Street Fusion
Street Jazz & Hip Hop Dance
with Karen Gayle
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Iceland is the most developed society in the world, ranked
first on the United Nations’ Human Development Index.
Icelanders are the second longest-living nation with a life
expectancy at birth of 81.8 years, and Iceland was recently
ranked the fourth happiest country in the world. It is also
rumored that Ryekjavik is populated with an excess of
beautiful blue-eyed women. It is also said that the
women out-number the male population which might account
for a lot of these very happy Icelandic men.
Ásdís Rán Gunnarsdóttir is an Icelandic model and modeling
agency owner, former television host, and a proud mother of three children. We wondered just how Ásdís finds the time to
manage all this and run Miss Hawaiian Tropics in Sweden,
Norway and Iceland, and in the past produce her own television show
that was similar to the American 'Next Top Model' in
addition. We'd like to thank Ásdís for taking the time out
of her extremely busy schedule to find out how she does it
and whether some of the often heard rumors about Iceland
are true or just the stuff of legends...
BRSpecial:
First, thanks Ásdís for giving us a few minutes of your
time to allow us a glimpse into your life, a little insight into your
country, and how you manage to find the time to juggle the
demands of your business commitments, television
appearances, and those of raising three children?
Ásdís:
Well, I wish the day had 10 more hours in it!, I never have enough time but I try not to take it so serious and I give myself time in between to do what I like to do. My husband is a soccer player so he is home a lot and takes a full share in it with me so that makes it very nice - sometimes he behaves just like the mother in the household.
BRSpecial:
How did you first get into the modeling business and was it
your intention from the beginning to get more involved in
the industry than just being a model yourself?
Ásdís:
I started when I was around fifteen years of age. I always have had big ambitions and I'm very independent. Soon I was appearing in magazines and I have been in them ever since! I have managed to keep myself popular for many years while others have come and gone. I got bored because I didn't have much else to do in Iceland and at that time the model market was so small that I had done almost everything. Then people started to call me and ask me if I could find some girls for this and for that. So the friends that I was working for when I was around 19 gave me the opportunity to start a modeling website in partnership with them. Before long I bought it and started to do my own things. I can't say that it was easy! I didn't have any money for many years! I was usually in the red but I didn't want to give up. Now I am doing just fine. The agency is not that big but I love the job because it gives me the opportunity to travel around the world and make dreams come true for my models. I just love being able to do that.
BRSpecial:
Should you win the Million Dollar Model competition at
Savvy Magazine do you have any specific plans to do
anything different than you are doing now?
Ásdís:
I have so many things I want to do! My head is so full of ideas sometimes that I cannot sleep. I will probably end up investing in my own ideas.
But I will first start by being nice and grateful to my mother because she deserves that from having to raise a Leo like me, so I will buy her something nice :)
I want to study to be a real photographer in a good school and I want to buy a house in Italy or Greece. Then I would love to contribute some of the rest to charity.
I want to do everything I can possibly do before it is too late and if I win it will be all that much easier to make that come true.
BRSpecial:
Can you help us understand better the rumors often heard
about Iceland, such as the one that Reykjavik is crawling
with beautiful, blue-eyed blondes?
Ásdís:
Yes I have to say that it is so very true, I have traveled all around and even Los Angeles doesn't have the beauties like we do.
We have a lot of blue eyed blondes but also all kinds of natural beauties who are very mixed and not just blonds. I think though that we probably have more natural blonds than most other countries.
BRSpecial:
A recent study says that Icelanders are the 4th happiest
country in the world. Do you find that most people in your
country are happy and optimistic and what would you
attribute this happiness to?
Ásdís:
I didn't know this but we have very strong people who don't complain easily, so we just make the best of the cold, the darkness and the snow and put a smile on our face- have a drink and be happy. We are Vikings you know? ;)
We cant complain that much because we have all the best of comforts in Iceland, the newest technology, pure water and the best foods ;)
BRSpecial:
Iceland is not usually thought of as a tourist destination,
but is often called a land of incredible beauty. If a
traveler visited Iceland where would you recommend that they
spend their time, and what should they see while they are there?
Ásdís:
They need to see the Glacier Lagoon, Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle is popular. Also they need to go to dinner at The Sea Cellar and at Domo!
And we can't forget the nightlife! That is very important ;), so send me a line on Savvy and I will help you out with that.
BRSpecial:
Ten years from now, if you could be doing something different, what would it be?
Ásdís:
I'm not sure it can be anything different really, like I said before, I want to do so much! I just hope I will be happy and doing something that is fun ;)
BRSpecial:
Thanks Ásdís for taking time from your busy day to answer a few of our questions. Our best wishes for your success in your endeavors and with the Savvy Million Dollar Model Competition.
