The kindest people I know

Alda calls Iceland "Niceland", and in a similar vein, recently a project called Iceland wants to be your friend was started by the tourist board. Now of course there are nice people and good people all over the world doing all sorts of thoughtful things, but as I was explaining to my friends Anthony and Iris, it really does seem to me that the expectation of fellow-feeling, consideration, and sympathy is greater here in Iceland than in the United States. You always have to ask how people are doing, and you have to be genuinely interested in the answer. Sometimes, one needs to go out of one's way to do things that help another person have the time, space, and encouragement they need to take care of personal matters.

And so I say with all sincerity, I hope Gunnar's ailing mother welcomes hearing her son's voice, and I hope Bjössi's wife feels much better soon. They are all good people.

Comments

Ko-Leen said…
In Icelandic culture class we were told to always ask how someone was doing, and when we were asked to always answer with something positive.
Allt gott!
She (my teacher) said that no matter what, even if your house burned down and you crashed your car, you were supposed to say everything was great, because that is what is expected.
Maybe this is a difference in Reykjanesbær?
March 11, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Lissy said…
That's interesting. I do think one is not supposed to go on and on complaining, but mostly that is because here, everyone is supposed to be happy. If something really bad, like a death in the family, happens, you are absolutely allowed to talk about it. Your teacher was over simplifying!
March 11, 2010 at 5:45 PM
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

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

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