Recession Diary part 6
"There is no cause to worry. The high tide of prosperity will continue." Andrew W. Mellon, US Secretary of the Treasury in September 1929.
It's weird to be in the middle of the worst news to hit Iceland since the collapse of the herring stocks in the 60's. It's been more bad news this week. More people losing their jobs. This week we've heard that up 15.000 people might be without work next year. For a society that's been without unemployment for so many years this is going to be a difficult thing to adjust to. I've already mentioned that there are fewer cars on the streets. Apparently there's been a 10% reduction in cars on the streets. That means we've gone back to 2002 in terms of traffic. A 6 year reduction in just 1 month. It's more noticeable when I go home from work. I guess people are still on the move in the morning or maybe it's just that I notice it more. One place that seems to be just as filled with people is the gym.
My theory is that people use the gym as a stress release. It makes sense. I know from experience that it helps. I think it has to do with filling your body with oxygen. Both the gym and yoga enable us to fill our body with oxygen. Plus going to the gym means that you get rid of some of the stress and frustration while keeping yourself healthy. But while the gym is full of people it feels like there's less joy among those there. I hear people discussing the situation they are in. I overheard a conversation between two people. Both had received bad news about their work situation. They understood why this happened and hoped that things might turn around, that they would be rehired. Made me feel really sad.
Over the last few years we've seen a lot of construction. So much work to do. We even had several thousand people join the population of Iceland. Now that construction seems to be grinding to a halt. I notice this at work. Construction seems to have halted next door. In the center of Reykjavik there was a massive building going up. A huge building that is going to be the new center of attention. Plans had been made to construct an international finance center next door. The company that had taken on the work is now effectively bankrupt. The work is now in jeopardy and it remains unclear who will finance the completion of the building.
This week I noticed that I can no longer buy wheat beer. Hoagardeen is no longer available as it's sold out and no new stock is on order. Plenty of Icelandic Christmas brew on sale though. There have been news that clothing stores might not be able to import stock for Christmas. We have restrictions on the movement of currency into and out of the country. Apparently these new restrictions are similar to the ones put in place during the great recession of the 1930's. Now it's not all bad news. Some enterprising Icelanders have created the "Kreppuspilið" or The Recession Game. Wouldn't be surprised if it's a hit.
It's weird to be in the middle of the worst news to hit Iceland since the collapse of the herring stocks in the 60's. It's been more bad news this week. More people losing their jobs. This week we've heard that up 15.000 people might be without work next year. For a society that's been without unemployment for so many years this is going to be a difficult thing to adjust to. I've already mentioned that there are fewer cars on the streets. Apparently there's been a 10% reduction in cars on the streets. That means we've gone back to 2002 in terms of traffic. A 6 year reduction in just 1 month. It's more noticeable when I go home from work. I guess people are still on the move in the morning or maybe it's just that I notice it more. One place that seems to be just as filled with people is the gym.
My theory is that people use the gym as a stress release. It makes sense. I know from experience that it helps. I think it has to do with filling your body with oxygen. Both the gym and yoga enable us to fill our body with oxygen. Plus going to the gym means that you get rid of some of the stress and frustration while keeping yourself healthy. But while the gym is full of people it feels like there's less joy among those there. I hear people discussing the situation they are in. I overheard a conversation between two people. Both had received bad news about their work situation. They understood why this happened and hoped that things might turn around, that they would be rehired. Made me feel really sad.
Over the last few years we've seen a lot of construction. So much work to do. We even had several thousand people join the population of Iceland. Now that construction seems to be grinding to a halt. I notice this at work. Construction seems to have halted next door. In the center of Reykjavik there was a massive building going up. A huge building that is going to be the new center of attention. Plans had been made to construct an international finance center next door. The company that had taken on the work is now effectively bankrupt. The work is now in jeopardy and it remains unclear who will finance the completion of the building.
This week I noticed that I can no longer buy wheat beer. Hoagardeen is no longer available as it's sold out and no new stock is on order. Plenty of Icelandic Christmas brew on sale though. There have been news that clothing stores might not be able to import stock for Christmas. We have restrictions on the movement of currency into and out of the country. Apparently these new restrictions are similar to the ones put in place during the great recession of the 1930's. Now it's not all bad news. Some enterprising Icelanders have created the "Kreppuspilið" or The Recession Game. Wouldn't be surprised if it's a hit.
Ummæli