Second Week

You should care and put effort into every job you do, kitchen guard is no exception.

The first day of class is exciting no matter how old you get.

If things were effectively labeled, all the fun would be gone.

The best professors have long hair and British accents.

Budweiser is also a classy, expensive beer.  Don’t be surprised.

Classic rock sounds cooler in an Icelandic café.

Find a spot and make it your own, then invite your friends so you never have to leave.

Learn to love fish.  (Anchovies and sardines count.)

Only buy the amount of food you can carry comfortably; your body will thank you.

Wine classes up any party.

Knowing it’s the worst winter in 100 years is only a small concession for having to live in it.

90kph, sideways wind is fast and will nearly take a man off his feet.

Fashion is an afterthought in a blizzard.

7 digit cell phone numbers remind you you’re in a small country.

People are generally non-confrontation: don’t take advantage of it, just know it.

Working out in the metric system is a mentally, as well as physically, strenuous activity.

Directions are harder to give when you can’t pronounce or read any street names.

American clubbing music, whether you like it or not, has presence everywhere.

All women should wear Claddagh rings. The life of a male would be a lot easier.

Waking up two hours after the sunrise sounds a lot worse during an Icelandic winter.

Having my kennitala reminds me how inhuman I was without it.

290kr beer at a bar is cheap no matter where you’re from; just remember control.

When all us foreigners get together we are a force to be reckoned with.

Try authentic Chinese food- cooked by a Chinese person if you can.  So good.  So different.

Don’t spill oil, especially a whole bottle.

Foreigners will try to apologize for their English.  Don’t let them.

The honeymoon period is over.

When a quite night in begins to take a turn toward a loud night out, let it.

Knowing how to say your name in the local language is the only icebreaker you need.

Icelanders are very generous.

Stevie G is a cool name in any language.

Sometimes someone will randomly punch you in the face and apologize; go with the flow.

The craziest nights always have the best stories.

Soccer is a game best played by those that know how to play it, not by me.

Any game seems more legitimate when everyone wears the same jersey.

People start to feel like a family if you see them enough; be good to your family.

Even if you don’t have the energy, make an appearance.

Pond sized hot tubs are the best; they get better when you add a swim-up bar and ice cream.

Playing with mud is socially acceptable at a spa.
Sometimes the body needs a night of catching up on its favorite shows.  School can wait.