September 2014

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The plain text version is found below:

** Farsælda Frón
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Volume No. 16 Issue No.3
September 2014


** From the President’s desk
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To Fall In Love

It is great when people fall in love with Iceland after their first visit. A coworker just came back from her honeymoon in Iceland and can not stop talking about it. I told her that is one of the dangers, to fall in love with Iceland, and want to go back. She said we have to go back; so many things we did not see. Tourism industry is blooming in Iceland but one of the things Icelanders are disputing is how to fund improvements needed for many of the most popular locations. Estimated number of tourists in Iceland this year is about one million, up 100% in the last 10 years. Many are in favor of selling a nature pass but some want to charge each person for each place, i.e. Gullfoss, Geysir, etc. I hope they will only have one fee once you enter the country and not a booth at every waterfall or glacier.

The Icelandic Association is doing well. We had a successful 17th celebration by the Lake with a record attendance. Great time, good hot dogs from Iceland and good weather. On Sunday we wrapped up The 9th Chicago Icelandic Open with sold out number of 16 teams. Master’s winners this year are Kathy and Dave Mehl who played a very good game, shot 33 or two under par. No one had a hole in one to win the trip to Iceland, better luck next year
Have a great fall.

Einar Steinsson
President

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From the Editor

I hope you had a wonderful summer and are enjoying the mild fall weather. This newsletter is packed with events and news from the IAC and other Icelandic-centered topics. In particular, take note of the timing and location of the IAC General meeting immediately following the Tree Trimming at the Museum of Science and Industry. This is a great opportunity to contribute to the association and learn what our upcoming events are. Contact Lena or Einar to RSVP and for more information. Finally, please feel free to send me any topics/articles for the newsletter. I welcome your input.

Kolla Kristjansdottir Fass kolbrkr@gmail.com
Editor
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PAST AND FUTURE EVENTS

The Greater Icelandic Open

The 9th Greater Icelandic Open was held at the Hilldale Golf Club in Hoffman Estate on September 14th. Champions were Kathy and Dave Mehl, 2nd place Paul and Max Henley and 3rd place went to Leigh and and David Mehl. Thank you to everyone who participated in this great event!

Christmas around the World!

Once again it is time to decorate our tree at the Museum of Science and Industry. Please join us at 2:00 PM, Saturday November 8^th for this annual tradition and festive event. You must sign up with Lena as we’re to enter through the main Entry Hall and must show a wristband for a complimentary admission. Unfortunately, free parking is no longer offered. Parking in the museum’s garage costs $20 BUT there are other options. For example, metered parking in the east parking lot where we used to park; metered parking in the Park District lot just east of the Museum (enter off Lake Shore Drive just south of 57^th street – the same lot we use for our 17^th of June Celebration at Promontory Point; or free street parking within short walking distance from the Museum in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

Hlökkum til að sjá ykkur! For more info contact Lena: koshkuklo@icloud.com (tel:773-910-3154)

IAC General Meeting

Please join us for the IAC General Meeting right after the Tree Trimming at the Museum of Science and Industry. It will likely start around 4:30pm. Contact Lena or Einar to RSVP.

Icelandic Movie at Chicago Film Festival

50 years of exciting, bold and daring new work from around the globe. Since 1965, we've prided ourselves on championing movies from the hottest young filmmakers to the most accomplished masters, from star-studded spectacles to the latest indie gems.

Order your passes to the 50th Chicago International Film Festival now, and see the best in world cinema where it has the biggest impact–on the big screen. For all movies and more info: http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/sneak_preview/

Icelandic Movie: Paris of the North
Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson • Iceland

A genial schoolteacher's summer days are measured by long runs, time with students, and AA meetings. However, his best-laid plans for a quiet life are derailed by the arrival of his beer-guzzling father. A droll and assured film about finding yourself, Paris of the North is grounded in the wry, patient rhythms of small-town life.

OTHER NEWS

Icelandic Photo Exhibit in D.C. - Visible Iceland

Iceland is a small island country with a large personality and many ever-changing moods. To showcase this inspirational place of sheer natural beauty, a month long exhibit called Visible Iceland, is planned for November 2014 in Washington, D.C. at Hillyer Art Space to coincide with FotoWeek DC. This proposed show will exhibit breathtaking work from Icelandic and American photographers. A successful Kickstarter fundraising campaign was designed to increase visual awareness and stimulate interest in the project. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Featuring Friðgeir Helgason, Svavar Jonatansson, Katrín Elvarsdóttir, Rax Axelsson, Pall Stefansson, Elena Sheehan and Jillian Watkins.

New Book: Yule Lads

Hello, my name is Ken Barr, and I am a writer in the Orlando, Florida area. I have recently written a new version of the Yule Lads , including new works for the Lost Yule Lads as well. Here is the book description from Amazon.

The Yule Lads have been around for many years, their story unchanged. They are a major part of the holiday season in Iceland. What I have done here is to reinterpret them, through the eyes of an outsider, and to modernize them, just a little. I have also included other members of their family that have not had much written about them, namely Grýla and the Yule Cat. I have actually given the Yule Cat a name. I have also found twelve “lost” Yule Lads and I couldn’t find anything written about them except their names, so I have created identities for each. It’s my hope to keep these characters and stories alive long after I am gone.

Link to book: the Yule Lads

Thank you, Ken Barr
Kbarr2@cfl.rr.com
(mailto:Kbarr2@cfl.rr.com) 407-325-7097
Addition from Editor. Article in Mogginn (in Icelandic) about the book and author.

Icelandair begins new service from Portland, Oregon

Icelandair will begin seasonal non-stop service from Portland, Oregon to Reykjavik, Iceland beginning May 20, 2015 and continuing through October 21, 2015. With this new route, Icelandair now provides flights to its third gateway in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, and 14^th overall in the United States and Canada. Additionally, with Icelandair continuing the cooperation with their partner Alaska Airlines, convenient connections to Icelandair’s extensive route network are now available via their Portland hub. Cities include Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, as well as gateways in Hawai’i and Alaska, amongst others.

Icelandair offers service to Iceland from Boston, New York-JFK, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Denver, Toronto and Edmonton, with seasonal service from Newark, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, Portland, Vancouver, Halifax, and Anchorage. Connections through Keflavik International Airport are available to more than 20 destinations in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe. Only Icelandair allows passengers to stopover in Iceland for up to seven nights at no additional airfare.

For additional information about Icelandair’s fares and packages to Iceland & beyond please visit us at www.icelandair.com or by calling (877) I-FLY-ICE.

-Upcoming Events-


Christmas around the world

Saturday November 8th at 2pm
Please join us at 2:00 PM, Saturday November 8^th for this annual tradition and festive event as we decorate our tree at the Museum of Science and Industry. You must sign up with Lena to attend and receive a wristband for complimentary admission.

IAC General Meeting

Saturday November 8th at around 4:30pm
Join us for the IAC General Meeting right after the Tree Trimming at the Museum of Science and Industry. Contact Lena or Einar to RSVP.

About the Icelandic Association

The purpose of our association is to ensure that the legacy of the Icelandic heritage will be preserved through cultural events, social gatherings and educational opportunities. We always welcome new members and look forward to hearing from you. - More at: http://www.icelandchicago.org/

View our blog (http://icelandchicago.blogspot.com/)
Visit on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/IcelandicAssociationChicago)

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FARSÆLDA FRÓN - THE ICELANDIC ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO NEWSLETTER. EDITOR: KOLLA KRISTJÁNSDÓTTIR FASS, WEB SITE:** WWW.ICELANDCHICAGO.ORG . CORRESPONDENCE: THE ICELANDIC ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO, EINAR STEINSSON PRESIDENT.