Words by

Nanna Árnadóttir

@nannaarnadottir

Photo by

RMM

Dear Nanna,

First of all, I absolutely love your column. Second, where’s all the damn snow? I moved to Iceland because it’s supposed to be cold. Now it’s almost the middle of November, and it’s 5 degrees outside. I heard you guys had a spectacularly awful and icy winter last year. What’s up with that?

Sincerely,

TooDamnHot

Dear TooDamnHot,

You know, stereotypes such as this one are dangerous and harmful because it assumes that weather is always the same. It removes the weather’s true identity making it hard for it to change. Even positive stereotypes like the one you are thinking of, i.e the cosy, snowy Christmas season, is unfair and can be emotionally damaging to the weather.

I suggest you stay open minded and just let the weather do the talking. Take a minute to learn about its experience and let it express its authentic self. If you truly want to be in Iceland you will accept the weather in all its manifestations.

Nanna

Dear Nanna,

During my stopover in Reykjavík last weekend I saw that babies were being left to sleep in strollers outside café’s – even though it was cold outside. Aren’t people afraid their little ones will get sick? Or you know, kidnapped?

Worry-Wart.

Dear Worry-Wart,

No, we’re not afraid because we’re all trying to kill them. No one likes to hear a baby cry over a latté, am I right fellow mammas? Best let nature take care of things instead.

Don’t Worry Wart, Be Happy Wart,

Nanna

Dear Nanna,

What is Aurora Borealis?

Curious

Dear Curious,

Do you think if I knew stuff like that I’d be scraping by as a writer? No, I’d be making science money. Go Google it like the rest of us idiots and read about it on Wikipedia.

Nanna