O Spring, Where Art Thou?

Oh Frühling, wo bist du?

 Zeit ist relativ. Das maritim-arktische Klima, welches sich in Temperaturen zwischen -10°C und +5°C, einen immer wiederkehrendem Zyklus von Schnee, Eis, Sonnenschein, Wolken, Regen und schmelzendem Schnee, niederschlägt, könnte darüber hinweg täuschen das die Zeit unglaublich schnell vergeht. Es ist immer noch Winter. Und so hat man die Legitimation (zumindest sehe ich das so) jeden Tag bis weit in den Vormittag hinein zu schlafen und auch sonst die Dinge ein bisschen gelassener anzugehen. Doch gerade diese Ruhe steht in krassem Widerspruch zu dem was bevor steht. Es sind noch viele Dinge zu erledingen. Und viel anstrengender als das ganze Organisatorische wird es hier, die ganzen Zelte abzubrechen. Und wo anders wieder neu aufzubauen. Wieder einmal. Ich glaube ich werde den Frühling dieses Jahr einfach überspringen. Dieses ganze aufblühen, Energie tanken, Blüten tragen spar ich mir heuer ich stürze mich ohne lange Aufwärmphasen ins Abenteuer. Wenn man ohnehin nicht genau weiß wohin es geht, hat es ja eigentlich auch nicht gerade viel Sinn alles durchzuplanen. Ist ziemlich aussichtslos. Ich mag den isländischen Winter. Aber ich freu mich schon unglaublich auf den Sommer. Egal wo.


O Spring, Where Art Thou?
 

Time is relative. The maritime-arctic climate in Reykjavik, which results in temperatures between -10°C and +5°C, an eternal cycle of snow, ice, sunshine, clowds, rain and melting snow, can easily cheat our minds. Time is passing incredibly fast. Still, it is winter. And so we still have the legitimation (at least I think so) to sleep til almost midday, in general: take things slow and with comfort. But this calmness conflicts with the things, which are ahead of me. There are so many things I have to do. There are even more I want to do. It will be really hard, to quit all this here. I have really no idea, how things are going to work out after this „Iceland experience“. In some strange way I hoped to find out what I want to do in my life, what kind of person I am, with which people I want to share all this. But of course it was not so easy, and in fact everything turned out to be much more complicated than before (which is great, because this is, what life makes lifeworthy. Still…) I am afraid coming back to Austria is going to be much less „coming back“ than I hoped. Facing all this questions, which were thrown up here… a comeback will not provide answers I am satisfied with. I guess too many things have changed that a comeback is to a status-quo is even possible. Maybe I am overthinking all this again. I am just not good in dealing with uncertainty…

There is still over a month to enjoy here in Iceland. So probably it is way too early to make a résumé. I guess it´s time for spring. And then, we can just see what happens.

 Critical Mass Reykjavik (25.3) 

Critical Barbeque @ Graenahlid

The Megamitten project

Reykjavík is the city of gloves and/or mittens. The time in which it is more comfortable to wear gloves than not to do so is longer than in most other cities in the world. Gloves are accepted as a useful tool to protect your hands from cold and wind, but still mostly they are not appreciated as something really worthy. So it comes that you will find more gloves lying on the streets than for example carkeys or wallets. I guess two years ago, I began to think that it would be a pitty to leave the missing mittens on the street, to let them end up with no use for anyone. So I started to collect them, and by the time it became, yeah let´s say quite a strange hobby.

By now I have collected over hundred of gloves. And in Reykjavík I was able to take this profession to a higher level. There are hardly any days in which I don´t find a glove somewhere. Following the strict principle that I only take the gloves, where the possibilty that it will be reunited with the original owner seems not likely at all . And it always makes me happy when I find one. It is like a unwrapped present from a complete stranger. I found out that about 80% of all lost mittens are for the right hand, and was wondering about it for quite a long time. Until someone told me there might be a link to the fact that ten to fifteen percent of alle people a lefthanders. So it is quite logical that you use your superior hand for example lighting a cigarette or pay at the shop, untake your glove and by accident lose it. Against all odds I found another person who has the same hobby, and last party we ended up exchanging gloves, like we did it in our childhood with stamps or toy cars. People start to bring me gloves they find somewhere. And after all, it does not seem to be so strange anymore.

The Megamitten project, is something I did today. It was like this blog entry a result of major procrastrination, a great effort in not doing stuff for university. Don´t mix up with the "Missing Mitten Project" which describes itself as: "Lost another mitten? Don´t worry. Make it into a cute, tiny, stuffed animal"

In the Megamitten project leading scientists went for a glove-finding-mission and tried to answer how many mittens you can wear on one hand. The answer is: 42! ... no just a joke... actually it is just ten.

When you sew this monstrosity together it could be the perfect glove for people with really long fingernails.

Last week I paradoxically did something I never dreamt of before. I bought gloves. For real money. Wuhuu... but they are awesomely awesome, windproof, warm and with a silicon surface for extra grip. Worth every penny. Hopefully =)

So, if you need some extra gloves. You know where to find me.