Adopt an Icelander

Any French Speaking Icelanders Who Need to Escape?

If you are an Icelander who is currently in Iceland, you speak French and are looking to escape the financial chaos, a French gentleman who has contacted me may be able to help you. He is going to be away from his apartment in the suburbs of Paris for some time and would like to temporarily lend his appartement to an Icelander in need. But for it to be possible, you must be able to parles français (if you can read that, you can probably speak French). Comment to this entry or send me an email, and I will put you in touch with him.

Interview: Dana Young on Iceland

New Yorker Dana Young - singer for the band The Hidden People, and perhaps Iceland’s biggest fan - got back from her third trip to Iceland on Sunday. Don’t call her an opportunist, though: she planned this trip long before the economic crash.

Earlier this week, we heard from a couple of Icelanders who said what they want us to believe is happening over there. But now it’s time to hear the bloody truth about Iceland as only an objective die-hard American patriot can dish it. Just kidding. But there was blood:

Adopt an Icelander: What is it about Iceland that keeps bringing you back there?

Dana Young: Ok. well, #1: it’s only 5 hours from here and that’s a great weekend trip since americans have shitty vacation time. but really i think it is the most beautiful place in the world. it is like an ancient place brought into the future. the landscapes and natural elements are ancient, as is the language and culture. and it is all just so shamelessly honest about what it is. when i am there i feel like i have come home.

AAI: Would you ever consider living in Iceland for a long period of time, especially now with the more favorable exchange rate?

Dana: I would love to live in iceland if i could afford it. i haven’t looked into housing prices yet. but yeah, preferably in the summer i think, but only if there continues to be vegetarian food.

AAI: Would you adopt or sponsor an Icelander if there was one up for adoption? 

Dana: Aww yes, as long as i didn’t have to feed them sheep, or puffin… or rotten shark fin……

AAI: When you heard about the economic crash in Iceland, were you apprehensive about your trip, or did it make you even more intrigued?

Dana: I was really apprehensive. partially because i care about the country, but really more nervous that the people might be angry with us for being American… seeing as our country is dragging the rest of the world into a financial black hole.

AAI: Were they mad at you for being American? There have been a couple of anti-American comments on this blog, but they’ve been of the generic “Americans suck in general” variety, nothing of the “it’s your fault this happened to us” sort.

Dana: Not at all, actually. i was surprised because i usually get that in general when i travel, even when we aren’t destroying the universe. i did make a point when people asked where we were from to say “New York City” - maybe that helped. And i told a good amount of people that i was embarrassed about being American… which i am… pretty much all the time. though that might change after this election, i hope.

AAI: What makes you embarrassed to be American? Is it the near limitless freedom? The unstoppable powerhouse of an economy? The crushing popularity of Hollywood films all over the world? That we call it “soccer” instead of “football”? 

Dana: Well, firstly, our foreign policy sucks. And also because i think that it is very clear that what’s been going on in this country for the past 8 years proves that our nation is made up of mostly idiots.

AAI: Did anyone ask about the American election over there? If so, did there seem to be a preference for either Obama, McCain or Bob Barr? Any Hillary devotees there? Are Icelanders itching for a Palin/Huckabee GOP ticket in 2012?

Dana: Nobody asked at all! i was surprised.

AAI: What was different about this trip compared to your previous trips (Both your itinerary, and what Iceland was like)?

Dana: Well, for one thing, the weather was amazing. never before have i traveled to Iceland and not had rain. it was sunny the entire time, not warm, but sunny. Because of the weather, the tours that I have taken in the past were much more impressive this time around, and I also went on some new tours. I walked on a glacier, which i have done before elsewhere, but Iceland’s glacier was more beautiful. also because i was traveling with a friend, we partook in much more of the weekend nightlife. that was great.

AAI: What was the nightlife like?

Dana: the nightlife was calm until about midnight friday and saturday when it picked up and went crazy. lots of dancing and attempted pickups… and then there was one big fight at 4 am, which yielded a lot of blood.

AAI: Oh, man, I have to ask about the fight. Any clue what it was about? How many people got involved? Was it Icelanders vs. Greenlanders? Did there seem to be an equivalent in Icelandic for “Fight! Fight! Fight!”?

Dana: I actually completely missed the fight. some people i made friends with saw it, so i couldnt really say what the details were. i will say that people were waiting in a big line outside, and when i went out with a friend to smoke, they all tried to get past the bouncer, or at least shove cameras in to take pictures… even though cameras aren’t allowed in that bar. it was very strange.

AAI: What was the main bar you went to?

Dana: Kaffibarinn is my favorite. it’s kinda chilled out and bohemian early in the evening and then turns into a giant party. a lot of icelandic celebrities frequent it and it has both locals and tourists. oh and they make coffee behind the bar.

AAI: I know you didn’t see much of the nightlife before, so you can’t really compare it, but did the nightlife seem muted at all? Or are the parties even harder now? 

Dana: Well it certainly wasn’t muted… although i have always heard that the icelanders party hard on the weekends, so it is a little hard to say. i would judge without really knowing that it was pretty much the same.

AAI: How did Icelanders seem? Were they relatively down compared to the previous times you went, or was the mood the same?

Dana: They seemed fine! Icelanders seem to be really nice people in general, actually. the only evidence the entire time i was there that the Króna had fallen was one tour bus guide saying “now that the Króna has fallen, it is a good time to come to iceland for you tourists.” and the tip cup in the bar saying “TIPS: the Króna is not worth shit anyways.”

AAI: How much cheaper was everything? I’ve heard that it’s all half off compared to before. Is that about what you found?

Dana: Well yes, but seeing as our dollar sucks as well at the moment it wasn’t like i could buy designer clothing there. although i certainly considered it more than i would have previously.

AAI: Is the crash going to make it easier for your band to play in Iceland eventually?

Dana: Hmm maybe, but probably not easier to get paid.

AAI: Would you have stayed in a nicer hotel had you known about the crash beforehand?

Dana: Hahaha that’s a good question. i want to say no because i saved money and liked my guesthouse, but in reality i probably would have i guess.

AAI: Iceland can’t really import food at this point, and there were worries about potential shortages. Did you notice any of that? (Especially as a vegan, since without imports, Iceland will eventually have to rely more on Icelandic food, which isn’t too vegetarian friendly.)

Dana: Not at all. I ate at my favorite restaurant three nights (first vegetarian restaurant - probably my favorite in the world), and it seemed to be doing just fine. I was feeling a little nervous about the future for them, having heard that and seeing the quantity of sheep bred there… it might not be so vegetarian friendly in the future.

AAI: You went with a friend who had never been to Iceland before. What did she make of the experience?

Dana: She was completely awed. hard not to be. and she was relatively happy with the amount of money spent… we didn’t even realize how low it was at the time.

AAI: Are you planning on going to Iceland again any time soon?

Dana: i might look into going in may. one of the tour guides told me that you can ski in the midnight sun in may there, that would be cool. not any time real soon though… cheaper it may be, but not cheap enough for me to go again too soon.

Dóra Svavarsdóttir on Running a Vegetarian Restaurant in Iceland, After the Crash

Last week I interviewed Dóra Svavarsdóttir, chef and owner of Á Næstu Grösum (First Vegetarian). This restaurant is famous for being Bill Clinton’s and Quentin Tarantino’s favorite restaurant in the world. Or, at least, for having an advertisement that jokingly states that.

With Iceland only able to import limited amounts of food now, I thought Iceland’s vegetarian restaurants would be the first to suffer, since homegrown Icelandic food doesn’t seem to be very vegetarian. Let’s take a trip to Á Næstu Grösum and see how it’s holding up.

Adopt an Icelander: When did you start Á Næstu Grösum?

Dóra Svavarsdóttir: Me and the other owner have had this place since 1999, but it was founded in that same location 1975.

AAI: Back then, was there a strong demand for a vegetarian restaurant? Or was it an anomaly at first?

Dóra: In 1975, it was the post-hippies who started it, but it seems to have survived through the years, and now we have been fairly popular with business men and women, instructors and students alike.

AAI: So the restaurant grew more popular with time?

Dóra: Fortunately, yes, but sometimes veggies places are more in fashion.

AAI: Are your customers mostly vegetarians, or non-vegetarians who like to eat vegetarian food?

Dóra: The Icelandic crowd is mostly non-vegetarians (I wouldn’t survive if my only customers were local vegetarians - they are not that many). The foreigners are probably 50/50.

AAI: What is the usual ratio of foreigners compared to Icelander customers?

Dóra: In the winter time, 70 percent Icelanders and 30 percent foreigners. In the summertime, it is the opposite.

AAI: Is it difficult for traveling vegans and vegetarians to get a true taste of local cuisine when they go to a new country? For instance, could someone who can’t eat animal products get a real sense of what Icelandic food is like?

Dóra: There are no traditional Icelandic veggie dishes besides rutabaga mash and potato mash, rhubarb jam and similar things.

AAI: Are there vegetarian restaurants in Iceland outside of Reykjavik?

Dóra: There is one in Akureyri that is purely vegetarian, and more restaurants are becoming veggie friendly.

AAI: Does your restaurant still have a lot of customers, or has the economic crisis changed that?

Dóra: Everything is slower now, people have less money on their hands. Lots of people had loans in foreign currency, and now the payments each month have doubled in a year, some cases even more. But the good thing is, finally it is possible for tourists to come to Iceland; it is half price compared to last year, so come on up.

AAI: In some cases, vegetarian food is cheaper than meat, and thus an economic crisis would force more people closer to a vegetarian lifestyle. But that may not be the case in Iceland. Do you think this crisis will be good or bad for vegetarianism in Iceland?

Dóra: I don’t know yet. It has happened really quickly, so it remains to be seen. At this moment, we don’t really know what our krona is worth, so we have no idea how much things cost once they have been transferred to Iceland.

AAI: Are you having trouble stocking supplies?

Dóra: All imports are on halt at the moment, so yes. Now I’m calling my wholesalers, asking what they have got available. Some did stock up, others are worse. The problem is that even companies that have the money, kronas, can’t exchange it to euros or dollars to pay their suppliers overseas. And all our money transfers are stuck somewhere. Having the Brits use their terrorist act to freeze all Icelandic money hasn’t helped at all… but that is a long and complicated story.

AAI: So Iceland will have to rely more on its local foods? Does that include much vegetarian food?

Dóra: We do grow potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, lettuce, cauliflower (even though early frost has finished that off for this year), barley, some paprika and herbs. That is about it. One of the things that has been bad for our horticulture is that imported veggies were so much cheaper. The cost of growing is more (seeds being more expensive, as well as fertilizer, and so on). So now finally they can compete in prices. Our typical Icelandic food is fish and lamb. We farm chicken, beef and pigs as well, and are nearly self sufficient there.

AAI: Do you like Icelandic food?

Dóra: I’m a chef because I love food - all types.

AAI: Are you worried about your restaurant? Will Á Næstu Grösum survive this crisis?

Dóra: I’m concerned about my restaurant, yes. Every little aspect of its running has to be reviewed, and I can only get through this by keeping up the hard work and doing my very best, along with my fantastic staff. There will be spring after this hard, hard winter.

AAI: What about the rest of Reykjavik? Is there less partying now on the weekends? How has the economic crisis affected the Rúntur?

Dóra: People are partying a lot. Loads of entertainers are throwing free shows just to get a more positive attitude into people. And according to the sound of spinning wheels outside my window last weekend, then no, it’s not affecting the Rúntur.

AAI: Otherwise, what is the mood in Reykjavik?

Dóra: It is strange, but two weeks ago was Airwaves, a very big music festival held all over downtown, so that was a good party and lifted the spirit up somewhat. People are in a shock, but everybody is in the same raft. If we are going to get through this, we have to stay positive. We have seen earthquakes, avalanches have wiped out whole villages, and we have survived all that. After all, this is only money.

Call for Interviews With Icelanders

As an American who has been to Iceland for a total of four days, I only have so much to say about the place. If you are an Icelander who wants your chance to speak your mind to the world, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. Email me with a short bio of yourself, and then prepare to be questioned.

And of course I am always looking for Icelanders who wish to be adopted/sponsored.