Believing in elves

Throughout my years of living abroad I've had many discussions about cultures and traditions. By this time, there are few questions about Icelandic culture that I haven't heard or don´t know how to respond to. However, there's one recurring question that I've never quite known how to answer properly.

Do you believe in elves?

Now, I've never really known what to say to that. My answer has never been no. But a simple yes doesn't quite cut it because if you tell people that yes, you are a highly educated and rationally thinking adult who really does believe in magical people living in rocks, it usually requires some follow-up explanations and proof that a) you're not on drugs or  b) you don't suffer from illusions caused by mental illness.

I've always found this follow-up part to be a bit tricky and I'm very sure that I'm not the only person I know who feels that way. But I think I've finally managed to put my belief into words, something that makes sense and proves to me that my belief is actually pretty rational (or at least as rational as I can make it).

First, if you don't know much about elves, here's a little crash course with the basics:

Elves are also known as huldufólk or hidden people. They mostly live in rocks but are also known to live in cliffs and hills. Their homes have played a large role in Icelandic culture for the past centuries as elf dwellings should not be disturbed or damaged in any way. Why? Because even though elves are fascinating and beautiful creatures and can prove very helpful at the times of need, they are also known for their severe temper if angered or betrayed. Icelandic folklore has countless accounts of individuals who came across elves and made promises they couldn't keep or angered elves in others way. What would happen to these people? They would, and in some instances even their descendants, be cursed and suffer from severe losses, insanity, or even death. Now don't get me wrong. We like elves, a lot. We truly do. They're just not to be angered, that's it (When I think about it this sort of seems like a really weird case of codependency).

There have been several instances of altered construction works in Iceland throughout the years just because of elves. Plans have either been altered to avoid disturbing large rocks believed to be elf dwellings (Preventive measures = lets be really careful not to make them mad) or halted, and eventually changed, due to sudden and repeated equipment malfunction believed to be caused by elves (Reactive measures = that's it, they're pissed. Let's pack up).

So, do I believe this?

Here's the thing. Yes, I believe in elves but my belief is more of a matter of symbolism. There are three things I see in elves.

Beauty

Power

Respect

And to me these three words crystallize nature.

Nature, just like elves, is incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing. It can steal your breath, give you energy you didn't know you possessed and make you forget all your troubles for a while.  Secondly, it's a matter of power. Just like elves, nature is incredibly powerful, something which becomes rather evident when living on a windy, volcanic rock in the middle of the North-Atlantic, a place where nature either makes or breaks you. But the most important aspect of it all is that just like elves, nature, with all its beauty and power, should be respected. Fail to respect nature and the consequences will be dire, not only for you, but - yeah you guessed it - your descendants as well. 

There you have it, my two cents on elves. 

They kinda make sense now, right? 

xx

E 

Student life

It's a bit scary to realize that you are nearing the end of your student life. 

I was one of those kiddos who never took a break from school. Well, the only sort of breaks I took from school were taken so I could dive into the deep end of the pool and experience being a student in a different situation; experiencing other schools in other countries. 

So, pretty much since the age of six, being a student has been a large part of my identity. The exact definition of a student has nonetheless differed. These definitions include

the elementary student

the high school student

the foreign exchange student struggling to understand the native language

the university student

the foreign exchange student actually capable of participating in class

the grad school student

the foreign grad school student

the interning grad school student

Through these definitions I've experienced life as a student in five countries, met some wonderful people and learnt a whole lot.  It feels strange to know that this huge part of my life, with all its fascinating experiences, is about to turn into a thing of the past. Thankfully though, the Swedish system is a bit slow when it comes to graduation. The thesis has been submitted and defended, and the grade is on its way. It will however take a few weeks for the official diploma to be published. So, technically, I can extend that student feeling a little bit longer.  

Even though this whole transition is scary, it presents an opportunity to add something new to my identity, set myself some new goals, see new places and meet new interesting people. And that's why it's pretty exciting. 

Me outside the University main building after an informal commencement ceremony

Soon I'll not be a student anymore, I'll be something else and honestly, I still don't quite know what it'll be. The one thing I know is that I look forward to doing something new with all the challenges and experiences that it'll bring. 

However, until I'm officially graduated (and thus, no longer allowed to use the student title) I'm going to spend my time reading something else than schoolbooks (which wasn't really an option during the last weeks of thesis writing) and enjoying the surprisingly good weather that has hit Gothenburg recently. Apparently summer is here :)

xx

E

book nook

Besides the previously mentioned indoor hammock my dream house has another essential item, a little reading nook. 

Ideally it would be a small and cozy space with soft seating and plenty of space for pillows and a blanket. It would also have to include some sort of shelves where I could keep books along with an occasional cup of tea and some cookies.

It would be a space where no phones or computers were allowed. The nook would serve as a little escape from daily life and buzzing technology, a little escape where I could relax, forget about time and space, and allow my mind to enjoy the awesomeness of books. 

a little corner with only one purpose

pillows, pillows and more pillows

A bench like this would be a dream

If this one were in my house I'd tuck away in there on every cold winter night

Now next on the list following the reading nook is a beautiful private library. 

How amazing that would be. 

I will leave those speculations for a post of their own though.

xx

E

Being positive

I'm a strong believer in the power of positive attitude. I try to look at the bright sides of everything and it's for a pretty simple reason: it makes me feel better and I feel that it gets me further than having a negative outlook on life. 

Of course, like everyone else, I can have my bad days every now and then and that's alright. It´s not about  being a complete Pollyanna and not recognizing the existence of any negative happenings. Instead, whenever frustration hits me I make an effort to not linger in a negative attitude toward people and things. Usually I ask myself:

Is it worth it to hold a grudge because of this?

Is this worth being angry about? 

or Come on Eva, is this really the end of the world? 

The answer to this question hardly ever a yes. Why? Because to me holding on to hatred and other negative feelings is one of the worst waste of resources that I can think of. It gives you absolutely nothing constructive back while taking so much of your energy and time, it's absolutely useless.  

For me it comes down to acknowledging both the positive and negative things that happen to you and make an effort not to let the negative ones take over. It might not always be the easiest path but for me it's by far the most rewarding one.

Happy International Day of Happiness!

xx

E

Anywhere in the world

Tonight I had an interesting discussion with some of my kitchen mates (I live in a student housing where I share a kitchen with other students). The question was asked: If you could be from any place in the world, what would it be?

Some countries got mentioned but when the turn came to me I didn't hesitate. Unlike the others I said I wouldn't change a thing, Iceland it is. The reason is simply that despite having lived in four other countries nothing comes close to beating home, even though I've really enjoyed my time in all of the places I've been. 

There's just something about it. The nature is truly one of a kind and I'll be the first to admit that I didn't appreciate its true beauty until I spent time away from it all. Only then was the first time that I saw the uniqueness about it.

Not only is the nature beautiful but you can also really grasp the power of it. That power is something that I haven't felt to as much extent in most other places. Maybe the emotional connection I have towards the country enhances that sense of natural power.  However I think the most deciding factor for me is the fact that you only needs to take a short walk outside of town to see clear examples of nature's power, such as lava rocks or strong ocean waves. 

That's how near the nature is. The nature is there, it's constantly present and constantly reminding you of itself, whether it's through stormy weather, northern lights or volcanic ashes settling down on your windowsill. 

Of course nobody's perfect, Iceland still has issues that need to be addressed whether they are economic, political or social.  When taken into a larger perspective these issues however become minor and to me mostly serve as a reminder of the privilege of being born in a safe and healthy environment.

The nature, the location, the size of the population, the language, the culture, the history. In my view all these things create some sort of quirkiness that makes it a privilege to be able to say this is where I'm from. To me this quirkiness gets confirmed in the reaction of almost every single person who asks me where I'm from. The reactions describe some fascination with a country that is so close but still so far away.

I'm a lucky one for being able to call this place my home and hopefully it won't be too long until I get to visit it again.

xx

E