Going on a date

My friend Koleen and her husband David are going on a date tonight. They have two kids, a third one on the way, and have been married for 8 years I think. And tonight they are going on a date. 
 
When I was married the first time, sans offspring, all my ex-husband and I ever did was go on dates, practically. Out to dinner three times a week, brunch on Sunday, walks on the beach. And I was sick of him, really, by the time we got divorced. 

But dating after a person has kids, that is a whole different thing. I remember babysitting for married couples when I was a teenager, and the woman being all excited to have a chance to get dressed up, and the husband so proud to see his wife looking the way they did when they first met. Usually once a month or so, a bit of a sign of upperclass to be able to afford the sitter, and the dinner and the wine and the play. 

I don't know if that is a tradition here in Iceland. I think kids are out of the house more anyhow, more likely to be staying at a relatives, so the idea that a husband and wife might have some time alone not quite so anticipated. And even when the kids are around, I think Icelandic parents are much better about carrying on adult conversations. 

Koleen though is from Canada. 

Comments

Ko-Leen said…
and Davíð does not actually have a lot of family, at least in the three years I have been here I have met each of his uncles once.
August 1, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dett í, ofan á, úr, út

I´m not sure if someone had dett í (gotten drunk), or if það bara dett ofan á (it just sort of happened), or if some dett úr (forgot), but at any rate, my household goods dett út (have disappeared). Let's review the chronology here. Early August packers from the shipping company arrive at the apartment in Moraga. They load my 4 large plastic containers and 8 cardboard boxes, plus one baby crib, into their truck. I watch my things depart. In September, I ask the friendly girl (Magie is her name) if she happens to know when I might expect my stuff. Late September she tells me. I am most impressed. Extremely so. Mid October rolls around, and I have not gotten a call. And it occurs to me that I am going to be traveling through November. Hmm. So I call again. Well, yes, she tells me, looks like your shipment should arrive on the 31st of October. Now here I admit that maybe I was a little lacks. I had a lot to do before my trip, and so when they did not call me, I did not follow ...
Read more

Cultural tourism in Iceland

I just finished writing a chapter of my dissertation, which resulted in a much larger discussion of cultural tourism in Iceland than I had intended. But the fact is, this is an issue I have been extremely interested and concerned about for at least 15 years, if not 20. I have never, ever liked the way Iceland is marketed to tourists in the U.S. Everything from the unspoiled nature to the crazy city life in Reykavik. It has always left the part of Iceland I loved--the simple joy of being in a relaxing and lovely place with my family--completely out of the picture. In 2001, I went to Hvollsvöllur to examine the Saga Centre as part of a study commissioned by the National Park's service to look into cultural landscapes as heritage tourism. I thought that endeavor might represent a change in how Iceland was presented to tourists. But in the last 10 years, and especially while working at Vikingaheimar, and at meetings with the Saga Trails Association, I came to see just how completel...
Read more

On Icelandic doctors

My friends and family here in Iceland were very enthusiastic about me going to the krabbameinsfélag for an exam. I was really impressed how easy it was to get an appointment--booked online even! And when I got there this afternoon, the efficiency continued: they have a well oiled operation in place there, all very organized with computers asking questions and keyed lockers to keep one's personal belongings in. Then when it came time to see the doctor, well, that lasted all of 2 minutes. And I paid 3420 kroner. So I was overall a little disappointed. When I mentioned to the front desk clerks that I was wondering if it was possible to actually get an appointment where I could speak to a doctor, I was given a variety of phone numbers. None of the ones I called had appointments within the next 6 weeks. In the United States, when I want a doctor's appointment, I can usually get it within a week of calling, though sometimes I have had to wait 10 days or so. The highest co-pay I hav...
Read more