Happísland: The Short but not too Brief Tale of a Swiss Spy in Iceland: Swiceland, #1

By Cédric H. Roserens

A first shot of Iceland with an aftertaste of rotten shark. A small unpretentious introduction to Iceland's way of life, focused on Reykjavík. 

 

Swiss superspy Hans-Ueli Stauffacher is sent one full calendar year to Iceland to understand why Icelandic people are happier than Swiss people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CHRoserens Dot Com Slash Pro
• Release date: Apr 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386831730

Cédric H. Roserens

Écrivain-voyageur, nomade numérique, rédacteur web, chocoholique, un brin vexillologue, et observateur attentif de la voûte céleste, CÉDRIC HENRI ROSERENS est né à Martigny (Valais, Suisse) en 1974, un peu trop tard pour être James Cook et explorer les eaux infinies de l'océan Pacifique, un peu trop tôt pour être James Kirk et explorer les espaces infinis de notre Galaxie.

Book preview

FOREWORD

This book is a small tribute to my first two years in the land of ice, Iceland. It is widely inspired by the cultural, culinary and daily experiences I have been lucky (or unlucky) enough to experience there.

It contains imaginary characters, as it is a short fiction book. But the places, the Icelandic politicians, Björk and Halldór Laxness are real.

I wish you a pleasant reading experience!

PROLOGUE

Rütli meadow, Canton of Uri, Switzerland, November 2011

Three years! Iceland has been ahead of Switzerland on top of Dubreuil's Ranking for three years in a row. An eternity! Switzerland wants to be number one again. Dubreuil's Ranking? It is the most famous and most recognized quality-of-life country ranking in the world.

The Swiss government, the Federal Council, is therefore holding an emergency crisis meeting in Rütli. Nobody is missing: Jean-Pascal Seigle (president), Elisabeth Müesli (vice president), Guy Adolpheau, Wilhelm Apfel, Oskar Pomme, Stefania Mela and Ruth Bahnhof. Seven ministers out of seven.

The goal: to understand why Iceland stays on top, despite its financial crisis (2008) and the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (2010).

Meeting's conclusion: somebody needs to go to Iceland, live there for a full year, investigate thoroughly, go deep inside the Icelandic culture and way of life, and find out what they have that the Swiss do not.

That somebody is Hans-Ueli Stauffacher XXI, the twenty-first of a long and prestigious line. A thirty-year-old brilliant high-ranked officer in the legendary Swiss Army Secret Services. He was successfully active in Argentina, Gabon, Nepal and Samoa. Iceland is next.

No coincidence, Hans-Ueli is in Rütli today. Not exactly to enjoy the lovely foggy Novemberish scenery.

His mission has been defined. A one-year mission that will last throughout 2012...

Strategy: total immersion; living in a shared apartment with local students and workers.

Pretext: a