Snowball fights and thrilling games

On the picture you can see some Icelandic figures or parts of them (Davíð Oddsson, Björgólfur Guðmundsson, Reynir Traustason, Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, Skyrgámur and Guðjón V.).

It's a good time for a snowball fight. Afterwards you should spend a milk ice for the patron saint of the 19th December, Skyrgámur. Later you will have a nice evening with your family playing Kreppuspilið, the thrilling crunch game.

Three man in a boat

(or perhaps thirty)


Did you also got an email like this?

Subject: TRUE CONFIDENCE AND LOVE
From: Bjorgolfur
Iceland, Europe.
Reply to: bjth@fjarsvik.com
Dear Sir,
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your name and contact from an international brochure because I do not know anybody I will contact. I prayed over it and believed that you will be a reputable and trust worthy person that I can trust and do business with, I must not hesitate to confide in you for this simple and sincere business assistance. I am Bjorgolfur the son of Bjorgolfur.
My father was a very wealthy merchant in Iceland; but then his business went ill. He secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of Five Million, Nine Hundred Thousand United State Dollars USD ($5,900, 000.00) he deposited with a private security firm in X, which he used my name his only son as the next of Kin in depositing of the money with the private security firm in X. The security firm is not aware that the box contains money and my father warned me to keep this as a top secret till I get a reliable foreigner that will assist me get the box out as his foreign partner. He also expla
Please, I am sincerely seeking your assistance in the following ways: (1) to assist me claim the box containing the money from the security company as my father’s foreign partner. (2) To serve as a guardian of this fund. (3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a resident permit in your country because I cannot go back to my country till I am a full grown man.
Moreover, sir I will like you to tell me what you will take from the total sum as compensation for your effort/input after the successful release and transfer of this fund into your bank account in your country. Please you should indicate your interest towards assisting me by writing me an email at : bjth@fjarsvik.com ,as I believe that this transaction would be concluded within seven days (7) days you signify interest to assist me. Please keep this proposal confidential.
Thanks and God bless.
Best regards,
Bjorgolfur

Waiting for the Ice Man

All fishermen and the stock of cod are waiting for the Ice Man. But he doesn't come ...

Kidding aside! The book The Ice Man Cometh should come out in February 2007 under the title Sex, Lies and Supermarkets but it didn't. An explanation you can only find in the Icelandic news: The publishing was delayed due to threats of Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson's lawyers and then the title was changed. But the "Ice Man" didn't come out. The British publisher obviously feared to get financially ruined by publishing this book. By the way the journalist Ian Griffiths didn't write any more about the Ice Man & Co. in The Guardian during the last two years. Was he forced to keep his hands off this tycoon?

Here is the text of the Ice Man's blurb:

He is a multi millionaire whose name is never far from scandal and intrigue. He has been described as a decadent playboy and has been the target of fraud allegations. His retail group, Baugur, has become famous in the UK for boldly snapping up familiar high street chains such as Oasis, Iceland and Hamleys toy shop to name but a few. Meet Jon Asgeir Johannesson, the Icelandic entrepreneur who is buying up Britain. In 1998, he took over as the Managing Director of Baugur Group, his family's company, and began driving the chain firmly towards the fashion and retail sector, voraciously expanding their overseas operations. In 2005, however, the extraordinary pace of Baugur's acquisitions was slowed when Icelandic authorities brought charges of fraud against the company. Throughout the proceedings, Baugur claimed that the charges were politically motivated...In this explosive and informative book, the lid is lifted on the scandal that has been the talking point of the business pages for the last few years. The authors reveal how Baugur's international expansion became a source of embarrassment for Iceland and how its commercial success forced the country's government to bring charges against the company. They also look at flaws that became apparent during the police investigation into the matter, how Baugur managed the crisis and how, ultimately, were vindicated. The high-profile nature of Johannesson's bold commercial ventures in this country have made the enigmatic Icelander a source of constant fascination for media and public alike. The less-than-positive attention received as a result of the trial have been cast aside and the company is back out on the high street with their own shopping lists! This gripping book is a must for anyone who keeps a keen eye on the world of business or for anyone who want to know the truth about one of the biggest news stories of recent years.

Global playing Vikings

From left to right: Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson, Hannes Smárason, Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson.

There is a new Icelandic word: "útrásarvíking". It means something like "global playing Viking".

Short Viking History: While must of Icelandic settlers built houses, raised cattle, caught fishes and held meetings from the year 874 onwards, some others sailed away and invaded England and continental Europe together with other Scandinavian Vikings. In Sagas and poems their feats survived. But in his novel Gerpla (Happy Warriors) Halldór Laxness drew a dark picture of this heroes.

I found an Icelandic poem "Útrásarvíkingarnir" about some new jaunting Vikings and give a loose translation.

We are as famous as a shark.
We spread in England our wings
and cashed big fishes in Denmark.
But why they call us foray vikings?

We dealt on credit extra bold
and made a profit a hundredfold.
Each of us got a global player:
Björgólfur, Hannes and Jón Ásgeir.

All that is ripe for sale we buy,
in every nook we smell a gain.
And we all do just on the fly
in our brave new private plane.

And no one ask a stupid question
because the press is our bastion.
More and more dough we want to mess,
we Jón Ásgeir, Björgólfur and Hannes.

Icelandic crunch talk

You can learn some useful crunch talk (krepputal) phrases:
Hver er ábyrgur? – Who is responsible?
Hvert er svínið? – Where is the swine?



And another important idiom:
Burt með spillinguna! – Away with the corruption!

To flag the Aldi banner on the Reichstag building in Berlin ...

... would be the work of a fool.


Why did the Icelandic protesters raise the flag of the supermarket-chain Bónus on the parliament building in Reykjavík last Saturday?

Bónus belongs to one of the richest and mightiest Icelanders, Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, chairman of Baugur Group, who is supposed to be one of the causer of the Icelandic finance crisis. (By the way, in German the word Ásgeir looks like Aasgeier = vulture.)


Bónus is the cheapest supermarket-chain in Iceland and its flag shows a fat pink piggy bank.



Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson now tries to concentrate the Icelandic mass media in his hands.

Look at the video of the protest in Reykjavík .

Visit the web page of Andri Snær Magnason and read about Bonus Poetry (Bónus ljóð) .