Monday, July 09, 2007

[iceland] babies and big macs


And in cutting edge news from Iceland:

There will not be a vast increase in births in Iceland this year, compared to 2006, as reported in May. A new computer system at the National Hospital made the error of counting women who came in for ultrasound twice as two different women. According to Gudrún Eggertsdóttir, the director of the maternity ward, births have in fact decreased since last year.

Well, that's a relief then. But the Big Mac index is of more concern:

The Icelandic króna is the most overrated currency in the world, according to the Economist’s Big Mac Index. A Bic Mac hamburger at McDonald’s is 123 percent more expensive in Iceland than in the US. Bic Macs in Norway and Switzerland are almost as expensive as in Iceland and in countries which have the Euro, Bic Macs cost 22 percent more than in the US. But in China, Bic Macs cost 58 percent less than in the US.

That may be so but I remember in Bergen many years ago, even though the the Big Mac meal cost the equivalent of $5.50, it was still affordable and 50% filled you, whereas a Scandinavian open sandwich with a sliver of fish, wipe of butter and a suggestion of lettuce and tomato cost $4 and was gone in two bites, followed by the need to buy a $3 tin of cola to take the taste away.

There was indeed the prospect that to fill up in the evening would cost around $15, using this method or to go into a café/restaurant to have a proper meal was going to set you back some $30, if you were careful and didn't drink anything.

4 comments:

  1. that's some travelogue! Good about the babies, too bad about the Big Mac, and well done on the creative budgeting.

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  2. Only came over to see what ob/osc we are nourishing now. Too many g & ts to comment till tomorrow!

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  3. Well, it's a relief to know that Icelanders won't be taking over the world just yet.

    Or maybe it would be a better place if they did.

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