A lot has happened since my last post... I have been so busy and my life has been really great but just with many complicated things in the mix (like uhh, what country am I in?) so I´m sorry it´s taken so long for me to post. Last time I posted was June 23... since then it would be an understatement to say a lot has gone on. The 23rd to 25th I went camping with some of my best friends from my school; it was really really fun. We ended up camping for free because the guy to collect the fees each night never came, and we were the only ones there. So it was a really peaceful getaway; we were in a clearing in a little "forest", with mountains surrounding us and a river right nearby. It was about an hour away, so it was like a fun little road trip to drive there and back.
I am pretty busy right now packing for a camping trip (I´m going camping for 2 nights with school friends as a goodbye trip) but just to fill people in on my past week...
Heyy everyone,
Well my year here in Italy is coming to an end. It's pretty strange to think about actually. I feel ready to come home at this point. I have had a bunch of disappointments this year but also many beautiful moments. I have met extroadinary people this year and seen a lot of things I wouldn't have been able to see if I had stayed the USA. I have learned a lot from this experience, even if i can see all of that yet.
We left for our end of stay orientation on Wed the 27th of May at about 8 in the morning. All of us from Lecce took a train to the camp in Castellaneta. We ended up getting there at about 12:30 (dont ask me why it took soooo long to get there because its probably an hour and a half max if you drive there).I shared a room with Ella and Lea!! At about 1:30 we had lunch (of pasta, meat, and potatoes, like always at these orientations). We had a quick welcome after lunch and then we had free time until 5, most people just went swimming in the pool. Now on to the orientation part, I have to say that this orientation was a lot more fun than the last one lol. At about 8 we went and had dinner (pasta, meat, and potatoes again) and then we had free time afterwards because some boys wanted to watch a soccer game. I went down to the pool deck for a little and then watched German MTV in the room with Ella.
Lea at dinner
Ker (Thailand), Ella (New Zealand), and Luigi (Columbia) during orientation
The next day we had breakfast at about 8:30. I met up with Jess (from Hong Kong) and we ate together and talked a bit. Breakfast consisted of croissants (this time they gave each of us two because last we only had one and a bunch of people stole other people's croissants). Then at about 9:30 orientation activities started. Today we first played some tag game and afterwards we had to fill out an evaluation about school, AFS, and our host families. We also had to write down how we felt around 4 dates set throughout the year. Here is what I wrote:
December 23, 2008: During this period I had problems with my host family, I still didn't feel like a part of the family. I felt a little confused and also alone. It was a little strange to spend Christmas in Italy. I liked learning about the traditions here but I also missed the holiday air that there is in the USA. During this time I started to really appreciate my American family a lot more.
March 15, 2009:It was weird to think that my year in Italy was already half way over. During this time I started to reflect back on my year here. Around this time was also my exchange week. I lived with a northern italian family and met a ton of cool AFSer's. I really wanted to stay in the North because I really enjoyed my week there.. My birthday was also during this month and so I felt a little old. Also at this point I really felt like a part of my second host family.
May 26, 2009: I was happy to see all of the AFSer's again and I was ready to reflect back on my year at this orientation. I want to go back to the USA in 6 weeks to see my family and friends again, but I will miss Italy, above all my host family and my AFS friends. I am waiting for school to finish and I cant wait for summer.
September 20, 2009: Obviously I can't write about this date yet because it hasnt happened, so we'll see.
The breakfast croissants
Me and Jess during orientation
Ella, me, and Lea during dinner one night
After we had some freetime before lunch and then we had more orientation stuff. First we were split into 2 group and each group had to makea collage about Italian culture, but on purpose they made the group unequal, one group had "the artists", less, people, more tools to work with, and the help of the volunteers, while my group was given a bit less and it was hard to work because we had to many people. This was supposed to represent how things are in South Africa. After that one volunteer talked about his two month stay in South Africa and then we read a story about a girl's return to the USA after staying in Italy for a year. We had to read the story and then give our advice to her. Then after dinner we did an activity where everyone sat in a circle and was given a candle. After saying a positive memory from our year (or semester) we lit the candle. Once everyone had gone we put the candles in the shape of the letters AFS.
Group pic with the candles
On Friday in the morning we had to do an activity where we were given a paper in the shape of a backpack and then we had to write what we will take home with us (objects, new abilities, interessents, and mentality). Then we had to write a letter to ourselves that AFS will send to us in September or October. After that we had some freetime before lunch and then we played a game where you had to pass a piece of plastic around the circle using our mouths, so basically to looked liked everyone was kissing. And then we played the game where everyone grabs the hands of two different people and then you have to untangle and form a circle. Then we had the afternoon to prepare for the talent show. I was in a group that was doing a play about the Italian family. Our play was about an exchange student's first night with her host family. We had a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandpa, grandma, a tiny host sister, a older host sister (me), and the boyfriend of the oldest host sis. So basically when the exchange student comes the mom, aunt, and grandma surround her and hug and kiss her, the grandpa (speaking in dialect) and uncle are playing cards and smoking, the women then cook, and I have to translate everything for the exchange student. Then everyone tries to keep feeding the exchange student, saying she needs to eat more. After dinner my boyfriend comes, so I get in a fight with the dad trying to ask if I can go to a disco. After I leave, everyone tries talking to the exchange student and she gets overwhelmed, gets up and shouts STOP and then leaves. Then the grandpa (who doesnt know any english) asks who stop is. Sorry for the complicated summary :) Anyways today we ate dinner a little bit early so we could have the talent show. After dinner we had a birthday cake for Erinn because it was her birthday. Before the talent show we all took like a ton of pictures! Then for the talent show we all had to wear our "attractive" way too big AFS shirts. Besides our skit there was two others (one on Italian friends and one on school). Also all the south americans did some dancing (because they are like amazing, its really not fair lol) and Karlis from Latvia organized a group to do a traditional Latvian dance. Also Jess and Xin (a boy from China) drew a really good poster about the Italian culture. At the end of the talent show we had to also say "Grazie Italia per..." (thanks Italy for...). Then we just danced for a while, there was a DJ who put on music, which was a ton of fun! At about 11 or 12 me, Ella, and some other Americans decided to take a swim, so we went up to our rooms and changed into our suits and went for midnight swim in the pool!
Erinn and her birthday cake
Me, Andreas, and Ella before the talent show
The drawing of Italia that Jess and Xin did
Saturday, the last day of orientation, we played a few more games. We did one called the kissing game, where everyone forms a circle and then there is one person in the middle. They have to call out a number and a letter (each boy had a number and each girl a letter). If the person in the middle is a girl then the boy who is called has to try to kiss the girl in the middle, but the girl called has to try to stop the boy and kiss him before he kisses the other girls. After we all laid on the floor and had to visualize our return to our native countries. After that we had freetime and basically everyone was signing books or shirts for other people. We had lunch a little early and then we had to leave. Us Lecce people took a bus to a tiny train station, where we then had to catch a tiny tiny train to Lecce. It was sad to leave everyone!
People signing tshirts and books
Ker, me, Ella, Luigi, Xiaoyue, Goody, and Lea with the italian flag
Ashley, Yi, and I on the last day
Ella and Paul finally making peace on the last day of orientation
For now I'll stop here, but soon I'll post about the week I spent in the North!
un bacio,
Kayla
Sorry it´s been so long... I´ve been REALLY busy doing all sorts of fun things and kind of in denial that I leave so soon and just trying to enjoy my time and not worrying about updating a blog. But since I last updated this I´ve been doing a lot so...
Heyy everyone,
So it's probably been a good month since I last posted on here. On the 15th of April I met Ella in the center for a day of shopping for the last day of Easter break. We walked around for a bit and I looked for a pair of sunglasses. After looking in a bunch of shops with no luck, I finally found a really cool pair in a store near Piazza Mazzini. After I bought them Ella and I bought lemon slushies to cool off and tried to figure out what countries all the tourists come from. After we took random pictures of Lecce before coming back to the school and then home at like 3.
me with my new sunglasses!
Ella pretending to be a tourist
Me near a car with Salento written on it
From the 16th until the 23th of April was exchange week here at Lecce. The exchangers at my school got to participate in the whole week (but we had to go to school on the 16th and the 23th because those are the days when the exchangers coming here were travelling). We were a huge group for the week because 30 hungarians and also two classes from my school particiaped (because the 3rd and 4th L did an exchange week to Hungary and so now the Hungarian came to Lecce), plus we had about 9 exchangers from AFS here for the week and then those of us who live in Lecce. In total we were a group of almost 90 people. The AFSer's here were Oddmund (from Norway), Revive (Canada), Xin (China), Keyne (USA), Ana Caroline (USA), Laura (Germany), David (Brazil), Sara (Sweden), and Cristina (Columbia). On the first friday of exchange week there was a welcome at my school. IT was basically like an assembly. The viceprincipal and the AFS president talked to us for a little, then our school chorus sang (to be honest I didnt even know we had a school chorus until then). After that they called all us AFSer's on stage (the ones here for the week and the ones who live in Lecce for the year). They made us dance the pizzica (a dance typical of Salento- the peninsula where lecce is located) and also sing a song with the chorus. It was pretty embarassing, but luckily I didnt have to dance because i am so uncoordinated. After that we all went to the market and looked around for a few hours. The market isnt that big, so after about an hour I went and got some strawberries with Ella, Keyne, Laura, and a few others and we talked in front of the school until 12. Dani came back to my house for lunch because we had to all meet in the center at like 4 and it would have been to hard for her host mom to bring her back in. After lunch we watched a few episodes of House and then at 4 my host mom drove us into the center. We waited around for a while for everyone to show up and then we started the tour of Lecce. They were moving really slow (basically we stayed at the Duomo for like an hour), so most of the AFS kids ended up leaving and going around on our own. Then at about 8:30 my host mom came and picked me up.
Ella and Revive with their matching cameras
On Saturday we started of the day by going to the cinema, where we watched a film called "East is East" in english (with italian subtitles). It was about a family in the 1970's where the dad was Pakistani and the mom was English. It talked about how the dad really wanted his kids to be religious like him and he tried to arrange a marriage for two of his sons. After that we discussed the film a little before returning to the school. The Hungarians had to do an hour of lessons. Us AFSer's were supposed to do an activity to but AFS hadn't planned anything, so we ended up playing soccer instead. I went home for lunch and then in the afternoon tried to figure out what was going on for tonight. Now it's alot harder for me to get a ride into the center, so i had to figure out times and such because my host sis usually comes in really early. I ended up going in at 7:30 and coming home at 10:15. I met up with Ella, Andreas, Emmett, Dani, Erinn, Revive, and Oddmund. We went and got kebabs for dinner, then they went to Andreas' house but Ella and I couldnt go because there wasnt enough time (thanks to our curfew). Instead we got a gelato and sat near the Duomo. Also before meeting the others we were walking our Lecce and some guys heard us speaking English and so to be funny tried asking us something in English. When we responded in Italian they were so shocked. Then at 10:15 my host dad came to pick us up and we brought Ella back to my house because its easier for her host mom to pick her up there than in the center.
Me with some gelato on Saturday night
Sunday was basically just a day with the host families (for the exchangers here for the week). I went to the beach with my host family and studied a little bit of precalculus.
On Monday with AFS we went to Otranto, Gallipoli, Leuca, and Castro. We were slit up into two buses. First we went to Otranto, were we saw teh Cathedral, the castle, and then we went down on the beach for a little. The water at Otranto is absolutely gorgeous!!! Then we went Castro (or a town near by). We ate lunch there and then a few of us climbed down on the rocks to get a better view of the ocean. Then we stopped a Leuca, were we just looked at the sea and took a group photo of the AFS kids. After that we went to Gallipoli. First we went to see the Cathedral as a group and then we had an hour of freetime. We went to get gelato. (Oddmund got a huge cone with like 4 flavors). At about 6:30 we got back to Lecce.
The cathedral at Otranto
Keyne and I near the sea in Otranto
The town where we ate lunch
Santa Maria di Leuca
AFS group photo at Leuca
On Tuesday we took another day trip. This time we went north of Lecce. Today was a bit rainy, so it was a good thing my host mom told me to bring an umbrella. First we stopped by a wine factory for a little. Then we drove up to a town called Ostuni. We went to see a little musuem and then ate lunch standing up because we all got hungry. After that we went to see a church and then a view of the valley. After that we got back on the bus and went to a town called Alberobello, where there are tiny little houses called trulli. We had some freetime there, so we went to get gelato and then just walked around for a little bit.
The cathedral in Ostuni
The trulli in Alberobello
Wednesday was the last day we got to spent with the AFS people here for the week. We met up at the school at 8:30, we had a half hour discussion about the differences between the north and south of Italy and then we walked into the center. We were split up into two group (because 90 people is too big). First we went to a museum in Lecce, which is a really old house in Lecce. We took a tour, the tour guide explained how under the house there are underground room and also under the city of Lecce there are roads, which is so cool, but this one was blocked off. After that we went to a shop that makes cartapesta (basically paper mache) and the shopkeeper shopped us how is it done. After that we had freetime. Some people went to chinese food for lunch, but I didnt bring a lot of money with me and I was tired, so instead I walked back to my house with Revive (because his host family for the week lives near where my house is). After lunch I met back up with him again and we walked in to the center for a conference at the castle. It was supposed to start at 4 but it didnt end up starting until 5. It was pretty boring because a bunch of people just talked for a while about Identity. Infact my host mom sadi i could call if it got too boring and she would come and get me (but i didnt want to be rude and i was sitting in the middle, so i didnt have a chance to call her). At about 7:30 it finally ended and I went home a little. But then at 8:30 there was the final dinner at a restaurant. My host sister all came. I sat at a table with Dani, her host sister, Laura, Ella, Sara, Serena (the host sister of Cristina), Cristina, Maddie (Lea's host sis), Lea, David, Luz, and Xin. For dinner we had an antipasta of fish, then we had pasta with fish, and then meat. Afterwards there was the cake and then dancing. It ended at about 11 or 12, so my assistant drove Giulia and I home. Luckily the next day we got to stay home from school because we got home so late.
One of the underground rooms in the museum
Me, Ella, and Sara at the last dinner
Me, Cristina, and Sara at the last dinner
The cutting of the cake
Last group photo for the week
On Friday I had a movie night with Lea and Ella. Last minute I decided to make Apple Crumble so we had to make a quick run to the grocery store, but there were so many people there because the next day there was a holiday. At about 8:45 I got home and rushed to make the Apple Crumble because Ella had to leave at 10. We watched a little bit of Twilight and after ate bruscette for dinner and then the Apple Crumble.
My Apple Crumble
On the 30th I went into the center because there wasnt school on Friday for Labor Day. I wanted to meet up with Dani, Emmett, and Andreas to get some waffles (Emmett found a creperia that sells waffles). Dani couldnt end up getting a ride until 9. I met up with Andreas and Emmett at 8:30 and had to eat a waffle really quick because then Giulia called me and said our ride was here, I am starting to get sick of having to come home at 9 every time we going into Lecce, because most people go into the center when we are going home.
The next day there wasnt school so i chilled out at home. That night my host family and I (and also Stefano, a friend of Giulia) went to a pizzeria in San Cataldo, where we have a beach house. I got a pizze with hot dogs and french fries on it. I felt bad for Stefano because my host dad was grilling him with all these questions about school and stuff, when Giulia when to take Elisabetta to the bathroom. In the car on the way there Riccardo was having fun sending me texts with random English words (for example one said "help me...a monster...the true is for and believe fru fru el dorado and what is for me and i are milk and nutella").
My pizza with hot dogs and french fries
Sorry this post is getting pretty long, I guess at lot of things happen in only a month. Now moving onto to May. On the 9th there was an assembly at the school so I didnt have to go. Instead I met up with Ella in the center for a little bit of shopping. Right now all the roads are being redone in the center (like a first lol) because the G8 is going to Lecce in June. Ella looked ofr some sunglasses but with no luck, instead she found a really pretty beach dress. I bought some gifts for people. Then at 12:30 we went back to my house. Ella came for lunch, along with a friend of Giulia. We had pasta, then french fries. I watched some funny House episodes with Ella. Then at 5 we had to go to a meeting at the school for International European day. The principal called us AFSer's on stage to shake our hands (except Dani was "sick" and couldnt come and Lea had dance). After about an hour we slipped out and then Roberta (Lea's assistant) drove Ella and I into the center and we went to see some bands performing for the Art Day at Lecce. Then at 8 when my host mom came to drop Giulia off she picked up Ella and I. Ella sayed for dinner (we had pizza) and we walked a movie before her host mom came to get her. The next day my host family invited her to come to the beach with us. We brought panini to the beach for lunch. I finally went swimming in the sea here, it was a little cold but felt good. We played around with Riccardo and had a splash fight and then we took a long walk on the beach. At about 4 we went back to the beach house, we played basketball with Riccardo for a little and then watched a movie. Then later on we ate barbequed meat for dinner along with pittule and after i pasticciotti.
Me with my little host sister at our beach house
Me and Ella at the beach
On the 14th I decided to make Apple Pie for something to do. The next day I brought some to school for Dani, Lea, and Ella. Except like three classes asked if I had brought it for them. The crust got a little burnt (maybe becuase we bought it and so it was a really thin crust) but the apple part still tasted good. Maybe one of these day I will make chocolate chip cookies with Dani or carrot cake.
The Apple Pie(s) I made
I only have 3 more days of school left but these last days have been filled with tests and interrogations. I had an interrogation in math the other day and I will have one in English soon. I also have a math test tuesday and I was supposed to have a chemistry test last monday but I didnt go to school then or this monday so maybe I will have it next week. It is starting to get really hot here, which makes school even more boring. I almost fell asleep in math the other day (but maybe that was because I had already done the same lesson the hour before, basically on saturday I have one hour of math with one class and then another hour right after with a different class. so i end up doing the same lesson twice). At least saturday was my last saturday with school!!!
On the 16th of May (a saturday) I went into the center at like 7 and came back at like 10 or 11 (we got to come back later because Giulia went to a concert in S. Oronzo). I met up with Ella. We did a little bit of shopping, I bought an awesome pair of shoes and also some gifts. Then we went to a restaurant for dinner. We sat at a table outside. The waitress kept giving us weird looks when we spoke in English and took photos. We ordered a salad and after a crepe with ice cream on the side. After that we took some videos of Lecce and then went to sit down in Piazza Mazzini. We took more photos and then two weird guys bought us roses so we ran away, except they follwed us and tried to ask for our numbers. Luckily Ella saw her host bro so we got away. I ended throwing away my rose before I got home in order to avoid an intense interrogation from my host dad.
The outdoor restaurant I ate at with Ella
Me and Ella in Piazza Mazzini
Then on Sunday I chilled at home in the morning and tried to study Chemistry, but then at 8:30 I went to the party of a girl from 1L. It was a little awkward because I didnt really know anyone. There was dancing and flashing lights. AT one point three guys started dancing on table without their shirts (and no they werent drunk). At about 10 we ate and a little after I left because I didnt want to make my host family stay up late. Then tuesday afternoon I went into the center again with Ella because she needed to buy shoes, but she didnt find anything so we just walked around for a while.
Then on Wednesday I had school as usual, after school I helped my host mom make stuffed eggplant. At about 6 I went with my host sis and her friend to the track to "run", we ran a little but walked for the most part. After while we were waiting for my host dad to finish talking these boys walked past and wanted to talk to us, and my host dad came over. They went to change and said they would talk to us after. But luckily I saw Emmett and talked to him for a little before we finally went home.
The next day nothing exciting happened. At school I had to write a paper for Italian (about youth and the crisis of values) and therefore missed my chemistry test once again. Then Giulia and I went home early on the way home we stopped but a bar to get a snack. At night we watched the Guiness World records show and laughed about all the stupid records they have. On friday we went running again. Those boys came back again and asked our names. Giulia said she was Geswalda and when I said my name they got all confused. Giulia told them I was American and so they thought I couldnt speak Italian, so it was pretty funny when I started speaking in Italian. Giulia and I didnt go into the center tonight, but instead we watched the Da Vinci code on TV and I talked with my parents on skype.
Then yesterday we went to the beach. We left at about 12 and took some panini to eat there. At first the water was cold but it felt really nice. I went swimming for a while and then sat out to dry. We ate lunch and then went swimming again. After that I buried myself in the sand and played catch with Riccardo and also played with Elisabetta in the little "pool". At about 6 we went back to the beach house. Giulia and I went to buy pasitcciotti and then we hung out at the house. For dinner we had barbequed meat, mozzarella, and bruscette. At about 11 we came back to Lecce.
Me buried in sand at the beach
Me playing with my little host sister in the sand
My host mom, me, and my host brothers and sisters in front of the fire at the beach house
Hum... lately I have been reading lots of books in Italian. I have read the first three Harry Potter books already and I am about half way through the 4th one. On Wednesday I have my last orientation. I cant believe its almost June and I go home in lass than 6 weeks. I have a feeling time will fly. A week after my orientation I'm going near Milan to visit a family I know there. (AFS FINALLY gave me permission to go and I am soooooo excited). I am a little sad that this year is almost over but I am also really excited to see my friends and family again after not seeing them for almost 9 months.)
That's all for now, I'll write again after orientation!
Un bacio
I am so bad at keeping this blog updated! This month of May so far has been pretty eventful. April 30th was my last day of classes, so I started off the month with summer vacation and playing in a parade for Labor Day. The parade was a demonstration as well... people were marching with all sorts of signs displaying their political views and what organization they work for and what they want changed in their work, and also things like gay pride and women´s rights. The parade started at Hlemmur, the main bus terminal in downtown Reykjavík, and then went down Laugavegur, the main street, and ended up in Austurvöllur, a square where there were bands performing (including mine) and political speeches made and lots of booing and clapping based on who had what views on what issue.
Saturday, April 25 was a pretty awesome day, personally for me, and also for all of Iceland. I went on a horseback riding trip with AFS, and it also happened to be election day where all the seats in the Alþing (parliament/legislature) were voted on.
Lara, an exchange student from Austria living in a town an hour outside of Reykjavík, came to my house the night before so she could stay here and be able to meet in Reykjavík for the horse trip. Then we woke up pretty early (like 7:30) on saturday morning so we could get to the AFS office at 9 for the trip. Then we met there, and got in cars to go to Hveragerði, a town like 45 minutes away. When we arrived in Hveragerði, we went to Eldhestar (the horse company which means like “fire” or “volcano” horses. There, we were a group of people from maybe 15 different countries, taught by Swedish people how to ride Icelandic horses. Icelandic horses are REALLY special. They are pony-sized but really strong and with a thick mane for cold winters. They have 5 walks instead of just the typical 3 (trot, cantor, and gallop) of other horses. They have never been crossbred, and it will remain that way, as it is illegal to bring international horses into Iceland. It is also illegal to bring your Icelandic horse home even if it only went to 1 competition in another country. Mine was named “Lýsingur”, which means “description”. Icelandic names are weird (other Icelandic names [for people!] are Ljótur/Ugly, Dagur/Day, Grímur/Masks, Steinn/Stone, Saga/Story, Víkingur/Viking, Björk/Birch Tree, Harpa/Harp, Björn/Bear, Örn/Eagle, yeah, funny stuff). The horses on the tour don´t go so fast, so it wasn´t like very thrilling compared to my horse trip in summer 2007 in Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Costa Rica, where I was helmetless riding through a rainforest with an uncontrollable horse who ran in front of the tour guide, who said not to worried and went on to tell me about a time where he went to Amsterdam and smoked weed, all in Spanish. (But now I´m in Iceland where most things don´t run like that and most people aren´t like that!) But what was really incredible was the breathtaking nature, and seeing everything so empty yet so rich. Empty because there are close to NO trees in Iceland, so one can see the landscape to a really far distance. Yet rich because the ground is mostly composed of volcanic rocks covered by only the strongest mosses and grasses which can survive the Icelandic winter, and the mountains slice into the horizon in every direction, and the horses are so strong and beautiful.
[(wanted to have a pic here of the horses but it won´t upload...)]
When we were done riding, we went to the pool, which is always awesome in Iceland. We played basketball (Americans vs others, which ended up being 4 vs like 10) and an Italian smashed my hand into the edge of the pool so I still a week later have a gross cut from it. The AFS volunteers pretty much had to drag us out of the pool becaue the weather was so nice and we were having so much fun. Also because it´s cold out and we prefer being in the warm pool over being in the cold outside air. When they finally got us to leave, we went to get ice cream (which is also really special in Iceland, just so delicious). Then after a long tiring morning & afternoon, we got home to Reykjavík around 4 and Lara and I returned to Frostaþing. There we relaxed a little bit, ate dinner, and then went out to a café to meet the family of Marije, a Dutch exchange student. It really made me look forward to my family´s visit in the end of June, because it just seems so nice to be reunited with family after a long time!
Then Saturday the 25th was also election day. Not too exciting, but I guess a little interesting. The elections normally weren´t supposed to be this April, but after MANY angry protests downtown, the government decided to give the people what they want. I still don´t completely understand Icelandic politics and government (partly because I have little to no interest in politics, and partly because it´s not my own country where I would be able to vote, and partly because most Icelanders don´t even understand it enough to be able to explain it). But some differences are that the government is all national; there are no regions of Iceland that make their own laws. The country is divided into “kjördæmi”´s which are… uhh… voting regions (?) in English. There are 6: Reykjavík North, Reykjavík South, Southwest, Northeast, Northwest, and South. My town is in the southwest region (labeled "Suðvestur" on the map below). This election was not voting for president, but instead for the people in Alþing, which is similar to congress(wo)men in the House of Representatives. Instead of having just republicans and democrats, there are a lot of political groups here. There are Vinstri Grænn/Left-wing Green, Samfylkingin/Social Democrats, Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn/Independent Party, Framsóknarflokkurinn/Progressive Party, Borgarhreyfingin/Citizens´ Movement, and Frjálslyndiflokkurinn/Liberal Party. All of these groups have some seats in the Alþing. Iceland also has the world´s first lesbian prime minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.
I know it is kind of late, but I´m going to write now about my easter break which I spend in Patreksfjörður and other parts of the West Fjords! I love traveling, which is actually a reason I wanted to live in a new country for a year, and at first I was a little reluctant on picking an island because I knew that I wouldn´t be able to travel internationally this year. But I´m actually really glad with this choice now, because it gives me even more of the opportunity to see everything that Iceland alone has to offer! It´s a small but incredible country. On tuesday morning, april 7, Maria´s host mom Helga and host sister Rut came with the car to Frostaþing (my street) to pick us up. We drove for about 3 hours up to Stykkishólmur, which is a small town on the Snæfells peninsula. There, we went to the supermarket (because there is none in Patreksfjörður) and then took a ferry up to the West Fjords. Now this ferry is nothing like the 10 minute ride from NJ to NY; this is a legitimate ferry. It was a 3 hour long ride, and cars go on it, and it´s huge. There is always a long line for the cars to get on it, so instead of just sitting there and doing nothing, Maria and I went exploring for a few minutes up on these really beautiful cliffs with a view of the ocean. Also, we are both Spanish students (nowhere near fluent, but understand and speak somewhat), and as exchange students we love to practice foreign languages! So we heard a group of guys speaking Spanish and of course I shoot one of them a "de dónde eres?" (where are you from) and so we met people from Spain and got to practice Spanish! I remember first coming here thinking how I would never know more Icelandic than Spanish, but that quickly changed and I almost don´t believe it myself, but also now my Spanish really sucks because I´m so out of practice and I kinda believe that my brain can only function in 2 languages at once.
So then we took the ferry... it was really cool! The view was beautiful, and there are like thousands of really little miniature islands off the coast of Iceland. One that we stopped at is called Flatey... there are very few people who live there, and the island is so small and old fashioned that there are no cars or streets and their only means of transportation is boat. The ride from Brjánslækur to Patreksfjörður was completely beautiful! The roads slice through the mountains and the coast is always visible because of how the land is just oceans then mountains and not much space in between. The roads can be really dangerous, especially in the bad weather; on the way down a mountain side there stands this statue made out of a bunch of rocks of a big man who is supposed to protect you on your journey down when you stop to acknowledge him. When we arrived in Patreksfjörður, we went straight to Maria´s grandma´s house for soup which was really nice. Then we went straight home to Maria´s house so we could catch a special on TV about my band. They interviewed Magga, another lady who plays the saxophone, and they also had shots of us playing and rehearsing and I was on the TV quite a few times. Magga is going to pick up a copy for me from the TV station so I can bring it home to America.
Then the next few days were nice and very easy-going, which is a big change from my life in the capital area. Here there are always a lot of things going on, but there is often nothing happening in such a small town (less than 600 residents). So we did things like go to the pool, walk to the store, meet up with her friends, meet up with the other exchange student there (Ulloriaq from Greenland), and seriously just relax. One night a week is volleyball in the sport house, so we went there and played. On Föstudagurinn Langa (Long Friday? Good Friday? don´t know the english name, just that it´s related to easter and a friday) nobody in Iceland does ANYTHING exciting, it is seriously a day to do nothing. But Maria´s host father had to go check on his brother´s summer cottage to make sure everything was good, and it was about a 45 minute drive away on the other side of the fjord. So we went out there, and then while we were already there we decided to make the trip to Látrabjarg, the western most point in Europe. It was unbelievably windy, so windy that I had to walk always with a distance of about 10 yards/meters between me and the edge of the cliff just because the wind was so strong that it could have blown me off into the rough and rocky ocean below me.
Easter Sunday was really nice! Maria and I woke up early so we could make it to the "8:00 mass", as we wanted to see how Icelandic church services go. We left the house at 7:45, walked to church (and it was snowing on our way there... april 12!), got there at 8, and saw that we were the only people there besides the choir. At first we kinda laughed to ourselves and thought "oh it just goes to show that Icelanders have really poor church attendace!" and we were (pretty quietly) making some jokes about it. But then we were like oh hey the service hasn´t started yet! So we figured out that it actually started at 8:30, and by that time there were maybe 15 people watching the service. Nothing compared to an Easter service in the states, but still better turnout than just us! Afterwards was a nice breakfast for the churchgoers. Then we went back home where the best part of the day came... PÁSKAEGG! Easter eggs! Unlike the American tradition of getting an Easter basket filled with candy, here they get a hollow chocolate egg filled with candy. The eggs come in all different sizes... the biggest being 1kg/2.2lbs and smallest just like the size of a real egg. I got 2... 1 from my host grandfather (350 g) and 1 from María´s host parents (230 g). I ate 350g of chocolate in 1 and a half days, and that means I´m becoming Icelandic! The day after Easter, we went to visit her German friend Jantje on a farm 30 min away. It was a really fun day! We went to the beach (in winter coats of course though), pet the cows, milked the cows, ate good food, and played cards. We went home around 8 (Jantje driving), and about half way through the ride home we smell a burning smell, and then I look back and see smoke. We immediately stopped the car and got out, where we found something burning in the trunk. Thank god there was snow on the ground, so we took it from the side of the road to put out the fire. Then Marias dad came to pick us up and a farmer on Jantje´s farm came to get her, and they managed to get the car back. That was an adventure! Especially the standing outside in the cold for 30 minutes part. I think it happened because we didn´t acknowledge the statue on our way down the mountain (yes, it happened on that mountain). And we learned then that the man in the statue is the father of the main farmer on Jantje´s farm.
Then Tuesday the 14th, I had to wake up early for my "shuttle bus" to the "airport". I put them in quotations for a reason. The shuttle bus was one of those oversized vans for maybe 15 people. But I was the only one taking it. So I sat near the front and just talked to the driver about my trip in the west fjords and his job and skiing and just everything... Icelanders actually aren´t THAT cold if they have nobody else to talk to, and especially if you speak Icelandic to them. The airport was right outside of the town Bíldudalur, and he asked me if I had ever been in the town so when I said no he said "oh we have a little extra time, I´ll give you a tour!" He was very knowledgeable and it´s cool how just last minute I get a tour of another town of Iceland and get to see something else new. Then we arrived at the “airport” which was like the size of my living room. No security, no gates, no luggage check, barely even a check in… there was just an asking what my name is, I gave just my first name, and then they took my bag and said okay. There´s not even any announcements or loudspeaker… the plane from Reykjavík to Bíldudalur landed and everyone got off and then we got on. The way we got on was we walked outside and then over to the stairs which led up directly into the plane, kinda like how celebrities and presidents do it. The plane was so little…. had a total of 18 seats of which only 8 were filled. The flight only took a half hour… it took longer for me to get from the Reykjavík airport to my house a few miles away than to get from the West Fjords to Reykjavík like a hundred miles away. That is because the bus system is so messed up and there are no buses that go directly to where someone needs to go; they are always going out of the way to a million random places.
Then I started school that next Wednesday, and I was in school from Wednesday to Wednesday but not Thursday! (April 23, yesterday). This is becasue it was Sumardagurinn Fyrsta (the first day of summer). So Wednesday night, because of no school, it was like a Friday. A few friends and I went out on a “rúntur” which is where you drive around town with no real purpose but just listen to music and talk and have fun and make some stops to get ice cream or something to eat or go to a friend´s house. So we had a successful rúntur, and I´m glad I didn´t get home too late because I had to wake up early in the morning. Despite the horrible weather, there were various parades all around the Reykjavík area, and I was playing in 2 of them with my band. First at 10:00 we played in Árbær, which is a neighborhood in the corner of Reykjavík. This parade was pretty little… we divided into 2 groups to hit up different neighborhoods so it was just 12 of us in the whole parade. And here the parades aren´t like in America with the sidewalks crowded by people watching and just standing there; here people start watching the parade wherever and then instead of letting it just pass by, they walk down the sidewalk with the marchers and follow it to the end. Then we had a couple hours of downtime, so I went home with Inga who lives right in Árbær and we just chilled and enjoyed being inside where it was warmer than 4C/40F and not raining. Then we had to go out again to Vesturbær (an area very close to downtown, where the University of Iceland is) where our 2nd and bigger parade was. This parade had boy and girl scouts in the front carrying around 5 Icelandic flags, followed by us playing. I am a little disappointed that we play more American songs than Icelandic, but we got to play Öxar Við Ána which is a national song so that was nice… I think that´s only the 2nd or 3rd Icelandic song I´ve played with this band. Then after being out marching in the rain so much, I was pretty dead and just went home and chilled all day. Such a nice feeling! Gunna and the girls were baking so we got to eat some fresh baked stuff and have hot cocoa… totally not appropriate for the beginning of summer as I know it. But I´ve learned this year to expect the unexpected and really gone with AFS´s “it´s not good, it´s not bad, it´s just different” and so I accept the first day of summer the way it is, no matter how bad the weather.
And today (Friday, the 2nd day of summer) I went on my way to school in the snow. Happy summer!
I just finished writing an entry about my Easter vacation and first day of summer, but first before I forget, I want to post some pics from my Árshátíð´s.
I'm deleting this blog soon
i just have nothing to write about!
I'll give it a week (cos i've got pictures linking off this site) and then it'll all be gone.
Go over and see my blogspot blog where i'll write stuff sometimes lol
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