I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three. ~Author Unknown

This post is all about my brother Jon, who turned 60 today!  Happy happy birthday darling brother!!!

I don´t think that I have ever told you how much you mean to me - and this is probably not the appropriate place to say this, but hey, we are not good on the phone and we see each other very infrequently, ie in the future it will probably only be when you get the chance to come to the frozen north.  So, I am taking this opportunity to not only wish you a very happy birthday but to also thank you for being the wonderful brother that you have been!.   Remember all our conversations about the state of the nation, the ineptitude of our political leaders, some more inept than others, our calls for social justice, that will never come to pass???  I loved those chats, I felt like a grown up, I think that you were the first to treat me like a real person in the family - even though the memory was of you slapping me for waking you up (you were then on nights at John Deere)  I was soooo upset - you my hero - telling me to get a grip!!  How could you.... it is only now 40 years older that I realise just how much you sacrificed for our family in those early years in Aus, and the least that I could have done was given you peace to be able to sleep.. For that I truly apologise!

Would you believe that I had to cut and paste to get a photo of the two of us together!!!   Actually, not that hard to believe really - usually you  were behind the camera, and then when I grew up I hardly ever was around to have photos taken of just the two of us.  Still, folk here say we look alike - I can't see it - but then I have always considered you far better looking.

Then, I went through the archives, - excuse me - what time warp were you in - oh yes thats right you are the child of the beatles and the shadows....

Just as well Lóa is in the photo!  What a stunner she was and is!  I know that sometimes things have not been easy in the familial female relationships, however, I know that you love her and love her dearly and for that I love you more.  You know that your sisters were just jealous cos they stopped being the central females in your life... It´s a problem we all have - we don´t like to share.  You and Lóa have produced two wonderful human beings,  Maja and Valdi, two people that I am so proud to be able to call my nephew and niece.  I know that you too are proud of them and their achievements - they would not be who they are today if not for you and Lóa.

You also have a very good sense of humour and I am hoping that this is kicking in right about now.  Remember when you tried to grow a beard??  It was a joke a huge joke and hey Dorian... take a look at your uncle - do you think that you are the only asian in the family??????

Yes, the wonderful men in my life as I was growing up - I knew that I could never reach any of the expectations that I imagined that you had for me (note the pivotal word - imagined), I doubt any of you really had a second thought - but to me I often asked myself as I was about to embark on something new / crazy / stupid... what would dad, Jon, Hilmar think?????

Yes, youngest of the brothers.... you will be next... be warned... but you will have to wait till 2016 when you turn 60 ... and big brother... you will have to wait till 2018...


So, to my darling brother Jon, thank you for being a sounding board, a person that I not only respect and admire, but that I love dearly for being who you are not only a brother but a friend. Take care of yourself and have a wonderful birthday!!  

Technology... is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ~C.P. Snow, New York Times, 15 March 1971

So, flickr is unable to take my videos from the singing... Oh well, if you want to hear it you need to come and experience it for yourself!  All are welcome.  Rotten food time is from end of Jan through to the middle of Feb!

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you! ~Tommy Smothers

So the big weekend of rotten food eating is over.  It was great, although I am still recovering.... Friday nights fest was with the cousins from Akrir, lots of singing and eating and drinking...

My favourite cousins Sirrí and Stína, these two have been my saviours in so many ways on so many occasions, if ever I feel a bit down or bad about myself or life or anything, these are the two that I know that I can always turn to.  I am not only blessed with a great bunch of siblings I also have the best cousins ever!!

I tried to upload a video from the other night too, but it didn´t work, will try and upload it to flickr instead, there are a few videos from the Akrar evening,  I was a tad slack on the S'krók blót so no pictures of videos from that.  The night was good, twas long and took me a full day to recover, food hasn´t seemed like a good idea either... However, tonight we had grilled cod and some veges done in the oven, these were ones we did last week.

A lot more appetising than the sour / pickled old food, however, having discovered pickled whale, I am starting to think that maybe I really am an Icelander of peasant stock.

All sorrows are less with bread. ~Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote

The quote is because I have been trying to bake different types of bread, well two, pizza base and foccacia,  So far so good, but practice will make perfect.  Guðný has also been spreading her wings in the bread department and made naan bread the other day (yes we went to dinner at Guðnýs - twas yummy a lamb curry with coconut milk) Vicki provided dessert  - a really yummy baked cheesecake made with mum's frozen blueberries from autumn (which probably were a little too moist - but the proof was in the eating and as I say - it was yumm).  Tonight I am trying a lamb recipe from Marocco.  We shall see how this works... Now lots has happened so there will be lots of photos. and maybe a bit of explanation in between......

The lovely Olga and Ross left us towards the end of Jan, 

I thought that it was about time that an update was made of the photos of mum and the dog, this was taken at breakfast.... Freyja really doesn´t like the idea of being a lap dog...

The sun came back......

I actually got of my butt and took Vicki over to Hofsós and Hólar -  At Hofsós there are some great Bassalt formations on the sea shore... sort of like the giants causway but mini

Vicki rewarded me by cleaning out my pantry... what is it with visiting Australians, they feel the need to clean out my shit - I love it!!! I want more visitors, preferrably on a two month rotation - that way my pantry will remain clean....

See, you can actually SEE the floor, it's not covered in crap meant for recycling - oh another thing the recycling bins came this week, so no excuse - there is no need for me to have a mini rubbish tip in my pantry!!

My brother Helgi, Sigga sister in law, their son Gunni, his wife Þórgunnur, and their two boys came to visit last weekend, this is my great nephew Ari Freyr - what a cutie!!!

And the best of the best, mum finished my cardigan coat - Vicki modelled it for me... Isn´t it great!!! I love it
So light and warm and just amazing... one day I will learn how to knit!

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. ~Edith Wharton

When we still had snow - which seems like months ago, we were blessed with some beautiful skies.  So many  shades of pink.

The dog has found a new love - Vicki is number one hero now as she has been sooo good at walking Freyja

Total and utter contentment!

We went to dinner at Ólafshús on Friday night - Olga and Ross left on Saturday.  Vicki was quite taken with the size of the butter portions that we have here....

And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen. ~Ward Elliot Hour

Again, no pictures,  can't find the camera....

So just a quick run down of life to date.

It's great!!!!  It has been so wonderful having Ross, Olga and Vicki here with us.  Have really enjoyed having them here.  So far, they have had to endure the endless boredom of life in Sauðárkrókur during the winter months,  þorra mat as well - see Olga and Vicki's blog to see all the gruesomeness of that.

Tonight Ross started learning Icelandic online, so I think it will be a matter of weeks before he speaks it fluently... he's that sort of guy..

I read the Tarot for the gang and realised that I am useless at it (hey I think I figured that years ago) nevertheless, it was interesting... We also watched the last show of Dr Who with David Tenant... call me a nerd - but I love the Dr.

Olga and Ross leave us this weekend, it will be sad, it is always sad when we have to say goodbye, even if only for a little while...  It will ofcourse be worse for Freyja when Vicki goes,  I doubt that I will be able to full fill the walking needs that she has, but I guess I will try to do my best.

As a side note, Icelandic real estate folks and others who are supposed to see about selling houses, land whatever - suck!

It doesn't hurt to be optimistic. You can always cry later. ~Lucimar Santos de Lima

No pictures this week, just a run down on what has been happening....


Since New Year we have eaten well, drunk well and basically had a really relaxing time.  For further information see Olga and Vicki´s blogs...


The weather here has been pretty amazing compared with the rest of Europe and the world in general.  Here we are in the plus temps whilst the rest of Europe is wondering how to cope with snow and ice.  Australia on the other hand seems to be having a pretty hot time...  Again, I realise that I picked the right place to live.


Icesave is back on the agenda again ... as usual I won´t be discussing this here - look to icelandweatherreport and elvira's blog that I have given links to on facebook  (www.elvira.blog.is).


I was about to say something about me being a poor host to Vicki, Olga and Ross.... then I realised that they would then comment saying oh no.... so lets just hope that they look at this as a very relaxing holiday - without the umbrellas in the drinks and the warm weather..


Work is good, busy but nice.  Árni is off to Australia and New Zealand to work on a documentary on Icelandic horses in the Southern Hemisphere, an Icelander giving advice to NZ farmers and NZ slaughterhouse workers working in Iceland... Should be good.  Árni is the maker of Kraftur for those who have seen the dvd about the man and his horse.  I must admit that the work that I am doing now is the most diversified that I have ever had... the work itself is basic book keeping but the subject matter of my clients is just so different.  From film maker, small fisherboat man, dairy farmer, sheep farmer, a man with a digger, a block of flats for the elderly to a book about the history of the farms in Skagafjordur...    Such a wonderful variety of folk that I deal with.  I am truly blessed.


Next weekend mum is hosting the family dinner... this time traditional Icelandic winter foods... I promise - there will be photos... ie it's a warning that next weeks content may not be to everyone's liking.

New Year

So here we are at the start of a New Year, full of potential and the unknown.  Last night to see the end of 2009 some friends gathered at my house for a night of feasting. 

Here is Olga preparing the smoked salmon california rolls. 

She did an extremely good job. 

For entre it was the california rolls along with smoked salmon on toast.  There were 11 of us... 

No more photos were taken by me of the food or the dinner table as I was too busy eating and drinking, for main it was smoked back of pig and leg of lamb, dessert was the old favourite - the berry thing.....

After dinner we played a game called party and co - not bad - did not manage to finish it before the end of year comedy was on the television.  This years was pretty good, we all laughed and that is always a good sign.

Once this was over it was almost time to walk up the hill... We decided to go up to the cemetery this year and watch the fire works in town from up there - good decision - the view was amazing.  The fire works lasted for about 20 minutes.

Guðný and Bryndís....

Woke up today just after midday and after the essential cup of coffee, took Freyja for a walk.  It was another beautiful day in Skagafjörður.  The crows were having a bit of a meeting down by the old post office.  These two stayed to let me take their photo.

Christmas

The table is set and we are waiting for Christmas!

Entré - humar halar - langoustine tails done in garlic and butter.

Winter wonderland outside the house.

Snowmen making a snowman.

Coconuts on the beach 66° North

How bizarre is this..... Coconuts on the beach in Sauðárkrókur, there must be a story behind this...

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles. ~Author Unknown

Hanging around waiting for Christmas I decided to post a few photos from yesterdays trip up to the cemetary. It was mighty cold up there - but absolutely beautiful.

Vicki got a bit of a taste of how bitingly cold Iceland can sometimes be!

Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas.

no quote just some videos from Tunga - we were counting sheep today

I was at the farm today counting sheep and taking down their numbers with my uncles Andrés and Þóri - am posting a couple of videos from my crappy digital camera, but the sheep are so cute and I thought my brothers would like to see our uncles today.

and one more of the little sheepies that won´t be raped by a ram this year...

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

Another trip down memory lane and this time to give thanks to the friends that we have made on the way... however, this trip will be devoted to my first ever bestest friend Tracy. She doesn't read this blog, but that doesn't matter...

We first met in 1971, she had move from Fremantle to Maddington, I was moving between schools. Having been in Aus for 2 years they changed the lines between the schools "pooling" areas so the district line changed by one street and I move schools from Gosnells to Maddington, where I met my best friend Tracy.

A

This is a photo of us and her younger sister Greer. I was twice Tracy's size even back then...

This was taken on my eigth birthday, There is only one person I am not sure of and that is the girl second from the left in the front, otherwise, its from left and back is Jenny, Rósa, Tracy, Jannette, me. front ???? Julie and Paul... Of the people in this photo I know what has happened to Tracy, me, Julie and Paul... that's 50% - I would think that isn't bad after 40 years.

Tracy, Janette and I had decided at an early age that we would travel to the countries of our forefathers, Janette was from New Guinea, Tracy's forefathers were from Scotland and Germany, and hey I was obviously from Iceland. As things turned out Janette moved back to Darwin so when the time came for us to go on our great expedition it was just me and Tracy. I still am amazed by our parents belief in us... we were only 17 hardly capable of looking after ourselves, but we had each other and were going to a fairly known environment - there would be family and friends to make sure that we didn´t end up on the street. So here we are at the airport about to depart - to see us off are friends from High School of which only one is now a friend on facebook...

Our stay in Iceland was an amazing adventure - there I was trying to show Tracy the best of what I had imagined my heritage was... Sometimes it met expectations often it fell short. However, I must say that this first trip forged the beginnings of friendships that would stand me in good stead for the rest of my life. I don' t think that neither Tracy nor I regret this "gap" year. We grew up, learnt to be semi independent, learnt things about family dynamics that we had never before encountered. We realised how different we were, but despite that - that we could still get on. For a while we didn´t need to speak... a look in the eye was enough to say what needed to be said.

We worked in a fish factory, Tracy on the packing - refined side. me in the machine room - not so refined.... We travelled with a tent on a bus... we were trekkers... My family loved her. All my uncles and aunts were trying to match her up with one cousin or another, my Grandfather couldn't understand her wanting to get married - afterall he said... women can now be artificially inseminated - no need for a man. (it was the most difficult translation of a conversation that I have ever had to do... and yet at the same time the most enlightening... who would have thought that my staid grandfather had been thinking about these things). I think that both Tracy and I look back at those 10 months with very fond memories.

This photo was taken on our arrival back in Perth, 10 months older, 18 years old thinking that we had been there and done that! Happy to be at home but at the same time thinking, oh my god... we are moving back home to mum and dad....

but as you can see - we were happy back in Aus.. This was taken at a 1st of december Christmas get together with Icelanders in Perth.

After our return we first moved home with the folks, I went to Uni and then later we share the best ever house in the world in Cottesloe, only 1 minute from one of the nicest beaches in Perth. We share there for 3 years before I moved back to Iceland for a 2 year break from reality. Our days in Cott were the best of years, Jeff our other share renter was a friend from primary school and our bestest friends were constant visitors. While there we grew up even more, some of our friends married, some of us began our first significant relationships whilst others just had fun. It was a magical time.

After my time in Iceland I returned and Tracy and I renewed our friendship... she then met the man that she would marry. She honoured me by asking me to be her bridesmaid (God knows what would have happened had she not asked me!!). Her wedding reception was a hoot - we had such a good time... all the old friends together again...

The photo is of the "group" the core friends that have been there from way back. I am happy to say that of the 19 people in this photo I am still in touch with 16 of them.. either directly or through their spouse....

Since then I have been extremely blessed (that is an understatement) with meeting people during my life that have become extremely important to me, true friends, that have made me the person that I am. I think I realised at a very early age that I have a need to have people around me that are my significant others, through them I see myself and define myself. With Tracy I had a friend that accepted me always as who I was, we never had anything in particular in common apart from the most important fact that we respected each other and each others point of view - we didn't always agree on things and never had the same life goals but we always knew that those goals were relevant and should never be ridiculed. Through her I understood what wanting to be a mother was - not knowing it from my own needs. From her I learnt about Australian values, Anzac Day and other things alien to an Icelander. We may only be in touch once a year... but with her I know that the next time we meet - God help anyone else who wants to get a word in edgewise...................

History is a cyclic poem written by Time upon the memories of man. ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

This is gonna take a while.. ie a few posts... as I get my act together, write Christmas cards and paint the kitchen...

The above photo is taken of Sauðárkrók where I now live, and hence closing the circle. The family left here in 1968, I came back in 2004 and now work in the same building that my grandfather worked in for over 50 years. The photo was taken sometime at the beginning of the 20th century, the black very roughly drawn circle shows my house, built in 1898. Again, closing another circle this is the house that we lived in before moving to Australia. The kitchen that I am now painting is the same kitchen that was here when we left. Probably the only house in Iceland that hasn't been renovated at least 3 times with various IKEA cabinets.

A few years ago I did a small course at the uni to get a diploma as a staðarvarði, which literally means a place defender. For us here it means that I have the credentials to work in a museum, or place of historical interest. Whether this really means anything or not can be debated. Nevertheless, my little project was a small brochure that would enable english speakers, or folk that can read english, to have a self guided tour of the old part of town and the houses that were built prior to 1925... here's the beginning blurb:

This is a guide to the older part of Sauðárkrókur and is intended to provide you with a narrative description of some of the older houses of Sauðárkrókur, their history and some information about the people who lived in them.

Sauð (Sheep) ár (river) krókur (hook) was initially a seasonal residence of fishermen with a few huts scattered along the shoreline. The oldest house still standing is situated at Lindargata 13 and was built in 1871.

The old town is centred around Aðalgata, Lindargata, Skógargata and Suðurgata. This guide will direct you through this area and return you here to the Minjahús.

I had a lot of fun doing this little thing... it also helped that I had walked this path every night with the dog so I had formed an attachment to the houses that I was walking by each night. Over the past few years quite a few things have happened the oldest house still standing has been renovated to it's "original" state, Kaffi Krók burned down and was rebuilt - better than before I think, also heavily debated. Other houses remain in a bad state, progress having been stopped with the financial crisis.

Sauðárkrókur is not the most beautiful town in Iceland, but it is my town, so I have a major soft spot for it. The town council is also starting to do something about the forshore and the entry into the town - to make it more "appealing" to the passing traveller.

You have to have an idea of what you are going to do, but it should be a vague idea. ~Pablo Picasso

Can anyone give me an idea of what to post about next.... should I continue the reminiscing rambles?

Christmas Christmas everywhere - except we still don´t have snow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTu7yJiNzCs

You see I am useless at this blogging thing so instead am providing a link to youtube. Tonight I took mum to a concert in Varmahlíð - it was the Icelandic Frostroses. They were brilliant, to help were Friðrik Ómar (a pop singer of the gay variety) and Garðar Cortes (a tenor of the operatic variety).. The female singers were Guðrún Gunnarsdóttir, Hera Björk and Margrét Eir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgiE94DHsxc

is a link to the news report about them taking the show on the road. You see usually this concert is only ever in Reykjavík and then broadcast to the nation on Christmas eve, this year they decided to go live and let the country bumpkins have a chance to hear them live. There were three shows here in the fjord - all sold out - I think that there were over 400 people each night so considering the fact that the population of the fjord is around 3.000 - it means that half the fjord went to see them.... Pretty good turn out I would say.

It was actually quite moving at times, I am such a sook for Christmas..

Had to share.

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

The Christening of Haraldur Aron at the end of November started what will be a month of feasting and festing with family and friends. I soooo love this time of year.

The Christmas decs went up early ... but hey... it felt right to have the jule tide lads in place before the start of December...

Freyja did not think that this was particularly interesting.

But she does like her hat.. I wonder what she will get for Christmas this year...

Yesterday the lights on the Christmas tree were turned on. I almost slept through it - having taken a nap in the afternoon which ended up being a bit of a long sleep. Luckily mum called and we went to check out the activities in the street. The weather was quite pleasant - no snow and temp above zero - which was a bit sad for the guy doing the Ice scultpures outside ólafshús. Heaps of people everywhere - kids and parents dancing around the tree and madams with their market serving meat soup, all the business on the main street offering christmas tea and piparkökur (ginger snaps). Christmas is here.

These were later taken to Varmahlíð and put outside Miðgarður our "cultural/entertainment" building. Where i happened to be last night with the work colleagues for a Christmas buffet dinner - it was AMAZING, the food was brilliant. The company even better, and the wine.... Rosemount Shiraz. Guðný came as my partner... we make such a lovely couple! Ended the evening at Mælifell. Twas good...