Jeanine in Iceland

Home sweet home

Hagaskolí and good weather

Well, I missed yesterday, but I think it is easier this way. So, since I have been visited Hagaskolí today and yesterday (yes people, here it is still May 3th), I will write all my expriences in once.

Yesterday I started at Hagaskolí. First I got a tour trough the school. The school is filling the same space as our location (maybe even more) but there are less students (about 500). But they have more facilities in the school. There are sportfields around and there are afterschool rooms there is a big kanteen, so everyone can eat at school. Eating at school is quite common I found out. You can get a warm meal in the kanteen (not the candy we can buy) and that tastes really good. I tried two, and for kanteen food they were really well (even the fish I had yesterday). This is the most reggular information I got, so I started with visiting an art class. When I compared it with the art classes I rememberd, it was just quite. Everyone was working on his or her assignment (they looked really beautiful, but couldn´t take pictures) and they weren´t talking so loud  you could hardly understand someone. I checked some of there work and it looked great. But I also could understand it a little, because they had all chosen to do art. But anyway. After art there was a break and after the break I visited English classes. The classes are 40 minutes, but they have a lot of dubble hours. The first group had an irregular verb test so it was silent in the room. I tried the test myself, and didn´t tought is was really hard, altough it have been a few years since I have really studied them. After the test they just worked for themselfs. Then I went to another teacher and stayed with her the rest of the day. She had a 9th and an 8th grade (so students that are 13-15, the lowest grades in the first part of high school). The 9th grade had some reading and listening to do, and I just observed them. They were quite good in listening, but the level of it is lower than in the Netherlands.Than the 8th grade came in, wow what a difference. They had a test, but most of them didn´t even know. Joan, the teacher, had putted in on a website (a combination between Itslearning and magister, but than better) and hardly anyone knew. The most funny thing in that class, was that there were a boy in it who speeks Dutch, so we showed the group how Dutch sounds. Then they had the test and my first day at Hagaskolí was over.
Today was also great. I just went to English classes, and they were a lot the same. The only difference was, that during one of the classes the teacher (the third English teacher) asked me to tell the kids about the Netherlands. I did and some of them asked me questions. I don´t know what grade it was, but their English was great. But something at school had changed. Not becaus of the teachers, but because of the weather. Today was my first good day since I am here and the students were very noisy. They were so exited about the weather that the classes were horrible. The only thing they wanted to do was get outside and have fun. So most of the teachers did that. During the last class the students came in a quarter!! earlier to start the lesson and get out a quarter earlier. But that meant I was out early to, and so I decided to enjoy the weather too and stay outside and walk downtown. 

But before telling about todays after school stuff, I haven´t told about yesterdays. First I went home, just doing not so much. At 4 Hera came home and drove me to the mall, to do some shopping ( I wanted to buy some souvenirs and wanted to watch around). I walked home and it was a nice walk. It was dry, a little cloudy and there was a lot of wind, but is was a nice walk. At home I didn´t do anything neccessary to mention, so lets go on with today. Today I went downtown to buy the last souvenirs. Well, the thing is actually I walked to the center, but they call that downtown here (don´t know why, because you have to walk upwards to get there). So I walked around, bought an icecream and some souvenirs and maded sure I was home at 6, because I would go to Una then. A little later then planned I went to Una. For the people who missed it, I would stay at Una first, but because of some things I am now staying with Hera, but I really wanted to visit her anyway. So I had dinner there and after dinner I went with her son Gistle and her doughter Helga to do some sightseeing by car. I saw the sea, and most of all some special part. During summer they split it of the big sea and it becomes a little lake. Then they put warm water in it so people can swim there. Then we went to the center to see the biggest church, the new operah building that is going to open next week, the harbour, some more sea and then we went home, to Hera. And then nothing interessting happend, till I started to write my blog 45 minutes ago (time now is 23.17 and I started around 22.30).

This is it for now. I can´t believe I have just one day left before going home. It is amazing how fast a week can pass. Hope you still enjoy reading, and please let me hear something from you.
Two blogs to go, miss you all xxx     

relaxation (sightseeing part 2)

weather: dry
time: 15:23
date: May 2nd

jeeey, yesterday I went to the Blue lagoon. It was amazing. In the morning we hadn´t do anything but in the afternoon I went with Kristina and her familly to the Blue Lagoon. We left around one o´clock. When we arrived I was kind of suprised by it. It was so big, but altough smaller then I tought it would be. But anyway, we entered, got dressed and took a shower somewhere in between. Then we came in the lagoon itself. The water was white and warm (later I would read that the water is between 37 and 40 degrees celcius)!! First I didn´t know why the water is white, but Katrina explained that the lagoon makes some silika what they clean up so you can use it as a mud mask. It was weird to see everyone put it on his or her face, but after trying it, I understood why. You face feels so much better afterwards. We stayed there for about one and a half hour and then we left for Reykjavík again. I felt a little sorry about leaving because the water was so nice, but it was also really warm. We took a shower again, what was really necessary because of the salt. There was some special condittioner in the showers, so your hair would feel better. Well, my hair was like some rope afterwards, it felt really bad. But ok, that´s something not really to worry about, it will be ok after a few days I hope. After the blue lagoon we went to a shopping mall, but they had just the same shops as we have in the Netherlands. So I just looked around to see if I should visit some of them when I am back home. Then, around six we went to Kristina´s home to have dinner there. I don´t know why, but all Icelandic people I have been to are really good cooks, so I have enjoyed every meal till now. Before and after dinner I watched Glee with her doughters. I think it were about the first episodes, so I was really glad I could follow it. Then I went home, finished my book (it was really good) and chose one of Hera´s (she wanted to read my book so we switched books). Around that time it was almost 10 and I went to the computer for al little while, then I went to bed and it became today, more about today later, since I am leaving here in about 15 minutes.

see you later xxx

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow (sightseeing part 1)

time: 18.26
date: Queensday (April 30th)

YESTERDAY
To do it chronologic today (and to keep it interessting). Yesterday afternoon I sais I would go somewhere and didn´t know where and why. Well I went to another familly (blame on me, forgot their names) to eat there. Just me, so that was a little scary. At nine I went home and here we watched American Idol (think it have been on earlier in the US, because we had subs and everything was at the same time, without the breaks) and Legally blond. It is great to see that we are not the only coutry with subtitles. That makes it also nice to watch a movie, you see so much more without the subs. They also don´t have commercial breaks here during a movie. Makes it a lot nicer to watch a movie. After the movie we went to bed (that was around eleven I think).

TODAY
Today there was time to sleep in (altough I woke up at 5 again). After breakfast I had nothing to do, so I read a little. At 11.30 Una´s son was here (forgot his name too...) toghether with his friend Dora (still not sure if they are boyfriend and girlfriend or not). With them I went to a place where once the government had been, the gysirs and a watterfall. The gysirs were great. It was really warm there. I can not really explain how it looked like, but I will do my best. A gysir is in the beginning nothing more than water. Only the water is between 80 and 100 degrees Celcius (took a picture of a sign, in case you don´t believe me). When a gysir is actif it can go off, what means it blows hot water in the air, that is amazing to see. I will upload pictures when I am home, so you can see it yourself. After this vistis we went home and we heard that it had been snowing all day in Reykjavik. It had been snowing when we left, but we hadn´t expected to return to a winterwonderland, called Reykjavik. I guess in a circle of about 30 kilometers everything in and around Reykjavik is covered with snow at the moment. This is weird, ever seen snow at the end of April without going somewhere to find snow?? Well now I did at least. Hope it stops snowing very fast, otherwise I will maybe have to stay here because of the weather (don´t think so luckely, they say it´s getting warmer this week). And now it is almost dinner time here, tonight I will spent with Helga and Guttomur, because Hera and her husband Peter are somewhere else till tomorrow. At this moment we are planning to watch a movie.

I hope you all have had a great Queensday (for people being in the Netherlands at this moment).
xxx

They said I will!!

date: April 29th (missing Queens night, have fun everyone)
time: 16.59
mood: starting to be a little home sick

It is so nice to be here, but it also really far away from home. I wished I knew here someone so I had someone to talk with. You are all so far away at this moment, I miss you all

TODAY
But enough about that. I am not missing you all the time, because there happens a lot here in Iceland. Today was my second day at school and it was a little diffrent than a normal school day told Hera me yesterday. Well after this day I am quite sure they are not doing this every day. We started with the whole school together in the gym. The whole school was singing and we did a dance one of the teachers learned us. It was great to say and it sounded very nice. After the singing Hera´s group, so me included, stayed at the gym for the PE lesson. Hera asked me to think of a Dutch game so, with a little help, I decided to teach them zakdoekje leggen. I only hadn´t a handkerchief, so I used a ball. And we didn´t sang the song, so we had to say: close your eyes and open them, but then in Iclandic (forgot what it is unfortunately). It was fun and I forgot that I really liked it when I was younger. After the PE lesson it was break time, so I went to the teacher room, and there we saw a part of the wedding of Prince William and Kate. I never tought I would see some of it in Iceland, but the weirdest thing was that there were no subtitles (but that´s because it was life television, I think). After the break we had the second special event of the day. The first and second grade where devided in 5 groups and they were going to do 5 different activities. This acticities where: technic, art, libary lesson, cooking or a sew lesson. I stayed with Hera and therefor went to the technic lesson. I never tought they would use real figure shaws with children this age, but they did. Half way the lesson I picked up my camera downstairs and took some pictures (will upload them in Holland since I don´t have internet and a SD slot in the same computer). I went to all classes and also took some pictures of the school itsself. Then it was lunchtime and after lunchbreak we didn´t do anything very special. Then, at 13.45 school was over and I went downtown, to visit the center of Reykjavík. It was really cold outside, but the center is great. I just walked there and visited some souvenir stores. The only three things I have bought are two finger heads (whats the correct name for it actually??) and a kind of hat so my ears would stay warm. I walked for about two hours and then I went home. We had tea at home and that´s where the day is at the moment. Tonight I am not home again, but I am still not quite sure about what we are going to do, something with pizza I tought... You will hear more tomorrow I think.

YEASTERDAY.
Well the chronologic is great (hum hum hum...) but anyway. Yesterday wasn´t over when I stoped telling, because of the tea break. During tea Hera asked me if  I would like to go to the movie. I said yes, so toghethe with Hera´sdoughter Helga I decided to go to Hanna. It was great. The movie was in English (not a problem at all after this days of just talking it) and had Icelandic subs. The movie was about the girl Hanna, who had lived in the forest of Iceland since she was two. After a lot of years, she wanted to leave the forest, so her dad gave her the choice: go away and never return or stay in the forest forever. She decided the first and a haunt on her and her father was the consequence. I really enjoyed the movie (find a synopsis or so if you want to know more about the movie). So my evening was great and after all I have slept quite well (just woke up early again, it was 5 am here)

So think this is it for know..
Time: 17.37
Mood: much better than at the start, just by writing and talking with friends+
Enjoy Queensday tomorrow and please let me know how it was!!
xxxx

My first day at school

Time: 15.40
Weather: rain, rain and more rain, together with a strong wind
day: APril 28th 2011 (happy birth day aunt Tony)

I will not tell a lot about the weather here, it can change every second here and we are complaining enough about it in the Netherlands. My first day at school was great but after all I am now very tired so I hope I can tell you everything before a fall asleep.

Schoolday:
At Vestubaturskoli (if you write it like this) a school day starts at 8.45 am, then there is a break from 10.00 am till 10.30 am. Lunchbreak is for every class differents, for Hera´s class it´s between 11.45 am and 12.30 pm (they have lunch at school, thinks that explains a lot, if not ask for it). School is out at 14.45 pm.

My day.
I started today in second grade ( to compare with the Dutch school system: in primary school everything works almos the same, for age at least). There they were talking about the fact that I was with them and Hera´s birthday yesterday (that was great, I will tell more about it later on). After that Hera took me to a collegue of her and I went to 4th grade. There they had an English lesson. It was fun. We talked about fruit (we had an apple, grapes, a banana, an orange, a grapefruit and two pears) and then we played a game called fruit cocktail ( I was a banana) and they had to do an exercise with it. Then we ate the fruit and we had the first break. After this break I went to the 8th grade. That was a bit boring, so I just wrote down some notes about things to tell here. Then there was the lunch break. We had some kind of rice and I think I am not going to like it (the only nice thing was the sugar you could ate it with). Then the kids went out to play outside and I read a little about the exact things to do during the weekend. When they came back in, they could chose something to do, toghether with first grade. I helped Hera in her class and afterwards they told eachother what they had done and sang a few songs. Then school was over and I went home. When I was home I was so wet that I had to change clothes (I walked). And now I am typing my blog and just relaxing and that kind of stuff (it is almost tea time here)

But back to yeasterday, Hera´s Birthday. The food was great (home made pizza, yum yum), but it was a little late for my feeling to eat (here it was 7 o´clock when we had supper and at 9 there was koffie and cake and I wanted to go to sleep at 8, what became 10) Hera got some nice presents and I guess about the whole family was here. I talked almost the whole evening with a cousin of Hera and she likes it too to travel a lot. So that is what happend yesterday.

My plans for the rest of the week at this moment:
Tomorrow and wednesday I will stay at primary school. And when everything works out well I will go to a high school at monday and tuesday. This weekend I am going to the blue lagoon  and I am planning a trip with a compagny, but I am not sure what I want to do yet ( thinking about a horse riding tour close to Reykjavík or a bus tour somewhere else, the golden cirkel for example). And during my stay here I am trying to learn a little Icelandic. And of course I want to go shopping to find some Icelandic souvenirs for home (and I forgot my swimming suit and that is something I will need during my visit to the Blue lagoon). This are my plans at this moments, updates will follow as soon as possible.

Icelandic vocabulary:
ára=year ( I am 17 ára)
og= and
já (say jou)=yes
Nei (say nee)=no
takk=thank you
strax=now
út=exit
opnið (say opnith)=open

I hope you enjoyed reading, and that´s it for today (if this keyboard wil work with me instead of against me)

traveling to Iceland (and some extra information)

dear, dear people, where ever you are in the world at the moment.
Today was my travel day (even tough the day is still quite long, local time is 5 pm). So packed the last stuff this morning and went to the airport at 11.15 (dutch time). Had to spent an hour there after dropping my bagage (little too long in my opinion, but any way). And after that hour I had to wait an other half an hour before I could get on board of the airplain. After departure the flight was quite well. I had some kind of TV/MP3 thing in the seat in front of me, so that was very relaxed. After 3 hours in the airplane we arrived, got my koffer very quick and found Hera, my hostes as soon as I got out of the bagage place. And after an hour of driving we arrived at Hera´s place where my second new face was the dog (still don´n know his name) and after that Hera´s son of 11 and her doughter who don´t live in the house. That are the persons I met till now.
Things I found out at this moment:
- In Iceland the landscape is beautiful, no place I have seen looks the same
- Moonwalkers came here to practice how to walk on the moon
- it´s normal to take of your shoes in a house
- People speak really good English here
- I will most of the time have breakfast, lunch around 12pm, tea time around 4pm and diner around 7pm
- Hera´s birth day is today
- They are to almost having their exams here

guess that´s it for now. One last thing: please add a name at your comment, otherwise I can´t respond (annonymous 1,2,3 etc becomes a little difficult after a while you know)
Everyone: have a nice week/day/holiday, enjoy Queensday (going to forget that later this week) and I´m looking forward to your comments.
xxx

PS: still have no idea what I am going to do tomorrow.. Guess going to the primary school, what name I can´t remember again.. to be continued 

some information

The start

Heeey everyone,

As you know (or not) am I going to Iceland at the end of April. I will keep a blog here, to tell you about everything what´s happening when I´m there, but I will start right know, so you can follow me, preparing to go there in a couple of months.

All right, to start at the beginning. In November last year I asked some teachers if it was all rigth to do an international internship instead of going to Berlin. They were ok with it, so I started to look for a internship place. The first things were in Greece, but at the end that didn't turn out well, so I had to go on searching. Greece would be together with Jamiila, so we dicided to go on searching together. But at the end we both found another place, and mine is Iceland. It took about a month and a couple of mails to different persons (2 my mother knows and 1 I've now only met trough an e-mail) but I found this place. A primary school in Iceland and maybe even 1 or 2 high schools :D:D:D. I'm so unbelivable happy with it :D.

Just hoping everything goes well form now on. Today I booked my ticket, so that's already step 2. Now getting everything fixed so that I can leave at the 27th of April.