I have been up to more than simply being awed by the scenery. This is Maija and I in the hallway in front of my room doing what any sane Icelander would do on a Friday night: pre-drinking. With the cost of a pint of beer at about $7 (twice that if you're not a student) or, if you'd prefer, $14 for a Bacardi Breezer, everyone drinks before going to the bar. Maija is one of my good friends here in Iceland. She moved to Iceland last year to be with her Icelandic boyfriend that she met when they were on exchange in Austria.

I thought I'd post some more "everyday" pictures. The plant is an African Violet that I bought in my second week here. The house seemed really 'dead' without any green, its not much, but it helps. Then there are the tall cans of Thule (Icelandic) beer. Its a nice light beer. Next, is a container of Skyr. This is the favoured dairy product of most Icelanders. Skyr is similar to yogurt, but it is made with skim milk, and uses a different bacteria than yogurt does. It's a bit firmer than yogurt, and may even be tastier. But... it was first described to me as "rotten, curdled, skim milk, and I've been trying, but I can't get that description out of my head as I try to eat it!