26th
Interview: Hrönn Brynjarsdóttir on Iceland
You’ve heard my take on the situation in Iceland - Hollywood should film there, The United States should import puffins, and most importantly, good Samaritans should sponsor/adopt young Icelanders in need. But have you ever wondered what an actual Icelander has to say about all this? Well, I did, so I interviewed Hrönn Brynjarsdóttir, 34, an Icelander who left her motherland for the United States in 1999.
Adopt an Icelander: Why did you leave Iceland? You saw the signs of the impending crash?
Hrönn: Hahahaha! I certainly did not see any signs of the impending crash, I’m sure there have been multiple ups and downs in Iceland’s during my time away. I’m getting a graduate degree in Information Science from Cornell University.
AAI: Where do you live, and how do you like it?
Hrönn: I live in Ithaca which happens to be a pretty interesting town, the majority of folks here are very liberal, crunchy-granola-alternative thinking people, so it makes for interesting culture to be in, with a lot of new things to explore.
AAI: What do you do for work and for fun?
Hrönn: Well, I go to school which is both work and fun. I feel really privileged to be able to spend my time working on and thinking about things that interest me, like how we shape technology and technological practices as a culture and a community. I’m also really lucky to live in upstate New York with insane natural beauty, gorges and state parks where I can hike to my hearts’ content. When I’m not working or hiking, there’s a good chance you’ll find me at either one of my favorite caffeineation-stations Gimme! or Stella’s Coffeeshop, or at home catching up with my netflix queue.
AAI: Do you plan to stay in the U.S.?
Hrönn: Good question! I’ll let you know when I know. Actually, that’s a lie… I’ll let you know when I know and I’ve told mom. She’s been asking this question since the day after I moved here.
AAI: Your last name is Brynjarsdóttir. Does that mean that at some point, someone in your family lineage was the daughter of someone with the last name Brynjars?
Hrönn: Nope. The way naming works in Iceland is a bit different than the family-name tradition that’s used in the states. Our naming system is mostly patronymic, although there has been a shift recently towards matronymic naming. Essentially, my last name means that I am the daughter of Brynjar: Brynjars-dóttir. My brother’s name is Karl Brynjarsson, or Karl, son of Brynjar.
AAI: Well, I was on the right track, at least. Did you know that Iceland was named that to trick people into staying away, and Greenland was named that to trick people into going there?
Hrönn: Hahaha, this is the most common thing that I get asked when people find out I am from Iceland - well, right after “Do you know Björk?” I don’t know if Iceland was named that to keep people away, but I do know that Greenland was indeed called that by one of the vikings, Eirikur the Red, when he tried to sell other vikings on joining him during his temporary banishment from Iceland.
AAI: I swear, even just walking around Brooklyn, I overhear people talking about how Iceland is green and Greenland is icy. What is your favorite Icelandic food?
Hrönn: Does lakkrís (liquorice candy) count? :)
I think what I miss most is skyr (a thick yogurt) and flatkökur (soft brown rye flatbread) and “ýsa í raspi” - breaded haddock, the way my mom makes it. I think the weirdest thing I’ve asked my friends to bring me when visiting was a can of Ora fiskibollur í dós - basically a can of processed fishballs. Yum!
I could go on and on about food in general, but there’s a pretty decent page on wikipedia on Icelandic cuisine.
AAI: Would you consider yourself a member of “the cuddly generation” (Krútt-kynslóðin)?
Hrönn: Nope. I don’t think my generation got a catchy name like that. I could be wrong, though. But I think the Krútt Kynslóðin is people in their early 20’s…am I correct?
AAI: That’s good, as an outsider to this generation, you probably have more insight into it than if you were a member. What would you say are the defining features of it?
Hrönn: Hmmmm. I think that this generation grew up during a pretty happy time in Iceland, during a time when the entire country was pretty much high on money. Interestingly, before the crash recently, the main export was banking. Which is weird, considering that we’d always been known to be a fishing nation. Oh well.
AAI: Do young Icelanders have a healthy propensity for good old-fashioned hard work?
Hrönn: Yes. Of course! Kids start working early in Iceland, around 12-13 in Unglingavinnan, working for the city, helping with gardening and general upkeep. My first “job” was babysitting when I was 9. I think my main task was to take a little girl to the playground for a bit and then take her home.
AAI: Are a lot of Icelanders going to emigrate? If so, where to? Do you expect a massive immigration of Icelanders to Greenland?
Hrönn: I know some people are thinking about it. Which is really scary - we can’t afford to lose talent! Then the story about the little island that couldn’t will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I know, it’s ironic that I’m saying this, having lived abroad for so many years. But one of the scarier problems that Iceland has faced for a long time is people deciding to stay in the country they get their graduate degrees from (Sweden, Denmark, USA) instead of moving back home. It’s a tough choice. I think I am not being delusional in thinking that no, I do not expect a massive emigration to Greenland.
AAI: Any plans to visit friends and family in Iceland, and exploit the ailing currency situation?
Hrönn: Funny that, I actually am seriously considering paying off my student loans. The exchange rate has never been so favorable for me. I’m not planning on going home any time soon - I’m a poor graduate student!
AAI: What have you heard about the crisis from people you know who still live there?
Hrönn: Ummm, that there isn’t so much of a crisis going on really. Of course some people are being hit harder than others, and most of us are bummed and mad for sure, but life goes on. The people I know, family and friends, are pretty level-headed about this - but then again, none of them had invested their life savings in stocks, or what can essentially be defined as a poker game. There’s great hope for things to change. Maybe this time around the emphasis will be on lessons learned and not just crying over spilled milk. It’ll be interesting to see how this goes, for sure.
AAI: How do you feel about Great Britain’s involvement in the collapse? Was it good of them to use anti-terrorism laws to freeze Icelandic accounts?
Hrönn: I think my friend Hjalli put it quite well here.
AAI: Is the older generation getting a perverse pleasure that the younger generation might have to endure the same privations that they once did?
Hrönn: Nah, I think it has less to do with generational differences and more to do with what people were doing before the crash. It is interesting, but mostly just sad to see the blame game that is going on in the Icelandic media and on blogs. It is also very revealing of character how people react to situations like this.
AAI: Are Icelanders worried that their partying days may be over?
Hrönn: No. You don’t need money to have fun, and I am sure the partying folk recognize that.
AAI: How has the economic crisis affected the Rúntur?
Hrönn: Hahahaha. I haven’t the faintest. If it means that fewer people are driving just for the sake of driving, that’s not such a bad thing, right?
AAI: Are Icelanders becoming more closed off to each other in the midst of all this, or are they opening up even more?
Hrönn: I don’t know, my friend told me that there have been some instances of “be nice to your colleague”-days at some companies, and in general there’s the mentality of “we’re all in this together”. At the end of the day though, I think everyone is dealing with this on their own. Not in isolation, per se, but we’re not known to be the touchy-feely type so much.
AAI: What will become of Iceland?
Hrönn: I don’t know. I am a firm believer in “Þetta reddast”. It is a saying in Icelandic, which equates roughly to “things will work out in the end”. I’m pretty sure we’ll weather this storm.
Let’s hope so. Thanks, Hrönn!
