Important Update!!

Another update - it's been a while, and many things happened since, big things going on in iceland at the moment with the whole crisis thingi - but most importantly:

We just got a car!!!

My first car ever! A Mitsubishi L300 4x4 van!! Yeeeehaa!

Proud father with new baby!
Its name is Rüggi, by the way ;)

v.l.t.r.: Rüggi, Lena, Jule ;)

The three of us bought it together - for 90 000 ISK - which is at the moment, depending which exchange rate you get, something between 3 and 400 Euro - half of what it would have been 2 months ago!!! Two thumbs up for Icelands economic crisis ;)

Since its 4x4 we also shouldnt have problems going into the highlands. Although we hope there is not to much water leaking through the rust-whole into the car when we do more serious river crossings! But we will definetly give it a shot as soon as the highland-streets are open again!

And it even has a "Panorama-Window" at the roof - so we can watch northern lights form inside! If that isnt cool ;)

In case anyone wants to visit, we do now have the perfect Party-van to do trips! An in case anyone thinks, this car needs some more decoration (Like I do!) - you are most welcome to send us stickers, mascots, light-sets or alike - or rust remover, or motor-oil it could probably need that as well ;)

Titlepage of The Reykjavik Grapevine - kind of cool!

At least the Icelandiztaners havent lost their creativity ;)

From SinglePics

Mein Gott, 1 : 1, diese Nudelaugen!!!

Mein Gott, mein Gott, mein Gott!! Ich bin ja sonst nicht so religiös, aber das hätt ich dann doch nicht erwartet! 1:1 gegen Färöer, scheint so als ob uns neben dem Wettergott auch der Fußbalgott wirklich nicht gut gesonnen is! Vielleicht haben wir aber auch nur deswegen verloren, weil wir unser Team nicht unterstützen konnten!! Und die Färöeringer haben das Flugzeug extra gecancelt, diese Säcke, ich weiße es genau!! *VerschwörungstheorienJuche!* ;)

Was mich aber (als eingefleischtem Nicht-Fußball-Fan!) wesentlich mehr belastet: Heute steigt in Thorshaven warscheinlich die größte Party des Jahrhunderts!! Diesen 1:1 Sieg werden die Färöeringer sicherlich auskosten! Und wir hätten dabei sein sollen, bei dem Spiel, das nicht einmal übertragen werden konnte!! Zum heulen!

Aber dafür geh ich dann heut aufs Oktoberfest, und schau mir Mugison an, einen der außergewöhnlichsten, Musiker Islands!! Hört mal rein auf seiner Myspace Seite, wenn ihr auf alternative Sounds steht!! Sehr zu empfehlen!

cya L

Flight Canceled!!

Damn the Färöen Weather!! The Plane couldnt land, so our flight was re-scheduled for Saturday evening. With the game starting at 16:00, sweet!!! Damn the Färöean Weathergod!! Hope the Footballgod is less nasty-minded! The sadest thing is, that we practiced the Austrian national anthem for no reason now ;)

Anyway, to get over this shock we decided to follow a classic but still genious double-Strategy:

- Cook a gooood dinner with a lot of Beer...

- and relieable overcome all sad feelings with a big portion of vanilla-icecream with Pumkinseed-Oil!! (may sound strange, but try it first before you judge!! ;)

So we are happy again, and will watch the game in Reykjavik! Maybe we still have a chance to prove our great anthem-singing-skills!! *grööl* Ööööstreich vooor! ;)

cya L

Färör ich koomme!!

Ah, damn it - Im just finished writing the blog, and realized that I wrote in German! But the next one is gonna be english again, I swear ;)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Morgen gehts los, auf die Färör-inseln...
Und ja, Ihr erratets schon, Anlass is die zweite Neuauflage des Legendären Länderspiels

Schafzüchter vs. Nasebohrer

oder
Färör vs. Österreich

(Copyright Flo Siggisson ;)

Das kann sich ein enthusiastischer Fußballfän wie ich es bin natürlich nicht entgehen lassen *lol*

1990 sind wir ja schon mal vernichtend geschlagen worden, die größte Blamage unser Nationalelf (hier nachlesen) - und das will was heißen, denn im blamieren is unser Team ja generell top!! ;)

Außerdem eine ganz gute Gelegenheit mal ne kleine Auszeit vom derzeit Kriesengeschüttelten Island zu nehmen - Is wirklich krass, heute sind 305 Kronen ein Euro - das würde heißen, meine Miete wären noch 140 Euro - anstatt ursprünglich 350 Euro!!!!

Vorrausgesetzt natürlich man bekommt den Kurs - weil momentan scheint jede Bank ihren eigenen Kurs zu haben - die Isländischen so in der gegend von 150, aber so genau weiß man das nie.

Dänische Reisebüros bieten aber trotzdem schon Vorweihnachtliche Shopping touren nach Island an. Und Hotels nehmen mittlerweile keine Kronen mehr an sondern lassen sich nur in Fremdwährung zahlen.

Aber die Krone kann ja nicht ewig weitersinken. Bzw werden dann irgendwann die Preise ganz massiv nachziehen, da Preis und Wert einfach in keinem Verhältniss mehr stehen.... komplettes chaos, kein Mensch kennt sich mehr aus aber jeder ermahnt einen zur Ruhe, seis der Präsident höchst persönlich, die Students Union, die Banken, oder der Unirektor... Werd die Gelegenheit jedenfalls nutzen und von den Farören möglichst viel Bier und Wein importieren, nur so für alle Fälle falls in Island die allerwichtigsten grundnahrungsmittel ausgehen ;)

cya L

Update!

Today Icelands Primeminister adressed the Icelanders concerning the current economic situation. (Read the translated speech here) Talking like the country is in quite serious trouble, saying things like

"There is a very real danger, fellow citizens, that the Icelandic economy, in the worst case, could be sucked with the banks into the whirlpool and the result could be national bankruptcy."

They passed legislation for icelandic banks, as well as the pension scheme to move back assets to iceland... We will see if it helps to stablilize the economy - interesting times to come up here ;)

But, ahh - something funny in the end - at least for all german speaking readers: Check out Kindergartenkapitalismus ;)

Blue sky, green sky and the (economical) apocalypse!

Howdy!! I decided to start posting in english, so non-german speaking readers can follow as well. Especially on topics as important as this one.

So, whats the whole island talking about at the moment???
Yeeees, the economic crisis!! You think thats boring? Well, than you better read this post! And, to make it even more exciting, I added some nice recent pics ;)

(like that one - green sky, cool! ;)


The Icelandic krona currently experiences a free fall: One year ago you got 85 Kronas for one Euro, when I arrived here end of August it was about 120, now its up at 156! Thats fine for me, my rent reduced from 350 to 280 Euros within 2 months ;)
But, even if it makes travelling "cheaper"-than-ever, its clearly not a sign of a healty economy - and when this currency happens to be used only on a tiny island in the middle of the northatlantic, dependent on imports of all kind to survive - well, thats when it gets prickeling!

Last week a gasolin tanker had to turn around, because the company couldnt pay in foreign currency (National TV News today).
And friday night Bónus, one of the countrys biggest supermarkets (The islandic "Hofer"...) anounced that they had no means of paying the foreign currency advances needed to import more foodstuffs...
(In the close future, as the depression continious, will ducks eventually feed us?? Yummy! *hehe*)


But you dont have to send me food-packages now (even if the bonus really was packed to day!!) - ensuring the access to basic needs like food and fuel are probably top-priorities on the governments to-do list.

(We already eat puffins, showing off is not enough to stop us from eating you in times like these!!! ;)

But how is this connected to the global crisis, you may ask? Thats what I think:
Iceland is one of the richest countries in the world. But Icelandic wealth is very much build on debts.

This is probably one of the reasons, why the Krona is going down: Because Investors know, that the economy depends on credits! But credits are hard to get in the current crisis. No bank borrows any money to any bank anymore, because they dont know, if that particular will even exist the next day. Thats why investors pull out of iceland and the Krona drops. (Thats at least what I think - but Im happy to be commented here...)

(We will get youuuu tooo!!)

But not only the government is in debts, also the people themselve.

It is/was very common, to buy big new cars, or houses completly on credit (Read this critical comment about the islandic lifestyle and the current crisis...). But 70% of these credits are in foreign currencys - someone buying a 12 000 000 ISK car on credit a year ago (140 000 EUR) suddenly ends up with 22 000 000 ISK debts.

(No, dont jump! Its just an economic depression!! ;)

Although, one could possibly argue that it is really stupid to buy a fucking expensive car 100% on debts in the first place - but hey, we live in a capitalistic world!! We need to consume!! Satisfy our needs now! There is no time to wait for actually earning the money - thats oldfashioned! You just gotta spend it, thats good for the economy, isnt it?!! (Well, I dont wanna get in detail here ;)

(ypp, thats what I call a real basic need!!)

(... and that one!! Thats probably also a reason for fuel reserves to last only up to 40 days...)

But let me add another facett to the problem: Icelandic banks have only been privatized 10 years ago - and seen exponencial growth since. Today the combined assets of icelands three biggest banks make out 9 times the nations GDP - and the banks are in trouble.

Last week the third largest bank, Glitnir, has been nationalized in order to save it. Some people already pointed out, that the government probably bite off more than it can chew. But what if the other banks come into serious trouble too?

We will see - I just opened a banc account at Landsbankinn - but probably Ill wait a bit with transfering money ;)


(Its so easy to stay happy:
... just climb a mountain with good friends on a great day!)

Es Schneeeeit!!!

Saugeil!

Es is 1. Oktober!!

Happy Semesterbeginn *GröööölTröööt*!!!

Wird zeit, dass a auch endlich anfangts zu arbeiten - bin schließlich schon 4 wochen dran! ;)

Und, ach ja: Mir fehlts da heroben an gar nichts, wir ham sogar ein Oktoberfest! ;)