Shan took off this morning to a wedding of his friend in California. He'll be gone for almost a whole week, during which I'll have the house all to myself. I can strew my books all over the floor, keep my knitting projects all over the couch (not on the floor, mind you) and fart and burp as much as I please, thus returning to the times before vigilant consideration entered my life. I wonder how that will feel.
After a few weeks in the field in 1999 with my geology co-student Jakob I was so thouroughly rid of any civilized streak I'd burp mid-sentence and hardly notice. Let's hope these days of solitude won't have that effect this time. Then again, I think Jakob may have contributed to the un-civilizing, seeing as he thought nothing funnier than farting big time once he was safe in his sleeping bag, then unzipping the bag and fanning the gases over my face. Trust me, field geologists are bizarre creatures.
They're having a party next door and shouting like some prairie Indians going to battle. Cornell undergrads are bizarre creatures too.
laugardagur, júní 30, 2007
miðvikudagur, júní 27, 2007
Books
It's been too warm lately for knitting (for some reason I only knit wool) so I've returned to my old habit of devouring books. Here's what I can recall reading recently:
Snow, by Orhan Pamuk. I actually read this in the Philippines in January and enjoyed it immensely. Probably one of the best novels one will ever read. Very complex and dark and beautiful.
Running with Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs, is awful. An astoundingly overrated book.
The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. Equally hilarious and frightening. I didn't need convincing that mixing religion and politics is a very bad idea and I loved Dawkins' unapologetic writing style. I especially loved the last chapter which aims to show us why a personal God is unnecessary to experience consolation and fulfillment in life.
The End of Faith, by Sam Harris. Finished this one last night. It addresses similar concerns as The God Delusion but from a philosophical perspective. The sarcasm is more heavily reined in here than in The God Delusion but no apologies are made either. Recommended, although the chapter on torture left me a little cold.
Thinking in Pictures. Stína will know all about this one. By Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has managed to overcome substantial obstacles to participate in the world more than most autistic people. The book is very interesting but frequently goes off topic too much for my liking.
The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan. Wow. This one blew me away. Granted, it was written in the 60's and some parts are hopelessy dated, such as the part suggesting autism is caused by "refrigerator" mothers. But the insight into the nature of the "problem with no name" is crystal clear, and the analysis of the root of the problem lucid and frightening. It just doesn't cease to amaze me what women of the past, such as Friedan, have accomplished in fighting for the rights of women. We owe those ladies a lot.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards. This one ended up being the chosen one, which I brought with me on the Colorado-Utah bike adventure to while away the hours spent in the huts resting my tired limbs. Good choice, I have to say (except that I was done with it in 4 days even as I restrained my access to the book! Should have brought a longer novel...). The event which shapes the story is about as unconventional as you can find in a novel and the author tackles it pretty well, portraying all the characters with fairness and creating an intensely readable book from a storyline that at first sight doesn't seem to invite much excitement.
Hinir sterku, Kristján Þórður Hrafnsson. An Icelandic novel. Somehow the style of the author first seemed odd to me, like he was too used to writing poems to not be hopelessly formal in prose. Either I got used to it or it changed, because after a while this didn't bother me anymore. Interesting story and morals, characters maybe a bit too shallow.
Sendiherrann, by Bragi Ólafsson. Another Icelandic novel. I liked the one previous novel from the author that I've read, and I really liked this one as well. However, I'm not sure really where the author is going or what he's trying to tell. I just know that it's a tragic and comic and well written story. It'd be nice to have read this one in Óli Odds' Icelandic class in MR...
Waiting to be read:
My name is Red, Orhan Pamuk
Ines of my Soul/Ines del alma mia, Isabel Allende
Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
The Road, Cormac McCarthy Update 07/01/07: finished
Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963, Robert Dallek
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai
and about a million others...
Snow, by Orhan Pamuk. I actually read this in the Philippines in January and enjoyed it immensely. Probably one of the best novels one will ever read. Very complex and dark and beautiful.
Running with Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs, is awful. An astoundingly overrated book.
The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. Equally hilarious and frightening. I didn't need convincing that mixing religion and politics is a very bad idea and I loved Dawkins' unapologetic writing style. I especially loved the last chapter which aims to show us why a personal God is unnecessary to experience consolation and fulfillment in life.
The End of Faith, by Sam Harris. Finished this one last night. It addresses similar concerns as The God Delusion but from a philosophical perspective. The sarcasm is more heavily reined in here than in The God Delusion but no apologies are made either. Recommended, although the chapter on torture left me a little cold.
Thinking in Pictures. Stína will know all about this one. By Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has managed to overcome substantial obstacles to participate in the world more than most autistic people. The book is very interesting but frequently goes off topic too much for my liking.
The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan. Wow. This one blew me away. Granted, it was written in the 60's and some parts are hopelessy dated, such as the part suggesting autism is caused by "refrigerator" mothers. But the insight into the nature of the "problem with no name" is crystal clear, and the analysis of the root of the problem lucid and frightening. It just doesn't cease to amaze me what women of the past, such as Friedan, have accomplished in fighting for the rights of women. We owe those ladies a lot.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards. This one ended up being the chosen one, which I brought with me on the Colorado-Utah bike adventure to while away the hours spent in the huts resting my tired limbs. Good choice, I have to say (except that I was done with it in 4 days even as I restrained my access to the book! Should have brought a longer novel...). The event which shapes the story is about as unconventional as you can find in a novel and the author tackles it pretty well, portraying all the characters with fairness and creating an intensely readable book from a storyline that at first sight doesn't seem to invite much excitement.
Hinir sterku, Kristján Þórður Hrafnsson. An Icelandic novel. Somehow the style of the author first seemed odd to me, like he was too used to writing poems to not be hopelessly formal in prose. Either I got used to it or it changed, because after a while this didn't bother me anymore. Interesting story and morals, characters maybe a bit too shallow.
Sendiherrann, by Bragi Ólafsson. Another Icelandic novel. I liked the one previous novel from the author that I've read, and I really liked this one as well. However, I'm not sure really where the author is going or what he's trying to tell. I just know that it's a tragic and comic and well written story. It'd be nice to have read this one in Óli Odds' Icelandic class in MR...
Waiting to be read:
My name is Red, Orhan Pamuk
Ines of my Soul/Ines del alma mia, Isabel Allende
Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963, Robert Dallek
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai
and about a million others...
þriðjudagur, júní 26, 2007
Last Dollar Pass and then some more
The end of the first day was hard. Shan lugging his bike up to the hut at 10,950 ft elevation (that's over 3000 m a.s.l. for the metric gang). No wonder Butch Cassidy rode a horse over that pass as he fled town after his first bank robbery, he'd never have made it over on a bike!
föstudagur, júní 15, 2007
fimmtudagur, júní 14, 2007
þriðjudagur, júní 12, 2007
Blogopause
I'm having a blogopause these days. It happens to bloggers that have been at it for veeerrrryyyy long. Thus the random pictures.
In the wake of whining and howling about lost pay and paycuts and whatnot I have decided to go on a spiffy sumer vacation!!! What else is there to do (other than, perhaps, NOT go on a summer vacation)? It begins tomorrow with a flight to Salt Lake City. My luvly cohabitator (Dork#2 below... or was it #1??) and I are going to bike from Telluride, CO to Moab, UT over the course of 7 days. If we don't a) perish from exhaustion or heatstroke, b) get eaten by a mountain lion, c) get lost or d) decide to leave it all behind and become Abbey-ists out west, we should be back in about 10 days.
Before I forget. Last night while having dinner I saw a young woman breastfeeding her baby on the next table. Nothing unusual about that, except she was wearing a giant blanket hooked around her neck, so that the baby was completely covered. In my limited perception of things, a society that labels breastfeeding too morally upsetting to be carried out in the open is seriously screwed up. Not that I hadn't realized that before, but I always find it equally disturbing.
In the wake of whining and howling about lost pay and paycuts and whatnot I have decided to go on a spiffy sumer vacation!!! What else is there to do (other than, perhaps, NOT go on a summer vacation)? It begins tomorrow with a flight to Salt Lake City. My luvly cohabitator (Dork#2 below... or was it #1??) and I are going to bike from Telluride, CO to Moab, UT over the course of 7 days. If we don't a) perish from exhaustion or heatstroke, b) get eaten by a mountain lion, c) get lost or d) decide to leave it all behind and become Abbey-ists out west, we should be back in about 10 days.
Before I forget. Last night while having dinner I saw a young woman breastfeeding her baby on the next table. Nothing unusual about that, except she was wearing a giant blanket hooked around her neck, so that the baby was completely covered. In my limited perception of things, a society that labels breastfeeding too morally upsetting to be carried out in the open is seriously screwed up. Not that I hadn't realized that before, but I always find it equally disturbing.
mánudagur, júní 11, 2007
fimmtudagur, júní 07, 2007
föstudagur, júní 01, 2007
"Showing 2 out of 592 references"
I just finished (as in, 5 minutes ago) cataloging my substantial collection of scholarly articles. Now they are all neatly tucked away in folders, one for each author, in the filing cabinet. Endnote and the office supply cabinet have come in very handy here, providing me with a framework for organizing this mountain of paper both in real space and cyberspace.
The title of this post refers to the number of papers returned when searching my database for "author=Schopka". I've obviously got some ways to go!
The title of this post refers to the number of papers returned when searching my database for "author=Schopka". I've obviously got some ways to go!
miðvikudagur, maí 30, 2007
The elusive paycheck
I'm looking for volunteers to
a) quite unannounced not get any paycheck on next payday
b) take an unannounced 35% paycut, effective immediately
Any interested parties can switch identities with me for the summer and live happily. Or so my department thinks.
a) quite unannounced not get any paycheck on next payday
b) take an unannounced 35% paycut, effective immediately
Any interested parties can switch identities with me for the summer and live happily. Or so my department thinks.
miðvikudagur, maí 23, 2007
þriðjudagur, maí 22, 2007
Kuldaboli
It was cold in Ithaca last night!! In fact, it was so cold that I lay shivering under the duvet (yes, a real duvet) and couldn't for the life of me fall asleep, lest I be asphyxated in the little cocoon I had wrapped myself in. Therefore I got up in the middle of the night and put on my ski sweater, fleece pants, woolen socks and elf hat. So dressed I crawled into bed again and viti menn, I fell instantly asleep.
Such are the small wonders in the life of a grad student.
Oh, and then there's the back yard. I'll tell you about it shortly.
Such are the small wonders in the life of a grad student.
Oh, and then there's the back yard. I'll tell you about it shortly.
miðvikudagur, maí 16, 2007
Stress out the window
After the stress-overload of the last few weeks I finally feel like a human again.
mánudagur, maí 14, 2007
Remarkable times
I find it quite remerkable that the Progressive Party (again, what a misnomer) is contemplating continuing the coalition with the Independence Party. Isn't it time to face the facts and retreat?
Important day
Yes, we made it, us skötuhjú:
Shan took his A exam today and passed (needless to say). His friends (and I... ehemm) took him out for lunch and a BBQ is planned for tonight. Congratulations!!
As for moi, I took my last final EVER today. Environmental engineering minor - done!
Shan took his A exam today and passed (needless to say). His friends (and I... ehemm) took him out for lunch and a BBQ is planned for tonight. Congratulations!!
As for moi, I took my last final EVER today. Environmental engineering minor - done!
laugardagur, maí 12, 2007
föstudagur, maí 11, 2007
Friday forty-two
This is all Ali's fault. I should be working (and so should she).
1. What is your occupation? Dishwasher-in-training, i.e. grad student in geochemistry
2. What color are your socks right now? Socks?? Are you out of your mind?
3. What are you listening to right now? The buzzing of my office mates' brain cells.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Multi-grain Cheerios
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I can't drive anything else
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? erm... white?
7. Last person who you spoke to on the phone? Shan. He's the only person I talk to on the phone.
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? erm... of course, you silly!
9. How old are you today? erm... 29? *chuckle chuckle*
10. Favorite drink? Icelandic water (I'm very much a nationalist when it comes to water...).
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Tour de France, and Cornell hockey.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? erm... are you serious?!!?!
13. Pet's Name(s): Shan
14. Favorite food? Southwestern salad with chicken from freshtake... if it's the only thing you got you might as well like it.
15. What was the last movie you watched? Spiderman 3. It mildly sucked.
16. Favorite day of the year? December 23rd, but only when I'm in Iceland
17. What do you do to vent anger? Rant, rant and rant some more.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? A yellow doll called Disa and an orange teddybear in a dark-blue suit. He ended up in a glass of chocolate milk because I wanted him to be brown.
19. What is your favorite season? Spring in Svalbard and summer in Iceland
20. Hugs or kisses? Can I have both, please?
21. Cherries or Blueberry? Blueberry
22. Do you want friends to do this quiz? What friends?
23. Who is most likely to respond? See #22
24. Who is least likely to respond? See #22
25. Living arrangements? In sin
26. When was the last time you cried? Probably when I watched some soppy TV show on DVD... you can count on me for that sort of things
27. What is on the floor of your closet? Good question.
28. Friend you have had the longest that this is being sent to?
29. What did you do last night? Had dinner with my boyfriend and his friends (see #22), graded some papers, watched Lost...
30. Favorite smells? Clothes that are dried outside in the wind and sun
31. What inspires you? Open skies and open vistas
32. What are you afraid of? Becoming food
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Chicken nuggets?
34. Favorite dog breed? Charlotte's dog, Big.
35. How many years at your current job? Are graduate studies a job?? Anyway, I've been here 4 years... omg
36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
37. How many states have you lived in? 1, and 5 countries
38. Favorite holiday? Christmas (as long as the family behaves)
39. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? Snowmobile, is that heavy machinery? whether it is or not, it certainly is fun!
40. Who's your favorite NFL team? NFL... what's that ;)
41. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? A house phone?? That is so passe.
42. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? Both, as in 100 inches of snow. Please.
Knowing my friends (see #22), they will have either answered all these already or kill me if I tag them. Let's therefore call it a day with pop quizzes, shall we?
1. What is your occupation? Dishwasher-in-training, i.e. grad student in geochemistry
2. What color are your socks right now? Socks?? Are you out of your mind?
3. What are you listening to right now? The buzzing of my office mates' brain cells.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Multi-grain Cheerios
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I can't drive anything else
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? erm... white?
7. Last person who you spoke to on the phone? Shan. He's the only person I talk to on the phone.
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? erm... of course, you silly!
9. How old are you today? erm... 29? *chuckle chuckle*
10. Favorite drink? Icelandic water (I'm very much a nationalist when it comes to water...).
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Tour de France, and Cornell hockey.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? erm... are you serious?!!?!
13. Pet's Name(s): Shan
14. Favorite food? Southwestern salad with chicken from freshtake... if it's the only thing you got you might as well like it.
15. What was the last movie you watched? Spiderman 3. It mildly sucked.
16. Favorite day of the year? December 23rd, but only when I'm in Iceland
17. What do you do to vent anger? Rant, rant and rant some more.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? A yellow doll called Disa and an orange teddybear in a dark-blue suit. He ended up in a glass of chocolate milk because I wanted him to be brown.
19. What is your favorite season? Spring in Svalbard and summer in Iceland
20. Hugs or kisses? Can I have both, please?
21. Cherries or Blueberry? Blueberry
22. Do you want friends to do this quiz? What friends?
23. Who is most likely to respond? See #22
24. Who is least likely to respond? See #22
25. Living arrangements? In sin
26. When was the last time you cried? Probably when I watched some soppy TV show on DVD... you can count on me for that sort of things
27. What is on the floor of your closet? Good question.
28. Friend you have had the longest that this is being sent to?
29. What did you do last night? Had dinner with my boyfriend and his friends (see #22), graded some papers, watched Lost...
30. Favorite smells? Clothes that are dried outside in the wind and sun
31. What inspires you? Open skies and open vistas
32. What are you afraid of? Becoming food
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Chicken nuggets?
34. Favorite dog breed? Charlotte's dog, Big.
35. How many years at your current job? Are graduate studies a job?? Anyway, I've been here 4 years... omg
36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
37. How many states have you lived in? 1, and 5 countries
38. Favorite holiday? Christmas (as long as the family behaves)
39. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? Snowmobile, is that heavy machinery? whether it is or not, it certainly is fun!
40. Who's your favorite NFL team? NFL... what's that ;)
41. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? A house phone?? That is so passe.
42. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? Both, as in 100 inches of snow. Please.
Knowing my friends (see #22), they will have either answered all these already or kill me if I tag them. Let's therefore call it a day with pop quizzes, shall we?
þriðjudagur, maí 08, 2007
Grading...
... sucks. Ever read 100 assignments on the same boring topic, written by variably verbally skilled/eloquent students? OMG, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! NOW!!!
Björk-time
Finally Volta is available here in the US. I had it on pre-order on iTunes and now it's on my hard drive, waiting to be enjoyed.
As always when Bjork releases a new album, I'm not going to listen to it until I have some peace and quiet. It'll be me, my iPod, my headphones and Volta. Looking very much forward to it.
As always when Bjork releases a new album, I'm not going to listen to it until I have some peace and quiet. It'll be me, my iPod, my headphones and Volta. Looking very much forward to it.
mánudagur, maí 07, 2007
Happiness...
... is lauging over assignments to be graded:
"... it would seem that even the natives knew of Honolulu's temperate weather conditions."
"... it would seem that even the natives knew of Honolulu's temperate weather conditions."
Uppljóstrun dagsins
Fylgdi fordæmi tölvuóða tónskáldsins og tók prófið:
Þessar niðurstöður koma lítt á óvart... nema þá kannski stuðningurinn við Framsókn... á dauða mínum átti ég von.
Gaman líka að því að ég fæ nánast sömu niðurstöður og tónskáldið. Það er bara vel við hæfi þar sem það var jú á æskuheimili hennar sem ég fór fyrst að spá í stjórnmál... þá sirka 5 ára.
Stuðningur við Sjálfstæðisflokk: 12.5%
Stuðningur við Framsóknarflokk: 20%
Stuðningur við Samfylkinguna: 37.5%
Stuðningur við Vinstri-Græna: 50%
Stuðningur við Frjálslynda flokkinn: 38%
Stuðningur við Íslandshreyfinguna: 60%
Skoðanir þínar eru í mestu samræmi við skoðanir Íslandshreyfingarinnar!
Þessar niðurstöður koma lítt á óvart... nema þá kannski stuðningurinn við Framsókn... á dauða mínum átti ég von.
Gaman líka að því að ég fæ nánast sömu niðurstöður og tónskáldið. Það er bara vel við hæfi þar sem það var jú á æskuheimili hennar sem ég fór fyrst að spá í stjórnmál... þá sirka 5 ára.
föstudagur, maí 04, 2007
Pirr pirr pirr pirr!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
PIRR!!!
PIRR!!!!
fimmtudagur, maí 03, 2007
Reykjavik - the last dayz
Al: Is the volcanism in Iceland Mid-Ocean-Ridge volcanism or Hot Spot volcanism, Georg?So, the students in the class that I'm TAing this semester had an option to do a little presentation for the class on a disaster-related topic for extra credit. The presentations were given today. One group had created a movie proposal, where the evil president of Iceland, Al Pacino, sets out to destroy Reykjavik by a volcanic explosion on Heimaey. They acted out various scenes and my favorite is the one above. The facts may be all messed up but these guys were so funny, I was almost in tears by the end of their presentation.
Georg: Are you sitting down, Al? It's BOTH!!
(Al Pacino, as himself, president of Iceland
Georg, a really bad guy)
miðvikudagur, maí 02, 2007
Smart
Today I attended the last lecture in the last class I am taking for my minor in environmental engineering. Then I get back to my desk and read in the news that they're going to use wastewater from beer production to produce electricity. Excellent timing. At no other point in my existence would this news item have meant anything to me, but now it does. Gaman að því.
This class has been pretty hard, probably because I missed the first few weeks b/c of my field work in the Philippines. And sometimes I'm just not so sure why I'd want to learn about biologically treating dissolved poop. But hey, it's not as bad as it sounds... and I finally understood the details of some biochemistry stuff that's been eluding me for a long time. Plus, I might one day actually get a job with this education. That's always a bonus.
Oh, and even more importantly: This is probably the last class I will take EVER (at least at Cornell...)!!! Here's cheers to that!
This class has been pretty hard, probably because I missed the first few weeks b/c of my field work in the Philippines. And sometimes I'm just not so sure why I'd want to learn about biologically treating dissolved poop. But hey, it's not as bad as it sounds... and I finally understood the details of some biochemistry stuff that's been eluding me for a long time. Plus, I might one day actually get a job with this education. That's always a bonus.
Oh, and even more importantly: This is probably the last class I will take EVER (at least at Cornell...)!!! Here's cheers to that!
miðvikudagur, apríl 25, 2007
Soooo annoying
I hate this: Every day I come in with the best of intentions to get loads of work done. Then I run around chasing my tail, going to classes or to the post office or sending some vital emails or heaven knows what until it's... 1:30pm and the workday is almost over and I, you guessed it, haven't gotten anything done. This drives me nuts. So I start blogging. What's the matter with me??
(Kannski það sé skrifstofufélaginn sem snýtir sér og sýgur horinn upp í nefið til skiptis, milli þess sem hann kvartar hástöfum yfir óréttlæti heimsins og ber lyklaborðið eins og allir stafirnir væru leiðbeinandinn hans...)
(Kannski það sé skrifstofufélaginn sem snýtir sér og sýgur horinn upp í nefið til skiptis, milli þess sem hann kvartar hástöfum yfir óréttlæti heimsins og ber lyklaborðið eins og allir stafirnir væru leiðbeinandinn hans...)
þriðjudagur, apríl 24, 2007
Money money money!!!
I got word today that my application for a small grant from the biogeochemistry program here at Cornell had been accepted and that they would give me every dime I asked for. Predictably, that made me VERY happy. Now I can go and buy that flow meter for my Philipino colleagues so they can not only sample my rivers many many times but also measure the discharge in them at the same time. Hurray!!
The (Ithaca evening) sun
Remember this post? Well, yesterday the temps went over 25°C and today, even if it was cooler, the sun shone and brung (I mean, seriously, why not??) out the best side of campus. Things change fast in Ithaca, don't they?
mánudagur, apríl 23, 2007
Iceland today
In response to the latest news from Reyðarfjörður and Alcoa's new smelter, I'm broadcasting Iceland's true identity today:
föstudagur, apríl 20, 2007
The birthday and the defense
Yesterday wasn't all mourning, though.
My darling sister Lára celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday. Wow, I can't believe that it's been so long since I first met her!! I was 13, after all, when she was born and I guess I functioned in some ways as her mom... which was an incredible experience for someone so small as me and one that I'm glad that I had... although it was probably too much for me at the time. So, my "little" sister isn't that small anymore - and I wish I could have been with her on this very big day. Til hamingju með afmælið, Lára mín!!
Also yesterday, my dear lab mate Julie defended her PhD thesis, no less! She did a fantastic job in her public lecture and then underwent 2 hours of closed examination by her committee members. Later a bunch of us went out for dinner and tonight the celebration will continue. Congrats, Julie!
My darling sister Lára celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday. Wow, I can't believe that it's been so long since I first met her!! I was 13, after all, when she was born and I guess I functioned in some ways as her mom... which was an incredible experience for someone so small as me and one that I'm glad that I had... although it was probably too much for me at the time. So, my "little" sister isn't that small anymore - and I wish I could have been with her on this very big day. Til hamingju með afmælið, Lára mín!!
Also yesterday, my dear lab mate Julie defended her PhD thesis, no less! She did a fantastic job in her public lecture and then underwent 2 hours of closed examination by her committee members. Later a bunch of us went out for dinner and tonight the celebration will continue. Congrats, Julie!
þriðjudagur, apríl 17, 2007
Too close to home
A former postdoc with Shan's research group here at Cornell recently accepted a faculty position at Virginia Tech. He teaches a class in Norris Hall on Monday mornings this semester.
It was therefore no wonder that when Shan and his friends heard that the Virginia Tech shootings had taken place in Norris Hall that they got very concerned. They tried to contact their friend and fortunately the email came in: "I'm ok, I'm away from campus and all my students had the morning off". Phew.
This whole incident is so disturbing. I've found myself distracted from work, surfing the news sites, watching one video after another. The one where you hear the shootings made me absolutely physically sick.
Another friend heavily criticized the media for sensationalizing the incident and others like it, claiming that it only serves to fulfill people's voyeurism and give deranged people bad ideas. I tend to agree with him.
It was therefore no wonder that when Shan and his friends heard that the Virginia Tech shootings had taken place in Norris Hall that they got very concerned. They tried to contact their friend and fortunately the email came in: "I'm ok, I'm away from campus and all my students had the morning off". Phew.
This whole incident is so disturbing. I've found myself distracted from work, surfing the news sites, watching one video after another. The one where you hear the shootings made me absolutely physically sick.
Another friend heavily criticized the media for sensationalizing the incident and others like it, claiming that it only serves to fulfill people's voyeurism and give deranged people bad ideas. I tend to agree with him.
mánudagur, apríl 16, 2007
The snow
Winter isn't going anywhere here in Ithaca. Town is now draped in heavy, wet and impossibly white snow, at a time of year when people are usually pulling out their shorts and sandals.
The forecast told us already last week that the weekend would see some snow. Last night, it was just raining. Then I had this dream that I was going to school and to get there, I had to wade through dirty slush up to my neck. I decided it wasn't worth it, turned around and went back home to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate in bed. Oddly enough the slush didn't make me wet, dirty or cold, but it was still real slush. A guy walking next to me through it was really hell-bent on making it to school and started swimming. I couldn't relate to that. Then, when I woke up, town was shrouded in white and oh so pretty slush.
So, am I dreaming for dagláts? Or am I using the weather as an inspiration for expressing my feelings towards life, death and the universe (read: grad school)?
Not that life, death and the universe are that bad these days. No, in fact I find myself pretty psyched about my work these days. Not to mention the fact that Audrey Raines is ALIVE, just like I predicted. See, I'm outsmarting these 24 people. Yes!
The forecast told us already last week that the weekend would see some snow. Last night, it was just raining. Then I had this dream that I was going to school and to get there, I had to wade through dirty slush up to my neck. I decided it wasn't worth it, turned around and went back home to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate in bed. Oddly enough the slush didn't make me wet, dirty or cold, but it was still real slush. A guy walking next to me through it was really hell-bent on making it to school and started swimming. I couldn't relate to that. Then, when I woke up, town was shrouded in white and oh so pretty slush.
So, am I dreaming for dagláts? Or am I using the weather as an inspiration for expressing my feelings towards life, death and the universe (read: grad school)?
Not that life, death and the universe are that bad these days. No, in fact I find myself pretty psyched about my work these days. Not to mention the fact that Audrey Raines is ALIVE, just like I predicted. See, I'm outsmarting these 24 people. Yes!
laugardagur, apríl 07, 2007
Ok, so things are starting to look better...
or worse. Depending on how you choose to interpret the picture I just posted.
The good part is that I can now finally, finally, FINALLY send pics and e-mails from the über-fancy schmanzy phone I bought in the Philippines.
The bad part: I look like I got kidnapped from a freak show in that photo. Then again, maybe I was. At birth. In which case I'm glad the truth has finally come out.
So, why haven't I been able to send pics and e-mails from the phone? The guy at the Cingular store sure didn't know. He didn't know either that Nokia 6126 is called the 6131 in Southern Asia. Neither did I know that the 6131 is called 6126 here. Armed with this new knowledge I consulted my best friend Google and found everything I needed to know with her. All hail and praise to Google. J'aime Google.
Oh, and btw, that green sweater I'm wearing in the freak show photo... I knitted it last winter.
The good part is that I can now finally, finally, FINALLY send pics and e-mails from the über-fancy schmanzy phone I bought in the Philippines.
The bad part: I look like I got kidnapped from a freak show in that photo. Then again, maybe I was. At birth. In which case I'm glad the truth has finally come out.
So, why haven't I been able to send pics and e-mails from the phone? The guy at the Cingular store sure didn't know. He didn't know either that Nokia 6126 is called the 6131 in Southern Asia. Neither did I know that the 6131 is called 6126 here. Armed with this new knowledge I consulted my best friend Google and found everything I needed to know with her. All hail and praise to Google. J'aime Google.
Oh, and btw, that green sweater I'm wearing in the freak show photo... I knitted it last winter.
It certainly looks like it!
Finally s-th works on this phone. Yay!
--
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This mobile text message is brought to you by Cingular, now the new AT&T
föstudagur, apríl 06, 2007
Test
Now... Does this work?
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==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by Cingular, now the new AT&T
fimmtudagur, apríl 05, 2007
The bear and the car
Here, a list of some excellent podcasts. Keep in mind I didn't discover podcasts until about a month ago (yes, I'm always way ahead of the times, me) so I'm still just on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring this stuff...
- http://www.podingtonbear.com/
- Car Talk Call of the Week (on iTunes, you can listen to entire shows at www.cartalk.com)
- Nature Podcast (on iTunes) - great science news although the guy hosting this has to be the most smug (smuggest??) bloke ever
- iTunes New Music Tuesday - I'm always open to ideas on how to spend more money at the iTunes store
- BBC News
- Geo 10, Fall 2006 - World Regions, Peoples and States - this is sooooo fabulous, I can listen to a whole freshman level geography class from UC Berkeley while doing mindless tasks in the lab. The nerd within is happy :)
- http://www.podingtonbear.com/
- Car Talk Call of the Week (on iTunes, you can listen to entire shows at www.cartalk.com)
- Nature Podcast (on iTunes) - great science news although the guy hosting this has to be the most smug (smuggest??) bloke ever
- iTunes New Music Tuesday - I'm always open to ideas on how to spend more money at the iTunes store
- BBC News
- Geo 10, Fall 2006 - World Regions, Peoples and States - this is sooooo fabulous, I can listen to a whole freshman level geography class from UC Berkeley while doing mindless tasks in the lab. The nerd within is happy :)
miðvikudagur, apríl 04, 2007
Ideas for a post
By public demand, I'm back (not that I ever was gone, I just focussed my priorities elsewhere for a while).
And in fact, I plan to focus them elsewhere again. There is this problem set due in a couple of hours and while most of it is done, there is this one problem left. Guess I should work on that.
So, what should the topic of my next post be? Heat wave in Svalbard? Spring break in Florida? Speculations on using a pre-concentration column on the IC to quantify Sr in my Philippine water? My latest knitting project? Moths? My favorite podcasts?
It's all up to you guys. Let me know what you think.
And in fact, I plan to focus them elsewhere again. There is this problem set due in a couple of hours and while most of it is done, there is this one problem left. Guess I should work on that.
So, what should the topic of my next post be? Heat wave in Svalbard? Spring break in Florida? Speculations on using a pre-concentration column on the IC to quantify Sr in my Philippine water? My latest knitting project? Moths? My favorite podcasts?
It's all up to you guys. Let me know what you think.
mánudagur, mars 19, 2007
The covenant
So, here it finally is, the Covenant for the Future of the Land
Endilega að skrifa undir. Saman björgum við framtíð Íslands!
Endilega að skrifa undir. Saman björgum við framtíð Íslands!
sunnudagur, mars 18, 2007
miðvikudagur, mars 14, 2007
The odd job offer
I am one lousy blogger. That's nothing new, however.
Nothing much going on. Work, sleep, work, sleep. Oh, and the snow took off. Yesterday it was 18°C for a while and approximately a foot of snow melted off of the stone garden outside my building. The streams were happy.
About a week and a half ago someone called me and offered me a job. I said I was interested and would contact him again in a week or two, to which he agreed. Since then I have emailed this person twice and left him a phone message, all to no awail. This surprises me. If this person wouldn't want me to work for his company, why would he contact me at all? And if this person for some reason cannot keep his job offer, why not just let me know? I think this is very odd. But then again, I'm not used to having headhunters after me, so who knows, this might be the way they do it.
But I still think it's odd.
Nothing much going on. Work, sleep, work, sleep. Oh, and the snow took off. Yesterday it was 18°C for a while and approximately a foot of snow melted off of the stone garden outside my building. The streams were happy.
About a week and a half ago someone called me and offered me a job. I said I was interested and would contact him again in a week or two, to which he agreed. Since then I have emailed this person twice and left him a phone message, all to no awail. This surprises me. If this person wouldn't want me to work for his company, why would he contact me at all? And if this person for some reason cannot keep his job offer, why not just let me know? I think this is very odd. But then again, I'm not used to having headhunters after me, so who knows, this might be the way they do it.
But I still think it's odd.
fimmtudagur, mars 01, 2007
mánudagur, febrúar 26, 2007
Galæsilegt!
Mikið svakalega er ég sátt við þessa gjörð umhverfisráðherra:
Náttúruverndarlög um friðlýsingu nái til bergtegunda og bergforma
Sem leiðsögukona var ég oft gráti næst yfir öllu fallega grjótinu sem túristarnir mínir ákváðu að hafa með sér heim frá Mývatni, Landmannalaugum og víðar en sem endaði ferðina í ruslatunnu aftan í rútunni á síðasta degi ferðar. Eftir að friðlýsingin nær til bergs líka verður hægastur vandinn að benda fólki á að það sé ekki bara vanhugsað heldur líka bannað með lögum að taka með sér grjót frá friðuðum svæðum. Það er nú svolítið einkennilegt til þess að hugsa að ráðuneytið hafi ekki gert sér grein fyrir verndargildi silfurbergs og hrafntinnu áður, en betra er seint en aldrei!
Að auki ætlar Jónína að veita náttúruverndar- og útivistarsamtökum kæruaðild samkvæmt náttúruverndarlögum. Þetta eru að mínu mati einar bestu fréttir á sviði náttúruverndar í landinu í lengri tíma.
Náttúruverndarlög um friðlýsingu nái til bergtegunda og bergforma
Sem leiðsögukona var ég oft gráti næst yfir öllu fallega grjótinu sem túristarnir mínir ákváðu að hafa með sér heim frá Mývatni, Landmannalaugum og víðar en sem endaði ferðina í ruslatunnu aftan í rútunni á síðasta degi ferðar. Eftir að friðlýsingin nær til bergs líka verður hægastur vandinn að benda fólki á að það sé ekki bara vanhugsað heldur líka bannað með lögum að taka með sér grjót frá friðuðum svæðum. Það er nú svolítið einkennilegt til þess að hugsa að ráðuneytið hafi ekki gert sér grein fyrir verndargildi silfurbergs og hrafntinnu áður, en betra er seint en aldrei!
Að auki ætlar Jónína að veita náttúruverndar- og útivistarsamtökum kæruaðild samkvæmt náttúruverndarlögum. Þetta eru að mínu mati einar bestu fréttir á sviði náttúruverndar í landinu í lengri tíma.
laugardagur, febrúar 24, 2007
Why, why, WHY?
Why do I read this article in the "Fashion & Style" section of the NYT? Doesn't it belong somewhere else, like, in the news??
Icelandic Volcanoes
This semester I'm TAing a course on natural disasters. It's fun. On Tuesday, I'm giving a lecture in class about Icelandic volcanoes and the hazards associated with them. It's hard to know where to start and I only have 30 minutes. Gee, I could talk for a whole semester on this topic!
Among the more interesting things my Google-search has turned up is that researchers have used skeletons of people buried in the tephra of Hekla 1104 AD to investigate the dental health of Viking-age Icelanders.
My dad also dug up some photos of the family on a visit to Heimaey a few years after Eldfell erupted. Thanks for scanning them, dad! I think svei mér þá that I can see the geologist in me at ~4 years (little kid to the right, my brother is the little kid to the left) in this picture:
Among the more interesting things my Google-search has turned up is that researchers have used skeletons of people buried in the tephra of Hekla 1104 AD to investigate the dental health of Viking-age Icelanders.
My dad also dug up some photos of the family on a visit to Heimaey a few years after Eldfell erupted. Thanks for scanning them, dad! I think svei mér þá that I can see the geologist in me at ~4 years (little kid to the right, my brother is the little kid to the left) in this picture:
miðvikudagur, febrúar 21, 2007
The day after
I'm pretty bad at shamelessly promoting my own agenda. See, it was my b-day yesterday and I haven't told you about it yet. I'm such a slacker.
In other news, I'm sitting here at my desk crying with joy over the sheer genius of Google. They have an online calendar!!!!!
This past weekend was (well) spent on the ski slopes of Killington and Stowe, Vermont, in as much soft, fluffy, new snow as you'll ever get here in the northeast. We had a tremendously good time. I am such a lucky pamfile.
In other news, I'm sitting here at my desk crying with joy over the sheer genius of Google. They have an online calendar!!!!!
This past weekend was (well) spent on the ski slopes of Killington and Stowe, Vermont, in as much soft, fluffy, new snow as you'll ever get here in the northeast. We had a tremendously good time. I am such a lucky pamfile.
miðvikudagur, febrúar 14, 2007
þriðjudagur, febrúar 13, 2007
CM
The antepenultimate post on this blog is also the 900th such on this blog. That may be slightly more than the world needs. But what the heck, I'm toasting anyway!
The cold - II
It's so cold here now (-17°C) that after blinking your eyes, you can feel the moisture freeze on your eyeball. Or something like that.
Thiefblog
So, many people have been blogging about a proposed new road over Kjölur. I have my own very strong opinions on the issue and although I didn't intend to share them, again, with you all I found myself writing pages of comments on this post. Not wanting to be a total thief blogger, I'm posting my comment here. It's in Icelandic... but don't despair, I'm sure Babelfish will churn out... eh, something, for those interested.
"Sæl Eygló,
fyrst langar mig að taka undir með þeim sem sjá ekki tilganginn í því að etja saman landsbyggð og höfuðborgarsvæði. Það er leiðinlegur ávani og sérdeilis óuppbyggjandi.
Svo að því skemmtilega: Ég veit nú ekki betur en að ferðin sem þú lýsir hér að ofan - taka við farþegum af skemmtiferðaskipum á Suðurlandi, keyra með þá yfir Kjöl og skila þeim aftur til skips á Norðurlandi - hafi verið fundin upp fyrir mörgum, mörgum árum síðan og þarfnist ekki uppbyggðs vegar til að virka (reyndar er Reykjavík yfirleitt inni í myndinni, enda hafa flestir ferðamenn sem ég hef hitt áhuga á að sjá borgina. En hvað um það).
Ég get sagt með góðri samvisku eftir að hafa unnið sem leiðsögukona um allt land í mörg ár að flestum ferðamönnunum fyndist minna til hálendisins koma ef malarvegirnir þar hyrfu. Malarvegirnir, hálendið okkar án bygginga, bensínstöðva og aðgangseyris, er það sem útlendingarnir mínir hafa verið hrifnastir af. Af hverju má ekki taka tillit til þeirra líka? Ferðamannaiðnaðurinn er nú einu sinni einn stærsti atvinnuvegur landsmanna og mikilvægur ekki síst fyrir landsbyggðina.
Og talandi um aðgangseyri: Ég væri ekki par hrifin af því að þurfa að borga mig inn á Kjalveg. Þegar farið er upp á Skaga er þó a.m.k. hægt er að kjósa hvort göngin eru notuð eða gamli Hvalfjarðarvegurinn. Verði heilsársvegur í einkaeign lagður yfir Kjöl mun fólk neyðast til að borga sig inn á hálendið, hvort sem því líkar betur eða verr. Nei takk, segi ég við slíku.
Lítum svo framhjá ferðamönnum og aðgangsrétti/-eyri. Ísland átti stærsta ósnortna víðerni Evrópu áður en Kárahnjúkastífla var reist. Stjórnvöld í dag sjá fleiri lón og stórfabrikkur í hillingum. Ég fæ ekki séð að stjórnvöld þurfi á aðstoð einkaframtaksins að halda við eyðileggingu náttúrugæða landsins. Það er vitað mál að heilsársvegur, uppbyggður, yfir Kjöl mun líklegast leiða til stórfelldra umhverfisspjalla á borð við bensínstöðvar með sjoppu, ljósaskiltum og hamborgarabúllu. Þannig mun nákvæmlega ekkert af auðlindinni "ósnortin náttúra" varðveitast og í staðinn munum við fá enn eitt úthverfið. Hve margir ferðamenn ætli vilji koma alla leið norður í Dymbilshaf til að sjá?"
"Sæl Eygló,
fyrst langar mig að taka undir með þeim sem sjá ekki tilganginn í því að etja saman landsbyggð og höfuðborgarsvæði. Það er leiðinlegur ávani og sérdeilis óuppbyggjandi.
Svo að því skemmtilega: Ég veit nú ekki betur en að ferðin sem þú lýsir hér að ofan - taka við farþegum af skemmtiferðaskipum á Suðurlandi, keyra með þá yfir Kjöl og skila þeim aftur til skips á Norðurlandi - hafi verið fundin upp fyrir mörgum, mörgum árum síðan og þarfnist ekki uppbyggðs vegar til að virka (reyndar er Reykjavík yfirleitt inni í myndinni, enda hafa flestir ferðamenn sem ég hef hitt áhuga á að sjá borgina. En hvað um það).
Ég get sagt með góðri samvisku eftir að hafa unnið sem leiðsögukona um allt land í mörg ár að flestum ferðamönnunum fyndist minna til hálendisins koma ef malarvegirnir þar hyrfu. Malarvegirnir, hálendið okkar án bygginga, bensínstöðva og aðgangseyris, er það sem útlendingarnir mínir hafa verið hrifnastir af. Af hverju má ekki taka tillit til þeirra líka? Ferðamannaiðnaðurinn er nú einu sinni einn stærsti atvinnuvegur landsmanna og mikilvægur ekki síst fyrir landsbyggðina.
Og talandi um aðgangseyri: Ég væri ekki par hrifin af því að þurfa að borga mig inn á Kjalveg. Þegar farið er upp á Skaga er þó a.m.k. hægt er að kjósa hvort göngin eru notuð eða gamli Hvalfjarðarvegurinn. Verði heilsársvegur í einkaeign lagður yfir Kjöl mun fólk neyðast til að borga sig inn á hálendið, hvort sem því líkar betur eða verr. Nei takk, segi ég við slíku.
Lítum svo framhjá ferðamönnum og aðgangsrétti/-eyri. Ísland átti stærsta ósnortna víðerni Evrópu áður en Kárahnjúkastífla var reist. Stjórnvöld í dag sjá fleiri lón og stórfabrikkur í hillingum. Ég fæ ekki séð að stjórnvöld þurfi á aðstoð einkaframtaksins að halda við eyðileggingu náttúrugæða landsins. Það er vitað mál að heilsársvegur, uppbyggður, yfir Kjöl mun líklegast leiða til stórfelldra umhverfisspjalla á borð við bensínstöðvar með sjoppu, ljósaskiltum og hamborgarabúllu. Þannig mun nákvæmlega ekkert af auðlindinni "ósnortin náttúra" varðveitast og í staðinn munum við fá enn eitt úthverfið. Hve margir ferðamenn ætli vilji koma alla leið norður í Dymbilshaf til að sjá?"
miðvikudagur, febrúar 07, 2007
Luggage and traffic
As I sit here at my beloved home in Ithaca, NY, waiting for the luggage that didn't make it out of Chicago yesterday and pondering whether I am sick or just let-lagged, I read this post on Stina's website:
Kill, Kill, Kill!
The post reminds me of the first fieldtrip I made in the Philippines. We were headed for a place just outside the city limits of Metro Manila, negotiating the insane traffic on Commonwealth (also know as Marcos, even if noone misses that guy particularly much) Avenue. In Manila, the local traffic customs call for extensive use of u-turns to get places and all highways have specially marked u-turn spots which the cars in the innermost 2 or so lanes can use (not that anyone takes the concept of lanes very seriously in Manila, but that's another story). We were fighting our way along the ~2nd innermost lane and approaching a u-turn spot when all of a sudden a giganormous truck, in the 4th lane or so, swerves to make that u-turn. Our driver William managed to brake before colliding with the truck's cargo but the van behind us was way too close and rear-ended us. None of us had the presence of mind to get that stupid asshole truck's license plate number, but fortunately none of us, except for the rear-ending van, was hurt in the slightest. In fact, the blow from the rear-ending was so mild that our Mercedes didn't even suffer a scratch. But for crying out loud, who in their right mind makes a u-turn from the middle lane across a busy 6-lane highway??
Kill, Kill, Kill!
The post reminds me of the first fieldtrip I made in the Philippines. We were headed for a place just outside the city limits of Metro Manila, negotiating the insane traffic on Commonwealth (also know as Marcos, even if noone misses that guy particularly much) Avenue. In Manila, the local traffic customs call for extensive use of u-turns to get places and all highways have specially marked u-turn spots which the cars in the innermost 2 or so lanes can use (not that anyone takes the concept of lanes very seriously in Manila, but that's another story). We were fighting our way along the ~2nd innermost lane and approaching a u-turn spot when all of a sudden a giganormous truck, in the 4th lane or so, swerves to make that u-turn. Our driver William managed to brake before colliding with the truck's cargo but the van behind us was way too close and rear-ended us. None of us had the presence of mind to get that stupid asshole truck's license plate number, but fortunately none of us, except for the rear-ending van, was hurt in the slightest. In fact, the blow from the rear-ending was so mild that our Mercedes didn't even suffer a scratch. But for crying out loud, who in their right mind makes a u-turn from the middle lane across a busy 6-lane highway??
sunnudagur, febrúar 04, 2007
laugardagur, febrúar 03, 2007
The last fieldwork
Well well well wlel wlle... no more fieldwork this time. Gee, I'm going home to Ithaca on Tuesday. Can't wait to see my beloved Shan and go skiing!
I did get to see Taal Volcano, the famous "lake within an island within a lake within an island". Very pretty and very ominous:
Another sampling crowd, on the shores of Lake Taal:
The Taal basilica boasts impressive vegetation:
For part of my fieldwork, I joined a fieldtrip for a class at UP. The professor took us all to his favorite snorkeling site one morning, a place that can only be reached by boat:
We lured the fish with stale bread and they ate it from our hands. This was my first (and only, I regret to say) time on the beach in the Philippines:
One of my favorite places in the Philippines has to be the province of Tarlac. The awfully awful and almost totally useless Lonely Planet guidebook for the Philippines doesn't even mention Tarlac with a single word. Good job, guys:
Filipinos are pretty smart when it comes to vehicles. The kuliglig is a hybrid between a horse-drawn cart and a tractor, extensively used in the countryside in this part of the country:
Horse-drawn carts are also used, although I didn't see many. This one made its way calmly along the highway, not paying the slightest attention to the cars:
I did get to see Taal Volcano, the famous "lake within an island within a lake within an island". Very pretty and very ominous:
Another sampling crowd, on the shores of Lake Taal:
The Taal basilica boasts impressive vegetation:
For part of my fieldwork, I joined a fieldtrip for a class at UP. The professor took us all to his favorite snorkeling site one morning, a place that can only be reached by boat:
We lured the fish with stale bread and they ate it from our hands. This was my first (and only, I regret to say) time on the beach in the Philippines:
One of my favorite places in the Philippines has to be the province of Tarlac. The awfully awful and almost totally useless Lonely Planet guidebook for the Philippines doesn't even mention Tarlac with a single word. Good job, guys:
Filipinos are pretty smart when it comes to vehicles. The kuliglig is a hybrid between a horse-drawn cart and a tractor, extensively used in the countryside in this part of the country:
Horse-drawn carts are also used, although I didn't see many. This one made its way calmly along the highway, not paying the slightest attention to the cars:
laugardagur, janúar 27, 2007
Manila
No fieldwork and almost no sampling since Bicol. Instead I've been in Manila, trying to assemble auxiliary data and checking out the city a tiny little bit.
Tuesday was my big day off. I took a cab downtown (listen, Icelandic taxi drivers: 45 minutes and 3 dollars) and was greeted by a Starbucks right at the entrance to the oldest part of the city. Being a good assimilated 'Mercan I went straight in and had myself a tall latte. For reasons hard to comprehend Filipinos don't fancy brewed coffee, instead everyone drinks instant 3-in-1 coffee, which is basically sugar mixed with some creamer and instant coffee. Therefore, a Starbucks is in order every now and then.
When traveling in SE Asia and other remote places (such as the Icelandic Highlands, the Arctic and on Route 17 in NY state), toilets inevitably become a topic of interest. Turns out the toilet (or comfort room, as the local euphemism goes) at this Starbucks is the most exquisite bathroom experience one is likely to have in the archipelago. There was even hot water! Some while later, after I had strolled around the streets of old Manila for a while, a second visit to a comfort room became necessary. I inquired at a small eatery/Xerox shop that I passed and was cordially shown to the CR by the master photocopyist. What a dramatic contrast! Here I found myself in a cubicle whose walls were impregnated with the stink of urine of generations past. A lightbulk was thankfully absent and therefore I never knew what served as a receptacle in there. Was it a hole in the ground, was it the bucket, was it something I couldn't even begin to imagine? Deciding it was better to die like Tycho Brahe than use this veritable shithole, I left with a smile and a big thank-you to the copymaster.
Then there is Manila.
Here, it's hard to know where to begin. It's big. It's huge. It's absolutely monstrous. The traffic is a nightmare. The pollution is worse. The people are friendly. The kids are beautiful. A white person is a spectacle and wherever she goes, people smile or point or say hello or make remarks about the white person's alleged beauty (I have to say, I admire their good taste). Since coming to the Philippines, I haven't seen more than 3 other white people at any one time and probably no more than 10 in all. That is not a lot, let me tell you that. Before I go here again, I'm going to overdose on tanning lotion and a dark hairdye. Maybe I'll get brown contacts as well. As is, I stick out like a martian. For all the attention I get on the street, I might as well be a green midget with flippers and two antennas on my head.
Sample scrample. I need more samples. Was planning to go to Bicol again but all efforts at getting a field assistant fell through. Therefore I'll be tagging along on a class fieldtrip leaving Manila tomorrow. I'll get to revisit some of the places I already sampled and I'll also get to see Lake Taal and Laguna de Bay and sample some rivers draining into those lakes. It should be fun. After that I plan to spend another day or two sampling and then take a day or two to visit some white-sand beaches (one cant spend a month in the Philippines without ever going to the beach...). Then on the 6th, I'll get on a plane again and fly back to Ithaca. Sooo nice.
My contact here at UP, Dr. Arcilla, has been doing some studies at Payatas and he took me along so that I could sample some water. In my next post, I might tell you about it. For now, I'll tell you this: I've rarely washed myself as obsessively as I did when I got back from that visit.
Tuesday was my big day off. I took a cab downtown (listen, Icelandic taxi drivers: 45 minutes and 3 dollars) and was greeted by a Starbucks right at the entrance to the oldest part of the city. Being a good assimilated 'Mercan I went straight in and had myself a tall latte. For reasons hard to comprehend Filipinos don't fancy brewed coffee, instead everyone drinks instant 3-in-1 coffee, which is basically sugar mixed with some creamer and instant coffee. Therefore, a Starbucks is in order every now and then.
When traveling in SE Asia and other remote places (such as the Icelandic Highlands, the Arctic and on Route 17 in NY state), toilets inevitably become a topic of interest. Turns out the toilet (or comfort room, as the local euphemism goes) at this Starbucks is the most exquisite bathroom experience one is likely to have in the archipelago. There was even hot water! Some while later, after I had strolled around the streets of old Manila for a while, a second visit to a comfort room became necessary. I inquired at a small eatery/Xerox shop that I passed and was cordially shown to the CR by the master photocopyist. What a dramatic contrast! Here I found myself in a cubicle whose walls were impregnated with the stink of urine of generations past. A lightbulk was thankfully absent and therefore I never knew what served as a receptacle in there. Was it a hole in the ground, was it the bucket, was it something I couldn't even begin to imagine? Deciding it was better to die like Tycho Brahe than use this veritable shithole, I left with a smile and a big thank-you to the copymaster.
Then there is Manila.
Here, it's hard to know where to begin. It's big. It's huge. It's absolutely monstrous. The traffic is a nightmare. The pollution is worse. The people are friendly. The kids are beautiful. A white person is a spectacle and wherever she goes, people smile or point or say hello or make remarks about the white person's alleged beauty (I have to say, I admire their good taste). Since coming to the Philippines, I haven't seen more than 3 other white people at any one time and probably no more than 10 in all. That is not a lot, let me tell you that. Before I go here again, I'm going to overdose on tanning lotion and a dark hairdye. Maybe I'll get brown contacts as well. As is, I stick out like a martian. For all the attention I get on the street, I might as well be a green midget with flippers and two antennas on my head.
Sample scrample. I need more samples. Was planning to go to Bicol again but all efforts at getting a field assistant fell through. Therefore I'll be tagging along on a class fieldtrip leaving Manila tomorrow. I'll get to revisit some of the places I already sampled and I'll also get to see Lake Taal and Laguna de Bay and sample some rivers draining into those lakes. It should be fun. After that I plan to spend another day or two sampling and then take a day or two to visit some white-sand beaches (one cant spend a month in the Philippines without ever going to the beach...). Then on the 6th, I'll get on a plane again and fly back to Ithaca. Sooo nice.
My contact here at UP, Dr. Arcilla, has been doing some studies at Payatas and he took me along so that I could sample some water. In my next post, I might tell you about it. For now, I'll tell you this: I've rarely washed myself as obsessively as I did when I got back from that visit.
sunnudagur, janúar 21, 2007
Bicol
A field trip to the Bicol Peninsula has been planned and executed.
It was six days and close to 1000 km (my German gene, who needs the exact figure down to two decimal points, is not well expressed here) of bumpy and partially destroyed roads, jungle-clad volcanoes and curious and friendly locals. Some pictures should say it all:
Mount Isarog is a dormant volcano:
This volcano is not dormant at all. My first view of Mount Mayon. Note the rice paddies in the foreground and the power lines almost touching the ground. These power lines are evidence of the destructive typhoon that struck the area in late November-early December 2006:
A local man looks out over the destruction in Legazpi City, where the Yawa River found itself a new way to sea as a result of lahars caused by the typhoon:
Life goes on, even if the local bus stop is a bit messed up:
Schoolkids in their uniforms running to catch the jeepney, the Filipino equivalent of a bus. In the foreground is rice, put out on the street to dry. Many rice farmers are harvesting at this time of year in Bicol and rice drying operations sometimes shrink the roads down to half a lane:
William, the driver, and Grace, my field assistant for the trip, measure discharge in a small stream on the north flank of Mt. Isarog. The two of them have become veritable discharge experts now:
River water sampling can be very bit as messy as you thought it was:
The view of Mount Mayon in the early morning hours from the PHIVOLCS Observatory:
It was six days and close to 1000 km (my German gene, who needs the exact figure down to two decimal points, is not well expressed here) of bumpy and partially destroyed roads, jungle-clad volcanoes and curious and friendly locals. Some pictures should say it all:
Mount Isarog is a dormant volcano:
This volcano is not dormant at all. My first view of Mount Mayon. Note the rice paddies in the foreground and the power lines almost touching the ground. These power lines are evidence of the destructive typhoon that struck the area in late November-early December 2006:
A local man looks out over the destruction in Legazpi City, where the Yawa River found itself a new way to sea as a result of lahars caused by the typhoon:
Life goes on, even if the local bus stop is a bit messed up:
Schoolkids in their uniforms running to catch the jeepney, the Filipino equivalent of a bus. In the foreground is rice, put out on the street to dry. Many rice farmers are harvesting at this time of year in Bicol and rice drying operations sometimes shrink the roads down to half a lane:
William, the driver, and Grace, my field assistant for the trip, measure discharge in a small stream on the north flank of Mt. Isarog. The two of them have become veritable discharge experts now:
River water sampling can be very bit as messy as you thought it was:
The view of Mount Mayon in the early morning hours from the PHIVOLCS Observatory:
Enn einn tvífarinn
Héðan er nú margt merkilegra að frétta en ég hendi þessu hér inn samt sem áður:
Við vorum suður í Sorsogon-héraði að taka sýni og spurðum eldri mann, íbúa við þjóveginn, til vegar. Hann leit út alveg nákvæmlega eins og Steingrímur Hermannsson og sonur hans Gummi Steingríms myndu líta út ef þeir væru einn og hinn sami og þar að auki frá Filippseyjum.
Það var og.
Við vorum suður í Sorsogon-héraði að taka sýni og spurðum eldri mann, íbúa við þjóveginn, til vegar. Hann leit út alveg nákvæmlega eins og Steingrímur Hermannsson og sonur hans Gummi Steingríms myndu líta út ef þeir væru einn og hinn sami og þar að auki frá Filippseyjum.
Það var og.
mánudagur, janúar 15, 2007
föstudagur, janúar 05, 2007
On a layover
Another Christmas come and gone and they are already advertising Valentine's Day merchandise. Hail consumption! (not...)
My little 5-day layover in the US has been rather uneventful, I must say. All the stuff for field work is pretty much packed by now, of which I am justifiably proud, since usually I'm running around last minute trying to throw everything into boxes and panicking about having forgotten something critical. This time, I'll leave that scenario for the packing of my personal items.
Christmas in Iceland was great. We met with friends and family, I saw my darling sister Lára for the first time in over two years, my old class from high school met at Stína's for (disappointingly?) civil drinks and chat, Stína's twins recognized me yet again and were even willing to give me a hug or two, something I was not able to tease out of my lovely little niece Lilja. Fortunately her twin brother, Tómas, more than made up for the un-hugginess of his sister.
Shan and I met repeatedly with our Ithaca-friends Ármann and Ása, who had us over for dinner and joined the two of us and Lára and her boyfriend Kári to a summerhouse in the countryside, where fierce winds tore open trunks of cars and the hot tub was incredibly cozy and nice. We also went to the mother of all Christmas parties, the Líndal-clan's meeting at Stína's childhood home. It was fun as always, meeting Stína's mom and sister and her stepfather Sigurður, with whom I didn't have a nearly long enough conversation. I also learned how age is no barrier to other women eyeing my boyfriend; Sigurður's sister, consideraly more advanced in years than Shan, couldn't get her eyes off him once she had seen the "beautiful, big man" and even introduced herself in her finest Icelandic! As is to be expected, I just about burst apart at the seams with pride over my man :)
Downtown on Þorláksmessa was wonderful. We were a little crumpled up, since we arrived on noon that same day after a long trip from Ithaca that included a roughly 5-hour delay on our flight out of JFK due to crazy (as we say) weather in Iceland. That crazy weather had abated considerably by the time we arrived but rain, winds and general gloominess prevailed until New Year's Eve. That day we had decided to go for a drive in the countryside and lo and behold, for the first time in over a week we saw the sun! New Year's came with the best weather in 10 years, windstill and temperatures at the freezing point. Shan shot up the hugest of all huge bottle rockets (almost...) and the fireworks spectacle in the city was fantastic. Some idiots next door almost killed someone as a big bottle rocket that was meant to explode way up in the sky landed in our neighbors driveway and exploded there, I'm glad it wasn't our driveway! In general, it was a great evening, but I'm glad that I'm not a survivor of war because I would need psychotherapy after hearing all these explosions.
Next time, I'll blog from somewhere in the Philippines. 'Till then!
My little 5-day layover in the US has been rather uneventful, I must say. All the stuff for field work is pretty much packed by now, of which I am justifiably proud, since usually I'm running around last minute trying to throw everything into boxes and panicking about having forgotten something critical. This time, I'll leave that scenario for the packing of my personal items.
Christmas in Iceland was great. We met with friends and family, I saw my darling sister Lára for the first time in over two years, my old class from high school met at Stína's for (disappointingly?) civil drinks and chat, Stína's twins recognized me yet again and were even willing to give me a hug or two, something I was not able to tease out of my lovely little niece Lilja. Fortunately her twin brother, Tómas, more than made up for the un-hugginess of his sister.
Shan and I met repeatedly with our Ithaca-friends Ármann and Ása, who had us over for dinner and joined the two of us and Lára and her boyfriend Kári to a summerhouse in the countryside, where fierce winds tore open trunks of cars and the hot tub was incredibly cozy and nice. We also went to the mother of all Christmas parties, the Líndal-clan's meeting at Stína's childhood home. It was fun as always, meeting Stína's mom and sister and her stepfather Sigurður, with whom I didn't have a nearly long enough conversation. I also learned how age is no barrier to other women eyeing my boyfriend; Sigurður's sister, consideraly more advanced in years than Shan, couldn't get her eyes off him once she had seen the "beautiful, big man" and even introduced herself in her finest Icelandic! As is to be expected, I just about burst apart at the seams with pride over my man :)
Downtown on Þorláksmessa was wonderful. We were a little crumpled up, since we arrived on noon that same day after a long trip from Ithaca that included a roughly 5-hour delay on our flight out of JFK due to crazy (as we say) weather in Iceland. That crazy weather had abated considerably by the time we arrived but rain, winds and general gloominess prevailed until New Year's Eve. That day we had decided to go for a drive in the countryside and lo and behold, for the first time in over a week we saw the sun! New Year's came with the best weather in 10 years, windstill and temperatures at the freezing point. Shan shot up the hugest of all huge bottle rockets (almost...) and the fireworks spectacle in the city was fantastic. Some idiots next door almost killed someone as a big bottle rocket that was meant to explode way up in the sky landed in our neighbors driveway and exploded there, I'm glad it wasn't our driveway! In general, it was a great evening, but I'm glad that I'm not a survivor of war because I would need psychotherapy after hearing all these explosions.
Next time, I'll blog from somewhere in the Philippines. 'Till then!
fimmtudagur, desember 21, 2006
Next chapter
Well, I passed.
And now my upper arm aches. I got four shots of vaccines today and bought almost 200 dollars worth of anti-malaria pills. Sounds like this Philippines trip is coming up pretty fast, right?
But first to Iceland. Tomorrow, to be precise. It'll be interesting to see my dear old Iceland totally saturated with winter rains.
And in case you wondered, the exam was really really REALLY hard. I thought for a while they weren't going to pass me. It was over three hours of relentless probing and prodding and debate. My brain was so fried at the end that I could hardly say my own name. But it was immensely useful and I'm very glad that I'm done.
Then, after work today, I realized that today was the first day that I felt entitled to be in grad school.
And now my upper arm aches. I got four shots of vaccines today and bought almost 200 dollars worth of anti-malaria pills. Sounds like this Philippines trip is coming up pretty fast, right?
But first to Iceland. Tomorrow, to be precise. It'll be interesting to see my dear old Iceland totally saturated with winter rains.
And in case you wondered, the exam was really really REALLY hard. I thought for a while they weren't going to pass me. It was over three hours of relentless probing and prodding and debate. My brain was so fried at the end that I could hardly say my own name. But it was immensely useful and I'm very glad that I'm done.
Then, after work today, I realized that today was the first day that I felt entitled to be in grad school.
mánudagur, desember 18, 2006
miðvikudagur, desember 13, 2006
The joy of science
There is something called poor correlation. Then there is this:
To protect sensitive souls I have changed the labeling on the axes.
To protect sensitive souls I have changed the labeling on the axes.
mánudagur, desember 11, 2006
The visa
in my passport (and my passport, too) arrived with the FedEx man today. Now I just need January 6th to appear (and get all my gear sorted and packed) and then: Philippines, here I come!!
sunnudagur, desember 10, 2006
It's time to share
my knitting-and-crocheting habit with you all. Here's my latest accomplishment:
and a scarf that I made while watching Sex and the City with Annelise at the lake house back in the day:
and a scarf that I made while watching Sex and the City with Annelise at the lake house back in the day:
föstudagur, desember 08, 2006
The massage
Just so I won't forget, I'm telling you guys that I have an appointment for a massage at 4:15 pm next Tuesday. Gee, I'm looking forward to that. What untamed luxury!
miðvikudagur, desember 06, 2006
9 in your sleep
Again I'm having such vivid dreams that I almost wake myself up. Especially when I start talking in my sleep, which I think I have been doing lately. Poor Shan :)
Every day now brings the dreaded A-exam closer. Omg. All hail to Damien Rice for helping me through these difficult times.
Every day now brings the dreaded A-exam closer. Omg. All hail to Damien Rice for helping me through these difficult times.
miðvikudagur, nóvember 29, 2006
My fortune cookie
I bought the ticket to the Philippines today. Now I better pass the A-exam, which I also (tentatively) scheduled today for December 20th. Hjálp!!
miðvikudagur, nóvember 22, 2006
On human nature
My friend Stína's recent post made me think of all these different conditions that can afflict one and how they are not clear-cut but rather melt and fuse into one another. Much like crystals if you ask me, the geologist. Mineralogists have come up with the most beautiful diagrams to describe the ways in which crystals morph into one another depending on their ingredients and conditions of formation, and isn't that what ultimately also dictates how and who we become? It is strangely comforting to me to see how close we humans are to the basic rules of the universe.
All complaints banished
Ok, Væla, I'll stop complaining :)
Yesterday we had several nanometers of snow and the season's first rime. Today, the nanometers had all sublimated but the rime was still there. Bjútífúl.
Another Thanksgiving is upon us. Shan and I are taking off to Delaware this afternoon to spend the holiday with friends and perhaps family. No blogging for a while (as if that were anything new here on this farm).
Yesterday we had several nanometers of snow and the season's first rime. Today, the nanometers had all sublimated but the rime was still there. Bjútífúl.
Another Thanksgiving is upon us. Shan and I are taking off to Delaware this afternoon to spend the holiday with friends and perhaps family. No blogging for a while (as if that were anything new here on this farm).
þriðjudagur, nóvember 21, 2006
Oh, the Prime Minister
What prompted the quiz was this event and the fact that when I told people I was going some would ask "ok, but who's that guy??".
Well, at least I didn't tell any Nobel Prize winner...
Well, at least I didn't tell any Nobel Prize winner...
sunnudagur, nóvember 19, 2006
föstudagur, nóvember 17, 2006
And since I'm at it...
I might as well post some more.
Am currently getting psyched about my upcoming trip to the Philippines in January. For those of you not in the know (which includes, I presume, every reader of this blog), I am going there to do fieldwork for my thesis work. It should be quite some adventure...
Fortunately I have some contacts there by now, thanks to my office mate Adam. A professor at the University of the Philippines has been exceptionally helpful, putting me in contact with a lot of people who might be able to assist me in many ways. Among other things, he's secured me the company of one of his grad students for part of my fieldwork. Now that's swell, because there's nothing more conductive to sudden madness than being alone in the field for too long.
So, I'll be goofin' around on Luzón in January and February, visiting ophiolites and volcanoes and maybe, if I'm very dugleg, Palawan. Again, a geologist's life is hard.
Then take a look: This is so cool! It almost makes me feel like a kid again, that a letter from me went to these far away, exotic places.
Other than that... nah, nothing else.
Am currently getting psyched about my upcoming trip to the Philippines in January. For those of you not in the know (which includes, I presume, every reader of this blog), I am going there to do fieldwork for my thesis work. It should be quite some adventure...
Fortunately I have some contacts there by now, thanks to my office mate Adam. A professor at the University of the Philippines has been exceptionally helpful, putting me in contact with a lot of people who might be able to assist me in many ways. Among other things, he's secured me the company of one of his grad students for part of my fieldwork. Now that's swell, because there's nothing more conductive to sudden madness than being alone in the field for too long.
So, I'll be goofin' around on Luzón in January and February, visiting ophiolites and volcanoes and maybe, if I'm very dugleg, Palawan. Again, a geologist's life is hard.
Then take a look: This is so cool! It almost makes me feel like a kid again, that a letter from me went to these far away, exotic places.
Other than that... nah, nothing else.
What ?#!%#*&T*^&T)@^?
Holy guacamole, what the bloody hell is going on w. this Blogger thing? Some missing html closing tags and my blog is practically stabbed to death! I protest. I protest all.
Update:
Well, looks like it's back to normal. Maybe I'll entertain the devil and try posting these quiz results again. But *phew*, this was about as much as my little heart can handle.
Update:
Well, looks like it's back to normal. Maybe I'll entertain the devil and try posting these quiz results again. But *phew*, this was about as much as my little heart can handle.
fimmtudagur, nóvember 16, 2006
sunnudagur, nóvember 12, 2006
Lost blogger
A severe Lost addiction has afflicted family members as of the beginning of the third season.
We happened to be at friends' house when the first episode of the third season was aired. Inevitably, we left with the entire DVD-collection of the first season, borrowed from the lady of the house. A week later, after watching the second episode of the third season, we borrowed the complete second season from another friend. Five days later, we were up-to date. We should probably go and get a life, but Lost is a perfectly acceptable substitute for one, thank you.
But, now there won't be any new shows until February. That's totally awful. Fortunately I have finals, Christmas break and a trip to the Philippines to keep me busy until my life can resume.
We happened to be at friends' house when the first episode of the third season was aired. Inevitably, we left with the entire DVD-collection of the first season, borrowed from the lady of the house. A week later, after watching the second episode of the third season, we borrowed the complete second season from another friend. Five days later, we were up-to date. We should probably go and get a life, but Lost is a perfectly acceptable substitute for one, thank you.
But, now there won't be any new shows until February. That's totally awful. Fortunately I have finals, Christmas break and a trip to the Philippines to keep me busy until my life can resume.
mánudagur, október 30, 2006
Breaking the Silence
I am breaking my silence of more than a month to tell you the most extraordinary thing:
The other day, I met a guy in his twenties who taught his grandmother to crochet.
Now beat that!
The other day, I met a guy in his twenties who taught his grandmother to crochet.
Now beat that!
sunnudagur, september 24, 2006
Plögg dagsins
Fréttatilkynning
Göngum með Ómari
- þjóðarsátt fyrir komandi kynslóðir
Boðað er til fjöldagöngu með Ómari Ragnarssyni frá Hlemmi að Austurvelli klukkan 20.00 á þriðjudag. Ómar hefur kynnt hugmyndir um nýjar leiðir sem fela í sér að hægt verði að afla raforku til að knýja álverið í Reyðarfirði án þess að fórna þeim náttúruperlum sem færu undir fyrirhugað Hálslón. Ómar leggur til að fyllingu Hálslóns verði frestað og Kárahnjúkavirkjun verði geymd ógangsett sem magnað minnismerki um hugrekki þjóðar sem leitaði sátta við kynslóðir framtíðarinnar og eigin samvisku.
Ómar kynnti þessar hugmyndir sínar á blaðamannafundi á dögunum. Við tökum áskorun hans og sýnum stuðning okkar í verki með því að safnast saman og ganga niður Laugaveginn. Við hvetjum þig til að gera slíkt hið sama.
Því er boðað til:
Jökulsárgöngu niður Laugaveginn á þriðjudag kl 20.00
frá Hlemmi að Austurvelli
Horfumst í augu við siðferðislegar skyldur okkar gagnvart landi og náttúru –
Göngum með Ómari niður Laugarveg á þriðjudaginn.
Göngum með Ómari
- þjóðarsátt fyrir komandi kynslóðir
Boðað er til fjöldagöngu með Ómari Ragnarssyni frá Hlemmi að Austurvelli klukkan 20.00 á þriðjudag. Ómar hefur kynnt hugmyndir um nýjar leiðir sem fela í sér að hægt verði að afla raforku til að knýja álverið í Reyðarfirði án þess að fórna þeim náttúruperlum sem færu undir fyrirhugað Hálslón. Ómar leggur til að fyllingu Hálslóns verði frestað og Kárahnjúkavirkjun verði geymd ógangsett sem magnað minnismerki um hugrekki þjóðar sem leitaði sátta við kynslóðir framtíðarinnar og eigin samvisku.
Ómar kynnti þessar hugmyndir sínar á blaðamannafundi á dögunum. Við tökum áskorun hans og sýnum stuðning okkar í verki með því að safnast saman og ganga niður Laugaveginn. Við hvetjum þig til að gera slíkt hið sama.
Því er boðað til:
Jökulsárgöngu niður Laugaveginn á þriðjudag kl 20.00
frá Hlemmi að Austurvelli
Horfumst í augu við siðferðislegar skyldur okkar gagnvart landi og náttúru –
Göngum með Ómari niður Laugarveg á þriðjudaginn.
Idling
Every so often I have to visit this website and be nostalgic. That's been today's order.
It hasn't all been melancholy, though. To my wonderfully pleasant surprise, the Camper shoes I ordered online last week are already in Ohio, having been sent from Barcelona yesterday! Jömmí jömm, new Camper shoes!! Lucky me!
It hasn't all been melancholy, though. To my wonderfully pleasant surprise, the Camper shoes I ordered online last week are already in Ohio, having been sent from Barcelona yesterday! Jömmí jömm, new Camper shoes!! Lucky me!
laugardagur, september 23, 2006
fimmtudagur, september 21, 2006
Out of my league?
Yes! I finally did it! After a long absence away from any kind of organized singing I enlisted in a chorus here in my hometown of Ithaca, NY. The chosen chorus was the one that didn't require an audition, as there are few things I hate more than such torture. I also figured that if it doesn't require an audition, it probably is pretty easy going (last time I sung in a chorus was in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The program consisted of ABBA and "Vem kan segla". I obviously need easy going).
Boy, was I wrong. I've been to two rehersals so far and I feel that I've accidentally stepped into the Navy Seals of choruses. At the first rehersal we were handed the score of the fall semester's piece: Mass in A-flat major by Schubert. Open it on page 1 and start singing. Before I could flip the page, the rest of the chorus had already sung half the mass. Holy Mo.
Many many many years ago I flirted, with appalling results, with structured music learning. I must have been the worst student ever to (dis-)grace Mr. Cortes's little classroom on Hverfisgata with her presence. I never learned to read music properly. I can't tell a tvíund from an áttund (or almost not). And here I am, supposed to be onsighting a whole f***ing mass! Hahaha, am I the only one who thinks this is funny?
So, they do have training wheels for us less gifted. Bunches of CDs with all the different voices, including fortunately the alto, are on their way to Ithaca as we speak. I can pop it into the CD player in the car and howl out loud all I want on the highway so as to not embarras my fellow altos during the steepest part of the learning curve. And actually, although it may sound like I'm cursing the day I decided to join the chorus, I love it.
Boy, was I wrong. I've been to two rehersals so far and I feel that I've accidentally stepped into the Navy Seals of choruses. At the first rehersal we were handed the score of the fall semester's piece: Mass in A-flat major by Schubert. Open it on page 1 and start singing. Before I could flip the page, the rest of the chorus had already sung half the mass. Holy Mo.
Many many many years ago I flirted, with appalling results, with structured music learning. I must have been the worst student ever to (dis-)grace Mr. Cortes's little classroom on Hverfisgata with her presence. I never learned to read music properly. I can't tell a tvíund from an áttund (or almost not). And here I am, supposed to be onsighting a whole f***ing mass! Hahaha, am I the only one who thinks this is funny?
So, they do have training wheels for us less gifted. Bunches of CDs with all the different voices, including fortunately the alto, are on their way to Ithaca as we speak. I can pop it into the CD player in the car and howl out loud all I want on the highway so as to not embarras my fellow altos during the steepest part of the learning curve. And actually, although it may sound like I'm cursing the day I decided to join the chorus, I love it.
mánudagur, september 18, 2006
Hammer Time
I won a very solid rock hammer this afternoon. Always the lucky one, me. This unexpected stroke of good luck happened at an information session held by Conoco Philips, whose representatives are now on campus trying to lure us geoscientists into their ranks. Whether that will be my fate remains to be seen...
The upstairs neighbors' TV has been keeping Shan and I company for the past few weeks. It's a very reliable companion, within hearing reach every hour, every day. While we admire its tenacity I doubt if either of us would miss it even the slightest bit were it to burn in the flames of hell. Perhaps the rock hammer could be put to good use here?
A few nights ago I dreamt that an old friend of mine had started wearing eye shadow and eye liner (but no mascara!). That wouldn't be odd, per se, if this particular friend of mine wasn't a guy who, so far, hasn't shown any interest whatsoever in make-up.
In that same dream, my cell phone had gone haywire. Whenever I'd try and call someone, the phone would decide, in some random process, who would actually be called. Of course, that would never be the one I planned to call. Don't try to tell me technology isn't evil.
Which brings me to the topic of instruments. Scientific instruments. I'm not the biggest fan, at least not of uncooperative instruments. One particularly uncooperative instrument in my lab didn't start to behave until it got to go to California for a month. When it came back it finally started working again. That's one clever instrument if you ask me.
The upstairs neighbors' TV has been keeping Shan and I company for the past few weeks. It's a very reliable companion, within hearing reach every hour, every day. While we admire its tenacity I doubt if either of us would miss it even the slightest bit were it to burn in the flames of hell. Perhaps the rock hammer could be put to good use here?
A few nights ago I dreamt that an old friend of mine had started wearing eye shadow and eye liner (but no mascara!). That wouldn't be odd, per se, if this particular friend of mine wasn't a guy who, so far, hasn't shown any interest whatsoever in make-up.
In that same dream, my cell phone had gone haywire. Whenever I'd try and call someone, the phone would decide, in some random process, who would actually be called. Of course, that would never be the one I planned to call. Don't try to tell me technology isn't evil.
Which brings me to the topic of instruments. Scientific instruments. I'm not the biggest fan, at least not of uncooperative instruments. One particularly uncooperative instrument in my lab didn't start to behave until it got to go to California for a month. When it came back it finally started working again. That's one clever instrument if you ask me.
þriðjudagur, september 05, 2006
Brownian motion
Ok, so, before I continue my ambling through the remote sensing problem set due on Friday I'm going to tell you this:
- Yesterday was my dad's birthday. Til hamingju!!
- Friday was India's birthday. Congratulations!
- Shan and I very unexpectedly spent the weekend in Oregon celebrating the latter birthday and hanging out w. the family. An altogether great experience.
- My paper has been cited once. Hah!
- Am currently reading "The Feminie Mystique" by Betty Friedan. It is totally captivating and I'm blasting through it as if it were a thriller. It's also unbelievable and more than a little frightening to read about where women were in the USA in the middle of the 20th century. Repeatedly I find myself just having to stop reading and pick my jaw off of the floor.
- The Dixie Chicks are my favorite at this moment, both for their music and because they have guts (they do, for instance, have clothes on..). Sufjan Stevens is also delightfully bizarre but too easy to fall asleep to.
- Somehow I find myself taking three classes this semester. Remember that this is my fourth YEAR here in grad school and I was fed up with taking class already by the second semester. Something's odd here.
- This semester I'm also teaching a lab in an introductory oceanography class. It's so much fun because us two grad student TA's have two undergrad assistants who actually do the teaching. I find it so cool and not because they do the hard part, but because I'm learning so much from my undergrad assistant about how to interact with students and teach. It's by far the best part of my semester.
Steradians and solid angles have yet to prove if they can enrich my life significantly until the end of the semester. I guess I'll have to plough through the problem set to find out.
- Yesterday was my dad's birthday. Til hamingju!!
- Friday was India's birthday. Congratulations!
- Shan and I very unexpectedly spent the weekend in Oregon celebrating the latter birthday and hanging out w. the family. An altogether great experience.
- My paper has been cited once. Hah!
- Am currently reading "The Feminie Mystique" by Betty Friedan. It is totally captivating and I'm blasting through it as if it were a thriller. It's also unbelievable and more than a little frightening to read about where women were in the USA in the middle of the 20th century. Repeatedly I find myself just having to stop reading and pick my jaw off of the floor.
- The Dixie Chicks are my favorite at this moment, both for their music and because they have guts (they do, for instance, have clothes on..). Sufjan Stevens is also delightfully bizarre but too easy to fall asleep to.
- Somehow I find myself taking three classes this semester. Remember that this is my fourth YEAR here in grad school and I was fed up with taking class already by the second semester. Something's odd here.
- This semester I'm also teaching a lab in an introductory oceanography class. It's so much fun because us two grad student TA's have two undergrad assistants who actually do the teaching. I find it so cool and not because they do the hard part, but because I'm learning so much from my undergrad assistant about how to interact with students and teach. It's by far the best part of my semester.
Steradians and solid angles have yet to prove if they can enrich my life significantly until the end of the semester. I guess I'll have to plough through the problem set to find out.
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