Days 19-21

Yesterday was my final stint with the CELL Program and the Alabama in Iceland coursework.

The night before, we saw geysers at Geysir and the golden waterfall called Gullfoss. Gullfoss is famous for the rainbow that arches above it, but I did not see one the compared to the beams of colors I saw in the van ride to Keflavik. I also so a rainbow last night here in Reykavik that provided a lovely sight to me and all the friendly world travelers I met in the hot pool down the street from the hostel where I am staying now.

Then, I felt PEACE with two females from Korea, one from Germany, and another from--of all places--Montgomery, Alabama. The American had two children with her, and she sat by an Icelandic man and I heard a group speaking French behind their backs. Right now, I feel a different sort of peace because sunshine is beaming in from the window and keeping my body warm where it shines on my belly.

A slower, more mellow version of The Postal Service´s ´Such Great Heights´ is playing.

We were pledged to a 100 Day Plan with the CELL Program. As students of sustainability, we have to keep or kick a particular habit for 100 days. I chose to attempt a pull-up, but I would also like to ditch bottled water after the girl working the desk at this hostel pointed out how Icelanders think it funny that many foreigners do not like the taste of their tap water (it does have a bit of a sulfurous bite). I have filled up a Coke bottle I bought from the airport with it to hydrate.

ABOUT ICELANDIC NIGHTLIFE:
About 2 a.m. this morning, all of the collegiate graduates and youthful souls came out to celebrate in the streets. I heard punk music and new wave.

If I were to compare this city to a year in America, it would probably be 1986.

Girls wore high heels and short skirts with leggings. They were their hair very prim, and their make-up was straight. I assume many were some associated with something comparable to a sorority--they wore sailors hat and were making what the English boys called a ´pub crawl´.

One guy I ran into was made to wear a dinosaur mask on his head all night. It reminded me very much of Tuscaloosa.

Needless to say, I´m wiped from the festivities.

However, I am not too wiped to find a physical bar (a thing, not a place) and take a try at a pull up. Afterwards, I will hang my clothes waiting in the washing machine in the basement here to line dry. I have the time such that I do not need to rush it through an energy-intensive dryer!

(It is a bit difficult to remove myself from environmentalist habits with an ad that says ´Nature.is - an eco-conscious network.´ Perhaps I will go on another hike later . . .)

Day 18

BAD NEWS: When trying to change file formats, I deleted ALL pictures taken before tonight from my still camera.

GOOD NEWS: I have moving footage shot with a digital camcorder backed up on tapes.

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I woke up in a terrible mood. It was raining and the wind blew loudly outside of my window.

I snapped out of my funk after few of Solheimar´s residents performed in a recital after lunch.

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I spent several hours creating my ´Vision of Sustainability,´ which expresses what I have learned while staying in Iceland. I made a sculpture that represents a sustainable community with objects I found as litter. The items are litter no longer.

The written information around sculpture explains concepts behind voluntary simplicity, or living in a minimalistic manner in reverence of environmental issues.




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Quote from Pali when we were on a 20 kilometer hike in 40 degree weather:

´Are you cold (question mark) Cold is a state of mind.´

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I had a conversation with a bearded fellow named Hrannar who studies forestry and a Dutch volunteer named Selene who stays in the house with me at Solheimar. Hrannar told me how clovers and certain trees put nitrogen into soil to make it rich with nutrients to grow other plants.

He also told me about how mushrooms compare to humans in that fungus is more like us than it is like plants.

Hrannar says a typical American makes enough waste to equal 70 other people´s waste.

Days 15-17

We visited the Burfell Power Station to witness hydroelectricity being produced. There are many issues with hydroelectric power, according to our teacher, Dr. Steinberg. Because of his background, he is very aware of the ecological damage dams cause.

Pauli and Rosi accompanied us to Islenski Bæarinn, an Icelandic farmhouse that was restored by an artist and architect named Hannes, who looks very much like David Byrne from the Talking Heads. Hannes is part of Hleðslu Skolinn, the Icelandic turf builders guild. The building we stayed in has a grass roof and makes use of driftwood salvaged from other building projects. We spent an entire day building a wall from sod we tore up from the ground in the pasture.

Hannes´ wife, Christine, told me how they plan to incorporate marble donated from a destructed house into the new house they are building. She also showed me a table made from discarded oak. Like me, Christine is a big fan of recycling.

We also went to the Floi Nature Reserve for bird watching.

Last night, we went to another farm to witness the birth of a black sheep. We slept in a pen beside dozens of ewes and lambs. I had a very distinct smell until we returned to Solheimar . . .

Days 10-14

I spent the last few days in a hut with enough bunks for me and my classmates and a slew of other visitors to Þorsmörk, an old forest in the southern part of Iceland.

The ride there was extremely bumpy, as we had to travel on an off-road path in a large bus. I listened to David Byrne´s Everything That Will Happen Happens Today the entire way.

Our guides were Pali and Rosa, a husband and wife duo who knew their way through the wilderness. They helped us across cold rivers and showed us many caves.

We climbed a few mountains to the peak. The tallest two mountains were about 850 meters tall. On Steinsholtsjökul, I put on crampons to walk across a glacier. I sipped water that melted from the massive ice sheet.

Overall, we hiked 43 kilometers.

Days 5-9

photo by Kat Griffith

I have been staying on a farm called Galtalæk for the past four days. I now have an Icelandic Momma whose name is Sigurbjörk; she cooked dinner for us every night and showed us her horses. She took pride in her husband´s (Chops´) paintings. She said he doesn´t make girls--that´s why she has five sons.

We went to the national park in Þingvellir.

In a very arid region where soil erosion occurs, we planted over 6,000 trees. Dave says it will offset our plane rides to Iceland.

In the glorious sunny weather we discussed how food, community, and businesss affect the environment.

Tomorrow, I will leave for a four day hike. Glaciers will be involved. I´ll be back,

VERTU SÆL! (be happy)

Day 4

photo by Kat Griffith

I woke up to the community´s morning meeting. Some 100 people gathered around a poll and sang at 9 a.m.

Pauline, who answered ´world peace´ when we stated what we are passionate about a few days ago, taught us Icelandic and informed us about trolls, gnomes, and little people.

Larrs, a musician, played a stringed instrument he made himself and spoke about ´anthroposophy.´

We hiked a mountain and shared our perspectives on what we´ve learned about the historical context of Icelanders´relationship to their environment. After three miles of trekking through rocks and soggy ground, we were rewarded by a gorgeous views and a bath in hot springs at the bottom of Mount Heklu.


The sun sets at 11 p.m. here, and the vision is quite a sight! The constant daylight makes sleep hard to come by . . .

Day 3

Someone had a birthday, and a ring of many people sang to him at 9 a.m. this morning.

While sitting in a very airy classroom surrounded by wooden walls and open windows, I learned that Iceland had a Cod War, which entailed battles over marine territory. Fish brought destruction, or destruction was brought for fish.

A group of us did yoga during a break from our academic session.

Hiking occurred again. We traversed over mossy mounds, and I hid in a crevice while reflecting and pouring thoughts into a notebook.

I was told to consider adapting over demanding in order to save us all.

Day 2

photo by Kat Griffith

Today, we climbed Mount Hester. At its peak, the wind blew hard enough to keep me clinging to a rock hoping that I would not be blown back down the several hundred feet I hiked up the mountain´s mossy side.

Tonight, we discussed how depletion of resources helped lead to the fall of a civilization that emerged on Easter Island. Dave introduced the idea of sustainability and asked us how we can incorporate and promote it.

the first day

It almost began by seeing Andy Jordan working the desk at Jameson Inn in Trussville, Alabama. When I visited him in Gulf Shores three years ago, back when he had a gig as a GM, Andy was wearing very plain black shoes that many businessmen wear. At 2AM on Sunday morning, he was wearing green Converse and his hair was ten inches longer since the last time I saw him.

Andy said he´s going to art school in September.

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At 9AM I boarded a plane that when to Chicago. Then I boarded another that went to Boston. Then I was told I had to pay $200 to board one to Iceland.

Note to self: overnight flights are not booked on basis of the day of arrival.

While thirteen of us stood in the international concourse of the airport in Boston, Sara whipped out a garden gnome that bears the scarlet A. His name is Joe Gnometh.

Now I´m here in Solheimer. It´s raining outside, and the wind bites hard--much harder than it did when I ran during the tornado watch earlier last week.

Over my shoulder, students from Iceland, Finland, and Germany are having a conversation with the pack from The University of Alabama. Some came to pick tomatoes. Some came to paint with the disabled people that live here in this community that accommodates 100.

They call Solheimer an eco-village. All the buildings are powered by geothermal energy, and heat from the earth makes the pool hot. Much of the produce eaten here is also grown here. Residents make soap and paint and carve things out of wood. I've only seen a handful of cars.

First, Dave asked us for our definition of sustainability.

I responded with the first textbook definition that came to mind--the ability to use resources and replenish them at the same rate.

A dozen students locked arms while another fell stiff onto them. We made rules:

Listen and communicate with respect
Include everyone
Support and encourage
Take initiative