»I wasn't personally affecetd by the financial crash in 2008, because I didn't have any major financial responsibilities at the time. Nevertheless there was change of subjects in our conversations and a change of emphasis in what people valued in their lives. Different things became cool: It became less cool to have an awesome car and more cool to have an awesome beard.
So there was a change of mentality among Icelanders but recently I have seen flashbacks to the days before the economical collapse. We voted for the right government but now people become hopeful that it might restore the old glory of their prosperity.
I think the emphasis on more prosperity for Iceland is completly off and wrong because we don't need more. There is something up with the whole system that doesn't work.
I always tend to be very happy in communities that are different from these Western communities, for example I lived once in the mountains in Ecuador and I experienced a small culture shock, when I came back to Iceland. And I didn't feel a culture shock, when I went there, which is strange.«