Iri... Upside Down & Inside Out

Onward and Upward

2009-10-23T04:57:00.007Z

After more than two years of sharing my experiences and adventures with you, I have decided to stop writing this blog. I am entering an exciting new chapter of my life and therefore it feels right to close this one.

I want to thank all my loyal readers (and groupies) for their wonderful support. Thanks for joining me on my journey over the last few years. It has been a wild ride! And whilst I part ways with you now, rest assured that I have a big smile on my face as I get ready to embark on the awesome adventures that lie ahead. These are exciting times!

"Life is a rollercoaster. Try to eat a light lunch"

Cheers xx

It's taken me 30 years to look this good!

2009-10-04T01:02:00.015Z

Today I turned 30. I guess this particular milestone has made me reflect (more so than usual) on my life – where I’ve been, where I’m at, and where I’m going.

Its funny how for such a long time 30 seems so far away, then all of a sudden it creeps up on you, and you are left wondering what the hell happened and how you got there. Don’t get me wrong, my 20’s were quite well spent and I don’t have any regrets.

There are no real rules saying that you should have accomplished this or that, but I guess I always had the expectation that by the time I turned 30 I'd have a little family of my own, that we’d be living happily together in a nice big house, and that I'd have a rewarding career. I can’t quite tick all those boxes just yet, but that’s ok, life is a work in progress and I'm enjoying the journey. Sometimes of course I wish I could avoid some of the bumps and potholes along the road, but they often provide the best opportunities to learn and grow. It's been a great adventure so far and I am so thankful for the life I have and the wonderful people in my life.

There are many positives to getting older:
* The more wrinkles I get, the more life experience I accumulate. All the life lessons I learnt in my 20’s, I can now apply to my 30’s.
* I get to check a new age group box on forms
* I have stopped trying to find myself and started creating myself
* People take you more seriously and give you more credit when you are in your 30’s
* I am like a fine wine – just keep getting better with age!
* I have become more confident and self assured with time. I have a much better idea of who I am, what I want, what I will put up with, and what I won’t put up with.

All I know is this… The best is yet to come!

Some of my favourite quotes (and how I try to live my life):
* It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves
* Unless you walk out into the unknown, the odds of making a profound difference in your life are pretty low
* Never be afraid to ask a question, especially of yourself - discovery is the mission of life
* Feel the fear and do it anyway. Freedom lies in being bold
* Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do rather than the ones you did do. So throw off the ropes and sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.

The Charles Schultz Philosophy

2009-09-20T22:52:00.008Z

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson...

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Endings and Beginnings

2009-09-07T21:30:00.012Z

Birna has decided to end our relationship and not move to Australia. It seems that the distance between our countries and the cultural differences were too big to overcome. Birna and I have shared a wonderful relationship over the last few years, and for the most part, we were like two peas in a pod. But unfortunately, things don't always turn out the way you want them to.

Life Lessons

2009-09-03T07:19:00.004Z

(by Regina Brett, 90 years old)

* Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
* Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your loved ones will. Be good to them.
* You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
* Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
* When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
* Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
* It's ok to let your children see you cry.
* Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
* If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
* Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
* When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
* Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
* The most important sex organ is the brain.
* No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
* What other people think of you is none of your business.
* Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
* Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
* Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
* All that truly matters in the end... is that you loved.
* If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
* The best is yet to come.
* No matter how you feel… get up, dress up and show up.

Womanhood

2009-08-23T02:51:00.006Z

Today is a turning point in my life. This day will be reminisced about for decades to come. This day will be remembered by many as the day I finally became... a woman. For today is the day that I purchased my very first woman's handbag.

Whilst you may be gasping in disbelief, it is indeed true. I have indeed bought one of those girly handbags, you know, the ones with the little strap that sits nicely on your shoulder, so that the cute little bag tucks neatly under your armpit.

Traditionally, I have always carried a manbag, you know, the ones that are plain and rectangular in shape, that strap across your body. But now, with my sleek new sexy look, I have graduated into womanhood! I have traded practical for sophisticated ... convenience for style. I feel liberated and alive!

There's only one thing left to do now in order to become a fully fledged mature woman... trade in my training bra.

Birna is on her way!

2009-08-20T07:39:00.010Z

Breaking news... Birna has booked her ticket to Oz!
Arrival: 25th September. Woohoo!!

Until Birna arrives, there will be:
* 36 more sleeps
* 5 weekends
* 2 haircuts
* 19 work days
* 108 meals to eat
* 1 leg wax
* 36 hair washes
* 25 episodes of 'Home & Away' to watch
* 72 times of brushing my teeth

...Not that I'm counting or anything

Feel free to check out my beautiful Birna's blog

Real Estate

2009-08-06T10:54:00.001Z

I am very passionate and excited about real estate! I’m currently on the hunt to buy an investment property. I know exactly what I’m looking for and am diligently doing my research to find the right (positive cash-flow) property. It seems Mount Isa might just be the place. My parents and I have booked our flights to go check it out at the end of August. It will be a little adventure and I am hoping to find a little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…

Tattoo

2009-07-26T10:07:00.007Z

Well I finally did it... I got a tattoo :-)

I got the Kanji symbol for "Imagine" tattooed on the inside of my upper arm. I love this symbol because I interpret it to mean "Imagine... the possibilities..."

Now I can show off my tattoo and my guns at the same time :-)

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-25T07:32:00.004Z

I spent my first night back in my own apartment last night. Ahhh, it felt good being back there. It's taken me two months to finish the renovations, clean the place up and buy all new furniture again, but alas, it is all finished!

I am particularly excited with the purchase of my new full latex bed mattress. It is so comfortable! The lady who sold it to me gave strict instructions on how to break the mattress in properly. She said that for the first month, I needed to try to sleep equally on all sides of the bed, and then turn the mattress around each week. So I had a very restless night, constantly worried that I wasn't distributing my body weight equally across the entire mattress. I woke up every few hours, checking the clock and then rolling over to the other side of the bed, then the middle, then back to the other side again. Only 29 more restless nights to go...

My unit

P!nk

2009-07-23T09:24:00.007Z

I am still on a high from the Pink concert last night. OMG, it was such a fantastic show! She is so damn hot, it's unbelievable! And what a great entertainer she is! We were four rows from the stage, and it was awesome. And did I mention how hot she is?!

I made a point of not taking my camera because the last time I went to see Missy Higgins in concert, I spent the whole time trying to get the perfect shot and walked out feeling like I missed the whole show cos I was so focused on the damn photos. So this time, I made sure that I was 100% focused on my girl Pink. And after last night's show, sorry Missy, but you've been knocked off top spot.

Pink performed all the great songs from her Funhouse album and some funky tunes from her other albums. She also did a few cover songs, but my favourite was definitely when she performed a slow and seductive version of the Divinyls "I touch myself." Very very sexy indeed!

If I suddenly seem to drop off the face of the earth, don't worry, I've just gone to chase Pink around the world, trying to convince her she is in fact gay and that she needs me.

Scar Face

2009-07-14T12:57:00.004Z

My once beautiful youthful looking face has now been tarnished with five stitches after having a cyst removed from my cheek. I was really nervous getting it done because I'd never even had a stitch before or anything, let alone been to hospital. And for someone who absolutely hates needles (it comes a close second to my loathing of cockies), having five put in my cheek did not tickle!

The Plastic Surgeon tried to reassure me and told me, don't worry, the scar should disappear within 10 years. What the?! 10years?!

A few hours after I had the cyst removed, I went out for dinner and ordered a club sandwich. Not a particularly smart move given I could not open my mouth wider than a couple of centimetres, let alone load a triple decker sandwich in there. Hmmm, I think the soup would have been a better choice, served with a straw.

Houseboat

2009-07-13T13:36:00.003Z

My family and I just spent the last 4 days on a houseboat. We had a fantastic time and the weather was just brilliant. The nature was absolutely stunning and it’s hard to believe we were still on the Gold Coast. It was also hard to believe that it was the middle of winter, with temperatures in the low-mid 20s during the day. We were in our bikinis most of the day, and Michael even had a dip in the water. Ahh, I love this place!

Apart from ongoing problems with the toilet during our trip, everything else went smoothly and we had a really great time. Good food, good company and good entertainment. We spent the time sunbaking, drinking, eating, chilling, fishing, going out on the little tinny, walking along the beaches, pumping yabbies, and trying to catch live bait with the fishing net.

We love going on houseboats because we all agree that it is one of the most relaxing and wonderful holidays you can do. It’s just great to get away from it all, spend quality time with the people you love, and enjoy the beautiful nature around you. What can I say... Just awesome!

Check out more pics

We Are The World

2009-07-08T11:51:00.005Z

This is one of my favourite songs of all time... It gives me goosebumps everytime...

Living in London

2009-07-06T11:50:00.002Z

My sister Vanessa has lived in London for about seven years now. Whilst I think London is a great place to visit, I don't think I'd like to live there. I love my own space and couldn't see myself sharing a poxy little flat with five or more flatmates, which is the only way one can afford to live there. I think it would drive me nuts to live with so many people (and I'm sure I would drive them nuts too!)

Vanessa has lived all over London in the time she has been there, but my favourite place was when she lived at:

6 Swallow Close
Staines, Middlesex

Have you ever seen an address with more sexual innuendo than that?! It's brilliant, I love it.

Furniture Shopping

2009-06-30T11:22:00.003Z

I have been on the hunt for new furniture over the last few weeks. Last weekend I was browsing through a furniture store and found a couch I liked. Just as I bent over to take its measurements, I suddenly heard a big clunk behind me. I turned to see what the commotion was about and wondered which idiot had broken something. As I turned, I realised that the idiot was me and that my ass had knocked over the vase on the coffee table behind me. I then looked on in horror at the domino effect I had set off - one vase crashed onto the other and then another, until two rolled off the table and crashed onto the floor, smashing them both into tiny pieces. Everyone within a 100m radius had turned to stare at the idiot. I felt my face burn up and when I caught a glance of myself in the mirror in front of me, I couldn't recognise the ripened tomato staring back at me. It was one of those "please make the ground open up and swallow me" moments.

Life and all that stuff

2009-06-25T12:57:00.002Z

I ended up getting my old job back, working as a Psychologist at Sarina Russo Vocational Health, and just finished my first week. It was relatively pain free and I escaped with only minor scratches and bruises.

The thing I am most excited about however, is that I am working 4-day weeks! Woohoo, bring on 3-day weekends! I made the decision to chose 'lifestyle' over an extra days pay. I am at a stage where I am re-evaluating what is important to me in life and trying to live by those values. So far, it's working nicely and I feel very good with where I am at and the direction my life is taking. I feel a sense of peace and calmness within me that I have not felt in a very long time. I am enjoying the journey I am on...

80's Style!

2009-06-21T09:05:00.004Z

One of my best friends, Annette, celebrated her 40th birthday last night with an 80's theme party. There were a lot of frills, madonna-look-a-likes, mullet wigs, stone-washed jeans, high-waisted pants, headbands, bangles, and fluro-coloured clothing. I wore a tragic red dress, that was fabulously 80's style. We rocked the night away to Michael Jackson, Madonna and other tunes from the good ol' days. Check out the pics

New Car

2009-06-20T04:31:00.004Z

I picked up my funky little car this week! So now I am driving around in a new red Suzuki Swift. I got the red one cos it obviously goes faster. (I had originally bought a Holden Barina, but after they told me I would have to wait three months to get it, I was outta there). When I set my eyes on the little red devil, it was love at first sight. And now, as we drive off into the sunset together, I know we will live happily ever after. The End.

Law of Attraction

2009-06-15T01:29:00.004Z

Over the weekend my parents and I took a drive around the beautiful Emerald Lakes district, on the Gold Coast. We stumbled upon a beautiful Prize Home in the area and so we went and checked it out. We walked through the stunning four bedroom fully-furnished waterfront home, open-mouthed and drooling. My dad and I each bought a number of tickets, and now I am totally convinced that I am going to win this dream home on 24th June!

According to the law of attraction, you bring about what you think about, so I am desperately thinking positively about winning the house! But the key to the law of attraction is to not only think positively about your desires, but to expect them to materialise and act like you already have it.

Therefore, in accordance with these laws, I intend to go and introduce myself to my new neighbours today! I am also going to start writing the invitations for my housewarming party. I will also go to go to the Post Office today to redirect my mail to my new Emerald Lakes address. Ahhh, I can't wait to move in to my new beautiful home!!

Goddess Weekend 2009

2009-06-11T02:16:00.008Z

I have just returned from the most wonderful weekend away with amazing friends! I feel re-energised, relaxed and absolutely great! Every year there are about 10 of us close friends who spend the weekend in a beautiful little place called The Old Church in Byron Bay. We call it our annual “Goddess Weekend” and it is something that we all love and look forward to because it is our opportunity to get away from it all and pamper ourselves as true goddesses should.

The Old Church is an amazingly beautiful historic place with so much character and charm. We absolutely love going there year after year.

We spend the entire weekend in our pyjamas – just talking, relaxing, having massages, reading tarot cards, having great food and great wine and just enjoying each other's company. It is a very spiritual and wonderful experience each and every year. Sometimes we can get a bit crazy, although I can’t reveal too much as what happens on Goddess Weekend stays between those walls ;-)

This year commemorated our 5th annual Goddess Weekend, so to celebrate we planted a plaque in the beautiful gardens of the church and conducted a little ceremony to mark the occasion. We each lit a candle from one another and placed it under the plaque, then sprinkled it with holy vodka.

I feel so incredibly lucky to be part of this wonderful group of Goddesses! All the women are strong, independent, intelligent, inspiring and amazing women. Can't wait for the next Goddess Weekend!

Check out some pics

First week back in Oz

2009-05-30T23:34:00.003Z

I've been back in Oz for a week now… and what a productive week it’s been! I have spent quality time with my family and it feels great to be home. I have also accomplished the following in the last six days:

• Cleaned my unit after it having been rented out for a year. I armed myself with disinfectant spray in one hand and cloth in the other and got down and dirty! Scrubbed every nook and cranny until it had the “Iri clean” stamp of approval.

• Got my unit pest controlled. I was very happy (and relieved) when the guy said there was no evidence of any pests. No cockies! Woohoo, that was music to my ears!

• I got the bathroom tiles and shower professionally cleaned. It came out looking great.

• My dad and I ripped out all the carpet in my unit. I even advertised it and managed to sell the carpet to someone else in the building complex.

• I organised for someone to come in and rip up the old tiles in my unit (which then left a thick layer of dust on everything!)

• I went on the hunt for new flooring and managed to score a really good deal on tiles. The tiler will start laying the new flooring next week.

• I got a quote for a new kitchen bench, although was not happy with that, so am getting another quote done tomorrow.

• I followed up some potential job prospects.

• And finally, yesterday I went car shopping and bought myself a new little white Holden Barina. I got a great deal and I am very happy with it!! I may have to wait a few weeks to get it but good things come to those who wait.

There is still a lot on my "to do" list, so I better get back to it...!

"Heima er best"

2009-05-24T09:40:00.003Z

I arrived back in Oz late last night and have had a wonderful first day back home. My mum organised a lovely family lunch with fresh prawns, washed down with white wine. After lunch we went for a little drive to look at houseboats and along the way we saw a few wild kangaroos grazing leisurely in the grass. Then in the arvy I watched the Gold Coast Titans win a thriller of a football game. Ahhh, a day well spent… It's good to be home!

I have a lot of things on my "to do" list for the next few weeks: Refurbish my unit with new flooring, new kitchen bench and a splash of paint; Buy a new car; Buy new furniture and appliances; Move back into my unit once it's all ready; and get a job. I of course want to have this all done before lunch time tomorrow, but I think it will take a bit longer than that. In any case, I'm sure I will have fun spending lots of money getting shiny new things.

Goodbye Iceland

2009-05-20T19:14:00.004Z

I am leaving Iceland tomorrow. It feels extremely strange to be leaving and I obviously have very mixed emotions right now. I have spent the last year here and it has been an incredible experience. It is very difficult to sum up my time here, as the emotions run deep and words just can't do it justice.

I guess I will say that there have been many highs and lows. There are many things that I experienced and accomplished that I am proud of, and whilst I have grown into a more independent and worldly person, I also discovered I have much more to learn.

It is clear that I am not a Viking and that I had difficulty adjusting here, although I did the best that I could. I really want to thank Birna for her unconditional love, support and encouragement, which really helped me get through the tough times. She has been so good to me and I truly appreciate everything she has done for me and for us...

Iceland: What Went Wrong

2009-05-19T19:30:00.004Z

I was recently contacted by a Journalist from Sydney's newspaper, The Daily Telegraph. He wanted me to write an article for the paper about what went wrong in Iceland that lead to the economic collapse. Below is the article I wrote:

As an Australian woman living in Iceland, I have witnessed first-hand Iceland's spectacular economic demise. So what went wrong? Well if you ask the business tycoons, bankers, politicians or other governing bodies, they will point the finger outward and say "it wasn’t me!"

There were a number of contributing factors that led to Iceland's remarkable economic collapse - An outsized banking system that was insufficiently regulated; an inappropriate monetary policy; and a political system of institutionalized corruption and self-enrichment.

The Government privatized and sold the banks to those who had close connections with the dominant parties and politicians. The whole process was orchestrated to ensure the bank stakes fell into "appropriate hands," however ownership went to people who had little experience in modern banking.

Bankers, politicians, regulators, top officials of the government and the central bank, were all inter-connected, therefore grossly undermining independence and adequate regulation of the banking and financial system. People in positions of power were typically chosen based on their political background and "connections" rather than their economic or financial expertise. Most notable of course was David Oddsson, Iceland's longest-serving prime minister, who later became governor of the Central Bank. With no economic or financial qualifications, Mr Oddsson was clearly ill-equipped to manage the Central Bank, let alone deal with an economic crisis.

And what did all this mean? There were a bunch of incompetent, corrupt people running the nation, whose primary motivation was to line their own pockets rather than serve the nation.

David Oddsson and the Central Bank pursued a monetary policy targeting inflation, thereby raising interest rates if inflation was above the target and lowering them if inflation was below the target. Whilst such a policy has a sound foundation in economic theory and is often appropriate for large countries, in the case of Iceland, it was disastrous.

Throughout the period of inflation targeting, inflation was above its target rate, resulting in considerable interest rate hikes. High interest rates encouraged people to borrow in foreign currency and it also brought large inflows of foreign currency, as financiers would borrow money in low interest countries such as Japan and then lend it to banks, companies and individuals in Iceland at higher interest rates. The difference between the two interest rates was pocketed as profit.

In less than a decade, Iceland became a financial giant. Banks and companies borrowed heavily to fund investments both in Iceland and abroad, racking up foreign assets worth around 10 times the Icelandic GDP, with debts to match. In normal economic circumstances this is not a cause for worry, so long as the banks are prudently run. However, the Icelandic banks were being run by people with little experience in modern banking. These people focused aggressively on the short-term maximization of profits and lucrative bonus payments, without regard for the sustainability and longevity of the financial system. The problem was that the Icelandic banks had created an illusion of wealth, although in reality, they had a very high level of leverage (i.e. debt to real assets).

The Icelandic Central Bank gave up reserve requirements and tried to curb the rising inflation caused by the financial boom by increasing interest rates as high as 18%, however this just led to a greater influx of foreign capital, and further boom.

Whilst Iceland's bankers and politicians were busy gloating over their economic prowess and lining their pockets with huge salaries and bonuses, it was clear to many well-known international economists that the system was unsustainable and that a collapse was inevitable. On a number of occasions, economic experts (some as far back as 2007) warned the government, central bank and financial sector of the imminent collapse, however this fell on deaf ears. The governing bodies completely dismissed these repeated warnings, instead turning a blind eye while the bankers continued on their ruthless and destructive path toward financially ruining this nation. But of course, as predicted, the bubble burst in October 2008 and the country's banks collapsed under the weight of an unsustainable foreign debt. As one local put so well, "we should have turned the music down when the party got out of hand." Yes, its one hell of a hangover and the average hard-working Icelander is now heavily paying the price (and so will their grandchildren).

Iceland is a small society where a small number of inter-connected individuals are responsible for deciding on everything that is important, therefore making it the perfect breeding ground for corruption. It was recently brought to light that the government of the Independence Party and Social Democrats accepted over 70 million ISK in the last campaign year from Landsbankinn and the controlling owners of Glitnir (FL Group), when it was considered normal to accept donations of 300,000 - 500,000 ISK. How can the government intervene or rein in the banks after receiving such lucrative donations?

It was also during this same scandal, that one of the Independence Party members had publicly declared he was aware of who was responsible for accepting the large donations within his party, however he would not reveal their identity as his loyalty lay with the party. This statement enraged me! A politician's loyalty should never lie with its party – their loyalty should always lie with the nation and its people. Politicians are elected by the people for the people. They are trusted to act in their best interests of the nation.

Iceland's small society of cross-ownership and inter-connected relationships has also brought with it a "code of silence." People are afraid to speak out because unless you are wired into the "right" political party and/or the right business blocks, it may become difficult to get ahead. Even the mainstream media channels in Iceland are governed by a certain few prominent business moguls, thereby grossly undermining the fair and independent reporting of news.

To this day, the blame game of who is responsible for this colossal economic disaster continues. No-one has accepted responsibility. No-one has been held accountable. No-one has apologized for their blatant incompetence or their aggressive self-enrichment practices at the expense of the nation. In other countries, politicians and people in positions of power are held accountable for the slightest misdemeanors, such as having to make a public apology for a speeding or drink driving offence. Here in Iceland however, those rules clearly do not apply. Quite frankly, it has left me feeling appalled and disgusted.

Since the economic collapse, it has been estimated that each day there are approximately ten businesses going bankrupt in Iceland. The three major banks have already been nationalized, and the state is acquiring more and more companies as the bankrupt domino effect continues. Given that no-one has taken responsibility for the country's economic collapse and that no-one has been held accountable, people are afraid the institutionalized corruption will continue. People are afraid that it may only be a matter of time before history repeats itself, with the Friendly Privatization (Part Two) taking place.

The Icelandic people are angry and frustrated about what has gone on here, and they are anxious about the future. However, there is a glimmer of hope and optimism on the horizon. With the recent change of Government to the coalition of the Social Democrats and the Left Greens, Icelanders are hopeful that changes may come. The leaders of this nation must now step up to the plate and restore the nation's faith and trust in the political and economic system.

Eurovision 2009

2009-05-17T11:59:00.004Z

Norway won this year's Eurovision Song Contest. They actually won by a landslide with their catchy song, Fairy Tale. However the biggest news over here of course was that Iceland came second! It was really exciting to watch, as Iceland were neck and neck with Azerbaijan for second place, with Iceland coming out on top in the final voting round. It was a nice change that two Scandinavian countries took out first and second place, instead of the usual eastern European countries.

Unbelievably, Eurovision is one of the most watched events on the planet, with an estimated television audience of over 100 million people.

Check out Iceland's (second-placed) winning song "Is it True"...

Berlin

2009-05-16T12:37:00.002Z

We just got back from Berlin. It was a lot of fun and I was really impressed with the city. So diverse and interesting, with stunning architecture from the "old" and the "new." I have learnt so much about Berlin and Germany’s fascinating (and traumatic) history, which played a major role in shaping European and world affairs. We visited many of Berlin’s main tourist attractions, but the ones that impressed me most were:

• The Wall Museum – Which documented the development of the divided city (East and West Berlin), including the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. This was really interesting!

• Checkpoint Charlie – The main gateway between East and West Berlin. It was here that US and Soviet tanks faced off in October 1961, pushing the world to the brink of WWIII.

• The Holocaust Memorial – A memorial to the Jewish victims of the Nazi-planned genocide of WWII. There are 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights to remember the Jews that were murdered. It looks like a giant cemetery. We also visited the Information Centre which was extremely interesting, as it documented this gruesome period in history. They showed graphic photos and a timeline of Jewish persecution during the Third Reich, and also documented the fate of individuals and entire families. It was an extremely disturbing but a very humbling experience.

• Furnsehturm – A 368m TV Tower (Berlin’s highest landmark) that has a viewing platform at 203m, which offers fantastic views of the city. It was amazing to see Berlin’s stunning architecture, from its grand palaces and elaborate estates, to the vast differences between East Berlin (mainly represented by countless concrete simple buildings that all looked the same) and West Berlin (represented with a variety of structures, consistent with a democratic society). Since WWII which obliterated so much of the city, and following reunification after the removal of the Berlin Wall, architects took to large parts of the city and constructed modern impressive structures and buildings, which are a stark contrast to the old architecture.

• The Berlin Zoo and Aquarium – With over 14,000 animals, it has the largest number of species in any zoo in the world. We saw everything from A to Z, from Antelopes to Zebras. The highlights were Knut the Polar Bear, King Pengins, lions, tigers, jaguar, leopards, zebras, panda, and black bears.

Photos from Berlin

Australian Visa

2009-05-14T15:07:00.000Z

Today we had our appointment at The Australian Embassy. Our visa application was about as thick as a Big Mac Burger! Four months in the making, and only one day to seal Birna’s fate. The appointment went really smoothly and the lady who was processing the application was really easy-going. There was no problem and Birna walked away with the Australian visa stamped in her passport. She can now live and work in Australia for the couple of next years.

Unsicht Bar

2009-05-13T08:06:00.007Z

Now we are in Berlin. What a great city!

Last night we went to a really cool restaurant, called the Unsicht Bar. It’s a restaurant where you eat in total darkness, and you are served by blind waiters. The idea is to get a feel for what it’s like to be blind and to use your other senses of touch, taste, smell and hearing (and your 6th sense).

The evening started in a dimly-lit room, where you browsed the menu and ordered a four-course meal from a selection of ambiguous descriptions. For example, one of the starters was described as “aquatic friends making love on a bed of flowers” whilst one of the soup dishes was labeled “a blood red sun drowning into a see of lava.” The vague descriptions were such that you would not know what to expect when the food came out, and to rely on your other senses to discover what you were being served / eating.

Once we ordered the food, we were led to our tables by our blind waiter, each person walking one behind the other, placing their hands on the shoulders of the person in front. This is what the restaurant looked like:

Whilst Birna managed quite well, eating and drinking in complete darkness was a challenge that I did not manage to master. You literally could not see your own hand when you placed it directly in front of your eyes.

The experience made you rely heavily on each of your other senses and made them all the more intense. Just to pour the coke from the bottle into the glass for example, I would need to touch the top of the bottle with one hand and rim the glass with my other hand, so as to make sure the bottle was centred and pointed into the glass. I would place both near my ear when pouring, so when I heard the bubbles I would know the liquid was actually flowing into the glass. I would also hold one finger inside the glass whilst pouring, so that if the coke reached my finger I knew the glass was full, although that was a bit too close to the top for my liking and I was scared to overflow it, so after each time of pouring little bits into the glass, I would bring the glass to my mouth and through the angle that the glass tipped into my mouth, I could sense how full the glass was.

I spent most of the time hunched over my plate, trying to minimise the distance from the plate to my mouth, whilst opening my mouth as wide as I could, in order to actually get the food into my mouth. When attempting to use a knife and fork, I pushed most of the food either off my plate or around my face. After stabbing myself in the cheek a few times and getting some food up my nose, I decided to go cave-man style and use my fingers. This brought my success rate up significantly!

Whilst you could not gaze longingly at your partner’s eyes if you wanted to, or see if there were any hairs in your food, you were able to pick food from your teeth and even pick your nose if you wanted to. One definite no-no was taste-testing your partner’s food directly from their fork, unless you wanted to get your eye poked out.

I actually thought it might be a good place to have a blind date (pardon the pun), as you would actually have to rely on good conversation (without getting caught up in physical attraction) to see if you were compatible with the other person. If your date was extremely boring or stupid, you could even roll your eyes and shake your head in disappointment without being noticed.

All in all, the food was great and our waitress was lovely. Despite a minor incident where our waitress accidentally hit Birna across the nose, and me needing a bath afterward to wash the food off, everything went quite smoothly. It was a fun and interesting experience which made me develop a deep admiration and respect for those people who have to live in darkness 24/7. It was definitely an eye-opening experience (pardon the pun) and it made me very thankful to have my sight!

Last day at work

2009-05-07T21:25:00.007Z

I finished working at AUS-ICYE Iceland today. I spent the last 9 months there, which was surprising considering that I almost quit 5 times before lunch on my first day. When I first walked into that place, the office was an unbelievable mess and my anxiety levels were about a 9.6 on the Richter. After many panic attacks, tantrums and pleading with Birna "please don't make me go back there!" I decided to stick it out and get my hands dirty. I put some really good processes in place, and when I walked out the door today for the last time, I felt very happy and proud that I had left that place 100 times better than when I first walked into the job. (Well, now that I am officially unemployed, I have to start marketing myself… you never know, a potential employer may be reading this and they need to know how fantastic I am!)

It feels very strange that things are slowly coming to an end here and that I will be back in Australia in just over two weeks. I have started saying my goodbyes to people, which is making it seem all the more real. I have had some of those awkward goodbyes too, you know the ones where you don't know someone all that well, where the farewell speech goes on and on while both parties contemplate whether or not to go in for the big hug and smooch on the cheek. I have had two such moments in the last few days, where I have gone in for the kiss and cuddle, although my acquaintances had other ideas, leaving me clumsily kissing their hair and picking stray hairs off my lips afterward.

I have spent a good part of the last two years here in Iceland, and had wonderful experiences and done some amazing things. I guess now would be a good time to write something profound, wise and insightful about all the things that I've done and learnt, but I think I will save that for later, when I am home with a clear head, reflecting back on my time here.

Birna says that she has a "love-hate" relationship with Iceland, and I can totally relate to that. Everything is so extreme here, especially the environment and the weather. On a nice warm summer day, with blue skies, no wind, and daylight 24 hours of the day, Iceland is a fantastic place to be and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, but the remaining 362 days of the year are tough!

Last Days...

2009-05-04T19:03:00.006Z

* 3 days of work left.
* 7 days until we go to Berlin.
* 10 days until our appointment at the Australian Embassy in Berlin for Birna to get the visa.
* 17 days until I fly home to Oz for good.

Swine Flu

2009-04-29T13:38:00.014Z

I think God was getting a bit bored with the global financial crisis, so He has now added the Swine Flu into the mix. (Or maybe this is part of His plan in addressing the unemployment issue?)

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), "the situation continues to evolve rapidly." Nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 infection (Mexico, USA, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Israel, Spain, Germany and Austria). In Mexico, where the global outbreak originated, health officials suspect the Swine Flu outbreak has caused at least 159 deaths and roughly 2,500 illnesses. So far however, 26 cases, including seven deaths, have been confirmed. Whilst in the USA, there has been one death.

The WHO has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert to Phase 5 - one short of a full-blown pandemic. A Phase 5 alert means human-to-human transmission in at least two countries. It is also "a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short." The WHO has urged all countries to activate their pandemic plans - including heightened surveillance and infection control measures.

To put things in perspective however, common seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year worldwide, which is far more than the current outbreak of Swine Flu.

However there is no vaccine, so there is cause for concern. Governments around the world are scrambling to prevent further outbreaks. Mexico City has closed all its schools and universities. Restaurants have been ordered to only serve take-away meals, to avoid people congregating. Bars, clubs, cinemas, gyms, sport centers and convention halls have been told to close until May 5. People have been asked to avoid large crowds, refrain from kissing, and to stay at least six feet away from one another. Other countries have suspended meat imports from Mexico and parts of the US, and started screening passengers at airports.

According to Doctor Iri however, the best preventative measure is to consume excessive amounts of chocolate and ice-cream. Therefore I suggest you adhere to this expert medical advice, just as I diligently am. One can never be too careful!

Iceland Elections 2009

2009-04-26T21:15:00.013Z

85% of Icelanders voted in yesterday's historic Election. The left wing parties, that form the current coalition government, won a clear majority. Both parties strengthened their position in Althingi (Iceland’s Parliament), securing 34 out of 63 Parliamentary seats. It is likely that the two parties will continue their coalition into the new term. Their victory is historic, because never before in Iceland's political history has a left-wing government earned a majority of seats in parliament. These elections are also historic in the sense that 27 out of 63 MPs (or 43%) are women, which is higher than ever before.

The best news of the election however was that the Independence Party (who got Iceland into this terrible mess) lost 9 seats. It baffles me however, that they still managed to get almost 24% of the vote, despite everything!

The biggest agenda issue for each of the political parties has been whether or not to support an application to become part of the European Union. It now seems likely that Iceland will make an application for EU membership, as the parties who support EU talks (Social Democrats, Progressive Party and Citizen's movement) have secured a majority.

And just as the days are becoming brighter as we head into summer, the future of Iceland has also just become brighter. A new beginning beckons...

Draumalandið / Dreamland

2009-04-23T14:34:00.011Z

I just finished reading a book called “Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation” and it has left me speechless. The book, written by the Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason, became the number one best-selling book in Iceland in 2006.

From the Draumalandið website:

Dreamland is about the exploitation of Iceland’s natural resources, and as Icelanders have learned, clean energy does not come without consequence. Iceland is a country blessed with an abundance of clean, renewable, hydro-electric and geothermal energy. Clean energy brings in polluting industry and international corporations.

Dreamland tells the story of a nation with an abundance of choices gradually becoming caught up in a plan to turn its wilderness and beautiful nature into a massive system of hydro-electric and geothermal power plants with dams and reservoirs, built to power the increasing heavy industry that will soon make Iceland the largest aluminum smelter in the world.

This highly controversial matter goes largely unnoticed by the public until the plans are already in action and the industrial machine has been turned on. Dreamland gradually turns into a disturbing picture of corporate power taking over nature and small communities. It’s the dark side of green energy.

Dreamland has also been made into a film. It sends shivers down one's spine...

Craziness all around

2009-04-19T15:50:00.003Z

I am looking out the window right now, watching the rain blow horizontally in the crazy weather, and being taunted by the howling wind as it swirls deafeningly around the apartment. Definitely a day to stay indoors and hide under the covers! If I were to dare to venture outside however, I imagine I would look like I’m skydiving, with my face flapping all over the place and arms flailing about uncontrollably. (I might also be mistaken for Peter Garrett dancing in a Midnight Oil song in this instance).

The dark dismal weather is eerily symbolic of the mood here in Iceland right now. With the Election looming, the nation drowning in debt and embroiled in an economic and political crisis of an unprecedented scale, people are feeling very confused, fearful and anxious about the future. The biggest Election issue is whether or not Iceland should join the European Union. "To be or not to be." It is dividing this nation. But most economic experts agree that Iceland must join the EU to have any hope of getting out of this mess.

Roses are Red...

2009-04-17T09:57:00.004Z

We weren't expecting any visitors last night, so when there was a knock on the door, Birna opened it inquisitively. There stood a smiling lady, holding out a beautiful red rose in one hand, and a bunch of roses in the other hand. For me? Birna blushed. Yes the lady beamed, whilst explaining that it was on behalf of one of the Political Parties (the Social Democratic Alliance Party). Wow! I thought. How wonderful that hard-earned tax payers money was going to such a worthwhile cause! I'm excitedly waiting for another knock on the door tonight. I'm hoping they bring chocolates though this time! If they do, then I will tell Birna that she definitely has to vote for this party at the Elections on 25th April.

I'm much more of a chocolate person than flower person. So, if there comes a time where I have to be admitted into hospital for something, please remember... bring chocolates, not flowers. (Oh, and Cadbury chocolate is most preferred). Thanks in advance.

Heading for a Britney Spears Breakdown

2009-04-12T23:20:00.006Z

Birna and I spent three days over the Easter break at her parent's Summer House in Þingvellir. It was good to get away. To be honest, Iceland has been gnawing away at my sanity over the last six months. Being away from my family and friends for so long has taken its toll. The cold dark winter nearly broke me. And if that wasn't depressing enough, it was compounded with the biggest economic and political crisis in history, whereby I witnessed (and continue to witness) despicable acts of greed and corruption playing out over and over again - pillaging this nation. So yes, it's been a tough road and mentally, very challenging. This place is harsh and unrelenting. It really is survival of the fittest here.

So what's the good news you ask? Well, the Easter Bunny bought me lots of chocolate today. And two nights ago, I finally got to see the Northern Lights. Whilst they were not brightly coloured, I still got a sneak peak of them. I sat up with my face pressed up against the window, watching them change shapes across the sky, and it made me smile.

Bus Stop Pick-Up

2009-04-04T12:36:00.001Z

I was waiting at the bus stop yesterday, when a man pulled over in his car in front of me. The lady in the passenger seat rolled down her window and asked me something in Icelandic. I assumed they were offering me a lift and so I said "nei, allt i lagi" (meaning no it's ok). When I saw Birna a bit later, I proudly told her that someone had tried to pick me up at the bus stop and offered me a lift. When I told Birna what they said in Icelandic, she laughed and said they were actually asking me for directions.

The long journey back

2009-04-03T11:36:00.004Z

I've been back in Iceland for a few days now. It was great being in Oz and seeing my family and friends again. Not much had changed on The Gold Coast really... just a few new sets of traffic lights here and there.

The plane trip home was looong and largely uneventful. I spent a few hours with my face embedded in a cup of salty water, as per Doctor's orders to cleanse my red raw nose after the laser treatment. I got some strange looks from concerned fellow passengers, who probably thought I was trying to commit suicide by drowning. Other than that, the most memorable part of the journey was when I reluctantly used the airplane toilet. Whilst I was in there, straining my thighs so as not to sit on the toilet seat, the pilot made an announcement that they were expecting turbulence and for everyone to return to their seat and fasten their seat belts. Just a moment later, turbulence struck and I was caught off balance and fell directly onto the wet toilet seat! I am still traumatized.

Alternative Medicine

2009-03-27T12:28:00.005Z

I look like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer at the moment, after having laser treatment done for a cancerous area on my nose.

I walked into a "New Age" shop today (the type that sells hippie clothing and do Tarot Readings) and the shop-owner gasped in horror when she saw me and said "oh, what happened to your nose?" I told her the story and she suggested that next time I use an alternate cream-based treatment, which she firmly believed in. Maybe worth a go, I thought. Out of curiosity, I then asked whether she also had a secret remedy for a planter-wart. "What you need to do" she said, "is rub a piece of steak on the wart and then bury the meat in the garden... bury it in a place where no-one will walk over it. As the meat decomposes and disappears, so too will the wart on your foot." Hmmmm, I contemplated this for a moment then asked "should it be medium or well-done?" She replied very seriously, "oh no, it must be raw!"

Iri Down Under

2009-03-16T06:50:00.004Z

I've been back in Oz for a few days now. It has been soooo wonderful spending time with my family and friends again. Just priceless! The weather has been warm and lovely. As they say here... "beautiful one day, perfect the next." It feels wierd only wearing shorts and t-shirts - I am not used to that anymore and everytime I walk out the door I feel half naked!

So how have I been spending my time so far? Breakfasts overlooking the water... Alfresco dining... BBQs... Shopping. There is still so much more to do and so many more people to see, so I better get back to work then :-)

Australia here I come

2009-03-10T16:09:00.002Z

I have my bags packed and I'm ready to go. In a few hours I will be leaving for Australia, for a quick trip home. It will be awesome to see all my family and friends again!

With a 40+ hour journey ahead, I'm sure I will arrive in Oz looking dazed and confused. They say it's the journey not the destination that counts, but I don't think they were referring to air travel when they came up with that one. Hmmmm... I'm already dreading that match-box sized thing they call an airplane toilet. Well at least there are a few good things about flying... I'm really looking forward to the fur that will slowly nestle upon my teeth. And the thing that I am of course wishing for most is that I will get to sit next to a fat sweaty man for 12 consecutive hours. Fingers crossed for that one!

It seems that Cyclone Hamish is awaiting my arrival in Oz. He is currently a Category 4 Cyclone (the second most serious type of cyclone) with winds up to 250 km/hour. He is currently causing havoc a couple of hundred kilometres north from my home town, the Gold Coast. Let's hope he leaves my city alone, so that I can be left in peace to frolic frivolously in the sun!

What a brilliant idea!

2009-03-08T21:23:00.003Z

Message from a hard working Aussie:

"I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to earn that pay cheque, as I work on a mine site on a Kalgoorlie (WA) construction project, I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare payment because I have to pass one to earn it for them?? Please understand - I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sit on their backside drinking grog & smoking dope. Could you imagine how much money the Government would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a welfare payment??"

I couldn't agree more!

Cost of Living

2009-03-06T11:32:00.004Z

Ok, so we all know that the cost of living in Iceland is ridiculously high, but let’s look at this more closely, just for shits and giggles. I have compared the price of Birna’s favourite computer brand Apple, in Iceland and Australia. (According to Birna, PC stands for "piece of crap" and "after MAC you never go back").

24" iMac2.8 GHz
2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
320GB hard drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB

In Australia, this product costs $ 2,399.00 (equivalent of 175,127 ISK). In Iceland, this product costs $4,932.00 (equivalent of 359,990 ISK).

The difference is more than double!!! In Australia, you could buy two Apple computers (and still have money left over) for the same price of one in Iceland – that is unbelievable! Need I say more??

Are You Straight?

2009-03-02T17:55:00.004Z

Coming to Oz? Frequently Asked Questions...

2009-02-28T23:39:00.004Z

A lot of foreigners don't know that much about Australia. For example, it is not uncommon for an American to ask an Aussie if they have a pet kangaroo. An Australian Tourism site recently posted some very funny questions they received from potential travellers wanting to come Down Under. The tourism site also had fun replying to these worldly travellers...

Q: Does it ever rain in Australia? I've never seen it rain on TV. How do your plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all of our plants fully grown and then sit around watching them die.

Q: My wife and I enjoy walking tours. How long will it take us to get from Perth to Sydney on foot? (Canada)
A: How long did it take you to do your last 4,000 km walk? Bring a bottle of water.

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? If so, can you send me a list of all of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: What is the weather like in Vienna in May? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney, and is milk available year-round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful nation of vegan hunters and gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Are the rattlesnakes in Melbourne deadly? Do you sell anti-venom at the grocery store? (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-mer-i-ca, which is where you come from. Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make great pets.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? If so, when? (France)
A: Occasionally, and if so than during our Christmas annual leave.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go in Australia? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

"Best Job In The World"

2009-02-19T19:14:00.009Z

Queensland Tourism have been advertising a job they describe as "the best job in the world." The job of Caretaker is on Hamilton Island in Australia’s Whitsunday Islands. The job requires no formal qualifications as such, although applicants should have a passion for the outdoors, good communication skills, and they must be willing to swim, snorkel, dive and sail.

The key responsibilities are to explore the islands of The Great Barrier Reef and report back to the world what they see, via weekly blogs, photo diary and video updates. The aim is to attract tourists to the area. Other duties include feeding some of the hundred of species of fish and collecting the island’s mail.

In return, the successful applicant will receive a salary of $150,000 (equivalent to 11 million ISK) for six months and they will get to live rent-free in a three-bedroom luxury villa that overlooks the tropical islands.

Not bad huh! I wouldn't mind this being my office...

The job is being advertised around the world. In order to apply, you have to make a one-minute video application, stating why you are the best person for the job and demonstrating your knowledge of the islands of The Great Barrier Reef. Applications close on 22 February. 50 applicants then get chosen to complete a more thorough on-line written application. Then in May, 11 short-listed candidates will be flown out to the island for a four-day final interview process. The successful candidate will start the new job on 1 July.

You can check out their website here to see all the details and have a look at all video applications.

Isn’t this the most brilliant marketing stunt you have ever seen??!! Obviously it has attracted world-wide attention, and over 20,000 people have already applied. The website that was set up to accept applications crashed after receiving more than one million hits in just three days. The job has attracted so much attention that the Tourism Department had to upgrade their server from one to 10. (They are expecting to receive up to 30,000 applications).

So anyways, given it is such a fantastic job, and that it suits Birna perfectly, she actually applied for it. Why not?! There’s nothing to lose. And besides, we had a lot of fun making the video. Check it out here...

Mother Nature ravaging Oz

2009-02-18T12:21:00.008Z

The start of 2009 has definitely been a remarkable one in Australian history. Australians have been hit hard by Mother Nature's fury.

The southern states have experienced record-breaking temperatures and the worst bush fires in Austalian history. The death toll has now reached 208 and is still rising. 2000 homes have been destroyed and about 8000 people have been displaced. Millions of native wildlife have also been killed (although Sam the Koala is safe and well).

Whilst the south is burning, the north is under water. The state of Queensland has been hit by floods, with two thirds of the state declared a disaster zone. The floods have swept snakes and crocodiles out of rivers and into urban areas. The remains of a 5-year-old boy have just been found in the stomach of a 4.3 metre crocodile.

Last week, there were also two shark attacks in two days. One man had his hand severed after being attacked whilst surfing at Sydney's popular Bondi Beach. Another man was mauled by a 3m Bull Shark in Sydney Harbour - he lost his hand and will also need to have his leg amputated.

And don't even get me started on those killer cochroaches...!

The land down under can be a treacherous place to be... but there's no place like home :-)

Traditional Icelandic Food

2009-02-12T19:58:00.010Z

Today I thought I would shed some light on traditional Icelandic food, called Þorramatur. Now is the perfect time, as þorramatur is chiefly consumed during the ancient Nordic Month of Þorri, which is in January and February - particularly at the mid-winter feast of Þorrablót, as a tribute to the old culture. The Þorrablót tradition is to prepare foods which would have been eaten a hundred years ago, using only the original methods of preservation.

To make the food last, it was processed in certain ways, which made its taste um… unique? Meat was smoked, salted and pickled or allowed to stand in whey (yes you heard correctly…whey! aka mýsa) for months and months at a time. Fish was dried, hanged, salted and smoked. Almost everything of the animal was used… and I mean everything.

So here is the menu… Bon appetit! (Let’s start with the more subtle ones first...)

Harðfiskur - Dried fish (often cod or haddock), served with butter.

Hangikjot - Hung meat, usually smoked lamb.

Rúgbrauð - Rye bread, sometimes cooked in the ground (cooks with the geothermal heat)

(Ok, now let’s get right into it…)

Hakarl (shark meat) - This dish is prepared by burying the shark meat in sand for between two and six months, until it has reached just the right stage of decomposition (mmmm… delicious!)

Svið - Lambs head. First charred in the fire to singe off the hair, then boiled and served either fresh or pickled. Every part of the head is edible, including the eyes and ears (so the lamb can stare at you whilst you chew its face off).

Sviðasulta - The meat from svið, compressed in gelatine. It is usually soaked in mýsa (whey!) which apparently has a sharp, citrusy flavour.

Hrútspungur - Ram's testicles pickled in mysa. (I’m guessing this one is even harder to swallow for lesbians).

Slátur - There are two types of Slátur: Lifrarpylsur (liver sausage) and Blóðmör (blood sausage). Lifrarpylsur is ground liver boiled in a sheep intestine casing, whilst Blóðmör is the same, only substituting the liver with blood.

Lundabaggar - Various and sundry internal organs from sheep, rolled up into a net, boiled, and soaked in mýsa. (Mmmmm, I’m starting to get peckish…)

Bringukollar - It consists of bones with fatty tissue still clinging to them, soaked in mýsa.

Magáll - Fatty, smoked sheep stomachs pressed to the hardness of wood. (Oh, I’m really starting to salivate now… Can’t wait to get my teeth into that one…)

And these dishes should be washed down with brennivin, which is a strong Icelandic spirit made from potatoes.

Ummm.... Burger and fries anyone?

Australia is burning

2009-02-08T10:26:00.013Z

Whilst I am freezing over here in Iceland, and the north of Australia is flooded, the southern states in Australia have seen some of the hottest temperatures on record lately, with temperatures scorching up to 48 degrees in the last few weeks. Bush fires are raging across the states of Victoria and New South Wales. 330,000 hectares have been burnt out. More than 52 fires have been listed as still burning. About 800 homes have been destroyed and 170 people have lost their lives so far. The death toll expected to exceed more than 230 as the search for bodies continues in communities which have been completely wiped out. It is officially the worst fires in Australian history... and it's not over yet.

Even our cute little cuddly koalas are trying to cool off any way they can.

Bush fires are common in Australia, but the current blazes have eclipsed the death toll from what had been the previous worst fire in 1983, when 75 people died and 3000 homes were destroyed - that day became known as Ash Wednesday.

Iceland Today

2009-02-07T01:53:00.000Z

Crisis in Iceland

Keep it in the family

2009-02-07T01:23:00.003Z

Icelanders are all one big (happy?) family. Due to its geographical isolation and small population, Icelanders are all more or less related to each other. An Icelandic company, called Decode Genetics, has developed a database called Íslendinga Bók (The Book of Icelanders) that traces the family history of all Icelanders, right back to their Scandinavian ancestors of the early centuries.

We looked up the database to find that Birna is actually related to the following people:
• Braut-Önundur – The King of Sweden, from around the year 500
• Goðorður Rögnvaldsson – The King of Heiðmork in Norway, from around the year 871
• Ingólfur Arnarson – The first settler in Reykjavík, Iceland, in the year 874
• Vigdís Finnbogadóttir – The first democratically elected female Head of State in the world, elected in 1980.

I have encountered a few instances where my Icelandic friends have either found out that some of their closest friends or their ex-partners were actually related to them. Needless to say… Whenever dating someone new, one should always check out the database first!

Winter is here

2009-02-05T13:04:00.013Z

It has been very nipply lately... clear blue skies with temperatures between -7 and -12 degrees. We went skiing again yesterday, although I had to withdraw to the warmth of the ski cabin in order to thaw out. (It was touch and go there for a while, but I did manage to avoid getting my fingers and toes amputated from frostbite). As they say here though, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

The weather conditions (clear skies and very cold temperatures) are perfect for the Northern Lights, however I think the Lights are shy because there are not coming out to play. Apparently, one of the main factors that influence the Northern Lights is the level of solar wind activity, which has been lower than normal this year. I can now check out the level of Northern Lights activity on the Geophysical Institute website and go out searching for them when the activity levels are moderate / high. (The internet is so wonderful! What on earth did people do before the internet? Did they talk to each other or something crazy like that?)

Pollyanna

2009-02-03T13:02:00.011Z

Whilst the world faces its biggest economic crisis in history, with predictions that up to 50 million people will lose their jobs worldwide this year alone, there is some good news (if you look for it)...

Most banks continue to slash their interest rates. The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut its cash rate by a further 100 basis points to 3.25 per cent, which is the lowest level in 45 years. They have now reduced the rate by 400 basis points since September. This latest cut means that a homeowner with an average $350,000 mortgage (equivalent to 25 million ISK) will save a further $216 (approximately) per month (equivalent to 16,000 ISK). Therefore, if you consider all the rate cuts in the last few months, that equates to hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of savings every month for the average family. Housing is becoming more affordable, and that is good news!

Petrol prices have also come down significantly over the last few months - More good news. Petrol prices have reduced by about one third in recent months. The turnaround in petrol prices have also fueled inflation to fall in Australia, with inflation posting its biggest quarterly fall (0.3 per cent) in more than a decade.

So it's not all doom and gloom...

World First

2009-02-01T18:57:00.001Z

It’s all official... The Social Democratic Alliance, in coalition with the Left-Green Movement, and with backing from the Progressive Party, have formed the new interim government. They will govern the nation until new elections are held on 25th April.

Johanna Sigurdardottir has been named the interim Prime Minister - she is the world’s first openly gay Prime Minister and the first female PM in Iceland’s history. She is one of the most highly regarded and trusted politicians here. Right now, the people need a leader like her – someone they can look up to. They need to have their faith, confidence and trust restored, especially after the trail of destruction left by Iceland’s former leaders.

Iceland also made headlines around the world in 1980, when the nation elected Vigdis Finnbogadottir to the office of President – the world’s first democratically elected female Head of State. She was also a very popular and trusted figure, serving for 16 years before retiring.

Let’s face it... Women do it better!

Winter Wonderland

2009-02-01T13:53:00.006Z

Birna and I went skiing yesterday with our friend, Fjola. The ski fields in Bláfjöll are practically in our backyard, only being half an hour away from where we live. It was a winter wonderland with blue skies and powder snow...

More pics

Breaking News

2009-01-26T16:14:00.004Z

Wow, it's all happening now! Iceland's government has collapsed under the strain of the escalating economic crisis. It was announced today that the coalition between the Independence Party and the Social Democrats in Iceland’s government has been terminated. The Prime Minister reported that the Independence Party refused to comply with the proposition that the Social Democrats take over the position of Prime Minister.

So now Iceland not only has an economic crisis, but a political crisis as well. The primary issue now is that the political parties reach an agreement on how the country be governed until the elections in May. Unfortunately, party politics will mean that the economic reconstruction will be further delayed. It will be very interesting to see how this situation continues to unfold...

The cookie starts to crumble

2009-01-25T12:14:00.007Z

Wow, what a week of politics in Iceland! The nation campaigned hard all week… protesting day after day (and night after night) in front of Parliament, demanding accountability and change. Demonstrators clashed with police, as the nation started to lose their patience with the government’s silence and their failure to step down. Although most protests were loud yet peaceful, police were forced to use pepper spray, tear gas and clubs to break up some demonstrations.

Two days ago the Prime Minister Geir Haarde dropped a bombshell – he had been diagnosed with malignant cancer of the esophagus. He announced that Elections would be held 9th May, at which time he would step down. (Whilst it is sad that the PM faces health issues, it is also unfortunate that he will get to walk away from politics STILL without taking responsibility for the mess he helped create).

Today, Bjorgvin G. Sigurdsson announced his resignation as Minister of Commerce. He reported that he wanted to take responsibility for his part in the government’s failure to win the trust of the people and create an environment to rebuild the country. He advised that he would continue as a member of parliament and that he wanted to renew his mandate with his voters. Also resigning will be the board of the Financial Authority, and its CEO, Jonas F. Jonsson. Finally, something is happening!

Maybe however (if I can be cynical for a moment), we should also consider the fact that Bjorgvin G. Sigurdsson's noble decision to stand down as Minister was actually more of a well-constructed ploy to re-invent his image now that elections have been called. One must admit that his timing is impeccable... right after new elections have been called, he decides to do "the right thing." Let's be honest... The popularity of his political party has plummeted lately, so his decision to stand down in order to regain the trust of the people, gives him and his party a better chance to be re-elected. Nevertheless however, he has in fact stood down and acknowledged responsibility. Maybe some other politicans and people in the Central Bank should take a leaf out of his book.

Yes it's been quite a historic week for this little nation in the north. Some change is coming at last and the people are finally being heard. Let’s hope this is the start of more positive changes ahead...

It's heating up...

2009-01-20T22:26:00.007Z

The economic and political crisis here in Iceland continues to deepen. Numerous world renowned economists are now coming to the fore, reporting in the media that they advised the government, politicians and financial authorities in 2007 and early 2008 (via repeated warnings and detailed reports) that the Icelandic financial system was utterly unsustainable and that it was not a case of if, but when, the economy was going to crash. The politicians and bankers completely dismissed these warnings, with the corrupt Government, Financial Authority and Central Bank continuing to turn a blind eye whilst the bankers continued on their ruthless and destructive path toward financially ruining this nation.

The incompetence of Iceland’s governing bodies is quite astonishing really. For example, the Minister of Finance has no financial/economic qualifications – he is a Veterinarian! Unbelievable isn’t it. And it’s these incompetent people in power who are so incredibly arrogant that they dismissed repeated warnings that there would be an impending economic disaster - warnings made by numerous world renowned economic experts. Yes, just unbelievable. And now, with Iceland in the midst of the economic meltdown (with unemployment skyrocketing, loans steadily increasing, inflation escalating, and house prices depreciating significantly) the response from the government swings from silence to "it wasn’t me!"

The government and other financial authorities have clearly been negligent in ignoring these warnings, negligent in their failure to take appropriate action to divert this crisis, and negligent in cleaning up the economic disaster. Four months after the initial collapse of the banking system and economy, still no-one has taken any responsibility for the mess. No-one has been held accountable. No-one has apologized for their incompetence or their absolute failure to do their job properly.

Whilst in other countries, where politicians and people in positions of power are held accountable for the slightest misdemeanors (such as having to make a public apology for a speeding offence), apparently here in Iceland, those rules do not apply. The politicians and financial authorities wipe their ass with the nation’s money and trust, and still they continue smugly in their positions, denying any wrong-doing, continuing to abuse this nation. I am appalled and disgusted.

Due to the government’s lack of action and their lack of acknowledgment of any wrong doing, protests are becoming louder and bolder. I think the people have been extremely patient and tolerant to date. But they can only take so much. As I write this blog post now, protestors are outside the Parliament, banging on the windows and doors and making noise, so as to be heard. Although no-one appears to be listening. The police are in their riot gear and using pepper spray to control the angry crowd. (NB: The Parliament resumed today, after being on holidays for Christmas break. It leaves me bewildered however that the politicians have been on holidays when (1) they had a four month holiday over the summer, and (2) the nation is in the midst of the biggest financial crisis in history). Unbelievable.

The nation is demanding accountability, action and change – and rightfully so. If the people in power are not held responsible, then nothing will change here, and the rest of the world will not be able to restore their faith and confidence in Iceland as a reputable nation.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T02:02:00.002Z

2009 certainly came with a "bang" here in Iceland. When midnight struck, the sky lit up and there were deafening bomb-like sounds all around. I ducked for cover and screamed "Get down! We’re being ambushed! The brits are coming to get their revenge!" Once I peered out from the bush I was hiding in and pulled the branches out of my hair, I noticed that it was just fireworks. Phew!

You wouldn't have thought this place was in a deep recession after spending New Year's Eve here. The whole nation went crazy blasting fireworks! (Yes it's legal for the general public to buy and set-off fireworks). The amount of money spent on fireworks would probably have been enough to pay for all the debt this country is in. But alas, it was a spectacular display!

Interestingly, the biggest sellers of fireworks for the New Year's Eve celebrations are The Rescue Squad. It’s their biggest annual fund-raising venture. Hmmm, sounds a little ironic don’t you think? "When you play with fire, you're going to get burnt." But don’t worry, the Rescue Squad will save you!

I guess it's no stranger than Íslandspil – a company who raises money for the Red Cross, the Rescue Squad and the Rehabilitation Centres. And how exactly does Íslandspil raise this money one might ask? Well, one of their money-making strategies includes supplying and operating pokie machines to the people of Iceland. Hmmm… Interesting concept don't you think?

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:11:00.004Z

We were lucky enough to wake up to a white Christmas... How beautiful and wonderful! Thank you Santa - Good job mate!

I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. May 2009 bring you peace, love, happiness, a bit of luck and lots of good health xx

Shortest day of the year

2008-12-21T21:00:00.004Z

It is the shortest day of the year today here in Iceland, with the sun rising at 11:22am and setting at 3:29pm. But I use the word "sun" loosely, as it doesn’t actually mean that the sun is shining. Given that the sun barely scrapes over the horizon, it's more a case of there being light.

Knowing that the shortest day of the year is now behind us and the days will slowly start to get longer and brighter, makes me feel a whole lot better!

Christmas will be here within a few days. My sister Vanessa is coming to Iceland to celebrate it with us. It should be a fun few days... Lots of good food, good company, and good times. And I'm sure Santa knows what a good girl I've been this year, so I should score well in the present department too I would think! ;-)

More of Me (literally)

2008-12-15T21:44:00.007Z

I'm now back in Iceland. After indulging in all of the finest Belgian chocolates, waffles, pastries and other delicacies over the past 10 days, there is now about 20kg more of me to love. They even made me pay "excess baggage" on the flight home for my double chin and big fat arse!

It was so great to be in Belgium again and spend time with my family. My Uncle Mark and Tante Hilde looked after us like Royalty - they were awesome! We spent time in Antwerp, Brugge, Lier and Brussels. Antwerp and Brugge are still my favourite places... so beautiful and charming with all the old buildings and stunning culture and history.

I didnt't feel overly safe in Brussels. (The fact that 14 Al Qaeda suspects were arrested when we were there probably didn't help though). My rules for travelling in a big city: Never make eye contact; Hold your bag securely in front of you at all times; Look over your shoulder regularly; And for good measure... Mutter to yourself frequently and loudly - this will actually make people scared and suspicious of you.

Oh yeah... The training course was pretty good too, although it did interfere with my social life there!

More pics

Belgium

2008-12-05T08:25:00.004Z

I'm now in Belgium and having a fantastic time! My work sent me on a work conference... well the course isn't due to start until 10th December but I decided to mix business with pleasure and come to Belgium early to spend time with my family. I still don't really have a good grasp of what the conference is about, but that doesn't really matter now does it. Initially when my work mentioned the conference was in Belgium and if anyone was interested in going, I said "oh oh, pick me, pick me!" So now I have an all expenses paid trip to spend time with my family. Perfect!

I flew out of Iceland yesterday. Given so many weeks of darkness in Iceland, I spent most of the flight to London with my face pressed up against the window, trying to absorb the rays of the sun that were beaming so brightly above the clouds.

And now Vanessa and I are enjoying the wonderful hospitality of my lovely Aunt Hilde and Uncle Mark. It is so great to be able to converse in a language I do understand, although my flemish is a little rusty. Often, when I am searching for the flemish word, I find myself actually saying the icelandic equivalent! But I can already feel my flemish improving after just one day... and I still have nine days to go, woohoo!

So the next few days will be about spending quality time with my family, and seeing more of the place I was born. Tomorrow we head to Brugge... Can't wait! Bring it on!

From Riches to Rags

2008-11-30T16:39:00.005Z

Ok, so I haven't blogged for a while, maybe that's because I have been caught up in the doom and gloom of things going on in Iceland and quite frankly, it's left me speechless.

Things are very bleak, in every sense of the word. I'm not just talking about the weather either (where we are almost now in constant darkness, with the sun rising at 10:50am and setting at 3:40pm). I'm of course talking about the financial crisis and economic meltdown here in Iceland that has made things even more dim and depressing.

Iceland's spectacular fall from grace has been unbelievable to watch. For many years, Iceland enjoyed a standard of living that was among the highest in the world. The average family's wealth soared 45% in the last five years. Only last year, Iceland topped the United Nations "best place to live" poll. And now… people are losing everything.

So what happened? Well, if you ask the politicians, bankers or any other high profile businessmen, they will point the finger in every outward direction. "Wasn’t me!"

The problems started when the banks were privatised around the year 2000 (that is, when the banks were sold to business groups closely tied to the two political parties in charge at the time). The banks expanded dramatically overseas, buying up everything in their path, whilst engaging in some serious dodgy dealings. So who was regulating what was happening? Ah well, it seems the Government, Central Bank and Financial Regulation Authority were all looking the other way whilst they allowed their "friends" to rack up foreign debt worth about 10 times the country's GDP. When the global financial crisis hit, the banking sector collapsed, leaving the Government to take over control of all three of its major banks, and leaving the nation to clean up the mess. Practically overnight, Iceland found themselves completely on their own – with the Brits enacting terrorist laws against them, and the tiny nation becoming outcasts to the world… so much so, that they had to look for new friends in the Russians.

But the most despicable thing that has gone on in Iceland, and continues to go on, is the corruption and abuse of power. The saying "it's not what you know but who you know" does not ring any truer than it does here in Iceland. The politicians, bankers and high profile businessmen are all good mates. It's all in the family. And what does all this mean? …A bunch of incompetent, corrupt people running this nation, only looking out for their own best interests, and screwing up the lives of the average hard-working Icelander... and their grand children. And haven't they done a mighty fine job of it!

So what is the result of all this? ...Iceland's currency has plummeted; Transactions to and from Iceland have been seized; Businesses are going bankrupt everywhere; Hundreds of people are losing their jobs each week; Inflation is 17% and rising steadily; house prices have fallen over 20% and predicted to fall 46%; and loans are sky-rocketing (largely due to price-indexing, whereby the amount you borrow increases according to the corresponding inflation.) And on top of that, Icelanders have to been left to foot the bill (worth billions!) and clean up the mess made by those irresponsible, incompetent and arrogant people who created it in the first place. As one person put so well, "we should have turned the music down when the party got out of hand." Yes, it's one hell of a hangover!

The worst thing is that those who made the mess are not taking any responsibility and are not being held accountable. In fact, they are still in the same positions of power. Why should they be trusted now to do the right thing? They have done nothing but cheat the system and the people. Of course, Icelanders too, must take some responsibility for what has happened. Firstly, in relation to the credit crisis, Icelanders have played their part in racking up huge amounts of personal debts on 100% loans in an attempt to have the best of everything. And secondly, and most importantly, in relation to the corruption, Icelanders have sat back and done nothing whilst the corruption has played out in front of them in such a blatant manner, thereby allowing it to breed and fester out of control.

But alas, Icelanders have woken up and said that enough is enough. The initial shock Icelanders felt is now turning to anger. People are turning up in their thousands to protest every week – demanding change. As the contempt grows, the protests are becoming bigger and louder. We too have joined the weekly protests. And just yesterday we braved the -10 degree temperature to show our support with custom made signs. Birna's sign said "Price Indexing Sucks" and my sign said "We want sunshine" which was of course meant to be a bit funny and light-hearted, but also symbolic given the current circumstances. It was a hit with the international journalists.

Yearbook Photos

2008-11-19T22:55:00.016Z

I have dusted off my old Yearbook photos and wanted to give you a sneak peek of me in my youth...

Iris in 1952

Iris in 1966

Iris in 1986

Iris in 1994

The Hot Air Balloon

2008-11-15T11:31:00.004Z

A man in a hot air balloon notices that he is losing height. He then notices a woman on the ground so lowers his balloon a little further and calls to her, "Excuse me! Can you help me? I promised to meet my friend and hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The woman answered, "You are in a hot air balloon which is hovering at a height of ten metres, between 40 and 41 degrees north and between 59 and 60 degrees west."

"You must work with computers," said the man.

"I do indeed," answered the woman. "How did you know?"

"Well," the man replied, "All that you just said is technically right, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with the information, and am therefore still lost. It's fair to say you've not really helped me at all. If anything, all you have done is made me even later."

The woman replied, "Ah, you must be an Icelandic politician."

"Yes," the man said in surprise. "But how could you know that?"

"Well," she said, "You knew neither where you were, nor where you were going. Only hot air has got you to where you are right now. You don't have a clue how to sort out your situation, but expect people below you to sort out the problem for you. And you are now in the same situation as when we just met, but now all of a sudden it's my fault."

The week that was...

2008-11-07T23:39:00.006Z

The other night I went out to dinner with my (one) work colleague and the board members of the organisation I work for. Whilst the seven of us were eating a lovely dinner (at a restaurant that even offered Flipper on the menu), one of the board members turned to me and apologised for the mess she had left in the office. I proceeded on a bit of a monologue, proudly stating that things at the office had improved and my colleague and I had sorted through a lot of the mess and got the place more structured and organised over the last few months. Once I had finished my little speech, the board member calmly stated that the mess she was referring to was actually the plates and cups she had left at the office after eating her lunch that day. Ah… Oops.

Yesterday I was working diligently when all of a sudden my work email started rebelling – it was defiantly choosing if/when to send and receive emails. My emails appeared to be stuck in my Outbox, however then sporadically I'd get an email from one of my clients saying that they had received the same email from me 20 times in the last hour and could I please stop sending it. My emails had a mind of their own. I spent the next three hours troubleshooting the problem through google. Technology and patience are definitely NOT my strongest characteristics, so when you put them together, it's not a pretty sight! I was tearing my hair out, and steam was coming out of my ears, whilst I was whining to Birna on MSN that I couldn't fix this very complex problem. She offered to come to my office and help me sort it out. So she arrived soon after - my knight in shining armor, riding into my office on a white horse - and within five minutes, she had fixed the problem. Apparently, turning the computer off then on again can be quite an effective strategy. Um… Oops.

A few weeks ago my sister Vanessa recommended I read a brilliant book, Shantaram. So I got the book and am about two thirds of the way through it. I was talking to Vanessa today and was enthusiastically telling her how fantastic I thought the book was. During our conversation, I said that I couldn’t believe that such and such happened in the book. She was shocked, "What?! Really?!" Apparently, she hadn’t actually finished reading it yet and hadn't got to that part of the book yet, where something very significant happens to one of the main characters. Ah… Oops.

On a better note, this was the week that Obama claimed the Top Job. As one of my friends put it so eloquently, "The KKK must be spewing!"

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T10:42:00.005Z

Does my bum look big in this?

Australia's cute and cuddly native wildlife...

2008-10-28T11:40:00.025Z

Australia is full of creepy crawlies. The cockroaches in Australia can be so big that you can almost put a saddle on them and ride them. Here in Iceland, its too cold for cockies, spiders, snakes and all those other lovely creatures. You do occasionally see a tiny spider here and there, and on a few occasions I have heard Birna squeal in horror at which I've come running to see what all the commotion has been about. And then I see Birna, with her little finger shaking, pointing at something almost invisible to the naked eye, whilst backing away and yelling "spider!" It's then that I laugh and think of Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee when he says "that's not a knife.... THAT'S a knife!"

While Australia has lovely kangaroos and koalas, it also has other furry little animals too. Take this spider below for example, which was seen having a light little snack last week in my home state of Queensland. People from all over the world were stunned to see these pictures, but I don't know what all the fuss was about. I mean really... can't we just leave the cute little spider in peace to just enjoy his lunch?

Ah... everytime I see pictures like this - of Australia‘s cute and cuddly native wildlife - these are the moments I miss Australia most... (sigh)

The time has come...to hibernate

2008-10-23T14:29:00.006Z

Yes the winter is coming. Temperatures are around the freezing point now and everything is covered in snow. The sun rose today at 8:43am and will set at 5:39pm. Each day the sun rises three minutes later and sets three minutes earlier, which means that every 10 days, that's a whole hour less sunshine. My skin is already turning a lovely pasty white colour. Soon, when I go romping around naked in the snow (as I so often do), you won't be able to see where my body ends and where the snow begins.

My dad's a funny little cookie. He wrote me an email today...

Hi Iris,

Maybe you will not be able to receive this email.
By now the snow is covering the whole of Iceland and the wind is flattening everything that is still standing upright.
Maybe time has come to start this year's hibernation.
If I don't hear from you, I know I was too late.
Sleep well and we will catch up around the end of March (I know you are an early riser).

Love,
Papa.

4WD Trip

2008-10-19T14:00:00.009Z

Birna and I joined a “little league” 4x4 group, which is a group for beginners and people with unmodified 4WDs. The group organises monthly 4WD day trips. And so yesterday, we joined them for the first time and went “jeep tripping” with Big Boy…

There were about 30 jeeps altogether. Once we were all given transmitter radios and a little speech that consisted of "…the more problems we get into, the more fun we’ll have…" we were off. Within the first half an hour, Birna watched in her rear-view mirror as one of the jeeps had veered off the road and rolled his car twice before landing in the ditch beside the road. We don’t know whether it was the icy conditions or whether the driver just wasn’t paying attention, but anyways… suddenly, our laughter fell away and things became more serious… well, for a little while anyway.

It was a perfect day… blue skies & beautiful snow all round. The 4WD’ing turned out to be relatively easy except for a few hairy river crossings (where I put on my snorkel just in case). Birna did all the driving, my job was to sit back, relax & look pretty… a tough job but someone had to do it. Big Boy loved playing in the mud and the snow!

It was a great day, albeit very cold! Even with many layers of clothing (in which I looked like “Iri the Eskimo”) I could still feel every bite of the -8°C.

More pics

Iri... aka Cavewoman!

2008-10-14T13:30:00.009Z

I went caving today... in a lava cave. It was an awesome experience! Birna wasn't too excited about going herself, so I decided to go on my own, signing up for a half day tour.

We crawled, ducked and weaved our way through the 400m long cave (one of about 3000 caves in Iceland). Whilst I was loving every minute of it, the four Asians on the tour, who rocked up in their sandshoes and fancy jackets, weren't too excited about the experience, constantly asking "are we there yet?" (Im not really sure what they were expecting after signing up for a caving trip).

We traversed our way through the cave, which was about 12 metres underground. It was pitch black down there, except for the headlights that were strapped to our helmets. In some sections, we had to crawl through tight gaps, whilst in other places, it was amazingly big (approximately seven metres in diameter).

I think Birna feels relieved that I finally went caving, because she was sick of me going on and on about wanting to do it. But now that I've had a taste of it, I'm even more keen to go again! Given that there are about 3000 caves in Iceland, that means I only have 2999 left to explore...

More pics

Dating an Icelandic Viking Woman

2008-10-12T20:19:00.003Z

Whilst I'm sure you've heard that all Icelandic women are tall, blonde and beautiful... I bet you haven't heard much about their Viking history or their local delicacies, which involve eating sheep heads and ram's testicles.

The clip below is a little insight into Icelandic table manners. The video reminds me a lot of my first date with Birna actually...

Dinner date with an Icelander

Sinking!

2008-10-06T20:39:00.010Z

The economy here in Iceland is extremely bleak. The Government has taken control of two of the three biggest banks in Iceland, and bailed out the third bank. The Icelandic krona continues to crash, and has dropped 90% since January! Therefore, people with foreign currency loans (which include most businesses and a big proportion of the population), are in deep s***! I think this tiny island called Iceland, is going to sink with all the heavy debt they are in. The Prime Minister has described the situation as "grave" and that in the worst case scenario, they will declare a "national bankruptcy."

So in light of all these economic developments, I have decided that I won't go down with the sinking ship and that I have to take decisive action. I am tossing up between two choices...

I either buy a shovel, build a bunker, and stock up on bottled water and canned food...

or

I build a boat and row back to Australia (because at this rate, I won't be able to afford a flight home). If I chose the latter option, I look forward to seeing you all in Oz by Christmas....... 2018.

Beautiful

2008-10-03T15:51:00.005Z

Birna organised a great surprise for my birthday... She asked the Weather Gods oh so kindly to bring snow. She said "thou shalt bring snow" and before too long, beautiful fluffy snowflakes were falling upon us. The snow even came two days early (which Birna attributed to Iceland's very efficient postal delivery system of course).

This was the view from our kitchen window when we woke up this morning...

New arrivals

2008-09-28T19:38:00.002Z

I just came home from a seven day work trip. We took the 21 newly arrived volunteers to Stykkishólmur for an “on arrival” camp to prepare them for their stay in Iceland over the next 12 months. The new volunteers are from 18 different countries including Germany, Uganda, Ukraine, Italy, Moldova, Nigeria, USA, Ghana, Finland, India, Sri Lanka, Austria, Taiwan and Hungary.

Needless to say, there were many interesting cultural experiences / differences and communication misunderstandings which were often very funny. I was having a conversation with one of the African boys, during which I thought he said "when in room, do as the romance does." Um, excuse me? I said, whilst looking perplexed and confused, thinking he was being a little inappropriate. After I asked him to repeat himself for the third time, I finally understood that he was actually saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

It was also very strange when one of the other volunteers (from India) would shake his head from side to side when he was in agreement or acknowledging what was being said. Yes, quite confusing for the rest of us. I guess "no" really does mean "yes."

Another one of the volunteers had a birthday during our trip away and so the group sang “Happy Birthday” to her in about 10 different languages, which was pretty cool.

After eight days away with 30 people, living in a confined space, I was glad to finally be home. As you know, I’m not a fan of public showers or public toilets either, so my eyes widened when I saw there were only two toilets and two showers to go around. I try to avoid public toilets at all costs, preferring the comfort of my own home for those special moments. When I told Birna this, she asked "so have you not poo'd in the last five months then?" Hmmm, maybe that's why I'm feeling a little bloated.

Never a dull moment in the land of "Fire and Ice"

2008-09-17T08:40:00.002Z

There was a severe storm last night, even by Icelandic standards. With torrential rain and winds of up to 145km/hr, there were a lot of UFOs (unknown flying objects), but all passenger flights were cancelled. We live on the fourth floor, and I’m about 13% sure that I even saw a cow fly past our window, or was it a whale...?

The storm was apparently the left overs of Hurricane Ike. But if that was the left overs, I’m glad I didn’t get to see what he served up for main course.

I spent the night cowering under the bed, with my eyes squeezed shut, hands over my ears and teeth chattering. I’m not sure what Icelanders have done to piss off Mother Nature, but she doesn’t seem to like them very much… Earthquakes… storms… and that was just in one day. She’s a busy lady! Whilst I was hiding under the bed, listening to the howling winds, I could hear Mother Nature screaming “Let me in, or I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down!” And my little voice wavered back, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”

Birna’s brother Árni, loves Icelandic weather. The colder and crazier it gets, the more excited he becomes. He sent me a message during the storm last night that read “a few more months of this and winter will be here. Yippee!” He also told me that I had better start knitting because the first snow was expected to fall mid October. Hence, I have started to knit my full body one-piece woolen suit… It’ll be green and brown, to bring out the colour of my eyes (flutter, flutter).

The Ripple Effect

2008-09-16T08:41:00.001Z

There was another earthquake today… only a 3.6 on the Richter, but I still felt the earth shake as I was laying awake in bed, about to get up for work. It definitely made me jump out of bed pretty damn quick… the most effective alarm clock I’ve ever had that’s for sure. I told my dad about the quake and he cleverly pointed out that it was obviously the result of the share market crashing yesterday. He’s a smart cookie my dad is.

ABBA mania!

2008-09-10T16:36:00.002Z

We recently went to the movies to see “Mamma Mia” the musical. It had a twist though... It was actually a sing-a-long movie session. I can't say I have ever been much of an ABBA fan, given that they were famous when I was still being toilet trained. We weren't quite sure what to expect really, but we sat down quietly and patiently at the theatre, waiting for the movie to begin. Upon the opening credits, the crowd started whistling and clapping with anticipation and delight. We looked at each other bemused, wondering what was to come.

Then within minutes, the lead actors sang their first ABBA number I have a Dream and with that, the crowd were on their feet, swaying their arms in the air, excitedly singing and dancing away. We became a little scared at this point and laughed nervously at each other. We assumed that our fellow movie-goers must have been drunk, because Icelanders don’t normally speak (let alone cheer and sing in public) after at least three pints of beer.

And with each and every song that followed, the crowd became more rowdy and animated, with their arms thrashing about, and belting out the ABBA tunes at the top of their lungs. It was as if these people, who had obviously been perfecting their best ABBA impersonations in the mirror over many many years, were finally being allowed out in public and singing like they were auditioning for Eurovision.

By about the third song, we were gripped by ABBA mania! When Mamma Mia came on, we too were up on our feet… singing, swaying, clapping and grooving like we had front row seats at a Madonna concert. Who would have thought! And at the end of the movie when the credits rolled up and everyone walked out of the theatre, people were still singing and bopping away. What a bizarre but very fun night!

The Joker

2008-09-07T11:31:00.003Z

Birna and I watched the new Batman movie last night, called The Dark Knight. During the movie, I was a little confused with the storyline, so I turned to Birna and whispered, "I don’t get it." Birna was a little baffled with the plot too. We agreed that whilst we didn’t understand what was happening, it looked like a good movie, with its grandiose action scenes and well-known cast. Birna then added, "It’s kind of like my love for you... You look beautiful, I just don't understand you."

What have I got myself into?

2008-08-30T00:12:00.002Z

Well, it was touch and go there for a while, but I made it! I survived my first two weeks in my new job. The last two weeks have been incredibly difficult and most days I came home, with my tail between my legs, lying in the foetal position whilst sucking my thumb and crying to Birna, sobbing “I can’t go back there, I’m quitting!”

I thought the Department of Child Safety was a mess, but it wins “Workplace of the Year” compared to this place! There are only two people working in the office, me and another lady. We are both brand new and so it’s the blind leading the blind. There was a lot of “stuff” going on prior to us coming on board, where one of the previous employees resigned and the other one was fired by the Board.

The office is in total chaos and with my three personalities... Ms Control Freak, Ms Anxiety and Little Miss Obsessive Compulsive, it has been a huge challenge to say the least. Let’s see if I survive another week... Watch this space!

Next stop: London 2012

2008-08-24T21:09:00.000Z

Iceland came to a standstill today, as the Icelandic Men’s Handball Team played against France for the Olympic gold medal. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be though, with France being the better team on the day. (And for all the aussies reading this… no, I’m not talking about the type of Handball we used to play at school, where two people would bounce a tennis ball over a line. The “Handball” I’m talking about is actually a team sport where you try and get the ball in the opposing team’s goal. It‘s like a combination of basketball and soccer, but you only use your hands. It’s probably the second biggest sport in Europe, after soccer).

A quick little history lesson on “Iceland at the Olympics”… Iceland won their first ever Olympic medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics - Vilhjálmur Einarsson won the Silver medal in the Men’s Triple Jump. Iceland then won a bronze medal in Judo at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and another Bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the Women’s Pole Vault. So now, they have a total of four Olympic medals, however that elusive gold medal continues to elude them. Well, keep training kids, you’ll have another shot at it in four years time…

Sending Love...

2008-08-17T11:38:00.003Z

A special mention to my Papa, who turns 60 today!!! Happy birthday to the greatest dad in the world! xx

Another special mention to my wonderful Goddesses, who are on the annual Goddess Weekend. I'm thinking of you all xx

The Olympics

2008-08-15T12:06:00.004Z

Don’t you just love watching the Olympic Games? Whether it’s watching the seven and eight year-old pre-pubescent Chinese and Russian girls in the gymnastics, or watching the lanky Kenyans in the long-distance running events (who run so fast because they are envisioning being chased by lions), or watching the steroid munching athletes running the sprint events… there is so much excitement and drama!

The event I find most difficult to watch though is the Gymnastics – because it is so technically difficult. It’s heartbreaking to think that they have trained years and years, performing to perfection more often than not, yet then making a mistake on the day that matters most. And especially when the Chinese gymnasts are the ones that make the mistakes, I become sad and think to myself, “oh that poor little girl, she won’t ever see her family again because she will now be taken away and shot.”

Some events are quite funny to watch, like the Synchronized Swimming. I never did get that sport. A bunch of people flailing about in the water, with a peg clipped on their noses, all the while trying their hardest to smile whilst treading water. All looks very strange to me. Judo is also funny to watch – two fat people trying to tackle the other and then lying on top of them. Looks more like foreplay to me. I think the “nipple cripple” would be an effective strategy in this sport.

The Shot-Put and Javelin track-and-field events are also interesting to watch. The athletes yell and scream upon releasing the ball and javelin. Do they think that the screaming is going to propel the thing further or something? They just look really constipated to me when they do that, like they’re trying to push out a big poo or something, especially when their faces go bright red and a vein pops out of their forehead.

Gay for a Day...

2008-08-11T17:41:00.007Z

Reykjavik Gay Pride was on over the weekend and it was a lot of fun. Despite the bomb threat, it all went off with a bang (pardon the pun). Gay Pride is the second biggest annual event in Iceland (next to Culture Night), although it seems Icelanders aren’t so good at maths… with the police estimating there were between 30 and 40,000 people at the parade, and other news agencies reporting between 90 and 100,000 people. Hmmmm, a slight discrepancy there, but either way, it was a great turnout considering that Iceland’s total population is only 310,000 people.

(Needless to say) Birna and I looked cute in our matching pink t-shirts :-)

More photos

Iceland is very "up" with gay rights. Gay people have got the same rights as heterosexual couples here, including marriage (in a church), adoption and assisted pregnancies (ie. artificial insemination etc). So beware... I may come back to Oz married, with four children who all have funny icelandic names and snotty noses.

Summer... Going, Going, Gone...

2008-08-08T15:49:00.002Z

Well it’s nearly mid August… the summer is almost behind us and it’ll be time to pull out the winter woollies (and flashlight) soon. But it has been a good summer. Every day that it’s been sunny and warm, Birna says “why don’t you put that on your blog!” Hmmm, I guess I won’t hear her say that over the next 10 months, so I better write it in my blog now. Last week it was 26 degrees in Reykjavik – the first time since 1990. It was the biggest news of the week – in all the papers and on the news, not that I understood a word of it, but that’s what it looked like from all the pretty pictures.

I do like the Icelandic sun though cos it’s not as strong as the one in Oz (yes there are two suns – one in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern). In Iceland, I can lay out in the sun for a few hours (on a nice day and out of the wind that is) and get a nice little brown glow. In Oz however, my skin goes from ghost white to lobster red when I simply walk from the house to the car, and then my freckles just kind of blend into one big freckle. Hmmmm, very nice!

The Westfjords

2008-07-29T16:27:00.011Z

Birna and I just spent the past week in the Westfjords of Iceland. The Westfjords are set adrift from the rest of the country, and even Iceland´s Ring Road bypasses it altogether. As the Lonely Planet puts it so well… “It’s one of Iceland´s most spectacular regions. Sparsely populated, fantastically rugged, and isolated by its remote location and limited roads, the Westfjords is an outdoor adventurer’s dream destination. The landscape is truly humbling, ranging from soaring mountains and unfathomably deep silent fjords to a torturous coastline dotted with tiny fishing villages clinging doggedly to a traditional way of life.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.

This is roughly the track we followed...

We hired a camper van in Stykkishólmur and tugged it behind Big Boy. We spent the first two nights in Hólmavik and used that as our base while exploring the eastern coast of the Westfjords. So many beautiful fjords! We continued right up until Norðurfjördur, the furthest point you can go on the eastern side, and even took a dip in an open-air geothermal swimming pool at Krossnes, which was located on a black pebbled beach.

We spent the next two nights in Ísafjörður, considered the capital of the west of Iceland, with a population of 3500. We camped at Tungudalur, under a beautiful waterfall (although the sound of the water made us want to pee most of the time). From there we ventured out to a little town called Flateyri, where we went sea kayaking. We could not have picked a better time to go… the weather was so calm that we could see our reflection mirrored in the water.

From Ísafjörður, we drove down the western side of the Westfjords. We visited Dynjandi waterfall, the most well-known and dramatic waterfall in the Westfjords. We drove to a place called Breiðavik, which truly felt like you were at the end of the earth – so remote. There we camped by the beach. Yes that’s right… I found a beach in Iceland with white sand! We walked along the beach and then watched the sunset over the water from our campsite at 11:30pm.

From Breiðavik we drove to the Látrabjarg Peninsula, famous for its 12km long coastline with dramatic cliffs ranging from 40m to 400m high, and its abundant bird life. From there we stood at Europe’s westernmost point. What an amazingly beautiful place! The cliffs were awesome and we saw thousands of birds (including puffins) as well as Snorri the Seal and all his mates swimming along the coast. We also visited Rauðisandur beach which was beautiful with its pink and red sand.

1800km later, feeling very dusty but well rested, we were home. The weather could not have been better – it was unbelievably calm, still, warm with clear skies pretty much the whole time. The camper van was surprisingly comfortable and cosy too. A special mention to Big Boy, who did so well to get us where he did, weaving in and out of the fjords and over unpaved mountain passes pitted with giant potholes. Well done Big Boy! He has some minor injuries, including a busted eye (aka headlight) and a hip joint out of wack (aka bumper bar that is barely holding on). But all good! No pain, no gain!

More photos of the trip.

Welcome Big Boy!

2008-07-20T16:29:00.005Z

Birna bought a 4WD, a 1996 Nissan Terrano II. We named him “Big Boy” and he is a nice addition to our little family. Most of the best places in Iceland are accessible by 4WD only, so now we can go where we want, when we want.

Yesterday we took Big Boy on our first road trip, to Þórsmörk. Under our guidance, support and encouragement, Big Boy performed beautifully under pressure. He gently carried us over the bumpy off-road track and through the many river crossings. We were two very proud parents!

What an amazing day we had in Þórsmörk! Whilst Big Boy rested, Birna and I, along with two of our friends, Daði and Thelma, went hiking. The weather was absolutely perfect - blue skies, no wind, and very warm. We hiked in shorts and t-shirt most of the way. Once at the top, we were greeted with stunning panoramic views… mountains, valleys, glaciers and canyons. It could not have been a better day.

Birna has taken all next week off, so we have hired a camper van and are going road trippin’ once again with Big Boy at the helm. We are going to the West Fjords, although we have no set agenda or plan. We will simply follow the good weather…

Great news!

2008-07-10T22:38:00.002Z

I have scored a really cool job! I will be working as a Project Officer for AUS – an international non-profit youth exchange organisation. I’ll be organising long and short-term exchanges for people aged 18-30 years, in a variety of community service projects around the world (ie. organising young people in Iceland to work as volunteers abroad, and other people from different countries to come to Iceland to do voluntary work).

It’s only a 65% job but I’m hoping that may change down the track to full-time. I’m really excited to work for this organisation - it seems like a really cool place to work and I think I will really it. It will be great working with young people from all over the world. I’ll also get to go on camps, outings and things too, which sounds like fun. I start mid August…

FYI

2008-07-09T19:06:00.004Z

Just to let you know... On the right-hand side of my blog you will find the links to my my published articles. I´ll keep adding to the list upon my stuff getting published, so feel free to check it out regularly...

The Little Battlers...

2008-07-07T16:11:00.004Z

For all you aussies who are getting flustered about the high petrol prices, we here in Iceland are envious of the $1.55 a litre you are paying (equivalent to 108 ISK). Here, we are paying (the equivalent of) $2.53 a litre (177 ISK). Hence, the bus is my new best friend (when it doesn’t come late or try to run me over that is).

It’s always good to remember that “there will always be people worse off than you” …It helps you feel so much better. I think of that little quote whenever I am at the petrol pump here (or at the grocery store, or on the golf course, or at a restaurant…). I just think of the Norwegians and Finns - who have to pay even more for things than Icelanders do - and I instantly feel so much better.

But things are looking pretty grim here in Iceland... soaring prices, the Icelandic Krona at an all time low, hundreds of people losing their jobs, and a recession that’s about to knock this little country right off the map... oh wait, Apple already did that. But clearly, Iceland is doing it tough and the atmosphere is very tense indeed.

Sunrise in Reykjavik... Taken at 2:45am

2008-07-02T09:01:00.003Z

Yep, seen Björk... I can check that one off my list

2008-07-01T09:46:00.005Z

I saw Iceland’s most famous exports - Björk and Sigur Rós - in concert over the weekend. It was awesome! The Náttúra concert was a free, open-air concert to raise awareness about Iceland´s environmental issues. It was organised in response to the ongoing environmental degradation caused by Iceland's increasingly invasive aluminium smelting activity.

Birna went on a five-day hiking trip (which I chose not to go on) and all of my three friends here had other things on, so I went to the concert by myself, but I’m really glad I went. Afterall, I couldn’t come to Iceland and not see Björk!

I thought the concert started at 5pm, so I diligently went at 4pm to get a head start on the expected 30,000+ crowd. When I got to the concert area, I was surprised to see only a small group had gathered, but thought “oh that’s just Icelanders for you, always leaving things to the last minute.” 5pm came and went… no sign of Sigur Rós or Björk…. 6pm passed… still no sign of them. Then I heard from the aussie traveler who happened to be sitting right beside me, that the concert wasn´t due to start until 7pm. (Sigh).

Oh well, the good news was that I had secured a fourth row middle seat, nice and close to the stage, and I spent the three hours pre-concert “people watching.” When you add (the crazy) Björk + environmental issues + free entertainment, it equals = lots of strange arty-farty types… you know, the ones with weird hair styles or dreadlocks, who have rings in places that make you say “ouch,” and those who wear lots of colourful mismatched clothing or anti-whaling t-shirts. So I was able to amuse myself for awhile.

Sigur Rós (Iceland´s most internationally successful band) was great – strange and unusual music, but really beautiful and captivating.

Björk was very entertaining and she totally fascinated me! I´ve never really known that much about Björk, only that she was Icelandic and that her hobbies included attacking journalists. On stage, she wore a very odd outfit, with paint on her forehead, and she pulled out some bizarre dance moves that left me wondering if she was breathing in more than just the fresh Icelandic air. But I had a great time and it was for a great cause!

NB: Sigur Rós are on a world tour at the moment. They will be in Oz at the beginning of August, performing in Sydney, Melbourne and Byron Bay (at the splendor in the grass festival) – make sure you check them out if you get a chance.

Nope, not fluent yet

2008-06-27T19:02:00.002Z

I finished my Icelandic language course (level 2) recently (and to answer your question… no, I´m not fluent yet). Birna and I try to go for a walk in the evenings and whilst we walk we try to talk bara islensku (just Icelandic). Our conversation usually involves Birna asking me questions and me answering (all in Icelandic). But most of the time it usually goes something like this…

Birna: Hvernig er þakið á litinn? (what colour is the roof?)
Iris: Um… What?

Birna: Viltu giftast mér? (will you marry me?)
Iris: Huh? I didn´t get that one.

Birna: Eigum við að kaupa jeppa? (shall we buy a jeep?)
Iris: What? Can you say that again please… slower

(NB: I secretly know the answer to the last two questions but pretend I don’t understand)

My favourite phrase, and the one I say most regularly, is: Ég vil sukkalaði (I want chocolate).

Now that I´m working with the three young autistic kids, I have learnt a few more phrases too, but the most common ones that I use with them (and which I sometimes have to say to Birna too…) are:
* Sestu niður (sit down)
* Ekki lemja (no hitting)
* Ekki henda (no throwing)
* Ekki sparka (no kicking)

Weekend Getaway

2008-06-23T09:17:00.011Z

The weather has been really good here lately overall. Lots of sunshine and beautiful days! I have said “I´m hot” on at least two occasions… I have sun baked outside in my bikini and got a nice little suntan… and I have even driven with the windows down a few times too. So it´s all happening! The long days are awesome… 24 hours of sunshine, which is really great because you can fit so much into the day.

Birna and I just went away for the weekend – we stayed at Fljótshlið and took a day-trip out to Þórsmörk (an awesome little place between the mountains and glaciers – only accessible by 4WD).

We stayed one night in a cabin and the other night in a tent. It was a nice little trip away with Birna, her brother Viggo, his partner Kristbjörg, and their adorable little girl, Karitas Sól.

I´m still working on developing my "outdoorsy-ness." I´m the type of camper who brings her electric toothbrush and the one who asks if they have "tent service" (aka room service) where someone will bring fresh towels each day, turn down our sleeping bags and leave a little chocolate on the pillow.

Birna was very tolerant and laughed at me on many occasions. I got a little overwhelmed when we were packing for the trip - it looked like we were going away for three months with all the clothing / gear we were bringing. And when it started to rain, I preferred to wait for the rain to ease before going out into it, at which Birna would smile and ask "do you think you are going to melt in the rain?"

Here are some of my fav pics from the trip...

This next one was taken at 11:30pm on the 21st June - the longest day of the year. We brought out our sleeping bags and enjoyed the beautiful sunny evening...

This was taken on the way to Þórsmörk, with a beautiful glacier in the background...

A nice little walk in Þórsmörk...

And Birna goofing around...

More photos...

Another published article...

2008-06-22T19:59:00.001Z

The Grapevine have updated their website and published my second article... "The little country leading the way"

Breaking news!!

2008-06-16T21:42:00.003Z

Today was one of the happiest days of my life (next to the day I found out that NKOTB had reunited of course). Today felt like Christmas! I was so happy to find that my box finally arrived! 73 days after sending the box… it arrived! 63 days late... but alas, it is here. I almost gave up on it!

I had been looking out the window every day, with my face pressed against the glass… longing for The Box… yearning for it to arrive… praying that the post man would stop at our door and deliver it. Whenever I would see the postal van driving by, I would scream out “where´s my box?” and a little tear would roll down my cheek.

I was starting to ask myself… Will it ever arrive? When do I stop hoping? How will I get the closure I need? Should I arrange a ceremony to say goodbye to The Box?

It got me thinking… How on earth does a parent cope when one of their children goes missing without a trace? And then I started to feel guilty that I was comparing my box to a lost loved one…

My Boyz are back!

2008-06-13T14:52:00.009Z

They said it would never happen…
Who can believe it…
It´s just a miracle…
All my childhood dreams are coming true…

Yes it´s true… New Kids on the Block (aka NKOTB) have reunited!
Oh the joy is overwhelming and I´m speechless! It just brings tears to my eyes…

My favourite childhood band will be serenading the world once more! It´s time to dust off those posters and stick them back on the bedroom wall...

They disappeared 15 years ago without a word. I tearfully sobbed “Where did they go? Was it me? Oh please don´t leave me…” but they walked out of my life, without even saying goodbye. I was heartbroken, devastated and my childhood innocence brutally taken from me. That´s when I turned to drugs, alcohol and a life of crime…

But alas, the “kids” are back! Gone are the pimples, the big hair, the ripped stone-wash jeans and the high pitched voices…

… The boys are older, wiser, smoother, and more charming than ever... and this is clearly evident as they are now wearing suits...

I feel alive again… I can smell the roses… I can see the light!

Oh they got the right stuff alright… I´m sure they will take it step-by-step and that they will keep hanging tough…

I have also decided that Birna and I will quit our jobs and travel the world - we will be NKOTB´s leading groupies! (I just haven´t told Birna about it yet...)

My first published articles!

2008-06-10T20:41:00.005Z

I am excited to announce that my first articles have been published... The Grapevine has printed my article "Aussie Adventures in Iceland" (Page 8, Issue 6, 2008) and Iceland Express has posted my other article "Viking Festival: Come If You Dare" (9th June 2008) on their blog.