9th July 2011 The Elves Of Iceland

While volcanologists warn of the unusual increase of activities of the volcano Hekla in Iceland, and while the consequences of the economic crisis continues being evident in this remote island, the local media informs of a strange rebellion of the elves in the locality of Bolungarvik, in the fjords of the west.

It all started in a way most innocent, with the construction of some barriers intended to impede the avalanches of snow. But something must have gone wrong, as the elves (those little somewhat naughty and playful beings whose existence and power are believed by 60% of the Iceland people) decided to boycott the construction work, provoking disfunction of machinery implicated, and even an unexpected explosion that caused rocks to fall upon the area. 

The inhabitants of Iceland take elves seriously, to the extreme that before they plan a new highway, the experts study the rocks and, if they believe that amongst them live some elves, they would search for alternative via. In the case of Bolungarvik, a spiritualist succeeded convincing the local priest to bless the rocks in which supposedly live some elves. The priest did so, but the ill-fated episodes repeated.

The latest news indicated that some inhabitants have requested that the Council of Clergymen asked the elves for forgiveness for having invaded their rocks, but the Mayor denied such petition, alleging that 'more rational options' are preferred. Facing such negative situation, a local singer, Benedikt Sigurdsson has decided to sing by those rocks to appease the elves, but the story is not yet ending there.

I am curious how it's going to end such an episode typically Iceland-ish, but I suppose it's better not treating it as a joke. Seeing the horrendous destruction caused by the eruption of the Volcano Eyjafialla doled out in Europe last year, it will be better to calm the elves in whatever way possible. It will be unimaginable the degree of consequences to face should the elves decided to boycott the tourism! 
 

Tags: elves, iceland

Prev: 9th July 2011 Living Better

9th July 2011 Living Better

Yes, medical science and investigation say we are all going to be living longer. But living longer and living better are 2 different things. While the most talked about subject in recently days in Catalunya is: up to what age a person is permitted to drive a vehicle, first, one has to be aware of some facts. In Catalunya a great part of the population considered old and inactive, in fact continues with quite active, movements, and even to some extent productive. 

 

According to the prevision of the Eurostat Communal Statistics, 70% people over 65 will make up to 30% of the population in 2060 (at present it represents 17.4%), plus 12% over 80 years old. With the steadily longer expectancy of life, the combination of work and time seems more and more anachronistic and distant from the social reality.

 

life's duties and obligations. During a period that oscillates between 20 to 30 years, we live suffocated, the best and the most splendid part of our years robbed by work and obligations: earning a living, paying the mortgage, caring and educating the children, consolidating work from job to profession and advancement ... tired out jugglers continuously trying to balance

 

Then retirement sets you free of almost all obligations commitments, you still have all your faculties intact, with good health thanks to advancement of medical knowledge and care. But, you have no source of income to enjoy the time you now have and the leisure you had always dreamed about. Often the boredom, the melancholy installed in the old people, of the thousand revolutions till the final point of death. It's fantastic to live longer, what is needed is to organize ways and means so that they can also live better.

 

Tags: livingbetter

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