DJ Tóti Tank and the cool cool breeze

Yesterday I sat down to write a blog. As any reader can tell, my head wasn't in it ... it's a load of waffle from someone who feels he should say something but can't. I had too much else going on, kept leaving the entry, then coming back to it etc. Today I have been out for a run and have cleared my head ... still don't know what to write, like ... but I'll try.

In Iceland there is a thing called the naming committee! This is a committee of three people that tell you what you can call your child and what you can't. It has to be good old fashioned Icelandic names with a history. Foreigners in Iceland used to have to change their names when they moved here but that has thankfully changed. They also tell you how many middle names (one per person) you are allowed etc. Did I tell you there is only one place to buy alcohol ... the State Alcohol store! Imagine the committees dilemma when Jolyon Isaac and Elijah Benedikt turned up ... let alone Joanna Burton! Wow! That must have been a headache.

Anyway, my old politician school chum, who now wants a seat in parliment, has put forth the idea of this committe being shut down. The first sign of intelligence from him since his reporting days. I once tried to change my name to Þórarinn Járnsíða Freysson (Translates as Thorarinn Ironside Freysson). I wrote in my application that as an artist, I needed a more flash name ... or something to that extent. The other day my parents planted the idea of me sticking a legitimate surname on my name. There are two surnames floating around in my family which I could take ... Finsen and Zöega ... what do you think? 'Thorarinn Ironside Freysson Finsen' or 'Thorarinn Ironside Freysson Zöega' The Finsen clearly defines my scandinavian roots but the Zöega looks really cool ... :-) I don't know ... Maybe I'll call myself 'Thorarinn Ironside Burton-Freysson Kristinarson Finsen Zöega' That should cover everything and offend no-one.

For referrence, in Iceland our surnames usually come from our fathers first names. My fathers name is Freyr, hence I am Freysson, son of Freyr. My mums name is Kristin so I could, in these times of equal rights, be Kristinarson, son of Kristin. There are some proper surnames floating around though, reminisent of old Scandinavian settlers, I think. In my family there is the Finsen, on my dads side and the Zöega, on my mums side. So to cover those two I would need both surnames. Then of course I am married to a foreigner! Coincidentally ... my wife is also married to a foreigner ... funny that! To cover that side of the family I would take up the Burton name. Then the Ironside bit would be my own ... well ... it was my grandmums idea at the time ... she likes stirring up the system ... Problem is would I use the Icelandic Járnsíða or the English Ironside. As I am bilingual and view both countries as my home ... I could stick both in. Then, so nobody gets offended because their name comes after somebody elses, I would have to put first names, then middle names, then surnames, all in alphabetical order ... do I put Thorarinn under T or Þ? Oh, and so I don't confuse the English system I would have to fit Tóti in there somewhere, wouldn't I?

So, until next time ... I leave you in peace.

Thorarinn Tóti Þórarinn Ironside Járnsíða Burton Finsen Freysson Kristinarson Zöega