I May Be In Iceland Already
I read somewhere, a long time ago, that telephone directories in Iceland are alphabetized by first name. I was thinking about that today. Before I started to write this post, I decided to do some research and find out if I’m remembering that correctly. Yes, I have been remembering that correctly. And, I also learned two more interesting things: Phone directories in Iceland also list a person’s profession, so if you run across two people with the same name, you can tell them apart. Also, it is proper to address a person there by their first name. In a formal situation, or an informal one, no matter what the person’s social status, you still call them by their first name. If you meet the President of Iceland, you address him as “Ólafur”.
I think Iceland is an interesting country. I’d like to visit it someday. I was wondering today if I’m already in Iceland, somehow.
A patient arrived at the front desk, and told me he was there for his initial visit. “Welcome,” I said, “What’s your name?” He replied, “Jacob.”
At just about any other reception desk, when you arrive for an appointment, or you’re there to see your Social Worker, or for a meeting, or for a job interview, you give the receptionist your full name – first name and family name. Not at our clinic, however. It’s extremely common for someone to give us only a first name and then expect us to look them up in the system. The only way I can explain this is that our clinic has been annexed by Iceland.
