Mitch's Easter Break

Spending time in a different country affords us students an important lesson in cultural and social open-mindedness. Since RES is affiliated with the University of Akureyri, just next to our classroom, we had a chance to meet with the university guidance counselor. She explained to us a little bit about the 'Culture Shock' that usually accompanies extended living abroad, just as every American university student who decides to spend a semester abroad learns before they leave. The concept is split into 4 phases which students are likely to experience while living in a new place. The first is the 'Honeymoon' phase, where everything is new, novel and exciting. Our Ikea furnished apartments, 2 for 1 movie nights, student union parties, even the addition of a microwave in the classroom were all greeted with a sense of excitement and exhilaration. Stage 2 is usually marked by 'Irritation and Hostility', where little things seem like a major ordeal. Simple things such as deciphering the bus schedule (actually quite difficult at the beginning), trying to buy the right kind of dairy products, and attempting to cope with the abundant snowy weather can manifest itself into homesickness and frustration. It is important to know that this is natural, and it will eventually pass. The 3rd stage is the 'Adjustment' phase, where gradual familiarity and adjustment takes place. Thoughts of 'Well, I'm here, might as well make the most of it' are common, and deeper learning is possible. The 4th and final stage is 'Adaptation and Biculturalism', where the new environment seems less foreign and more like another home. New capabilities and cultural understanding is possible based on comparison of cultures. Thoughts of 'That's weird' are replaced with 'That's different'. One can learn to appreciate their surroundings and can live to a fuller potential. This allows an open minded and educated comparison between the many different cultures with which one might interact. It is this last phase that will probably make us not want to leave Iceland in February (and most likely some won't).

I had the opportunity to fly back to Massachusetts for Easter break to spend some time with my family. My newly developed biculturalism allowed many new comparisons between my home country and my guest country.
Pictured is the day of my departure from Akureyri, with Gaby, Zsusanna, and Julia who happened to be on my same flight. The runway is, predictably, lined up with the fjord since otherwise the plane's approach and takeoff would be into mountains. This affords an awesome view of the city as we took off.

One huge difference between the air travel on domestic flights in Iceland is that it is much more relaxed than in the US. I can appear at the gate (of which there is only 1) a few minutes before the flight, hand them my bag, ask for a window seat, and then promptly walk out onto the tarmac. The lack of security screening was boggling to me; it reminded me of getting on a city bus. This relaxing atmosphere is a particular contrast for me, who has spent the last 4 years traveling through O'hare airport (arguably the world's most heinous) in Chicago on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th busiest travel days of the year.

I was struck with the difference in landscape between the two regions. The tall trees that dotted my backyard were in sharp contrast to the grassy mountains that enclosed Akureyri. While I did enjoy hearing native english again (albeit heavily Boston accented), I did appreciate the degree to which those in Iceland were able to accommodate my lack of knowledge of Icelandic.

Massachusetts backyard (so many trees!):

Akureyri backyard (the free public bus goes right by my window):


One last interesting point about my trip back was how grateful I am that the US is a capitalist country. The supermarket in Stow, a town of 5500, is at least twice as big as the two in Akureyri, a town of 17,000, put together. Yet bigger is not always better. For example, the 5 different types of strawberries available in Massachusetts are much more energy intensive to transport than the 1 kind of sweet pepper that is grown in an Icelandic greenhouse a few miles away. That still didn't stop me from bringing back a few unique American made goods for some needy europeans. Apparently Ranch dressing, non-taxed electronics, and Victoria's Secret Bras are some of the things that America does best.

I did have an awkward Culture Shock moment while out with some friends at a local bar. I ordered 3 beers from the bartender, who simply said, "that's $6.75". Being used to paying between $4-6 for a beer in Iceland, I automatically remarked that that was obscenely expensive. Her quizzical look made it clear to me that $6.75 was for all three beers, not just for 1.
On a side note, even though both authors were away from Iceland for Easter break, some stayed and traveled around the island. Why not make this post a little longer and describe what they did. A group of students took a road trip around the Ring Road, stopping in Reykjavik for a few days. The group was doing what they call in english "Couch Surfing", staying with friends, or friends of friends, or whoever would host them. Thus, the back of the van was reminiscent of a group of gypsies traveling between homes:

I'm told that the weather on the whole was pretty rainy, which is a good reminder that Eyjafjordur and its surrounding mountains do a decent job of shielding Akureyri from the perpetual rain that sometimes plagues the south. Despite all this rain, dense fog, and a brief stint with the van stuck in the snow, the group managed an extensive trip circumnavigating the island. They also did the Golden Circle tour, which is apparently three of the 'must see' attractions that everyone (especially tourists) sees when they come to Iceland, including the waterfall Gullfoss, Þingvellir, the site of the first Icelandic parliament in 870, and Geysir, where all geysers worldwide get their name.

Look a bird!

Kamil is acting like the stud that he is, a girl on each arm:

Geysir:

Groups in RES often find themselves jumping for no particular reason other than to be photographed. Perhaps this is to show that we are capable of catching a moment in time instead of just a generic snapshot. Either way, someome has good enough camera skills to catch it every time:

All in all, the break was a relaxing time to catch up on sleep and spend some time away from the classroom. With our batteries recharged, we were ready to take on the next part of the semester.