Just a couple more thoughts on this and then I’m done
* Still more clothing missing: my thermal running tights that I bought at MEC this summer. Goddamn.
* On at least two occasions I saw people carrying big-assed toolboxes into our [ex-] neighbour’s flat and wondered: What are those people doing with toolboxes? – Yeh, well, now I know. They use them for prying open other people’s windows.
* The woman across the street took to writing down the licence plate numbers of all the cars of all the people who went in and out of that place. Then handed the list over to the police, who reportedly treated it like gold. Talk about super-sleuth!
* The Viking Squad is a bit of a running joke around here, not because of the name [that is actually what they’re called] but because they’re this special response unit trained to deal with high-risk situations that so far haven’t happened much here in Niceland. So the joke is that they send them out to anything even remotely high-risk just to allow them to stay in practice, which has at times been quite hilarious when they’ve turned up with their bulletproof kit and shields and stuff, just to deal with incidents like some Falun Gong people who have come to Iceland to protest a visit by the Chinese president by meditating peacefully on Arnarhóll hill. [This actually happened.] But all that notwithstanding, I have to say that I was pretty relieved to have them here the other evening. Seriously. They did a fine job.
* Which brings me to my final point, which is how immensely relieved I am that there are actually [still] people who want to join the police force. Never in a million years would I sign up to be a police officer. I think it must be one of the most taxing, harsh, psychologically damaging jobs on the planet. Lately there’s been a fair bit of talk here in Iceland about people leaving the force, trouble recruiting new officers, and consequently people being employed that haven’t been properly trained. Because, let’s face it, the wages and benefits fall way short of what’s required for such incredibly demanding work. There is no question that Icelandic society has deteriorated a great deal in the past decade or two and we’re now seeing much tougher crime and greater strain for law enforcement officers. Case in point: just the other week, police apprehended a criminal carrying a loaded weapon for the first time in Iceland, raising the question of whether Icelandic police should start to carry guns – many want to, and who can blame them? To my mind, police officers should receive a lot more credit for what they do – both in terms or remuneration and general appreciation. This past week really brought home to me how absolutely important it is to have the police to ‘serve and protect’ – and to maintain some semblance of order in the chaos. Even though they sometimes seem to be fighting a losing battle.
MEANWHILE, HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS AND GAS BARBECUES
Because the weatherman has issued a storm warning and not just any storm warning – a mutha of a storm warning. That’s right, we’re in for severe winds tonight coupled with high tide, which means that boat owners are being ordered to tie down their boats lest they end up on top of a mountain somewhere. Plus the general public is being urged to secure anything that may conceivably go flying, such as gas barbecues and building materials. And to stay indoors so as to avoid being hit in the head with anything that hasn’t been secured, like a trampoline. Wind’s picking up already and today it rained like gangbusters, pretty much all day. Temps right now are 10°C and sunrise was at 09.20, sunset at 17.03.
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