Someone should take away all their toys and make them scrub toilets

Soon after the first news hit about the serious financial crisis the Icelandic nation was supposedly in the midst of, word started circulating that the whole thing was an elaborate set-up, orchestrated by unscrupulous individuals who stood to gain from the plummeting value of the Icelandic krona. I must confess that this sounded rather implausible, to my ears at least, and I more or less dismissed it as ineffectual spin by the Icelandic banks, since all over the world financial news reports were going on about their precarious positions and claiming they were on the verge of collapse. In the end, of course, the entire nation would go down the economic tubes with them.

Meanwhile, this was in no way mirrored in the day-to-day lives of the people. It was completely surreal.

A few weak voices tried their best to protest: the banks, of course, contested this the best they could [which one took with a grain of salt; if it were true that they were in trouble they would obviously be loath to admit it], and the government sent a delegation to New York [which included the Prime Minister] to hold press conferences and meetings in an attempt to dispel the rumours. However, nothing seemed to work, talk of Iceland's economic woes snowballed and before you knew it there was a kind of hysteria happening. Everywhere but here.

In the midst of all this, Iceland had one staunch ally, Dr. Richard Portes, a Professor of Economics with the London Business School, who had prepared a report for the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce about the state of the Icelandic economy. He has been a frequent guest on chat shows worldwide speaking about with the state of our economy, and has presented a vastly different picture than most other people, reiterating his opinion that Iceland is a well-run country with a strong institutional framework. He moreover maintains that our banks are healthy and strong [there is an excellent video here that well demonstrates the sensationalist media hype as well as Portes's level-headed take on things]. The main problem, according to Portes, is that "Iceland is being talked down because a lot of people stand to make money." I'm not an expert [by no means] but from what I understand, speculators bet on the devaluation of a particular currency and when it depreciates, it's ching-ching for them.

A couple of days ago, Kaupthing, one of the three main banks here, published the results of an investigation it had launched into the alleged attacks on the Icelandic economy. It named four UK hedge funds: Trafalgar Fund, Landsdowne Fund, Ako Capital and Cheney Capital, and claimed that they had systematically launched attacks on the Icelandic economy, primarily by spreading false and harmful rumours about it and the Icelandic commercial banks.

Now Richard Portes has come forth and revealed that sometime in the last two weeks he received a phone call from a large hedge fund in the UK [he has confirmed that it is one of the four that Kaupthing mentions] in which he was advised that if he valued his reputation he should stop talking so favorably about the Icelandic economy. Portes, clearly a force to be reckoned with, says that he immediately realized what this meant and decided to listen very carefully and take notes. He has since passed on his information to the Financial Authorities of both the UK and Iceland, who one hopes will investigate further.

To me, this is just outrageous. I mean, how can this be legal? The way I see it this is no better than some subversive mafia racket - underhanded, detestable, designed to feed off someone else's vulnerability. And Iceland is an easy target - a small economy that is undergoing temporary difficulties. If I wasn't such a pacifist, I'd say OFF WITH THEIR HEADS. But I'll settle for having them scrub toilets for the rest of their lives. In Guantanamo Bay.

IT'S ANOTHER GORGEOUS DAY
The light is slighly subdued, the sun covered with a thin layer of cloud, but make no mistake: spring is just around the corner. Walked to the bakery at noon and, as always, there was a fairly cool breeze by the sea, but no matter, the sun was out and hearts were buoyant with the promise of brighter days. Indeed, the day is growing longer and longer, and at 9.30 pm last night we actually still had daylight. Which always seems equally amazing, even though it happens every year. Right now 5°C [41F] and sunrise was at 6.09, sunset due for 8.50 pm. W00t!

The things I tell you. Really.

This question thing is easy, perhaps a bit too easy. And I'm sure it could get tedious after a while, seeing as how I'd have to be answering questions all the time pretending I was in the loop about all kinds of stuff and couldn't just rant about daily stuff, like the ditzy woman with wet hair who had her open [black] car door pushing against my [silver grey] car outside Bónus today while she pulled stuff out of her back seat ...

YT: Excuse me, your door is pushing against the side of my car.
LADY WITH WET HAIR: Oh.
YT: It left a mark.
LWWH: I didn't slam it against yours.
YT: It left a mark.
LWWH: [Wets finger and rubs the black mark on YT's car.] Yeah, well I didn't slam it.
YT: Oh, I see. You just pushed it.

~ BUT we still have questions, and here are a couple more.

From xl:

Do you ever get "island fever?" (That is, have the feeling of being trapped on the island and have to go to a larger space.)

~ Nope! I do not. I sometimes want to get out of here to see something new, immerse myself in a different culture, but I don't really associate it with being on an island. And after all, Iceland is big. A total of 103,000 square kilometres to be exact.

From Virginia:

Are Icelandic ponies like Shetland ponies, in that they are psychotics with Short-Man Syndrome, or do they have sweet personalities to match their utter cuteness?

~ They have sweet personalities. And incidentally, they're not ponies. They're small, but they exceed the official pony size and are bona fide horses. Be forewarned: 'Iceland ponies' is a term that should not be uttered in Iceland. Under any circumstances.

From Skúli:

I constantly return to your blog precisely for the things that you complain make you unhappy about it. That's what life is like - it's not focused. Then a question: would you agree with the proposition that style shows the personality of the writer?

~ First, thank you for the first part of your comment. Very reassuring. Second, yes, I would absolutely agree with your proposition. In fact, I am consistently amazed at how clearly some people's character shows through their writing. There's no way to hide it. It seeps out somehow.

From the Pharmacy Trainee [now a pharmacist]:

My question will be the sillyest of all and perhaps offensive (I hope not) but... Dont you feel that Iceland is worldwide knew (not only, but mostly) because of Bjork? (Oh God, that´s a question I´ve always wanted to ask an icelandic and never had the balls to make...)

~ Not silly and certainly not offensive. The question is a resounding YES. Björk totally put Iceland on the map. She did what the Iceland Tourist Board could not have done with a ten-billion-dollar budget. BJÖRK FOR PRESIDENT!!

Okay, that's it for now, I have to go to bed.

IT WAS A GORGEOUS SUNNY DAY, VERY DECEPTIVE
Because as soon as you went outside, it was absolutely freezing. Windchill temps well below zero. Tolerable out of the wind, though, but intolerable if you had it full-on. Right now -4°C [25F] and sunrise was at 6.34 am, sunset at 8.29.

Við Tjörnina: slightly dusty and a notch above average

Við Tjörnina, literally translated, means “By Tjörnin” – Tjörnin being a Reykjavík landmark that, depending on who you talk to, is either a pond or a lake. [Personally I think it’s too large to be the former and too small to be the latter – so for lack of a better word we’ll call it a ‘poke’.] Hence it should come as no surprise that the Við Tjörnina restaurant is located – you guessed it – by the poke.

In the 15 or so years it’s been open [anybody, feel free to correct me], Við Tjörnina has become somewhat of a Reykjavík institution. Primarily known for its fish dishes and its comfy old décor, it’s the sort of place where Nicelanders tend to take tourists for dinner. I’m going to avoid at all costs the description “just like your granny’s living room” because that’s how every tourist brochure tends to describe it, but, well, you get the picture. Old stuff. Old telephones, old sofas, old ornaments. And tableware that doesn’t match, on purpose.

About 12 years ago, when I first went there, the ‘old’ thing was all gleaming and shiny, particularly the glansmyndir – glossy pictures – that were stuck up on the walls. Unfortunately now the ‘old’ is, well, a little old. It just doesn’t enchant in the same way it used to. It’s a bit like a grey veneer of complacency has sort of descended on everything including, sadly, the food.

Anyway. Back to our evening last Saturday. We all met up in the lounge [granny’s living room] for an aperitif. I ordered a Kir Royale – my tipple of choice when I was about, oh, [mumblemuble] back in the disco era, and which I hadn’t tasted in almost as long. To their credit, they make an excellent Kir Royale at Við Tjörnina. In fact, if your grandmother drank Kir Royale, that is probably exactly how she would make it.

While there, we checked out the menu and a delightful waitress took our order. A few moments later we were ushered to our table. A waiter came with our wine [Pouilly Fuisse – wonderful] and did everything by the book, opening it at the table [you’d be surprised how many supposedly classy restaurants here just plonk the bottle down on the table already opened], holding the bottle so that the label was displayed while the tasting was done, etc. The only thing he missed was that he didn’t fill the glasses of the ladies before filling those of the men [having worked in some very fine establishments myself, I’m a stickler for these things] but we’ll forgive him for that because after all, here in Iceland, the women are men.*

Next came our starters. I’d ordered “Sauted [sic] scallops w/tomato and garlic” because I absolutely love a good, tender, melt-in-your-mouth scallop. Sadly, the consistency of these reminded me more of a fish ball from a can than a tender miym scallop, although it did have the same delicate, gorgeous taste. EPI, his father and brother all ordered “Pickled herring & fermented shark w/schnapps” [jawol!] wheras my sister-in-law had “Hot smoked lamb's heart w/applesalad and horseradishcream”.** Nobody complained.

For a main course I ordered what I ordered the last time I was there [about three years ago] because it was so fabulous back then: “Sauteed plaice w/blue cheese and banana”. As expected, the fish was very fresh and on the whole the dish was tasty – but it wasn’t very hot. In fact, it was only lukewarm. Due probably in no small part to the fact that the plates were cold. Which brings me to another point: I fail to understand why restaurants here in Iceland just cannot keep their plates warm. Sheesh! An essential part of serving a good meal is serving it hot and in my book, serving it hot is mutually exclusive with loading it onto a cold plate. What the hell are they teaching in Cooking 101 these days!?

For dessert EPI and I decided to split a French chocolate cake because once upon a time the French chocolate cake at Við Tjörnina was famous and there was even one occasion when we made a point of going there just for the cake because we were having a craving. Alas, we failed to remember that these days French chocolate cake is no longer such a novelty and in fact even EPI and I make a perfectly good French chocolate cake now in our very own kitchen. And so, like the old-style décor, the cake had somehow lost its lustre, in spite of the sculpted dollop of cream they stuck on the top.

Yeah, so anyway, I’m aware that I’m sounding pretty damn bleh about the whole thing, which is unfortunate because in fact I had a lovely time on Saturday night. In fact, I was having such a lovely time that I really didn’t have the inclination to be underwhelmed about the food whilst there, nor to consider the fact that the waiter kept reaching his arm over me to pick up or deliver plates so that I virtually had my face in his armpit. Water off a duck’s back, as they say, thanks in no small part to the lovely company I was in.

Final verdict: Við Tjörnina is an okay place for dinner that can remember its dandelion more beautiful*** and that appears to have become somewhat complacent over the years. Food: a tiny notch above average [quite unacceptable considering the prices they charge.] Service: friendly and amiable but could have done without all the armpit-gazing or [cough] smelling. Ambiance: relaxed but a tad dusty in the metaphorical sense.

WEATHER: It’s been mild and calm today with rain. Wind is picking up now. 3°C [46F], sunrise was at 9:15 am and sunset at 6:09 pm.

* i.e. somewhere, some committee decided that the masculine pronoun should be used to refer to both men and women.
** Sadly, I always feel it reflects badly on a place when they can’t have their menus properly translated.
*** Nicelandic idiom meaning 'it used to be better'.

And she doesn't even hang out with a bad crowd

AAH went to a party Friday night, at some kid's house in what she calls austurborgin [eastern part of the city] but which is more like around Grettisgata. While there, her purse was stolen. She'd stashed it in the kid's bedroom and even made sure to have it out of the way, so it wasn't obvious. It contained her wallet with her debit card, cell phone, iPod video, all her makeup, a new blouse she'd just bought that day, her keys [meaning we had to change the locks yesterday], her friend's brand-new cell phone, and an assortment of other stuff.

A similar thing happened a couple of years ago: she put her brand-new iPod down somewhere at a party and when she went back for it, it was gone, never to be found again.

I am officially appalled. When the hell did teenagers become so depraved?

IT'S SNOWING RIGHT NOW
Blustery and a chilly, with a sprinkling of the white stuff on the ground. Always a pleasure. Incidentally, went out to a movie this evening - Persepolis - absolutely great. Funny, intelligent, sassy and smart. It's based on a graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran amidst social upheaval, revolution, war, extremism. A born rebel, her parents send her to Europe because she can't keep her mouth shut and they fear for her safety. I'll say no more [partly because the plot doesn't begin to do justice to the scope of the film], just - if you get a chance, see it. Current temps -1°C and feels like -6°C with the blustery wind [30F, feels like 21]. Sun came up at 11 and set at 4.02 pm.

After which she put on her faerie costume and went to make steaming drink for the tourists

So the mayhem is underway. The heart-stopping explosions out of nowhere started yesterday ... incredibly startling at first, but quick to become commonplace. I'm talking firecrackers and fireworks being exploded beneath people's windows and in other inappropriate places. If any of you foreigners visiting our fair isle and reading this are wondering why there are not a single trash can in sight and all the outdoor mailboxes are barricaded - that's why. Measures have been taken.

Yes, dear readers, fireworks are sold freely to the general public up here in the days between Christmas and New Year's, although FORTUNATELY there is an age limit of 18 years so of course there is NO WAY for underaged kids to get their hands on them, just as there is NO WAY for them to get their hands on any liquor for New Year's Eve. Meaning that those explosions are almost all generated by adults with their full wits about them [heheh - yah right].

Meanwhile, this e-zine has listed Reykjavic [sic] as one of the ten best places in the world to spend New Year's Eve, right up there with Vegas and downtown Greensboro [?]. Far be it from me to contest this claim, although personally I would have put Reykjavík at number 1 because it hosts, without question, the most superexcellent New Year's Eve party in all the world - the entire city, all of it. However, I must confess I was slightly taken aback by the editor's description of our antics up here on New Year's Eve, to wit:

... the locals celebrate by welcoming tourists into their homes, serving them steaming drink, lighting bonfires and prancing around in elf and faerie costumes. Just like in Lord of the Rings! As a bonus, if the night is clear you'll see the splendor of the Northern Lights as midnight strikes.

First of all, I have to wonder what sort of shit his sources were smokin' because ... elves and faeries? Okay. And, you know, personally I've never known anyone to fling open their doors to tourists to welcome them into their homes to serve them hot drinks ... but then maybe I'm just hanging around with the wrong people. Third, there is not a fricking hope in hell that you'll see the northern lights at midnight on New Year's Eve because a) the skies are absolutely FILLED with exploding fireworks and b) the spaces in between are absolutely FILLED with billowing clouds of smoke from exploding fireworks.

But hey - far be it from me to detract anyone from getting dressed up Just like in Lord of the Rings! but I'm willing to bet that anyone who does will be a tourist who has been reading YES Weekly and thinks this is the way we do it up here. Come to think of it, I hope lots and lots of people do, because, you know, wouldn't that be hilarious? Hordes of tourists all dressed up like elves and faeries, sniffing around the locals' front doors, desperate to be let in for some steaming drink? Bring it on!

MEANWHILE, WE MAY NOT SEE ANY FIREWORKS AT ALL
Because they're forecasting horrific weather for New Year's Eve, meaning all our brennur may be cancelled and people will be advised to stay indoors and absolutely NOT to fire off any rockets that may unwittingly end up inside people's coats or pants legs or nostrils. A bad storm is supposed to come through tomorrow and is supposed to persist on the 31st. Which will be a major drag ... the only good thing I can think of that may come out of it is that my dear stepdaughter who has been here for Christmas and who is supposed to fly back to New York tomorrow will have her flight cancelled and thus will be able to spend New Year's with us. We Shall See. Actually the same sort of weather happened a couple of years ago and all the brennur were moved to New Year's Day, which just wasn't the same. But, whaddaryagonnado. The temps have been inching upwards all day and are now 2°C [36F], sunrise was at 11.22 am and sunset at 3.37 pm.

PS actually to be fair there is old folklore that elves and fairies appear on the Þrettándinn - Twelfth Night, January 6th. There are brennur [bonfires] held on that night also, and in some parts of the country people dress up like the king and queen of the elves and make an appearance at the brennur - for the kids, much like Santa Claus.

Can we strap him to a rocket and fire it up at midnight?

Old Quentin Tarantino's back. Spending New Year's here again. No doubt he'll have another go at getting a supermodel home before she passes out or vomits all over him. Although after his stellar turn on Conan O'Brien the last time, I'm hoping Icelandic women have enough self-respect to give the guy a wide berth - very wide - and to leave his sorry ass there to pass out all by himself.

AND WHILE I'M RANTING
Went to a movie this evening [Golden Compass] and discovered to my great dismay that Háskólabíó, the very last cinema in this town to have decent seating, has gone and installed those horrendously uncomfortable bucket seats that everybody else has. I'm talking about those supposedly "superior comfort reclining seats" that don't actually recline and that are designed for people around 175 cm tall [EPI's height] leaving people around 163 cm tall [YT's height] all scrunched down in the seat with their head pushed forward by the "head rest" [aka the "head torment device"]. Which means that people my height have to arch their back and neck if they plan to watch the movie and not just the back of the seat in front [which I'm sure is very entertaining but maybe not quite worth what they're charging]. Plus for those of us who suffer from whiplash injuries [probably about half the Nicelandic nation, the way they drive here] it's an absolute killer. I mean, what the hell were they thinking? Don't they realize that a vast majority of the population is NOT over 175 cm tall? And that short people like going to the movies, too? And now they can't go to a single movie house without being supremely uncomfortable for the whole movie? Maybe I should start my own cinema. A cinema for short people, in which people over 175 cm tall would be forced to install a device on their seats that would push their heads forward so they'd have to look at the floor the whole time, unless they contorted themselves into a position so painful they'd run out of the cinema yelping within 15 minutes. And by the front door would be YT, rubbing her hands together in glee and shouting after them HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES, SUCKER!?!

WEATHER: FREEZING COLD
Killer wind today but died down as the frost intensified. Right now we have -6°C [21F] and sunrise was at 11.23, sunset 3.34 pm. Meh.

Score two points for the admission of guilt

Just a quick postie to say that US Homeland Security has issued a statement expressing their regret at the treatment Erla Ósk Arnarsdóttir had to endure last week. They also claim they're going to review their working procedures for people who arrive in the US and who face deportation, with the purpose of making improvements.

YT the cynic says yeah yeah, we'll believe it when we see it. On the other hand, they've admitted they made a mistake, and admit outright that the treatment she received was far beyond what was warranted in that particular instance [understatement of the year]. So - score two points for that.

Mokay! No weather tonight because I'm wasted and need ... bed. More soon.

More horror stories from the western frontier

So, the latest on the ordeal described in the previous post is that the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, who in my humble view is one of the most down-to-earth and unpretentious people in this country, and probably one of the least prone to intimidation by an unnamed superpower, summoned the US Ambassador to the Ministry and gave her an earful about the treatment Erla Ósk Arnardóttir was subjected to at JFK. The Ambassador gravely concurred and claims the matter is under investigation. To which our MFA responded that she expects US authorities to issue a formal apology to the woman in question, once that investigation is completed.

Incidentally, according to the US Embassy, Erla Ósk was treated the way she was because she was supposed to have a special visa, on account of having overstayed her welcome 12 years ago. Which the Embassy has not made a point of publicizing, even on their website, until - uh - now.

Apparently, since this matter became public, the MFA has received numerous calls from individuals who claim to have received the same sort of cantankerous welcome at JFK. Morgunblaðið has a short interview with another young woman who was deported on arrival at JFK last month [the interview doesn't say what for]. She was traveling with her eight-year-old daughter, and according to the report, the border guard shouted at her repeatedly asking what she was doing in the US. Eventually they were taken into Homeland Security and made to sit there for five hours. She was not permitted a phone call and nobody told her what was going on or what her status was. Eventually she was informed that she was going to be deported in 20 hours, and she and her daughter were taken to a small, dirty room with no place to sleep and food remnants all over a chair that was there. During the night there were repeated disruptions and guards kept showing up to check on them. "Everybody was incredibly rude and hostile. I was photographed and my fingerprints were taken repeatedly, nobody spoke a kind word nor told us what was going to happen," she says.

Hearing these sorts of stories seriously makes me question whether it's worth it to subject myself to the risk of passing through border control in the US. I mean, it's almost like it's hit-and-miss. You may get hauled in, you may not. I don't believe that I, personally, have done anything to warrant anything of this sort happening, but all the same I'm starting to wonder if there really needs to be anything substantial. Maybe it's enough that the border control people don't like the look of your face. I know exactly what she means when she talks about the harshness and hostility - when we passed through JFK in September we had to wait in line for about half an hour to get to an immigration officer, and there were several little fascists shouting at people to get into this line, or that. The energy in that place was incredibly hostile and unwelcoming, enough to completely set you on edge.

How very sad that it has to be this way, because - as has been pointed out repeatedly - the average American is a decent, friendly person, so very different from the antagonistic and belligerent people at the border. Maybe they could all just move to Europe or something, and leave the a**holes behind.

THERE'S BEEN A SEVERE STORM ALL DAY
And people have been advised to stay inside, hence YT is suffering from a serious bout of cabin fever. Elementary schools told parents to keep their children at home and police authorities issued a grave warning that people should not be out on the highways. We've had gusts of up to 40 m/s today [in case you don't know, that's a lot - 15-18 m/s is enough to give me pause about going outside for a run] and needless to say there's been massive damage to property. It's fairly mild, though, 5°C [41F], sunrise was at 11.14, sunset at 3.30 pm. Oh, and I think my SAD light is working! I don't feel half as draggy-ass as I have for the past month or so.

Welcome to the land of the brave and the free

I've just finished reading an unbelievably shocking account of the detainment of a young Icelandic woman two days ago while traveling to New York with her girlfriends to do a little Christmas shopping. The blog post in which she describes her ordeal has the Icelandic nation abuzz and has featured prominently in all the main media today. It's caused such a sensation that the US Embassy has sent out a press release inviting people to leave accounts of mistreatment by US immigration officers on their website [although after my previous dealings with the Embassy, I seriously doubt this will make a difference for anyone].

The crime that warranted such serious mistreatment was that back in 1995 the woman, Erla Ósk, remained in the US for three weeks longer than the time she was allocated as a tourist. Note bene, she had been back in the US since then, without any problems whatsoever. This time, though, she arrived at immigration and the officer saw something that he needed to 'investigate further'. I can just envision the mug of the officer in question - if he's anything like the grim and creepy guy we had check us into the States in September.

She was escorted to Homeland Security where she was made to sit in a cold fluorescent-lit office for five hours and was told that, because of her offense twelve years ago, she was being denied admission to the US and would be sent back home on the next plane. She was made to give an extensive report, her fingerprints were taken and she was asked questions that had no relevance to the matter at hand. She was not permitted a telephone call to let anyone know where she was or what was going on, and while she was initially told she could call the Icelandic Consulate in New York, in the end she was refused this right. While in that office she was searched, as was all her baggage.

While waiting she was told that she'd soon be moved to a room where there was a bed, where she'd be given something to eat and where she could take a shower. Yet before reaching this Shangri-La she was taken to another office, the same as the first one, where she was made to sit for another five hours. By that time she'd been awake for 24 hours and was exhausted. All her belongings were taken from her, although she managed to send one text message to worried relatives when she went to the bathroom. After sitting in a chair for five hours she was told that they were waiting for guards to arrive, who would take her to the room with the bed. That 'room' turned out to be a cell with a metal bunk and a single toilet. By this time she was famished and drained. A short while later she was removed from the cell, two armed guards put her up against a wall, a chain was put around her waist and she was handcuffed to it. Next her feet were chained and she was made to walk through the terminal like a heinous criminal in full view of everyone.

Next came a car ride lasting almost an hour, without her knowing where she was being taken. It turned out to be a prison in New Jersey. She was brought in in chains, and another interrogation commenced. She was asked questions like, "When was your last period?" "What are your beliefs?" "Have you ever tried to commit suicide?" She was also subjected to a medical examination.

Worn out, tired and cold, she was finally given something to eat, 14 hours after landing at JFK. She got porridge and bread. All communication with her was harsh and hostile. She was frightened and had never felt so wretched. She asked to make a phone call, and this time the answer was positive. However, her relief was short-lived; the phone was only set up for collect calls, and they could only be made within the US. The prison guard had her cell phone in his hand, but refused to let her use it. She spent the next nine hours in a small, dirty cell, which had only a thin metal sheet sticking out of the wall, a sink and a toilet.

She felt immense relief when she was told she was to be taken back to the airport; that is, until she was again handcuffed and chained. She begged to at least be spared the chains on her feet, but her plea was ignored. When she arrived at the airport, another guard took over and saw pity on her, removing the foot chains. Nonetheless, she was taken handcuffed through the terminal escorted by armed guards who took her to the Icelandair waiting lounge, and her handcuffs were not removed until she was at the landing bridge.

Reading this woman's account is absolutely gut-wrenching. Granted, she'd violated the rules back in 1995, but any discerning person must see that this kind of treatment is completely out of proportion to the violation. In her words, "... it was obvious that these people were dying to show their power. Little kings with a god complex."

I ask: if a woman whose offense is no more serious than this, what are people detained at prisons like the one in Guantanamo Bay made to endure? Innocent or not? For years on end? -It hardly bears thinking about. On the upside, Erla Ósk has had a massive outpouring of support - as this is written there are 409 comments on her post, and counting.

WE'RE IN FOR ANOTHER TEMPEST
We're due to receive one low-pressure area after another in the next few days. The barbecue has duly been brought inside - not taking any chances of it flying through the window. Right now heavy winds and precipitation, temps 5°C [43F]. The sun came up at 11.10 and set at 3.32 pm.

Something to aspire to?

Here in Niceland, when someone's making money, we have an idiom: "They're getting hairy palms".

Meanwhile, Fréttablaðið has a daily feature called "Question of the Day" in which they ask someone - often someone who has been in the news - a question.

No prizes, then, for guessing what they asked the beautician from yesterday's post.

Heheh.

MEANWHILE, MEC HAS BEEN VINDICATED
Very logically they have come to believe that the mitts they sent me the other day were wrongly labelled. After all, the 'small' I received is a foot long - a full 12 inches - from top to bottom ... which just doesn't compute. So they've offered to reimburse me for the postage to send the mitts back to them, and to send me a new pair for free. Icelandic vendors: watch and learn.

AS FOR OUR DELIGHTFUL NOVEMBER WEATHER
Gloomy - overcast, wet, breezy [8-15 m/s]. But mild: 9°C [48F] here in the capital; the sun came up at 9.55 and will go down at 4.28 pm.

Small is huge at mec.ca

The other day I decided to order a few things online from Mountain Equipment Co-Op in Canada. MEC and I go back a long time; it was just starting up when I moved to Toronto in the 80s, I've followed its rise from grassroots outfit to trendy outfitter and have been a member for over a decade.

I've made a point of getting stuff from MEC whenever I can [as my long-suffering Canadian relatives will testify] because they have good stuff for running and hiking, and what with the exchange rate and everything, it's been pretty economical. Needless to say this only applies when I purchase stuff there myself, or get someone else to bring it over for me, because Icelandic customs adds at least 50 percent to the total in taxes and duty fees.

Anyway, the other day I decided to bite the bullet and go for it because I was desperately in need of one of these. There has been so much wind here lately and my poor whiplashed neck has really been feeling it, so drastic measures were needed. However, when I got to the checkout page, I was rather disgruntled to discover that there was only one option for shipping [courier] and it costs 50 bucks. Which was, like, one-fourth of the total order.

So the stuff arrives, and it's all pretty much as expected - except for the mitts. They were absolutely fricking huge! I mean, I ordered a small - and they're large enough to fit the Abominable fricking Snowman! [see above]

So I fire off an email to MEC and ask what their policy is for exchange. And - note bene - I do this with a faint heart, because returning an item for exchange bought online here in Niceland is a bureaucratic nightmare. In order to avoid having the 50 percent tax/duty levied a second time you have to take the stuff down to customs and fill out an export form. And those export forms are so bloody confusing that I've normally chosen the option of letting customs fill it out on my behalf - for which they charge a pretty hefty fee, all things considered.

Anyway, the answer from MEC arrives - hey, no problem, we can exchange the item for you, just make sure you send the item insured in the mail and with sufficient funds to cover postage. Sufficient funds to cover postage!? Like, another 50 bucks?

Yep.

Is it just me, or does it seem like old MEC is doing everything in its power to detract from overseas sales? The least they could do is offer an option of sending the stuff by regular mail, if not the first time, then on returns. If I decided to exchange this item - which incidentally cost only 32 dollars - I would be paying a total of 100 bucks just for postage. I mean, where's the love, people? I thought I was a member of a co-op, not a hard-nosed enterprise with a corporate mentality, that henceforth shall be know as meh.ca in my book.

AND THE WEATHER IS
What else - stormy! It started blowing about an hour ago and it's accompanied with buckets of rain. Which is okay I guess since it's evening and I'm about to hit the sack - it would be great if the wind could just whip up during the night and calm down during the day. That would be ideal. It's fairly mild, though, 8°C [46F]. Sunrise was at 9.42 this morning, and sunset at 4.40 this afternoon.

PS - many thanks to Dumdad, who has kindly awarded The Iceland Weather Report a dummy. As always I'm honoured and delighted with the accolade.

Niceland: your queries answered

So the last post generated still more questions in the comments box, which I’ll endeavour to answer, even though as most of you will have surmised by now this blog isn’t really about Iceland, nor the weather, but rather a completely self-serving exercise allowing YT to empty the contents of her brain into this endless dumpster called Cyberspace every couple of days.

Be that as it may, I don’t mind answering queries from people who are nice about it and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and especially ‘can I get you any duty free booze’ … nor from people who are faithful readers, nor from any of my friends. In fact, I usually don’t mind answering questions at all, unless the person asking seems to assume that I have been put on this earth solely for the purpose of catering to their touristic needs, to wit: I’m coming to Iceland next week, what will the weather be like from Tuesday to Saturday? Thanks. [signed] Sowanso. Or: Hi, I’ve got a few questions for you. 1. Where should we go to see glaciers … [etc.]

[/rant]

Anyway, Karen and JT presented me with questions in the comments yesterday and as they’re nice people and faithful readers and fulfil all related YT criteria, here are their questions addressed.

Karen:

We're planning on visiting in the later half of next May. Anything special going on in that time period?

Not that I know of, yet – check the listings closer to the time, e.g. here or here.

As for Viking stuff ... hm. I'd suggest checking out the National Museum and also the Reykjavík museum plus minus 876 or whatever it’s called [the craziest name ever for a museum – how can anybody ever remember it?]. I’m not sure which Viking Village you mean, although I vaguely recall hearing something about one … I know there’s a restaurant in Hafnarfjörður that gives you the ‘real Viking experience’ – serve your food in troughs and whathaveyou. I’ve been there once, for a wrap party with some American film crew, when AAH was performing in a Showtime commercial. It was pretty cool – probably worth checking out if you’re into Viking stuff.

JT:

Northern lights - the tour companies "try different places" to see the lights. That sounds like codswallop to me - surely anywhere dark will do. Could you suggest a specific place to go, ie close to Reykjavik, and a paved road which is not too busy at night?

Actually, I don’t think it’s codswallop [what a great word! and so apt] – the Northern Lights appear as streams of light that are constantly moving and shifting, and they don’t appear everywhere. BUT – I’m not an expert so I really don’t know. There are tours that take you out and I think they offer some kind of guarantee, like another tour if you don’t have a sighting, but like I said, I honestly don’t know. The Northern Lights are completely hit and miss, unfortunately – even for us, they always take me a bit by surprise when they appear. They really are exquisitely beautiful – but alas, they can’t be counted on to appear. The conditions have to be just right – cold [below freezing] and clear.

However, if you wanted to try to see them on your own, your best bet is to drive a bit out of the city. I think taking the road to Þingvellir would be a good idea – about a 20 minute drive, up into Mosfellsdalur valley. You’d have to ask someone at your hotel how to get there.

If I rent a normal (not 4x4) car, can I do the golden circle and a few other places in mid Nov reasonably safely?

If the weather is OK and there is no ice on the roads, then yes. You should note that roads outside the capital ice up a lot faster than in Reykjavík. You can check the conditions of the roads here before you set out. Or ask someone at your hotel.

Is it ok to take a 1yr old baby in the blue (or green?) lagoon?

No. They may tell you it’s OK, but … no. There’s all kinds of microorganisms in there and I’ve heard it’s not safe for babies.

Do restaurants and cafes get sniffy about babies?

The posh ones might, but as a rule, no. Iceland is an extremely child-friendly country and you’ll find baby seats in just about every café and restaurant.

Can I get you some duty free booze?

Thanks but we stocked up pretty well on our trip last month. Very sweet of you to ask, though!

Rozanne:

What's leaf bread?

Leaf bread is wafer-thin bread that is deep fried and eaten with smoked lamb. The traditional thing is to decorate them with designs – today families often get together to do this and make an event of it. See pic here.

OKAY THEN! THIS POST HAS GONE ON A BIT LONG
So here is a brief account of the weather – mild, calm, no precipitation. Temps 9°C [48F], sunrise was at 8:29 am and sunset due for 5:55 pm.

Recycle! Ride a bike!

Today is blog action day for the environment and while I want to take part, I have no idea what to write about. What I'm doing for the environment? How terrible the Icelanders are at recycling? How impressed I am with our new Minister for the Environment? The hypocrisy of rejoicing at the great weather we're having every summer while simultaneously bemoaning the fact that our glaciers are melting?

Okay.

What I'm doing for the environment
I recycle newspapers, bottles, glass, paper, milk/juice containers. I take batteries, scrap metal, old shoes, diskettes and CDs, and various other items to the recycling depot. I recently got new tires for my car that don't have studs in them and therefore don't contribute to fine particle pollution. I walk or ride my bike wherever I need to, unless I absolutely have to take the car. I don't buy aeresol spray cans. Um ... probably some other stuff I'm forgetting now. -- Your turn!

The Icelanders are terrible at recycling
Many many Icelanders - I won't say most, although I'm tempted - throw everything into the household trash. Take our upstairs neighbours, for instance. Bottles, newspapers, shoes, lumber, electronic gadgets, you name it, they'll dump it. Meanwhile, when called on it they moan about how inconvenient it is to take the newspapers all the way to the recycling container located behind the supermarket that is two minutes away by car. Or the bottles all the way to the depot, which is five minutes away by car. They're lovely people - but sometimes I just shake my head.

Apropos that, I have to say that Nicelanders in general are relatively oblivious to the concept of ecology. I suppose having such an abundance of land - and clean land, at that - they don't really get it. They drive mammoth cars and trucks, the concept of eco-driving is absolutely foreign to them [e.g. they will sit in their cars for ages - hours - while keeping the engine running when they could so easily turn it off], they never think about limiting the use of water [EPI for instance routinely leaves the kitchen tap running for long periods while he goes about tidying up in the kitchen], they're completely challenged when it comes to recycling, etc. etc.

Meanwhile, our new Minister for the Environment is ace
I was delighted when she took office last spring because I'd met her a couple of times through mutual friends, and knew she had the potential to do good. And now that she's been in office for a few months I have to say I'm completely impressed. She's been quite outspoken against further destruction of our environment in order to provide evil multinationals with power to feed their heavy industry [read: aluminium plants] and just last week was quoted in one of the papers as saying we should absolutely not be asking for special provisions to the Kyoto protocol, for which many of our politicians have been lobbying - i.e. provisions that would allow us to release greenhouse gases over and above our allocated quota. [So that evil multinationals could build more aluminium smelters.] No - instead we should be pouring our resources into developing our know-how in the field of green energy as well as exporting that know-how, and looking for ways to curb the vast amount of pollution released by our fishing fleet. Finally a politician concerned with more than just short-term interests. Yowsa!

And yes - I love the fact that we have gorgeous weather in summer
... yet all the while our amazing glaciers are melting. It's sad and tragic and I don't know what to do about it.

MEANWHILE OUR CURRENT WEATHER IS UTTERLY MISERABLE
I hate to sound negative, but there it is. It's been a cold and miserable day, with gales from the north, making for killer windchill. The sort of day when you can't even open windows comfortably because the wind is so strong and you don't go outside unless you absolutely have to. Right now we have 1°C [34F] but it feels like -6°C [21F]. The sun came up at 8:16 am and set at 6:09 pm. In other words, the day is becoming uncomfortably short, and it feels even more uncomfortable when the weather is so awful. Here comes SAD!

And the 2007 East Bloc Shopping Award goes to ... IKEA!

Spent the weekend painting my little home office, with the intention of giving it a minor overhaul at the same time. Nothing drastic: just a couple of shelves, a set of glass doors for the bookshelf, a magnetic whiteboard for notes and things.

So EPI and I head out to IKEA this afternoon. In addition to the above, I wanted to get a sundry of things for the house - basic stuff like a breadbox, new hanging rack for dish towels, rubbish bin for the bathroom, ceramic knobs for our dresser. And you know what? They were out of practically everything. Glass doors for the bookshelf? Out. Magnetic whiteboard? Out. Hanging rack for towels? Out. Ceramic knobs? Out. Breadbox? Out.

We saw a shoe cabinet and mirror we thought we'd get for our vestibule. Shoe cabinet - got lucky and scored the last one. Mirror? Out. Candles? They only had yellow and red. Candles!The basic fundamental reason for IKEA to exist - and they only have yellow and red. And only a few packs of each, at that. Sheesh!

I have to say, I am much put out. Because sadly, this was not an isolated incident but has become the norm when we go shopping at IKEA. They've got this new mammoth store on the outskirts of town, meaning we have to drive twice as long to get there, and when we do there's hardly anything in it. Lots of things on display, but nothing on the shelves. In fact - yes - they've just beat out stupid old Krónan for the Icelandic East Bloc Shopping Award. What a feat!

HAPPILY THE WEATHER HAS BEEN CRAP
... Because I was cooped up all weekend, obviously. Had it been excellent I would have been jonesing to be outside, but since there was rain and wind and a general damp chill I was happy to be puttering around inside, slapping paint on walls and getting rid of rubbish that had accumulated on my shelves. The things you keep, for no good reason ... the mind just boggles! I read an interview with some woman in the paper this weekend, who was talking about redecorating her house, and how she and her husband had gone through their bookshelves and taken each book, and if neither of them had any sort of emotional connection to it, into a box it went and then directly to the Red Cross. I lived by those woman's words this weekend, and oh, how good it felt! Getting rid of all that dusty old energy. Time to make space for the new, oh yes. Currently 5°C, [41F], cloudy, sun came up at 8:13 am and set at 6:12 pm.

Nosepicking: the national epidemic

So EPI goes into an unnamed supermarket today at lunchtime to buy some hot food. Behind the meat counter there’s a bunch of guys standing around, and one of them was blithely exploring the inside of his nasal cavity with his finger.

Needless to say, EPI had a 1944* instead.

BUT THE WEATHER WAS EXCELLENT
Really quite a lovely autumn day. Started off really bright but then a thin cloud cover moved in and dampened everything, although for some reason it still felt sunny – it was just that kind of a day, I guess. A bright kind of day. Did some work, went out for a run, had lunch, met with a client, came home and had coffee with my neighbour who had the day off and was at home with her baby boy. AAH came home and announced that she wasn’t going to her vocal academy classes today because she had way too much homework, then proceeded to go into her room and fall asleep for three hours because she’s wiped out from the weekend, which she spent alternately partying and working. Good to see the girl has her priorities straight. Did some more work, then fell asleep myself [not because I’m wiped out from too much partying, though], then EPI came home and we had dinner. – What? You think this blog is about the weather? You should know better by now. Current temps 7°C [45F] and sunrise was at 7:56 am, sunset at 6:33.

* 1944: prepared meal.

Two pinnacles in a day of highlights

Went to the Brooklyn Book Festival today*. I thought I'd check it out, maybe listen to a reading or two, peruse the wares that vendors were peddling, perchance see if any of the publishers were interested in translations of Nicelandic literature. Had the idea that I might get the odd polite nod and smile, a raised eyebrow or two and then a kind brush-off. I never dreamed of the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response I'd get from virtually everyone. 'Iceland?? Oh, wow - we'd love to see some stuff from Iceland ... Iceland is so big right now.'

But we knew all that - right?

Went to a concert this evening at the Village Vanguard - Paul Motian trio was playing. EPI was really psyched to see them as he's a big fan of both Paul Motian and Bill Frisell ... YT is less of a fan but I was definitely up for the experience. Have to say, though, that I was primarily struck by how apathetic they were towards the audience, i.e. they did not interact with the audience at all. They came on, made no acknowledgment that there was actually a full house of people sitting there watching them, played a set for just over an hour during which they only looked at each other - never into the audience - and never uttered a word of thanks or took a bow or anything of the sort between songs. When the set finished, Motian spoke a few words in which he basically tried to get people to stay for a second set [which cost an additional ten bucks] at which they walked away and did not come back for an encore. Sheesh! I mean, they played well and everything, but to not even acknowledge for a second those people that paid money to see them and were totally enthusiastic and positive, came across as incredibly ungenerous and ungracious. Guess they were just too sexy for their clothes, or something.

Weather here is pretty cold, I'm told ... it just turned, three days ago, from being super-hot and humid. And now, if I stay up a moment longer, I'll need toothpicks to keep my eyes open, so t'rah for now!

*Actually, Sunday. My time settings are all screwed up, as is my biological clock.

The Silence of the American Embassy

Earlier this summer I had a question about the validity of AAH’s passport for traveling to the US, because as most people know the US is now making it extra difficult for people to pass through its borders, imposing strict requirements for the types of passports needed, etc.

So I logged onto the Embassy website, www.usa.is, and perused through everything there, but still didn’t find the answer to my question. So I picked up the phone and dialled their number, only to discover that they weren’t open that day – it was the fourth of July. Fair enough. Instead I put my enquiry in an email, using the address for the consular section I found on the website, and sent it off.

By the end of the following week I still hadn’t received a response, so I picked up the phone again. This time they were open, and I was greeted with an automated answering system. After diligently wading through about five different prompts, and being repeatedly reminded to check their website which – supposedly – contained all the information I needed, I arrived at a taped message telling me that telephone hours were between two and four on weekdays only. It was 11 am.

Not content with waiting any longer for an answer, I simply called Icelandic immigration, which issues our passports, and asked them. I had the answer to my question within sixty seconds – and promptly put the Embassy’s lack of responsiveness out of my mind.

Then last month it so happened that I had another question that required an answer from the American Embassy. Again I waded through their website and found information similar to what I needed, but which still needed some clarification. Not in the mood to sit through their myriad automated telephone promts one more time, I put my query in an email and sent it off to the consular section.

A week passed, and there was no response.

On my perusal through their website, I had come across this friendly little clause: We know that the world of passports, visas, and emergency services can be confusing, even intimidating. The Consular staff is here to help make sense of it and to ensure our clients receive knowledgeable, efficient service. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Marvellous! Delighted by the knowledge that the Embassy welcomed my feedback and suggestions, and convinced of their sincerity, I sent a polite enquiry to their Executive Office with a cc to the consular section, asking if they could please tell me what their policy was in responding to emails, since I had sent one enquiry to the consular section at the beginning of July, and another about a week earlier, and I had not had a response to either.

Nothing.

So now I have now sent three emails - no, four, actually - to the American Embassy in the space of two months, and it has been silent as the grave. Not one of my enquiries has received a response.

It's infuriating - but unsurprising. All of my dealings with the American Embassy as one of the little people have been in a similar vein. I say 'as one of the little people' because I have also had dealings with them as a member of the 'elitist' diplomatic community, have attended cocktail parties there on a couple of occasions, and I know that this is an entirely different experience. While a certain select few are invited to hob-knob with the Embassy's staff and their preferred guests, drinking wine and eating canapes, the Jane and John Does of this world appear to be treated with something vaguely like contempt.

EPI’s daughter felt the sting of this last summer when applying for a visa to work as an au pair in the States. Having waded through the same telephone answering prompts as I did, she pressed what she thought was the button for the consular section but for some reason got the switchboard. Somewhat astonished, she said to the woman on the other end, “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought the consulate section had telehpone hours now,” at which the receptionist snapped, “Well, I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?” Charming.

A number of years ago, just after I had moved to Iceland, I decided to apply for a job advertised at the Embassy. The filling out of the application was a colossal task - it required an excruciating amount of detail about my travels and activities over the previous decade, as well as references etcetera – all of which I dutifully provided to the best of my ability. It took ages to fill out - and in the end I received no response. No letter of confirmation that they had received my application, no we’re sorry but the position has been filled. Nothing.*

A friend of our family, who happens to be one of the most promising concert pianists Iceland has produced and who is currently working on his MFA at Juilliard, recently went to the Embassy to renew his visa [he’s been at Juilliard for several years, having done his undergraduate degree there also]. He arrived three minutes early for his appointment, and was told to wait outside. On the sidewalk. The renewal required him to fill out a form that sounded even more detailed than my job application [note bene my application was before 9/11] – all about his travels and activities over the previous decade, etcetera.

The question that springs to my mind is ... who reads and verifies all that information? Surely there are thousands of people around the world applying for visas to the US every day, writing down an endless amount of details – do they have people checking all those details? Does anyone even read them? Or is this just a way to intimidate and scare people – the hard-copy version of being made to wait outside on the sidewalk, or not being granted the courtesy of having your emails answered?

The bizarre thing is, I think most Americans – at least those I know – disapprove of the type of intimidation and contempt for regular citizens propagated by their foreign service and their government. At the end of the day it’s sad that the majority has to suffer the consequences of a policy that can only breed animosity and resentment. Because unfortunately that’s what it does.

WET, OVERCAST, SLIGHTLY FOGGY
That's what the weather looks like from my window. There's hardly a breeze blowing, and I think it's quite mild, and I'm about to get my Gore-tex on and head for the seashore for some fresh air. Temps 12°C [54F] and sunrise was at 6:23 am, sunset due for 8:27 pm.

* In view of this, perhaps it's not surprising that they seem to have trouble filling vacant positions. Earlier this year ads ran repeatedly in the paper for a security and a protocol officer [... I think] - embarrassingly often, in fact. Evidently people are thinking twice about applying for these jobs.

In which I rant about the Texas penal system. Again.

My diatribe a couple of years ago about the treatment Aron Pálmi Ágústsson got from the Texas authorities is easily the most controversial post I’ve written to date. For those who have just joined us, Aron Pálmi is a 22-year old man who moved to Texas with his mother as a child. When he was 11 or 12 he was caught in a sexual act with a younger boy, who was seven. Long story short, at the age of 13 Aron Pálmi was sentenced to ten years in prison by the State of Texas, part of which had to be served in a state penitentiary. No amount of efforts by the Icelandic authorities to have him brought home to Iceland to serve his sentence were successful.

In this part of the world, a child who is found guilty of sexually harassing or abusing another child needs help, not ten years in prison. Why anyone would consider that a sensible solution is absolutely beyond my realm of understanding. Not only do you virtually wipe out that child’s chances of maturing properly, you also set them up for abuse within the prison, which means they will probably come out far, far more damaged than they were when they went in. In other words, from a purely practical standpoint you’ll have a much bigger problem on your hands than you previously had.

As of last week, Aron Pálmi is a free man, having paid his ten years’ worth of flesh, as it were, to Texas. Unsurprisingly, the first thing he did after being released – apart from going to visit his mother – was to get the hell out of the United States. He’s back in Iceland now and plans to make a life for himself here. In an interview on Kastljós two nights ago he spoke about his offense, his conviction, his time in prison [it's in English].

Now, I’m not naïve enough to believe everything I’m told and I’m aware that Aron Pálmi may be minimizing what actually happened with the younger kid – I honestly don’t know. To me, that’s not the point. The most significant thing to come out of that interview in my mind was what I’ve suspected all along – before committing the offense, Aron Pálmi himself was sexually abused, for two years, by a police officer who lived nearby. And because the abuser was a police officer, it was all the more confusing for the young child, who kept the abuse hidden. The sexual act with the younger child was a pure reenactment – Aron Pálmi was “showing” the other boy what the police officer had “shown” him.

The heartlessness and cruelty of a system that does not recognize that a child perpetrator is invariably also a victim makes my blood boil. I don’t understand it. I can’t get my mind around it. It’s so heartless that it scares the hell out of me. I have no doubts that Aron Pálmi has a shitload of stuff to work out before he can lead any semblance of a normal life. I hope he manages to pull through.

THE WEATHER IS WET AND DAMP
After a gorgeous start to the day – I went for a run along the seashore this morning in a warm[ish] haze – it clouded over and started to rain. That’s the outlook for the rest of the week, more or less. Right now 9°C [50F] and the sun came up at 5.57 am, and set at 8.59 pm.

INCIDENTALLY the search for the two German tourists was called off this weekend, after the two men were presumed dead. It was the most extensive rescue operation in years. Hundreds of search and rescue workers combed the glacier in the area where the two were believed to have traveled, under horribly difficult conditions – apparently the glacier was very slippery and this is the time of year when bottomless crevices can suddenly open up practically beneath your feet. Yesterday evening it was reported that the search had been resumed in a slightly different location, since new evidence has been discovered.

Proceed at your own risk?

As this is written, a massive search is underway for two Germans who were reported missing a few days ago, but who have not been heard from for about three weeks. Their relatives got in touch with the Icelandic authorities when they didn’t return home on their booked flights last week.

Sadly, foreign tourists going missing or being gravely injured is not an uncommon occurrence here.* This is a dangerous place – the weather is unpredictable and up in the highlands can turn savage in an instant, the roads can turn from paved to gravel without warning, glacial ice forms deep and dangerous crevices in the summer, the interior is vast and it’s easy to lose your way, crossing rivers in vehicles is subject to very specialized guidelines, and a only slightly misplaced foot on the banks of a river can mean sudden death. The list goes on.

The Iceland Tourist Board distributes very clear guidelines for tourists, including rule number one: Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Still, it’s amazing how many people neglect this simple procedure. One of the two German men now missing reportedly told his girlfriend that they were going ice climbing on a glacier, and then provided a description that could apply to several different locations here. The area currently being searched is 70 km2 and it may not even be the right place – it’s considered likely, because one of their cell phones registered a signal near that place at the end of last month, but really it’s all speculation.**

There was a very apt editorial in Morgunblaðið today, about the increasing number of tour groups coming to Iceland from abroad, with their own buses and their own guides that often are not even qualified guides, but rather ‘group organizers’. The paper pointed out how brazen and foolhardy this is – Icelandic tour guides, by contrast, must undergo intensive training for a full year in order to become qualified. They must know not only about the popular tourist sights, history, geology, etc., but also about the inherent risks of traveling in this country, what equipment to take along, and how to respond should emergencies arise. The paper cites a recent case in which an Icelandic tour guide happened to be in the vicinity of a foreign group when it was hit by falling rocks and a woman was injured. The tour guide was able to assist the woman and call for help – fortunately, since the rest of the group was completely at a loss and had no idea what to do. The paper didn’t elaborate, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was no cell phone reception in that area – in such a sparsely populated country there are many areas only accessible for a few weeks each year – and generally there is no reception there.

That incident had a fortuitous ending – but there have been many that did not. I recall the case of an Italian man a few years ago who went hiking by himself up north and simply vanished. And a couple of years ago – just after I started blogging – I got an email from a brother of someone who had been killed here in Iceland under adverse circumstances on which he didn’t elaborate. He’d seen his brother’s name on an Icelandic website, and wanted to ask me to kindly translate and let him know what it said. I was moved.

Today’s editorial goes so far as to suggest that perhaps tour groups from abroad should be banned from traveling through certain regions of the country unless a qualified Icelandic guide goes along. That would surely enhance the safety of our foreign visitors. Personally I think it’s a fantastic idea that should be implemented pronto.

One more thing: the Icelandic search and rescue teams that operate all over the country consistently fill me with awe. These are people working under severe and difficult conditions and putting life and limb at risk – and all on a volunteer basis. They fund their activities through donations and fundraising efforts like selling fireworks at New Year’s. As soon as there’s an emergency, or the threat of an emergency, they’re out there performing deeds that can only be described as immensely heroic.

WE’VE HAD REPEATED CLOUDBURSTS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS
Very rare here in Niceland, where we’re more prone to getting drizzle and fog. Anyway, it’s rained buckets – looks like we’re finally being delivered the rain we didn’t get earlier in the summer. Which is fine because it’s conducive to staying inside and working, which is what my life pretty much revolves around right about now. Temps 12°C [55F] and the sun came up this morning at 5:39 and set at 9:20 this evening.

* I don’t want to suggest that only foreign travelers get caught up in dangerous situations – Icelanders are definitely not exempt.
** I realize I may sound insensitive to the case of these two men, but truly I’m not. I sincerely hope they’re found alive – but I have to say that, all things considered, it’s not very likely.

Or do you think I'm taking that cover too literally?

The one meme question I always wished someone would ask me is: 'What celebrity annoys you the most?' because in contrast to most other meme questions, I know exactly what I would answer.

Victoria Beckham.

I dunno - the very sight of Victoria Beckham irks me. I think it's that self-important way she rushes around with that 'I'M SUCH A BIG CELEBRITY THAT I HAVE TO RUSH PAST YOU WITH THESE SUNGLASSES ON BECAUSE THE PAPARAZZI ARE ON MY ARSE,' look. Or the 'hip-thrust-out-with-perpetual-pout' look. Or because for a few years, not a week would go by when she and Daivid were not on the cover of frigging OK or HELLO, having their supertacky throned wedding and other trivialities hyped to the sixes. Like that ludicrous media circus surrounding their move to America. I mean - hello!! Has no one ever moved to another country before!? Ever!?

And now, just when you thought VB had exhausted her capacity for tackiness she gives us Victoria Beckham: THE BOOK. In which she teaches you how to shit - in Prada.

NEXT THING YOU KNOW SHE'LL BE DOING NAKED WEATHER REPORTS
... which incidentally is a very popular googlie around these, um, parts. We had more sun today although a bit more cloud cover than yesterday, and a definite chill in the air. The wind died down a bit though. In two days' time we have our Culture Night celebrations plus the Reykjavík Marathon [no I'm not going - don't bother asking] a.k.a. the Biggest Party of the Summer. For which we'd like to place our order of warm, sunny and no wind, please. Current temps 10°C [50F] and sunrise was at 5:20 am, sunset at 9:41 pm.