You've tried rotating the LEDs to swap polarity? The longer leg is the Anode and should go to the + pad. If I remember right it is silkscreened on the bottom of the PCB.
Also, just in case you don't already know, the B key turns the lights on, V increases brightness. It defaults to off when you plug it in.
Are you really in Greenland? I looked at plane tickets to fly into Nuuk and it was something like $4000 per person... I ended up going to Iceland instead, but I'd still like to go to Greenland.