tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73859805862094947322024-02-09T02:25:21.800-08:00Someone in IcelandMefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7385980586209494732.post-16145462203682852252017-01-29T15:09:00.001-08:002017-01-29T16:20:55.654-08:00Social media experiment: Good vibes all around<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In an effort to recognize good humans doing good things, I
have decided to set myself a little task…</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I will post a memory about every single one of my friends on
Facebook, and reflect on their impact, on me or on the world at large. It is my
hope that in doing so, I can make better use of social media to achieve what
the technology was intended to do... strengthen human connection.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Okay, I always knew she was a bit of a weirdo... Why?</div>
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Social media is a strange phenomenon. I often wonder about
its power and influence on our lives and our perceptions of human existence.
How can it be that it is simultaneously so simple to connect and yet so distant
from anything resembling actual social interaction in real life? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Stay in touch! Don't forget to write!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am bad at staying in touch. I always have been. Friends
come into life because of circumstance or shared interests and then fade away
towards other things. Life evolves. New chapters open. People move on. The
strange thing about modern life is that people who would have blurred into
foggy memory in previous generations now stare through my screen every day in
sharp relief. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I look at Facebook every day. Sometimes, after my kids are
asleep, I sit on the couch and scroll through on my phone, clicking through
news articles, blog posts, videos, photos, and anything else that the algorithm
knows I want to see. I click on things that make me angry, or make me laugh. I
always feel afterwards like I have wasted valuable time. I could have done
something more productive, or more useful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, more than ever, we all need a digital hug<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I wake up now to news I don’t like. What used to feel like a
casual meander through the news feed while sipping my morning coffee has turned
into a cloud of blind rage. People in my echo-chamber are pissed, and with good
reason. I could just stop. Log off. Delete my account. I’ve seriously considered
it; bunker down and wait for the storm to pass. That doesn’t feel right. I need
to see, to learn, and to be involved in any way I can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It isn’t all doom and gloom. I also see work and dedication
and beauty and progress. I see people I met a decade and a half ago who have
become active professionals, and parents, and are working everyday to fix
problems. That’s not gloomy, it’s inspirational!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My little social media experiment<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t want to share negativity. I want to recognize grace.
If I am going to be dinking around on social media, I want to change the way I
use it so that I can actually build a social connection through more than
“liking” posts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I have been on Facebook for about fourteen years. In that
time, I have gathered just about 800 friends. Some of them I know very well and
speak to on a regular basis. With others, our lives touched in person only
briefly, over a summer or at a party, or some other random chance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In an effort to recognize good humans doing good things, I
have decided to set myself a little task. I will post a memory about every
single one of my friends on Facebook, and reflect on their impact, on me or on
the world at large. It is my hope that in doing so, I can make better use of
social media to achieve what the technology was intended to do... strengthen
human connection.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mary Frances<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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(Side note re. privacy: If for any reason you are reading
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included, just let me know and I will remove the post asap, no hard feelings)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7385980586209494732.post-68413399379547350722015-07-02T04:31:00.000-07:002015-07-02T04:49:45.255-07:00Parking in Iceland: A Primer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I like to consider myself a reasonably well-traveled lady. I have been fortunate to enjoy a fair few places in my three decades on this earth. I have seen and experienced a range of languages, cultures, food, celebrations, music, dancing, and the daily grind from South East Asia to Europe, to Saharan Africa, and the Pacific Islands.<br />
<br />
My point in bringing this up is not to brag or rub it in your face how lucky I am to have seen all these amazing places, but rather to lend myself credibility in your eyes...so that you will believe me when I tell you that in all my relatively vast globe trotting adventures, I have never seen more atrocious parking than in my dear adopted nation of Iceland. <br />
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When I lived in Seattle, seeing a parking guard writing a ticket used to fill me with a sense of compassion mixed with a twinge of sadness. I would think, "Oh, that poor guy. Getting a ticket sucks! He's probably right around the corner, and he's like five minutes over the meter, and that mean cop is giving him a ticket. Shitty luck."<br />
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It wasn't until moving to Iceland when the sight of a parking guard writing a ticket put a smile on my face. Now it makes me gitty. It's exhilarating. A thrill. I want to go up and shake the ticket writer's hand and give him a pat on the back. "Keep up the good work, buddy! You're doing great!"<br />
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Icelanders follow their own rules about parking. I have taken the liberty of writing them down for you, so you may better understand the ways and customs of our people. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiruo2kSu8ug_Gsc4m9fIUwsa9KOjK366rPU9nMC3JfDngHQdiT_ZwMtjepJ0uuaeGqKi4uaBNLQ5SVz6IxWbaEYp3Tjw6fJ1M-xgLlfukCArVKABeW6nXVw4ijNeP9ukEeOQBiHzf_HR/s1600/Parking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiruo2kSu8ug_Gsc4m9fIUwsa9KOjK366rPU9nMC3JfDngHQdiT_ZwMtjepJ0uuaeGqKi4uaBNLQ5SVz6IxWbaEYp3Tjw6fJ1M-xgLlfukCArVKABeW6nXVw4ijNeP9ukEeOQBiHzf_HR/s640/Parking.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we see our Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davið Gunnlaugsson, following the basic rules for Icelandic parking to the letter. You're an inspiration, Simmi D. A true inspiration to us all! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>1. If there is not already a car there, it's a spot. </b><br />
This is the basic principle that governs all parking logic in Iceland: I am in a car. I want to go to place "X" so I drive as close to X as my car can take me, and then I find a place where there is not already a car, and put my car there. Voila! Parked! All other parking rules fall under the umbrella of rule #1.<br />
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<b>2. </b><b>Signs and markings are more like suggestions </b><br />
When witnessing the effects of rule #1 of Icelandic parking, an outsider might be inclined to point out to the driver in question that there are signs indicating where society has deemed it appropriate to park and where it has not. Moreover, there are often painted lines on the ground to serve the same purpose. Here we see the trump effects of rule #1 in action. Assume that the "but I wanted to go there" logic will win out in every case. <br />
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<b>3. The rules are for other people. </b><br />
So why the signs and lines mentioned in rule #2? Comeon! We are not barbarians! We understand that if everyone just parked wherever the hell they wanted, society would fall into chaos. We would all be stuck in a constant traffic jam; a confused mess of dented doors and honking horns and congestion. We absolutely need the signs and lines so everybody can get the places they need to go and do what they need to do. Just not me. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>4. The bigger your car, the more important it is, and by extension, the more important you are. </b><br />
Let's be real, people. I have a teeny tiny penis. I mean, we're talkin' hung like a double A battery kind of small. To make myself feel more important and domineering, I bought a ginormous Land Rover on credit. I earned the right to put my giant <strike>cock</strike> SUV wherever I want to put it. I can drive through rivers. Can your little car do that? I'd bet not. My car is so big, I basically need two spaces anyway, so I will just park in the middle. I'm actually doing a favor to the other cars, since if I tried to pull into one of those tight little spots with all my massiveness, I might hurt your unfortunate small car. <br />
<br />
<b>5. If your wheels can drive on it, it's "road" enough to park on. </b><br />
There's a fine line between "sidewalk" and "street." This line is typically called a "curb." As we learned in rule #4, the bigger your car, the more important you are, and the concepts of curbs start to matter less and less. If your wheels are large enough to carry your car up the curb, you've got yourself a parking spot! The same principle applies to areas bearing zero resemblance to a "road" as we commonly use the word. By which I mean, fields, highlands, beaches, the median, streams, glaciers...if your wheels can take you there, it's for driving, and thus...parking!<br />
<br />
<b>*Note:</b> If you are confused about the basic Icelandic parking rules, or find yourself asking the question, "Really? Do Icelanders park like that?" I refer you to the sterling guidelines provided on the facebook page "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/135626929316/" target="_blank">Lærðu að Leggja!!</a>" (translation: "learn to park!!") where you can peruse some excellent crowd-sourced examples of the Icelandic parking rules in action, executed precisely as intended. <br />
<br /></div>
Mefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7385980586209494732.post-16238874127659071402015-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:002015-06-18T12:55:54.991-07:002 X @ 65°N<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Iceland
is one of the best places on the planet to have a pussy. Or, I should say, one of the best places to be a woman, since we all know that our junk doesn't have as much to do with our gender as folks used to think (thank you Caitlin Jenner and Buck Angel). </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWFb1cKg3lq6U26JQRmWRqpPiD_PX60uYiRbpBSEzXvY-uJo00fD4yxTgMw-VcgGXrgCh1PRXUZ9-ZFAuuJrQ5gfwenVmE891LpUOxO3Yv2bZ044bwamEhX3ycLkjH9aPLlEkxG_ThdN2/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWFb1cKg3lq6U26JQRmWRqpPiD_PX60uYiRbpBSEzXvY-uJo00fD4yxTgMw-VcgGXrgCh1PRXUZ9-ZFAuuJrQ5gfwenVmE891LpUOxO3Yv2bZ044bwamEhX3ycLkjH9aPLlEkxG_ThdN2/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">It's
not just a hunch, this is science, people. The gender inequity index is used by
the United Nations Development Program as a way to measure the health of
a society when it comes to things like reproductive health services,
empowerment, and access to the labor market...There are a whole bunch of indices like this that aim to categorize, measure,
and rank developmental progress over time. When applied to nations, </span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Iceland kicks ass every time.
</span> Safe to say that on a global scale, Iceland is way ahead of the
game when it comes to treating women like people. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Keeping
in mind that I come from a country of transvaginal ultrasounds, legitimate
rape, victim-blaming, and an equal pay amendment that has been shelved so often my grandmother
burned her bra fighting for the damned thing when she was my age…anything above
a burka on the whole gender equality spectrum can sometimes feel like moving to
a post-feminist utopia. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">As
the proud owner of both a pussy and rational common sense, I have been
a feminist as long as I can remember. Even if I was not, I think it is
impossible to move to this country and not incorporate a staunch feminist
perspective into your worldview. For instance, when receiving her/his kennitala
and residence permit, each new Icelander is automatically linked to Hildur
Lilliendahl's twitter account, and then receives a militant feminist starter
kit, complete with the collected works of Gloria Steinem, a 'this is what a
feminist looks like' tee-shirt, a round of Plan B, a butt plug with
"patriarchy" written up the side, and a pair of woolen red
stockings. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">In
truth, living here, working here, parenting here, gender is just a part of the
conversation. It's in the air, and deeply ingrained in the culture. This has
developed over time, and it has been a struggle for people here for
generations. This week we celebrate the 100 year anniversary of women's
suffrage in Iceland. Offices and schools are closing so we mothers,
sisters, and daughters and friends can go march downtown and pay homage to the women who marched for rights before us and battles we are still fighting. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">It wasn't long ago that daily life was drastically different for women in Iceland. </span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">What fascinates me is how quickly things can change when people decide to take a stand for what's right. </span>Parallels can be drawn with the gay right's movement, which within a generation moved from serious taboo to one of the largest points of national pride. The size of the place must have something to do with the speed at which social progress can take place here. We all know somebody who is gay or trans, and of course we all have mothers. In a small society, the wrath of public opinion cuts deep. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I
have some theories about why Iceland is so progressive in terms of gender
equality, which basically boil down to the fact that the women are fierce and
the men are smart. And also, the people here are practical and must realize that equal treatment is good for everyone in the long run. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Let's
start in 1975. On a regular, boring (probably cold and windy) October day that
year, 90% of the women in Iceland went on strike. They refused to cook, clean,
take care of kids, leaving bewildered husbands to fend for themselves. Women
from all ages and walks of life gathered together for a quiet protest. If the
Icelandic women I know are any indication, this must have been simultaneously
the classiest and most rational protest in history. It was also massively
effective. Five years later, Iceland elected Europe's first female president,
Vigdis Finnbogadottir. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">(Vigdis, btw, is a serious bad ass. </span><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".5a.$<1434640818635=22634856885-4104798902@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".5a.$<1434640818635=22634856885-4104798902@mail=1projektitan=1com>.2:0.0.0.0.0.0">Personally, I fell head over heels for her when I heard about the time during the campaign for the presidency when Vigdis, a cancer survivor, was asked if having only one breast would make the job of the presidency harder, responded, "I had not planned to breastfeed the nation." Unleash the dragons, Khaleesi is coming to Westeros!!!)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJla_9kH0098b_a9byndOta48PZUpmIiUb2S40AmrWXOzp_WQfYGWCh9q98oiDIt3M1sWEwhKkcQMDFvV-Fko5LtfXA2RpUXWc5_ZC2gFWSNNp_11Q8usV9jmeO4RFIO8pw8fCt8YwIfc/s1600/top-10-sexiest-women-in-iceland-2014-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJla_9kH0098b_a9byndOta48PZUpmIiUb2S40AmrWXOzp_WQfYGWCh9q98oiDIt3M1sWEwhKkcQMDFvV-Fko5LtfXA2RpUXWc5_ZC2gFWSNNp_11Q8usV9jmeO4RFIO8pw8fCt8YwIfc/s400/top-10-sexiest-women-in-iceland-2014-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I
imagine that some of the women who made the decision to strike (or, take a
"day off" as they chose to call it back then) had a hard time making
the decision to do so. When you push back against a culture representing all
you've ever known, the thought process and decision to take action must be
terrifying. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">The
thing is, young Icelandic women are still at it. And it's like witnessing a
force of nature to watch the mountains these fearless, empowered women can
shake! In the past few years, Iceland has seen the emergence of slut-walking,
nipple-freeing, fadu-ja-ing. Women here are still pushing the conversation.
Still illuminating for the rest of us the cracks in our societal
structure. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7iXWaSjzVko_UDTbVd719HM9rKAV0BexIN2YyUIkcIYhUbiSp8eEbCiVb2KIBnrulKtXIK0wWL4pbKz6jIOwOdayVChZnidVQgFAp97f-gxOaTlMGv7NzQpXRMyNW0mfbNTr1VUHfaX0/s1600/CBim9TSWIAAqWN8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7iXWaSjzVko_UDTbVd719HM9rKAV0BexIN2YyUIkcIYhUbiSp8eEbCiVb2KIBnrulKtXIK0wWL4pbKz6jIOwOdayVChZnidVQgFAp97f-gxOaTlMGv7NzQpXRMyNW0mfbNTr1VUHfaX0/s400/CBim9TSWIAAqWN8.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">As
Emma Watson likes to say, gender equality isn't a women's issue. It makes me
wonder about Icelandic men. What did they think when they were left with
armfuls of laundry and a bunch of screaming, hungry children? I imagine that if
it were me in that situation, I would be furious....and then really fucking
humble really fucking fast. Evolution in thought about big issues like equality
and justice has to take place in minds and hearts of all people for progress to
manifest. Icelandic men must have felt the struggle, too. They must have
appreciated, and empathized in a real, tangible way, how hard it was to walk in
a woman's shoes. And not just because of the pinchy toes and high heels. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">So,
here's the bad news...the uncomfortable little irritation in our collective
progressive, chart-topping pussies. We know Iceland leads the world in this
whole gender equality stuff, but we are still not there. <a href="http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2014/economies/#economy=ISL" target="_blank">The Gender Gap Index of 2014, </a>scores total equality at 1.0, and Iceland (best in the world, mind you)
scored (drumroll) a whopping 0.895. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">We
have a pay gap. Even here, in my post-feminist utopia. In 2015. I hear so many
stories of unfair treatment in the workplace or in business that make you stop
and think, "No! Not in Iceland! You are supposed to be better than
this!" </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even one orange or yellow facebook profile picture is too much. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">There is still a big problem here with micro aggression (</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.unh.edu/sites/www.unh.edu/files/departments/affirmative_action_and_equity_office/unh-advance_microaggressions_v3-a.pdf" target="_blank">good theoretical framework...look it up</a>. Basically, it is a "brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership") Like
the time at my work when I told an older male colleague that I was going to a
conference with him and he said, "Oh, are you going to be there to get my
coffee?" </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">OR,
the time a fellow pussy-owner and her male partner expressed interest in the
same (exact) car and the same (yes, the same exact) dealer offered it to him
for 50 thousand cheaper. Why, my friend asked. "It is an automatic, so it
is more desirable for women to drive, since it is easier" (ack! where's my
patriarchy butt plug when I need it?!)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">OR
another friend, who was offered a one of three open positions with the same
employer. The other two new-hires were offered contracts to sign immediately,
and she was told she would need to wait to sign hers until after she comes back
from maternity leave. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">My
mother in law says it will take generations to change. I don't doubt it will.
It's never over; it is an evolution of thought and attitude. It is changing a
culture. It is progress, development of humanity. The battles this generation
has to fight are different than the ones our mothers and grandmothers faced.
The spirit and sacrifice of those women and men should reverberate in all our
hearts as we mark the anniversary of women's suffrage here in Iceland. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2KuwVipU9ddYEcO-np4sJKrzv39aa2S9pyF1whjnnrKtMkp7inqx_kiiJl2iKt20nvhHZpS-5AYHoxUN-FGjyZlnev16KegbWnIORqO9PEISBlvsPJON3x3sQddu8T-J9cyDETLXfX8h/s1600/20150618_165348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2KuwVipU9ddYEcO-np4sJKrzv39aa2S9pyF1whjnnrKtMkp7inqx_kiiJl2iKt20nvhHZpS-5AYHoxUN-FGjyZlnev16KegbWnIORqO9PEISBlvsPJON3x3sQddu8T-J9cyDETLXfX8h/s400/20150618_165348.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">But
when my Icelandic five-year old daughter busts out in song, belting out a
feminist anthem (Afram stelpur) at the breakfast table last weekend, I am proud
to live in a place where she has the power to speak up. In Iceland, we women
mother-loving do! </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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Mefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7385980586209494732.post-40317030811367570182015-06-16T05:02:00.001-07:002015-06-16T07:52:43.603-07:00 Tyrany of Tiny: Viking heart in a cute little package<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
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<![endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Be warned,
Iceland, your toes are about to get stepped on by a loud, pushy American. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Any
conversation about life and culture in Iceland exists against the backdrop of its
size. By which I mean, it is impossible to move discussion forward in a
meaningful way without a nod to the size of Iceland and the impacts that size
has on its people and culture. So bear with me a moment, while I respectfully
and with the deepest love possible, tear this tiny little island to pieces with
my big-bossy-loud-mouthy American perspective on things.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBD3uFb7G5fCL5w0N9q8mv0d1mhPp2JHd1xPmo09PtfK7ls-YHsQi1b7sap17OzBpocXxp_e_x6A7K4W1TsPirPMwgfY3BQxDVFzUU1IaxV5XsxlEv2D_zRfB5r72eMYucnFoMlJROyE6/s1600/rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBD3uFb7G5fCL5w0N9q8mv0d1mhPp2JHd1xPmo09PtfK7ls-YHsQi1b7sap17OzBpocXxp_e_x6A7K4W1TsPirPMwgfY3BQxDVFzUU1IaxV5XsxlEv2D_zRfB5r72eMYucnFoMlJROyE6/s1600/rice.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Most of the time, Icelanders could do
with a big bite of Humble Pie. </span>There is an
inflated, Viking-like sense of self-importance that has often landed our cute
little nation in some seriously hot water. I mean, if you look at a map of the world, Iceland is in the center at the very top. No wonder we think we're The Shit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOjTQUT0tdo3GNl0TDq5pgNyVlT9roTGuBrxujo07MBsBOhBeksfoOEvR4BUGDM4M__oz4FeVNbBjHNiyBlN2Ux8B1OUiCjLRY9JXnkFZaTVlkzAz6gyAFScZTfdl3WzvKgXs-JdmWdQW/s1600/map-of-iceland.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOjTQUT0tdo3GNl0TDq5pgNyVlT9roTGuBrxujo07MBsBOhBeksfoOEvR4BUGDM4M__oz4FeVNbBjHNiyBlN2Ux8B1OUiCjLRY9JXnkFZaTVlkzAz6gyAFScZTfdl3WzvKgXs-JdmWdQW/s400/map-of-iceland.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Truth telling time. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To begin
with, more people live in Wichita, Kansas than the whole of Iceland. There are
roughly 320,000 people living here now, about two-thirds of whom are in the
“capital area” which includes Reykjavik and the surrounding municipalities. You
could drive around the whole country in 24 hours. To do that, you would just
hop on Highway 1 (you know, because there is just the one, really, and it’s
pretty much all paved…mostly….) and then drive either clockwise, or
counterclockwise (if you are feelin’ freaky) and go until you end up where you
started. So, both in terms of population and geography, Iceland isn’t all that
big. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLlyJwg35t_BO3jGx1aVRgwbyNw3S0h_BBSPkC_3EMFtehzMaKDbstVUDCWdEpqh5449NFRVZlaY317vVEOmLHgu7lENEALi2CXWzbUSY3KUF2A-o6QkRKSvkgN1W65s6bXiimZf-0LuC/s1600/72842518.QMccGCG2.IcelandAug061792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLlyJwg35t_BO3jGx1aVRgwbyNw3S0h_BBSPkC_3EMFtehzMaKDbstVUDCWdEpqh5449NFRVZlaY317vVEOmLHgu7lENEALi2CXWzbUSY3KUF2A-o6QkRKSvkgN1W65s6bXiimZf-0LuC/s400/72842518.QMccGCG2.IcelandAug061792.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Living here
warps your perspective of space and time. I grew up out in the boonies, with
chickens and pigs and sheep and whatnot. When we needed to go to the grocery
store, it was a 20 minute drive. I commuted 45 minutes each way in rush hour to
get to my high school. If you were to start in any populated space in Iceland
and drive for 45 minutes in any direction, you would end up in the middle of a
lava field, up a glacier, or deep in a fjord somewhere. In Iceland, the “other
side of town” is never more than a 15 minute drive, but because it is as far as
you can possibly go before you it barren wilderness, it feels like the other
side of the planet. The result is a distorted sense of distance and the time it
should take you to get to the place you want to go. I have been in an Icelandic
traffic jam. It feels just as frustrating as sitting in traffic anywhere, but I
contest that unless you have been in a *real* traffic jam, say on a five lane
highway stuck for two hours in the US, you don’t get to bitch about a 10 minute
delay on your way to work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT97WFClc-1vDwOCP08YeAAr0YDqxTq-OKEp6bznxKWTYXb7gkG6M5tT0fBNGT4j8WCxRsRNwS-9kaXo9G6ulwoTizvfgQ-gDSDW_3Bwkzj9TdQlEruiS_WcXCNJL4m_lC2s-VA3C6cwm0/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT97WFClc-1vDwOCP08YeAAr0YDqxTq-OKEp6bznxKWTYXb7gkG6M5tT0fBNGT4j8WCxRsRNwS-9kaXo9G6ulwoTizvfgQ-gDSDW_3Bwkzj9TdQlEruiS_WcXCNJL4m_lC2s-VA3C6cwm0/s640/index.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelandic traffic jam. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
Also, sorry
to bust your bubble, folks, but Reykjavik isn’t a city, it is a town. And a
cute one at that. My first ever trip to Iceland was in the summer of 2006.
As I wandered the streets of Reykjavik, I kept commenting, “Oh my gosh, look at
how cute that house is!” and “Oh how sweet, there’s a little square with people
playing games, cute!” and “Awe, there’s a little cute pond with ducks and
stuff!” Much to the irritation of my companion, who turned to me and said,
“Stop saying everything is cute! We’re VIKINGS!” Riiiiight. Noted. And all
these years later, I still think this is the most adorable little town I have
ever seen. And also very tough. You’re a tough witto Weykjavik, aren’tchoo?
Sweet colorful woofs. D’awwww.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyaCuWPdtygETTFxF8tCFTMFFQXLzFbfmNDdCZC-9ezZfpFBG0IPHgC_4yUuQ2sJ9A6G9qaK4yRmbcJ45bBssKO0bjkO5qwt3dkaNMUZ54pSvt2EMbTGkalfjQuNjk4Zr4SEhVcDuwDyO/s1600/5069cf28dbd0cb30810008c9._w.1500_s.fit_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyaCuWPdtygETTFxF8tCFTMFFQXLzFbfmNDdCZC-9ezZfpFBG0IPHgC_4yUuQ2sJ9A6G9qaK4yRmbcJ45bBssKO0bjkO5qwt3dkaNMUZ54pSvt2EMbTGkalfjQuNjk4Zr4SEhVcDuwDyO/s640/5069cf28dbd0cb30810008c9._w.1500_s.fit_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When you
live here, it is easy to slip into the feeling that Iceland is the whole world.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iceland has a big heart in a cute little
package. The best way I can describe the Icelandic pride is to compare it to
Small Dog Syndrome, which according to Urban Dictionary is, “A disease usually
exhibited by those of small stature, in which they constantly threaten to 'beat
the shit out of' people many times their size. The name is derived from the
fact that many breeds of small dog (ex. chihuahuas) are usually vicious, yet
they can do no real harm.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWo6YV-R7In07A3Mx7GRJUDLRyBSbezzMF7cHVxh5TNoBZGqDaJFW1bEGpuGZy1W74N8HPyADH5pJEpkqQcXU6EnETl28UxXhawpTMHFpN8wdKbZn-Vvjh5yBv7TT3ANNWa3zU5j84k0g/s1600/e2541c191ca5a797954c2a1fa3c9ad51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWo6YV-R7In07A3Mx7GRJUDLRyBSbezzMF7cHVxh5TNoBZGqDaJFW1bEGpuGZy1W74N8HPyADH5pJEpkqQcXU6EnETl28UxXhawpTMHFpN8wdKbZn-Vvjh5yBv7TT3ANNWa3zU5j84k0g/s400/e2541c191ca5a797954c2a1fa3c9ad51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maybe
because it is small, maybe because it is young, Iceland is like a teenager that
finally has the keys to the car, and is fiercely determined to do whatever the
fuck it wants. As anyone who has read Halldor Laxness can attest, independence is
one of the most fiercely guarded virtues of the country, even when it is to the
detriment of people here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When paired
with national pride, this stubborn independence can have preposterous effects. We
Icelanders will proudly tell you all about the time we defeated the British
Empire back in the Cod Wars of ’73. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
think that there is a chance that maybe this time, just maybe, we could beat
Germany in football. Stranger things have happened. We think, “Hey, this
international banking thing isn’t so hard. We can make a shit-ton of money!” (aaand,
cue total economic collapse and ensuing disaster) We think, “Fuck you, European
Union! Eat me, IMF, I don’t wanna pay you back! I can hunt whales if I want to!
Don’t tell me what to do! I don’t even want the Euro! It totally makes sense for
an isolated island with less than 400,000 people that survives on international
trade to have its own unique currency! Fine, I am going to my room, I wish I
was never born!” You get the picture. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iXOII9hzV5tASuH3C9bwa4gkBFDQV7lhg_SLvKu_mKEYZ_YRr_kSMmwn78CmbN1AXqgLZ3RjsxTNzWvK9NyweJIb9GYxJJ20_kiwUJbRPqzLpK8i59VGdScH14CozVKggHy0jICyM1-4/s1600/a-strong-independent-dog-who-dont-need-no-man1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iXOII9hzV5tASuH3C9bwa4gkBFDQV7lhg_SLvKu_mKEYZ_YRr_kSMmwn78CmbN1AXqgLZ3RjsxTNzWvK9NyweJIb9GYxJJ20_kiwUJbRPqzLpK8i59VGdScH14CozVKggHy0jICyM1-4/s400/a-strong-independent-dog-who-dont-need-no-man1.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then there
are the effects of living in a tightly knit community, which can be good or
bad, depending on your perspective. I choose to like it. In a small place like
Iceland, there is essentially no privacy. No anonymity. Everybody knows
everybody else, or at least knows a common friend or relative. The first thing
Icelanders ask when they meet one another for the first time is where they are
from. This is an attempt to map out a common relation. “Oh, you grew up in Isafjörður. My cousin moved there. Do you know Siggi Spess?” It might also be
why some Icelanders find it so difficult to connect with foreigners, and why
some others are drawn in like magnets. I am convinced that this is the only
place on earth where a chick from my neck of the woods could possibly be
considered “exotic.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEutyFNXS_RR5K8CVOq1ijgKRN7E7ARE5y4kcA_kuOzm5VFdfSQbhZNbXNSGX8CxGI3QnpoxiND9LCdDM5HUh78PmkuLz0HWZ82c9ZENh77_GrctNVrzsv-3IGyYfoDSXXWHMjCKivv13e/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEutyFNXS_RR5K8CVOq1ijgKRN7E7ARE5y4kcA_kuOzm5VFdfSQbhZNbXNSGX8CxGI3QnpoxiND9LCdDM5HUh78PmkuLz0HWZ82c9ZENh77_GrctNVrzsv-3IGyYfoDSXXWHMjCKivv13e/s400/index.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span>If you live
here, you will always run into someone you know, bump into an acquaintance, stop
and chat, get invited for a coffee, catch up on gossip, so on. Here, mistakes
are forgiven, because we are all one another has. You could decide to hold a
grudge against your neighbor forever, but really? Who has the energy? Hate is
so exhausting. Much easier to just move on and tolerate one another. Since
everybody knows everything about everybody else, a polite veneer covers social
interactions. You don’t say what you actually think (unless you know your
companions share your views, in which case, Icelanders can gossip and bitch
like nobody’s business!) for fear that someone in earshot may be deeply
offended. </div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr36gMQbEovZGtJqFVn3rvl-t28GOtAcR16mN6KEN9D1FSkgU7MT51-50DPnmCOHDjEC01eyKd-Qd6EixJtlfFrSn1NknfErVMT8SSDsIgDOsdxKDHtxeEXg1GpwTZzMLQqgz3vX5RlO74/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr36gMQbEovZGtJqFVn3rvl-t28GOtAcR16mN6KEN9D1FSkgU7MT51-50DPnmCOHDjEC01eyKd-Qd6EixJtlfFrSn1NknfErVMT8SSDsIgDOsdxKDHtxeEXg1GpwTZzMLQqgz3vX5RlO74/s400/index.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My first
experience of this was in a class in which we were discussing if Icelanders
should, as recently occurred, shoot polar bears who float over from Greenland
and stumble, confused, onto our shores. Someone said that, no, it is wrong to
shoot polar bears because they are not doing so well in the wild, and we should
explore another solution. To which a lady in the class said, “Hey! It was my
brother who shot that bear! He was a danger to his children! What was he
supposed to do?!” Whenever you open a door in Iceland, you see yourself on the
other side.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And
finally, when it comes to professional life, in a small society like Iceland,
ambition and work ethic actually mean something. Since there are so few people
here, if you decide that you want to learn how to do something, you simply find
a way to learn it. If you do well and work hard, you can pretty quickly become
a national expert. So, basically, if you want to live the American dream, move
to Scandinavia! Or not. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9l-ZKf0RT7jvXy0tSCuZCoWNEs5z6AdW-1agaBwkAjygqyka1b-suC9sXwPshq4RWXcfqMBbWEGOLdFLvv0sKRM-_Rgm4Sk-oFlcLbyPuRroWZjb2vBNJi0oZx8NKaqt6GL3EbOL7T1_/s1600/dream-300x206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9l-ZKf0RT7jvXy0tSCuZCoWNEs5z6AdW-1agaBwkAjygqyka1b-suC9sXwPshq4RWXcfqMBbWEGOLdFLvv0sKRM-_Rgm4Sk-oFlcLbyPuRroWZjb2vBNJi0oZx8NKaqt6GL3EbOL7T1_/s400/dream-300x206.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Personally, I choose to revel in this tiny place. Though it is sometimes hilarious to watch, the pride of the Icelanders is endearing. The stubbornness to survive this harsh place is part of what makes Icelanders who they are. And having lived through the winters here...I can say they earned it. Rage on, little Viking. Rage on!<br />
<br />
Happy 17th of June :)</div>
</div>
Mefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7385980586209494732.post-46154976605404476772015-06-13T16:04:00.002-07:002015-06-13T16:17:45.931-07:00Modesty-schmodesty. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A vibrant pool culture is as Icelandic as pylsur and hangikjöt. You find
outdoor swimming pools in nearly every teeny tiny nook and cranny of the
country. Icelanders go to the pool no matter the weather or time of year. Here,
you don’t need an occasion to go to the pool. Exercise? Visit with friends?
Something to do with the kids? To get away from the kids? Doesn’t matter, a
pool around the corner is waiting for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">While there is a lot I have to say about pool culture and the
relationship between Icelandic people and their bathing, this time I want to
hang out in the locker room and talk about naked bodies. Nudity. Exposure, body
image, confidence, and community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRrHuxkF8JJ3WY-yfQ9ruOTrJZDcVhJ2iVfE_fo5FhFM7vLefy3foamJrlcMES24qLcNkqSH08uOCecskZw6mGTzgQ_JDp8oo7pGdOnavETFWU6pha6OTjDv1DzhIo-118xtbHTv4OjeA/s1600/locker-room-ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRrHuxkF8JJ3WY-yfQ9ruOTrJZDcVhJ2iVfE_fo5FhFM7vLefy3foamJrlcMES24qLcNkqSH08uOCecskZw6mGTzgQ_JDp8oo7pGdOnavETFWU6pha6OTjDv1DzhIo-118xtbHTv4OjeA/s400/locker-room-ladies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Long ago, on my first trip to visit Iceland, my sweet sister in law
graciously offered to take me on a trip to the pool. As we were walking in, she
turned to me, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “I know it is a bit
strange, but in Iceland, you have to take a shower without a bathing suit on
before you can go in the pool.” I nodded vigorously. My internal monologue
running something like, “No problem. Message received. I am a totally
hip-and-with-it traveler. Nothing to hide. I can do like the Europeans. So
liberal. I am like that, too!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We found our lockers and started to disrobe, and like a brainwashed puritan
robot, I immediately started to step into my bathing suit, towel carefully
draped around my shoulders to obscure my naughty bits. Bits that had never
before seen sunlight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My sister in law stopped me and said, patiently, “Um, no. No bathing
suit.” Her eyes swept the room, and I took her cue and glanced around. I saw
naked mothers sitting on towels with naked babies on their laps. Naked kids
pushing one another into lockers. Naked teenagers blow drying their hair. Naked
grandmothers rubbing lotion on their arms. Naked women everywhere I looked. Bodies
out. My heart jumped into my throat. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then, it hit me like a freight train how stupid I looked hunched over and
delicately concealing my precious hidden private parts, for fear….of what? That
someone would see me? Judge me? Reject me? I don’t even know. Where I am from,
this is just not something you do. People do not get naked in front of one
another. Maybe if you are about to have sex, but then typically with the lights
off and the covers up to your chin. I was stepping into new territory, and
didn’t even have panties to back me up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Safe to say that my acceptance of the naked Icelandic locker room
practice was rapid and drastic. The kids and I now race to see who can get
undressed first when we take a trip to the pool together. I have (on more than
one occasion) shared a naked hug with a friend I bumped into in the showers. I
like to consider that I have turned into an advocate, of sorts, for being naked
around other people. In fact, I like it so much that I hardly ever think about
it anymore. Maybe I have become Icelandic in that way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">To summarize, this is why I think we should all get naked.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>You quickly realize that nobody gives a shit what you
look like. </b>Seriously. Nobody is staring at you. A quick glance through the
locker room and you realize that everybody has scars, wrinkles, juggle bits,
saggy bits, bumpy bits, hairy bits. Yours is just one of those bodies that is
perfectly, imperfect. You are a human! </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>It is empowering to see people up close and personal.</b> I don’t think
many people have the chance to see examples of real, strong women in the nude.
We see women in a pushup bikini laying on the hood of a car, holding a
hamburger while somebody pours a beer over them, but we don’t see Mrs.
Henderson from down the street in her altogether. In the showers in Iceland, I
have seen breast cancer survivors, disabled women, catheter bags, and women who
have been on earth so long that they take a nurse with them to the pool so they
can stand in the shower. </span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Once, while I was struggling to breastfeed my newborn daughter, I took my crewed up, bloody, </span></span><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px; text-indent: -0.25in;">shredded</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> nipples to the pool with my mom who was visiting at the time. While we were in the shower, we saw a woman holding a baby who was a couple of months older than my daughter. "See?" my mother commented as she glanced across the shower, "That mama's nipples are tough as nails. Yours will be too. Just wait." She was right. And given how close I was to giving up on the whole thing, I don't know if I would have believed it was possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -24px;"><b>Growing up exposed to the diversity of human bodies gives you a more
realistic sense of your own. </b>When I was younger, I didn't understand what airbrushing was. It didn't occur to me that it wasn't possible for me or any other human being to look like people in the magazines. I didn't like how I looked, and didn't understand why I was so different than the beautiful people. I didn't realize that I was being sold something (makeup, lotion, perfume, a watch, a purse, shoes) and that the people looking up at me from the pages were more advertising art than human being. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -24px;">I imagine that both my daughter and my son will benefit from growing up in a society in which they see naked people. As they watch their own bodies grow and change, I hope that they can accept themselves with grace and confidence.</span></div>
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Mefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7385980586209494732.post-43977204167030007222015-06-09T04:02:00.000-07:002015-06-09T07:55:14.074-07:00Someone in Iceland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmtEiWWynEm8FMvjUsVwdaS1LpZ_frOkV1dj-S2klTGA1TGZ-VZh0H4J_EcVC3BWxWN4cX8GXa8W3dNJFTvs_2HZJ6gwOWGslSERRmsqvMC5tcnyQvPRY9pbgXHz6VKDIBEEGtDrsc3i_/s1600/1928850_531040194138_9400_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmtEiWWynEm8FMvjUsVwdaS1LpZ_frOkV1dj-S2klTGA1TGZ-VZh0H4J_EcVC3BWxWN4cX8GXa8W3dNJFTvs_2HZJ6gwOWGslSERRmsqvMC5tcnyQvPRY9pbgXHz6VKDIBEEGtDrsc3i_/s640/1928850_531040194138_9400_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I have
lived in Iceland for nearly seven years. In that time, Iceland has become my
home. My kids live here, my work is here, my friends and community. My commute,
my bills, my doctor’s office, my taxes, my library, my bar, my stupid infuriating
politicians. You know…my home. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Iceland
fascinates me, which is good, because otherwise it would be a boring,
depressing place. This is a land of contradiction that somehow persists in a strange ethereal balance. Here you sit outside in a hailstorm soaking in a hot
tub. You open the windows in the wintertime because it is so warm inside. You
walk out along the pier in the evening, as I did yesterday, and see the whale
watching boat on the right and the whale hunting boat on the left. Iceland is
at once inviting and harsh. A long winter here can leave you feeling shredded
and grateful. So it’s no doubt that so many people want to experience this
weirdness and decide to pay us northern wildlings a visit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Anyone who
has, like me, put some roots down in this cold volcanic rock has undoubtedly
gotten the random facebook message or email from a distance acquaintance or
relative who has another distant acquaintance or relative who is coming to
Iceland in a few weeks and just wanted to put you all in touch. I imagine that
the conversation goes something like this, “Oh! How cool! You’re going to
Iceland! (flips through Rolodex in brain and finds my name) I know someone in
Iceland! I should put you two in touch!”</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I love this
place, and I am happy that other people want to come and experience the cold,
powerful natural glory that is the Land of Fire/Ice/Midnight Sun/Björk/Northern
Lights/elves/all that… so I always respond to these little introductions. It’s
great that people want to come here. I try and give the best advice I can about
what to see, where to eat, where to drink, where to stay, what to skip, what
not to skip, blah blah blah. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Recently, however, likely as a combined function of the tourism boom and the length of time I have lived here,
I have found myself writing the same fucking email over and over again. The
connection through social media brings us face-to-face on a regular basis with
people who in generations past would have slipped through our lives and then gracefully
fizzled into rusty memories. In the past week and a half, I have gotten
messages from my brother’s friend’s sister, my college roommate’s sister-in-law,
my ex-boyfriend’s friend’s cousin, my grandmother’s bridge buddy, and a college
classmate’s cousin. All of them are coming to Iceland. All of them have the
best intentions in asking a trusted “local” what not to miss. I want them all
to have a glorious time. So I write to them. Every. Single. One. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7OlZ2_rSFt7hRz9rT2_FmoPU7DjnsyDiLj7OrYTLIyoxq4HwcnkpfgQmTHnZuTNppj1BEJG__P1YYgi33PtLzWAqwAW4gWLkTmJYu7oxwMKA5ZiJoarEqG1LF5yyaAt_03Vkj3-k4GCH/s1600/may-your-life-someday-be-as-awesome-as-you-pretend-it-is-on-facebook-520x357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7OlZ2_rSFt7hRz9rT2_FmoPU7DjnsyDiLj7OrYTLIyoxq4HwcnkpfgQmTHnZuTNppj1BEJG__P1YYgi33PtLzWAqwAW4gWLkTmJYu7oxwMKA5ZiJoarEqG1LF5yyaAt_03Vkj3-k4GCH/s400/may-your-life-someday-be-as-awesome-as-you-pretend-it-is-on-facebook-520x357.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To make my
life easier, I have decided that it is time to write a form letter for these
“what should I do in Iceland?” situations. Think of it as a friendly
intro-level ice(land)-breaker.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Goes like
this:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Congratulations
on your choice of country to visit! Iceland is an amazing place, and I hope you
have a memorable time here. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As for
stuff to do, you should definitely hop on a Golden Circle tour. You will see
the Thingvellir national park, a geothermal area called Geysir (there is a
geyser there) and the Golden Waterfall. This takes about a day, but it is
pretty. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignjRpU_lepbCA_K8qzyaISQYOENUHx1clLhFJVDDbBuVZGesIzGBjA-3MCSmc-i5G5Ur5SeHOqO3mNMSF95-dx9v3BsMZIOP-b5Ni4XSzHHu2amMLb7RjcU8JHAQ4ECTEXbolBIj-JUZo/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignjRpU_lepbCA_K8qzyaISQYOENUHx1clLhFJVDDbBuVZGesIzGBjA-3MCSmc-i5G5Ur5SeHOqO3mNMSF95-dx9v3BsMZIOP-b5Ni4XSzHHu2amMLb7RjcU8JHAQ4ECTEXbolBIj-JUZo/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Blue
Lagoon is beautiful, but pricey. You can visit the Earth Baths near Myvatn in
the north, which is like a smaller less expensive version of that, or you can
just do what the Icelanders do and go to one of our <a href="https://guidetoiceland.is/reykjavik-guide/best-swimming-pools-in-reykjavik" target="_blank">many outdoor swimming pools</a>. No matter where you bathe, remember that Icelanders require you
to shower naked before you suit up and jump in! Think of it as part of the
experience of our liberal, progressive Scandinavian culture. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HVdbzkewvh_H2sagtRRBhB6zqUXQ8i6I78fJjzLm3p10TCn_9LIdBCwUmskVbY5r1rK8sRz1qSlocUYeg0C8v2i-eIh6dE81APfab3vaB6uax7mI-oSApv_wWb-_UfA10fTPb4yUaOkz/s1600/0f0615_81ed3607c7b54fdb8538edaae593a696.jpg_srz_630_1127_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HVdbzkewvh_H2sagtRRBhB6zqUXQ8i6I78fJjzLm3p10TCn_9LIdBCwUmskVbY5r1rK8sRz1qSlocUYeg0C8v2i-eIh6dE81APfab3vaB6uax7mI-oSApv_wWb-_UfA10fTPb4yUaOkz/s400/0f0615_81ed3607c7b54fdb8538edaae593a696.jpg_srz_630_1127_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you plan
to rent a car, it is fairly easy to drive around the whole country in a week.
You will need to check the weather conditions, though, since the roads can
sometimes be very dangerous and the conditions can change quickly. If the road people tell you not to go somewhere, don't go there. You are not as tough as you think you are. ALSO, Iceland has no army or other government-sponsored search and rescue operation. That means that all the over-ambitious individuals who find themselves stuck on a glacier, an impassable road, in the middle of a blizzard on a hike, are rescued by a heroic VOLUNTEER rescue team. If you like Iceland, you should give the rescue teams money. <a href="http://www.icesar.com/" target="_blank">Click here</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jOQKtperj0mB4qNo5YJheXLHMdDtoeyzfg69We-4fXouNQDxGNGWYsQu0K2VuO8Jv2YZMt2_ud1yhMOfdrl2ArEu4SIKdirN9dOUpodC1rU1OUCR26ZwQtDSrL9Bw5emM_pUChR4mTqe/s1600/Driving+Conditions%252C+Iceland+C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jOQKtperj0mB4qNo5YJheXLHMdDtoeyzfg69We-4fXouNQDxGNGWYsQu0K2VuO8Jv2YZMt2_ud1yhMOfdrl2ArEu4SIKdirN9dOUpodC1rU1OUCR26ZwQtDSrL9Bw5emM_pUChR4mTqe/s320/Driving+Conditions%252C+Iceland+C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Snæfelsness,
the Westfjords, Myvatn, Jökulsárlon, Þórsmörk…all gorgeous natural spaces
definitely worth a visit if you have time. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you
drink, buy alcohol at the duty free shop at the airport when you arrive, since
it is really expensive here. Alcohol is not sold in grocery stores, but
exclusively at Vinbud, which is closed on Sunday, so plan accordingly!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Also, I
recommend that you experience the Reykjavik downtown Friday/Saturday after-midnight
scene, if only for the pure anthropological wonder at witnessing the
debauchery. Remind yourself, Scandinavians, and Icelanders in particular, have
a difficult time with expressing emotions. Drinking here is like a form of
self-expression. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Don't ever, ever, ever, EVER! let someone sell you bottled water in Iceland. They just fill it from the tap (which is excellent). If you go hiking, you can drink straight from clear streams. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><u><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>NO! BAD TOURIST! BAD! PUT IT BACK!</b></span></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPW0EqO_ukAvsu9tynJDG8cQZa_KbFAo1L2Bl_rkB424Whb4k6mFkN2HHvx0IrrI5AYrr3J5aGBd9IhwTFoywSQ2_0-zrNO9sf7XXEkJHM5afxLEfcHUfORgRBorAT3c9K9ECgaErTGnI/s1600/3cded592b003992e3128309e2b1d6bf7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPW0EqO_ukAvsu9tynJDG8cQZa_KbFAo1L2Bl_rkB424Whb4k6mFkN2HHvx0IrrI5AYrr3J5aGBd9IhwTFoywSQ2_0-zrNO9sf7XXEkJHM5afxLEfcHUfORgRBorAT3c9K9ECgaErTGnI/s1600/3cded592b003992e3128309e2b1d6bf7.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">....Now step awaaaay from the non biodegradable petroleum-based container of children's tears.....Good. Find a drinking fountain or a faucet, you parched little rascal, you!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The flea
market Kolaportið is downtown and open in Saturday and Sunday. They will give
you a sample of shark if you want to be able to impress people by telling them
you have tasted it. Be brave. It tastes like (I imagine) piss. Icelanders don't actually eat this, they just give it to tourists to watch the stupid faces you make. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If weird food is
you thing, you can eat puffin, whale, ram testicles, sheep's face, and horse here. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8IpfSIzOTq8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8IpfSIzOTq8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If all that grosses you out
too much, then the fish and lamb in Iceland are superb. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
Grapevine is a weekly English publication that has great information about concerts,
restaurants, galleries, and other good stuff going on in town (grapevine.is).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Have fun,
and spend that foreign currency! We love that…</span></div>
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Mefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00051330737080611812noreply@blogger.com0