Welcoming our new Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM)

Personnel transitions are an integral part of embassy life, and one of the most important is the arrival of a new DCM.  This week we hosted a formal welcome for Paul O'Friel and his wife Grace. They've been here for about one month, and it is fairly clear that they are quite taken by Iceland's natural beauty, weather, and most importantly by its people. I know that Paul and Grace will do their utmost to build many more bridges between Iceland and the United States.

Seattle – Iceland connection keeps growing

We welcomed representatives from Green River Community College who are visiting Iceland to explore collaborative arrangements with Keilir Insitute and with GeoCamp Iceland. We were not surprised that they were awestruck by Iceland’s beauty and that they saw enormous possibilities for cooperation with Keilir and GeoCamp. This potential cooperation would strengthen our educational exchanges and ties between the Seattle area and Iceland.  In fact, Margrét Soffia Björnsdottir will be joining the faculty of Green River as an artist and Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence for the fall 2013 semester, further strengthening a developing relationship.

Trip addendum -- An unlikely weather trifecta

During our most recent trip to the north we hit a most unlikely weather trifecta. On the first day of our trip we were in the Árnes area which recorded the day’s highest temperature in the country. The next day we were in Húsavik, which also recorded the day’s highest temperature of the country. The next day we were in Siglufjördur, which also happened to reach the day’s highest temperature in the country.  I thought that some enterprising travel operator could develop a tour around the concept of chasing the highest temperature in the country – a variation of American storm chasers.

Thank to our Icelandic friends who joined us on the 4th of July

One of the many values we share with Icelanders is the deep love and respect each of us has for our respective countries.  I saw it in Iceland on June 17 when we were honored to participate in the celebrations of Iceland’s National Day.  So, on July 4th, we wanted to share the celebration of our independence with our Icelandic friends.  We hosted a reception at Kjarvalstaðir and tried to emulate what we do in the United States:  show deep respect to our nation and enjoy festive music, hot dogs and hamburgers, all mixed in a with a bit of nostalgia.  

We are grateful to the crew of USS The Sullivans and the Icelandic Coast Guard for presenting the American and Icelandic Flags and to our Helga Magnusdottir for singing beautifully our national anthems in a solemn ceremony.  We are also grateful to Maggi Kjartansson, the Icelandair Choir, Stefanía Svavarsdóttir and Geir Ólafsson for presenting a fantastic music program, to our corporate sponsors, and to our Icelandic friends who displayed an array of American Car Classics ranging from a 1914 Maxwell to a 2013 Chevy Volt and roaring Harley Davidsons.   We think our guests had a good bit of fun.

Take your child to work day

We were pleased to welcome the children of our American and Icelandic colleagues to the Embassy to learn what their parents do while they are at work. Each child was given a “Diplomatic Passport” and a “Visitor Pass” so that they could visit every section to receive a briefing. At the end of the day, they came to the residence to receive a certificate for their participation and to eat some delicious Icelandic pastries. They certainly brightened our day.

The American people´s Ambassadors come to Iceland

This past weekend gave Mary and me the opportunity to witness firsthand the work of some the best known and most effective American Ambassadors we have: the Harlem Globetrotters. On Saturday, we accompanied members of the team to Children’s Hospital where they brought smiles and laughter to the patients and staff alike. On Sunday, they delighted a crowd of more than 3,500 Icelanders with their stunts, athletics, music, and wonderful humor. The place was pandemonium. We hope they will return in the not too distant future.

Promoting Girls Scout cookie exports

We were delighted to welcome Vanessa to the Residence in her quest to raise funds for the Girls Scouts. She brought 100 lbs (over 45 kg.) worth of Girl Scout cookies to Iceland and sold every box almost immediately. It was great to have the opportunity of participating in a longstanding family tradition of buying Girl Scout cookies each year. Vanessa deserves much credit for her entrepreneurship.

Iceland and the United States in rock solid scientific partnership

During a visit to the Icelandic Heart Association (Hjartavernd) where I met with Dr. Vilmundur (Villi) Guðnasson, it became abundantly clear that the scientific partnership between the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Icelandic Heart Association is producing groundbreaking results in the fight against heart disease. Villi explained that since 2001, NIH has provided nearly $50 million in funding to the Icelandic Heart Association in support of its longitudinal study on aging and other groundbreaking research that is giving us a better understanding of heart disease risks and a foundation for preventive interventions in the population. The research facilities at Hjartavernd are among the best in the world and another manifestation of the great partnership between our two countries.

Our condolences to Iceland

AP Photo/Peter Morrison 2009

We were very distressed to hear about the tragic accident when Örvar Arnarson and Andri Már Þórðarson lost their lives when they were trying to get the most out of them. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these young men. We feel as if one of our own were involved.

Whale watching – a force multiplier for the tourism industry

Mary and I had the opportunity to go out and enjoy the wonders of whale watching just a few minutes outside of Reykjavik. The day was absolutely perfect with no wind and endless visibility. We saw hundreds of dolphins and majestic humpback whales cavorting in the ocean. One could see the joy in the tourists’ faces when observing these beautiful and graceful mammals only a few yards away.

I am told that over 170,000 tourists went whale watching in Iceland last year and that the industry has been growing at about 10% per year. This is a promising sector: whale-watching employs about 500 people in the 5-month summer season and indirectly generates many other jobs in the tourist industry. The impact is especially strong in Northern Iceland. There is no doubt that whale watching has become one of the most important drivers for generating tourism income in Iceland.

Reykjavik Fashion and Design are on the Rise

This week gave Reykjavik a chance to showcase Icelandic Design and Fashion and put Iceland on the world stage. In support of these events, we were honored to host a reception for Roxanne Lowitt, guest of honor of the Reykjavik Fashion Festival and world renowned fashion photographer, and Juliet Kinchin, guest of honor of Design March and curator for the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

I have no doubt these events are among the coolest in Iceland and that it won’t be long before Icelandic designers follow the path of Steinunn Sigurð and make a splash on some of the best known runways in the U.S. and Europe. As for Icelandic design, it is as bold as it is unique and judging by the facial expressions of fellow spectators, they enjoyed the festival as much as we did.

More photos from the reception can be found on the U.S. Embassy Reykjavík Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151384299634576.1073741826.98008554575&type=1

“When Americans and Icelanders work together great things happen...”

…is something we often say about the Icelandic/American relationship and I can think of no better example of this than the partnership between Coastal Carolina University and its Icelandic alumni. Let me explain. Coastal, as the school is affectionately known, is a relatively small, young, but very strong university that has seen about seventy Icelanders graduate from its rolls. Over the years, these Icelanders have returned to Iceland and formed a tightly-knit alumni association based on their shared experiences. The group got together and worked with the school administration to establish a scholarship fund to give five Icelanders the opportunity to attend Coastal. This week, the President of Coastal, Dr. David DeCenzo, visited Iceland to sign an agreement with the association to establish the scholarship program and to explore academic partnerships with Icelandic universities. I am also pleased to add that an Icelander is in the faculty of Coastal.

Icelandic business community looks at the U.S./EU trade and investment pact

The American Icelandic Chamber of Commerce hosted a breakfast meeting to discuss a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) announced by President Obama and European Union President Van Rompuy. There was broad consensus among the presenters (Jon Sigurðsson from Össur, Henrik Bendixen from the European Union, and Ambassador Ellertsdóttir) that the TTIP offers an enormous opportunity to boost trade and investment and strengthen the transatlantic relationship.

Many shared concerns about the potential impact of such an agreement on EFTA and Iceland’s trade position. While many of these questions could not be answered, the event provided the Icelandic business community with a great opportunity to begin a good discussion on Iceland’s trade policies. I made the point that increasing trade with Iceland is a priority for the United States and noted that the U.S. remains the largest foreign direct investor in Iceland and that American firms continue to flock to Iceland.

Blái Naglinn (The Blue Nail) – A story of courage and inspiration

I had the pleasure of welcoming Jóhannes Reynisson at the Residence. He is one of those amazing Icelanders who excel in the face of adversity. His story, told in the Blue Nail documentary, is about the challenges that confront a man diagnosed with prostate cancer. In a most intimate and powerful story, Johanness shows us how adversity can be turned into a force of good. Jóhannes conceived the project the Blue Nail (as a counterpart to the pink ribbon campaign to fight breast cancer) as a way to raise awareness about the disease and raise funds to support the work of Icelandic hospitals in fighting it. Jóhannes wants to bring his campaign to the United States and I have no doubt he will succeed as he has in Iceland.

Geothermal Conference in Reykjavik a success

The closing plenary session of Iceland’s two-day Geothermal Conference provided a venue for excellent presentations by an American scientist, the EU Commissioner for Energy, and the President of Iceland. The first keynote speech was by Dr. Jeffery Tester, Professor of Sustainable Energy and Director of the Cornell Energy Institute, who gave a compelling presentation that detailed the enormous potential that geothermal energy offers the United States and challenged our government to do more to take advantage of that resource. Our representative from the Department of Energy took copious notes of Professor Tester’s comments. The second keynote speech was by Gunther Oettinger, EU Commissioner responsible for Energy, who recognized the potential for geothermal energy and presented plans for using it in Europe. The final presentation was made by President Grimsson, who eloquently described the challenges posed by global warming and his vision of how Iceland’s green economy can serve as a model to the rest of the world. There is little doubt that Iceland’s stature as a world class leader in the use and development of geothermal technologies was reinforced by a very successful conference attended by scientists, government officials, and private sector firms from all over the world.

Young Icelanders excel at writing short stories in English

We were delighted to welcome a group of young Icelandic elementary and high school students who participated in and won a writing contest organized by the Association of Teachers of English in Iceland (FEKÍ - Félag enskukennara á Íslandi). The winners came from all over Iceland and they reminded us of the quality of Icelandic education and the talent of Icelandic students. Among them were future Icelandic literary figures and leaders. It was quite gratifying to hand them their prizes and to see the expressions of pride from parents, teachers, and family members. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the Association. You can read the winning short stories here: http://issuu.com/renatape/docs/shortstorycompetition2012?mode=window&viewMode=doublePage

The U.S./Icelandic partnership in geothermal energy

We hosted a roundtable discussion with a group of American and Icelandic geothermal experts on the occasion of the Geothermal Conference being held in Reykjavik this week. The conversation around the table made it quite clear that the American/Icelandic geothermal partnership is broad and deep. It includes private, government, scientific, academic, multilateral, and private/government partnerships in every aspect of the geothermal sector: research, development, investment, production, consulting, and education. Many of these partnerships are the result of naturally occurring joint interests and the joining of forces between the world’s largest producer of geothermal energy (the U.S.) and a world leader in geothermal technology (Iceland). We are also proud of the Embassy’s contributions to this cooperation, through a bilateral agreement between our Department of Energy and the Government of Iceland, as well as our support for the U.S. National Science Foundation’s sponsorship of research in this field.

Food and Fun brings a strong contingent of American chefs

Iceland’s Food and Fun Festival was launched this week offering Icelanders an opportunity to experience the culinary art of chefs from around the world who converge in Reykjavik for one week. As in previous years, chefs from the United States made up a strong contingent, bringing a broad range of styles and creations to Iceland.

 
As one of my fellow countrymen mentioned at the opening ceremony, the beauty of the Festival is that participating chefs take from Iceland as much they bring with them: new recipes, ingredients, fellowship, and an everlasting connection between Iceland and the United States.

Icelandic Symphony off to Nordic Cool

We were given the opportunity to attend the Icelandic Symphony’s last concert before they head out to Washington, D.C., to perform at Nordic Cool--a celebration of Nordic Culture at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The pieces by Edvard Grieg (Norway), Jean Sibelius (Finland), and Icelandic composers Anna Þorvalsdóttir and Hlynur Aðils Vilmarsson gave the evening a truly Nordic flavor. The Icelandic Symphony’s excellent performance was punctuated by the virtuoso performance of American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who will join the symphony in Washington DC. In many ways the Icelandic Symphony is a symbol of the American-Icelandic partnership given that several of its members are Americans who have found a profession in Iceland.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the performing arts. Photo: Margot Schulman