We are not terrorists!

Clicking the above will take you to a site collecting signatures of Icelanders declaring themselves not to be the vile terrorists depicted and denounced by Gordon Brown, as well as Brits in favour of ending the hostilities! In the hour or so that I spent perusing the site and the articles it connected to it gained over 2000 signatures.. It seems to be fluctuating at the moment, probably due to bandwidth usage but I recommend it seeing as they also collect photographs reminiscent of the American sorry for Bush signs from for years ago. The gist of the situation as they say on the site above is

On Wednesday October 8th, the British Government invoked anti-terrorist legislation, which was in effect aimed at the people of Iceland. This devastating attack on our society was received with disbelief here in Iceland, where it turned a grave economic situation into a national disaster.

But I recommend these articles (very short don't worry ;-) explaining it far more eloquently than I ever could.
Frozen out, in the Guardian and the Hazards of internet accounts, in the Financial Times.

The Icelandic weather gods

The weather has been remarkably nice to e over the past few days. Fully knowing that I´m only here or a short while, the weather gods have done their utmost to let me experience all that which Iceland has to offer in the shortest possible space of time. Let me elaborate, t was warm and sunny when I arrived, then the following day it got cold a brisk followed by beautiful drifts of christmasy snow. Snow turned to sleet and frozen sidewalks encouraging innovative dance moved as one navigated around town, ice that has now, fortuitously melted away as autumn storms rage over the country reminding one once again why it is exactly that Icelanders laugh at umbrellas...
You have to love to Iceland. Keeps you on your toes and never bored.

Funny....

grandma
Originally uploaded by Gunnella73.

Region free religious views ?

I know I haven't blogged in ages but this was just too classic not to share!!

Via the J-walk blog

Otherwise all is well, am alive and currently back in Edinburgh.

Mobile blogging Japan

Mobile blogging Japan
Originally uploaded by Gunnella73.

On a rainy day in Shibuya

mobile blogging Japan

mobile blogging Japan
Originally uploaded by Gunnella73.

Vegetable vending machine

Autumnesque Christmas colours in Inokashira Koen

Autumnesque Christmas colours in Inokashira Koen
Originally uploaded by Gunnella.

Sunny late November saturday in Inokashira koen

Sunny late November saturday in Inokashira koen
Originally uploaded by Gunnella73.

Tokyo Winter

Tokyo Winter
Originally uploaded by Gunnella73.

Tokyo full moon

Tokyo full moon
Originally uploaded by Gunnella.

Photogenic

Photogenic
Originally uploaded by Gunnella.

A gorgeous wee fella I came accross in Ueno park :-)

First batch from China, the wonderful waterways

O.k. so working through the photos from China has proved itself more than expected. I have however managed to get a limited amount online (about 500 or so ;-) and will be posting them in sets here (fingers crossed). If you're however impatient and have the stamina of a waterbuffalo (sounded right, have no idea as to their actual stamina) you can go here for the set where I recommend the slideshow option in theright hand corner.

But for now let me present the waterways which I so fell in Love with! We went to Shanghai, Nanjing and Souzhou, the latter two are are riddled with canals of all sorts which apart from presenting a plethora of reflections for me to ohh and ahh over (and nearly get run over as I try to capture on digicard) also serve as commute ways and even homes to some.



The ones with red and yellow buildings in them are generally taken in Nanjing by the Confusius temple where we took a small boatcruise. After all the pushyness and overpricing of street vendors in Shanghai it was a welcome relief to have to ask for the price of the cruise (my handlanguage which me and Ragnar developed when he was a smaller lad worked wonders!) and even better, when I mistook the price to be per head not ride the reaction was giddy laughter and cheerfulness again a nice relief after the non-responsiveness of most Shanghaians.
Probably a fair indication of a better life as we found the marked contrast that shocked us so between the haves and havenots in Shanghai to be much less noticable in Nanjing.
And Souzhou was an absolute pleasure in as much as people were far more open, welcoming, smiling and helpful than we had been met with before even if the living conditions were in some places crowded and tiny. And people doing there daily chores included slaughtering chicken on the sidewalk as well as washing clother in the not-so-clean canals.