Day 6

June 15, 2018

6:25 PM Iceland Time

We started the day with Icelandic lessons, and we are now able to have some regular conversations with each other. It’s really neat how much we are learning in a short amount of time. Upon arrival I felt like I really didn’t know anything and now here I am ordering food and having small conversation in Icelandic! I still have a lot to learn, but all the other Snorris and I are making progress!

Next, we had a lecture about Icelandic music history. Before the only thing I really knew about Icelandic music was Bjork and Sigur Ros. Here are a few interesting facts I learned during the lecture:

-       Icelandic culture wasn’t really recorded or written besides in literature (Icelandic Sagas)

-       Most music was just sung because instruments were hard to bring to Iceland. Not only were they bulky (such as organs) but the cold humid weather would make it difficult to sound properly.

-       An instrument that was used is called a Langspil. This was a string instrument

-       There are now over 2,000 tónleikar (concerts) that are held every year in Iceland.

-       The most popular bands from Iceland that are well known in the world are Bjork, Sigur Ros, Mosters of Men and Kaleo.

After our lecture we headed over to Þjóðminjasafn Íslands (The National Museum of Iceland). It was AMAZING. I am a history nerd, so I found the exhibits fascinating! They had artifacts from the early Icelandic settlements up until more modern times. I especially liked the artifacts from the medieval periods. There were old axes, swords, engraved wood panels, Christian artifacts, paintings, traditional Icelandic clothing, church bells, wood carvings, horse saddles, etc. They even had some skeletons of some of the first Icelanders! It was a very impressive collection. It was really neat to learn about how life was for not only for Icelanders in general, but how my ancestors lived back then.

 

 

Then a fellow Snorri and I walked into town and went to the Pönksafn Íslands (Icelandic Punk Museum). I thought it was creative, the museum was made in an old bathroom! There were signs all over the walls with different facts about the history of punk in Iceland, old posters and articles as well as some humorous punk sayings. They had punk jackets, guitars and drums that you could put on play with and take photos with. They also had headphones hanging from the ceiling attached to records. You would just pull the headphones down and put them on and listen to the corresponding record. I had no idea how much of a punk scene there was in Iceland. What really shocked me was that apparently Bjork started out her music career in a few punk bands as early as age 12!

All of us Snorris met back up and went to the Canadian Embassy. It was in a beautiful white building that had a beautiful view of Rejkavik. It was very fancy, white decor, crystal chandelers, and some nice art on the walls. Both the American and Canadian Snorri participants were all welcome, and we had drinks and appetizers while we all talked. The Snorri west participants, and the Snorri board members attended as well. It was fancy yet casual get together, and the American ambassadors we had met yesterday came as well.  

We are all about to have dinner, and then we were all invited to a party hosted by the hostel we are staying at, so we will probably try to go to the thermal pools before that. (we try to go everyday) I will write more tomorrow after the world cup game festivities!!!!