yule lads

Former Kaupthing executive dishes the dirt, and no, it’s not Ármann Þorvaldsson

December 14, 2009

Interesting interview in Silfur Egils  today with Tony Shearer, a former executive with the bank Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander in London. KS&F used to be just plain old Singer & Friedlander until it was taken over by now-defunct Kaupthing bank, in 2006 or thereabouts. The Icelandic útrásarvíkingar placed themselves firmly at the helm, most notably [...]

Full article →

MY ICELAND: The Advent

November 29, 2009

Today is the first day of the Advent* here in Iceland, meaning we have now entered the season of Kitty and the Yule Lads. This is definitely one of the most magical times of year here, fully qualified to rival the season of the midnight sun. It’s the time when coloured lights decorate just about [...]

Full article →

Putrid skate for beginners

December 22, 2005

So EPI’s brother and sister-in-law have invited us to a putrid skate party tomorrow. Putrid skate parties are without a doubt one of the more bizarre Icelandic traditions. Every year on December 23, Icelanders get together and eat skate [as in fish] that has been sitting in a closed container and allowed to ferment for [...]

Full article →

Potscraper who?

December 15, 2005

Bizzy day today. Wrote nasty threatening email to inane modelling agency who have been jerking AAH around for a full year now; read some proofs; walked circle around golf course with weights strapped to my ankles; took The Unit in to have exhaust system replaced [was attracting a little too much attention on the streets]; [...]

Full article →

Milk slurper

December 13, 2005

Pity the poor parents who have to put prezzies into the shoes of their young children these days, because they are duty bound to memorize the names and – worse – order of all the Yule Lads. This can be difficult, as the DJ on Rás 2 [State radio] found out yesterday; he mentioned that [...]

Full article →

Invasion of the Yule Lads

December 13, 2004

First Yule Lad arrived in town yesterday morning. For those not in the know, Yule Lads are Iceland’s version of Santa Claus and are, I venture to say, infinitely more interesting than the tubby and insipid ho-ho-ho Coca Cola version. For starters there are 13 of them, each with his own definitive character … or [...]

Full article →