October 2004

BIG NEWS today - first the headlines:

TEACHERS’ STRIKE PUT ON HOLD

OIL COMPANIES FINED FOR ILLICIT COLLABORATION

The details:

Indeed, the teachers’ strike has been postponed pending the passing of a mediation proposal. State negotiator has introduced the proposal and now it just needs to be passed. Please! Kids to return to school on Monday. (but in the event that the proposal is rejected will once again be cut adrift in about ten days time. Which one trusts will not happen.)

The four major oil companies in Iceland have just been fined a total of 2.6 billion Icelandic crowns for illicit collaboration. Those bleeping (insert descriptive noun) collaborated surreptitiously for nine years on pricing, mark-ups, discounts, tendering, and division of the market. They even went so far as to collaborate on Christmas presents for their staff! In other words, us poor unsuspecting gas users were being held hostage by those greedy (repeat with descriptive noun), who were lining their pockets with smirks on their faces the whole time. Their defense? “Uh, we didn’t know”. Ya, right. Which is why instructions were given to delete all emails pertaining to the collaboration, to not hand any pertinent documents “over the table” and not to show “insufferable carelessness” by sending faxes.

Hats off to the Monopolies Commission, which took the initiative and raided the oil companies’ offices without warning. Keep up the good work, fellas!

Weather: mild, temps around 6 degree mark (Celsius), wet. Not bad for running, which YT has already crossed off the to-do list. Some days just can’t do a damn thing without my run except sit at the computer and stare at the screen wie ein Zombie.

Sunrise: 9.02; sunset: 17.19. Getting darker!

This is awful! I hide my head in shame! Just a couple of hours after merrily declaring my intention to watch the lunar eclipse I completely and totally Forgot! Come midnight my sole concern was getting my butt to bed so I could continue reading the novel I am currently submerged in. My first thought as I came to this morning was: Oh, no! The eclipse!

I’ll now have to wait until 2007 to see the next one.

But on to more vital concerns: like the weather. Currently I can see slush on the windshields of the cars outside in the parking lot. There are puddles, fringed with white. Clouds in the sky, raindrops streaking my (now sort of clean - EPI and I scrubbed ‘em) windows. Trees are a-swayin’, but only minutely, like sleepy kids. On the mbl.is web the temperature is listed as -0 degrees. As opposed to 0 degrees yesterday. Yah.

On the agenda today is a demonstration downtown to protest a ruling passed recently in municipal court. In this particular case, a man got a suspended sentence in a domestic abuse case (slamming his wife against the floor so that she sustained injuries to the head; she also accused him of attempted rape, which was not proven). The ruling states that the marriage has been “stormy” from the beginning yet that the wife has never before filed charges. Also that - pay attention now - she provoked the abuse because he believed her to have cheated on him. Oh, and later it transpired that he had received a conditional three-month sentence several years ago for beating his former wife - not admissible evidence in court, but significant nonetheless.

Words fail. How completely and utterly ignorant must people be to pass such judgements?

Sunrise was at 8.59; sunset is set for 17.23.

Saved blogging for the evening hours, post- dinner and ER. ER is one of my three must-watch TV shows each week, others being The Sopranos and Six Feet Under - a new series of which started here on Monday night. SFU has some of the most interesting characterization ever seen on telly in MHO. They’re all so deliciously weird and off-kilter, and the undertaker-setting is irresistible. Mm. Loved that scene where bereaved old Nate gives some other poor sod’s ashes to Lisa’s dysfunctional family and buries Lisa himself in the ground beneath a tree. Poetic!

Worked hard this morning, then took a break to jog in fantastic weather … an idyllic scene, not a cloud in the sky, a shimmering powder blue sheen on the sea, the seals off the coast lounging on their rocks soaking up the rays, the waves gently lapping, me running in slo-mo to the Chariots of Fire soundtrack. (OK so I made that last bit up.) Temps were around the freezing mark but it didn’t matter because there was no wind. Long leisurely stretch afterwards, then back to work for a while. Overcome by my own brilliance in wordsmithing, I decided to pull myself down to earth by visiting the Kringlan mall and returning the offending presents from the other day (see post about Christening a couple days back). That went off without a hitch, so I decided to reward myself by buying a really flashy, funky pair of black leather knee-high boots. They cost about ten times as much as the prezzies I returned, but hey. Creative problem-solving in action.

We’re gearing up for a lunar eclipse this evening, scheduled for around midnight. (Hm - should that perhaps have been the primary topic of this post? Something interesting and meaningful, as opposed to my own irrelevant navel-gazing?) I don’t presume to think that this is the only place on the planet able to see the eclipse, but wouldn’t it be super-cool if it was! At any rate, I expect EPI and I will bundle up in our down jackets and go outside with our sunglasses (d’oh! - or not) and see what we can see. Watch the space - which is exactly what we’ll be doing!

Not the most original title, but absolutely spot-on. Temps around the freezing mark plus windchill factor make this a day not to go out without stockings underneath yer jeans unless you want to suffer frozen-thigh syndrome!

Set the alarm to wake me this morning as this was a day in which I had to Do Important Stuff. Reflected as I lay beneath the duvet in a half-slumbrous state on one of my most favourite inventions of the 20th century - the snooze button. How ingenious is that?! A button that gives you the illusion that you can fall asleep again - and yet be perfectly safe in the assurance that you won’t miss that important meeting! In my humble opinion, the inventor of the snooze button should be awarded the Nobel prize. In something. Snoozing, maybe.

Have been dealing with serious Pubescent Behaviour Disorder in AAH, daughter, aged 13. Am not receiving high marks in the mothering department these days. Is there a trick to this? Someone send me a manual, please - serious malfunction happening … beep! blap! bibopib!!

Sunrise/sunset - 8.53/17.29. Respectively and all that.

Frost on car windshields this morning. The sun is shining, the trees are unmoving, and the sky is streaked with smooth white clouds. Have as yet to venture outside but look forward to it. Hope to get there before clouds cover sky completely, which is what they say will happen. Later.

Caught an interview with Paulo Coelho on Icelandic national telly last night and am well and truly smitten. He’s in Iceland on a visit (well he’s probably gone now) - not to promote the publication of his newest book (Eleven Minutes), as everyone seems to think (he does not need to promote it, as he tactfully reminded the interviewer, it’s at the top of the bestseller list already) but because he’s wanted to come here for a long time (Paulo! We love you for deigning to do so! - this an example of Buried Icelandic Insecurity Complex). Was so impressed with his intelligence and wit. Have not read anything by him but that’s about to change - first thing I did this morning was to order The Alchemist and Veronica Decides to Die.

EPI latched onto the idea that Paulo was Portuguese - telling, because EPI and I love all things Portuguese. (Overstatement: but you get the picture. Have vacationed twice in Portugal and couldn’t fault it). But of course he’s Brazilian, he just speaks Portuguese.

Interesting picture on the front of Fréttablaðið this morning (Icelandic daily paper, delivered free, caught of late in intense battle between government and world-domination-or-death firm Baugur, currently elbowing out government mouthpiece Morgunblaðið, highly interesting story but too long to record here). Picture shows group of Asian men in a bar, staring at something that is likely a TV screen, laughing and jumping around in intense jubliation as men do when Their Team Scores. Before reading the caption I automatically assumed that this was in Asia but NO - here was a photo of Man United supporters celebrating in our very own homogenised little Reykjavík! In other words, Icelandic media MAY have started recognizing the fact that there are other ethnic groups that inhabit this little North-Atlantic rock. Fréttablaðið - GoGoGo!

Sunrise at 8.50; sunset at 17.33.

Today’s weather is ‘window-weather’ as they say here. (Yes, you could be forgiven for thinking I am completely obsessed with both windows and weather. You would be wrong, though; it’s purely a coincidence.) Window weather means that it looks a lot warmer from the window than it actually is. It is actually is very cold. But looks warmer.

EPI, my Significant Other, and I got up this morning and bundled up for a walk out to the bakery. On the day’s agenda was the Christening of EPI’s niece and nephew - who are so-adorable twins generally referred to as he and she. EPI had gone out yesterday to buy presents for them and naturally Yours Truly had to have an opinion on EPI’s present selection. Felt they weren’t quite up to standard; felt her present wasn’t quite as good as his present.

Now, EPI and I have a terrible habit - we’re always at the last minute. Rushing around, trying to get ready, searching for gloves and keys, cell phones, purse (mine), then sprinting out the door like hares in a race. And just to ensure that we’d definitely be keeping to tradition today, YT thought she’d just pop over to the mall with just over an hour to go in order to pick up a little additional something. So off I went, purse-a-swingin’, boots a-clickin’. Sashaying through the mall, into this store and that, finally coming up with a couple of presents I thought were pretty good! One pink, the other blue. I’m not gonna say what they are because a) I feel stoopid b) we may give them to the babies yet - only on another occasion.

So I dash back home in the nick of time, well pleased with my present selection, and open the boxes to proudly show EPI, whose smile kind of freezes on his face. Seems this is one of those Icelandic things that YT is blissfully ignorant of - still, even after ten years in this country. There are certain rules. There are certain presents one gives at Christenings (weddings, confirmations, major birthdays…) and there are certain presents one does not. These were the sort of presents one does not. And to add grey to black (as the Icelanders say), when the contents of the pink box were examined, they turned out to be orange. So we have disaster and double-disaster.

To cut a long story short, EPI’s original presents were the ones that were presented and I was reminded of how one can complicate life unduly. But in the end it didn’t matter because the Christening was lovely and now he and she have names: Ingvar Steinn and Vaka Sigríður.

Sunrise: 8.47; sunset 17.36.

Sunny and damned cold! Appropriate considering it’s the first day of winter according to the old Icelandic calendar. That nasty wind is the culprit once more … crept back in during the night after a welcome absence over these past two days or so. Strange how it never seems cold in Iceland except when there’s a wind.
Interesting tid-bit in the paper this morning. Seems Icelandair has been doing some investing and bought a share in EasyJet. That’s low-cost airline EasyJet and high-cost airline Icelandair, incidentally. Wonder what that will mean for those of us who are almost totally dependent on Icelandair to get us off this barren rock. Will it translate into cheaper air fares?
Until recently, Icelandair charged whatever they pleased and we, the humble proletariat of Iceland, had to fork it over if we wanted to see the world. Trips to North America were the privilege of the well-to-do or those travelling on business accounts - and indeed, still are. (Meanwhile, North Americans can visit Iceland for a song as we have been enlisted to supplement their fares to Europe. Is this just?) Then came deliverance in the form of low-cost airline Iceland Express, which offered flights to both London and Copenhagen. Finally, competition for Icelandair - which responded by substantially reducing its fares to Europe. Yay!
When Iceland Express recently announced that they were going to sack (that’s ‘fire’ to you Americans) all their flight attendants and re-hire them for reasons of efficiency, a ripple of fear coursed through the Icelandic nation. How to interpret this? Were Iceland Express going bust? If such a calamity were to occur, we would be back under the boots of Icelandair, who would undoubtedly not be long in jacking up them fares again. Oy!
So what’s in the cards now? One wonders. Will EasyJet be brought in to oust Iceland Express - or will Icelandair simply keep their money overseas and focus on the European market? Will Iceland Express continue to be the salvation of the Icelandic traveller? Will all three airlines take the stand on Icelandic soil and battle it out for domination - because, let’s face it, with a mere 290,000 punters domestically, the market ain’t exactly worth its weight in gold.
Sunrise was at 8.44 - sunset scheduled for 17.39.

Arrr… a mighty fine day it is today! The sun shines, the wind is somewhere else making life miserable, the temperatures are … wait, haven’t been out yet. But I opened a (still dirt-encrusted) window and I think it’s cold.

Latest window update: yesterday one of my upstairs neighbours decided to take matters into his own hands and splash water (sideways) onto his windows in an effort to cleanse it. Needless to say, water leaked down the entire building and has now resulted in a loverrly striped pattern on my kitchen pane. I’m not sure which is worse but I am sure that radical action is needed - no, I’m not talking about strangling upstairs neighbour … I lean towards getting a ladder and window-cleaning gizmo on a broomstick and scrubbing the damn things clean.

Anyway, weather is conducive to running so yours truly is content. Not so regarding the current teachers’ strike here in Iceland, which is into its fifth week. Parties stubbornly refusing to yield, state negotiator has thrown in the towel (who can blame him?) and won’t call another negotiation for two more weeks. Two weeks! Six- and seven year olds looking after themselves at home, 13-14 year olds crusing around in ma and pa’s car in the middle of the night (I kid not! No pun intended) Cops pulled over a car last night with a bunch of teenagers aged just that, out for a little early-morning spin, parents thought they were safe and snug in their beddie-byes. I mean, why not just skip the entire year - hell, skip school entirely! Send them off on the freezer trawlers to get a proper education!!

Sunrise here in Iceland was at 8.40 this morning; sunset will be at 17.43. Heading into the darkness, mmmhhhoooohahah..

Windows still a vague brownish hue. Acting as a filter - diffused light coming through. However, wind has slowed and the sun is shining and it is a beeauuutiful day! Took a lengthy walk to ‘weather myself’ as the Icelanders say and was not sorry. Oxygen tanked, ready for the remainder of the day.

Car - also known as ‘the unit’ - was the same colour as window pane. It virtually sparkled - on account of the salt that had blown from nearby sea and encrusted its unsuspecting body. Made a stop, therefore, at one of the ubiquitous washing lots adjacent to most gas stations in this country. For those of you who can’t picture it, these have parking spaces at which there are hoses with brushes attached - turn on the tap and rinse your car for free. Arrived and there was only one other car … yet within minutes the lot was full and cars were a-waiting. Anyway, next to me a delivery van parks. Man hops out, grabs brush and proceeds to rinse off his vehicle - but leaves the engine running. I was treated to lungfuls of diesel fumes while tending to the unit. Unnice.

Sometimes just I don’t get them Icelanders. They’ve got one of the most amazing natural and pristine environments in the world yet they seem less concerned than any nation on earth with keeping it that way! If I had a dime for every time I have seen bottles/newspapers dumped in the household trash! And air pollution - what air pollution? Oh, you mean that yellowy-greyish haze that hangs over the bay on still autumn days? Well, that’ll blow away with the next gust of wind, won’t it?