A morning in the life of a CELL student

Its 8:30 a.m. and the sun has yet to rise.  A groggy crew gathers together in the living room to “become present” and discuss any household issues and plans for the day.  As the meeting draws to a close I get my coat, hat, and gloves and head to put my shoes on.  It’s approximately 8:45.  I am usually the first one out the door, so I put my shoes on and head outside to go to morning meeting thinking of what phrases I should have written out to ask people and guessing who the first person to greet me will be.  As I walk down the hill towards Solheimahus I consider how cold it is and how I should have worn another layer of clothing, or how icy the path is trying not to fall, completely oblivious to the joy that is about to ensue.  As I turn the corner I start to see those who have been waiting, sometimes as early as 8:15, and watch as their faces start to light up.  I say “góðan daginn” to Eyþór as I walk by heading for the rest of the group.  I am greeted first by a hug and a stroke of the cheek from Kristján which always brings a smile to my face.  After Kristján I am greeted by a hug and smile from Hanný and Disa.  I go to my normal place across the circle and greet Gísli in hopes for a response and listen as he says “Frost á morgun. Ekki í dag.” (“Frost this morning, none today”).  As I stand there I watch as my fellow classmates and teachers start walking in.  First come Steph and Alicia who are greeted with many “góðan daginn”’s and the occasional hug from Hanný and Disa.  Then Shelby, Karin, and Noga walk up and are immediately swarmed.  I watch as Noga also gets a hug and a cheek stroke from Kristján and goes on talking to Guðlaug, Erla and Ólafur.  Shelby is greeted by Guðlaug and talks to her about her sparkly hat and gloves. Karin is greeted by a big hug from Hanný and continues by asking her and others questions in Icelandic.  Reynir walks in and flies around the inside the circle like an airplane and Valgeir enters and follows him before taking his place in the circle.  Birgir enters and helps Helga stand since she can’t sit because the bench is covered in frost. The circle takes its form, I take Gísli’s hand as well as the hand of the person to my right, and we all wait in silence as we wait for the church bells to ring.  Seeing the community together is a very special moment, and seeing the silent interactions among others is quite fun.  Finally the bells ring. Einn. Tveir. Þrír. Fjórir.  I watch as Reynir nods to each chime.  Fimm. Sex. Sjö. Átta. Níu. “Góðan daginn.”  The meeting then starts with Guðmundur asking Ólafur Benediktsson for the date and continues on with the normal business of who is attending school, people going to town, and more.  Helga chimes in telling Guðmundur about her comments on the days’ events.  Shelby then raises her hand and in Icelandic mentions that we are showing a movie in Sesseljuhus tonight.  Guðmundur nods and the group is impressed with the perfect Icelandic.  Disa, very excited about the movie, exclaims “YES! YES!” jumping up and down, and everyone laughs.  The meeting comes to a close with Sandra telling us what is for lunch: “Fiskur og grænmeti.”(fish and vegetables).  Joining hands again, we stand as Laurus starts and leads the community in the morning song:

Lof sé Guði ljómar dagur,
Lífgar sólargeislinn fagur
Allt um heim sem hefur líf.
Gef oss Drottinn gott að iðja
Gef oss náð að vaka og biðja,
Vertu styrkur vor og hlíf.

We raise our hands and I stand and watch as everyone goes in their respectable directions.  The day has begun.  Because the whole meeting was in Icelandic I walk over to meet with the rest of my classmates and the volunteers to talk with Herdis and Axel about what was discussed.  By now I understand most of what is mentioned, but there are still some topics that I know less about.  Finally we start to make our way up the hill to class.  We meet up with Siggi who had been waiting for us and talk about our days and what we are going to learn.  There is nothing like the interactions and laughter of a morning meeting to start your day.

"G"

-Margie

Living Simple

                                       Living Simple

Prior to my time here at Solheimar, I have always been curious of what it means to live simple. I still do not know all that it entails, but I do know I am living simpler than I can ever remember. At home in the United States, I feel like there is a lot of expectations for people to always be busy. To work long hours most days of the week and rely heavily on technology to speed up productivity. There are so many due dates in the states. I have seen a direct correlation between our rapid pace of living to the health of people both physically and mentally. I have also seen how our fast pace has influenced the degradation of our ecosystems and social interactions. We are too concerned about profits and egos rather than looking at the “bigger picture.” The stresses of many people to get a good job and support themselves and their family is too common within the United States. These stresses are not always as necessary as we can sometimes portray them to be.

Solheimar has taught me that we do not need to live with much stress to be productive and live comfortably. With a population of around 100 people, Solheimar is a close-knit community. Being in such a defined community has given me a first hand experience of its positive outcomes. Because the people at Solheimar work together within the community they live a more simple life at a less rapid pace. As a result, they are healthier physically and mentally, work on preserving the local ecosystem, and enhance their social interactions with one another. Since the people here at Solheimar do not live in such a fluttered environment, I believe they are able to step back and make sense of their surroundings more effectively. Most of the members of Solheimar are able to work within the community. Those who are not only commute a short distance to work. This allows a large interaction between people. There are many gatherings here that enable people to interact with one another. These interactions allow everyone to disperse their ideas to others in the community, ultimately making it a better place. For example, when the CELL students arrived here we had many meetings about how we can benefit to this community and also how we can benefit from this community. We are able to give our ideas to others and have been able to make a difference. Our 2012 class has already been exposed heavily to many environmental and social situations helping out and learning.

I have noticed the working environments are more laid back and personable here. I notice little impact on the productivity within the jobs and a lot more devotion and creativity. There are few conflicts and little stress, resulting in enhanced communication and natural expression. These jobs play a very important role within the health of this community as well. For example, a lot of the people within the Solheimar community get their vegetables from the greenhouse here. This community is blessed with a great staff of workers, interns, and home people alike that maintain the greenhouse with love and foster great produce. These workers love what they do and give back to the immediate community. All the while decreasing the import of goods, reducing resource consumption, pollution, and spending. In the United States it can be hard to find Local communities producing their own vegetables to support most of its inhabitants. People instead resort to shopping at grocery stores, encouraging pollution, use of resources, spending, and less interaction. I feel like people, at least in the United States, are missing out on the power of a “functional community.” How many people even know their neighbors?

How has living simple at Solheimar effected me?

I am able to take a step back and see what is truly important to me and to help create a healthy community.

Be supportive and caring – Everyone feels like a brother and sister that I should look out for. We support each other allowing there to be less tension and healthier relationships and foster thinking and creativity.

Promote sustainability – Rely less on imports and support local produce and manufacturing, promote environmental stewardship, deal with waste responsibly, and educate others.

Eat Healthier – I am able to take my time cooking food that is healthy and delicious! There is no need to rush to get food that may be unhealthy. Instead we take our time to eat good food and interact with one another, ultimately creating a better environment and living healthier.

These are just some of the factors that I feel living simpler has taught me to acknowledge and pursue in this community.

Imagine the possibilities if we could speak to our community members, exchange ideas and care for one another. Imagine if we did not have to be a target of large corporations and organizations to control our daily life. Instead we live peacefully to make our local communities a better place. I have received a 

better grasp on the many possibilities since I have been here at Solheimar.

- Benjamin Palladino

Visions of Sustainability

Please answer the following questions:

     1.    How does your background motivate you as a learner of sustainability?

2. How have you challenged yourself in the first half of this semester? What have you learned from these experiences?
3. How have you grown as a person, community member and sustainable world citizen?
4. What is your relationship with and responsibility to the sustainability of the world?
5. What have you learned about sustainability this semester?

These seemingly humble questions inspired some of the most significant community building of the semester. They’re pretty short, nothing like the detailed prompts I typically receive during a normal semester. They’re not verbose, abstract, or vague. Instead they are concise and direct.

1.       Tell us about your past.

2.       What are your challenges and how have you learned from them?

3.       Have you changed in some capacity?

4.       What does the future look like?

5.       Overall, what have you learned?

Simple. Basic. Questions that by their very nature draw down your walls. There are no fancily worded parameters to struggle between and therefore the door is left open for honest, authentic, and penetrating conversation.

And that is exactly what we had. This assignment was about reflecting on our semester only on the fringes; at its core this was an exercise designed to allow us to open up to each other and form greater bonds. I heard my classmates express thoughts that I’ve had myself. I heard people connect over the common experiences they’ve shared. Despite the fact that we’ve all come from different places, we can now know for certain that we are not alone in some of the things we are feeling. I was touched by the amazing positive feedback I received and enjoyed giving positive feedback to others.

I was also inspired by the amazing voices of my classmates. Hearing them eloquently craft thoughts with words – thoughts that I shared, but would have stated differently – was enthralling. It might not make sense to be thankful for a person’s phrasing, but I am. Maybe it’s indicative of our dual diversity and similarity – shared thoughts expressed by different means.

One of the best things I gained from this exercise was a deep respect for the people with whom I’m sharing this semester. They are remarkable. Knowing them and seeing the greatness they are capable of inspires me and gives me hope for a better future.

-Alicia

"G" and others

Learning Through Others

In most school situations, traditional learning happens within the walls of the classroom and ends once you step foot outside the doors of the room. Upon coming to Sólheimar, I never imagined that I would learn as much from the people around me as I would from the lectures and classes. It has been a privilege to spend the last two months with a group of people who have such a wide range of interests, which are apparent in daily conversation. I am constantly amazed and inspired by their intelligence and passions. If during a conversation we come across a topic that we don’t know all that much about, there’s always someone to fill in the blanks and inform the rest of the group. Often times, these confusing topics are explained better and in a more easily understood way because the person is so devoted and well versed in the subject. While many different interests and thoughts make up a well-rounded community, it also leads to conflicting opinions and ideas. Therefore, group discussions are never dull and always open my eyes to new ways of thinking or new perspectives about a situation. Being in the presence of so many different knowledge backgrounds has expanded my own mind and helped me learn in astonishing ways.

Before coming to Iceland, I was reading the syllabus and imagining what kinds of activities, readings, and discussions each course would entail, which was fairly difficult because I had no idea what to expect. One of our courses for the semester is titled Sustainability Through Community and focuses on various service learning projects. Taking this relatively vague description into account, I assumed that I would learn a few craftsman skills and take part in a few interesting projects within the village. However, the majority of our learning, so far, has manifested itself in neither of these things. While I have learned some exciting skills, such as candle and soap making, I have learned far more from Sólheimar’s residents than the talented workshop instructors.

The people of Sólheimar have taught me the true importance of loving one another, appreciating the little things, and making the most of what we have. Every morning, we begin each day by joining in the courtyard, holding hands with one another, and welcoming the coming of a new day. At first, I was taken aback by the style of these meetings, but as the days progressed, I started to more fully comprehend the importance and benefit of these meetings. Beginning the morning with such an outward expression of joy and love is possibly one the best ways to start your day. My complete understanding came when the residents of Sólheimar began greeting us in the same way that they always greeted each other, which was with open arms and beaming smiles. It was in this moment that I realized we were truly welcomed into their village and since then, every morning meeting has been a reminder that we are all a part of the same community.

After being in Iceland for two months and seeing the interworkings of Sólheimar, I am beginning to realize how much the community thrives from such a brief, fifteen-minute interaction once a day. The close and caring aspects of the community are visible in every decision and action of those within Sólheimar. Being a part of such a tight-knit community that succeeds primarily on the basis of compassion and goodwill, has taught me the importance of these attributes and characteristics within my daily life. Before coming to Iceland, I never imagined that my learning would extend beyond environmental topics and leadership techniques. However, living in this community has taught me to always keep an open mind, learn what you can through those around you, and make the most of every situation because as I learned from morning meetings and the residents of Sólheimar, every day is special.

"G" (from previous posts)

- Steph Krail

coffee break

Words can’t come close to describing the beautiful and hilarious nature of my coffee break this afternoon. In the coffee room (with big south facing windows), I sat down with Ebba, who is: Oliver’s girlfriend, small, a dancer, and has Down syndrome. We smiled at each other, and she went back to eating her orange slices. Another woman came to the table, and I asked my go-to question: Hvað heitir þu? She responded that her name is Kamma. I realized that I don’t know whether she is a home person or not - with many folks here, it’s kind of unclear, which I like (because let’s be real, we’re all home people). Oliver joined us, and stroked his tiny girlfriend’s face more lovingly than is normally appropriate in public. But normal rules don’t apply here (hence my freedom to run around in a snowsuit and a cardboard mask). After a few minutes, Oliver asked me if I live in America. Delighted to have understood him, I answered yes! I do! He proceeded to continue speaking, taking my momentary comprehension as a green light. When he realized I was lost, he began soliciting translations from Karin (who was across the room), from Paulo (whose native language is Portuguese), and from Kamma (who speaks about as much English as I do Icelandic). What ensued was an enormously dysfunctional but completely joyful conversation in which very little information was actually conveyed. By the end of coffee break, I learned the following: that Oliver has grandparents in America, that said grandparents live in the place where Icelandic people live in America, that they once got stranded in a boat, that he has family in Stykkishólmur who have “complicated relations,” that he is related to Sesselja (founder of Sólheimar), and that we all think lighthouses are beautiful. But the information itself didn’t actually matter – we could have talked about anything. What was important was how hard we were all trying to communicate with and understand each other. That’s what made it such a good conversation. And I realized that this is true even of conversations I have in English – that most of the value is not in the content, but in the level of investment. You can have an unfulfilling conversation about something important, and you can have a great conversation about something insignificant – what matters is how present you are, how much you care, how much you give, how intently you listen. So as I learn how to communicate with people who speak a different language, I feel like I’m also learning how to communicate in my own language.

- Shelby

Iceland Trip: A Dramatic Re-Imagining

"A Short Icelandic Epic"

So there I was, things had taken a turn for the worse.  I was standing; standing between the school children and the Icelandic bear.  The deadliest of it’s kind.  It was Noga who got us into this situation.  Noga and her big mouth…  Let me tell you a story.

            It was supposed to be a simple day trip.  We were supposed to just travel through Iceland, stop at a national forest, spend some time there and come home.  But our day trips can never be that simple.  Everything started out fairly normal.  We all loaded our things into the van, loaded ourselves into the van, and departed in, what would be timely fashion, if we weren’t ALWAYS waiting for Tara.  So, fifteen minutes behind schedule, and we are off.  Into the Icelandic sunrise.  We are all giddy, acting like fifteen year old school girls.  Most people are listening to music or sleeping, Hank, sitting up front, barely making it over the steering wheel, is humming quietly to himself.  Noga makes an attempt at idol talk with Hank as we are on the road, but soon gives in to the inevitable sleep that is coming.  Soon everyone is fast asleep, accept Hank of course, and we are all waiting to arrive our destination.

            Suddenly, everyone is jolted awake.  People screaming, questions being asked, fingers being pointed, everyone in the van is to be blamed.  “Who would do such a vial act?” someone asks.  “How could you live with yourself?” another contemplates.  We were woken by the remnants of someone’s dinner the previous night.  Apparently, someone dared find it hilarious to let the vial stench of their bodily functions get the better of them.  The group finally decides that, of course, it was either Ben or Constantine who was the culprit, but I see the little smirk on Hank’s face.  I know who the real villain is in this situation.  But little did we know, this was only the beginning of our adventures on the day.

            Finally we make it to the park in which we would be exploring for the day.  We saw amazing waterfalls, awe-inspiring geysers, fantastic geological formations, volcanoes that could erupt at any moment; we enjoyed some great food, and even better company.  But I suppose you don’t want to know about that stuff.  You want to know how this ‘bear’ fits into the story.  You want to know how it ends.  Who fights off the bear?  How did it come to be in the first place?  Well let me tell you.

            In fact let me paint a picture for you, the group of us, walking in the treacherous Icelandic rain forest, the temperature is muggy, it’s so hot and sweaty, we see all kinds of wildlife, jaguars, tigers, black panthers (which may be the same thing as a jaguar, but it helps build the suspense), and even the infamous ICELANDIC GOAT.  They’re even more terrifying in real life than the way their name makes them sound.  Horns the size of knives, hooves as sharp as…. Well knives, and a piercing stare as sharp as, DAMN IT, knives.  I need to work on my analogies. 

            The only wild creature we hadn’t seen was an Icelandic Bear.  Earlier in the day Noga jinxed it by saying, “I can’t wait to see an Icelandic Bear”.  But until this point they were nowhere to be seen.  But then we heard it.  The rustling, in the bushes, of a mother Icelandic Bear and maybe a cub or two.  Of course Noga is the one to ‘push the envelope’, she approaches the rustling sound.  She thinks she’s being so brave, but really is she being brave or foolish, everyone knows the Icelandic Bear is over-protective of her cubs.  But Noga, armed with her courage and knowledge of oil and tar sands, approaches those rustling bushes.  All of a sudden *BAM* the bear throws a warning swipe at Noga, the air from which enough to knock her down.  The entire group was shocked, frozen in place.  We didn’t know what to do.  We were about to be mauled and eaten in the Icelandic jungle, never to be heard from again.  And then we heard it. 

            She came out of nowhere.  We turned to see who it was but the sun was blinding.  All we could see was the outline of a shining figure.  The sun shining over her shoulders making her look like a heroic goddess.  A much more modern form of a heroic goddess.  Less of a Greek or Roman goddess, more American ‘by day a student, by night a crime fighting heroin’ type. 

            She said but four words to the bear, “HEY, DON’T DO THAT!”.  Perhaps, poorly chosen words.  Thinking back on the day they were not as intrepid as the scenery would suggest.  But then a cloud passed over the sun making our heroin more human.  It was Shelby.  Of course Shelby would be the one to stand up to the bear.  So what did she do?

            She walked right up to the bear, punched it directly in the face.  She did it in a charismatic way in which to suggest, I care for and respect nature, but we are NOT dying today.  And in that respect she was correct.  We live to tell the tale.  I have taken it upon myself to recount the story in only a factual nature.  I commend those who have helped in my chronicle of this story.  And I thank Shelby, for the day she stood up, and saved my life. 

--Drew Smith--  

            

"A Candid Photo Session: Photography, A Re-Imagining" 

 "A"

"B"

"C"

"D"

"E"

"F"

INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR LETTER 

"G"

"H"

"I"

"J"

"K"

"L"

"M"

"N"

"O"

"P"

 - Drew Smith