It's the end of the month - Again :)

Today is the last day of September and I wonder where time goes?
It feels like only 2 weeks since I left Iceland, saying goodbye to my parents ( again - it doesn't get easier the often you do it ).

Tomorrow is the first day of October, month that somehow I feel like I have never liked so much, it's a rainy month, gray and lifeless - somehow.
I know it's not true but when I think about this month, these feelings come up.

Somehow I look at this October differently.
I see joy, I see colors ( still a little grayish but colors nevertheless) and I see people, friends and AIESECers.
This October I'm going to Slovakia for the first time - YEAH. I will be going to a conference, EuroCo and meeting coworkers, friends and the leaders on local levels in Europe.
But I will also meet a dear friend - Janie - again after a long time.
Thats special and I can not wait to meet her. :)

In October I'm also going to Denmark. The main reason is to meet my best friends there, go to concert and do some work as well.

In the end of October I'm going to a conference here in Paris on the topic of CSR, something that I'm very interested in.

So October is not looking so lifeless anymore. I'm actually happy to embrace this month with open arms and gladly take on the moments he has to offer ( he - the month ;) )

And to share with you this joy, I want to give you the link to the last pictures of my travels to Brazil.
Enjoy as much as I did :)
http://www.picturetrail.com/misswenaer-2

- with love -

quick update :P

Have put the first part of the Brazil pictures online.

Please find them here:
http://www.picturetrail.com/misswenaer-1

- with love -

Valuable experiences

Antoher week has started here in Paris. Another week ful of adventures and joy, hard work and challenges.

I'm experiences more, I'm enjoying being in Paris and I love to be a turist in a city I'm living in, to explore and embrace the culture, the arcitechture, the passion of the people.
since last week I tried to become "French".
I decided, since I'm only here for limited amount of time, lets make the most out of it.
So I had my hair cut, I bought new shoes and I'm feeling more me! Free and happy, smiling more and being happy.

The weekend was packed with agenda...
Friday evening the girls in the MC and I were planning to go to this goodbye party of some Intern here in Paris.
So we got all dressed up and left. Unfortunatly no one showed up so we started our own little party.
The music did not encourage my dancing mood so I left a little earlier then the girls.

Saturday was a good day, I read my book and then I decided to go to Versailles to see the Palace where history was made in France.
The Palace is HUGE, and so amazingly beautiful.
I saw rooms where Louis XIII and XIV lived, where Queens had their babies in public so people could be sure that the baby was truely royalty.
One thing that was also very interesting in the Palace was a sculpture show that artist called Jeff Kunzt was displaying in all the most important rooms.
They were creative but in complete abstract to the environment they were in.
It was cool to see that people are willing to live a humourus lives.

After the Palace sightseeing It was the plan to go to another Party. So we dressed up again and went out, this time to actually find the people.
It was very nice, met old friends and gained new friends.

Sunday was a peaceful day.
I woke up ( sore in the feet after walking so much ) and I slowly got into the action of the day.
Cleaned the kitchen and cleaned my place where I sleep was satisfing and needed.
Then I went to a place in Paris called Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, "Basilica of the Sacred Heart" where I sat down in the church stairs and read my book, listened to live music and enjoyed the great weather that Paris had that day.
I fell in love with this place, it's peaceful yet so crowed.
So I am very happy today, after experiencing things in Paris that I enjoyed so much.

- with love -

Parisian experience

Tomorrow I have been in Paris for 2 weeks already. It just feels like 2 days.

I haven't been much around the city, I haven't been doing much outside AIESEC and I havent meet many people that are not AIESECers. Despite those facts, I'm having the time of my life here.
How can I not?
I'm living in Paris :)

This morning, on my way to the office, I started thinking about my perceptions of Paris.
- it's crowded city
- some places smell like Pee
- there are more homeless people here then I have seen in other cities
- it's so alive 24/7, people are everywhere
- so far it's only rained once ( and then it really rained )
- Random men talking to you on the street "Belle" "Bonjour" "Ca Va" etc.
- When it's sunny outside the city is so pretty
- People read all the time, I really enjoy that
- wine culture is big
- sitting at cafés all hours is generally accepted by the French people
- good coffee
- good bakary food
- beautiful language

So far this is what I'm thinking of Paris.
My first 2 weeks are just the way you would like your first 2 weeks in a new country to be like.
I'm ready for the next 2 weeks :)

- With Love -

open eyes - hard task

So it's sunday and I'm trying to hold on to the last energy drop that I have.
I'm still at the MC office in AIESEC France... this weekend has been hard work and challenging me in all the ways possible, so I'm sitting at my desk and think things through.

This weekend I have been, and still am, the chair of the LCP meeting of AIESEC France. It's so much fun, it's an new experience and I have been challenged in ways that I wasn't aware of and tackled it very well in my opinion.

I will share more about this amazing experience later. Just wanted to share that I'm doing good, I'm enjoying my stay here in Paris and I still miss people and places in Iceland, so I'm planning to go there during christmas :)

Au revoir
with love

I got Tagged!! ( Klukk )

OK, I was reading my friend, Maggie's, blog and I found out I have been tagged, like I want to call it in english - Klukk in icelandic :P

So I can not be a smaller person then others so I will hereby answer those things,

4 jobs:
- WENA External Relations Coordinator: working forAIESEC in Western Europe and North America to involve companies and the corporate world in the organization. Based in Paris. :)
- MCP of AIESEC in Iceland: President of AIESEC in Iceland, working on team management, finances, legal issues, and running the whole organization in Iceland. Loved it :)
- Back office in VBS Investment Bank: working with loans, savings, investments and money for other people
- Back office in Icebank: Stocks and Bonds invoicing, customer servicing and more.

4 Movies:
- The Rock: One of my alltime favorite movies
- 300: good violence and sexy guys
- Mamma mia: love the music
- Blade 1,2,3: Love Westley Snipes

4 places I have lived at:
- Selfoss ( 6-17 years old)
- Opio, south France ( 20 years Old )
- Blönduós ( 20 years old )
- Hafnarfjörður ( 21 - current )

4 TV shows:
- CSI
- Friends
- Numbers
- Monk

4 places for holidays: ( what holidays ;) )
- Brazil
- Iceland
- Greece
- Morocco

4 websites:
- myaiesec.net
- leikjanet.is
- google.com
- wikipedia.org

4 food things:
- Chicken
- Lamb in curry
- Ice Cream
- Pop corn

4 places I want to be RIGHT now
- with my family in Iceland
- lying on the beach in Rio, Brazil
- Learning french in Paris, France
- meeting my friends in Denmark

4 people to be tagged:
- Anna
- Vera Dögg
- Freyja
- Helga

Hope you enjoyed this :)
-with love-

Belonging to the place

I'm seeing it more and more how proud I am for being Icelandic.

Yesterday evening I went to the movies again, this time to see an Icelandic movie with French subtitles.
It was so cool to what the movie, understanding the words, knowing the sceenary, and seeing all those people attending an ICELANDIC movie.
I enjoyed it very much.

I have already seen Mýrin before ( Jar City in english ) and I like it very much.

Paris is growing on me.. I like the environment and the attitude of people. Everyone reads a lot, everyone dresses nicely and people try to support you as much as they can.
Yesterday after my movie, I took the metro home, listening to music and just watching the people.
I felt like a Parisian. I felt like I belonged there.
That is so cool experience.

So I hope this feeling of belonging will not disapear, fly away and leave me.
Because I like it here.
-with love-

Paris, Pope and movies

this will be the last part of the Brazil story because now I'm in Paris and my life here is something to share with you all.

My travel to the airport took 60 min boat ride with a speed boat, 4 hours waiting at the bus station in Angra des Rais, 7 hours bus ride ( along with car sicknes ) from Angra to Sao Paulo and then 14 hours waiting at the airport in Sao Paulo. I just didn't want to miss my flight out of the country.
Not that I didnt like Brazil - I was just ready to get back.

My travels were very interesting, police man going through my stuff, arriving late in Portugal and running to the next gate, not having my luggage in London and waiting for 4 hours on Heathrow, my trainticket to paris was not bought so I needed to buy one and therefore loosing the train I wanted to take.
VERY NICE!

So I arrived in Paris last Wednesday and so far I like it a lot.

- The weather has been good
- the MC team is super nice
- I finally got my jetlag out
- I went to listen to the POPE
- I walked all over Paris
- I've been to the movies
and many more :)

I'm trying to practice my french as well, it's going ok. I'm remembering many things so far so that's good for me :)

Tonight I'm going to the movies again - I wanted to see Jar City ( Mýrin ) with French subtitles - and it's also just 3,5 EUR :)

-with love-

upload complete - Transition pictures :=)

Hey everyone :P

here you can find some interesting pictures since my transition time in Rotterdam!!

http://www.picturetrail.com/missMCP-5

-with love-

Riding boats all the time :P

My stay at the paradise island went by way to fast.
Day one:
- I took a boat ride at 10 in the morning to their BLUE LAGOON. I had to go and see if it was nicer then one in Iceland or not hehe. The boat ride was like an hour and half in this amazing weather.
When we got to the blue lagoon people had the chance to snorkle and look at the fish life and enjoy the cold water.
It was my first time snorkling and I enjoyed it so much, so cool to be swimming with the fishes ( not in a Mafia kind a way ) and just enjoying the great weather and the people.

After the snorkling in blue lagoon we took the boat to this beautiful beach where we stayed sunbathing for 50 min ( the time schedule was very strickt ;) )
The next stop was another beach where you could by food for a lot of money. Shit... I decided not to eat. Looking at the prices, all of a sudden I wasn't hungry anymore ;)

So then the boat ride was over, I came back to the "capital" of the Island, took a shower and got ready to leave for a barbeque in the hostel I was originally supposed to stay at.
After this amazing day I found out that I got sunburnt on my back and it hurt like HELL.
So that night I couldn't sleep well. :s

Day two:
- was not so sunny day so I stayed in the hostel to begin with and did some work, my back was also still hurting so it was good to take some time of from the sun. :S
After my work I went for a walk and saw a little more of that beautiful island.
The day was very nice, I did a lot of reading and just relaxing.

Day three:
- I took another boat ride ( you have to travel by boat to get to other places of the island ) to Lopes Mendes. Its a beach where no one lives. and it's so beautiful.
I stayed there for 5 hours and only slept, read and went swimming in the sea.
On my way back to the harbor I heard Icelandic language being spoken but I didn't want to bother the people. It was just very cool.
When I got back to the hostel it was already getting a little dark, so what I did was to arrange my luggage because I was leaving the next morning.
Then I went for a night walk and saw young kids playing Brazilian marshall arts, it was SO cute.
Then I got back and had an early night.

so this was my stay in Ilha Grande :)
more to come soon.

Difficult journey

So day four was a travelling day.
My day started with me going to the beach and enjoy my final moments on Cobacabana beach. I love that place.

After lunch I took a taxi to the Rio bus station. My plan was to take a 2 hour ride to Angra De Rais, a small harbor town between Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. From there I took a ferry, a very interesting old boat, to a small island called Ilha Grande. Its the paradise Island that took 2 hours to get to by the ferry.
I arrived there at 9 PM, tired, hungry and needed to pee. Not so good situation.

So I take my HUGE luggage to go to the Hostel I was supposed to stay at. It was so hard since the Island doesnt have roads, no cars ( exept for police, firetruck and ambulance ), and only way to get to the hostel was to walk over the beach. SHIT.. I had to drag my luggage for 20 min. and it was SO difficult.

So when I got to the hostel, the lady told me there was no free space. I'm like WHAT!!
I had a reservation, I had already paid part of the amount and I had dragged the suitcase all this way!!
So the lady found me another place to stay at, she asked her son ( or some young dude ) to take my luggage to the new hostel and I got refunded the money had already paid.
I was so ANGRY.

So I came to this other hostel, got my room and then went to eat. Had to get my mind of this frustration.
Then I turned back to the hostel to sleep.
So nice.
-with love-

Seven hours in a tour :)

So it's been a while since I posted something here but it's been for good reasons. But here is further info on my holidays in Brazil.

Day 3 in Rio was very good.
I started the day with taking a 5 hour tour around the most important things in Rio. I went to Pedra Bonita, that has great view over Rio and it's coast lines.
Then the we went to a national park of Tijuca just to see the nature and how beautiful it is.
Next step in the tour was to go to see the Christ statue - or the "Big Dude" as it was called in the tour guide ;)
Oh man, seeing that statue was AMAZING. It's so HUGE, so elegant and so powerful. I spent an hour there and I only looked at the statue and then the stunning view over Rio De Janeiro that the statue has every day and enjoyied the lovely weather that we had that day.

I actually found out something very interesting at the Christ statue. It as a small chapel inside where people are invited to pray and/or even get married there. ( that would be very expensive but possible )
I went in there, sat for a while and just embraced the peace and power that I felt from that statue.
I highly recommend to everyone that are on their way to Brazil - GO TO RIO :)

Last step in the tour was to visit this neighbourhood in Rio called Santa Tereza. It is supposed to be very old, nice town. So we sat down there and had lunch.
I got Black beans, rice and pork ( typical Brazilian dish ) and I have to admit it was better then it looked like ;)
When I finally got back to the hostel it was already 17:00, so it ment I spent 7 hours on a tour... not so shabby :P

In the evening I went for dinner, read a book and prepared some work I had to do. YEAH..
Then I went early to sleep because I had to wake up early the next morning.
So that's day 3 in Rio... I loved it!!

- with love -

Day 2 in Rio :)

ok. Day 2 in Rio was like this ;)



I woke up to get great coffee and bread. Then I went to the beach to enjoy some sun since the day was much better then before.



I spent good time there sunbathing, then I went for lunch and had a very expensive sandwitch.

After lunch me and Tomas went to a Favella tour under the name "be a local". I had to ride a motorcycle up to the place because that is faster.
So what is a Favella?
Its a neigbourhood of poor people where they have made their homes in order to have a place to stay. Favellas are supposed to be dangerous place to live, under gang laws and people dont have honest jobs.
OK... most of this above is not true. Favella is a place for people to live that can not afford to live in the cities. And it can be dangerous but only if you do not follow the "laws".
people do have honest jobs, mostly in Rio. And they are trying hard to provide for their babies.
In Favellas, girls as young as 12 years old are starting to have their own families. Thats why the favellas are growing in a fast paste in Brazil.
Favella tour was very interesting for me to see that peoples lifes are not the same even though the live in the same city. People really do have to struggle.

The tour took around 3 hours and when we got back to the hostel we sat down to watch some TV with other hostel guests.

In the evening there were more AIESECers in the hostel from AIESEC Colombia.
They were really cool so I spent the evening playing UNO with them in spanish ( note to you - I dont speak spanish )
That was a very interesting experience hehe.

But I did go early to sleep because I had booked another tour in the morning and I wanted to be Fresh for that one.
COOL ah?
-with love-

Living on a paradise Island

its 22.23 and Im sitting outside, Im tired and I want to go to sleep.

Im currently on a small island called Ilha Grande and its a paradise island between Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. I can not say at this point if its beautiful or not since its been dark the whole time here.

My holidays have been super cool.
I arrived early sunday to Rio De Janeiro and took a taxi to the hostel, called walk on the beach in Cobacabana. So cool.
I checked in and went to sleep since I didnt sleep well in the bus to Rio.

When I woke up I decided I couldnt waste more time so I ran to the beach..even though it was not sunny outside, and I staid there for 2 hours.
Then I got back and did more sleep until Tomas came back from a soccer game.
Then we went out for dinner with English couple to a restaurant called Bagdad. The food was good and it was a nice experience.
After this exotic food Tomas invited us for a shisha. So we sat there for few minutes smoking Cappochino Sisha. Very nice.
Then i went back to sleep :)

I have lots more to say what I have been doing in Rio but I just wanted to let you know I was still alive.
Now Im planning on getting some sleep. Its been a long travelling day.

-with love from Ilha Grande, Brazil -