Kopavogur

Kopavogur

Kopavogur is Iceland’s second largest municipality. Just a stone’s throw from the centre of Reykjavík, the town boasts a number of remarkable sights and building including a modern dome-shaped church, a recital hall, a modern art museum and a natural history museum. Kopavogur is the perfect destination if you’re in the mood to get in touch with nature and we recommend taking some time to experience the coastal ecosystem and birdlife. After a long day of exploring, a visit to one of the capital area’s best swimming pools is the perfect way to relax.

Culture

Kapavogur’s Culture Houses are a collection of institutions dedicated to art and culture, conveniently located in a cluster of buildings at Hamraborg 4 – 6.

The Kopavogur Art Museum, Gerdarsafn, is a progressive museum focusing mostly on modern and contemporary art. The museum offers temporary exhibitions with works by Icelandic and international contemporary artists as well as displaying works from the museum’s collection.

The exhibitions are generally inspired by the museum’s status as the only Icelandic museum built in honour of a female artist, Gerdur Helgadottir (1928 – 1975). Gerdur Helgadottir was a pioneer of three-dimensional abstract art and glass art in Iceland and the museum collection holds over fourteen hundred works by Gerdur. Address: Gerdarsafn Art Museum Hamraborg 4.

Next door to the art museum is the Kopavogur Public Library. The library has an extensive selection of books and magazines, in English as well as Icelandic.

Salurinn Concert Hall was the first concert hall in Iceland to be specifically designed with regards to acoustics. It hosts all kinds of concerts.

The Natural History Museum hosts exhibitions, with an emphasis on geology and Icelandci wildlife, including the arctic fox and numerous species of fish and birds. It also has an “extraordinary” (ad described by David Attenborough, when he visited in 2005) exhibition of Japanese style Marimo lake balls. Science fans will also want to check out the Borgarholt coastal preserve just a short walk away. Address: Natural History Museum, Hamraborg 6A.

Black Beach, the sand is black because of volcano eruptions.

Health and Lifestyle

The Kopavogur swimming pool is well worth a visit. It’s a great place for young families, with an outdoor swimming pool, several hot tubs and a sauna. There is also a Nautilus gym on the grounds. Address : Borgarholtsbraut 17.

Another great place to make a splash is the Versalir thermal pool and gym. As one of the newst facilities in the capital area, it’s well worth a visit. If you’d rather work up a sweat, you could visit the Nautilus gym onsite. Address : Versalir Thermal Pool and Gym, Versölum 3.

In addition to the great facilities Kopavogur has to offer, the town is also rich in green areas, walking paths and bicycle paths, perfect for a day out in nature. Whether you feel like having a day out in nature, taking in some art and culture, going swimming, shopping or to the gym, Kopavogur is the perfect destination.

The Hamraborg area is serviced by buses no, 1,2 and 4.

Origin of Icelanders and the Icelandic Language

Origin of Icelanders and the Icelandic Language

Iceland was first populated in the 9th century by Norse settlers, a number of whom took Celtic slaves and wives from Ireland and Scotland along the way. There is evidence to suggest that the island’s existence had been known for centuries, and Irish monks may have come here to meditate and worship in solitude.

There are several recorded discoveries of Iceland, and the first one was by the Viking Naddoður, who drifted to the east coast of Iceland after getting lost, and named it Snæland (Snowland).

Hrafna-Flóki was the first Scandinavian who deliberately sailed here, and gave the island its current name after spotting some drift ice in the fjords during his winter-long stay. Subsequently the first permanent settler, Ingólfur Arnarson, left the shores of Norway with his family, slaves and livestock and made his home in Reykjavík. The rest is history as they say, presented in worldclass exhibits in the National Museum of Iceland, the Settlement Exhibition.

During the Viking Age, the North-Germanic language, Old Norse, was spoken by Scandinavians in their homelands and overseas settlements. Regional differences increased up to the 13th century and accelerated in the 14th century. Changes appeared in the Icelandic pronunciation that were not heard in the other Scandinavian languages, and the grammar became considerably simpler outside Iceland.

Due to the similarity between modern and ancient grammar and writing, most Icelanders are still able to read and understand the original Sagas, although most texts have been somewhat simplified.

South Iceland

Icelandic seafarers discovered America around the year 1000, sailing on open ships with one sail. They conquered the waves of the Atlantic by primitive means of navigating, sailing mostly by the sun and stars and the flight of seabirds.

The story surrounding this is in part a family drama. It begins with Eiríkur Rauði (Eric-the-Red), a troublesome man who was exiled from both Iceland and Norway “because of some killings”. He settled Greenland in 985, followed by several hundred Icelanders. That same year, an Icelandic merchant named Bjarni Herjólfsson was sailing for Greenland, but got blown off-course and reported seeing land to the west.

In the year 1000, Leifur Heppni (Leifur-the-Lucky), son of Eiríkur Rauði, went to explore the land that Bjarni had sighted. He discovered an area he named Vínland, “a land of mild climate, self sown wheat and grapes”. Leifur was the first European to set foot on the continent of North America.

Leifur’s brother, Þorsteinn, attempted to go there with his wife Guðríður Þorbjarnadóttir, without succeeding. After Þorsteinns’ death, Guðríður and her new husband, Þorfinnur Karlsefni, returned to Vínland to form a settlement.

Their son Snorri was the first European born in America. Initially the Vikings conducted peaceful trade with the native American tribes, but eventually conflict broke out. This drove the Icelanders back to Greenland, and successful voyages to Vínland are not reported after that.

In the year 1477, a young Italian sailor visited Iceland. Scholars believe he heard rumours of Vínland, giving him a daring idea of his own to pursue. The name of this man was Christopher Columbus, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Going on a Foreign Fling

Going on a Foreign Fling

American Depositary Receipt makes it easier than you think

Americans used to be innocents abroad when it came to foreign investing. Today, however, it`s getting easier and easier for Americans to invest overseas, even novices are joining in. The easiest way to invest abroad is to buy shares in a mutual fund that specializes in overseas companies. But increasingly investors are purchasing shares of individual companies in the form of American Depository receipts, or ADRs.

Thousands of foreign companies now trade on U.S. stock exchanges in the form of ADRs, dollar-denominated securities that represent a given number of company shares. Trading volume top trillion of dollars, more than thirty times what it was in 1990. There`s no addition to the billions of dollars of American investors poured into international equity funds.

It’s easy to understand the enthusiasm. Merrill Lynch`s ADR Composite Index has been chalking up impressive gains compared to the Standard & Poor`s 500 stock index, though no one knows whether that will continue to be the case. For some time now, however, many investment pros have felt that that U.S. stocks are pricey compared to bargains that can be found overseas.

You don`t have to leave home to buy an ADR. They are used by U.S. banks that hold the underlying foreign shares in custody, and ADRs are sold in U.S. dollars through brokers, just like stocks. All you have to do to buy one is pick up the phone or connect to Internet.

Art Nouveau in New Yorl. Photo by Elena

Getting timely information about the company whose stock you`re buying can be more difficult. About two-thirds of ADRs are listed on the “pink sheets”, a thinly traded part of the over-the-counter market that is exempt from the rules of the bigger exchanges. These companies do not have to file financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission nor are they required to send income reports to shareholders.

Pros generally counsel that average investors stick with the 300 or so companies trading on the big exchanges that meet U.S. standards of accounting and disclosure. In 1994, Chicago based Morningstar Inc., a publisher of mutual fund reports, started bi-weekly Morningstar American Depositary receipts. The report tracked initially more than 700 ADRs, with up to 10 years of data, business summaries, and market snapshots.

Accurate financial information doesn`t always shield investors from some of the risks inherent in ADR investing. Because the underlying stock is denominated in local currency, a strengthening dollars hurts ADR`s price. Investors in STET, one of Italy`s leading communication companies, for instance, may find that they take more than a passing interest if the Italian government falls, etc.

Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy Lifestyle

Many compare health to wealth. Health is crucial and today’s society focuses many efforts on health, medicine, lifestyles and natural ways to become and/or stay healthy. The present section discusses topics related to this aspect of human life.

Today’s society is almost obsessed with leading a healthy lifestyle. Surely, it is desirable, but what is it and how to achieve it? A healthy lifestyle has many benefits, increasing life expectancy, improving quality of life and reducing many health risks.

Nutrition

One of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle is adequate nutrition. While a nutrition specialist can provide accurate and personalized/customized advice, it is possible to eat healthy following a couple of simple rules.

The main ingredients of a healthy diet are proteins and vegetables. The benefits of fruits remain questionable. Fruits are rich in vitamins, but also contain a lot of sugar. Fructose, the type of sugar found in fruit, is better than regular sugar, but it’s still sugar. Biologists say that when blood sugar levels decrease after time has passed since the last sugar intake, it can produce a “down” or a slightly depressed mood.

Fitness

We think we are correct in saying that everyone knows that exercise is important. However, regular exercise demands will power, commitment and, of course, time. Regardless, it is not necessary to spend hours at the gym daily to reap the benefits of regular physical activity. 

Unless you want to be a professional bodybuilder and win fitness competitions, you might not even need to enrol in a gym. Jogging or even walking, if done often enough, is sufficient to strengthen your cardiovascular health. According to some personal trainers, as little as 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week is enough.

Interestingly enough, cardio even improves cognitive function by improving blood flow to the brain. Exercise has other positive impacts on the brain as well. For example, fitness activities contribute to the release of endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural “feel good drugs”. Endorphins produce a kind of “high”, but unlike street drugs, have no negative consequences.

Mind body connection

As simplistic as it may sound, one of the most important principles of staying healthy is the mind body connection. When working out “feeling” or thinking about a muscle may help to target it. Results from working out do not always produce the desired effect on problem areas. YouTube has many video tutorials helping working on particular muscle groups.

Playing It Safe at Blood Banks

Playing It Safe at Blood Banks

The risk has some doctors advising patients t be their own donors

For those who need a blood transfusion during surgery, it can be very reassuring to bank and use your own blood or have a family member with a compatible blood type be your donor. In fact, some doctors now are recommending the procedure, known as an autologous blood transfusion, to their patients. Of the approximately four million blood transfusions that take place in the United States each year, the American Red Cross estimates that the percentage of people collecting blood for personal use has grwn from to 2 to 5 percent recently, and the organization expects the upward trend to continue.

Although most of the 2,400 blood banks around the country are safer than they have ever been, worrisome problems remain. Improved tests have reduced the risks of contracting the AIDS virsu from bloood transfusions from between 1 in 30,000 to 1in 225,000. More disconcerting, however, is the risk of getting hepatitis C, which can cause chronic liver disease. According to data gathered by the Food and Drug Administration, the risk of getting contaminated by hepatitis C is about 1 in 3,300 for one unit of blood. (The average-sized transfusion typically requires four units).

With over 20 millions units of blood donated in the United States annually, clerical errors in tracking blood samples are not uncommon. According to an investigation by U.S. News and World Report, the FDA compiled evidence of about 1,000 errors and accidents at blood banks every year. The number has increased tenfold since the end of the 20th century and has remained at similar magnitudes since.

Blood banks, are they safe? Photo by Elena

To donate your own blood, you must make arrangements with a blood bank at least a week before surgery. First your doctor writes you a prescription to donate your own blood, which you then take to the blood bank. Because your blood has to go through a separate tracking system to make sure it gets to the surgery site on time, the cost is somewhat higher – up to 300 dollars to donate your own blood, compared to about $150 or so to use blood from a blood bank.

In fact, doctors prescribe using your own blood more and more. Hospitals agree, is the safest transfusion.

Not everyone applauds this trend, however. A study in the New England of Medicine argued that the added expense of an autologous transfusion often is not justified by the small risk of transfusion-associated infection. The study also found that in the majority of cases more blood is collected than used and that the excess blood is usually discarded.

As an editorial in the same issue pointed out, however, cost should not be the only factor in determening a procedure’s worth – peace of mind is an unquantifiable, but important, consideration in any medical undertaking.

Blood you can use:

In your first month of life, your red blood cells build antibodies that determine what other red blood cells they will associate with. Group-O people (universal donors) can donate red cells to anyone but can receive only from other Os. Group-AB people (universal recipients) can receive red cells from anyone but can donate only to other ABs.

Recipient Group	Donor group A	Donor group B	Donor group AB	Donor Group O
A	Yes	No	No	Yes
B	No	Yes	No	Yes
AB	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
O	No	No	No	Yes