Dohop deepens its cooperation with the U.S.

We had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Dohop—a  travel search engine  with emphasis on linking the United States and Europe.  This young Icelandic firm started fortuitously, it grew to become a strong contender in the highly competitive travel search engine sector.  While Icelanders are Dohop’s largest group of customers, we were pleased to learn that their relationship with U.S. airlines is growing and that a good number of their customers are in the United States.  It is always a pleasure to watch Icelandic firms thrive on their links to the United States.

Iceland’s Maritime Safety and Survival Training – a chilly experience

This week I received a thorough (more on that later) briefing of the work of Iceland’s Maritime Safety  and Survival Training Center which is located on board the ship Sæbjörg right next to Harpa.  The  facilities and the program on firefighting, survival, and rescue techniques are impressive, reflecting  the importance of safety in Icelandic maritime operations.  The Center provides mandatory training  on safety and survival to everyone who is going to work on a ship (passenger, fishing, recreational)  in Icelandic waters, which are known for their roughness during much of the year.

 When I used the  word “thorough” I meant to say that I donned a bright orange survival suit and jumped into the chilly  Reykjavik harbor along with a group of eighteen students at the center.  We floated for a while, got into  a life raft, and then I was pulled off the water with a mechanical winch.  Since I didn’t have enough fun  the first time, I jumped again, this time wearing a life vest on top of the survival suit.  While this practice  was fun, it gave me an opportunity to reflect on the dangers that confront Icelandic sailors and the  importance of training for all contingencies.

Remembering the struggle for LGBT rights

May 17 has been designated as the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) and many countries in the world take this opportunity to reflect on the challenges that millions confront to advance their LGBT rights. We were delighted to partner with Bio Paradis and Samtökin 78 to screen the film “How to Survive the Plague,” – a compelling description of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and the enormous impact of an activist LGBT community in reversing the devastating impact of the disease. We are also joining Samtökin 78’s call to join Icelandic friends in commemorating this day by displaying the rainbow flags in front of our Embassy.

Reykjavik-Anchorage Flight – a promising connection

We are delighted to welcome the official launch of Icelandair’s service to Anchorage, Alaska, on May 15.  We believe this connection will underscore the broad range of common interests shared by Iceland  and the United States.  My fellow countrymen from Alaska have the same independent, creative, and  hard work qualities that characterize Icelanders and both see the Arctic as a critical element of their  future.

This has become abundantly clear over the many recent months we have welcomed Alaskan delegations to Iceland and we have witnessed their interaction with our Icelandic friends.  The latest  delegation, led by Commissioner for Commerce Susan Bell, has expressed its desire to further deepen Alaska’s ties (business, cultural, scientific, and educational) to Iceland.  We know that this is possible and very beneficial to both countries.  This new direct flight will make it easier than ever to build these  connections between Alaskans and Icelanders.

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.

Honoring the Memory of Gen. Andrews and the crew of Hot Stuff

We were honored to be a part of a ceremony organized by a group of private American and Icelandic citizens to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the crash of the B-24D “Hot Stuff” on December 3, 1943 at Mt. Fagradalsfjall near Grindavik. The crash took the lives of Lt. Gen Frank M. Andrews and 13 other servicemen. The plane was on its way to the United States to raise funds for the war effort and to be honored for having been the first aircraft to complete 25 missions in World War II.

At the time, General Andrews was the U.S. Commander of Operations in the European Theater, and some say that he was on his way to becoming the Supreme Allied Commander. The ceremony was as solemn as it was uplifting. We were grateful for the participation of President Grimsson, the Bishop of Reykjavik, Keilir, the choir of the Keflavík church, and the presence of family members of some of the Hot Stuff crew. This event epitomized the power of the Icelandic-American partnership as three private individuals, Jim Lux from the United States, and the brothers Ólafur and Þorsteinn Martinsson from Iceland worked together to keep alive the memory of the men who gave their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom today.