Adopt an Icelander

Hollywood Listens

According to The Iceland Review, Hollywood is taking my advice about making Iceland the new Canada.

Goodwill From One Tiny Island To Another (If Australia Can Be Called Tiny, Or An Island For That Matter)

hello and thank you for your work…..
i am an australian boy reading about the Icelandic girl “magga sigga”
i dont have much money or work either, but i do have an overly large heart coupled with a wider than wide smile…. pls send a chunk to her on my behalf.  as for the others in the icelandic populace, i send good vibes to all… sure that wont fill their bellies, or their pockets, but hopefully that might fill their souls with joy once more.
yours sincerely,

janes from reykjanesridge

Interview with an Icelander: Magga Sigga

When I posted a letter from a French guy offering his apartment to a French-speaking Icelander while he was traveling the world, only one person responded. Her name was Magga Sigga. She didn’t take the apartment (perhaps she thought it was too good to be true… or maybe she wasn’t totally fluent in French), but she did agree to an interview.

Adopt an Icelander: Comment ça va? Just kidding. How are you?

Magga Sigga: Im fine, merci, haha. Im just getting ready for school tomorrow and getting back to gear after xmas holidays. Its harder than saying so.

AAI: There is no “dottir” at the end of your name. How did you get out of that one?

Magga: Magga Sigga is just my nickname, my real name is 3 names - long names - and for foreigners seems to be impossible to pronounce, so i just keep it simple.

AAI: You were the only Icelander so far to express interest in the apartment in France that an “Adopt an Icelander” reader so graciously offered while he is abroad. Were you already thinking of going to France, or do you simply just need to get anywhere out of Iceland?

Magga: Yes, I was already thinking of going to France, im currently looking for a job there for next summer, and since the crisis I want to move even more out of the country. Some products that we used to have are not available in the country anymore and food is more expensive. But my plan has been for some time to go to school in belgium. I hope that will come true since the crisis is making it harder for me moneywise, schools are double than they used to be and everything more expencive.

AAI: Anything in particular drawing you to France? Why not Great Britain, Gordon Brown’s home? It is closer.

Magga: Well my boyfriend is in France, but London sounds good too, I mean the language is not a hindrence at least. It basically depends on which is cheaper for me. Who bids lower?? Im a little bit afraid of being in London, I somehow feel safer in Paris and more relaxed.

AAI: So the financial problems in Iceland aren’t a huge factor in your deciding to leave?

Magga: My first thought about leaving iceland was because of school abroad, then it became a coincidence because of my boyfriend. I dont own a house or anything like that so personally I have no financial problems about loans and stuff (In Iceland many people have 100% loans from the bank, and they raised so high in the crisis loans are higher than the house actually costs.) Im just renting a place with others. I owe the bank some overdraft, thats my only debts. But I want to leave Iceland because I know things are gonna get worse.

AAI: Is there a feeling in Iceland now that as tempting as it is to leave, the proper thing to do is to stay?

Magga: Yes of course. I want to be close to my family and I know if i leave Iceland I will come back sooner than later, because its really good to live here and safe. Staying in Iceland and dealing with the crisis here is a great challenge, I admire all the people who meet in front of the goverment to protest how the goverment is dealing with the crisis and etc. The crisis brings people more together here it seems. When things come to an end, new opportunities arise. And I think that iceland should concentrate in their own product and do more of it.

AAI: Iceland is European, but not in the EU. Is there a labor agreement between Iceland and the EU that makes it easy for Icelanders to work in other European countries? If not, will it be difficult to find work elsewhere?

Magga: There is an agreement called Schengen, which has work visas and stuff so I shouldnt have any problem with working in France or Europe.

AAI: How has the crisis affected you?

Magga: Made it more difficult for me to get an education abroad moneywise, I lost a part time job, cant buy Burda magazine anymore, strawberries are double price, im a terrorist because of britain’s stupid decision to use terrorist laws against Iceland, I went to Paris over new years and I couldnt allow myself the same things I used to do before because of the currency, everything is double, including buying things on the internet. On the other hand, I’m in a pretty good status; as long as i have a roof over my head, education and food, I’m great.

AAI: What was the part time job you lost?

Magga: Cleaning an office for an imported furniture company slash imported coffee chain company, 1.5 hour a week, good easy money. They had to reduce costs and save money, so my job flung out the window.

AAI: Do you know other people who have been hit worse?

Magga: Worse than me? Yes, a lot of people. Everyone that owns something is paying more for their loans, too many people losing their job and their houses as well. Unemployment is increasing, the situation is going to be very screwed in march. But they say this year is going to be tough, and then will get better again.

AAI: Do you know other people who are leaving Iceland?

Magga: Not exactly, a friend of mine returned back home to Iceland from her education in London because of the crisis. I actually dont “know” anyone that is leaving Iceland because of the crisis, but I know alot of foreign people that were here because of work are returning back to their homes.

AAI: If you do leave Iceland, what will you most miss?

Magga: My family and friends, the pure water, short distances, NATURE!

AAI: What about Bjork?

Magga: I saw her last summer at the nature concerts, the third time ive seen her in concert. I didnt really start listening to her music until about 3 years ago. She is the sjissnit (awesome).

AAI: How has the weather been in Iceland lately?

Magga: Over the xmas it has been very warm, up to seven degrees, raining a lot, but now it’s just below zero.

AAI: To me, one of the coolest things (of many cool things) about Iceland is that it has puffin, whale and rotten shark meats, none of which you can get in the states. But it doesn’t seem like too many Icelanders eat any of that. What is your favorite of those three rare delicacies?

Magga: I think i would say whale, out of these three, but yes you’re right, we dont eat a lot of that. Its a kind of food I would only eat very occasionally. After we started to import all the foreign food and traditions, people tend to forget their own. Im not even sure how to cook whale or puffin the icelandic way…. On special season in february we eat all kinds of traditional icelandic food, sour sheepballs, sheepheads, the tounge and the eyes… Not my favorite food, but its great to get to taste some of the history of Iceland.

AAI: Thanks, Magga Sigga!

Is Whole Foods an Icelandic Company?

I always thought Whole Foods was an Austin, Texas based company. But doesn’t this:

look like a disguised version of:

 ??

It could be a coincidence, but… come on.

Do Icelanders Have Anything to be Thankful For?

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays like President’s Day that probably doesn’t mean too much to people outside of the United States. But that doesn’t mean that other countries don’t have anything to be thankful for.

Canada is thankful for its proximity to The United States (now that Obama won). Mexico is thankful for its burgeoning reputation as the go-to country for Pentobarbital. Ireland is thankful that “Falling Slowly” from the Irish movie “Once” won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year. Great Britain is thankful that its burden of empire is over. Germany is thankful that it wasn’t entirely wiped off the map after WWII, as some still argue it should have been. Greenland is thankful for global warming. Japan is thankful for being one of the coolest countries in the world. And Norway and Switzerland are thankful to not be in the EU.

It seems every country (at least, every country that I’ve heard of) is thankful for something. But with everything she’s suffering, does Iceland have anything to be thankful for?

Yes, some things. Iceland is thankful for geothermal warmth, which guarantees hot water no matter how cold it gets above the earth’s crust. She’s thankful that even though she discovered North America first, she didn’t stay there; if she had, she’d be dealing with a major stock market crash and recession right now. Like Norway and Switzerland, she’s thankful not to be in the EU, even though she knows she may have to eventually. She’s thankful for Geysir, which will always be there (even if inactive) no matter how little the krona is worth. And maybe some Icelanders are even thankful for Adopt an Icelander, which hasn’t set up any actual adoptions yet, but at least has its heart in the right place.

Happy Thanksgiving, Iceland!