed this afternoon. According to reports, the Danish experts from the Copenhagen zoo who arrived around midday were unable to get close enough to the bear to shoot it with tranquilizers. Apparently [...]

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