Odds 'n' Ends

There are a couple interesting things I did AGES ago (both were back in October, I believe), but between RIFF, Airwaves, and Denmark, I forgot to post about them. So, real quick, before I run out of time, here they are!

On October 9^th, I took the ferry over to Viðey Island to see the Imagine Peace Tower lit. This odd bit of artwork is the doing of Yoko Ono, who wanted to honor John Lennon’s memory by creating this gigantic beam of light that shoots up into the sky from a base that has “Imagine Peace” written on it in 24 languages. I was late getting there, so I was on the ferry and missed most of the ceremony. I did get to see an Icelandic children’s choir sing while the tower was lit, which was very nice. After the formal stuff was over, however, there were some belligerent hippies in the audience who wanted everyone to hold hands and sway while singing, endlessly, the chorus of “Give Peace A Chance.” Most people were like, “Nei takk.” I, personally, would not be too upset if I never heard anyone sing that song ever again. Sorry, John Lennon.

Hippies look a lot cooler when they're blurry.

You can see the beam from all across the city, and I think it’s kind of nice. I know some people complain about the light pollution, which I understand, but Reykjavík’s already a pretty bright place; I don’t think it contributes a significant amount. It was just turned off a couple days ago—it’s lit between Lennon’s birthday and the anniversary of his death.

The other event I attended was a football match! Iceland vs. Portugal! Guess who won? Yeah. Portugal. We had good fun cheering on Iceland, though! Painted our faces and everything. Áfram Ísland!

Forgot to take my camera to the match, but took a picture of Becky's excellent paint job afterward! Do I possibly look a little bedraggled? We trudged through a violent downpour between the stadium and our car.