20 peculiar things

We Icelanders often find it amusing to hear how foreigners perceive us, our country and our society. Jordi Pujolá moved to Iceland from Spain in 2013 and has often been asked how he perceives Iceland. Jordi admits that he did find several things different from what he was used to. Here is his short list:

1. To see all possible weather signs (sun ,rain, snow…) simultaneously on the weather report. 
2. To see a shovel in front of every house during winter. After the first snowstorm he understood why. 
3. To see a store closed on account of good weather. 
4. To open the window instead of reducing the heating when it is to hot inside. 
5. That Icelanders never wear warm outdoor activity clothes despite of the cold. If you see someone walk down the main shopping street dressed like that, you are probably looking at a tourist. 
6. To receive a phone call from your doctor and he is just checking if you drugs are working. 
7. Adding a Facebook friend and seeing that you already have common friends. 
8. That a single Icelandic web page has information on the whole nation and therefore you don‘t have to bring any papers to prove who you are. 
9. That Icelanders have an obsession for having favorite places in town that sell the best hot-dogs, ice cream and coffee. 
10. That you can pay for a single lollipop in the shop with a credit card. 
11. That lunch is informal and you don‘t have to meet a lot of people at lunch. 
12. That it is enough to say „Hello“ when you meet new people and you don‘t have to kiss anybody as you do in Spain. 
13. That socks are as important as shoes. Even at the dentist you take of your shoes. 
14. That in the supermarket you don‘t have to show the staff into your rucksack to prove that you are not stealing. The first time I did that the store attendant looked at me like I was crazy. 
15. To buy lots of beer in the supermarket only to realize when you come home that it is alcohol free. And that beer was banned in Iceland from 1915 to 1989! 
16. That Icelanders are very proud of their country and always cheer for their countrymen, even in Karaoke! 
17. To have only one company that produces milk. 
18. That Icelanders walk freely on the grass in the parks. That is forbidden in Spain. 
19. That you can go into a store to exchange something you bought, without being asked for a proof of purchase. 
20. To observe Icelanders talking on the phone. For the first time he saw that he thought something catastrophic had happened.