Go on first

Our icelandic history teacher told us about how in the old old days in Iceland everyone lived on a farm. Alone. No towns of any sort. People never  had to think about anyone else, just themseves.
He said this mentality lives on in Icelanders today. 
An example of this being at elevators.
In Iceland, when the elevators stops, people pile in.
In other countries it stops and people wait for the elevator to open and before piling in they let the people who were on the elevator off, then get on themselves.
A total genrelization but it will make you chuckle if you try going to try to use the elevators in the mall.

Heimskonar

Have to admit I am guessing on the name, it seems to have slipped my mind, but point is:
Cassie (my Aussi friend) and I are running a group for women around the world. In the Reykjanesbær bókasafn.
Because Reykjanesbær, Inni Njarvík, Ytri Narvík, Keflavík and Ásbrú, are actually-is actually rather multi-cultural but you would never know because all the women, including myself for many years, sit home alone.
You see it can be hard to get to know people. It is very difficult to learn Icelandic and adjusting to a different culture can be tiring. So it is good to meet others in the same position. Maybe  speak the same language as you. It is good to have a place to go to ask questions and not be judged.
We have so many great plans, and we hope to see you there.
If not I plan on updating stuff here as well.
The first meet up is on Feb. 7, at 2 in the afternoon. Thats a Thursday. And if you want to bring the kids along we will have some teenagers available to watch the kids, read to them,  while you sit and have a coffee with us.
Maybe we can exchange receipes. 

Stefán as Leó

A problem I seem to have with three boys is always mixing up the laundry when putting it away. And they seem to think it is funny to dress in what ever they find in the closet. Here we see Stefán in Leós coat.
Funny thing is that he could actually fit in it. I think that boy needs more bacon or something.

Bondadagur

Today is Bodadagur. The first day of þorri.
Bondadagur is always on a Friday.
Bondadagur means farmer day or husband day.
My teacher reminded us girls to do something nice for the men today, cook them a nice meal, be nice.
Easier said then done!
Actually I will try to make a nice meal and be nice, but not so much because it is husbands but more because Davíð is great and if anyone deserves a great meal and nice wife its him.

I am writing this while chillin in the Hafnafjorður mall. Drinking coffee, waiting for my bus home that does not come for another hour and a half and watching the wine store next to the coffee shop. Busy place. Looks like the idea of being good to the husband includes buying a lot of beer and stuff.

To bad for Davíð, my budget is not big enough for beer in Iceland, even more so now after buying myself a coffee,

e.u.

I do not understand the politics behind the european union, and i most are in the same postition. But what i think is interesting is that for something no one really seems to understand there sure is so e pretty strong feeling. Like this poster i see everyday at school. Are you with stars in your eyes? The a website for xnei. Meaning vote no. But no reason, explanation, just a picture of an eye, stars and that should influence my vote to no?
I admit i dont know alot about the e.u. and what it would mean to iceland, but i think i would like to find out and not vote with pictures.

5 Days a week

My school timetable has changed, leaving me with classes 5 days a week. This has caused a lot of changes in my life, routine and soon personality.
Let me tell you about a few.
For the last 2 years I have worked on Fridays. Now I have class on Fridays, so I work on Saterdays. While I am glad to still help out, I can feel the weekend is shorter. I am already reminding myself, only 12 more weeks.
2 Days a week I finsh class in time to catch the early bus home, so I get home before lunch giving me some quality time to study before the house fills up with kids. These same 2 days of the week I have to take a buss that leaves before 7 in the morning. Making 6 the latest I can wake up and twice a month I get Leó up to, dress him and take him to a friends house so he can wait there for school to start. We deceided against him starting school at quartur to seven  like last year. Its a bit early for the little guy.
The other  3 week days I can take the bus home at 2, getting home by 3. Not to big of a deaal, although it is better when I can catch a ride home with a classmate who lives in the same town.  I like tthose days better.
2 of the 3 days I only actually have one class, so I finish before lunch and might have to wait until 2 for the bus. Best get better at learning in school.
The only day I acually have more then 1 class is Monday. On Mondays I ahve 2 classes.  Mondays were hard enough before I didnt have 3 hours straight of Icelandic liturature and Morphology. I am finding it difficult to not spend the last 2 and a half hoours thinking about lunch. I am becoming a.d.d.
That being said, my free day now being only Sunday, and the only day I can have a serious chance at winning the laundry wars.
Now after all this whinning I should tell you the great news. Davíð has taken over all the dishes and cleaning in the kitchen. Seriously. And while thiss has taken me some time to learn to leave it alone I am really feeling some time loosen up for myself in the evenings.
Leaving more time for the important things in life, like a game of scrabble with my greatest husband in the world.
And trying to find new ways to use the adjective Jake. 

Scrabble

In keeping up with Berman traditions, we have taken up scrabble as a serious sport. Davíð won tonight but I would like you all to know that the word Jake is not only accepted, it is also an adjective

Tipping Point: The Age of the Oil Sands: The Nature of Things with David Suzuki : CBC-TV

Tipping Point: The Age of the Oil Sands: The Nature of Things with David Suzuki : CBC-TV

Alberta has always been a scary place, but as light is shed on the Oil Sands, it is becoming a place of nightmares.

I think everyone should take a little time and look into the effects that the lifestyles around them are causing.

Breakfast with leo

Field Trips

Like small kids, my class mates and I always sit in the same place in class. No one tells us where to sit, we just do it. Everyone chose a seat last September and has sat there since. The teachers found it rather amusing that even after a month free for Christmas, we all went back to the same seats.
Also like children, or any student really, we enjoy a break in routine from the class room.
This semester prromises to be tonnes of fun with several feild trips in the works.
Today we went to the National Muesum together. Our teacher explained some stuff and we paid extra attention to the articles on life in old days Iceland.
The class being þjóðsaga or folk tales, it is important to understand the enviromeent that these stories came to be and were passed done the generations. 

Blogging on the go

In an attempt to do a better job in keeping on top of my blog I installed the app on my galaxy, it is supposed to make it easeir tp blog on here, and it does seemm easier already. Just might need a little more practice, but thats enough excuses already right, no more lazy me. The biggest problem I see right now is the absence of spell check so you might need to use your imagination a little to read what I am typing.
To be fair, I study Icelandic and not English .

kosy

Davið, kasper and stefan watching a movie on a saterday night.this is what weekends are for.

Leó is getting stronger

On Monday Leópold graduated to the big kids class. The class for boys 4-5, so he will stay there until he switchs to grade one. On one side I was not all that immpressed with the idea to move him up. One reason being that he just turned three, making him rather young in the group. Another being that although he has been toilet trained for over a year, he still refuses to pull up his own pants when he is done. Something like a refusal to grow up. He is also really delayed in his speach, thanks to two languages. So, I was not really sure he would fit in with the other kids. I also know of kids that are older then him that are not moving up. A girl in particular who is older then him, can hold up a conversation, dresses herself and can even run herself a bath. Leópold still lies on the floor like a starfish until you dress him and spins in circles until he falls over when you ask him to do somehting. But the school seems to think he is ready, I guess they see something I dont. On the other side I am happy for Leópold. He is really proud to be with the big boys. He says he is bigger and stronger like them now. There is also another kid in the class that only speaks English. I hear they hit it off famously. There goes his motivation to learn Icelandic. But he is happy. And if you ask him, the best part is no nap. This has brought his bed time forward an hour and a half.