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-