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.