inside my head on the last day of the year!

Today is the last day of the year 2008.
I find it very strange, this year has flown by extremely fast and new year is here already and I can not wait for new opportunities and hope for my work to become better and I feel better about myself.

these passed few days I've been getting into very interesting conversations with people inside and outside my family.
Mostly regarding the situation here in Iceland and my views on how we can start to work out of it, my views on EU and if Iceland should join or not and also what the society needs to start thinking if we want to move out of this crisis sooner rather then later.
It's been extremely interesting to learn what other people think, if they think the way I do or if I'm completely out there in my thoughts.

So just to share few thoughts of my own.
I personally do not think Iceland should jump into EU without really making sure we dont loose ourself as a nation in the process.
The thing is, when countries enter EU they are bound with the rest of the member countries in everything and is that something we, as this strong independant nation, are willing to risk?
We would also loose a lot of our agricultural area since Icelandic agriculture is not strong enough to compete with the low tarrifs that are required and low prices EU countries can offer. And there are many many agricultural countries in EU that want bigger market to sell in.
Then it's the fish. although the bigger the market to sell in and better prices we would be gaining a lot of money.
But then again our fishing miles that we own as a country will be less since we would have to allow the member countries to come closer and into our turf to fish as well.
So my question is, is the money we get for the fish going to be bigger then the loss we would have by less fishing and smaller fishing area?
That would have to happen and I'm not so sure that it would since we dont sell 100% to the EU countries but also outside.

these are just few of my questions and doubts that I would like answers to before I'm willing to say YES for EU.

My next thoughts are around the way of thinking of the Icelandic nation, and then of course myself included.
We are a hunting nation, we only think one day at a time. there is NO longterm planning, not longterm strategies to make sure our resourses dont leave us like it did when everything fell down in October.
If we are going to pick us up out of this crisis then we need to start thinking longterm, we need to think about sustainability and not only in energy but in society and fincances.
But the thinking about picking Iceland into the same level as we have been then we need to start making sure people think long term and gread is dimished.
Icelandic people are gready. We want everything and more and we want it now.
when young university educated, resent graduate is getting out on the job market they want higher salaries then is normal and all these "benefits" that havent been normally there.
If we are going to run fast this hast to stop.

So enough of my thoughts even though these are just few of them.
so when the year is ending things like these are running through my head and I wonder how can I make sure we dont run to fast, both in the directon of EU as well as we stop run for easy money without earning for them.
So I welcome the new year and I hope to find my way to contribute, find my place in the society.
Until I know where that is and how I shall make my country a better place I will go now and start celebrating the past and prepare for the future ;)

- with love-

Time for thoughts..

Dear friends and family who read this thing..
Have a happy holidays and enjoy this time with the people you love.

so now I have been home for more then a week already and its been amazing.
I sometimes sit, look at my family and friends, and I feel so blessed that I managed to get home to spend this family holiday in Iceland with the people that mean the most to me.
I feel time flies way to fast, it's too soon until I have to board a plane and fly of to London and then to Paris.

When I flew back home I had this strange feeling of releaf, I am finally back to place where I feel good about me, no AIESEC and more then ever, no logical problems and problems with few people.
I have been not doing so great my few weeks in Paris, why I dont think I will share here.

So what I will be doing after new years is think through my role, my wishes, what I want to be doing, how can I become happy and where can I do the most good for my country, my family and is that by being in the role I'm in now.
So my thoughts will be, should I continue being the WENA ER Coordinator when the new year is here?

I will take the time off between Christmas and New Years to be with family and meet people I havent seen in a long time.
Then new year will be my thinking time :)

-with love-

Where are you Christmas?

2 days to Christmas and somehow I'm feeling tired.

But I have already gotten myself at home, here at home ;), I have started baking and I really enjoy it. It brings christmas smell into the house.
I have also bought the presents I will give to family and friends and I have decorated the christmas tree.
Tomorrow is the day before Christmas and we in my family have a tradition to go to the center of my city and enjoy the christmas spirit that people are sharing.
then it's christmas.. Christmas eve and I can not wait.

so now I just want christmas to arrive.

-with love-

constant learnings, big and small

It's strange how you just accept few things like they are, how they have been and asume they will be the same until discussed and then you accept the changes.

But it's hard to take the changes when they haven't been discussed. It can be very hard when the changes crawl up on you when you are not expecting.

My lesson today is do not assume anything.

I've been having very interesting conversations lately with random people here and there and it has made me realize many things about me and my future, what I want to do, where I want to contribute and how I can actually contribute since i want to be in Iceland.
There is a lot of things to change, to make better and build from scratch.

So now I need to learn not to asume anything, even though things have been one way for a long time.
And I have to start thinking about what makes me happy, how I can be smiling and enjoying my time.
I can not waist more time, more feelings, more tears..
- with love-

My journey Home :)

I'm currently sitting at the office, just finished talking to my parents and now I have this butterfly feeling in my stomach.
I'm going home.

after 4 months out of my home, exploring other countries and cultures I'm finally heading back.
Back to a country that I have admired for so long but at the moment I have mixed feelings about.
I'm going home to my family and friends, people that make me smile and will make the christmas holiday worth the trip to Iceland.
I'm heading back home.

I have been waiting for this day for months now.
I do need this time to reajust, pick up my motivation and start thinking positively again.
I need my people, my culture, my christmas habits.

It's funny how some habits stick with you.
Since before I was 17 years old I have always made my own Christmas cards and set to my friends.
This year it had to be something different since I dont have the time nor the resources to make my own.
But I still can not imagine my christmas time without writing lovely messages to friends and send cards.
It's special for me.
This year will also be special for my friends, they will recieve piece of my new life - French Christmas cards :)

My travel home starts tomorrow morning.
I dont think I will sleep much, since I haven't been sleeping much these passed few nights as well.
I look forward to London, times with friends and sightseeing
And then being welcomed by my homecountry..
What a lovely start of Christmas :)

-with love-

2 kinds of experiences - good and not so good!

Living in Paris means you have to become cultural aware, knowing your art, poets, artists, singers and more things then I can possibly mention here.
People that know me know that I'm not very arty farty person, but I do like to enrichen my life with new things, old things in some cases, and learn new things.

This weekend I took the time to go and visit one of many museums here in Paris, Musée d'Orsay and what was most interesting for me was seeing all those famous names I have heard about and putting art with the name. ( some people need face to a name - I need art to a name :p )

There was an exibition about Picasso and the picture that inspired him in one of his series of pictures.
The artist that inspired Picasso is Manet and story of his picture was very interesting.
I completely understand why the picture was so inspiring for Picasso - But I on the other hand didn't really like Picasso pictures.
I know it's a sin to say - but I honestly didnt.

So now, I feel more enriched after seeing paintings after famous artists, reading about Pastel period in the art and even shopped in an art store.

But there was one thing that kind a shock me to the core when I was waiting for entering the museum..
I had to wait outside, in rain and cold and when we found out the reason I got angry and a little shocked.
It appeard that someone left their bagage unattended at the lobby of the museum.
For security reasons the bagage had to be checked for bomb.
But no danger, thank God.
So that was also an experience for me - an experience I didn't really want to have. :s

So I continue to have an interesting experience here in Paris.
-with love-

busy schedule but time to smile :)

Today is a special day.
It started to snow here in Paris.
I love it, it's cold and wet but it's snow - it's becoming more and more Christmasy here and I love it.

Tomorrow I have a very packed day.
Meeting with a bank,
meeting with The Econimist,
bus trip to Brussels.

So I'm doing some work now..
But please enjoy these pictures from November :)

http://www.picturetrail.com/missWENAer-4
http://www.picturetrail.com/missWENAer-5

-with love-

Expressing my Experiences :)

This has been a very good weekend.
No thoughts left in my head, not many things that I want to share here.
So I'm going to share some pictures from my travels.

When life becomes to much something

I'm back home in Paris after two weeks in Budapest and 1 day in Prague.
I was so releaved when I lended at Orly airport and I was so happy to take the airport shuttle to the train that should take me to paris.
So I waited and waited and waited a little more for the train to come and take me to Paris and for an hour it didn't show up.
People started piling up, getting frustrated and annoyed by waiting so long.

Then the train came.
OMG. People ran to the train and squeezed themselves in. The cabin was so ful that I almost had a complete stranger in my arms. :s
Ok. I can live with this, people of course wanted to get the train and get early to Paris.
But what I didn't like was the way people behaved during the train ride. People really bacame rude, selfish and in some cases angry.
When the train stopped and people had to go out, there was no other way the PUSH everyone out of your way, even if that ment to push them into someone else, hurting them or what not.
I was lucky that the stop before mine was the biggest stop, so when i had to leave the train with my luggage, I didnt have to push to much and hurt people.
So this was my welcome back to Paris.
Like I said.. Oh my God!

Last night I saw a movie called two lovers. It was an interesting movie, one that left alot of questions and thoughts in my head.
the movie is about a man how has two women in his life, one that wants to be there as a lover and the other who wants to be there as a friend.
I have come to realize that human nature is very screwed up when it comes to love, feelings and life's choices.
The guy fell in love with the one who wanted only to be his friend, a person he was not able to have in a way.
Isn't that what happens in real life?
people want the things/people they can not have and they dont rest until they either do have them or they collapse trying to become this individual they think would attract that person/thing.

On the other hand, he lead the other girl on,kept her as a safety net to be sure he would have someone.
But when the other girl showed interest he was quick to leave the safe choice and go for what he "truely wanted".
Is that also something we do?
We create our safety nets of people, environment and things to make sure we dont end up with nothing and we drop everything when the " right thing" comes along!

I dont know.
This was just some things that were left in my head when I walked out of the movie theater yesterday.

but as I left the teahter and walked on Champs-Élysées, the fashion street of Paris, I felt happy to be back.
Paris surely is a christmas city so we belong were well together.

So this will be the end of these thoughts.
-with love-

another city, another experience :)

I’m sitting at the bus station in Budapest, waiting for the bus to come and take me to Prague.
There is a huge christmas tree standing in front of me, with lights, blue orniments and small gifts hanging on waiting to be opened ( no, I dont think they are real but one can hope ;) )
In my ears christmas music is playing. This time it’s my choosing and not just random christmas songs played around the city. I made my playlist on my ipod with the point to get my into christmas mood.

2 weeks already in Budapest and I’m missing Paris.
Last night me and JuanCa watched the last episodes of Sex and the city and they two last ones happen in Paris.
I really felt this was my city, my home. It was strange but nice feeling. I have two homes in my heart, Iceland and Paris. How rich am I? 

Although Prague is a very nice city I can not wait to get back to Paris, back home.
I am ready to be in my environment and feel comfortable.
Two weeks is long time to be out of your home.

But there are 17 days until I get to Iceland, my other home. 17 days. This is proof that time flies fast, even if you are not having fun, you feel sad, you feel happy and excited. Time flies fast because you are living your life as well as you can and you take each situation as it comes, with no excuse. That’s why I’m going home in 17 days, because I try to smile to the world and take things as they come.

Now, there are is a whole new day and I’m still writing this blog. Currently I’m in Prague, one of my favorite cities I have travelled to.
The bus ride from Budapest to Prague took me 7 hours.. 7 hours and three countries later I am sitting in another room, with another persons cover and getting ready to sleep in a nother city that’s not my city.

So now, after my long long bus ride, metro ride without paying and walking to the flat I’m staying at, I keep laughing and enjoying my time. But I’m very much ready to get some sleep.
So that’s it folks, good night sleep tight.

P.s. happy birthday to all those dear people in my life that have their birthday on December 2nd and 3rd 

- with love -