-Jan 4th. Yesterday morning, rather early, we had a glazing of ice on the roads and sidewalks (they`re not geothermally heated here). However, they threw down some grit on the sidewalks. Instead of sand, volcanic grit is used, quite interesting! Some fireworks continue to go off in the evening though here and there; probably kids using up some of that huge ammunition dump for New Year`s.

-As time goes by at the post, I appreciate being there. It`s one thing to live in Iceland but quite another to be on the level of work where you meet all sorts of people. Over a period of time you get to make two distinctions: everyone everywhere is the same yet there are differences. I know them (i.e., the Icelandic character) and have made frequent reference, but feel a need to get a better handle on how to describe them. I`m sure that will come with time.

-As for the post, I handle computer stuff for foreign parcels, etc. One worker who sorts some of this out for me remarked on all the Victoria Secret catalogues now going out! Interesting, too, that quite a few have been directed here, intended for Iran!

-The Danish language has been taught in schools here for generations, Denmark having taken over Iceland a while back. Still is, and one young fellow still in school who works at the post for extra cash told me that all the kids hate it. This is yet another sarcastic remark I`ve heard about things Danish; a kind of mixed bag attitude.