From Iceland — Sour Grapes and Stuff

Sour Grapes and Stuff

Published July 20, 2011

Sour Grapes and Stuff

MOST AWESOME LETTER:
Hello osom grapevine
I am admirably broke and i like lobster.
Can i have it?
-Sindri

Dear Sindri,
Sure, since you ask so nicely. Enjoy your lobster! And then consider it! And if you got that little joke, you’ve also earned a complimentary beer, courtesy of our editor.

hi,
while browsing the tattoo pictures of tattoo-stofan selfossi I stumble on that picture http://on.fb.me/p69OwW – a Nazi 14 barely hidden : 14, from the Fourteen Words coined by David Lane: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children.” (see wikipedia page on neo-nazis)
15 likes for that tattoo!!!
I find it unbearable that in Iceland people can express these hatred ideas clear and high and not be in trouble.
Not sure if you can or will do anything about this.
In any case, all the best.
Morgane

Dear Morgane,
wow. That’s nasty, huh. Why were you browsing the photos for Tattoo-stofan Selfossi again? That doesn’t seem like something one would get up for fun. Unless you’re, like, super-interested in hnakki-culture and tramp-stamps. Or really, really high. Who knows? It’s not our place to judge your hobbies.  
Anyway. Yeah. Fuck Nazis. They fucking suck. Fucking fuck them and the fuckers that think it’s cool to glorify them. And yeah, people that think they’re cool also suck. Fuck them too. But mainly they’re probably dumb. We probably shouldn’t do anything about that guy with that stupid fucking tattoo, though. He will have ‘ASSHOLE’ branded on his skin in capital letters for the rest of his life.
That seems punishment in and of itself.
But thanks for staying alert Morgane, do let us know if you find more Nazi-scum lurking about.

Dear editor, Grapevine.
I have just recently returned from my second trip in Iceland and I thought I might share with you some of my experiences and tips for other travellers…
Firstly, Reykjavik is a small city. There are nice places to dine and some interesting exhibits definately, but it is small so plan to get out and spend at least some time elsewhere. Having said that, the best way to enjoy Reykjavik is to be less of a spectator and more of a participant in its offerings. On my first trip in midwinter I was frustrated that the bar I looked up online no longer existed and another place I was interested in was booked for a private party. In Reykjavik a lot of things happen by invitation so the best way to meet locals is to stop looking for something to happen and do something for yourself. Play some music in the park or buy some wool and ask someone to teach you how to knit. Add some graffiti to a wall. Plant a tree around the city. Do things and you will meet people.
Secondly, go twice! Iceland is a place of striking contrasts and astonishing change, and each moment can seem deceivingly stuck in time and then be wiped off the map in an instant. I have seen Jokulsarlon in January while it was blue and glassy – and I hear it is black with ash now; and where we parked our super-jeep in Thorsmork – we were parked in what had previously been a lagoon. I have seen the endless midsummer days and the long midwinter nights and i would highly suggest to anyone travelling that a second trip back is well worth it.  Youll be amazed at how welcoming the city feels when you know your way around the streets (even if you still cant pronounce them yet) and how different it is from season to season. If you came in winter, come back for the hiking and boating you couldnt do then; if you came in summer, you simply have to return for the New Years fires and fireworks, it is not to be missed!
P.S. Thanks for the great read on the plane-ride home : )
Mathew Phillips, Tofino, Canada.

Dear Matthew,
thank you for your most excellent letter; your kind words and your advice to your fellow travellers (those of us that live here are already super-jaded and never venture outdoors at all, so your advice falls flat on us).
But dude! You were spraying our walls with your graffiti! WTF, man! Do you want us to travel all the way to ‘Tofino’ (whatever that is) and spray shit on your walls? DUDE! That shit ain’t right! You’ve been here twice—this is us telling you to COME BACK RIGHT NOW AND CLEAN THAT SHIT UP!
Nei, djók. But anyway, yeah, thanks for your letter. And enjoy your days in ‘Tofino’.

Hi there!
First, i would like to say how much i like the newspaper, and how thankful i am for being able to have uptated news about iceland in english, i also find most of the articles very bold, with solid arguments and somehow inspiring.
Second, i dont intend this to be any awesome letter, i just didnt know for sure what adress to write :). So, I just want to ask, if it is possible, for an article or guide on what to do with recycling materials or where to take them. Paper, plastic, metal and glass, but also wood, batteries, used cooking oil and everything possible. I would greatly appreciate it. Back home, on my beautiful Brazil, I used to separate materials for recycling, but since I moved to Iceland, not sure what to do with them. Would be nice to have a little help on this, as the people i know from here do not know any better so, maybe people would recycle more if they knew how possible it is.
Thank you very much!
Liliane E. Santo

Dear Liliane,
thank you for your nice letter. Regardless of your intentions, it’s still pretty awesome (it still won’t win the ‘AWESOME LETTER’ lobster though, as it has already been granted to poor ol’ Sindri). However, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT,! We do need to print something on recycling and separating and where to put all that stuff. We love mother nature and we are pretty certain it should be conserved. And we should do our part. So we’ll do it in a future issue. Promise.
LOVE

Please Read this Letter to Heterosexual Men.
http://infiniteexistence.wordpress.com/
Thanks,
Ralph Gillies

Dear Ralph Gillies,
thank you for your nice letter. You’re crazy.

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