Nico
Muhly,

So I woke up yesterday to discover that my phone had been taken by Valgeir’s son to be shown off to the Local Urchins on the Trampoline. Then, later, I discovered that they had had a whole photo shoot. See below:

I’m not sure who taught these seven year-olds to work a camera, but you should all consider it work’t.

One of my worst fears is that I’ll leave New York and either something really exciting will happen or something awful. An example of something “exciting” (which I was actually there for) is that mysterious, delicious, Aunt Jemima smell, and an example of something awful is, or could have been, the explosion in Manhattan yesterday. This is a particular travel anxiety, made worse by the time difference. I liked this line from the Times, “Some people ran so fast their shoes came off. Others dropped their briefcases and purses. Men in tailored suits were caught in a lapel-singeing cloud.”

Last night I totally watched Norbit subtitled into Icelandic. So much to learn!

English –> Icelandic

Oh, HELL no! –> Nei, fjandakornið!
Hell to the no! –> Nei, fjandakornið!
Oh no she did NOT! –> Nei, fjandakornið!

Also, there is no reasonable Icelandic translation for “How you durrn,” which is probably for the best. This movie is wretched, by the way. It features completely out-of-control stereotypes in a way that I cannot even trace the ironic positioning thereof, an impromptu gospel number, fat suits…a real horror show. Unless you’re trying to learn how to say “Hell to the No” in Icelandic, I wouldn’t recommend renting it. I saw, tantalizingly, in the list of available subtitles, “Magyar” and “عربي”, so maybe on a rainy afternoon…