-Feb 7th. Just yesterday two co-workers independent of each other happened to share the same story, of how they are struggling to balance their budgets. Both rent and consider their monthly payments as money out the window. Beneath the surface of normality is a entirely different world, one of constantly worrying about bills and rent. If you dig more deeply, you discover that most people spend foolishly and on impulse. As I`ve noted elsewhere in this blog, such behavior is typically Icelandic. For example, one of these co-workers, a girl in her late 20s, said he has just taken out a loan to pay off a loan and may be forced to take out another, something I found difficult to comprehend. What also amazes me is the blasé attitude people have; they just do it.
-Another attitude I`ve found since coming to Iceland over 30 years ago is the attitude towards death. I`ve seen families and individuals handle death, along with people growing old. While health care is excellent here, there seems to be a lack of anguish concerning Last Things. Difficult to put my hands on because it`s something you don`t discover immediately. At the same time those dying (to put it awkwardly) and those caring for them simply lack that fear and general depression associated with death.
-Yesterday afternoon I visited my friend Ari who runs a well-known bookshop which borders on the antiquarian. It`s been a landmark for years and frequented by the chess player Bobby Fisher who lives in Iceland. To date I haven`t run into him but given the smallness of Iceland, should soon!