Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
It seems clear that this blog is not going to function as a journal. Perhaps as a response to the weather, distance, isolation - frankly the comfort of this apartment, and most likely and to the point, a real need (whether I want or not) to spend some time alone, I don't find I have much to say at the moment. I did refer to open doors/gates and have shared some photos, and will share more.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Now it looks like Iceland
Here is a series of Photos I took today. It snowed last night and has been snowing off and on since then. This is part of the center of Reykjavik, residential, nice and especially quiet today. I am so fortunate to be in this part of town. Postal code 101, and called the 101. I'll include more text and more and more various photos in a future entry. I feel nearly settled. Class is going well. Students are interested and attentive. Tomorrow I am going on a backstage tour of the National Theater. Frankly, I hope it keeps snowing. It is so beautiful.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
breaking the Iceland blogosphere
Reykjavik. As someone who has never had much trouble adjusting to time zone changes – I have been travelling abroad for nearly 30 years – this adjustment has been unique. I think I am just about adjusted to the time zone change - the same as if I were in London.
Temperature has been hovering on one side or the other of freezing, with a forecast for slightly warmer temperatures. As I write, the wind that was gusting all night continues to whistle.
Today is a non-teaching day for me. I teach in the morning. There is nothing particularly unusual about getting up for work before dark in the winter, but there must be more to it than visible light . It feels like night - wavelengths beyond the eye’s ability to perceive, radiations or forces seem absent, then the constantly developing shades of blue. Certainly the quality of light and the variety is stunning and continually changing.
Speaking of beginnings, how about this:
The work at the Academy has also begun well. I am working with a diverse group of first year students in the Theory and Practice program. More on that soon.
Another kind of beginning, the political and economic situation in Iceland is dire and serious. As this photo shows and as I have heard all evening from my apartment – even over the roaring wind, thousands of people gather each day to demonstrate for the resignation of the government. This is the first such political action in Icelandic independent history. The government and banks are accused of ignoring warnings and squandering (gambling) with the entire economy. HMMMM, sounds familiar, no? These demonstrations are large – in the thousands of people. If the same proportion turned out in France for example, it would be a gathering of more than 500,000 people.