sup everybody

Hey, It's conor here from the good ole u of i. I hope you all are doing great. I just wanted to say that I had a great time in barcelona. Adam and Ulli, thanks for letting me crash at your places. Adam i don't know why we thought it would be a good idea to get another beer after the danceatoria, but it was a great time. And Ulli, do you piss on the plaza in iceland? But i'm gonna enjoy the absinthe that tim got in that random country without a government. Hope to see ya soon. later. Conor

I just read Tims post and I just have to say that it was realy sweat (Im getting more American by the minute). For the last few weeks so many things have reminded me of you guys, for example just before I wrote this I watched a movie (Love Actually) which I saw with one of you guys and I remember so many things about what we talked about, did and though before,after and in the middle of the film. Also I havent got anyother background on my computer than you guys and all the lovely (am I also getting more British by the minute) pictures Walker has posted. I cant wait to see you all again and I cant understand why there isnt anybody willing to pay for the plane tickets.

Hope I see you (in person) soon,
Úlli

p.s.
Note that I did put a link to the penguin game, just my version ;) ... Try your luck now Timmy Tim

The Surreal Life

I don't know if anyone has seen the new show on MTV, Surreal Life, featuring some of the randomest of randoms, but I was thinking about my time in Barcelona tonight, thinking of how surreal it now seems. The vast majority of the time my life goes smoothly along here at home, but a few times a day I get caught up thinking about Barcelona. The smallest thing often triggers it. Maybe I'll catch myself telling someone what Adam, Ulli, or Beatrice would say in a certain situation, or I'll think of looking out on the Mediterranean from the oh so conveniently perched Residencia. But regardless of what triggers thoughts of Barcelona, one thing is always the same...it never feels like I was actually there. All of my friends seem like very vivid characters from a movie, and if I can just think hard enough I know I'll remember the name of the movie. All of our stories seem like something I made up to amuse myself, like some delusional schizophrenic with a penchant for booze and late night clubbing. But when I stop and think, all of the best experiences in life seem surreal as they gradually fade, not entirely from the memory, but back into the corners of the mind from whence they emerge when summoned. And so, I thank each one of you for making my experience a little bit more surreal.

Tim

Pissed

Well I cant say Im doing like Tim, that is blogin drunk, but Im not to far from it.

Today I decided to go out with a few friends, I didnt plan on getting to drunk coz Im going out tomorrow night big time. Well so we went to the alcahol store and I bought Thule for tomorrow night and Corona for tonight, you know not to much alcahol and anyway you piss all the beer in just few moments.

Then after going to play football (inside nota bene), me and a friend of mine went to a schoolmate of ours and the forth guy, also a schoolmate, joined us a little later. The plan was simple, whatch the Iceland Idol, behind the senes, then double American Idol, in the meanwhile get drunk and then go down town for further drinking and exploring Icelandic girls slutness.

Well first af all after two beer I decided on opening my bottle with a lemon in the same hand as I had the bottle, long story short I just manage to spill all the beer my jeans and my friends to and just well enough that it looks like we had both wet ourselfs.

After the Idol some vampire movie starring Aliyaa (I cant imagine how you write her name), came up and we started talking about something, when my phone starts ringing and it says that its my boss. I couldnt imagine why he was calling me at 10 minutes passed midnight at Fridaynight but I answered and he said anoyingly "arent you comin?". Well I just said yes and hang up, but I didnt have clue that I had to work, for all I knew I didnt have to show up until 4 in the afternoon on Sunday.

(one thing worthy of mentioning is that I work as kind of a segurity in Icelands biggest bank, I just sit for eight hours with another guy and walk around the house twice)

Well so I thought ok my breath smell like beer and most of all I smell like beer. So I loaned myself a shirt (I also managed to wet my shirt) did put far too much perfume right on my face and stole a gum pack. On the way I out called a taxi and asked it to go to the Bank. One thing I suddently missed from Barcelona are the taxi prices coz it costed something like eight Euros and I was in the taxi for something like 3 minutes.

I was lucky that my boss had already left and I dont think the other guy knows how beer smell like (honestly!). I have had alot of sleep to get this out of my sistem. I feeling rather frisky but almost like the hangover is coming soon!!!

Well just wanted share this with you, have I nice weekend,
Úlli

Added later:
Just one sad thing that I know that everyone is thinking about, well Icelands Handball team isnt doing so well coz they have lost both their matches and have big risk of falling out of the competition. I blame mostly bad referees and that the trainer doesnt have guts. For example we´ve got one of worlds best players and also one of worlds most promising player (that one plays for Barcelona). And if the best one is playing badly the coach doesnt take him of just plays him till the defence of the other team has beaten the crap out of him.
Well doesnt matter, Úlli

Icelandic Cowboy

I tried to send y´all Icelandic Cowboy but I the ones with hotmail couldnt recieve it so if you have hotmail in Stefans list then let me know if you want to recieve the song.

Úlli

First Day of School

Well, Adam, I think we are the only ones who check this site, and I'm hesitant to consider what that says about us. Today was my first day of classes, and my bastard teachers all decided to lecture for the full time. I don't know about your side of the drink, but traditionally here the first day of class is reserved for going over the syllabus, looking and feeling really bored, acting cool so that you get in with the cool kids on the first day (just like me, Adam, Lars, and Steffen in Spanish class), scoping the class for pretty faces, then getting the hell out of class at least 1/2 hour early. Maybe we've outgrown that phase, though. Well, maybe just the getting out of class early part. I've got one class with an annoying "friend" who I went to high school with. I've known him since we were 3, so I have to pretend to like him, but he really just annoys the shit out of me. We've had classes together before, and they've been brutal. Gonna be a long semester of me pretending to find his jokes amusing. That's the worst part...he's not funny.

I'm about to go make myself some hot dogs now, of the same quality Oscar Meyer variety that I brought to the cena internacional at Walker's. But no on wanted them at the cena...shame, shame. I'm making these ones Chicago-style. Yes, we have our own hot dog style, just like our own pizza style, and our own blues style. Basically, we have to put our name on everything we create lest New York or LA steal it and claim it as their own. Beware of coastal peoples (e.g. Ulli)...they're shade-errific. Take care.

Tim

Bujakazaa

Hey y´all

I might be surprised that Im not going to take any piss on Norway... for now. The reason Ali G if you are American and thinkin who tha fuck is Ali G then he is one of the funniest guys alive and has had a hit show in Uk, and all of Europe for some time now. Now he is also in America where HBO, I think, broadcasts the show. He has alsorts of funny caracters who he plays himself in particular Ali G the not so cleaver rapper wannabe. The reason Im telling you this coz I just found a Ali G translater where you can translate some words from regular English to Ali G´s verion. Here are few examples:

I Love You: me dig me Uncle Jamal
England: Wales
Scotland: Wales
Girlfriend: Bidch
Her: ha
Queer Eye For the Straight Guy: Quea Eye fer da Straight Guy
I have to be up in like 6 hours to drive my girlfriend to work: me ave to be up in dig 6 hours to drive me bitch to work
Drunk food here is so much better than Bar Paris: pissed grub in da house is so much betta 'dan Bar Paris

well me Uncle Jamal can see fer yourselves 'coz me did put up a link in da house on da right
well you can see for yourselves because I did put up a link here on the right

Reply to Ulli's post

So, I must first of all apologize for anything that I might mistype, but I am pretty drunk right now. I went over to a friend's flat tonight and proceeded to show them pictures from Barcelona for about 2 hours. Needless to say, they got really tired of it after a while (they didn't know all the cool people after all). I thoroughly enjoyed Vegard's new pics though. Well done, China Boy. Don't get SARS. Heard it's dangerous or something like that. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the pics of me in Adam's "European" shirt from the night we went to Chupito's and Costa Breve. I couldn't find the pic of my shoes though...wonder why? ;) Ulli, I'm glad you've given us such a lesson about music. I'm sure I'll appreciate it when I'm sober...whenever that may be. Svala is gorgeous by the way, so if her brother is anything near as hot, the band will be at least worth checking out (especially for Lee and Rodney). I watched "Queer Eye For the Straight Guy" the other day, this relatively new American show about 5 or so gay guys rearranging a straight guy's life. It's pretty fucking hilarious. They re-decorate his home, teach him how to cook, get him new clothes, teach him how to groom himself, etc. I didn't think I would like it, but it's really cool. Maybe it'll hit Europe soon, if we didn't copy it from Europe in the first place. Wouldn't surprise me since Europe seems to be much more liberal on issues concerning homosexuality. I'm just hoping I remember in the morning what exactly I typed tonight. I have to be up in like 6 hours to drive my girlfriend to work, but yet it feels like an early morning by BCN standards. I mean, it's barely 2 o'clock and I'm ready for bed. I'd probably be in bed if I hadn't gotten the idea to type this stupid blog. I feel a mad case of the munchies developing here. Time to go get something to eat. Drunk food here is so much better than Bar Paris. Thank goodness I don't have to eat those shitty, cold eggs on a bap anymore. But I've wasted enough of your lives. Goodnight one and all.

Tim

Language

Hey since Tim is so interest in languages I just had to put this link in

Other news is the weather witch has been so bad here that you cant even travel within the city now. I went down town earlier this evening, to watch the Idol finale, and on the way home I couldnt drive faster than 40 (kilometers/hour), wich is crazy. About the Idol thing, Kalli Bjarni won which almost translates to some cartoon Charlie something, I didnt realy like this competition because I didnt realy see what was so adorable about the contestants.

Recently I have heard a lot of great music, its been so great to hear good rock after all the college rock groups and the Korn stuff. My favorite has to be Hot Hot Heat which a rather funny kind of rock because they are so melodic, number two is Minus with their newest product Halldor Laxnes (named after our only nobel price winner). The singer in that group is the son of Icelands all time most popular poppstar and brother of the very beautiful Svala. The third one are british called The Darkness and are a glamrock band realy funy and energetic if you can find their video on kazaa then you should, it so funny.

Also another band I kinda like is More-Sheep-ahhhhh and as the name suggests they are British. Adam suggested them to me and they are pretty fine, very calme and generally good.

Hope my house will stay up tonight,
Úlli

A Little Therapeutic Cleaning

Well, I'm trying very hard to get situated in this apartment, but between being terribly lazy and going out to party, it's slow going. I got the computer set up first thing, and now that I have access to the internet, it's going to be hopeless getting anything done. I just know Vegard is going to find himself a Chinese hottie and settle down in Nanching, never to return to the land of the midnight sun. Well, either a hottie or a dominatrix, a la Lucy Liu. It's getting right down to crunch time for me--next term begins on Tuesday. Weather's been great here, with sunny days and temps hovering around 0 Celsius. Not bad for January at all. So, as you've probably noticed, I haven't gotten around to posting my pictures on Walker's nifty website yet. And I've got such quality shots of Adam's mullet.

And now a little think piece for you. I was just pondering how strange it is what words in the English language were Latin-ized (Ulli, this doesn't count as making up a word) following the Norman invasion (by the way, the Normans were originally from Norway...those Vikings sure got around) and what words still maintain their Germanic roots. For instance, our names for the colors are not Latin at all, nor are our numbers. One would think such key words would be among the first to change. But I suppose if you really get down to it, maybe the words that the poor, English-speaking masses used on a daily basis were a bit harder for the Normans to change, while the elements of language used mainly by the educated were among the first to change. Even today it is really only highly educated English speakers who rely heavily on words and phrases borrowed from French. Or maybe that's absolute bubkus. Just something to ruminate over. Tune in next time for more interesting linguistic discussions. J/K...you'll have to excuse the former linguistics major for his hapless forays into the linguistic universe. Ta ta for now.

Tim

Empire Of The Sun

Helluv everyone!
I'm kind of new to this blog-thing, but you bet I'm plugged in. Cool to read all your fascinating everyday-stories. Special thanks goes to Tim and Ulli who both made me laugh very loud in this damned quiet norwegian PC-lab. In a PC-lab in Norway one is not supposed to talk or laugh, so everyone turned around and looked at me like if I was some kind of retard...

Yep yep, I hope everybody is still doing fine out there. As Ulli just announced, I'm going to China this sunday. It was kind of a funny story, because two weeks ago I got a phone call from a friend who is working there asking me whether I wanted to join him as an english teacher at Nanchang University in China. I thought aboout it for one day, because it would radically mess up all my career
plans, but the day after I called him and said: "Hell yeah, I'm going!" I considered it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I would regret my whole life if I didn't accept.

So now I try to get all the official papers in order before I leave to China next sunday. We're gonna go on holidays to a small island in the South-China Sea for 14 days before we head back to Nanchang and start teaching. I'm gonna be in charge of the oral english-classes, which means I have to try to get shy chineese girls and guys into talking english. It's gonna be quite a challenge but I hope that with great entusiasm and humour I can make it work. (do chineese have humour??)

I'll let you know how things are going when I come down to the land of the yellow people. Until then, keep writing folks! Love to hear from ya all...

Bye from the endless chilly rain in Bergen,


Vegard

Going to China

Hey I just got a mail from Vegard (Veigar from here on) and he told me that he isnt going back to school but rather hes going to China to work as an English teacher. Me, and Svana, think its a great idea and nobody should leave an oportunity like this unnoticied. I personally would leave in a heart beat. He will be leaving Norway on Sunday to Nanching which is on the south-east side of the country but not that close to sea. Offcourse I offered Veigar to post some news of his travels on this great page but we have to see how well plugged he is.

I also heard from Edgar who had his first day of the second semester in Esade but school began yesterday, on monday, he told me that it was rather lonely now that we the great people have gone.

It wont be longer at this time.

Cheers to Veigar,
Úlli

Hey

I some of you may remember the promise of sending y´all the sing "Icelandic cowboy" by Spilverk Þjóðanna but I have been having problems with sending it hopefully some computer "peope" at school can help me. Another thing is the links here on the right I can change them but I only remebmer one that people would be interested in (Romanicas photos) if anyone has ideas please put a comment under this post or send me an email.

Later,
Úlli

(posted later)
Just saw Adams haircut hahahahaha seriously whats wrong or better yet whats right with that, decided to put a link to it here on the right

Ulli, I'm glad you mentioned the Icelandic songs. I was listening the other day to that CD of Icelandic songs you gave me. Some good stuff on there, and Icelandic cowboy was a hit with my best friend. As for the Idol craze, I have watched American Idol a few times and World Idol once, but I find myself inexplicably nackered (spelling?) about 20 seconds into the show. World Idol is a bit better because you can cheer for a particular country. The chubby Norwegian fella that sang like Bono impressed me, but he needs some serious dental work...I thought he was English at first. Simon would have ripped him a new one for that.

Well, I went bar-hopping last night. I borrowed an ID from someone who was borrowing it from someone(since little Timmy is still not of age here in the US) and made the rounds. Even managed to find an Irish pub, though the music was shit. I went to an Irish pub for lunch the other day and my waiter was Mexican. I was a bit peeved since we were the only people in the place for lunch, and there were 2 perfectly Irish waiters sitting on their asses, but no, we get the Mexican. And the worst was he was trying to pull off some Irish accent, when it was quite obvious he didn't get that tan on Ireland's sunny shores. When we finished, he asked if we were done, and when we said yes, he said "No mas?" While it reminded me of Barcelona, I nevertheless thought "I would've gone to a Mexican restaurant if I wanted a taste of Mexico." I suppose I should get used to it with Bush's wonderful new immigration plan...don't even get me started. Basically, "Hey, let's encourage illegal immigration." Another brilliant idea from Georgie. New book out, "American Dynasty" or some such, about the Bush clan. Looks to be decent for any interested. Might well be shit, but I automatically grant it some merit since it bashes the Bush dynasty.

Hung out last night with a friend who was in Ireland with me. It was good to reminisce, but hearing her talk so much about Ireland made me realize how much fun I had in Barcelona. Barcelona is by far the more vivid in my mind, and I don't think that's just because it is the most recent. I truly think it's because of the people I was with in BCN. Thanks again to all. I head down to school this Wednesday for Conor's 21st birthday, the same Conor that visited me in BCN. I've got a little absinthe from Andorra up my sleeve. Hopefully there are no fatalities.

Well, Adam and Ulli will be happy to know that I finally got my first cell phone of my own. Well, I guess it's not really my own, but pretty much. My girlfriend's mom bought it but doesn't like it, so she's giving it to me, along with the contract. It's the Sony-Ericsson camera phone...got it for free, so that ain't bad. I will no longer force people to be my phone pimps, a la Ulli. (But Ulli, I would highly recommend your services to others, along with your banking services). I hear Adam's raking in the dough...assume it's the same for others. Myself, I'm just a big bum, living off the state. The welfare and food stamps should arrive any day now.

I find myself hopelessly lost on some points of Americana upon my return. I'm absolutely clueless as to what's been going on in American football and the NBA, so people try to make conversation and I stare at them like some big, dumb oaf. "Must've missed that game," I mutter. Going through a bit of mullet withdrawal here at home, as that whole fad is quarantined to tiny holdout factions of Def Leppard fans in the Deep South (ask Constance for confirmation). But when I really miss mullets, I just look at pictures of Adam's last haircut. Would've been better off with a bowl, Adam.

I was excited to see at the latest national car show that the major car companies are all unveiling their new lines of gas-electric hybrid cars. Maybe if we buy enough of them, Georgie will cease meddling in the Middle East. Liberating the Iraqi people, my ass. Three letters for ya....O-I-L....period. I think that's how it's spelled. But that's enough political rambling on my part. A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Funny thing the minute I entered blogger.com Tims favorite song came in the radio "Hiroshima" the one that has the corus " you will all, you will all, you will all diiiiieeee, and then the same but instead of die there is burn. But enough of that but still in a related subject Im getting rather anoyed that everybody is talking about Idol which every country has had ther version of (Pop Idol in the UK and American Idol in US). Ive seen it once and it kind of sucks first of all the most popular one sucks, the only hot girl got woted out the last time. The fifth one (that will be thrown out tonight) only sings slow romantic songs which is ok but he sometimes just takes fast paced songs and slows them down until you run away crying your eyes out. If somebody remembers the guy in was always singing in front of Cafe Zurich (I know I write it wrong) then its not that bad the same feeling just not as strong. Now everybody is watching this show exept me, Im working. The reason why these two subjects are a bit related is that the goy who sang "Hiroshima" is Icelandic Idols Simon, the person everybody loves to hate. He is an admirable person cause he had Icelands best selling album for 15 years staight (different album each year hes not our Bill and Ted).

I just finished writing my beloved Seema a Email and was telling her about somethings that are so strange. For example I had some funny feeling that something was not as usual today I found it out around at noon that my wallet was in the back pocket where it hadnt been since I first came to Barcelona and was adviced to put in the front pocket. The other thing which doesnt put me off but is still strange, when I take the elevator at school and am going down Im always waiting for the floor number zero to come up on little screen.

Tomorrow Im going to babysit my favorite cousins two boys 3 and 5 years they are so adorable, always playing and saying jokes, Im realy looking forward to it. These boys are so good friends and so alive they sometimes fight but at the end of the day they are always best friends.

Well I dont appetite for more writing so...

hasta la proxima,
Ingi/Úlli

Well, my best friend took off this morning to return to the frozen tundra that is North Dakota this time of year. They're expecting actual temps of -24 Celsius today (-31 Celsius with windchill factor). But that's North Dakota...it's a balmy -19 Celsius at my house right now. So, basically it's cold. But enough about the weather. It's just depressing.

I assume everyone got royally smashed on New Year's. I didn't because the party ran out of beer...apparently a CEMS student planned the party (I kid, I kid). But this past week a friend got me and my girlfriend free tickets to a Chicago Bulls game, and while Jordan is no longer in Chicago, $85 tickets in the second row right behind the Bulls' bench still helped to soothe any residual pain from New Year's. While at the game, a friend posed an interesting question: at what point do you switch from "X years old" to "X years young." I don't know if this is only an American thing, but oftentimes you will hear an announcement that Granny Smith or some such is 90 years YOUNG today. I consider myself 20 years OLD. So at what age does the switch occur? Just a curiosity of the language, perhaps. Perhaps the question is a waste of your time, but you'll have to forgive me. You see, it's really not my fault. Ulli's friend commented that I was quite the pen, and now I've gotten quite a big head and think I can type whatever I want in this space. Now I know you all have better things to do than check this blog (stop laughing), so forgive me for wasting your time. The last thing we want is another monumental time-waster like Emerging Economies. But I must practice lest my writing skills become under-der-vey-lo-ped (yeah Puig!).

I must say that, other than my friends, I miss the good football most about Barcelona. My girlfriend gets the Premiership, but on a premium channel at like 3 in the morning on Sunday morning, or something ridiculous like that. And watching football with your girlfriend, who could care less, at 3 am is no Scobie's. But at least we agree that footballers are hot (as a former youth footballer, I feel it is absolutely necessary to promote this stereotype to the fullest of my ability).

But alas, your eyes tire and your minds wander, so until next time......


Hasta la pasta,
Timmy Tim Tims

Hey people,

I just got a mail from Beatrice and she wantes to join the writers team so this is getting to be a pretty big group, Im also talking to Constance right now and our negotiations are going well.

My new years was pretty good I spent the begining of the evening with my family but after midnight I went to another town close by (an hour driving) where my best friend lives, we started drinking at his place and then moved on to one of his friends where there were alot of young but pretty girls, which I consider to be a good thing. I kissed to many girls in my opinion but who gets enough of kissing? The night ended on a couch at my friends place and I wasnt alone;)

The day after we went to see Lord of the Rings in a VIP room (if you dont know what that is then its like a regular movie theater where you pay double the entrance but sit in a Lazy Boy and get all the pop corn and all the coke you can drink). I definatly think the VIP thing was worth it coz the movie is almost 4 hours, we went at midnight and came out short before 4.

On Saturday I went to my cousins wedding and I had the job of being her photographer which is harder than it sounds for example I was trying to take a picture of the wedding waltz I took like 7 pictures but all I got was their backs ( the camera is rather slow). Later me and some of my cousins went down town where I got phone numbers of two girls one I realy like but the number of the other one Im gonna lose. Actually I just came few hours ago from our first date it was pretty nice but I dont know if it will work out.

Thats enough of my life,
Ingi/Úlli

Sorry to disappoint with my lack of a posting today, but my best friend is in town from Minnesota. I hope you all can carry on without my input to spur your day.