Miss Kolka

PRODUCING IN PARIS

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Noh Það er bara svona! | 22 mai 2008

I have been reading interesting articles lately on the "mother country". Not about its financial troubles but about all the lists it tends to top - being one of the happiest country, after Denmark, the most peaceful one (with no army), book loving and record icecream-eating nation. Its always possible to find something - as long as it is measured "per capita" - then Iceland has a good chance of being in the top five. Unless its about days of sun per year, or international importance.

What caught my attention was the way Icelanders describe themselves. A feeling I have often had myself without putting it into words. And now according to some international standards such as education and health (men live for an average of 80 years which is a record) Iceland is considered a very good place to live. So why are there so many Icelanders that live abroad? (not that it is a bad thing, in such a small country it is necessary to leave to broaden your horizon at some point)

I have to say that I have always had doubts about the educational system there, its small size and its effectiveness - in comparison with France for example. But it seems that although it can be argued that Icelandic students do not have as much knowledge as their European peers on history or literature - they can at least use their knowledge more effectively after their studies. There is this sense of "making it work" that you don't find easily here in France I have to say. An optimism necessary to keep that little Island going, since it has been ignored for so long by the big super-powers and the decision-making rulers. Even Iceland's foreign minister dreams about negotiating a middle east peace agreement that could be called the Reykjavík agreement (inviting Fatah leader Abbas to talks in the north - which sadly none of the big news channels covered or even knew about). So the Gigantic Iceberg fights to stay afloat and to be noticed, for anything, even if it is only for winning the Eurovision song contest. No battle is too unimportant. Everything is worth fighting for.

So who cares if the average Icelandic person doesn't know much about world history? As long as we continue making the top five of anything - we are still relevant. It is perhaps that line of thought that becomes hard to handle after while, when Icelandic news from abroad only matter if Iceland is mentioned or an Icelandic person was involved. Maybe it is why you have to leave at some point - perhaps only to return one day and accept that its not necessarily better elsewhere - although it is different. And that stories about giving an interesting book to David Lynch at Le Flore may not be part of daily life anymore.

Publié par Kolka à 20:45:30 dans Miss Kolka | Commentaires (0) | Permaliens