Don’t get me wrong: I have nothing against Valentine’s Day. In fact, in my previous incarnation as a North American Person I used to get quite giddy on this day, hoping that the object of my affections [at any given time] would slip me a valentine or at least one of those little sugary hearts with the messages on them [b mine, I luv u, etc. etc.] In fact, I can still remember my stunned amazement on my very first Valentine’s Day, coming in to school and having all these people sticking cards and things on my desk and generally smiling in my direction – it was cool.

What I find very uncool, however, is how this American [rather sappy, yes call me grumpy Scrooge, g’head..] tradition must necessarily be adopted by every other nation in the world – at, of course, the instigation of the local version of the Hallmark people. For instance, in my present incarnation as an Icelandic elf I have watched these past eleven years how Valentine’s Day has systematically and very methodically been implemented into this culture and yes, it has been frightfully plain that the driving force is the laws of capitalism. I’m quite disgruntled by the whole business, if the truth be told. Iceland, after all, has two perfectly good days during which people can express their sentiments – one for the men, one for the ladies. These are traditional and fun and hold infinitely more charm than the cutesy luvvy-duvvy teddy-bear-with-heart version we Nicelanders have been relentlessly sold over the last decade.

But to all my Anglo-Saxon friends I say Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope lots of sugary hearts and valentines come your way. Really.

THE WEATHER
Well, it was freezing yesterday, so it’s got to be not-freezing today, right? Right. We’ve had an influx of warm air so it’s been raining like gangbusters [horizontal rain, as it’s also Very Windy] and we’ve got slush up to the kneecaps. Set for another few days of, um, warmth, so I expect the snow will all but disappear. Again. Temps are currently no degrees Celsius [that’s 32 Fahrenheit – Cat?] but I don’t believe it, I think the mbl website just forgot to stick something in front of their °. Sunrise was at 9.26 and sunset due for 17.59.