12 Hours and I am home

Sí ja þen

Time is relative after all

Oh boy, I just got a shock of a lifetime this morning. I came up from doing my laundry, and was turning my computer on when I looked at my phone. It had flashed a reminder up and I took a closer look it said: Home today 17/12/2004. Yup this sums it up, all of a sudden the time flew, it was Friday the 17th of December not the 16th. So I scrambled my brain to figure out if I really had lost a day, I mean something like this really freaks you out. I couldn't calm down until I saw the date on mbl.is for todays paper. And now I am just, kind of working on getting over my untimely excitement of going home, hehehehe.
I will finish packing today, hope to get everything in the suitcases and finish tidying my room as well, it's a pigsty at the moment.
See you in 26 hours Iceland and family. Looking forward to Christmas and spending time with you.

Christmas dinner at Lauras

Oh, it was just lovely, we completely stuffed ourselves. We had a huge halaal chicken ... since we had been expecting Hamza ... and we saw no reason to have a turkey and a chicken (the chicken being for Hamza) so we just had the chicken, and oh boy, it was a chicken dressed as a turkey it was sooooo huge. But the real chicken of the party was Hamza, the wee bastard didn't show up, and Lewis almost ended up with no secret Santa, luckily Dee didn't buy for his Secret Santa (Hamza) the inflatable Pamela Anderson Doll that he intended but a Diesel fragrance, much better so Lewis did indeed get a very nice present. So everything worked out well in the end. But it was lovely, we ate and ate and talked and ate some more and had a wonderful time fiddling with Dee's tricky putty. Especially Laura who bought it for him as a Secret Santa gift.
But all good things come to an end and we are back home in our little flat in our rooms, going to bed soon, and then in just two days I'm home.
Yes, I know I can't write a passage here unless I mention that I am going home. But hey, as long as I like going home I should be proud to say I am going home ... in just TWO days.
And finally, I handed in my last essay in Celtic Civ today and can take it easy for the next couple of days before I start packing, I have to make sure I have bought all the Christmas presents I need.
Also finally, I went with Claire and Joanne to Jim's Bar today before Celtic and gave Claire her birthday present (Her birthday was on Friday though) and she told us all about her trip to Milan over the weekend and we had a really good fun until reality knocked again and one more class to go to before going home.

B is for Brilliant and that is for ME

Yup, I got a B+ for my history essay. Now I must say, that made my day. My tutor didn't have anything but good to say about it, the professor wasn't really at the same level but who cares. Having someone sing your praise for ten minutes is enough to make you smile through the rest of the day or until the next essay grade.
Now it's only four days until I go home and I can't wait. My last essay is ready and I can hand it in tomorrow and then I am free, well mostly, I still have conversation class in Gaelic, could do without that but what's one more class.
Tomorrow is Christmas dinner at Lauras, I will take a lot of photos and put on the web to let everyone know that I DO have friends and that we can actually have a good time as well. And for you ladies especially, pictures of Hamza will be promised.

Just a week now

I'm going home in a week. I am soooooo looking forward to it. Seeing my mom and dad and grandma for the first time in three months. Having heaps of work waiting for me as well. Oh, it's going to be great. My mom had surgery just a few weeks before I came to Scotland in September and I was always really worried about leaving her, but everything was going well until a few weeks ago, when she had a problem which landed her straight back in hospital and another surgery and she just got home so there are a lot of things that need to be done when I come home. But I don't care, I'm just glad I'm going home.
I finished my last essay for Christmas today and then promptly went out shopping for the remaining Christmas preasants. I still have to find something nice for mom, I have a couple of nice things but I need something nicER. I know, I am very difficult, but mom is nothing compared to me. But I like shopping, who can blame me.
I am so happy!

a bit more

I came home to day and found a package waiting for me, I was soooo happy to get a package. It is always fun to get a package. It was from my friend Kristín, who works with me at the Iceland Post office and she even sent me Pipp. Boy, did she know what I needed. It was soooo cold today and I was at school for seven hours freezing my ass off. There was no place where there was even a hint of heat. No wonder there are so many that perish here in Britain from the cold, I almost did and I am an Icelander and shouldn't be complaining about the cold. Or at least that is what people are telling me but they don't understand it never gets this cold in Iceland as we know how to heat our home, and do it when we are actually at home. They don't do that here, they have it timed so that the heat is on for the first few minutes in the morning when I wake up and go OUT into the cold and then when I come home at five most of the heat is gone and nowhere to be seen again. Thank God I have a heater otherwise I would be flying horizontally home this Christmas. Brrrrrr!

Hrabba came and went

Oh, it was soooo nice to see my friend again. She stayed for four whole days and then she had to go home and leave me all alone here again. But it will be fine, tomorrow it will only be two weeks until I go home and see everyone I missed. I haven't written anything since she left, I guess she really wore me out shopping, hehehe. But despair not, I will be going into town most likely tomorrow to do my Christmas shopping and then you will see an Icelander who knows to shop in Glasgow. It was great fun when she was here, and we had an adventure every day she was here.
Beginning on the day she arrived. I had been invited to an embassy reception in Edinburgh along with a "guest" so since she was coming that day I asked her and she said why not, so we went. Árdís came with us as well, which made the journey much more fun as well. We planned to take the five o'clock train to Edinburgh as the reception was to start at 6 o´clock. We got delayed on our way to the trainstation as there was a huge fire at a nightclub and so we had to take the quarter past train instead and she was running late. Good start at a very interesting evening. When we came to Edinburgh we got a taxi after waiting for a few minutes in the freezing cold. I tried to explain that we needed to get to Fettes college, but was pronouncing it with a decidedly french accent as I didn't want to say we were going to Fetish college which it sounds like when you say it. And the guy took us up some very spooky dark lane up to some housemasters home of all boys school. I don't know what he thought we were, but we were so in the wrong place, but we didn't realize that until he had gone. So we were stuck somewhere in the deepest, darkest Edinburgh with no idea of how to get where we wanted to go. We were on our way to the main road again going to try to find a another cab when a taxi drove up with this very nice looking fellow all spruced up in his finest tailored suit. I walked over to him to ask him if he was also going where we were and telling him this was probably not where we wanted to be. So the cabdriver found out at the end where we were supposed to go, which was almost at the other end of Edinburgh (a bit of exaggeration) but the fancy guy took us with him in the taxi to the college where we were supposed to be. And we met the Ambassador and his friend (who my friend remarked lookes like a miniature Donald Trump).
We had white wine and red wine and took a turn around the hall and the chappel. Where we met this very very British couple. The man started talking to us and asking us if we were students and what we were studying and when I answered that I was studying Gaelic and his response was "Extrordinary!" I was flabbergasted, I mean what was that "Extraordinary!" so British. And he was like "Why ever would you want to study Gaelic?" I'm like duh "I want to!" British snobbish people trying to be funny = not funny. But it was incredibly stupidly funny.
On Saturday, Hrabba and I went to Allison street the Little India neighbourhood where she wanted to have a petticoat made for her for her saree, and voilá she got it and she could come get it on Monday before she left for home, great. We spent loads of money in a jewellry shop and then we went to an Asian sweet shop The Glasgow Sweet Shop no less and had an assortment of sweets that were sooooo sweet you couldn't eat them. But it was an adventur to try.
We went to the cinema and saw Bridget Jones's Diary: the edge of reason, I reckomend it to anyone. We went to a German Christmas street market and had loads of fun, even went on a Paris wheel in Edinburgh which was incredible and very cold as well, brrrr.
But it was so much fun and we tried new stuff every day. Look forward to seeing you again Hrabba.
And looking forward to seeing everyone again.

They are going home today

My brother, sister-in-law and niece are on their way home now. Should be on their way to the airplane right now as a matter of fact. These last three days have been amazing and wonderful. Yesterday, we took things easy becaus they had already bought enough to fill three suitcases so, we took a taxi to the University of Glasgow and I showed them my school and surrounding. We were very lucky, when we were coming around the corner where the chapell is in Uni, there were lots of people gathered there on the steps for a photoshooting. There was obviously a wedding going on there and it was so amazingly beautiful to see it, and there was a traditional piper there as well in full dress. And beautiful cars, Rolls Royce, Daimler and Jaguar. And this was actually the third wedding we saw that day, because when we were on Argyl street earlier we saw two decorated wedding cars and a couple in one of them. Ohh, it was amazing to see this. Then when we were done ogling my school we went to my place, although we didn't walk home through the garden, we were just tooo cold and took a taxi, there we checked if anything interesting was being shown in the cinema and we went to the UGC and saw the Incredibles and my niece loved it. It was a bit noisy at times but she was managing very well indeed, and sat still for most of the two hours and no problems. I love this little girl. She is sooo smart and funny.
And then I helped them pack, amateurs, thought they would never finish and we did it all in less than an hour. Ohh, I so would like to be going home with them, but I can comfort myself with that that it is only less than four weeks until I come home and this friday my friend Hrabba is coming to keep me company for a bit as well, whooo hooo.

My family's here !!!

Yeah, my brother, sister-in-law and niece came today and wow. We spent the entire day shopping, I thought me and mom were bad, I even thought my friends were bad, but nooooo, it's my niece. She i so adorable. They had already reached the hotel when I got there and she came flying into my arms so I barely had time to put my bags down and she was laughing and saying my name over and over again.
We went into Disney store and my niece grabbed one of those cart-along bags on wheels with Disney princesses on and just didn't let go, no matter what and was on her way out the store, but we managed to hinder her in escaping with her loot, telling her that we had to pay for the stuff first, and my little lady knew exactly what she was doing, she turned around and went further into the shop until she came to the q to the tills and waited, determined to get her bag, so in the end my brother relented and they came out with two massive Disney bags. This was sooo wonderfully funny.
And I also got some carepackets from home from mom, awwww. Yeah, it was nice. And tomorrow.... more shopping and shopping and shopping, and I was the reserved one, I only bought a pair of shoes, just so you know. I am not the one with the problem.

Oooh, I say

It has been a while since I wrote the last time I see.
A lot has been happening. I finished my Gaelic essay yesterday, and I am soooo relieved. So now I can start on my next one, jeiiii. Also, on Saturday I took a wee bit time off from studying and went into town and I had done my shopping mostly and was going to take a taxi home, when in a nutshell, there were no taxis there and I remembered I had a bit of grocery shopping to do as well, so I changed direction and went up Buchanan street where I, in all the traffic of the beginning of Christmas shopping in Glasgow, ran smack into three women that I work with back home in Iceland. They were here over the weekend and are probably back home now. They found it very funny indeed of meeting the only person they know in Glasgow in town just out of the blue like that. I was very nice, really it was. So I send my best with them home.
I am planning on phoning the Icelandic Embassy now, since they were kind enough to send me an invitation to a reception of the Icelandic Ambassador in Edinburgh and I have to confirm that I am coming, a friend of mine will be coming along, since she is coming to Glasgow on the day it is held. So that's going to be a lot of fun.
Last week, was nice as there were no classes in History or Celtic Civ and I only had Gaelic, so I could work on my essay and have now finished it, it is incredibly hard to find 1000 words in Gaelic I must say, so I ended up with only 950. And for me that's enough!
I am sooooooo looking forward to thursday, my brother and sister-in-law and niece are coming here, and I am just bursting with anticipation. So on Wednesday I am going to spend my day tidying my room, hehehehe. Look forward to seeing u!

Guilty!

Yess, I am guilty. Last Saturday I befriended a girl from America, from Pensylvania who actually admitted to having voted for Bush. It took me awhile to accept that and me and Dee really went after her, but she's o.k. I guess, have to get to know her better. But it is odd, I mean I think she is the first person I meet that has even thought about voting for Bush, and Dee who knows a lot of Americans doesn't know anyone who voted for Bush. Really weird.
I got my Salwar-Kamese yesterday finally, and it is really really cool. A friend of mine from India saw it and she was very impressed and said it was very beautiful so you will just have to take her word for it. Maybe I'll post a picture of it later on.
But I am rather sad as well, my friend from India is going back home, and not coming back until maybe January for a short while and then again in May. But I will probably see her again next year, hopefully.
Good luck with everything Lakshmi!

Finally getting better ... just

Yup, that's what was needed. Penicillin! I went to the doctors again and got penicillin and now I am finally getting better. I am finally finding my voice again and not grating everyones nerves around me any more and also I am now starting to be able of delivering a whole sentence without having a fit of coughs in the middle of it.
I was a bit naughty today, I bought a dress. I bought a pink dress with beads on it. I just had tooo, it was just too cute to pass by. I'll probably never wear it in public, but there comes a time when a girl needs to be .... well just girlie.
Looking forward to seeing my brother and family when they come here. In just two weeks, and right now they are moving. And my darling niece is going to get her own room. Ohhh, I want so much to be there right now and help them move, I just need to be a participant in everything big like this, I feel I am missing out on sooooo much right now being here. But I don't think that I would ever regret coming here either. Right now I just miss my family very, very much.
I'm hungry now, I think spending money does that to a person. So I am going to go and taste that chicken I bought. Gwak!

Sick as a dog ... but hopefully getting better

I still cough like crazy, and have a difficult time going to sleep. But I have an appointment with my doctor on Friday and I hope that they will be able to help me some more. Don't want to be with a cough like this for the rest of the year.
I am sooooo loooking forward to tonight, and I know I will seem really really strange because of it but hay, I can't help it. Tonight is the U.S. Presidential elections, and ohboy, it looks like it's going to be fun. I'm rooting for Kerry, just because I really want to get rid of the primate that is in the White House now. I saw a really funny slogan today, and if you don't know the Democratic mascot is the donkey (or ass, depending how you look at it) and the Republican's is the Elephant. Well, the slogan went like this; "Deomcrats are sexy ... who ever heard of a nice piece of elephant!" I don't know why, but I just find this hilarious, probably shows my simple mindedness but hay, you'll live longer if you make merry.
Well, have to continue with my studying.

I've got a sore throat :(

I hate being sick, it really gets u down and all ur work suffers because of it. But u can still have fun @ Uni. Claire and I really like mucking about with our strange sense of humor and Claire has a wonderful idea of a drama show that she is writing and I am critiquing (at least trying), it's just so funny in a dramatic sort of way. Yup, I see a future for her in television writing and it helps that we both have this very lively imagination which makes us tooooooo often giggle like "gelgjur" in classes especially when certain lecturers are about, giggles giggles.
I have a lot to do this weekend and I am actually looking forward to do those things even though I have to do a translation in gaelic as well as read two chapters in An t-aonaran and work on my essays but I will also be doing something that I hope will bring me great pleasure or at least great joy, and no u dirty minded people ... not that.
But maybe I will also be going to a party at Eleanors, if I am feeling better by Saturday. And if I'm not there will undoubtably be a party in flat D so I can go there if everything else fails. On top of that it's Halloween so how can you go wrong with that. Looking forward to spooking to u soon again.

Writing in the rain

I think it never does anything but rain here in Glasgow, the period when there is no rain is just to fool you into thinking that you are going to be dry today. Ohh, no, you go out and it's the finest sunshine you have seen in weeks and then when you are too far from the house to change into waterproof outfits it starts pouring down you. Yuk.
But that doesn't keep you from enjoying your day, it just means that you will be that more happier to get back home.
I went to the movies today with Dee to see Bride and Prejudice, I have seen it before but Dee hadn't so we went and it was just as much fun as the first time and he liked it as well.
I hope that I will have time to go see Lakshmi tonight after I have done a bit of work, haven't been doing much work on my essays, not as much as I should have been doing anyway, but you also have to live a little.

Trivial matters

I forgot to mention yesterday that on Thursday there were four fire alarms around our block, well actually they were three and the fourth one was in our block. Yups, an idiot above me was smoking out the window and the fire alarm went off. I really hate stupidity, and this is always happening here. I also hate it when people act like idiots when the fire alarms go off, and on top of that who in their right mind would even want to stay in the flats when the alarm goes off. It's like a banshee screaming like hell on fire to that could shatter you where you stand. And people just stand by and watch really funny like, waiting for the fire engines but not moving much about to give them room to get to the flat.
Anyway we also almost had a fire alarm go off yesterday when Dee was cooking, which is quite funny because he's the senior resident and should be the most responsible about these things, but also, he was only making toast. :) It was quite funny, he felt really sheepish.

Busy schedule

Oh, it has been so much fun the last few days. On wednesday I met with Lewis for coffee, although neither of us had coffee, but we talked for about an hour and a half. Then he had to dash of to Uni. When I came home, Dee knocked on my door and there he was with Hamza beside him and we went into the kitchen for a chat. Then on Thursday I met Laura when she was on her way home and I was on the way to the library. And, if all goes well, we will be having a Christmas dinner like last year, we are at least thinking of doing that.
But today is the best day yet though I do have heaps of work left to do, but I am now on my way into town for a nice day. Thankfully it's not raining, at least not now. It has been terrible the last few days. But it is rather windy so I'll bundle up and dress warmly.
Then when I come home, I won't move from my room or flat until Monday, because I have to do soooooo much work, well, it might not seem like it, but still I have to (a bit of complaining here, just ignore me) translate 10 pages from gaelic to english, I have to translate a bit from english into gaelic and I have to start my essay that I have to hand in in just over two weeks time as well as try to get through another essay I have to hand in in the end of November. Fun stuff, anyone want to come and lend a hand (",), sí ja.

I'm getting a visit

Yes, I am even getting two vistis. Who would have thought that November would be a busy month for me except for the essays that I have to hand in. But just this morning, both my brother and my friend Hrafnhildur booked a flight to come see me in November. My brother will be coming on the 18th November and my friend on 26th November. I spoke to my niece yesterday and the only thing she wanted to know was if I was coming, but as it turns out, now she is coming to me. I am deliriously happy right now, I could hardly concentrate in gaelic today or for that matter in the other classes I had, but now I know what I have to do. I have to start my essay writing tomorrow. I have on essay to hand in in Celtic Civilisaiton on 11th, one in Gaelic on the 19th and then one in History on the 26th. But not to worry, these are easy essays, well two out of three anyway. And it only takes me about a week to write them, two weeks with the reading as well so I am rather well of I would say since I know of this all in advance. So now, since I have all this to look forward to I am going to be very dilligent at my work for the Uni. Ohh, I can't wait until. November come now! Look forward to seeing u all.

I'm getting a dress made...

ligga ligga lái. Sorry about that. I had to brag a bit. I went to Allison Street today to see if the owner of the shop, where I might get my dress made was back, and guess what, she WAS. And yes, she is going to make my Salwar-Kameese (I think I am spelling it right, and least very close) and it's going to be ready in about 2 weeks time and she's going to call me when. But the most amazing thing is the prize in which she is doing this. I almost feel like I am paying for slave-labour. For this three piece suit she is only taking 22 pounds, I mean you could try and get trousers altered for this price back home but I doubt that you would be very successful. I was basically looking to be paying 100 pounds or over, but Dee told me that this is normal prize for it. Which just makes me that much happier, I have extra money to spend, hehehe. And she said I could come anytime if I wanted more made and she showed me fabrics and stuff she has. And Hrabba, pay attention now, she has matierial for Sarees, for the skirt, the blouse and the petticoat. So you can now start looking for a good price on airline tickets and come over for a visit and we'll go shopping sarees.
So anyone can understand why am so very happy today. I am finally getting my Salwar-Kameese.
Also, I went to the cinemas tonight as well, with my friend Árdísi. Went to see Princess Diaries II, which was actually much more fun than I thought. But then again I wasn't really expecting much.

A bit in Icelandic, just to annoy you

Úff, ég bara varð að venta svolítið hérna á íslensku, annars fæ ég fráhvarfs einkenni. Þetta þjóðfélag er svo undarlegt og ég veit að ég er endalaust að kvabba á því, en það er það samt. Um tíu leytið í kvöld þá fór ég að heyra í gjallarhorni óma hérna í kring. Ok, halló, það er miðvikudagur og klukkan orðin tíu. Fór inn til Dinesh til að sjá hvað væri um að vera og þá var komin rúta á svæðið og hún var að smala öllum saman til að fara með liðið á skemmtistað. Svaka gaman! ÞAÐ ER MIÐVIKUDAGUR! Get a life, eða betra farðu að læra. Dee hamrar alltaf á því að "hey, these are first years, they don't study" en vá, það er miklu viltara lið hérna núna heldur en var í fyrra. Og engin smá partý-íbúð hérna á ská fyrir neðan okkur. Partý, Miðvikudaga, Fimmtudaga, Föstudaga, Laugardaga, Sunnudaga ... ææ, ætli við ættum ekki að læra smá Mánudag og Þriðjudag og svo er aftur komin partý-vika. En svona er lífið, fullt af skemmtilegum, óvæntum uppákomum og sérstaklega ef þú býrð með FJÖGURHUNDRUÐ öðrum nemendum og flestir á aldrinum 18 - 22.
En klukkan er orðin margt, allavegana hjá mér og ég ætla að fara að reyna að sofna áður en skríllinn kemur skríðandi heim í morgunsárinu.

"What gies it", man?

Well, "it doesna gies" very well at the moment, I am very tired. But hey, it's only Tuesday, guess how I'm going to feel on Thursday!
Yup, it's finally autum. You can see it everywhere for the leaves are covering the ground already. And if they haven't fallen off the trees yet, just wait. I had to dodge a few leafs that were coming at me full force yesterday as I was making my way up to Uni.
I really need to offload a bit of nonsense right now. I just came from school and I am soooo tired, I have been in school since before ten this morning and I am only just now finally home. The main problem is that it is almost impossible for me to get any work done at Uni in my free periods. I usually have about hour or two between classes sometimes and at that time, it always takes me some minutes to get to the library find a computer that is awailable and find the books I need. And then I have to put everything back, log off, and head for the next class a few minutes later it seems. And when it comes to schoolbooks I am a very slow reader, and like to do it at home, where I can change from sitting in very uncomfortable chairs to a too comfortable bed etc. I guess this is what University life is all about, feeling misreable when studying, feeling guilty when you are not.

Bride & Prejudice ...

... is a wonderful movie. I was afraid I would be compairing it too much to Pride & Prejudice but it sooooo well made that nothing ruins the mood. But, it is not a movie for everyone I think, because it so Bollywood-y that some might find it a bit over the top. But I loved it. I can't basically wait until it is released on DVD.
I am so tired after the weekend that it is funny. I mean I didn't do any work on Friday, but had a nice time in town, with Árdísi, went to Fridays for dinner and then cinema. On Saturday, I studied gaelic for four hours, was translating two chapters in An t-aonaran (The hermit) and then on Sunday I finished a gaelic translation that I have to hand in today. Not bad so I had time to go into town as well, and had a nice time. Alth0ugh there is one thing that I am beginning to notice in every great detail. Christmas is only about two and a half months away! All the shelves in the stores are being stacked up with trinkets and gift packs and I swear if I didn't have some selfcontrol I would be done with my Christmas shopping before November. But that is no fun, it's much more fun to do it in the December month, and then I would also be able to remember what I bought for each, not the easiest thing to do over a period of MONTHS. Or at least that's how I feel. Especially since I am always spending money anyway.
Well off to school now.

Welsh and more

Has anyone ever heard Welsh, and I don't mean modern day welsh because I am not too good in that, I mean early medieval Welsh. It sounds as if the person speaking has a permanent lisp (s-mæltur, big time) or is drunk. Try saying: Gwryffedd ap Llewlyn or Cynan Bryddyr Mawr very fast it is almost impossible.
But it gave me an idea, and Claire who sat through my explaining of this idea of mine, was rather impressed. You will probably wonder why I got this idea when I was thinking about Welsh but that doesn't matter since I can't remember. I now have a goal, so people can stop asking me why I am learning Gaelic! Well, you fools who wonder, it might be because I am not an ignoramous like you and am interested in learning about other cultures that you have not the brain capacity to imagine had an interesting life. Well, I do think it is interesting and having suffered through a year of such research and discussions and lectures in both Celtic Civilisation and History I have found what I am going to do. Well in theory any way, nothing is happing right at this moment.
I want to found a depertment of Scandinavian studies. Where people can learn about the Vikings, who they were, why they did what they did, and what their culture is like. In Celtic Civilisation I was taught that they were bad men basically, came raping and pilagin the most holy of monasteries in Iona and Lindisfarne and did despicable things in Ireland. In Scottish history I learned that they were cuddly overbearing louts and in Medieval History I learned that there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary of what they did, this was the time. So what is the truth, well we Icelanders think we know it, but it is the same with us as with Scotland. They know nothing about Scandinavia and we know almost nothing about Scotland, not even what their language is.
So it would be fun to have a department and courses that were intertwined with both the Celtic and History department of the University, and I think it would attract much attention. I mean who would want to learn about Vikings and read the Icelandic Sagas and learn about our heathen Gods. They are so much fun!
So please tell me what you think of this GRET idea of mine. Good isn't it, eh?

Tha mi ás a Gáidhligh ifrinn a rithist

transl: "I am in Gaelic hell again". I know it is not really very nice to complain about school when only a week has passed but damn, Gaelic is killing me. And just to tell you everything, I am not alone in that feeling. I spent five hours translating lousy 2 chapters (13 pages) for Gaelic class, two of us couldn't finish and the fourth one took seven hours to translate the work (and in truth she did a lot better job than I did). We were discussing Gaelic just before the class started and we all feel that considering what we are expected to do for each class we should be better at Gaelic at this point, so I guess we will be raising some hell in next class, because we are so not able to handle this. We are definitely not at the level of what is expected of us and what we do know.
But on funner notes, eh, what am I talking about I am a student not much fun going around here. Except when I had finally finished my translation, Dee and I watched a movie Lakshmi, a neigbhor of ours had lent to us, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and it was hilarious. It's like watching a Carry On film in hindi. Specifically Carry On Doctor. And the most fun part was, it was without subtitles and we were still laughing our head off, we kind of got the main gist of it, because of our limited knowledge of hindi but work it did.
Today I also finally know the full extent of my laziness. I have been here for two weeks now, and I never bothered to check my printer, to see if there was something wrong, no, not until I actually had to use it to print out a piece of paper to hand in. And of course, there was no ink, well, I could have printed it out in green colour, but I somehow don't think the teacher was looking for green homework, so I had to write it up on paper all over again. Ahhhhhhh! So now I have to go buy some ink for my printer.

The new adventure of Hamza

The Hamza that most of my friends have heard of now, showed up tonight. He had barely been in the flat for five minutes until he had invited himself to look at his old room, which is now occupied by a very nice girl. Oh, Hamza! When Dee came up after his Senior Residents meeting we took the party into the kitchen where we were going over old times. And Dee of course had to bring up the matter about his body, because Hamza was always trying for a six-pack. During the exams he disposed of his diet and basically went for all the things he was always preaching about being bad for you. And then the conversation changed into the discussion of bodyhair. Joking that Hamza had been shaving his arms, Hamza blurted out that it was wax. Okay, laugh as much as you like, nothing is going to be more hilarious than the why. He has been posing for photos for gay magazines, not that they aren't legitimate things in themselves, but for those who know Hamza, they find that incredibly funny. What? This crazy guy askes with a feigned innocence. This guy who is having a difficult time keeping a friend down since he overdosed on almonds.
I really must admit it now, that I really did miss him.

Come rain, come shine ...

I still have to shop for groceries. And today it was raining, that is, until I came home then the sun started to shine, but only for thirty minutes or so. And I finally phoned Laura today, I'm not that much for phones so I had been putting it off, hoping she would contact me through e-mail, but hey, it wasn't so bad. And I went to her appartment, the first time I have been in a scottish home, and it was so nice. I especially liked the window, I love windows. And it was so nice and cosy and it was incredibly fun to meet her again, so much to talk about. And then I came home to have my diner, but .... big problem. The oven was taken so now I am taking it easy for a few moments, but I have to tell you about the taxi driver who drove me here from Lauras. I asked me shortly after I had gotten into his cab where I was from: "Iceland" I answered, and then he said "Égelskaþig" and it basically took me a minute to figure out what he had said. He had been in Iceland 30 years ago and still remembered that sentence, Ég elska þig, I found that amazing. And he kept talking to me and saying stuff in Icelandic inbetween and hearing a scottish person talking to you and throwing icelandic words in between is amazing and fun to listen to. Klúbburinn, Valur, Akranes, he had been playing football there and he and his buddies were still remembering being there.
Tomorrow is a holliday here, but no one seems to know why. That seems to happen a lot here, but hey, that means that I won't start school until tuesday. Fine by me!

Cellular

Fun day today, I helped my friend Árdísi to buy a computer. Yes, I am so proud of me, helping another Icelander to spend money, like they need any help when it comes to shopping in Glasgow. Grins! And if I do say so myself, I think she got an o.k. deal as well, so good for her. I also showed her Silverscreen the store that only has DVD's and oh my god, she is as bad as I am. I was telling her that I liked this DVD and she just "why don't u just buy it, then!" and there u have it, everything in Glasgow is justifiable buy for an Icelander; "it' only costs ₤6.99." And we are both trying to save money not spend it, hehehehe.
Because we were both in sort of a cinema-go mood we went to UGC to see what was on offer, and decided to go see the movie Cellular, which actually turned out to be a good movie, well ok, mediocre but still watchable and in some instances it was really nerve-wracking as well as incredibly dramatic and corny. But still a very good movie.

Enrollment

I went to Uni just before ten o'clock this morning for enrollment for the courses I'll be taking this year. My first enrollment session was at ten for History, then I had one for one o'clock for Gaelic and at last at four o'clock for Celtic Civilisation. So I basically spent the whole day in school, but mainly doing nothing. I met up with my friend Claire just before twelve o'clock, she was enrolling for another history class but we will be together in Gaelic and Celtic Civ., then at two we met Joanne, who is going to be with us in Celtic. So the three friends from last year were finally united. We went for a late lunch at Rubyiat which serves really good food at remarkably low price, well it is for an Icelander, where else could you get a 60oz burger with chips, bacon and cheese and then coke for about 600 kr, not many places serve that back home unless you count McDonalds but I don't take that to be a burgerjoint. It's more like rubberjunk.
And another thing you usually wouldn't see on a Wednesday around three o'clock is that, me and Claire went to Jim's Bar to wait for Joanne, we saw a young girl really out of her mind, dead drunk. And that is because the freshers week is just about to finish and school is starting and the guys and girls are basically testing the waters since they don't have their parents hanging over them now. But this was really sad.
I am working on getting more photos up on the net again, but I am soooo lazy right now, plus I haven't been feeling the best but it will happen sometimes in the foreseeable future.

A nice surprise

I got a very nice surprise today around five-ish. I got a phone call, from who I thought would be Laura welcoming me back to Glasgow - but no it wasn't. It was Árdís, my Icelandic friend from last year here in Glasgow. Ok, it was nice to meet her again and all but there was more surprise for me to come. I had kept a few things over the summer for her and of course assumed that she would be coming to collect her things and go back to the appartment she would be leasing with a friend. But no, only one was right, she was coming to collect her things but we were only carrying it, basically, across the lawn. She is now living in Block 9 almost directly across from me who am in Block 6, so I have an Icelandic friend on campus now. Isn't that sweet. So I helped move her across the yard and then we had pizza and watched some television, and then it's enrollment tomorrow, fun, fun, fun. Although this year, we won't be taking any courses together. But I will have my friend Claire with me in Gaelic and Celtic Civilisation.

More lousy weather ... but a nice day

Hey, the bossy Icelander had her way. I get to keep my room, so I don't have to move. And I went shopping what's better than that. Although I didn't buy much. But I finally did some grocery shopping so I won't starve completely.
Ohh, and there is this really cool JUST dvd shop in Buchanan Galleries just opened, and it is sooo cool.
I went to see my Advisor of Studies today and I did what I didn't want to do. I signed up for two more history courses, jaaaaaaaa. Why? Because I couldn't decide what else I wanted to do, because sadly as much as I want to learn stuff I really don't like the reading bit, and exam bit and essay bit and that stuff. I really wished I could just take the two courses in Gaelic and Celtic I am signed up for but no you have to take three.
But damn, the weather, you should see this, it is horrible. I close the drapes so I won't have to look at it. Okay, closing the drapes so I'll write more later.
Hehehehe, you can really see how much is going on with me now, I am always writing something on my website because I have nothing else to do. Maybe I should cry!

Lousy weather

The weather yesterday was horrible and is expected to get worse. Although I have recieved a little respite from it now so I could open my window. I came home yesterday from shopping and I turned the heater on full blast and I even slept with my socks on. No wonder Dee keeps making fun of me, of what kind of Icelander I am if I am so cold here. But he can't say much, since he was freezing yesterday as well when I met him, hehehehe.
I will be meeting my adviser of studies today and then we will see what I will be studying this year. I really hope I won't have to do any more general history. I know my history and I really don't want to spend my time on more history, I want to learn something fun, something interesting and something I wouldn't probably get to learn back home. So we will see.
I am hoping that I will be getting news soon about me room. By what Dee told me yesterday I am hopeful but you really can't tell until you hear from someone high ranking in the housing accommodation thingy. Beaurocracy, I really loath it.

I made it ...

to Glasgow that is! And boy, it is raining cats and dogs here, of the big variety. For the time being I am in my room, and Dee thinks there is a chance that I will get to keep my room. If I wasn't brimming over with sarcasm here I would shout hooorray. But it will all come clear in the morning, I hope, that is if anyone can be bothered to do something else but stare stupidly at you.
Well, on to more enjoyable stuff. I think, and recomend that every one at least once travel in Buisness Class, it's sweet. You really feel loved then. The most fun thing about flying in buisness class in the morning, is the menu for breakfast, that offers three different kinds of omlettes, hehehehe.
Ahhhh, I didn't want to move, but I did and got my sorry ass up to my room in QMR and finally met Dee there when he woke up. We went out and bought some chicken for lunch and then I went into town to do a little shopping. Ooooh, it is dangerous to let an Icelander loose in Glasgow I tell you.
Right now I am just lazy-ing away at my room, watching bad TV and wishing I knew what to do for dinner.

To the Queen and back again!

Aggravation! That's the word for it. I have been talking to the Management(I doubt there is any) at the QMR for the past week. They just shrugged all responsibility off of their shoulders and said they couldn't do anything, that I had to talk to these guys higher above them or such sh#$%, right : So I talked to them, guess what they said. "Thank you for your email I will have to conntact the Management at QMR to get comment from them. I shall be in touch with you soon". You can guess when I get to hear from them, on MONDAY, right, that is if they answer me at all. This tells me what I have been telling everyone around me for the past year and a half. The first person you talk to about a problem sends you on a wild goose chase all the way to the Queen of England just so she can tell you that the first person you talked to is the person to help you. And when you crawl back to the first person, angry and really really pi"##$$ off they finally do something for you. Although it is sometimes not what you wanted to hear.
So a matter that has taken me a week to get to the bottom off before I went to Glasgow won't slove until I get there. I swear ÞESSIR ANDSKOTAR ERU AÐ GERA MIG VITLAUSA!

A short story

Ok, here it is. Scottish people aggravate me, well, really only Scottish beaurocrats. So please don't hate me. But it is true, you could go to the moon to please some people there and they only talk to you when you have talked to someone else who says the other person is going to help you. You feel like a ping-pong ball, with the headache and everything that followes being tossed back and forth between to hardheaded people. Why can't they just work together to keep everyone happy. And why do I always have to be one of those that get caught between them. And these are supposed to be organisations working for the same thing. The Accommodation Office and Sanctuary Housing in Glasgow. They are trying to make my life living hell. Why can't I just stay in my old room with all my junk around me and be happy and start monday off with seeing my teacher. Ahhhhh, I am going to kick someone soon. No, I have to start working on a big mess created by others, to see if I will have any place at all, when this is through. So please pray for me or else I will pop a vein soon.

Grapevine

www. Grapewine.is. This is truly a spectacular newspaper, that you can also access on the internet. It is distrubted free in Iceland but since I will be going to Scotland soon enough it is nice to know that I can still read it from afar. The writers for the paper are intellingent and witty (not that common at once) with a magic pen in hand. And the best thing is ... it is all in english, so everyone who has interest in Iceland but doesn't want to brave the icelandic newspapers this is the newspaper/website to look at. The latest edition Issue 6 is one of the best so far, but only because of two very very good and funny articles, titled; There is No Ham in Hamburger and The Politness of Icelanders. Check this out!

LoonyElín Back in action - I got bugged

Hey there, my fellows on the web. I got bugged so my website was a bit down in the dumps the last week. Am starting again now, some of the updates are missing but will be added again soon. There has so much been going on that I hardly know where to start.
My grandmother was 85 last friday, thank you, thank you, and she took us on Saturday to a very very nice resturant at Hotel Geysir í Haukadal. And yes, if you know your geology you know what geysir stands for = hot springs. It was wonderful, and the weather couldn't have been better reached almost 30°c where we were. I will post some photos from the trip later.
But then tragedy struck, yess, my faithful tv for 10 years died. And of course I couldn't survive more than a day and a half before I was going crazy so my mother, my brother and I went shopping for one on monday, and now I am the proud owner of a brand new Phillips flat-screen tv. Nice one eh!

Multi*lingual*ism

Is it possible to be too multilingual. I am afraid so, everytime I fling a sentence at my friends they never know what it is or how to take it. Usually you combine a couple of words or prhases from other language you and your friends know, but when you know languages your friends and family don't it complicates things. And most important of all, YOU CAN'T SHOW OFF, because they have no idea if what you are babbling is even correct or makes any sense at all.
My problem is I can speak fluently Icelandic (I should hope) and English (getting there every minute) and then I can read and write in Danish, French and German. I can also understand Norwegian, Spanish. I am currently studying Scottish Gaelic at the University of Glasgow and now my favorite hobby is studying Hindi. My friends Dinesh and Hamza (and wee Raj, have too include him as well), they introduced me to Bollywood movies and I fell head over heels. I know have seven and I love them to pieces.
Oh, and the reason I haven't written in many many days is because I have been so busy I haven't been able to call one minute my own. Hope it will not bee this long until next time.

Back to work

The Verslunarmannahelgin is finally over, which is not a good thing. I really liked sleeping late and it was an added bonus that all the stores were closed as well over the weekend, although some were open on Saturday, but none of them were very interesting. But this meant that I could stay home and not having to go shopping and spend money, and I know those that know me will find this very peculiar indeed, since shopping and I go hand in hand.
I met with my good friends Margrét and Guðbjört on Saturday evening at when we had gotten the latest gossip off our chests we watched a few episodes of "Chewin' the fat" which are very cool scottish sketch shows.
On Sunday I went to my friends Hrafnhildur's house, since we were both showing withdrawl-syndrome from one another having spent a week together in Glasgow and not having seen each other since we got home.
And last but not least, my brother and his family invited us to a BBQ, Monday night, (with his very new Broil-King grill which he is very proud of) and it was D.E.L.I.S.I.O.U.S. !!!! (he got four !'s for it, not just three). Thanks a lot dear bro.

Nothing to do & Verslunarmannahelgin

I brought a book with me to work this morning, in case there was nothing to do.  Well, that is an understatement.  The book in question I had never read before and now I have finished it and I still have at least three hours to kill at work.  I am so bored.  Now for the rest of the day I will be sitting in my chair twiddling my thumbs in hopes that someone might come and disturb my peace of mind. 
Tomorrow is the start of Verslunarmannahelgin, the busiest weekend for travellers of all.  It is a three day weekend and everyone goes out of town and go almost "Woodstock" but with clear Icelandic agenda.  Get drunk and stay drunk for three whole days.  Well, that is an overstatement, some will only stay drunk for two days.  But the weather, at least yesterday and today, has been less than ideal for camping and I am a person who thinks that the human being evolved into a bed for a reason so you will never find me shivering in a tent. No sir.  And so, I am discovering a rather nasty side of myself.  I couldn't care less about the souls now shivering in a tent somewhere on a god-forsaken island (Vestmanneyjar, heheheeh) or any other place in Iceland this week, simply because they find this cool, it probably is but right now I think they are more cold than cool.

Hindi craze

I am freaking out here at work, there is absolutely nothing to do and therefore I took my new cute MP3 player with me filled with Hindi songs from my two favorite movies, Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (Through smiles and through tears), and Kal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow may never come).  And I love it, I am listening to it for the second time this morning, along with doing some work in my gaelic homework for the summer.  Yes, because I have decided to keep on studying Gaelic and I don't want to be a chick with amnesia when  school starts up again in September.
But right now, I am so into Hindi that I have decided that if I ever start learning another language it is going to be Hindi.
Even now I have started to amass a vocabulary in Hindi and could at least tell people that I am "out of my head" (completely crazy) in Hindi.

There and back again

We are back from Glasgow and I have started back at work.  The past week was wonderful, great and amuzing.  We were able to do so much and see so much and shopp soooooo much.  My luggage alone was over 25 kilos, although I didn't even take everything I bought home with me.
We came to Glasgow on Tuesday 20th of July and started shopping.  On Thursday me and Hrabba went to Allison street and browsed through tons of shops looking for materials for a sari.  That task took us many many hours, but it was fun. Even I bought some material although it is not for a sari.
On Friday we took a trip up to Loch Ness and Inverness and although it was fun, it could have been better because, although the bus stopped often enough, it was never at very interesting places and when it did stop in interesting places it was only for a few minutes and never enough time to get something to eat and to just wander around as well. So that was a bit of a let down.
On Saturday we took the train to Edinburgh and took a look at the Castle among other things, and then had both lunch and dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Edinburgh.  There we bought 2 martini glasses but when we were on the train heading home we noticed that one of the glasses was chipped.  So what did we do, we went to Edinburgh again on Sunday, although not until after five, so we did a little more shopping in Glasgow before leaving.  Had dinner at HRC again, very nice food there, I reckomend it.
And then on Monday more shopping, and some last minute shopping and then home to pack for coming home on Tuesday again.
So this was truly a very eventful week for us all, and I have put a link for part of the photos, not all of them are there yet. I have still to upload some of the photos to the internet.

Oh, so much to blogg, so little time

Hi, we are on our way to Edinburgh today, gonna have fun.  It's been crazy here, we have gone all over Scotland.  Went on a trip yesterday all the way up to Inverness and back again, yep, we spent more than 12 hours in a bus (with a couple of stops but they were few, far apart and for a very short time). 
  We have gone to the cinmea twice, first Shrek 2, which is amazing and then Around the World in 80 Days (and because I saw the old one, from 1954 with David Niven, nothing compares, but I managed to watch this one and enjoy it because I just imagined it was a whole different movie not even called the title it is (yeah, I know, I'm a strange one)).  We have taken a lot of pictures and are going to continue today and then soon I hope I will be able to share them with you.
  We have also done a "little" shopping, nothing too much, hehehe!  Gonna do a lot more today and tomorrow and the next day. 
  Well, have to get ready to leave for Edinburgh, will share more later on. Bye for now.

We made it!!!

We are in Glasgow!  Hooray.  But we are sooooo tired after the flight and waking up at four o'clock in the morning (well, me anyway, Hrafnhildur and Gummi never went to bed).  Gummi was working until 2 o'clock in the morning and Hrafnhildur just went to get him right before I picked them up on our way to the airport.
But now we are gathering our strenght and getting ready to head downtown for something to eat.  They got their room and not problem there, and it is actually quite nice.  Which makes me kind of green with envy since it is much larger than mine. :Þ
Fill you in on our shopping excursions later.

See, see, see

I have added photos to my website, and it works brilliantly even if I say so myself.
I know these photos are not the newest I could find, but they were meant to be there. So at long last there they are.
OOOh, this is going to be nice, only a few more hours and then I am off to Glasgow.
It was incredibly hot yesterday, reached 25°c when we were around Gullfoss and Hveragerði (don't worry I will post some picutres from there as well, just be patient).
And on Saturday I dragged my friends Hrabba og Gummi to the cinema, went to see Spiderman 2.  Must say I quite liked it, but I thought they could have skipped a few parts and just started where the first one stopped in one particular scene in the second one, but that's me and the Holliwood buisness.  None of my buisness!

Thank God it's Friday

And thank god for Domino's (at least on Fridays), no vegetarian junk food for me after a hard weeks work. I sometimes had a pizza when I really didn't feel like cooking when I was in Glasgow but here, I use Domino's to save my lunch, usually on Fridays, but I never order pizza, I get myself Chicken Combo with Honey Mustard sauce and BBQ sause. Nice! I tried that once in Glasgow and it was wile, do not, try it there if you have tried it in Iceland. Not the same thing at all.
Ohh, how I look forward to Monday, that means that the next day we will be in Scotland.
Oh, and new news, I now have links on my page. Hoooray. Although I can not take credit, it is due to my brilliant friend Habba who is a genius when it comes to blogging, and belly dancing. If you want, you can check her and her other bellydancing friends website under Icelandic Links, Magadansdísirnar. I dare you!

Work, oh boy!

As of half an hour ago I was able to sit down for the first time for something else than just stuffing my mouth with wonderful lamb, bernaise sause and potatoes or cake, which I did at lunch and coffee break. We here at work have been working since Monday on the same thing, 16.000 shipments of advertisement-thingies from a prominent company here. We had to sort them out to what was to be delivered here in town or out in the country, and stick wonderful stickers on them as well. It all came in boxes of 40 and we just finished going through them, although all the work isn't done yet. But we are very happy that this is finally going somewhere, like, out of the house.
We were seriously talking about the company giving us a pizza after all of this, and we are thinking that we would hold everything ransom until then. But then we thought better of it, since we never want to see any of this again. So I guess the pizza will have to wait.
And my arms are so tired that I can hardly manage to write this measly little paragraph. Ohh, wonderful weekend where are you! Just one more day and then two weeks of nothing(yeah, right (in a sarcastic tone)), and than one more day of working, and then Glasgow should prepare itself, because we are coming! And then the fun really begins.

Good friends are better than gold

It is always becoming more clearer how good friends are a treasure. You see my new look on the site, if anyone noticed (I haven't told that many about it). But that is thanks to my good friend Hrafnhildur, who sat with me the better part of last night explaining how html-programming worked, I was a bit rusty. And she helped me better my site so it wouldn't continue in that garish green color that it was. She also showed me how to put my photoalbum on the internet so maybe soon, you will start seeing things (hehehehe). Thanx a million, dear.
I also have to tell you about my friend Guðný, she is a dear. I finally got my birthday present which has been waiting for me since May, due to both mine and hers busy schedule. It was a book, a very very very good book, but the sad thing was that I had it already, but if I hadn't I wouldn't have been happier. And I recomend this book to everyone who needs something for their summer reading list; The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Magnifique!
I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. Both here in Iceland and everywhere!
See u later!

8 Days to Glasgow

Sorry, but I going crazy counting down the days until I go to Glasgow for a few days with my very very very good friends, Hröbbu & Gumma. And I am looking very very forward to seeing my very good buddies Laura and Dinesh again as well.
But this was such a nice weekend, I just ate and drank and that's how it is supposed to be. I was very surprised when my (above mentioned) friends invited me and our friend Guðný for dinner Friday after work. Ummmm, ummmm good food, good friends, good drink. Couldn't get any better than this but alas, it did. On Saturday they invited us again and again good food, good friends, good drink and oooooooh, it was L.O.V.E.-lly. This weekend was... Heaven!!! Thank you very much my friends.

Easier said than done

Ohh, dear. I never thought my html programming knowledge was burried this deep. I am a complete eedjit trying to do simplest things here.
But it is all coming together, although I expect it will take a few months since I am only doing a bit by bit.
Ohh, and I got my new computer at work and it is B.E.A.U.T.I.ful!!!! And what is more, it actually works.
Thumbs up computer nerds at work, I would have done it a lot quicker but I am not allowed.

At work!!

Okay, so this site hasn't gone off with a flying start, mainly becaus I have no clue what I am doing here. Right now I am at work, waiting rather impatiently for my new computer to be put up, hoooray, only 3 years of nagging and finally I am getting somewhere.
I am going to try to post some photos on this site in the future, don't know how that is going to work but we will see as time goes by.

My first ever Blog

Hellooo world! This is my first blog and it will mainly be for my friends and family to surf throuhg. I decided to keep it in english although a lot of other languages are bound to show up here as well. The reason for this is that many of my friends are non-Icelandic, you tend to aquire some of those when attending a University in Scotland. Icelandic not very popular there, don't know why. But I wanted to be able to bring a little of Iceland to the pages of the web and to my friends in Scotland and around the world as well as bring a little bit of Scotland to my friends and family back home. So we shall see if I succeed or not, either way I will try to have fun doing some on-line publishing.