Eirikurs blog moment

The little Olympics were surprisingly not in China but in Reykjavik. And in other news, Dad and I went shoe shoping and now I have 2 pairs of new shoes. We also went to see the Womens national team play Slovenia. Iceland won 5 goals to nil.

Coffee party pictures

Thanks to everyone for making the day feel special.

Maori greetings

Happy graduates !!!!

Graduation Day

Gentle reader, today was graduation day for 31 students in the Master of Project Management. Among them was myself, proud as punch with my degree, if I do say so myself. The ceremony was held in the main hall of the University and really quite formal. Now, will be a small coffee party at home. The weather is beautiful. We send Maori greetings.

Today i got a new plaster cast. three weeks gone, three weeks to go : )

Sandra´s picture

Gentle Reader

Gentle Reader,

I have been watching Jane Eyre on the TV and its having a perverse effect. I keep wanting to speak á la 19th century “Indeed I do declare, Miss Darlington, such a sight is seldom seen in these parts. Monstrous puzzling, I should say...etc etc”

But on the other hand, yes indeed, the other hand I have to say that I have finished all my school writing, which is good because last weekend I fell off my bike and broke a bone in my other hand. I will be in a plaster cast for the next 6 weeks. By that time I will be good at tieing my shoe laces up one handed. And one handed typing.

And so the summer time is approaching; the lawnmowers are coming out of hibernation. Also there is increased B-B-Q activity. We have had guests from abroad to visit and that has been very nice.

Cairo and back

Hiya y'll. Just a quick note to say I have returned from Cairo, an annual Disaster Managers meeting hosted by the Egyptian Red Crescent. It was a good trip and very nice to see old friends again. More about that later. Back in the saddle again at home with the studying going full blast. But I was able to take time and go swimming with Sandra and her school class on Thursday.

My newest Modelling Job

I was happy to have had the chance to be photographed by Ari Magg again. This time for the Annual report of Actavis. Keeping balance on a tandum bike is not as easy as it looks!

Swimming Pools

Gentle reader, guess what happens when the Reykjavik Sports and Liesure Department of the Reykjavik City Council have there annual party?

All the swimming pools in Reykjavik close early, so that the people working there can tootle and get ready for the for the party – high heeled flip-flops and all. They undoubtly had a great time and a swinging party. Quite right too!

But, it means that all of Reykjavik, wanting their pre-dinner dip, drove up to Kopavogur. The pool was really busy. The good news is that we bumped into Dora, Gummi, Lilja and the twins. These little babies are really growing !

Grills and Dragons

Todays blogg is about grills and dragons. A visiting dragon flew in from down under, lit the grill and decided to stay with Eirikur. The dragon is very useful, he has two heads, like zapod bebblebrox, former intergalactic president and has red wings. The grill was happy chorkling, as grills do, full up with pork and lambs and sausages and corn on the cobs. Cooking smells and sizzeling sounds and then chomping sounds. Yes, it was a beautiful grilling day in the valley.

Perfoming Lynches

Sandra has had her end of term ballet show last week. She looked perfect in her outfit and with perfect hair !!!!! It was a very impressive and professional show. Sandra and Silja were in the same show.

And today Eirikur made his performance as Joi Private eye in the Drama "Summer Sunshine". Looking very cool in his costume and took the song "Look up to heaven" ( a tricky comtemporary rock gospel) and nailed it ...as they say in the trade :-)

We really enjoyed both shows.

Georgia Ann says her first word

Great news from down under
Georgia Ann, who is now crawling around like a mad thing says her first word,
and it was.....

horse

Big congrats to the Kiwi Lynches

Eirikurs Big Birthday

We have celebrated Eirikurs BIG birthday with a cinema trip to see "Spiderwick" - we had the cinema to ourselves- and then Ruby Tuesdays for huge burgers, pressies and cards !

Happy Birthday to yooouuuuuuu!

A propos Indianna Jones

Easter is a long way behind us now, a whole two weeks. But going to IKEA on the Easter weekend... still fresh in the memory. Not so much of an adventure as a visit to the 7th circle. Still, I returned with the trophy, a princely plastic office chair and the feeling of having walked a really long way. Next time I will take a hat and satchel.
If there is a next time.

Picture Post Card Stuff

Heavy Snow

Lovely to wake up to this view !

Emergency preparedness day.

Last week we had an emergency response drill and exercise in E9. A bit like playing grown up games, but useful too. Practising the drills is important so we can get int right if it happens for real. Well done Jón for preparing a good exercise !

Snow kids

Horse Girl

Palestine.

I had an interesting opportunity to talk to two women from the Middle East. They told about their daily life, their hopes and the chances for peace. Slim, I think at the moment.

And did those feet in ancient times, walk upon England’s pastures green ?

This weekend was a weekend filled with events and activities. As you can see from the photo I went for a ride on an Icelandic horse.. in the snow. Sandra came to and it continuing the horse interest.. showing all the skills transmitted by uncle Kieron in NZ. Perhaps the horse gene has jumped across. Then followed a Thorrablot – traditional Icelandic delicatess. Ummm. I made the smoked sheep, sheep’s head and pickled herring, but passed on the rotten shark and the rams testicles !!!
Eirikur and I were invited for a male bonding moment... to watch the 6 Nations rugby; England against France.
England beat France.
Yes, I repeat.
England beat France.
Now, it must be said that not every team gets to beat the French, except perhaps the Argentinians, but let’s not make too much of that. Suffice to say that England beat the French.

Complexity reading

At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity, Stuart Kauffman.
Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds, Mitchel Resnick.
Signs of Life: How Complexity Pervades Biology, Ricard Sole.
Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos, Mitchell Waldrop.

Blog silence ended

I have blogged since we all got back from NZ. We had a a simply super time and its very theraputic to go over and sort out the photos (over 700 .... a miracle of the digital age.).
Now the days are flying by. Despite the cold and totally crazy weather, it is getting lighter in the evenings, which proves that the days are getting longer.
School has started and so has work on my Masters project. Busy, busy, busy.
We have had a great weekend with the kids doing sledging and building snow forts.
Eirikur and I had a good time playing badmington. Sandra is helping in the kitchen (Afi Tony please note :) ) and helped to bake an apple pie.
Nice one.

Lionheart Kids in London

During our stopover in London we went downtwom to see the sights, stopping off to say hello to the Lions in Trafalagar square. -)

Happy New Year : 2008

News Years greetings to family and friends far and near. Wishing you all a prosperous and succesfull New Year.

Copenhagen

We went to Koben and had a marvellous time at the Tivoli! Christmas is coming, get in the mood! We had a lovely time with Erla, Bragi, Rikke and Mr J - thanks very much for looking after us !

Itinery

ICELANDAIR - FI 450 SAT 22DEC REYKJAVIK IS LONDON GB 0830 1130 KEFLAVIK INTL HEATHROWNON STOP
TERMINAL 1 DURATION 3:00

SINGAPORE AIRLINES - SQ 321 SAT 22DEC LONDON GB SINGAPORE SG 2205 1845 HEATHROW CHANGI 23DECNON STOP TERMINAL 3 TERMINAL 2 DURATION 12:40

SINGAPORE AIRLINES - SQ 285 SUN 23DEC SINGAPORE SG AUCKLAND NZ 2100 1145 CHANGI AUCKLAND 24DECNON STOP TERMINAL 2 TERMINAL INTL DURATION 9:45

SINGAPORE AIRLINES - SQ 282 MON 14JAN AUCKLAND NZ SINGAPORE SG 0110 0640 AUCKLAND CHANGINON STOP TERMINAL INTL TERMINAL 2 DURATION 10:30

SINGAPORE AIRLINES - SQ 318MON 14JAN SINGAPORE SG LONDON GB 1250 1855 CHANGI HEATHROWNON STOP TERMINAL 3 TERMINAL 3 DURATION 14:05

ICELANDAIR - FI 455MON 14JAN LONDON GB REYKJAVIK IS 2100 2355 HEATHROW KEFLAVIK INTLNON STOP TERMINAL 1 DURATION 2:55

Dads Address in NZ

2 Sinclair Road
Ararimu
RD3 Drury
Auckland 2579
New Zealand

+ 64 (0) 9 292 4459

Brussels

I went to Brussels to attend a European Union Funding Conference. I was mainly in the Conference hall, as you can see.

The other thing is that although Brussels airport is only 15 mins from the centre, it has very long corridors.

I also met Martin Hahn, who I haven´t seen for ages and Philippe G. from the Indonesia days. We don't look a day over 40 !

Star de jamp upp - Soca style for christmas

http://Soca jump up

Opening night

Eirikur made a super performance of the opening night of his play and certainly earned all the applause. Well done Eirikur, you were great !

Having some fun at the theatre

Time to put up Xmas decorations

Time to put up Xmas decorations !

Winter and frost has come to Rekjavik, after days and days of rain and wind and wet and damp and blahhhh. It was a beautiful and clear day and a good day for a walk in the valley and up to the swimming pool for a soak in a hot pot. We all set off and took a good walk, just stopping every once in a while to throw stones on the frozen lake and watch them skip and skid.

The pool was good and hot. Kids had a good time splashing around. It was coming to a beautiful sunset as we walked back down the hill, still and clear and frost nipping at noses. Which meant hot chocolate and cakes as soon as we got in, before getting down to the business of homework and trumpet practice.

Hot salt beef on rosemary bread, mustard and pickled cumcumber eaten at selfridges in london stopover. Very tasty !

We had Bangers and Mash for supper......with gravy lakes........ what a blast from the past !!!! I am now thinking of doing "Toad in the Hole".
If anybody needs translation then ask Eirik : -)

Back from Jerusalem

Four Weddings an a Funeral, plus humous....excellent.

Hot in Jer. Lots of sunshine. Said hello to AmCol. It has a beatiful garden.
www.americancolony.com

On the way to Ramallah

Long stop over in LHR. But luckily or prehaps not, if you consider the visa card, departure is from terminal 4. Terminal 4 is more like a shopping mall than a departure lounage. So far have resisted the expensive silk ties, mon blanc pens, stationary and BOOK shop!
Starbucks is my friend... I have got to know him well.

The Peace Light

We dropped off to see the Fríðar Súlan on the way home. It´s really quite special.

A lull......

John Cleese's Letter To America

To the citizens of the United States of America:
In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (excepting Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise."
You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope with correct pronunciation.
Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary"). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.
2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
3. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).
4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England. It will be called "Come-Uppance Day."
5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent.
Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
7. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect.
At the same time, you will go metric immediately and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling "gasoline") -roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar.
10. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
11. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
12. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
13. You will cease playing American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you call it "soccer." Those of you brave enough will, in time, will be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable.
14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due backdated to 1776.
Thank you for your co-operation.

Strange and Horrible things happening in Indonesia

Airline meal ‘used to kill activist’
The former head of Indonesia’s national airline faces 20 years in jail over the killing of an outspoken human rights activist whose in-flight meal was laced with a massive dose of arsenic. The poisoning of Munir Said Thalib in 2004 silenced one of the most ardent critics of Indonesia’s military, a lawyer who, at 38, had spent much of his life exposing the corruption and human rights abuses wrought by its officers. Before his agonising mid-flight death shortly before landing in Amsterdam, Mr Munir had been preparing a report on human rights abuses in the provinces of Aceh and Papua.
Indra Setiawan, the former head of Garuda Airlines, and his deputy, Rohainil Aini appeared in the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Their trials follow the 2005 conviction of Pollycarpus Priyanto , an off-duty Garuda pilot found guilty of Mr Munir’s murder but acquitted on appeal to the Supreme Court last year. The murder, claim Mr Munir’s supporters, may ultimately have been the work of Indonesia’s spy agency.
For the human rights activists still fighting Mr Munir’s cause, the case provokes grim memories of the 32-year dictatorship of President Suharto – an era in which the state effectively killed its opponents at will and its agents were above the law.
The trial is under close scrutiny as a test-case for the independence of Indonesia’s justice system nearly a decade after the fall of Mt Suharto.
Since her husband’s death, Mr Munir’s wife, Suciwati, has reportedly received death threats. She was also sent a decapitated chicken in a box and an accompanying warning not to connect Mr Munir’s death with the Indonesian military.

Green Fingers

Winter Gardens

On Sunday we got a whole load of new shrubs put in to the garden. Kids helped with the autumn leaves.

Good News for Pet Lovers, Bad news for Woolly lemurs

Animal lovers in UK with a penchant for exotic pets can now keep sloths, raccoons or even emus after the Government relaxed the regulations on owning wild animals.
A total of 33 new species can now be owned without a licence after a review of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act deemed them not to be a risk to the public.
They include a number of wild cats, North American and crested porcupines, hyraxes, sand snakes, mangrove snakes and the Brazilian wolf spider.Woolly lemurs, tamarins, night (owl) monkeys, titi monkeys and squirrel monkeys also no longer require a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act but are still covered by Cites, the international conservation legislation which regulates the trade in threatened species. And there are some new additions to the list of animals for which animal owners do need a licence, including the dingo.

B’day weekend.

This is the big weekend of Birthdays, kicking off, of course with Sandra Kristin who reached the big 9. Only one more and she´ll be into double figures. Her Dad on the other hand is aiming for a steady half century in a few few years. Sandra had her school friends round at Hringbraut for party and face painting. Beks and Dad did all the faces up as exotic mammals and it was big fun. Then we went of to Rafstöð to continue the fun with cozy evening card games. Early in the morning, Sandra got a second helping of pressies from all over the world.
Then, it being Sunday, it was over to Dad, who went back to bed for a quick kipp, to be woken a short while later with the smell off coffee and the sound of singing. :) Dad was treated to breakfast in bed plus pressies. More breakfast was waiting downstairs and also cake. We had visitors on the afternoon and then we went to the movies, (sandra´s pick) and for there on to “Ruby Tuesdays” where Rebekka joined us for Dinner. A totally brilliant weekend !!!!

Purdy-est song in the World..... chekkitt

Comme si je n'existais pas,
elle est passée à côté de moi
Sans un regard, reine de "Saba",
j'ai dit Aïcha prends tout est pour toi

Voici les perles les bijoux,
aussi l'or autour de ton cou
Les fruits, biens mûrs au goût de miel,
ma vie, Aïcha si tu m'aimes

J'irai où ton souffle nous mène,
dans les pays d'ivoire et des baignes
J'effacerai tes larmes ou tes peines,
rien n'est trop beau pour une si belle

Aïcha, Aïcha écoute moi,
Aïcha, Aïcha t'en vas pas
Aïcha,Aïcha regarde moi,
Aïcha, Aïcha réponds-moi

Je dirai les mots les poèmes,
je jouerai les musiques du ciel
Je prendrai les rayons du soleil,
pour éclairer tes yeux de reine

Aïcha, Aïcha écoute moi,
Aïcha, Aïcha t'en vas pas
Aïcha,Aïcha regarde moi,
Aïcha, Aïcha réponds-moi
Refrain

Elle m'a dit: "Garde tes tresors,
moi je vaux mieux que tout ça
Des barreaux sont des barreaux, même en or
Je veux les mêmes droits que toi
Du respect pour chaque jour,
moi je ne veux que de l'amour "

Comme si je n'existai pas,
elle est passée à côté de moi

Sans un regard, reine de "Saba"é,
j'ai dit Aïcha prends tout est pour toi

Aïcha, Aïcha écoute moi, Aïcha, Aïcha écoute moi
Aïcha, Aïcha t'en vas pas, Aïcha, Aïcha, regarde moi
Aïcha, Aïcha réponds moi, Aïcha, Aïcha écoute moi
Aïcha, Aïcha t'en vas pas, Aïcha, Aïcha, regarde moi
Aïcha, Aïcha répond moi, Aïcha, Aïcha écoute moi
Aïcha, Aïcha t'en vas pas, Aïcha, Aïcha, regarde moi

Urban Myth ?

This tickled my funny bone, I have to share it with the world !!!!!!

Blogged by: Andrew Stroehlein

Though normally a news junkie, I do try to dry out a bit during holidays with my family -- which of course leaves me catching up on events somewhat when I return. I find it hard to believe, however, that it took me until the end of the first week of September before I learned about what is probably the most important story out of Iraq since the invasion and easily the best conflict-related news quote of 2007 so far.
How could I have missed UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer saying, "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the [Basra] area."
That’s right: for a brief moment back in July, badgers -- the other white meat -- were believed to be the British military’s secret weapon in and around the southern Iraqi city. Perhaps they’d been genetically enhanced to seek and destroy insurgents. Maybe it was precisely because the ferocious furry beasts were in place that the British felt their forces could withdraw from Basra safely.
In fact, local rumours grew beyond all rationality after indigenous "honey badgers" had apparently become more numerous around Basra, perhaps driven towards the city after the reflooding of marshland to the north. As the Director of Basra's veterinary hospital told AFP: "Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific."
Still, for the UK, the rumours highlighted a problem. I mean, you really have to start reconsidering your position if the local population suspects your forces of attacking them with imported badgers. Doesn’t say a whole lot for the old hearts-and-minds campaign, eh?

Downunder and Outback Bush

Bush entertaining, as usual.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=65846&videoChannel=1

Kapa O Pango Hakka Versus South AFrica 2005

Just to get us in the mood for the world cup!!!

This is picture is a little late coming to the blog but better late than never, as I have often said. Sandra is following in her uncle Kieron´s footsteps !!!!

Maturklub pictures

Adda and Hakon hosted the Food Club with style and finesse. It was the peak of perfection. Thanks, thanks and thanks !!!

Back to school, which is a great feeling ! If got loads of books to read, two plastic bags full. The first course is accounting....upps.

Priestly United’s season kicked off on Monday. No broken bones but some sore muscles. It was good to meet the guys again.