between islands

2009-03-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Time to look in again... I made a day trip to Oxford and was quite fascinated. I just missed Harry Potter (he escaped round the corner and I did not catch him on a photo) but did believe all stories about wizards and magic. People did run around in this crazy robes, dining halls do exist but I was too afraid to visit the library, the librarian could have been a huge ape and the library could have swollowed me. I did however see the oldest English stained glass window, the shop where Alice in Wonderland bought her sweets and now know that her father was the dean of the Christchurch College and a professor in Mathematics. Gorgolytes got a quite new meaning. But, look and see for yourself.

2009-02-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Next Tuesday I will be one year wiser and did invite some people over for tomorrow afternoon. So I did go to the city yesterday and had a nice outing at the market and fishmarket and, yes, did some shopping. It is beautiful weather, a bit frost and sunshine. I did buy a lachs filet that is now becoming graflachs in my fridge. Today I cleaned my flat, once again sorted my endless flow of papers and it looks really nice now. Just now I had a calory light dinner, Icelandic shrimps and octopus rings with some onion and a tiny bit of garlic (tiny because of the smell) and rice and is was delicious. That did remind me of a time our family was in Mallorca, for about six weeks I think and I was about eleven years old. I loved the spanish food and specially Paella. Once I went with my father to visit some friends in another hotel and they were eating ordinary food, like roastbeef with gravy and I felt so sorry for them. I did not understand why they would not get the "good" food. Poor suckers.
My work is going well and I am quite happy. I even have time to knit and read "not university" stuff. What a better life could one wish for.

2009-02-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

Time is passing - as it should. I am getting f. f. (fat and flabby) and I do not like myself, but probably this is an universal problem (not liking oneself extremely much). I have started eating whole rice and beans and will not buy any more bread. I also started again my rope yoga, on the floor in my flat, I did take my ropes with me from home.
Today it has been snowing all day long, fat, nice round flakes and I have heard that the traffic around me is more or less down. I have not looked at it myself. Today the muse kissed me and I got a good spell on rewriting my assignment. Thus, work does go as it is expected to go and after a difficult first week I have settled well in again. I did knit me a nice cap (picture will follow very soon) and have read lots of books, both private and for study. I did buy this little gadget for my computer and it works beautifully, I spent one morning, when I woke up at half past 5 and ran my filmes through. Of course I do not find the most important one, or I took over it.
But I did pass all three of my autumn assignments and got A for two and B for one. I hate Bees!

2009-01-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Having gone once again into the city of Birmingham I did not yet get a connection from my camcorder into my laptop, but now I do know where some of the computer and camcorder shops are. I did learn: I do have a firewire I will have to connect and a simple USB connection will not do me any good. I would have to get a new port which I can add by buying a PC card. Furthermore my computer will accept a Type II PC Card and I also found the PC Card slot. Got it? So my next step will be to go back to the last shop in the - oh, I forgot the name of the street - and get me such a card and hope that it will work. The card alone will cost around 27 Pounds. But that will be money well spent when and if it works. I could take my laptop to the shop, but I would like to fix this by myself and the laptop has a weight of I think 3 and a half kilos so I do not really want to drag it with me down town. The bus was very friendly to me today and was on time too. There is so much SALE down town, luckily I am too lazy to go and try on clothes, but I did use the trip to get me some more food to store away. I do start to wonder: I am a food hoarder?

2009-01-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

Today I ventured out of my flat again: Please notice: The second day in a row. It was less cold than yesterday, still my eyes were teary and my nose was leaking. So I walk around campus crying and sniffeling. At least I did not attract any attention. I did buy the Office Package, for about 10.000 Ikr. what I find too much but satisfactory and had it intsalled on coming back to my flat. It works properly so I am satisfied. I did not get a connection from my camcorder to my computer and will have to go to the city for it once again. I did look in the internet for it but do not know exactly what I need but I will not rest before I solve that problem! I went to the library, brought books back and got new ones, 10 to be exact, but no, I do not read them all word for word but look for passages that are of interest to me. My first assignment is running nicely, as I do have "Word" now I can even write on.

2009-01-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

When the world smiles at you don´t smile back too soon: I had a nice outing down town yesterday and did buy this and that, mostly food. When now I go by foot or bus I don´t think so much about how expensive things are - that goes by itself - but how heavy they are and I am always quite happy when I got home with all that stuff. That was nice and then I chatted with lots of people and was ready to smile but then my computer went blank and had me worried. I do try not to worry too much, but... I wenr to the computer help desk today, with my laptop and this nice boy there got it going again in no time so I felt very lucky and happy. I did get the tip to load down "AVG free anti-virus software" and did that and am quite happy now. The computershop does close at 4 o´clock but tomorrow I will go and buy me the Office package so up til then I have a good excuse not to write anything. It is cold outside, getting colder each day.

2009-01-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

Slowly I am getting used to being alone again and adjust to my student life. I did have some more trouble with my allergy and coughing, but now I have my two windows open at night and during the day I use my cooking hood a lot, so that helps.
I did go to class and most of the people I did expect where there but not yet all of them. I am reading and have to go down town to day as I need one more cable for my computer. I was terribly frustated yesterday when I found out that when copying old videos to my computer in the Christmas holidays (for hours and days) I did not get the sound, so some day I will have to do all again. Thankfully it does not hurt me now, I can live without sounds for the time being. It is cloudy and drizzling outside but not very cold.

2009-01-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

So, as most of you know, I am back in the UK and the heaven is crying: it´s raining.
I started my first schoolday in Sabine style: Up to now I had been at the right time on the wrong days, today I started the right day at the wrong time and went to my first lecture at 9:30 and should have been there at 14:00, so I got nice walks as there is a road construction and the bus changed it´s route..
I worried about the trip between the islands, but I should not have worried, the trip went beautifully and I even managed my 20 kg suitcase.
The first night I woke up with a sore coughing and found out that it had been my allergy to the duvet which had me sick in the autumn. So I took the bus to the city, the bus was on time!, and bought me a new one and now I am very happy and slept so well that I was brightly awake at two o´clock in the night...
I have already started reading, good for my brain which did empty itself over the Christmas holidays when I had the luxus to be a guest at my own home.

Geese

2008-11-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

This then would be Canadian Geese.

I am so sorry to have left you suspended in air for so long. I had been quite sick and weak for about three weeks but now I am frwsh and fine again. The assignments run rather easily out of my pen and I have but one to go before the holidays. I plan to come home for Christmas and will leave here the 13th of Dec.
Life is easy and comfortable and I have nothing to complain about.
Today, as yesterday, a flokk of canadian geese, about 15 to 20, is happyly devouring the new grass on our lawn. I do think that it is quite good for the grass as it will strengthen their roots, anyhow it is fun to watch them. There are very conscious about their distance to each other and will complain and bite when some other bird comes too near. Watching that I think about our school children, most often piled into a to
small classroom. Maybe they would feel better at arms distance and couldn´t pinch each other and go on their nerves? So, and now I will show you Canadian geese.

This then would be the new grass, two weeks old.

And here are the geese eating it

2008-10-27T07:40:00.001-07:00

Above you see some English country side

This morning I was going to chat on the blog and tell you that I got sick again, got a sore throat and passed the day yesterday in bed, reading, but now I feel better.... As I said, I was going to say that and then the „word“ closed down on me and I spent hours downloading a new trial version...but as you see, I did and now I am fine to go to the beginning of January. As I did spent so much time downloading I do not have more time for you now..

Monika, I read you! Hope you are well.

2008-10-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

As you see, the school of education in the university of Birmingham is known all around the world and here are some of the pupils and their home countries!

But talking about yesterday:
When people ask me, I mostly say that it is not cold in Iceland, not really. It is harsh weather , yes, just by the sea and often stormy. Now, being in middle England I don´t really believe myself any more. Yesterday was a wonderful warm day, a day when people at home would sit outside on the Austurvellir and the TV crews would take interwievs with the sun bathers. In the mean time, I hear, there was a blizzard going over my dear little island and the road over the mountains was closed for half a day. So, I bath in sun. There was a tiny wind with a small twinge in it so it wouldn´t get stuffy. Me and Lucy took the train down to the city and went there to eat in a malaysian resturant and I had crispy duck breast, very nice and soft. Then we went to the market, quite exotic for me. And on the way home the train did wait for us and I had only to wait for the bus for a few minutes: a perfect day.

2008-10-23T10:46:00.001-07:00

This morning saw me early outside and we took the train, 5 students, the fast train as we found out and had to go back again as we had gone too far, but found the school in the end and in good time. As I have to write it down anyhow, I will share with you.

So into classrooms we went, I looked to the 9, 10 years old and they just had a math test while we tiptoed in. This is a mainstream primary school in a „heavy“ environment and about half the children do have learning disablities or/and English as a second language. The school has a politic of being very „sensory friendly“ such as the colour of the room was very relaxing, a pale light seablue, also the ceiling, even the blinds were the same colour and filtered the incoming sunshine softly. The walls were well used, but again, in the main colour, lighter and darker, there was no colour clashing. They try not to use fluoerscense light, are slowly changing the light system in the school. To the end of the test the teacher put soft music on, very low and incense. No loud voice, the teacher whispered. So, comes recesstime, theteacher is still whispering, everybody who has his things ready and isn´t talking is called up by name and tiptoes out. All the children sit very quietly so not to miss the name calling. Five kids are not ready and the teacher ignores them, she walks out of the room and leaves them behind with the helper. Comes back after a short time while they hurried to get ready and lets them out.

Two children have wobbly nobby seat cushions to keep them from wriggeling.

Next lesson time: Just half the class now, learning how to write an assignment, heavy stuff. The teacher is very lively, never uses the word ‚wrong‘ : „This is an exciting piece. Would you like to think more about this word?“...“ Uses child participation: „Would you like to add?“ One boy with the diagnose of autism sits in front of is computer and is typing away what the others are writing by hand. Clapping hands to get attention: Claps different rythms and all the children join in.

I was quite impressed.

2008-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Soulmates

22.10
Now it is a month since I am here. What have I accomplished? I am getting comfortable with the left hand driving and am able to look to the right (left) direction and cross a road without a bumping heart. I havn´t lost myself the last week. I have got a pot to cook in. I have nearly finished my first assignment of 4000 words. I gave me three weeks for each assignment that would leave me some time to ponder and to correct. Truly, I am ahead of time. Somebody in class told me today to talk, as English wasn´t her first language. I’ve seen a little of the English countryside. I sometimes catch the bus.
I have been to my first economy lecture and did understand something. Though I arrived 20 minutes ahead of time I just was lucky enough to get a seat on a table at the back of the room and the lecture room was stuffed.
In short: The world savings rose between 2002 and 2007 (less money flow). There was an oversight of risk takers and the individual organisations had become too big. The banks were wrongly optimistic and didn´t recognize their losses early enough. There was a very sudden liquidity crisis. The emerging countries come best out of this “crunch”, the best established countries suffer most. The future: The economy will be restored at about 2010. There will be a shift towards the emerging countries. We will see a new conversatism in finance. The establishments will become smaller and there will be more cooperation between them. There could be a political shift (example: Iceland- Russia). (Bill Allen, 22.10.2008)

2008-10-22T06:12:00.001-07:00

My flat is the one up, up to the left, under the roof.

"My bus stop"
Today I was lucky, on the way home I just had to wait a few minutes!

I am just home from a session, it is very interesting but quite exhausting, 3 hours in a row with one 15 minute coffee brake in between. This was one about how to conduct research and how much (or little) you can trust the resources you´ve got and how to check on that. I got by now a little ring of greek pupils who live in the Vale too, so we walk together to and back and tommorrow morning we will meet at 7.45 to go together to the train station for a school visit. After class I went to the “school market”, bigger today than before, with stalls for jams- they got these wonderful jams here. I bought a – not so cheap- plum jam with this nice plum chunks in it and, as Valur would call it, some “gras”, vegatables in this case and apples. This is all home grown and healthy and they take a pride in it to offer it to the students. So, that was that, at five a clock I plan to attend a lecture about the state of the world economics at the moment and in the future and after that I could go and look at a film in the building opposite. The time in between I must use to work. I did already do my whashing up and prepare my dinner as I will be home late. And now I´ve made me a nice cup of coffee to drink while reading.

2008-10-20T14:36:00.001-07:00

Mason Hall, my house is behind me

The Lake seen from my stairway
University shopping center with clock tower

View from my window

20.10
Tommorow it will be a month since I arrived. I would like to hold on to the time and stop it passing so quickly. Today I ventured to the city of Birmingham the second time and I did find places I had been told about. I walked through a meat and fish market and the pig- and lambheads were smiling at me. I bought me some very fat and naughty sausage and had half of it for dinner. It was all fine until I had to wait for the bus for about 45 minutes and the trip home took one hour in the traffic jam with two yelling brats, (sorry, sweet little children of course..) on the bus. Outside the rain was pouring. Was I happy to get home again! I do miss my little red car. To go with the bus is ok, usually I even get a seat, but the waiting! The other day I spent one and a half hour just waiting for the bus. The timetable is quite erratic and seems to depend on the traffic and the mood of the driver. Now that I feel better I prefer to walk.

2008-10-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

A week gone by since I last wrote, how quick the time is passing!!

I should be excused, I was really quite sick, a nasty infection of the lungs the doctor called it. Now that I feel so much better I just realize how bad I did feel. Still, there is something in the air which makes my eyes water and my nose run but I got a stronger antihistamin pill and hope that will help.

The weather is very beautiful, if this is the famous ‘English weather’ I could do with it everyday. It´s like a nice summerday in Iceland and it is nice to sit outside in the sunshine on a bench.

I just had my first belly dancing class and it really is fun, now I must exercise the right hipswing! It is very good for my stiff musceles and I like it a lot better than the pilates class I started last Monday.

School is fun. I do learn a lot about how to get ideas down on paper, how to do research and to write an assignment. And I am doing just that, my head full of ideas. Tomorrow I will go on a bustour to see something English, an old cotton mill and a Manor. The university offers it for oversea students. So I hope, I will have a lot of fun. Soon I will put some pictures on the net too.

2008-10-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

10.10.2008

I knew it, the universum is taking care of me. I knew I shouldn´t but anyhow I went to the belly dancing class. The class was there and enough of pupils but no teacher. So I had a leisurely stroll around the campus center, an interesting enough chat on a bench in wonderful and balmy sunshine and finished the tour off with a visist to the Lake to get some more water for my flowers. They are thriving beautifully, thank you. Now I also took care of the stingy nettles. I took my camera with me to take pictures in the beautiful weather but the battery gave up on me and is now loading. And I must now have a rest after all this excitement.

Today I got a notice that workers will come on Monday to “uplift the floor of my appartment”. I have been wondering about this on and off during the afternoon. I could not realy imagine that they would lift my floor up – where would I stay? Should I pack down? How long would this take? Now, sitting and knitting I got a new idea, maybe “uplifting the floor” means to make it shine? It could do with some shine in the bathroom and on the way they could clean the windows, too, I did it as far as my poor little arms would stretch, all the fingerprints from the workers still on it. Same on the outside, where I can´t reach it.

2008-10-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

ok. I found my blog again. Lost it when I installed firefox. My health has been poor the last two days and after the doctors advice I stayed in bed today, more or less. But with the new medicine I got I start to feel better and will hopefully be able to attend my belly dancing class! I ventured out to the shop just now and the weather is like a balmy summer evening in Iceland. But excuse me for tonight, I shall rest.

2008-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

3.10.
O yeah dear Lord, the angels does love me!! For two days now I have wondered how to get my two 20kg packets I recieved, from the Hub, down to my house, up to my flat. I had it all planned, intending to walk two times anyhow, I stripped my shopping on wheels to it´s essence, had tape duct in my pocket to fasten everything together and now stood there at half past 5 in the Hub, ready for collection, but, I must confess, worrying. In front of me stood 50 people, behind me as many. I stood and stood, the queue moved 1 meter in 10 minutes. Just as I was nearing the counter, two people to go, I said to the girl waiting behind me”I really worry how too get my stuff home.” The second these words left my mouth a guy came running: “There´s a problem with the post office tonight as you might have noticed. Everything will be delivered to your door this evening”. I could have kissed him and hugged him and hurried home, bought me a beer to carry instead. And sit now, drinking it.
The morning found me at the doctors and it took all longer than I expected, so I missed one class. Yes, I got antibiotica, yes, I must come again and check my lungs and I just know they will tell me that I have to stop smoking. Maybe I will, it is really expensive, with the Icelandic economy collapsing and terrible things like that. Yes, I fell shitty and shaky and exhausted and yes, the beer tastes good.
In the afternoon I went to a class to learn about the campus internetlibrary and it is amazing! I will surely spend a lot of time there and look forward to that.
And, I do loose pounds, quickly, my trousers are getting too big.

2008-10-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

5.10
There is a confound misunderstanding in yesterdays blog: I don´t go hungry because I´ve got no money but because I drag shopping. Just old lazy me. There´s a huge difference.
Yesterday night: Already in bed- undecent- you would call it and after a loud banging at the outer door which I rushed to open after I´d thrown some clothes over me, there came a nice friendly man with an electric heater on wheels for me. What a luxus! I feel like in my summerhouse.
Like every night when I really go to bed, sleep will escape me, I do not know why. When I turn the light off, I wake up. Sometimes I let the light burning, that might help at times. Let´s try it out now.
It helped to half past two. Since then I am around, reading, typing, getting a bit frustated. It´s half past seven now. Got me another sleeping pill.
And got some sleep.
The sun is shining into my window and but for a small walk to return my bad oranges to the shop I have been writing and reading for my first assignment. It is fun and I already have three pages out of 15 which I will have to have ready the 5th of January. But don´t laugh too loud, there are two more to go. If you want to know more about my university, here I am proud to show you:

We were the first university to:
Accept students from all religions and backgrounds on a completely equal basis
Build on a campus model
Incorporate a medical school
Create a purpose built students’ union
Provide a sporting option for all students in the interests of promoting health and well-being
Birmingham ranks 5th in the UK for research excellence; in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise in 2001, seven areas of Birmingham’s research achieved the six star rating – a rating only given to studies of significant international importance.
Excellent sporting facilities, a busy calendar of social events and a global reputation for teaching makes Birmingham a great place to study – and we’re proud of the calibre of our academic community.

Two books I read today and want to show to you:
Juke Jackson, Freeks, Geeks & Aspergersyndrom, Jessica Kingsley pub.

From a 13 years old boy and then his mother

Jacqui Jackson, Mulicoloured Mayhem, Jessica Kingsley pub.

You will learn something about autism spectrum and will have fun on the way.
Juke is great for all but specially for kids around his age. For young people on the spectrum is it a Must.

2008-10-04T12:07:00.001-07:00

4.10.08
I spent yesterday in bed, sleeping and reading and do feel so much better today. I did cut my finger though this morning on my beautiful sharp new chopping knife but got some band aid next door, so I do not think I will bleed to death. I spilled my morning coffee over the staircase where I use to sit and had to clean that up, so on I went cleaning and vacuum cleaning, so that´s done for the week. I´ve got a lovely neighbour in flat number two, arrived yesterday evening, a third year student from Iran, studying microbiology if I remember rightly.
I have been surfing around the e-journals of the university and there is a lot of interesting stuff and I get nice ideas for my assignment. I do have to look at these e-journals as there will be an introduction to them on Monday and I like to be prepared, then at least I know how far I get on my own and what I have to ask.
In Iceland I hear it is snowing and the first frost bit the country so I am very lucky with green trees still around me and a temperature above 10 C. It is though rather chilly in my flat as there is no warm water in the heating elements, I phoned and they are working on it. There are things like that all the days around this new campus. “It keeps us busy” was the understatement of an official.
My big parcels arrived finally but the postoffice won´t be open before late afternoon on Monday. So I have something to look forward to. It will be like christmas parcels as I don´t remember what I put in them J
My orchid looks somehow sad, so had a little walk down to The Lake to get some natural water, I do hope it will like it. I still have to find an avocado to offer it to. Silly me, getting the water I leaned into some twigs of “Brennesseln”, now I do not know the English word for it (poison ivy?), but it burns your skin and makes blisters for some time. As for now, some time later, it is a very interesting feeling, tickeling, like some tiny buds were hurrying along under my skin. As I said: Adventures every minute.
I went up to the Hub but there is no cooking over the weekend, so I bought me some chickenbreast, I´ve got some cocosmilk and curry and bread in the freezer, that should make a nice enough meal. I didn´t know the Hub was closed on weekends, now I have to do something about my food, it is extremely expensive to shop here, so as I´ve gotten a freezer I should go down to Birmingham the next days and buy me some real stuff. I am hungry most of the time, yes, I think I´m getting slimmer.
I ´ve been very busy writing and reading all day long and I think I´ve already got a nice start for my first assignment. Now I will go and cook.

2008-10-02T12:25:00.001-07:00

2.10.08
How lucky I am! I slept too long this morning, looked at the clock upside down I suppose and now I know nothing about the English eduation system. I wasn´t very curious, either. I registered at a doctor´s and not a day too early, I find a bronchitis on its way to settle in my chest. I´ve caught a germ(?). So, as that may be, I did meet at the drink and fun session at 12 o´clock and after that talked to my autism lector, supervisor, however they call it here and now I have my first assignment on the way about sensory issues in autism and am already reading, I must start at once as I can´t write more than one assignment at a time...my brain doesn´t work that way.
I did get the bus right in both directions today and as I don´t feel very uppi now I will chatter no more and leave you to your own thaughts.

2008-10-01T14:34:00.001-07:00

1.10.08
This is quite a full week and I am vey tired. Many introductionary sessions but things are getting clearer and I decided the programms I am going to study and here they come: before christmas: Special educational needs of children with autism/ Inclusion and special educational needs/ Practitioner inquiry in education and from January: Curriculum and approaches for children with autism/ challenging behavoir and autism spectrum disorders/ severe learning difficulties: communication and behavoir and after that I will start my dissertation. That at least is the plan. Everything here seems to be quite high level but they also cook their potatoes in water so I don´t allow myself to get panicy, others did this, so I will, too. I´ve already got reading lists and some books to read, we go home each day with a load of heavy(pounds) reading stuff. I am rather on top of my organising and will have the weekend to think about how I will handle the details and make me a timetable. Today I took part in an optional English assessment and I felt like I did very well, this will decide in which group I will go to upgrade my English. There will be some boring stuff tomorrow like: introduction to the UK education system and, later the day, welfare issues, but they have very competent teachers here who can make the most boring stuff interesting- even the fire drill the other day was nearly fun.
It is very mixed weather here, raining cats and dogs one minute and sunshine the next and of course I had to walk more than necessary as I didn´t find the house I was looking for but now I know: We are supposed to register with a local doctor and as my health isn´t 100% I now look for the doctors office. I think now I know were it is, so I will go again tomorrow. I should find a dentist too as one of my teeth will probably say good bye after not too long. And I know where I can get a manicure if I choose to!
I had my lunch at noon with a very sweet lady from Malaysia, we have hung out together a bit now, Lucy is her name. There are lots of very energetic and interesting people from all around the world and there are a few mothers who take the autism course. One of them is planning to go to the Option Institute with her son and we have talked together a lot after she heard that I´ve been there. She did listen to Brian Kaufmann and was carried away. I´ve got a marvollous mixture of interesting students down at the university and my very quite little apartment (but for The Big Party outside).

2008-09-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

30.09.
Yes, I did read your e-mail (those that have sent me one) and I did read your comments and thank you for both, though I have now not the time to answer all. And, do have in mind, I do have FUN! I look forward to a year of holidays, talking about my favourit subject: Autism. And I did get lightbulbs today (1 ½ hour expedition) and they do work (still) and I got a toiletbrush at the same place. I could have used it to defend myself, waiting for the bus in the dark.
I had my first two classes today, each 2 ½ hours and between I went shopping (the bulbs), read in the library and got my first books home with me. Now I have to sort papers and get myself ready for my next class tomorrow morning.

2008-09-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

29.09.
Yes, I am busted. Worst is to walk endlessly, and I am not the only one to complain. I got painkillers for my back and try to take the bus when I meet it. Didn´t meet it today. Yes, the day was full of information, I will have to take 3 modules each term, just like in Iceland, that would give me here 30 ects and in Iceland 15, three courses, each one 5 points. Beside I can train my English in two different courses, using my module contents, I suppose and I will use that opportunity and I went to the gym and got one time for pilates on monday and belly dancing on friday, must have some fun too, isn´t it?
My toilet was fixed when I came home and my dripping water in the kitchen, dinner: roastbeef(?), turnips and brokkoli with a yorkshire pudding (it looked like a piece of smjördeig) and a creme caramelle at the Hub.

2008-09-28T11:16:00.001-07:00

28.09
Yes Lisi, I did buy a knife(?), two knives, a big and a small one not only the bulbs. The knife came so late because I didn´t find any before, they were sold out at wooloworths And a chopping board, a treespoon and nailsissors. A beanseat is like a rather big cushion to sit on, very light and very comfortable. Good to sit on when smoking outside and when my back is hurting.
Já Valgerður, ég er stanslaus að lenda í ÆVINTYRI!

After sunshine in the morning it´s drizziling now, probably will turn out to be rain. Nice for the grass seeds.
In the night my toiletwaterpushbutton dissappeared into the wall with a pling. I phoned right in the morning to get it fixed but nothing happened and I stayed around – these girls in the reception aren´t as quick as the ones before – but after a walk to them somebody looked at it, promised to send somebody else and asked me to stay in. Thats fine for me, anyhow, I took a quiet day today, reading, sleeping, knitting, surfing the internet. So my lightbulbs must wait until tomorrow, as it is Sunday today that might be as good.
It is strange here to walk the streets: everybody is driving on the wrong side, that is to say on the left side, not the right. Of course I did know that but walking around in a wrong way direction traffic is another piece of cake. My reflexes are all on the right side that is to say not the left and therefore the wrong side. Yes. I look to the side the cars are not coming from and jump in front of them when they take a turn. The funny thing about this is that I took my driving licence while there was still left side traffic in Iceland and had no problem going from the right in Germany to the left in Iceland. But maybe that is something that is easier for a young brain, my brain is so stuck already and my reflexes so ingrown that it will take some time to change them. And it is not really a joke, it does make me uneasy in the traffic, I take my time to cross the road and look for traffic lights when possible. Even the pedestrians tend to follow this rule so I must take care not to walk against the stream where it is crowdy.
Even if I am in a no smoking appartment it seems not to influence my smoking pattern but for one, two sigaretts a day. I do write down when I start a new package and it is about 20 a day (no, not packages, sigaretts). I thought I would automatically smoke less in this environment, but no. Not that I worry about it, I was just curious.
I look forward to tomorrow when the real life will start. It seems to me that there will be a program from 9 o´clock in the morning to 16, 17 o´clock in the afternoon with a hour break for lunch. I hope that then I will get a lot of answers to my many questions. It could be that I will be busted tomorrow evening, so maybe there will be no post.
Finally, as I could not wait any longer I found the solution for my toilet flashing: I´ve got a bucket and just filled it with water and down everything went. I am angry that I didn´t think about that before as I do it everyday in my summerhouse, carrying the water in from the raindrains. As I had the bucket out- part of the flats inventory- I washed the floor in the kitchen and the bathroom and now I guess the apartment is cleaner than when I got it.
I´ve made me a nice dinner with my knew knife chopping away on the new chopping board, using my new pan and wooden spoon and eating from my new dish with flowers on, what a beautiful time I have!

2008-09-27T12:50:00.001-07:00

27.09
There is no hot water this morning, so the shower has to wait. I was looking forward to try out my new towel. I went with my little shopping on wheels to the university store and bought heavy things, like water, potatoes, milk and such. It is ok here I suppose to drink the water but the taste is chlorine and worst when it is mixed with coffee, it just doesn´t work together. But really, starting a new life can be exhausting. Just take light bulbs. I bought this little cheap lamps yesterday but forgot to buy the lightbulbs. So, they don´t have these light bulbs with a little skrew in the university shops. So, in the late afternoon I went out again, walked to the busstop, took the bus to Birmingham center and searched for light bulbs. Kilometers of shops for clothes, shoes, juwellery: no lightbulbs for a long time. Woolworth rescued me, or so I thought. There I had bought the lamps, they had the right lightbulbs so I bought four, owning two lamps, to be on the safe side. First thing coming home: I put the first bulb into its socket. It blinked at me and burst. Ok, I´ve got another one. Use that, ok. Now to the second lamp: I got the wrong bulbs, with a skrew I´ve never seen before and hope never to see again. OK, one lamp burning. I mean, I am a person in good balance and nothing, I repeat, nothing will disturb my wonderful mood. So, stay with me: travelled for about 2 hours, from home to back home, like inclusive waiting for the bus and such like, came home with four lightbulbs, one of them useable. When I come back into my living-bedroom that one lightbulb has gone dead, too. Still, during these two hours I also bought two kitchen knives. I killed some vegetables. No, I will not give up. Tomorrow will see me at Aldi in Edgbaston. I mean, they do have light in their houses here in England, don´t they?

2008-09-27T03:24:00.001-07:00

26.09
It´s a sunny, warm day with a blue clear sky and The Lake is sparkeling. Outside garderners work on overtime and lushy bushes are appearing. I bet they will finish the ground before the beginning of term, it´s fun to watch. I slept really late, cleaned my flat (a huge vacuum cleaner for this little flat and works beautifully, I whish I had one like that back home), but the flat gets more homely with the minute.I did change my sofa position so I can use my skype more confortably.
Friday seems a day for cleaning up all around, in the flat opposite mine where I can spy, the pizza boxes have dissapeared and on the widow sill is an arrangement of empty beerbottles, sorted by type and colour, mostly green and it looks quite funky.
The sunshine draw me out of the house and I discovered a shortcut to the train station – and the university as it is – a lushy green walkway under big trees away from the traffic. I got my BP 20 back for the faulty inkpatrons, bought me a banana for breakfast, a very good banana by the way, sweeter than I am used to and launched onto the train to Birmingham center, about 15 minutes, one station in between. Nice the good old days when there was a person who sold you the tickets, you just stated your destination and got the right ticket for the right amount. Now you stare at coin machines, two there and one out of order so there was a long queue, once again, and not only I had trouble talking to the coin machine. First thing in Birmingham center trainstation I went to apply for my senior bus pass: “But you don´t look it!” I like to hear that. But that was not as small a deal as I thought so I will go there once again today with all the stuff they need and will get it send within a month. Then I can ride busses and trains for free outside the rush hours and that is fine for me.
Straight out, connected to the railway station is a mall and I didn´t get further than to Woolworths and am now the proud owner of following new items: A fluffy bathtowel, two dishes, a bowl and a cup, two table lamps (without light yet as I forgot to buy the right bulbs), a very pink beanseat, diverse small stuff and, last not least, a tiny coffemachine which looks like a toy but makes coffee and so I had my first cup of icelandic Braga coffe back home, see, it´s getting home. As my back is killing me, which I try to ignore, I bought me a little “shopping on wheels” which was a splendid idea to get all my things home and still had a huge plastic bag and my pink beanseat in the other hand. That was not heavy but took a lot of space on the train and me bumping into people all the time.
The evening had me skyping with family and friends and then I looked, while knitting, at the movie “The Winter Guest”, a very “deep” movie about relationships which I got at the university library. The thing that made me most happy at that point, was that my little computer can handle things like that. Still, I should look for sound boxes, the sound is not really enjoyable. Oh, I nearly forgot, on my new little pan I cooked my first “real” dinner, improvising with sissors for a knife. It was a saturating experience and I got this really great fan over the oven so I can smoke a cigarette under it from time to time, no smell whatsoever. Strange to use these really small kitchen utensiles, being used to my big family with huge everything.
Outside there are still more plants, but they saw the grass, don´t roll it out like home, so it will take a while to become green. I am quite curious to follow that progress.

2008-09-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

My dear ones, who have commented my blog and had the patience to read me, thanks to you! The comment section doesn´t want me, so I use this way. Valgerður: University of Birmingham.

25th
I should give out a cookbook for people with nothing but a microwave: Dinner: a scrambled egg with some cut down wild smoked salmon cooked in a noodle box. I will keep my noodle boxes.
The night let me listen to The Big Party once again: The money for my single flat is well spent. But to be fair, in the Vale there are said to live about 3000 pupils, you only need 20 to sing loudly. About two o´clock the phone rang, after the second time I disconnected it. The morning found me awake with the ducks on The Lake and the rising sun, at six and I soon gave up to try to sleep any more and had one more noodle soup instead. (yes Doug, I got THat flavour too:)
It did me good to rest a day, my legs have stopped hurting and the shower is great, hot and strong. The machines around the house are banging away again, having their party and I will walk down to the university and look for more adventures.

And adventures I got! This day has been like a huge chocolade cake with extra icing, or, better still, like Jakobínas Nókropp tertu!
I left my flat about ten o clock this morning and took a bus... I don´t know where it went but not near to the place I wanted to go to. So I had the view and took another bus back to start. The people here are extremely nice and helpful.”So, here you would go out, dear” said the elderly lady whom I had asked for help. Of cause I walked first in the wrong direction, but found the university again after not so long a walk. It´s clock tower, a copy of the Big Ben, distinctive in the landscape. Now I also know where the train station is. Once again to the computerstore as my printer wouldn´t work, and yes back home I tried it and it were the colour patrons that didn´t work. So tomorrow I will get that money back. So, the printer is doing it´s work and a friendly young man at the “computer help desk” found my university´s e-mail port so I will be able to use that.
At 11 o´clock I went to a postgraduate welcome coffee where I finally met students nearer my age and had a chat. At 2 o´clock again there was a postgraduate introduction session where I met still more folks and had many chats. I bought as everybody else flowerpots at the studentsguild and was ready to wander happily back to my flat in sunshine and nice weather. On the way I dropped in at the education building, just to look at it and now comes the icing on the cake: after half an hour there would be a talk about autism by Stephen Shore, self autistic and the author of several books on autism. Of course I jumped at it and not only listened faszinated for one and a half hour but also met my future teachers- of course- and classmates, most of them women and rather mature (and chatted away) so that all looks immensly promising.
After that the walk home seemed shorter than before and it gets more homely with the flowerpots on the windowsill. I am settling in and got a nice dinner at the Hub.

2008-09-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

24.09.
It is evening and I haven´t been out at all but for the staircase to smoke. I didn´t get my printer to work, e-mails I send to the payment office come popping back and I am not able to open my new e-mail account as offered by the university. So this whole day really went into trying and not getting. I had a noodle soup with a spoon opposite to crochet needle and only talked to working man who checked the oven, the blinds and the water. I don´t really have the energy to climb the hill for a real meal. I do feel old today, with all the youth around me and a bit out of place as a grandmother spoiling their fun. I am tired after all the excitement of leaving home and trying to settle into a new place. I will be patient with myself and crawl into bed with Terry Pratchett´s “making money” and for tomorrow I plan to meet some other postgraduate students I did not find before, surrounded by freshmen as I am now. I am sure that there I will find help with all my little problems and I look forward to my free senior bus ticket I read about.

My first days

2008-09-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

A new beginning as a postgraduate student in Birmingham, coming from Iceland to the United Kingdom (There you got the title as I havn´t reached the continent yet): a privat diary I hope I will be able to keep up to date. Intended for my family and friends, but be welcome to read it anyhow. So, lets just start and you get my first three days all at once:

21.09.08
Arrival day. As usual the plane at home leaves before you wake up so we had to get up at five o´clock and my husband, of course, drove me to the airport. And that was that, the plane, a long route drive and in the end, at 19 hours a taxi which dropped me and my impressive bags at dusk somewhere as it seemed .. a beautiful road and many trees. “This is fine, love, the road is closed, no I don´t know love and good night.” No, the road wasn´t closed...(?) Half an hour later, after a smoke, some asking and dragging of luggage I arrived where the taxi should have let me out in the first place.
So, there I got a key and a (big and heavy) bedpack. At that point I gave up and asked for help which a friendly man my age (“young lady” he called me) provided and got me and my things to my future home, walking, of course as cars are frowned upon. A nice enough block, VERY new and as my friend guessed rightly, the surroundings are still under construction, but a walkway is there and I got a beautiful view of treetops and, craning my neck in the other direction, The Lake. There is central heating and nice warm water.
The forth floor, which will train my legs and lungs and keeps me a bit away from the hublums of all the kids around me. Since then I found out: There are shared appartments beneeth me, as in all buildings in this cluster and on top of each building are two apartments with a shared door to the staircase. The appartment opposite mine still is empty. The smoking facility is nice: on the open staircase and maybe sometime I will arrange for a little seat there.
Outside there is The Big Party.

22.09.08
Finally I got toilet paper. plus 20 swing bin liners (lila and smelling strongly of lavender), whashing up liquid and one bred. I didn´t get a knife, I did hope for a plastic knife and dishes and a toilet cleaning brush: How important things get when you don´t have them. But toilet paper goes a long way to happiness.
Just now I did cut my smoked salmon with a pair of sissors which I took with me – always use for sissors I thaught – I´ve got a cup my grandchildren painted for me and nescafe, so with help of a microwave ad a crochet needle to stir I get my coffee.
And here the computer went dead, like black and no green or orange dots blinking.

23.09.08.
Yesterdays strongest impression was the young man at the information desk who asked if I wanted the information for my daughter. He had the decency to blush. And the walking, hours after hours. Today then, not only walking but standing in queue after queue. But, I got my registration and my student card. What I havn´t yet got is a net connection which I did walk far and worked hard for.
Yes, my computer went dead yesterday afternoon. As my phone didn´t load either I blamed the connectioncable and today I walked down to the next shop to get me another one, yes, about 45 minutes. Being there I got me a printer too and paper and some food and somehow and with the help of my little travelbag on wheels and a bus I got it all up to my 4th floor flat. On the way I rested by the lake and fed bred to a very white and friendly swan. So, back home, no, not really home yet, but anyhow, my flat, I hurry to connect all these cables and find the adapter wanting. Searching, no, no adapter. So I suspect that I had forgotten it in the shop as I took my cables with me to check. To start with I had to walk in the other direction to get my signed inventory paper to the office and got the direction to a bus. I waited at the wrong busstation and looked after it, driving away. The weather was nice, so I decided to wait for anothe 30 minutes and have a rest in the grass. And the next time I was at the right place but not going to the right direction. “No, love, I go the other ring now, I come back after half an hour to pick you up.” So, that was that and in the end I got offered a shared taxi by a mom and her daughter who wouldn´t let me pay, God bless her. But, we are still looking for my adapter. Back to the shop, “no sorry, nothing found here. No, we don´t sell those, they must be ordered, will take some days”. I retraced my (many) steps from the morning until I got again to before mentioned bus, still the same driver. I went with him now, in the other direction. I was frustated, tired, hungry, all my lower limbs hurting. Young people jogged past me. And what did I see near “home”, in the gras by The Lake? Yes. My adapter. Flirting with the swan. It was a happy reunion. So, up again, all 8 stairs and connecting. No connection, no little green lights nowhere. So, to the reception, only 400, 500 meters uphill and the electrician really did come soon and turned a little key only he could turn: there had been no electricity in the wall sockets in the living/bedroom and so..the blinking lights could do their jobs: My computer is connected to it´s food and can work again. Now, I would love to try the newly installed skype, not having talked to anybody all day long but asking for directions. To use skype, I have to have an internet connection. So, I go uphill to above mentioned office and, after a bought, rather nice dinner which I felt I had earned, I got a broadband disc, gratis I hope, but do not yet know. So, happily I climb my 8 stairs and start feeding the computer: I would need a 8 bits PC cable that I haven´t got. “Please, contact the reception”. Up the hill again. “No, love, you’ve got to buy them”. First time this day I rushed out without my purse. So, back, up 8 stairs, get the money, climb the hill, buy the right cable, up 8 stairs... I think I´ve got the right cable now. It looks right, it fits into the right sockets but it won´t connect me. Probably I will need Window Vista or XP but got Word 2000 so tomorrow will see me walking 40 minutes back to the computershop – or information. My, my, hopefully I will become slim!
There is not yet any water in my shower and I havn´t found a toilet brush. BUT I got a set of cutlery from my neighbours, so tomorrow I will not have to eat noodle soup with my fingers- the crochet needles goes only so far...
Outside, The Party is still in full swing. The animals gone wild. At least it´s an experience to listen to it.
OK: ten to ten there was silence. (and started again around 2 o´clock)
I DID get my internet working. With my own feet, hands and brain. I am proud of myself! And that´s a nice end of a day.

24th of september

finds me trying to install my new printer. It doesn´t print yet. But some nice men turned on the water in my shower. So, things are developing. And, as you see, I just opened my blog, all by my own. Clever young Lady!