24 November 2006

November new year

On Wednesday evening, after a full day of work, singing, and work again, I heeded a plea from a co-worker and headed downtown dressed in gala party attire. As I mentioned earlier this year, I work with a guy in a well-known Icelandic group, and last night they were shooting a video for a new years song. Everyone in the group had called their friends with the same request- wear sparkly clothes and come have some free beer.

So we all trailed into the plush Deco-style bar in the basement of the National Theater, where the band had already been at work rehearsing and taking holiday-themed photos. A makeup artist (I'm told she works with Bjork as well) was adding eyeshadow to various party guests, and my friend K did updos for several (including me). Tinsel-trimmed party hats appeared from somewhere, horns and those curly blow-things (what ARE these called? I don't even know how to find a picture of what I'm talking about) that I remember from parties as a kid.

After about 45 minutes of sitting around watching hairdos and eye makeup in process, we were all ushered into the "set" room where the band had been practicing their mime-singing after the photo shoot. Everyone was sprinkled liberally with confetti and streamers, and then the director stood on a chair to instruct in rapid Icelandic (I was the only non-Icelander in the whole room). The scene: 25 seconds to the new year at the best party ever and we love the band.

And indeed I did. They've got great presence even when not actually singing (we were hearing a pre-recorded performance), and it was rather fun and silly to be dancing around among balloons and confetti and streamers with horns and party hats on a Wednesday evening. We rang in the new year about six times in various takes with slightly different instructions, then it was a wrap. Everyone brushed off the confetti and then it was time to finish the beer and hang out.

I love the unexpected randomness of life here. I can spend the day working intensely, then go sing Bach, and then be a dancing extra in a music video. As I said before, part of it is the small-pond syndrome, and since Iceland's got everything a country has on this small scale, it's much easier to have your nose in a hundred different activities. I can't wait to see how the result comes out!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man, I wish I was there! I think if I was ever to move back to the ice cap in the middle of the Atlantic, at the center of the universe as the Icelanders sometimes think of it, I think you'd be the one I'd call on if I wanted to get to know new people.
That sounds like so much fun!

ECS said...

hi Sarah... yeah, those are the things I'm talking about except the don't actually make any noise. Does the name still apply? It was indeed fun but I've had such a week of inappropriate sleep that I'm kinda dragging now (as I post this comment at 3am..)

Sirry.. I thought you said Iceland wasn't the place for you anymore :-D. It's been rather fun these past few months but I'm not sure about this darkness thing coming up in the next month. I've not been here enough time to get used to it yet.

Anonymous said...

I'd probably only return for vacations, but I'm so impressed how quickly and easily you make friends there. It'd take me much longer.
Like you, the darkness is tough, but most of all, I don't like the cold and the summers, I wish they were a little warmer.
Culturally though, I feel distant. 15+ years away has done that.
Insomnia is tough, I've been dealing with that lately. Awake till 3am up at 6am

ECS said...

S- I'm sure you'd have no trouble, having the huge advantage of speaking the language! I just happen to know a few people who do interesting stuff and let me tag along.

As for the late hour of the comment, it was more the nose-in-a-hundred-activities effect than insomnia. I just am terrible at turning down a chance to do something interesting so I end up not getting much sleep these days. When I do, the darkness definitely makes it easier to sleep though... and harder to get out of bed the next morning.