Catz

This photo is for digdug and for my 12 year-old niece Mekkin (read her new short story here) because they have a taste for the othernatural and for magick in all its esoteric forms.
Oh, and its also posted because I mentioned the other day that I talk to animals and that cats always seem to follow me around...here's living proof!

I don't know these two cool catz at all, though one looks alot like our Mio. They just decided to walk with me to the store, just like Mio often does. They waited at a corner for me while I shopped, then walked me back to my doorstep. Schrödinger's Cat, anyone?

I also think this photo is a bizzare study in greyscale and movement...and you?

Award

I just got a call from Árný Inga Pálsdóttir, principal of Víkurskóli where I spent the last semester teaching English. She informed me that the Blog Project my 7th, 8th and 9th grade students worked so hard on had been selected to receive an award!

The City of Reykjavík asked grade schools in the Reykjavík area to submit descriptions of recent learning projects that they feel have been successful in encouraging kids to take a more active part in their education . At one of our weekly meetings, Árný asked for suggestions. When nobody reacted at first she said, "I've learned through experience that there's no shame in nominating yourself for this kind of thing...it's better than waiting for someone else to do it for you." And immediately a hand shot up. Two people later, I though to myself, What the heck and mentioned our project. Árný aksed us to write out descriptions for her to submit. We did, and I forgot about it for the next month and a half.

She called today to let me know that our Blog Project will be presented with an award on the 17th of June, our National Day, at the Reykjavík City Hall, with cake and coffee to follow. I am so excited and so proud of all of the students who took part in this award. They own it, really, because if they hadn't taken part and trusted me, it would never have happened.

And once again, thanks to all my cyber-friends who read, commented and encouraged!

Kría

Kría= Artic Tern. Can be a girl's name. Also used as a term for taking a nap.


Valentína has a brand new sister, born June 8th, 2005 at 3 am (the magic hour). Welcome to the world, little baby girl!

In Iceland, parents usually don't present the name of the child until they are baptized (or formally named at a naming cermony) two or three months after their birth. Until then they are often simply called Stulka (Girl) or Strákur (Boy). This hearks back to the days, not so long ago, when survival, especially for brand new little humans, was often tenuous. Today, the tradition lives on in the form of a superstition.

By the way, for the curious, here's a post you should read if you wnat to understand our convoluted Icelandic social world... ;-)

Bins

I finally discovered where old garbage cans go to die...
(behind the cement factory on the Höfða, for the extremely curious).
:-)

Little Miss 1944

And speaking of 1944 (see previous post), here's a little cutie-pie doing her part to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Austurbæjarskóli (Valentína's grade school).

The day was lovely. Over a thousand students, teachers and parents met at the school all decked out in costumes representing the past eight decades, then paraded down Laugavegur in the beautiful sunshine. Tourists along the parade route were snapping pictures like crazy, and amidst the thousands of soap bubbles being blown were happy, shiny eyes and smiles smiles smiles.

As they say, a great day never comes too soon...!

Bubbles

Smiles

Valentína's second-grade class dressed like kiddies from the 30's and 40's. Her teacher, Hulda Guðrún, is wearing a traditional national costume.