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I've been in Iceland for 18 months or so now and its time I wrote something real about it. I've been planning this in my head for most of the time here, so many things I can say about Iceland and Icelanders but I've put it off and put it off. I've been thinking of writing a column for Morgunblaðið. 'Letters from the Útlendingar' (outlander) . This essay is a kind of cornucopia of all I wanted to say in those columns thus far: Starting from the beginning.

 

The Weather
Well, Icelanders can criticise the weather but we foreigners may not. Your likely to be told to go home if you do. And fair enough I say. Theres not a lot of point in travelling all the way up here and complaining about the weather. Any Idiot should know that the weather is going to be hard this close to the arctic circle. Anyway, the weather is great. Weather isn't just rain and snow and sun. Its heat and light and atmospheric conditions.It is, in fact, the state of the atmosphere. The nature of the atmosphere, and if I may take that further, isn't 'atmosphere' also a feeling, a vibe? Well the feeling of the weather here is always, even when its about to kill you, beautiful. Beautiful and terrible sometimes like a hungry ice maiden or a goddess of uttermost chill. Beautiful and gentle sometimes like the same goddess asleep and dreaming beautiful dreams of the otherworld. Sometimes as she sleeps she manifests the otherworld through her sleeping lids to visit us here and at these times the weather is all strange blue light and unusual silence.
The Diversity is incredible and can all happen in one day, but it never happens the same way twice. Like the land itself, it always looks different, every time you look its a different light, a different pattern of colours in the sky, a different interaction between sun, mist, clouds and mountains. Its like an eternal chaotic dance, the patterns of which are only discernible by god.
And the effect this must have on the psyche of the people, who always seem to be quixotically optimistic about the weather. They too, like the weather are changeable and work to unkown moods and motivations.

 

 
 

 
   
 

 

The People
Ah! ... Icelanders! .. what a seriously peculiar breed ... I like Icelanders, I like them a lot. They are Eccentric, Intelligent, Diverse and Generally very good looking. One gets caught trying to understand them because one assumes that they are something like other white europeans, which they are not. They are as strange to white europeans (well, me anyway) as the japanese are, and its much more difficult because you don't have the diferent appearance to warn you that these people aren't going to react the way you expect them to. They have quite a different motivation for existence. And I tell you that that motivation is probably one of the healthiest and humanly comfortable motivations there is. I believe, and this is my belief, even though the icelanders may disagree with me, that they have a great zest for life, but a zestthat is not all about immediate gratification, but gratification over time, in quiet and peaceful ways. They, more than any other race I have met, exist to exist and need no other motivation. This is the secret of life! And love .. and health and happiness. And they have it within their psyche in abundance. Ina way they remind me of australian aboriginals, because their relationship to life is very direct, and not as abstract as other countries. When their is an emergency, they act, and act well. When a job needs to be done, like its the last minute, they suddenly have these surges of energy that I find hard to keep up with. But when there is no emergency or deadline, they kind of stand around and look at things and talk about it. Which I also find difficult because I have been trained that there must be a 'plan' ... even though I like my processes organic! So, in that respect I have been learning to enjoy their company and tune in to my own actual processes, which are very similar to the icelandic natural process.
I think this organic proces that they generally follow says a lot of other stuff about the icelandic people. I think it indicates a closer relationship with the source - the source of knowledge and source of learning, the deep akashic record kind of knowledge. Because even though they follow these seemingly erratic processes, they still manage to be some of the most intelligent people on the planet. I think, though do not quote me, that there are more chess masters per head of population than any other country. Certainly, there are more artists, poets, musicians and inventors per head than any other country. And Icelanders read much more than anyone else.
It is said that Iceland is where the very old souls incarnate, and I can see the truth in this, because as you walk down the street you see faces of the most diverse and unusual character, and even if they are not 'fashionably or classicaly' beautiful, they are certainly beautiful in the quality of their inner passions, which their eyes show well.

Unfortunately, it also seems that they are cursed with an innocence (blessed really) that means that influences from the outside world are too easily accepted. Because they are an open and friendly people, they tend to accept much of what they read and hear from countries such as the US without criticism. This may well be the downfall of this country, and the path down which their unique and beautiful way of life will be ruined. I worry a lot about this, and I feel very protective of Iceland, as I would a child, even though the collective wisdom here is much greater than I personally posess. Perhaps they know in their old souls that this foreign culture is sheer folly and vapour, perjhaps they play with it like a dolphin does a ball for a while, but eventually losing interest and going back to its regular habits. I hope so, I hope so much so. Because these things I say about the Icelandic people are ideas and concepts that the entire world needs, and needs desperately. Icelanders live together very peacefully as a rule, just as the rest of the world would like to.

I think Iceland could lead the world in this. In treating other people like family (because it is one big family here). Do you hear me Icelanders!!?? You are in a perfect and singular position to influence the world!

As an Australian, I am particularly sensitive about these issues. Our absorption of American Culture has not done us any good. Rather, made us even more cultureless and lost.