Tromso & Oslo, Norway & Reykjavik & southern Iceland - 9/3 - 24/3 2016

Planned to journal down the trip but didn't have the time. I think we got only 4-6 hours of sleep each day during the trip, with the occasional sleep-in. 

I'd wanted to plan for a longer time in Tromso before researching for the trip but after researching on Iceland, I got more interested in Iceland than Tromso. But it was only in Tromso that we saw the northern lights; it would have been really beautiful to see the lights in Iceland in Jokulsarlon area but we had to drive back to Vik for the night. A real pity as the forecast for the lights was strong during the first 2 nights we were in Vik. I guess this calls for a return trip to Iceland.

Tromso has its merits as it is very tourist-centric with restaurants, bars, activities, a good information center, etc. the town is compact and within a day, you can explore almost the entire "city centre". Bus fares were crazy expensive, with a boarding fee of sgd 8 regardless of the no of stops you took. We took a boat ride out to see the aurora and it was there that we saw very strong lights. It's true when they say that the lights seem to dance. It streaks across the skies and explodes like fireworks. We also took a bus ride out to a lavvo (Sami's tent) to wait for the lights. That was a failure as we didn't see it and there weren't many stars as well to justify a worthwhile trip. However, on the ride back to the hotel, we had 5 minutes of aurora but it wasn't as beautiful as it was a relatively "still" aurora. We did the quintessential tourist thing of reindeer riding which also turned out to be our lunch. The fjords were beautiful and so was the harbour. We went to a pipe organ, flute, and soprano midnight concert in the Arctic cathedral, which was quite nice but horribly cold as it was raining like crazy. But still, I'm glad we went.

Iceland is magnificent because it offers a constant feast for the eyes. Every corner you turn you see beautiful landscapes and the landscapes just keep changing. You have mountains, rivers, oceans, lava fields, barren fields, waterfalls, glaciers, lagoons, etc. it's just amazing. I really liked the glacier lagoon and where the icebergs flowed out to the sea, and the moss-covered lava fields. The earth felt like cushion on these fields, it's like walking on clouds. During the time we visit, we didn't get to see many animals such as puffins or whales & I believe it will be a completely different feeling to visit Iceland again in summer. 

On the whole, I like Iceland more and although both places are crazy expensive , you can probably get by with a lot less in Iceland since most of the attractions are free. 

On reading

http://blog.theliteracysite.com/fiction-readers/?utm_source=kc&utm_medium=paid-affiliate&utm_content=_RhLbsC&utm_campaign=science-says-about-fiction

"Through their research, they found that readers of literary fiction receive more of the empathetic benefits of reading than those who read pop-fiction or non-fiction. The term “literary fiction” seems arbitrary, but Kidd and Castano explain that literary fiction merely denotes the level of complexity in stories and their characters (at least, that’s what it means in the context of their study).

In 50 Shades Of Grey, for example, the characters are laid out. They react to each other and to their environment. By no means are these characters simple or easy, but they do not evoke the same complicated and uncanny feelings that one experiences with Nick Carraway as he narrates The Great Gatsby."

That's the wonderful thing about reading; you get transported to a world much different than your own. You live the lives of the protagonist. In a truly well-developed character, we find bits of ourselves in him/her. there are fundamental similarities between human beings no matter who we are. 

Head in the clouds

One of those arghhh moments when dealing with recklessness and an overdose of "positivity". I do think if there are simple things you could prepare in advance to minimize possible risks, why wouldn't you want to do it? Is it an admirable quality to throw caution to the wind and bury one's head in the ground, pretending that nothing bad will ever happen in the world? I really don't think so. If you want to liken yourself to having an adventurous spirit, by all means, climb the highest mountains, and I would give my fullest salute and admiration to you. But if by being adventurous, you mean not bothering about road conditions, routes, weather, then I think it's just plain naivety and recklessness. It's like wanting to climb Everest without bothering with a plan. 

Librarything

I read an article extolling the wonderfulness of the Librarything app (a book cataloging app) and was convinced enough to download the app. I thought such a highly raved app would cost something but alas, it was free! I really love the app after trying out its functions. The barcode scanner offers a kind of cheap thrill for me Coz I get to pretend to be a librarian. The scanner recognizes the isbn within seconds and gives a beep sound when scan is completed. This is the function I love the most from the app. Apart from cheap thrills, the app lets you categorize your books into wishlist, currently reading, read but unowned, favorites. It also allows you to give star ratings. For those serious bibliophile, you can even write your review, enter your reading dates, and other comments (e.g. book was loaned to so and so-a great feature if you tend to lose your books because of friends who borrow and never return). I've entered 70books so far within 20-30min of acquiring the app and that's not even one-third of the books on the shelves. I oftentimes have trouble remembering if I already own a book  and sometimes make the mistake of buying duplicates. This app is definitely a lifesaver for situations like this. Another thing I like is the ability to see the book covers, which makes the app aesthetically pleasing to the eye. A few snapshots of the app:

I really can't wait to finish cataloging all the books ! 

I've fallen far below

Into the ninth circle.

Engulfed in the burning darkness

My soul finds no peace.

I called upon you

But it was only the piercing silence

That answered me.

Would I find salvation in this place?

Could I rise from the depth of inferno?

Could I ever see the light that never dims?

Stiff upper lip

Today's alpha hit the nail on the head. Nicky gumbel spoke of "emotionalism" and the Brits lack thereof of emotions, especially in public. This is why we always associate a stiff upper lip with the Brits. I think I might have been a Brit borne into an Asian body for having the exact same feelings regarding any public display of emotions. This was one of the reasons I refused to be prayed for twice during the alpha "Holy Spirit" weekend, and again at church camp. I was afraid i would cry as from time to time I felt strange stirrings of emotions for no apparent reason. Today the same thing happened. I struggled like hell whether to be prayed for but seeing everyone do it, I felt odd not following (yes I'm the mindless type of crowd follower) and so I did. And what I feared most and did not want happen most came true. I sobbed like crazy in front of colleagues who came for alpha and it just kept coming in waves thereafter for the next 2 hours. I thought God was being funny but I know it might have been necessary for something like this to happen. To give up control over ourselves, our lives. God slowly breaks down our defences when we try so hard not to be vulnerable, when we try so hard to control things. At long last, He shows us He is Lord over us that all we can do is surrender. 

Les miserables- Victor Hugo

At long last the book was finished yesterday night. It really is a masterpiece with interjections of history, the author's views on socialism, the French Revolution and the monarchy, religion, etc alongside the main story of love, kindness, insurrection, God, and evil. I find these interjections to be a surprise but admittably, the lengthiness of these mullings had me skimming over these chapters. 

The main story was really lovely. I especially love Jean Valjean who because of a bishop's kindness became a changed man who was determined to do everything right by God. I was rather sad at the beginning that Valjean was sentenced so heavily for stealing a loaf of bread out of necessity. I also loved the part where the bishop took him in, and not only didn't incriminate Valjean when he stole the bishop's silverware but gave him the precious candleholders as well. The Thernadiers angered me with their conniving greedy ways and the way they treated Fantine and Cosette. I didn't quite like the way Cosette was portrayed.. Hugo wanted to paint the image of a pure, angelic girl but I thought it was a little too much that it made Cosette seem like a dimwit. This was especially true at the end of the story when she married Marius. The way she sulked and the things she said when Valjean didn't want to stay with them and kept his distance had me feeling that there couldn't really be such a woman alive in this world. And of course there was this whole love at first sight issue that made the story just that less "real".

The main themes I felt from the book were love,kindness, and forgiveness. Valjean was filled with so much goodness and love for mankind that he never held grudges against anyone. Not even Javert  who had hunted him down for years. He later saved Javert and this caused so much dissonance within Javert that he killed himself.

I'm not sure I liked the ending. I hated that self-condemnation drew Valjean away from Cosette and that things were only resolved at his death bed. I had wished for a more glorious ending for Valjean. He deserved much better.