It's gotta be Icelandic!
You know what, I used to think that for those who really want to quit smoking, a trip to Iceland would come in handy. Try lighting your smoke in these winds with your fingers freezing and you'll know what I am talking about. Since last year smoking inside pubs and restaurants has been forbidden here in Iceland and silly me figured a lot of people would just quit. Silly me!
A snow house for smokers in the north western part of Iceland.
The smoking ban seems to have the greatest impact on owners of pubs and restaurants. Clients, especially during winter just stay home -which I think is not that bad a thing- over the weekends and smoke there. It's tough braving Icelandic weather with a smokey habit.
One owner decided to use all the snow outside his front door, shove it together and make a snowhouse outside his establishment. It took one day to build. Inside there are chairs and candles and two chimneys. Now our dare-devils can light up and not be blown away by wind, or moved to the emergency room with second-degree burns.
You gotta give the guy (Erik Newman) credit for such warm imagination in such a cold reality.
A snow house for smokers in the north western part of Iceland.
The smoking ban seems to have the greatest impact on owners of pubs and restaurants. Clients, especially during winter just stay home -which I think is not that bad a thing- over the weekends and smoke there. It's tough braving Icelandic weather with a smokey habit.
One owner decided to use all the snow outside his front door, shove it together and make a snowhouse outside his establishment. It took one day to build. Inside there are chairs and candles and two chimneys. Now our dare-devils can light up and not be blown away by wind, or moved to the emergency room with second-degree burns.
You gotta give the guy (Erik Newman) credit for such warm imagination in such a cold reality.Labels: Iceland
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
5 pm
Monday, December 03, 2007
And so it begins...
For those of you who care...my first exam in Sociology was this morning from 9-12 and I did ok. I even wrote a rather long essay in Icelandic, that will probably defy the law of comprehensibility, but they made me do it! I drew little sketches on the side to clarify my point since writing in English was forbidden. And I am not one to let an opportunity to wish my teacher a very Merry Christmas go by ... so I did; in all languages that I know except English of course -wouldn't wanna break the rules! Now excuse me while I go and check up on my horses for the rest of the day:
Labels: Iceland
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Ice-skating
You know what they say. When your heart feels a bit cold, go ice-skating. That way you can introduce the rest of your body to lower temperatures and balance it all out.
A bunch of us, I think we were up to 10, decided to hit the skating ring this afternoon. This was gonna be special...because it was Gretar's first time.
You are kidding me, right? Whose grand idea was this? We live in Iceland. Are you expecting me to take this seriously?
I don't like the look of this. Now would be a grand time for anyone of you guys to come and help me off this ice. Anyone?
Just so you know...when I get out of here, I'll be having contact with the children protection agency. Ok, one foot slides to the side and then I drag the other along...check!
Out of my way...this is so much fun!
See, what little Gretar did not know is that he was born with it...sliding over ice is the third foremost DNA cocktail passed on through the generations around these shores. And once he found his slide, he joined the rest of us trying to push each other off our skates.
Happy weekend everybody!
A bunch of us, I think we were up to 10, decided to hit the skating ring this afternoon. This was gonna be special...because it was Gretar's first time.
You are kidding me, right? Whose grand idea was this? We live in Iceland. Are you expecting me to take this seriously?
I don't like the look of this. Now would be a grand time for anyone of you guys to come and help me off this ice. Anyone?
Just so you know...when I get out of here, I'll be having contact with the children protection agency. Ok, one foot slides to the side and then I drag the other along...check!
Out of my way...this is so much fun!
See, what little Gretar did not know is that he was born with it...sliding over ice is the third foremost DNA cocktail passed on through the generations around these shores. And once he found his slide, he joined the rest of us trying to push each other off our skates.
Happy weekend everybody!
Labels: Iceland
And just when you thought ...
you had at least some strings in the puppet show called life, it comes collapsing down on you.
Most of you know that I have a love/hate relationship with the ice cube I live on. A passion that sometimes tears me apart.
When I go outside and just drive around the beauty enthralls me, makes me breathe and tempts me to stretch my wings and fly. And then you engage with its people and boom...you get whacked over the head and brought back down to reality.
Icelanders would never admit to it, but they are a bit xenophobic and by typing "a bit" I am being polite and trying to spare some people's feelings. Equality of the genders is rather far advanced on this petite little island, equality of people...not so much.
You will always be a foreigner here, regardless of how long you stay and how many people's family trees you can rattle down by heart.
There is a different kind of glass-ceiling and regardless how hard you try to throw the stone to smash it, it won't even leave a trace.
I am so tired of fighting...
Most of you know that I have a love/hate relationship with the ice cube I live on. A passion that sometimes tears me apart.
When I go outside and just drive around the beauty enthralls me, makes me breathe and tempts me to stretch my wings and fly. And then you engage with its people and boom...you get whacked over the head and brought back down to reality.
Icelanders would never admit to it, but they are a bit xenophobic and by typing "a bit" I am being polite and trying to spare some people's feelings. Equality of the genders is rather far advanced on this petite little island, equality of people...not so much.
You will always be a foreigner here, regardless of how long you stay and how many people's family trees you can rattle down by heart.
There is a different kind of glass-ceiling and regardless how hard you try to throw the stone to smash it, it won't even leave a trace.
I am so tired of fighting...
Labels: Iceland