Eftir einn ei aki neinn

I had my presentation today, oh boy, I was scared. Not so much at first, but as more people came in through the door it got worse and worse. I managed to stammer through my presentation, my vocabulary completely diserted me and I was babbling most of the time through the ten - fifteen minutes I sat sweating there. I managed to finish but I was shaking all the way through. Afterwards I jokingly remarked to my friend that I we should head over to the bar, but we went to the Food factory and got something to eat before heading over to Old Irish. I would like to say we went straight there, but we actually stopped on the 1st floor at Jim's Bar and Claire had Malibu and Coke and I had Vodka with lemonade. Now, this was 11:30 am, that's right, before noon, we are soooo bad. But we made it to Old Irish on good time though and when the class started we were completely sober. We were starting with verbs. My personal oppinion is that verbs are put into languages as a deterrant for other people to learn them. But one good thing came from this, got back one of my assest assignment for Old Irish and I got a B+ for putting my 18 nouns into their 5 cases. Brilliant.
But still the day was not over, I still felt I needed something so I went and did a little retail therapy and feel much better now. Got the DVD series Firefly (by the same one that made Buffy and Angel) at half price, so I was pleased. Haven't been able to finish one episode though, I'm such a busy girl you know.

Queen of Homework

That's me. I truly have done myself proud. I have basically finished all five homework assignments that I have to hand in this week. Before Saturday I had already finished three although I left it until Sunday to finish them and printing them out. On Saturday, didn't do that much work, had already started on my fourth assignment a few days before and done well on Friday, so I let myself out for a while for food and fresh air. Árdís and I walked into the subwaystation and when we came into the city center she left me to go see some scary movie at the cinema and I started my Christmas shopping. When her movie was over we met up again and took a taxi home. Did some tiny work for my assignemt, but couldn't really focus on anything specific about it because I hadn't heard from the girl who is doing the same presentation so I was quite worried about a clash of subject. But I heard from her today (Sunday) and I got an epiphany and started writing and writing and finally I think I have down to a perfect .... or almost perfect presentation. Now I just have to tweak it about a bit and make a few notes to hand out in class and I am ready to go. I am in short, Brilliant!!! And it is not over yet, because I was on such a roll today, I even started on my fifth and last assignment for the week (I hope) and have almost finished it as well. I feel really good now about myself. The work may very well be rubbish but I did it and I did my best and you can not really ask for more in five days and five assignments.

I need sympathy :|

I got a wee shock today, as another assignment was dumped into my lap for next week. Oh, dear, I now have two assigments to hand in on Monday, one on Tuesday and do a presentation (worth 20% of overall assessment) on Wednesday. Which means for the next few days I will have no life. But since I am a good little girl and always deliver on time, I am awarding myself a little weekend break today. I came home from school today and got to work. Good thing to get my hands dirty right away, I figured. So surprise surprise, I finished one already. I had already done the preliminary work for it so no biggie. That is why I am going to the cinema with Árdísi tonight, we are going to see The Legend of Zorro. I am going since I really want to see it and because I won't have any time at the weekend. Tonight when we come home from the cinema, I will probably start doing the 800 - 1000 word report for Celtic Place names I have to hand in on Tuesday, since I started working on it yestarday evening and got a mountain of data and material to go through, so it shouldn't take too long. But then the headache starts. For Monday I have to hand in an assignment for Early Irish, I have to put lots of masculine, neuter and feminine nouns through their cases with their definite article and add adjectives as well. Ouch! And then I have to study like a crazy person for Early Irish Literature as I will be presenting a presentation on 'The imagery of kingship' in The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel and in The Adventure of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedóin on Wednesday. Now can you sympathize with me? Just a little bit. Please!

Basket case

That's going to happen to me after this year, I swear. I will end up as a basket case in some looney bin institution. This week I have been learning about cases in Old Irish (gömlu góðu föllin í málfræði). In Gaelic there are four cases, not too bad, most of the time, but in Old Irish there is one extra. I was telling my friend about them; the nominative (nefnifall), genetive (eignarfall), dative or the prepositional (þágufall), vocative (ávarpsfall) and the last one acusative (þolfall). After this long list of cases my friend suggested that there was a case missing from all of this and I tend to agree with her. There is definitely one case missing - it's the abusive case. There really should be something like that in the list as well. Maybe there even once was since in the old Indo-European language there were 8 cases.
In Icelandic we have four, but we also have 3 genders, masculine, feminine and neuter. Not a problem there, and very easy to understand and figure out what belongs where, when you get your head around the definite article. We have the same cases as Old Irish except the vocative one, I think it is because we are not used to address anyone that we do not know in any other way than: "Hey you!" or "Listen" (Heyrðu) which sounds better and not too rude in Icelandic.

Guess what ... I'm normal!!!

I mean it, really, I am. I figured it out while I was sitting in class today sounding out old Irish words. I am so sick and tired of people doing that "what, what are you studying?" thing-look, when I say that I am studying Celtic and Gaelic, but now I think I have finally crossed the threshold where it won't bother me 'that' much any longer. Sitting among people who have learned Greek and Latin (hello people, who have been pointing it out to me that it is a dead language and shouldn't be studied because of that, even though I want to) and also studied Breton (those who do not know, it is a Celtic language spoken in Bretagny in France), there is also a Welsh native speaker in our class, a girl from Hungary and one from Germany. I am finally vindicated, I do not have to feel ashamed explaining to people any more why I want to learn Scottish Gaelic or Old Irish (400 years old Gaelic) or even dabbling with Medieval Welsh when the time comes. This is what I am interested in, and this is what I want to do. I will probably never do anything in this field that is going to be of any consequence but I do not care. This is my passion, and something that I have wanted badly for more than ten years. I have finally allowed it to happen, I am in my third year and I am still surviving even though people left and right have been telling me that it might not be for me or that it is incredibly difficult. Get off my back, I earned my way here, I didn't cheat or lie or steal, this is my hard work behind these last two years and I am going nowhere.
If other people can take pride in learning languages, so can I!
Languages are important even dead or almost dead ones.

A weekend in pictures!

Sort of. On Saturday I sort of dragged my friend Árdísi to the cinema to see Wallace and Gromit; the attack of the were-rabbit. It was brilliant, I laughed myself silly through the whole movie. We also got a wee treat at the beginning when they showed us a short film about the Madagascar Penguins and their Christmas fun. It, also, was brilliant, although we felt it was still too early for Christmas thinking. And this was the beginning of a weekend in pictures. That evening we also watched the usual Saturday tv, Charmed, CSI and of course now, Spaugstofuna. I also watched some DVD before going to sleep.
Now Sunday was a bit different. I sneaked out into the city center without letting Árdísi know and did a bit of light shopping. Came home shortly after two o'clock pm and just a few minutes later Árdís nabbed me and I went with her out to Byres road. She was heading into Blockbuster to get a membership card for the video rental, so I decided to tag along and maybe get one of my own. When there it all took like 5 minutes tops and we had our membership card and all we had to do now was pick out our movies. Árdís took a horror film I was not interested in watching and then I took Shall we dance, the american version, because friends recommended it and I was interested in it. Then for the third movie we decided on Robots since I had never seen the whole film and she hadn't seen it at all. It was hilarious, we both laughed our heads off. It was good fun, and so, it is easy to say that my weekend was mostly spent in front of some sort of screen the whole weekend.
But now, I am off to bed, watching a bit of DVD before I have to get up and go to school!!!

First day at school

Boy, has anyone noticed how time flies while lying in bed and then when you finally drag your butt from under the covers and start getting ready to head out the door it's like time slows to a halfdead snail on an evening walk.
I woke up at 8 am and decided that since I was awake I could lie in bed for a few minutes I wouldn't need to get up until at least half past 8 to get ready. Did that, spent even a few more minutes in bed actually, but finally got dressed and started up my computer. I have checked all my e-mails, the latest news and stuff, finished getting everything ready for school and still the clock has not struck 9 am yet. This means that next monday, I will probably not go out of bed until ten minutes to nine ... what can I say, I love my bed.
So, wish me good luck on my first day back in school. Only two classes today, no one is ready yet. I have an hour in Early Gaelic Literature in Translation (sounds exciting doesn't it) and The Historical Development of the Gaelic Language (which really does sound exciting) or it's just me being a geeky nerd.

Connectivity

I got a webcam a few days ago, love it. Love technology. Very happy news.
I also love, being able to be in contact with friends and family. Just today, I was on msn talking to a friend of mine in Iceland and at the same time we were talking to our mutual friend Guðný who is currently in Brasil. Then a few moments later I was talking with my friend Margréti in Sweden through Skype. A lot of things have changes in 50 years or so, when the most you could expect from your loved ones abroad was a letter aound Christmas.

Drive by shooting in Glasgow

Wow, sometimes living in Glasgow can almost make you feel like you live in a Hollywood movie. A few days ago I saw on the news that there had been a drive by shooting on the M8 motorway though Glasgow, not so very far away from where I live. But far enough, so I wasn't bothered. It's not quite as far, but a possible measure would be from Ártúnsholti where I live and almost at the Grensásveg junktion, although not as straight a line as that one. Thankfully no one was killed or even injured, only one car was hit with bullets and they do not think it was pre-meditated shooting.

Web TV ... good thing

Wow, I finally got through the change in my internet connection, so I am now no longer connected through the University. That means that I am able to use Skype for instance, which I could not do before. And boy, do I feel like I have been freed, I am no more limited in my internet use like I was and I am able to be in contact with more people in more ways. But what also has opened my eyes, being able to use the internet more freely here, is the www.ruv.is website where I can watch the news from home as well as Spaugstofan. I watched the last episode yesterday and how I laughed. It was great, a small part of Iceland in my tiny computer in my tiny tiny room here in Glasgow. Nostalgia, it's great!

A weekend in few words ... well not so few!

I must say I had a really nice weekend, but I am getting bored. It feels like it is going to take for ever for the school to start, but then now, when I am so close to going to school and classes I feel as if I want another week off doing nothing that makes sense. For the last few days I have gone shopping and to the cinema just to get out of my itty bitty tiny winy room and get some air. On Saturday, Árdís and me even went to the cinema before noon. Went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and although I am a die hard fan of the old one, I have to say I didn't find this one that bad, although it was not fantastic.
Yesterday we also hit town but for whole different reason than shopping. We decided to dress up and go out on the town. Started with dinner at T.G.I. Friday's and cocktails of course. Then we started aiming for the UGC Cinema, but went to a tiny 24hour for some stuff and by that time we had completely forgotten the cineman and decided to hit the next pub or .... uh skemmtistað, drawing a complete blank on the english word for it. We ended up at Edwards, quite snobbish but not that posh I think, all the guys were searched at the doors before being allowed in, probably to keep from fights (with dangerous weapons) taking place or someone smuggling alcohol or other weird stuff inside. This place was sort of different from many places here in Glasgow, as it was basically two pubs in one, Edwards on the first floor, and on the second floor, where we really wanted to go but couldn't because they had closed of access to it when we finally figured what was up there. The place is called Reflex and is supposedly blasting out all the favorite 80's music. Damn, we wanted to go there, but maybe some other time. It was colorful to say the least to see the Glasgwegian nightlife for your own eyes. Thank God I had Árdís to commentate on it and compare it to the nightlife back home.
But we didn't last very long, me being so old and senile. Árdís commented on that her mother would be very glad to know I was the one going with her out at night, so she would still be coming home and reasonable hours, hehehehe. I still didn't go to sleep until almost 4 am and didn't wake up until 12 pm. Thankfully I hadn't had much to drink last night so I was not suffering any after effects.
Now, today was quite another matter in a fine day definition. Dear God, I swear Glasgow was flooded. It rained not just cats and dogs but a whole zoo. I nearly drowned going into the City Center and back again. I was sooo glad to get home and take a shower, and then finally get dry and warm again, ummm, nice feeling.
Soon, I will be heading to my waiting bed and read a for a few hours, until I fall asleep. School is just approaching way too soon right now, although I have been waiting for it impatiently for ... well, most of september. Now I am not so sure, but hey, we'll see if I am still alive at the end of the week.

Cinema etc

Great news, Árdís arrived yesterday and we are sharing an appartment. We are five now in the appartment, with me and Árdís, Dinesh and then two new additions, Stephanie from Germany and Stuart from Scotland. Have no idea from where, though, or what they are studdying, not had the opportunity to ask them yet.
Árdís and me went shopping to day to mostly spend time but also money, can't really help ourselves. But proudly I didn't spend very much, not that I didn't spend money, but I went into HMV and there was a sale - up to 70% off titles and I left them all alone, completely. I found a lot of titles I wanted but alas they were not on sale, boohooo, the story of me.
Then we decided that we had to spare our bank accounts and headed for the cinema and away from the shops. We waited more than an hour to see Pride and Prejudice, the new english version, with Kiera Knightly. And since I know my friend Hrafnhildur reads this blog I am not going to say anything else, she will just have to see for herself and then we can talk. But I can say this, I STILL LOVE THE BBC VERSION MORE!!!
Enough for now, more news coming soon.

Glasgow again

The flight yesterday went well, flew in to Glasgow through a route I have never travelled before but gave me a good view over the Western Isles and while flying there I checked out some properties that I would like, grins. Then I flew over a magnificent and beautiful house with a very very large garden if you get my meaning, but as we got closer I kind of got this feeling that I had seen this house before and then it clicked. Mount Stuart, went there with my mom and brother a few years ago. It is amazing this place, and quite amusing to come across it in air. Also on the way I saw a windmill farm, and I have to say I did not find it to be a sight pollution at all. It was actually quite nice to see it. Twirling about in a very relaxed way not the whizzing around that gives you a headache.
Came to my room at around 12 o'clock very tired but here. Tried to get my connections working with the computer and when that hadn't begun to work within half an hour I just plain called home. I knew mom was expecting my phonecall. It was good to hear from her, she was babysitting my sick niece and Katrín came on the phone and asked me where I was, when I told her she didn't want to talk to me anymore, she was very little.
I tidied my room and unpacked my bags and then I headed out into city center where I did some emergency shopping for the most basic things that I would need for the day. Then around four I came back to my room and after I had put the groceries away I went to bed and the next time I woke up it was 8 o'clock in the evening.
Had my dinner, and then I turned my computer on and waited to hear from people. Mom and me were trying to work out the new hive-phone but that wasn't working for some unexplainable reason and then Skype wasn't working either so mom tried to phone me the conventional way but she didn't have the right phonenumber the first few times she tried to call me, so in the end I phoned her and then she phoned me and then we tried the hive again and it still didn't work. So who knows what will happen with phone connections in the future, but I hope it will sort itself out in the future.

Big buisness

I am not at the airport waiting for my plane to leave for Glasgow. I have been feeling a bit queasy this morning, I usually do before flying, especially this early in the morning, but I am getting better. I have had some breakfast at the Saga Buisness lounge, which is an incredible experience. Comfort and space, the lounge has been moved from the original spot and is now larger and more modern and techonologically able to serve the buisness people traveling through Iceland. I am both excited and uneasy, uneasy to be leaving everyone behind and also excited to be starting again at Uni.
I miss everyone already and I haven't even left the country yet.
I'll hopefully be in touch later today to tell about the rest of my journey to Queen Margaret Halls, Glasgow!

Snow in Esja

Vow, autumn has fallen, hehehe! I went outside this morning and felt the cold crips air of the mountains hit me in the face. Refreshing!!! It wasn't until a bit later that I looked up to Esja and got a little shock. Esja had gotten a white cap during the night. The white snow line reached almost more than half way down the slopes. It was amazing. It it was necessary to see before leaving the Frost kalda frón. Now it looks like winter is coming sooner than last year and I hope that when I come back home it will be White Christmas.

Glasgow shops beware

Well, here we are again! Mom and me, and no one is holding the purse strings. We arrived yesterday and took the day easy. We arrived in Glasgow shortly before noon, and the rooms weren't ready at the hotel so we went into the city center to get something to eat. Of course the shops near us weren't overlooked so we brought a few bags along with us to the hotel again. Then I went to a quick visit to my room at the Queen Margaret Halls to check if everything is all right. It was so I just went back to the hotel where I found mom in a very good condition. She was hardly affected by all the things we had been doing. She was even in better shape than I was. So we took the rest of the day easy and had dinner at the hotel. It is a really nice hotel, the minibar is free, and there is Gin, Sherry and Whiskey in decanters as well for the guests enjoyment. There is also an Executive Lounge for guests where they can get coffee and all sorts of drinks and alcohol free of charge. Went to bed after reading a few passages of the Black Death (cheery stuff).
Woke up at 7 o'clock in the morning, had breakfast and then headed off to the University. I didn't really feel that I was going to an exam, it sort of just didn't fit into the picture. But everything went fine, I am most likely sure that I didn't fail it so that's for the most part. Just glad it is over. After the exam I went back to the hotel. And yes, Björk, I travelled with the subway!
Then mom and I hit the shots, and oh boy, people who get sales commission and met us are very very happy tonight. Didn't really come home from the shops until 8 o'clock pm, aside from one short stop at the hotel. Then we had dinner again at the hotel, delicious beef fillet. Right now we are just lounging about and watching tv. I think that is an excellent idea, because my feet can't carry me from the chair I am sitting in right now and into the bathroom (and the chair is on wheels). Write more soon and maybe then I will have some pictures to put on the website as well.

Coming and going!

See, not tomorow but Wednesday, I am going to Glasgow for a few days. Have to take an exam, I couldn't take in January. Yup, weird, they have their resits just once a year, annoying too. But anyway, going on Wednesday, which means three days vacation from work, always a plus, but the down side of it is that I won't get paid while I am in Glasgow spending money. Mom is very opptimistic of coming with me, she felt it was time, she had an opperation nearly a year ago and this is sort of a try-out since I will only be going for a few days and she will have me to assist her with everything.
It will be good to get away from work for a few days, although I like working there the customers that I face nearly everyday can sometimes drive my crazy and some of my co-workers really drive me up the wall as well. I nearly snapped the head of one last week, although he deserved it.
Bi mi ag innseachach eachdraidh a-nise, hope I will do ok at the exam on Thursday. It will be nice when it is over, and I can have some fun.
Miss you all my friends far and wide.

Home Alone

Nah, not quite, but my closest friends are now all over the world, spanning 4 continents. Monday my friend Margrét was the last to leave. She was going to Sweden where she will be attending University in Skövde for a year. Miss you already, Margrét and her sister Guðbjört is working for a humanitarian organization in India. My doctor friend Guðný Stella, who graduated as a doctor this summer went on a trip through South-America (and almost got eaten by a fish in the Amazon jungle). Then my friends Hrafnhildur and Guðmundur went for two weeks to Orlando Florida to chill out for winter. Didn't really work as Gummi got sunburned, hehehehe.
So, here I am left all alone home in Iceland, where if my phone rings (at all) my mother cheekily asks if there is anyone left in the country that wants to talk to me. :Þ
Because of this, I have just been having fun of course, working longer hours and doing more work at the genealogy service. Yesterday I stayed at work for nine hours, and most of my time I spent working my ass off, only taking an hour total for lunch and coffee ... eh, coke-break and then I went to the genealogy service where I worked for about two hours. So when I came home I was soooo tired, when I sat down in front of the TV I dosed off. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock last night. That has not happened since I was ten or something, this was soo weird, and weirder ... I slept through the night in the same position all night through.

From the Indian Night, not many pictures were printable on the internet. But these capture the spirit of the night!

Indian night and a dinner with friends

The weekend is almost over and I have been quite busy. Yesterday, my friend Hrabba, Gummi and I had an Indian night theme. It was amazing and worked out well, although we sorely missed our friend Guðný Stellu who is Tarzan-ing through the Amazon jungle from Bolivia to Brasil right about now. Gummi didn't get to wear a turban this year, since I forgot it at home. Sorry Gummi, next time I will definitely remember. Hrabba wore her yellow saree and wow it is yellow. But she was amazing in it, very becoming. I on the other hand wore my new off-white and green salwar kameeze, very nice. We ate quite early and then finished getting ready and went out. Yep, you see, my friend is learning bellydancing and her teacher was moving the place to a different location and it was the opening night, so it was very fitting for us to show up in our "múnderings", well I think that it was, and my god, it was incredible, what she has done with the place, very nice indeed, very cosy. After that the night sort of died down or at least became more relaxed. On the way home, we picked up their friends and had a short quite evening at their place, before the guys went into the city center and a few minutes later my friend gave me a ride home. It was a very nice evening and the food was lovely, but the problem was..... WE MISS YOU GUÐNÝ!!!

Tonight I had dinner with another set of friends. This time with my friend Margrét (who I have known since we were 3 years old) and her boyfriend Krissa. They invited me and Steina, Guðbjörts boyfriend (she is Margréts twin) over for dinner because they are soon leaving the country. Yup, they are going to Sweden for University and they are leaving in a week. So I will be all alone then. The food was absolutely delicious, and now I am absolutely hooked on roasted nuts. The only thing was the same as yesterday, there was someone missing from the party. This time Guðbjört but she is in India, and has been since January so it's been a while since we saw her and we all miss her very much. Anyway I am now getting ready for bed, because I have to wake up tomorrow to go to work.

OOOO, ps. I am getting more and more excited about going back out to Uni in september. I can hardly wait.