Happy New Year to you all. Actually.. Happy Hallowe´en, Happy Yule, Happy Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Burns´Night etc.. It has been some time since I wrote here.
Much has gone on here in the last 6 months or so.. for us.. work and exciting new projects, trips to Geneva and to Paris, a ceilidh, a Burns Supper, a couple of friends have had babies, almost the entire family descended on Reykjavík for Christmas and New Year (we missed Sigga, Barbara, Jane and Grandad though)... and for Iceland so much has happened .. bank crises, employment crises, protests (very non-Icelandic but folk are gradually getting the hang of it), soaring debt for the country and individuals with terrifying mortgages and loans (either in foreign currency or in kronur but with the capital linked to inflation), and most recently a fall of one government and the rise (hopefully) of another with quite different ideas (hopefully) and an election I can´t vote in (but hopefully many more people than normal will vote) in just a few months. Anyway, I will not comment much on the politics / crisis since really I have no expertise in economics or politics and we are both lucky to still be in jobs and have no terrifying loans .. however, if you want to read more about these things, and the changes happening in Iceland, in English with intelligent discussion have a look at Alda´s wonderful Iceland Weather Report.
After a delightfully blunt reminder by Christmas card I have decided to make time again for some Letters from Iceland. I think that this is no longer a little adventure north that became a bit longer but more like tales from my second home. I still dream of heading back to Scotland (as snow covers everything here I am thinking of snowdrops in the garden at home, though I hear there has been plenty snow to go around back home too) or moving to another country again but, I think, at least while we still have our jobs, we´ll be here .. a bit longer anyway. Lets hope that kreppa (depression / recession) means that it is cheaper for you all to visit - and realise that despite what you may read on foreign news websites protests and "riots" in Iceland could pass for "carnivals" in other countries so there is absolutely no threat to tourists; no offense meant to the protesters of course, I think they´re doing a great job!
