Reader Letters: Probably Our Only Turkish Subscriber

Dear Reykjavík Grapevine,

I’m probably the biggest fan of your magazine and Iceland itself in the world. I love Iceland more than any other thing in the world, and I like seeing it as my own country (even though I live about 5000 km away from it). You guys there in Iceland are the best people in the world and you’re very lucky to have such a great country. I’m trying to learn Icelandic with the help of a book but I’m currently too busy studying for the high school entrance exam here, so I’m currently unable to study it.

I’ve been obsessed with Iceland at least since I was 9, and two years ago, when I was 11, a dream that I thought was impossible to become true, became true! My family and I paid a five day visit to Iceland, and those five days were truly unforgettable for me.

I first saw the Reykjavík Grapevine when my family was buying a day tour to the south coast and Jökulsárlón at the Gray Line sales office near Lækjartorg, and since then I’ve been a daily visitor to the website and the Facebook page (gotta admit that I’m a daily visitor of Iceland Monitor too). Last year, my parents gave me the money to become a print subscriber of the Reykjavík Grapevine as new year’s present (we don’t have Christmas here) and since January I’ve been a print subscriber—probably the only one from Turkey. That is, up until now, as the subscription cost has nearly tripled and an economic crisis-ish thing has made the cost a lot more than it previously was for me. So very sadly I’m not a print subscriber anymore.

I love the Grapevine. I become so happy whenever a new issue arrives in my mailbox (I even store the paper envelopes that come with the magazine). And just reading the magazine makes me feel so happy. I feel like I’m refreshing my ties with Iceland, my self-proclaimed motherland. I especially enjoy the travel section, and when it’s about my favourite region—the East—I just can’t finish reading it. Thank you so much for keeping me updated about Iceland with real time news all the time!

I will definitely come again to Iceland, and when I come, I’ll never go back.

I would like ask you for a tiny, tiny favor. If you ever interview Sigur Rós (a.k.a. the best band in the world that cannot be surpassed by anyone) in the future, can you say hi to them for me?

Best-est regards,

Efekan

Dear Efekan,

Wow, thanks for the praise. Making a newspaper or two every month, and then another, and then another, sometimes makes us feel slightly detached from all you lovin’ readers out out there, so we’re always really heartened to hear from someone who loves the magazine.

But, seeing as you also read Iceland Monitor, I’m afraid we can’t give you the usual prize of a t-shirt. That’s just for serious loyalists who become willingly unemployed to live in a bucket and not do anything other than reading back issues of the Reykjavík Grapevine, ever.

But seeing as you’re so very enthusiastic and kind about our magazine, and all things Iceland, we’ve decided to give you a 2017 subscription for free. Maybe you can use all those envelopes and make your own Grapevine t-shirt?

Love.

Your friends at The Reykjavík Grapevine

Send us a letter to letters@grapevine.is and win something good, maybe!