Have to do something to increase the traffic on my site. Think it might be a good strategy to put some obscene words in here and there - at least some people have come into my site after looking for odd things at Google. Like this chap (or chick) who was looking for "girls + swimsuits + cigarettes". I'm all flattered, but in my heart I doubt my blog was what he/she was looking for...

Arctic braindeath continues. Thank God for the written word and air mail, otherwise I would have eaten my brain in a stew by now. Dad got the fabolous idea of giving me an "introductory" subscription to Newsweek (as if I need any introduction to that magazine, it having been an integral part of the toilet-scape of my home since time began), so every week now I'll get it delivered to me here in the high north. Have already got the first issue, for July 1st, and now know a lot more than I did before about the hell of being a doctor at the trauma ward in a Jerusalem hospital, internal squabbles in Indonesia and Havana's old houses. Yumm, it feels good. I mean, sea ice distribution and last weeks cruise ARE important, but. Have also been reading Barry Lopez's "Arctic Dreams", it's bloody brilliant. Except for the chapter on the narwhale, which I dodn't relate to at all. Skipped it. Have to read you guys some excerpts from the book sometime soon.

Sometime soon might be a far way off, though. It looks like I might end up working a lot more than I thought first. Good, and bad. Money money money, but no spare time. Might just find myself returning home to Iceland as a burned-out wreck, with millions (yeah, right!!) in my pockets. One should be careful about getting too fond of money, a wise colleague of mine told me the other day. Should I take his advice?

But when money just stumbles into your pocket you don't have to be careful. Rather overcome with joy. Like I was two days ago when I opened the e-mail with "summerschool" in the subject line. A week earlier I wrote to a contact person at the Nordic Volcanological Institute in Iceland, enquiring about a summer school about the environmental effects of large volcanic eruptions on the Northern Hemisphere to be held there in late August/early September. Most of all, I wanted to know if I was too late to apply for a grant to attend the school, and how I should apply for it. Hehe, I didn't even have to apply!! Just got an answer, saying that I have got the grant! Iha! This means that I quit working up here about a week earlier than planned, and spend 10 days indulging in volcanoes and volcanology back home in Iceland, meeting loads of new people and maybe even some that may be able to help me with my M.S.. Cool!!

Have the weekend off, which is wonderful. Was sooooooooo tired yesterday, walked around town like a zombie. Somehow this job really wears you out, especially the part of it which requires you to get up in the middle of the night to pick up your guests from the airport and then taking them to the airport after the trip, at the same outrageous hours. Why can't someone else do that?? I mean, as a guide in Iceland I almost never had to get up in the middle of the f***ing night to pick up passengers from the airport. I just met them, sweet and smiling and well-rested, the next day and we all got on really well. They didn't ever blame me for not coming to the airport to pick them up. I think they were glad I hadn't seen them when they were so tired and rotten, and they sure were glad they didn't have to see me all tired and rotten. This system here sucks.

The weather doesn't. The sun is so happy up in the sky, it's hyperactive if you ask me. It should be getting tired and rotten, however, having been up there shining at us since April 7th. Well, now the longest day has already passed, and she can start her descent from the pinnacle of the sky again. Simply amazing, this midnight sun.

Should actually be writing job applications, but don't have the patience. Had the weekend all planned: Saturday for job applications and letters regarding the Masters, then Sunday for preparing lectures that I'd give on board the boats. Since there's no scanner in this company I work for (how can a modern travel agency with dozens and dozens of employees and it's own web site not own a scanner??!?!?) I can't scan the pictures and figures I need in my PP show, and then a lecture will be all dull. How for example can you explain the ocean currents in the Arctic Ocean without a map of the currents? So, might not produce many lectures tomorrow.

The trivia of my life :)

Back from the first cruise! We got everything Svalbard has to offer: snowstorms, driftice, icebergs, walruses and polar bears, sunshine and a very good group. And of course a great team of guides ;)

Someone else has to use the computer... be back with more later!

God, I hate searching on the Internet. Actually, someone was right when they said that life is a joke: A few months I was so undecided about what I wanted to do for my Masters that any search on the Net for something interesting was futile. Found maybe too many things. Now I am so determined that any search is futile. Don't find anything, which is very frustrating because I know there's a heap of the stuff I want out there. Just have to find it. Am however DYING to start studying again, I really need to get on with my life. Would start yesterday, if I could.

So, what's all the fuss about? I am going to study environmental geochemistry, and I really really really want to do a project dealing with environmental (pollution) problems in some developing country. That's of course because I want to work later on in the developing world. Finding a Master's project like that must be possible, but I'm having problems... Unless you decide that there are no problems, but rather very hard tasks.

Being a Pollyann isn't always that easy. It has actually been rather hard in the last few days. Coming to Svalbard has stressed the wits out of me, especially the episode out on the shooting range today. Mind you, if you'd hear dozens and dozens of shots being fired off just 2 meters away, you'd get the adrenaline flowing. Myself hasn't ever been a good shot but actually improved a drastic lot today, I'm probably too "experienced" to blame it on beginner's luck. Then I and my recently dislocated shoulder got more and more tired, so when the test came, shooting 4 deadly shots in 20 seconds, I did a terrible job. Had to do it again. Worse. Now we need to go tomorrow and try again. Shite. Heh, it wasn't only me but our expedition leader as well; we couldn't help but wonder what happens if neither of us does better tomorrow and the company decides that we are so terrible that we can't go on the cruise :) That'll be interesting, to leave the EL and the chief-guide in town!!

Would need some relaxation right now. Am terribly stressed. Would have been good to go and protest against my ass-kissing government now, you know, to shout out a bit. Remarkable idiots, these people, I think it's about time the plebeians made a coup'd'etat, South American-style.

These days I can´t say I´m proud to be an Icelander. The government has completely made an asshole of itself with the Falun Gong case. Wish I was still in Iceland and could go and protest when the Chinese mass murderer arrives.

Oslo greeted me with thunder and lightning. I just love that kind of weather; the feeling of exhilaration I get in my belly when the lightning goes and waiting for the noise of the thunder. Not to mention the rain, determined as it is to go down and do it quickly, as opposed to the drizzling rain of home. Sought shelter in a huge bookshop on Karl Johan Street and walked out with this book I have been dying for; The Iron Wall by Avi Shleim. Wonderful name :) It´s about Israel and Palestine; I can´t go to Israel to visit Arnon and his family without knowing a bit more about the conflict than the Moggi tells me!

Pack?? What??


:: how jedi are you? ::

A very nice substitute for packing...

My wonderful friend Markús is coming here to pick me up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. My plane to Oslo is leaving at 7:35 and Markús's parents are flying to Copenhagen only twenty minutes later. They offered me a ride, which means that dad is completely freed from his parental responsibilities to take me to the airport; he was so happy I think he´d adopt Markús if he could. Of course it is a crime to send planes off this early - they should not be allowed to take off before noon!! Then we all could doze in bed until 8 or even 9 (and that´s a compromise for me, who´d stay unconcious until the afternoon if the world was according to me), drive to the airport and do some magnificent shopping in the duty free, stocking up on cured salmon and smoked lamb meat and other Icelandic delicatessens before heading for the wild wide world. In the present situation, all I will manage is to show up grumpy at the check-in and probably insult someone with my recently discovered semi-turette-syndrome (a most inconvenient condition I have developed, probably from too close contact with rugged males in the Arctic. The kind of guys who take off their scooter-dress and bury their heads in their armpits to check how badly it stinks this time, as compared to the stench yesterday and last week. Oh, the situation was similar after spending some weeks in a tent and a hut with my friend Kobbi, doing field work in geology; the only difference was that instead of saying rather insulting and embarrasing things to other people we totally lost all tact when it comes to burping. Interesting...). However, I just read from a very wise man that we don´t have to be wonderful 24/7. That´s a comfort.

Am actually dying for the wide wild world. Hmmm... I might be the only one who calls Svalbard the wide, wild world... although, coming to think of it, it is a pretty savage place. Or mildly humorous, depending on how you choose to look at it, I still feel a bit Clint Eastwood-ish with the 30.06 calibre rifle slung on my shoulder every time I leave town.

Have not started packing yet. Am a most unorganized person.

blogger is a bit slow these days. Very good for training the virtue of patience.

Once again the sunset is wery pink. Pollution is doing wonders here in this town!!!!

Yesterday, Saturday, my stepbrother got married to his longtime girlfriend. The ceremony, in Reykjavík cathedral, was quite unconventional; with people whistling and clapping as the bride and groom kissed, the priest talking of God as 'her' and asking the newly-weds to kiss again, since they did it so well. Which invited the church crowd to more clapping and whistling. Dinner afterwards in a lovely old restaurant was gorgeous, and the toast masters were bloddy brilliant, both of them. They kept the guests entertained until the wee hours of the morning; when I left at 4 o´clock they still were playing the accordeon and flirting with the girls. Well brought up young men :)

Am dying to change the template on my blog. Only lazyness keeps me from doing it. Love being lazy.... well, actually I´m getting pretty fed up with not doing anything. I haven´t done an honest day´s work since early April. Have I become a parasite on society or what??

Autumn came early this spring...

I don´t think I´ve ever told you what a fantastic driver I am. With me at the wheel various cars have come into many rather unusual situations, like almost falling nose first into a ditch on a field in South Iceland. The farmer really enjoyed towing me out with his tractor :) Now in less than 12 hours I´ve managed to twice entertain my fellow Icelanders with my incredible backing skills. Last night I for some obscure reason decided to back into a parking lot outside my bro´s house and it took me only 5 minutes, then this morning I went to see the doctor and... got the car stuck between two other ones (I could have parked a bus there...)!! It was in a hill and I had to back UP the hill and I killed the car maybe 20 times. After 15 minutes of swearing and sweating and praying that the other cars wouldn't attack my car we made it out, the car and I. Gee, I'm so glad miracles still happen!!

The meeting with this professor at the University yesterday was good. Well, he probably hasn´t got any work for me this winter but he told me about a lot of possible projects for my Masters. Might end up doing my Masters here in Iceland!! Am looking for a job next winter... how about maybe becoming a miner in Svalbard??

Almost forgot to tell you about my dream last night. Was making a note of it to myself in my mobile phone today, walking to catch the bus, and almost crashed into a fence. Managed to stop myself before the collision, but slid and fell and made a scene of myself. Is it any wonder I´m the one who dislocates her shoulder and tears her knee open?!?

In the dream I was a goose fighting with a penguin. Then the next moment I was the penguin fighting with the goose. Then I was both, fighting with myself. Am very glad I don´t have a black eye now.

Have been noticing a certain unrest with relatives for a while. They probably all think I´m either lesbian or frigid, since I´m 28 years old and haven´t shown them any significant other yet. An elderly aunt of mine poked my ribs at my bro´s wedding recently, telling me I´d be the next. Now I´m waiting for a funeral to do the same to her... Another aunt just talked with me over the phone. She wants me to come for a visit at her work place tomorrow, where she´s going to introduce my to two jolly nice colleagues of hers. "They´re your age, my dear, very promising young men!!" My stepbrother´s wedding, to be held next Saturday, will probably be another circus in this respect. Can´t wait! Maybe I should play lesbian... it´d give them something to chew on!

Oh, being lazy is simply the best thing in life!

Now who has the most entertaining blog on the whole Internet?? She just makes me howl with laughter every time I open her page. Helga rules.

Where were we? Oh anyway, we made our way from Eilífsvatn to Ásbyrgi in another three days, found a lot of (unexpected) rivers to cross (not strange though, considering the time of year...), entertained each other with a lot of bad jokes and I even managed to be attacked by a razor sharp stone in one of my characteristic stumbles. It was quite interesting to get an unobscured view of my knee-shell (hmmm... now does that word exist in the English language?), but not very comfortable. Won´t recommend it. The guy in the shop in Ásbyrgi lost his chin to the floor as we told him we´d come walking from Mývatn.... "what??? you started off today???" Then it was all racing around Tjörnes peninsula to make it to the swimming pool in Húsavík; we almost didn´t but when I pointed out laughing to the teenage girls in the reception that they actually were watching tantric group sex on telly they got so embarrased that we slipped in. Could have stayed in that hot tub forever.

Have to go and see this professor at the University. Am applying for a job this winter. Have almost missed the bus.

smurf... now let´s see if my muse shows up now, since I´m using Stína´s computer. Laptop, very fancy. Very nice for the hillbilly me to be introduced to such things.

Stína´s phone just rang. It´s pink, kind of old and was on the floor. Since Stína is not here (how could I be using her computer otherwise?) I answered. Some guy was on the other end. As I was explaining where Stína is I tried to pick the phone up and lift it onto a chair, but held only the pink plastic thing in my hand, while the intestines of the phone were still on the floor. I started laughing but noticed a stiff silence in the receiver. So, I asked if guysie was still there. Yes, but apparently I hadn´t been. I explained but he didn´t seem to share my sense of humour. Told me he was calling from a company called Document. Map-animal, maybe?? Hope I haven´t destroyed any job opportunities for Stína here...

Yope, was meaning to maybe telling you something about the hike. Erna and I drove like maniacs north to Ásbyrgi (hmmm, maybe I´ll try to find some pics from these places later and put links to them here... in case some of you reading this don´t have any idea what I´m talking about) and left the car there. It was already quite late in the evening and not exactly heavy traffic on the Öxarfjörður-Kópasker road but nevertheless we managed to get a ride to Húsavík and from there to somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where we decided to pitch our tent and try our luck again the next morning. The charm of hitching, you never know where you´re going to spend the next night. Actually, since I was hitch-hiking with Arnon in Argentina last winter I´ve wanted to give it a try in Iceland. I love it as a way of travelling!!!

Finally made it to Krafla power plant in the early afternoon on Tuesday and started hiking. Fall er fararheill as they say in Iceland, it all started with a thick fog creeping in over us and us walking south instead of north and having some quite obscure notion of where we were (in spite of us having brought along a map, a compass and a GPS!!). For a split second the hot tubs in the swimming pool at Mývatn seemed much more appealing to me than trying to find my way through fog and mud, but my brave friend Erna settled all doubts and soon the fog was gone anyway. Not the mud, though.

Eilífsvatn is a jolly nice little place and there we pitched our tent the first night. There used to be a farm there, and a small hut for the sheep round-uppers (?) is there. True to the Icelandic tradition of believing in ghosts and zombies I woke up several times during the night, convinced that the former inhabitants of the place were nosing around our tent and fiddling with the guy-lines. Even went so low as to take a peek out the tent window. Saw nothing, needless to say.

Hmmm... now my friend Kobbi is coming to pick me up, we´re going for some coffee/beer/alcohol downtown. I´m sick of being sick (that should have come later in the hike description) and thus have decided not to be sick any more. Just sneeze a bit. And cough like someone who has smoked 60 cigarettes a day for 40 years. And make the chosen coffee shop empty of people in ten minutes. Wish me luck!!!

The pack with the books from Tim in Seattle arrived last Monday. Thanks, Tim, you´re a darling!!

Have been away on a hiking trip with my friend Erna. It was brilliant! Might just find it in my heart to tell you about it later.