Mentidero de Reykjavík. 5 (Gossip from Reykjavík)

Yesterday we met a very energetic 21-year old Icelander in a coffee shop. She looked like an art student with a big scarf tied round her head. In fact she was quick to tell us her story. She had grown up in the US, and was of African decent. She spoke six languages: Icelandic, English, French, and three African languages. Despite this she was not a great communicator - she spoke very rapidly and was not a good listener. Her parents were diplomats; her father now lived in Uganda and her mother in Sri Lanka. She liked travelling but hadn't had time to visit Spain yet. Her mother loved backpacking and mountain-climbing but she liked travelling with a suitcase and staying in hotels with a swimming pool.

In Reykjavík, she said she felt she'd grown apart from her Icelandic friends from school, many of whom were starting to have babies. She said it was very easy to have a baby because everyone thought it was a great idea and you got lots of support with housing, etc. She was torn between going into fashion design - in which case she would go to New York or Italy - or international relations - which she was planning to study in South Africa - and told us enthusiastically that in ten years time we would hear her name (which I can't now remember).