...is how to say "Iceland" in Icelandic, and that's just about the only word in the language I can get my tongue around. I'm having serious trouble with Ferðaskrifstofa, Lónsöræfi, and Hópferðabílar.

From formal study and singing works in various languages, I can pronounce French, Latin, German, Spanish, and Italian. That should get me by almost anywhere on the European continent, but the long, accent-strewn stock of written Icelandic is a little beyond me.

Thus far, I've never been in a locale where I didn't speak the native language. The two times I went to Montréal I was fluent enough to read things and hold conversations, which helped immensely.

Anyway, current plans are shaping up such that I'll be going in June rather than September, which robs me of all summer in which to learn Icelandic. Which would have been so damn cool. Regardless, I guess I'll try to pick up a book/CD thing and chug away this summer. For some reason I'm terrified of being a bumbling American tourist, and the language is fascinating. Did you know that it and Old English are really closely related? Additionally, Tolkien seems to have based Elvish on Icelandic rather heavily, so I can show off my new powers at the next Lord of the Ringsfest.

Ah, the suckage that is Dead Week!