ICELAND 12 POINTS

It was an incredible night. I came home and phoned mom right away. Tonight was Burns supper and Árdís and me decided to go to the International Students party, we were dying for some taste of HAGGIS. The evening started all right, quite interesting, the food la-la, we weren't very keen on the tatties (which turned out to mashed potatoes from a package, not the real thing). I was really thirsty tonight, for some reason and ended up going through two orange Bacardi Breezers, one whiskey (Glenmorangie - very nice) and two glasses of Pepsi. As tradition there were addresses made to both men and women, but in a different and very special way, the address to women was made by a Chinese student in Chinese, and of course no one understood a word, then the address to men was made by a Danish girl (Dansk pige) and in Danish, very good, that we understood.
Now the MAIN thing of the night was of course, reading Robbie Burns poetry, with a twist. One person from each table was to be elected to say a part of a poem and the one that got the most applause won. The poem was "To a mouse", a brilliant poem, which I just happened to know by heart, the first two lines. Of course I told Árdísi so, and she blabbed it to the other guys at the table, when no one of them offered themselves to be the sacrifice. So I ended up having to recite the poem, thankfully we got to have it on a sheet of paper before us.
Along with me were three American chicks, a Nigerian, an Indian, and a Norwegian called Magnus. Heja Norge! I stammered my way through with my very best scottish accent and I was trembling through the last few lines, but I got an amazing response. At the end, the woman in charge asked everyone to applaud the one they felt did best, and of course, no surprise there.... I ended up as the winner. The whiskey helped definitely! Yeah, Iceland finally won! Although it was not the Eurovision song contest, my ego will not land in the near future. For a prize, I got the "Complete Poems and Songs of Robert Burns" book.
Then the evening sort of came to a close, but not before a big finale for Árdísi. The Burns supper was held at the main hall of the University so we had to walk through University Gardens, through Asthon Lane to get a taxi, but at Queen Margaret Union they were hosting a céilidh (gaelic: a visit, or a get together; usually Scottish dancing going on) and since we were walking by anyway, and heard the music, we decided to have a wee look-see. In the end, Árdís was dragged onto the floor where she was partnered with an Italian stud, and they flew all over the dance floor, swishing and swaying this way and that. It was brilliant to watch, and the "stemming" that was there was incredible. So fun, but she was completely done after that one dance, so we headed home.
But oh, yeah, the night's not over yet. I don't know if was because me friend had been drinking much tonight, but when we sat up in the taxi, she did not notice that the taxi driver wasn't in the car, but outside chatting to his friends, so as soon as she sat inside she said to the spot where the driver usually sits in Britain "Queen Margaret Halls" and then it took a wee while for her to understand why we weren't moving. It was hilarious. But he showed up in the end and we arrived home safely. And I ended up phoning my mom as soon as I came into my room to tell her what had been going on tonight.
I decided to give you a shot at the poem that brougth me to victory! Moi!!!


Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi’bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,
Wi’ murd’ring pattle!

I’m truly sorry man’s dominion,
Has broken nature’s social union,
An’ justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An’ fellow mortal!