Ooooh AAaaaar. Devon 'ere moiy lovelee

I am currently living in 2 worlds of strangeness. One literally and one metaphorically. The literal one is the land with no mobile reception - I am staying in Devonshire with the folks and keep rolling in and out of phone reception which strikes me as very odd considering even in the most far flung places I have been to in Iceland - I have yet to discover I am without a signal.

The other metaphorical land is the one where-people-you-hardly-know-send-you-presents. Needless to say this is not a bad land to be in. It is pregnancy land. Distant relatives of step in law relatives are sending me baby things and I really don't know how this trend came about. Its rather nice though I have to say. I think the living in Iceland has something to do with it as aforementioned things tend to be hand knitted - wonderfully so. Its a bit out of fashion to have knitted things here in the UK i feel, so expert grandma-ly type of people are taking the time so set off their knitting needles making things for the unborn. Horrah I say. I love it.

This entry is being typed to the sound of blackbirds singing and the rustling of palm tree leaves with the aroma of rosemary and slow roasted beef coming from my mum's kitchen. The blood pressure had been raising a little and so I opted to visit the family in the UK to put my feet up and be taken care of, I'll be heading back to Iceland in a day or so.



I haven't done an awful lot since being here really - but that's the point - apart from family visits and a little sojourn to South Molton with step dad Mike to a farmer's market. Oh how I wish there were this in Iceland. I may be wrong (and please please write to me if you can correct me) but I haven't come across more than one rather poorly populated farmer's market in reykjavik.

The produce at South Molton made my mouth water like nothing before. I wanted to buy everything and eat it all the time forever and ever.











We couldn't find anywhere for a decent pub lunch in South Molton offhand so we headed off to King's Nympton just because it looked close on a map and happened upon the rather lovely Grove Inn pub which rather conveniently had won various awards for its food over the years.






The village itself was also very lovely in that Mary Wesley picturesque well to do way.







The weekend was passed mostly cooing over little niece Ava who is 5 months old and I have only seen once before in her life. My sister Hannah and her fiancé Mark were also staying with the folks for the weekend so we got some quality time, mostly (as is my favourite) revolving around food and relaxing in the garden.























Sunday was Father's Day and for the first time in many many years my sister and I could visit Dad at the same time as we were all in town. He was competing at the South West Athletics vertans championships and we went down to yay him on. He managed to beat the championship triple jump record by 20something centimetres also a personal best and deservedly won a gold medal for doing so. He keeps winning gold medals. I hope this continues in 2 weeks at the nationals.










Not alot else has happened really, I have been doing the usual eat-all-the-awesome that I can and feeling hard done by that Iceland doesn't have alot of it, then watch about 10minutes of UK political news and lose the will to tell anyone I am english at all. Dear lord it is ridiculous. I agree with Billy Connolly - the desire to be a politician should ban you from ever being one.











Before I left Reykjavik Daníel and I had a chance for a quick fishing trip after the mayhem of the last Weird Girls.










And now we all just await the outcome of the latest Weird Girls Episode indeed, and it won't be that long to wait.....

TIME TO SLOW DOWN..... soon (TM)

May just disappeared. It is now the beginning of June and I am sat here trying to figure out where May went. Mostly working my butt off along with the rest of CCP. We have been release planning for the next launch in November which means going through and planning everything - in an agile fashion - for the teams to work on until then. For me this has included trying to perform a sort of Vulcan mind meld on the two victims Ben and Helga, who will take the torch from me when I piss off on maternity leave at the end of July.

I don't think I have been in so many meetings ever in my life as I have been throughout the month of May. That's just at work. In addition, it has been the month leading up to Episode 8 of The Weird Girls Project which was yesterday. This is why I am sat writing this, still in bed at almost midday with crippled hips. More on details of the day later. This was the largest episode with 27 girls and about 15 crew members and planning has been precision based, partly due to my OCD and partly due to my fear of being 6 months pregnant and trying to direct such a large performance without getting too stressed or exhausted. It went swimmingly.




As per my previous post, The Weird Girls also took part in the Reykjavik Arts Festival as part of the Start Art groups performance at Laugardallur. It was a delightful way to spend the day, picnicing as Bunnies and Mermaids.











I also DJed at the PRÓFLOKADJAMM HÁSKÓLANS at Nasa with Curver earlier in May, which was quite interesting. The bumba let me know that the bass could be felt even though I had the booth monitors turned way down and its made me almost certain that the 90s night in August is definitely going to kick off labour 2 weeks early, but we'll see...



The rest of the month has mostly been spent fishing and gardening as a way to balance the unnatural level of computer time my work and the Weird planning has required. I am so happy to have a garden again, I haven't grown anything since leaving the UK and now I have potatoes, turnips, radishes, parsnips, carrots, swede and courgettes all poking their way into existence!
Love it!












I have also been going for midnight sunset walks with Daníel, enjoying the weirdness of living in this country






Now we are into June, the post production of the work yesterday has to be done, and I have great crew members on it. I have had AMAZING crew members helping me through the whole of this Episode's growth and I know that there is no way it would be as awesome as it is without them. That is what it truly is, awesome on toast. Watching the shooting on the monitors made my stomach flip and whilst in scenes I could see co-producer Diljá stood watching us, hand on her chest looking like a proud mother.

The girls all worked hard and enjoyed themselves and not a single thing went awry, not even a fuse blown. It was beyond expectation. The band (Agent Fresco) came down to set and are now very excited to see the results and are working with the post prod team in producing a special version of the track (Eyes of a Cloud Catcher) to release with the video. At the wrap party I was speaking to them and they specifically stated how proud they are to be working with the project because of what it is and how amazing all the girls looked all different shapes and sizes yet brimming with happiness and confidence. Arnor said he can't stand the blandness of the standard video fodder and how great this is in comparison.

So yes ladies and gents, I have aches and bruises from the shoot, I am beyond exhausted and finally give in to the fact I have to slow down now, but i am VERY VERY pleased. Hoorah!

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
All the Weird Girls
Atli Viðar Þorsteinsson
Diljá Ámundadóttir
Leó Stefánsson
Sara Vilbergsdóttir
Hrafn Garðason
Hrafn Jónsson
Fríða Björk Einarsdóttir
Daníel Kari
Svana Gunnarsdóttir
Karen Wallington
Flóra Buenano
Helga Kjartansdottir
Berglind Rögnvaldsdóttir
Svanhvít Arnadóttir
Siggi Bahama
Geir
Joi
Helgi
Gussi

And to
Egill, Arnor and the Agent Fresco guys

I will post images as soon as the gallery is ready...

To leave you, here are some photos from my Devon visit back in April. Man, I love my mum's garden and cream teas.....

Reykjavik Arts Festival / Weird Girls stuff

More updates later but this saturday:

A STROLL INTO HISTORY
Laugavegur
23 May at 1pm

On Saturday 23 May 2009 at 1pm, the START ART gallery invites you to a performance installation commemorating all the women of Reykjavík who, in times past, washed their laundry in the hot springs in Laugardalur. Anyone who wishes to honour their memory is invited to take part. Reykjavík people may think of the hot springs as being a long way from the city centre, but they are actually a mere half-hour leisurely walk, a stroll that almost anyone aged eight to 80 can manage.

The walk will progress from Lækjartorg Square, up Laugavegur (“Hot Springs Road”) and into Laugardalur (“Hot Springs Valley”), ending at the old Washing Springs. Participants are asked to bring with them an article of clothing or bedding, which will link the walkers together in a continuous stream along Laugavegur to the Washing Springs. Events are planned at the beginning and end of the walk, and along the way.

The START ART gallery will house an exhibition and demonstrations of soap-making, in which visitors are encouraged to take part. The Weird Girls Project will be hosting a Mad Hatters and Mermaids teaparty at the end location, the Old Washing Springs - come and join us!

85.1%

Here are the Icelandic election results as reported by Ice News

Devon and beyond

Endeavoring not to leave it so long between posts I write this on the train to Devon from London enjoying the glory of the city falling away as the train chugs its way towards denser and denser green. I am continuing what I have spent most of my trip here so far doing - delighting in many things I can’t get back in Iceland. Marks and Spencers fresh foods, I had real sausages for breakfast, decent Calamari for dinner with fresh full tasting avocado, trains, The Guardian, Wagamamas, salt and vinegar kettle crisps, black cabs, real ale (only a half of course!), cockney accents and over 20 degrees C....

Not to say I would rather live back here, but I do miss some things, including my family to whom I currently hurtle on this aforementioned train. The last 3 days have been spent in London 100% enjoying myself. The previous trip I found it hard and uncomfortable being in the big smoke still suffering morning sickness and the initial pregnancy exhaustion. This time however with a hotel booked – thusly removing the need to lug stuff from friends spare room to the next sofa, and with it booked in Kings Cross – access to everywhere has been easy, comfortable and enjoyable.

Ignoring the 2 days I have spent on a Agile Software Development training course I have been pootling around the city with my ipod and no coat, reveling in the sunshine and breathing in London properly again. I have been ‘out’ every night, seen more friends than I thought I would have energy for and enjoyed strolling through old haunts. Walking from Camden to Kings Cross in the back roads with tree lined streets and old townhouses with the sun beating down as my ipod plays has smacked a grin wholeheartedly on my face I have to say.

Now I wing it to the countryside for family time and clotted cream. I will be showing my mum the May issue of Shots creative industry magazine with pride as there is a 3 page special feature in it on The Weird Girls and this is a very big step for the project for me personally. Its a professional publication and to get press in my home country within the industry is quite something.





At the same time Frettablaðið had me on the cover of Föstudagur this week talking about the project as well as the up coming mini me! Mumsy will be proud.



I also just took advantage of the cheaper film processing in the UK and developed films from the last 2 months, here's some snapshots....


From way back in Grundarfjörður and The Weird Girls Project Episode 7:




















Gus Gus playing at Nasa:






The Episode 7 screening party:










More from the CCP masquerade:









The Housewarming Pancake Party I threw: