I'm so hungry ... Iceland

Some exciting, and some admittedly not so exciting things began this week here at the centre of the Universe. I like to think it's all very big bang-ish, or at least has some kind of butterfly effect.

You will of course all be very excited, and perhaps even a little jealous, to hear that I have acquired a new chair. She's a real beaut. Great for sitting on, reading in, putting stuff on and of course standing on when you can't quite reach something up high.

I think of it as not just a chair, but as a functionally stylish lounge accessory

Being from IKEA also means that aside from being extremely functional and versatile it is also very stylish. Unfortunately I don't think owning a shitty old chair is going to get me an invite to move up 'Snob Hill'. However, my social standing down here in the 'Ghetto' (Geitagerði) is bound to improve once people discover its presence in my apartment. I'm thinking about throwing a party to introduce everyone, and to bathe in their collective adoration. The question is, as always; "what are we guna eat?"

Time to lower my metabolism, become innactive, and rely on my fat reserves

Food is a prized commodity here in the North. There are only two "supermarkets" (a term I use in the loosest way possible) in Sauðarkrókur. This means two things; the selection of goods on offer is limited and exorbitantly overpriced. The best way to shop is to head to Bónus and load up on all the necessities. Unfortunately, the nearest Bónus is 120km away and at this time of year the trip is almost impossible. Looks like it's a case of "put up or shut up" for the next few months. Luckily I'm well prepared for my winter hibernation ... or as I like to call it "dieting".

Breakfast is the most important, if not the least exciting meal of the day

Because of the short daylight hours, mornings have that feeling like when you get up really early to drive to the mountain for a day shredding snow, set off for a camping trip, or get on to the river early to get a head start on the trout rise. Of course at 3:30am you hardly feel like eating, but seeing as it actually is after 8:00am here I feel like I should. Breakfast therefore consists of Granola cereal, milk and sometimes juice - just to make sure I'm getting all the vitamins and minerals I need. It's not flashy, but it works.

As we all know, a balanced diet consists of beef, chicken and vegetables

Lunch unfortunately isn't much more exciting, but at least by midday you can see what you're eating (although sometimes I'd rather like it if I couldn't). As every student knows, 2 minute noodles comprise the middle tier of the food pyramid. Beer of course forms a solid foundation (so as not to crush the noodles) and cheese toasties cap off the perfectly balanced triangle we all learned as kids. Interestingly up here in the northern hemisphere 2 minute noodles take 3 minutes to cook. Go figure.

As long as ya got some T-sauce and bread dinner is delish

Dinner is simple, and usually involves rice. If I bother coming in to work on Friday's, it's only so I can go to Olafshús for lunch. Now the only restaurant in town (the other one burnt down a few months before I arrived), they offer a wide variety of Icelandic fare. By the end of the week I am typically so hungry I could eat a horse. This week I did just that - a peppered foal steak to be precise. I always find the baby animals, particularly the very cutest ones, are the tastiest to eat.

After a delicious lunch and a few beers at beer club we sometimes head off to experience some nightlife in Sauðarkrókur at a bar named Mælifell. With 700kr beers (of which they only offer one variety), plenty of ladies and generally odd music (I almost choked when I heard MC Hammer's "can't touch this") it is the place to be. Well, in Sauðarkrókur at least. Still, I'm not ever going to say that I miss "The Shed" or "The Thirsty".