Author: hulda98

CHINESE SAGAS – TV-STAR (the beginning and not the end)

I had to go to Iceland to renew my VISA. I spent just 6 days there and did not have time to visit everyone I wanted to.

I was going to visit a good friend of mine who worked in Eimskip and was on my way to her when all my planning went out of the window.

Few days earlier I had been to the Chinese embassy in Iceland to apply for my VISA so I could stay in my house in Min Hou. I met some people in the embassy and we talked. They liked how I was describing my experience and felt it was a bit different from the stories they had heard from some other foreigners. I was living with the richest and down to the poorest. In my mind everyone is equal and they found this amazing and told me to write a book about my experience. It could be published in China. The man wanted the world to hear my story because it would be different from other western books about the country.

So, my book is on its way but it takes time and has taken longer than I intended when I sat in the Chinese embassy in Iceland many years ago. I had already begun writing but that was in Icelandic and I would have to change gear and write in English.

Who would have thought that the year 2018 would be my publishing year? Well we never know our destiny and that is what is so amazingly exciting.

Anyway, the head of the embassy told me that CCTV was in Iceland and making a documentary and they wanted to talk to me. This was typical for my life in China. Decisions made on the spot.

When I was in the embassy I had not gotten an Icelandic phone number to use and the TV people called my friends home, the one where I was staying. He did not have my number, I forgot of course to let him know that I had already got a number. I was supposed to call the embassy the next day, which I did and this was on Thursday. I was told that the schedule was too tight and the crew was going to talk to the president, the prime minister and the central bank governor, and there would not be time for interviewing me since they had not been able to reach me the day before.

No problem and I was a bit relieved.

The next day, which was Friday morning, I picked up my VISA and the deputy consul wanted to talk to me. She was the wife of the man I had spoken to before. We sat down and spoke for more than an hour. It was interesting that the husband took my coat and served us tea. This couple was really wonderful and I was grateful for meeting them. I hoped they would come for a visit some day in Min Hou. She gave me some books and material for my Chinese study. When I said good bye to the couple I thought that was it.

On Friday afternoon I was at my bank taking care of some practicalities. It was half past three and the phone rang. It was the First secretary in the Chinese embassy asking if I could come for an interview with CCTV at half past five.

Yes, I could do that. Where should I go? I asked.

He told me I would have to find a place!

What?

I did not have a clue where to go.

But, like a rocket the thought flew into my mind that this would be the opportunity I had been waiting for to introduce my friends beautiful design. She had a shop on the corner at Vesturgata in the centre of Reykjavik. The wonderful design and the beautiful shoes surrounded by a flower shop all in a one big room. I had already made up my mind to tell my neighbours in China about her design, the super-rich neighbours who would not live on the islands but would spend weekends there.

I called my friend Gerður and asked if I could bring the TV people. She just smiled and said of course.

The interview was in Gerður’s shop and she got her ad all around the world. The TV crew was very nice, they usually are and it was amazing to meet them. They were situated in London and travelled through Europe. They wanted me to keep in touch and gave me their cards but I have most likely lost them.

All this confusion put my organising in chaos and I saw less of my friends in Iceland than I had intended to.

My trip ended and this was the 9^th of December 2008. I had my VISA and was happy to leave the country which I will never see again.

On my home to Min Hou I spent 6 days in London.

Of course the adventures continued, I had a flight to catch on the 16th and there was the trip from the airport in Fuzhou. If you think everything went smoothly from there I advise you to think again. There is no end to my story.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

6th of January 2019

My land

Now I have found my land. A beautiful view and a big land.

The land is an agricultural land so now I have to do some investigation.

Regulations here in my land are complicated.

My land is an agricultural land but that does not say it won’t be possible to build on it.

There are strict limits on plot and building sizes. This one is not too steep. There is another one close but that one is too steep and it would be too expensive building the foundations.

There are houses all around so electricity and water should be easily adjustable.

Are there correct building planning permissions? I don´t know. I have to investigate.

Finding an architect is also a task.

Some years ago I met a Swedish one who lives in Portugal. I will talk to him and see about his ideas.

Finding a good builder can also be a challenge here in my little land.

The architect is perhaps the most important one because he is the one who will supervise everything.

Should my house be one store or more?

I have not decided yet but would like it to be as easy as possible. I am not getting any younger and will make sure that I don´t have to move out if something happens to me.

A garage and storage place underneath would be a good idea.

A garage where I could put my car into, not like the one I have got now that is not for a car even though it was intended to when built. There is no way a car can get into my garage. Mine is the only one with these limitations! Seriously!

My apartment is big and everything on one floor except the garage. I have been thinking that maybe I could have the house on 2 floors and the bedroom on the upper one. Then the living room, kitchen and my office would be on the ground floor. All this I would have to discuss with my architect.

Yes this is exciting. Leaving the neighbour who is not going to change is the best I can do even though I will miss the beautiful balcony and my wonderful apartment. Missing things is nothing. I will move north. I like the north. I like the little village and the people are wonderful.

I will see the mountains and that is a must for me.

Even though I don’t see the water, the mountains cannot be outside my view.

I am excited.

It will be an adventure.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

5. janúar 2018

Hér á eftir skoða ég hvernig eldri borgurum er mismunað eftir því hvaðan tekjur þeirra koma.

Allt eru þetta einstaklingar sem eru giftir og búa ekki einir.

Ég gef mér að tekjur frá atvinnu og tekjur frá lífeyrissjóði séu sama upphæð kr. 100.000

Einnig vek ég athygli á því að þessi útreikningur á líka við einstaklinga sem hafa flutt erlendis og búa einir. Þeir fá ekki heimilisuppbót.

Einstaklingur sem hefur eingöngu tekjur frá TR fær kr. 204.914 á mánuði eftir skatt

Einstaklingur sem hefur tekjur frá Lífeyrissjóði kr.100.000 fær kr 246.691 á mánuði eftir skatt

Einstaklingur sem hefur atvinnutekjur kr. 100.000 fær kr. 267.974 á mánuði eftir skatt

Niðurstaðan er þessi:

Sparnaður í lífeyrissjóð verður að krónum 41.774 í auknum ráðstöfunartekjum

Atvinnutekjur verða að kr. 63.060 í auknum ráðstöfunartekjum

Sparnaður í lífeyrissjóð gefur 21.286 krónum minna í ráðstöfunarekjur en atvinnutekjur

Svo getur hver og einn reiknað fyrir sig hver munurinn er á því að hafa hvorki atvinnutekjur eða tekjur frá lífeyrissjóði.

Næst þegar stjórnmálamenn ræða um fátækt væri ekki úr vegi að þeir t.d. skoðuðu þessa mismunun.

Næst þegar stjórnmálamenn hæla sér af því hve allt sé dásamlegt á Íslandi fyrir eldri borgara ættu þeir að hugleiða hvers vegna þessi mismunun er. Hvaða rök liggja að baki því að það skipti máli hvaðan tekjur koma? Greiddir eru skattar í báðum tilfellum. Upphæðin er sú sama. Hver eru rökin fyrir því að eðlilegt sé að mismuna þessum aldurshópi?

Væru þingmenn ánægðir með að laun þeirra væru mismunandi eftir einhverju óskiljanlegu kerfi? Væru þingmenn ánægðir með að sæta sömu skerðingum og þeir sem hafa greitt í lífeyrissjóði samkvæmt lögum og eru einfaldlega svo óheppnir að vera á ákveðnum aldri?

Auðvitað þurfa þingmenn sjálfir aldrei að hafa svona áhyggjur eða vangaveltur. Þeir hafa tryggt sína ævi kyrfilega og þurfa ekki að liggja undir reglum sem almenningur er ofurseldur.

Ofbeldið sem eldri borgarar eru beittir er óþolandi. Þetta ofbeldi viðgengst vegna viðhorfa þeirra sem á alþingi sitja. Eldri borgarar eru hópur sem þingheimur vill gleyma, nema á tyllidögum og hátíðlegum tækifærum þegar hentar að nýta þennann hóp. Eldri borgarar mega éta það sem úti frýs og best væri ef stór hluti þeirra tæki sig nú til og legðist undir græna torfu. Þá væri allavega þetta endalausa óþolandi tuð í aldurshópnum þagnað.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

á síðu minni “Milli lífs og dauða” á Facebook er hægt að sjá útreikning afritaðann af vef TR.

4th of January 2018

Happy new year to you

I hope the year 2018 will be prosperous and happy for everyone.

In reality not everyone can be happy but at least good wishes don´t make it worse.

Last year has been adventurous in my reality. Some months have been better than others but the end amazing.

I could write a long article about sickness and disappointments but that would not make me happy and you the reader just sad.

My new year will be different.

I am going to leave the violence in the condominium as soon as possible. It makes no sense to live with people you are not living with that can keep you in the claws of their misery. The man downstairs is not going to change. He will find another woman to live with and abuse even though the one he was with before Christmas has been taken away. He will continue his madness no matter what I do or don´t do in my apartment above him. Lack of insolence and I hear every word and every smack.

I have found a land in the north.

It is beautiful, has a wonderful view to the mountains and there won’t be built houses in front of mine.

The neighbours are great and the village peaceful and welcoming.

I spent my Christmas and the last days of the year embraced by this community with a wonderful family who has accepted me like one of them.

What more could I wish for? Nothing!

There are regulations and rules in my country to follow and now I have to figure out if I could build a house on the land I found. This will take some time and all information gathered before is a bonus.

In the little village church I sang and it was an adventure to build on and help me develop my love for singing.

Singing helps in many ways. It helps your spirit and your mind. It helps your body and when you are singing your soul is naked. Being able to stand with your soul naked in front of a friendly congregation is an experience never to be forgotten.

The year 2018 will be exciting. I have decided so and am putting my mind to it. The mind is powerful and we should not underestimate it.

What we think becomes the reality.

Thinking positive makes everything easy and joy will fill the live even though some hurdles may kick up and hand you a new challenge and growth will follow.

Today is the 4^th day of January. Already 3 days gone. Time flies. It is important to use each and every one to the limit. There is no limit. There are just opportunities and the ability to see them.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

29^th of December 2017

This will be my last post on WordPress this year.

I just want to say thank you to all those who have followed me and commented on my blogs. I also want to say thank you to those who just like my blogs and I want to say thank you to those who send me personal messages and tell me what they think.

These responses are of course encouraging and I appreciate them.

Tomorrow I will go north again and spend the New Year with my friends there.

The Portuguese New Year’s celebrations are different from other countries and quite wonderful.

My first blog will be about these amazing celebrations with some photos from everything.

Today and the last 2 days have been difficult.

My neighbour downstairs is not quite normal. He has been behaving worse these days than some other days, but nothing unique.

The police came, and they came again during the night. Eventually he slowed down but not quite.

Today I went to Coimbra and when I came back the police were there again. Now it was the father of the girl who has been living with the madman. The father took the girl home. I am not sure what happened but before I left, since 8 in the morning the mad one had been shouting and screaming and hitting the girl. Maybe she called for help. I don´t know. I really hope she will not come again. If she does she might end her life in the apartment downstairs.

This is horrible and the police cannot do anything. They fine the guy. He does not pay. They fine him again and he still does not pay.

It is not even his apartment although he lives there. The wife who divorced him some time ago and took the children with her wants to sell the apartment. Her uncle is guarantor on the mortgage and he is the one who pays. It is strange how the law works here sometimes but the uncle does not have a choice. If he did not pay the bank would make him one way or another.

Living next to someone like this man is not easy and sometimes I am scared to death. I have tried to sell my apartment but that is not possible. No one wants to buy so I gave up and decided to see through this. The apartment is beautiful and if it was not for the one downstairs it would be fine.

Well this is life.

I may sing again in the mass on the New Year’s Day but have not yet decided what, not quite at least. I will figure it out tomorrow maybe.

So, my disappointment this time is how many Christmas greetings I got from my father’s family. I did not expect many from my mother’s side but nothing from the other side is a disappointment. It is more important to share a soup recipe on Facebook than taking a moment to say something to the lady who everyone was so willing to know when she was leaving for China. What a wonderful pack. Of course I should not be surprised. Having been the outcast from the beginning should have prepared me.

No, the disappointment is there at this moment but tomorrow I won’t give a damn. Life goes on and friends make up for the lack of blood.

Sounds a bit sad but it is not.

I have to accept this is how life is and just go on. There are those who matter and there are those who are not even worth of a thought.

I am excited about the coming year.

Now I am healthy again and can make plans. I still don´t know if I will ever be able to board a plane but I would like to go to China and see my people there. Maybe next year will help my heart to function, who knows.

I will spend a month in May up north in my land and that will be amazing.

Just continuing to write will also make me happy and I hope I can finish the fiction “The outcast”. That would be an accomplishment.

Then it is the book about China and my life there. It is well on way and most likely be published next year or the beginning of 2019.

There are places I want to see here in Portugal which I have not yet. Among them is the Blue Budda garden. That will be something.

Then just hopping into my car and driving wherever my mind takes me is always an adventure.

Continuing my singing lessons will also be wonderful and it makes me happy.

Then it is the new Gymnasium where some of my old comrades from Condeixa are training. I saw one of them the other day and it is always a joy meeting them.

I wish you, who read this and are not my family, happy New Year and hope it will be prosperous.

I thank you again for following my blogs and taking time to read my thoughts shared with you.

I will always be honest, sometimes happy and sometimes sad. Sometimes I may be joyful and sometimes angry.

Few times I have written in Icelandic and the reason is the horrible situation some people have to go through there. I may find another way to publish my Icelandic blogs but please bear with me my foreign followers.

Happy New Year and thank you.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

30.desember 2017
Góðan daginn kæru lesendur.
Þá er næst síðasti dagurinn runninn upp.
Kallinn niðri er búinn að vera kolbrjálaður síðan fyrir jól og ég held að það væri best fyrir mig að láta lögguna hafa eitt herbergi hérna hjá mér svo þeir þyrftu ekki endalaust að koma og reyna að róa vitleysinginn niðri.
Ég þurfti að fara heim úr jólafríinu þar sem rigningin var óstöðvandi og það rignir inn í stofuna hjá mér. Fer aftur norður á morgun og mikið verð ég fegin að losna úr geðveikinni sem grasserar á neðri hæðinni.
Í morgun skrapp ég til Coimbra og þegar ég kom heim aftur að 2 tímum liðnum, var þá ekki löggan enn einu sinni komin.
Líklega hefur hún fjarlægt stúlkuna sem kallinn hefur tuskað til fram og til baka og pabbi hennar var bandabrjálaður fyrir utan þegar ég lagði bílnum. Löggan fór með pabbann og allt er enn rólegt eða þannig.
Músikin byrjaði á mínútunni klukkan 8 í morgun, dúndrandi eins og á rokktónleikum
Ég veit ekki hvar þetta endar en alla vega er búið að fjarlæga stúlkuna núna og hún verður ekki drepin í dag.
Það gæti verið að ég færi norður í dag, seinni partinn. Ég þarf aðeins að undirbúa mig en ef ekki í dag þá fer ég á morgun, snemma í fyrramálið.

Eftir að hafa horft á umræðuna á Alþingi um fátækt og svo heyrt af því hvernig fjárlögin voru afgreidd reiddis ég svo mikið að ég ákvað að segja ekki orð fyrr en ég væri orðin róleg.

Mikil er skömm þeirra sem fluttu fjálglegar ræður um fátæktina og svo greiða þeir atkvæði um fjárlög þvert á það sem þeir sögðu.

Það er eins og ég hef svo oft sagt, þegar fólk er sest á þing og farið að fá launin þá rýkur drengskapurinn út um gluggann eins flugur í kapphlaupi.

Enginn drengskapur við lýði á hinu háa Alþingi Íslendinga. Ekkert annað en hagsmunapot og viðbjóður.

Þeir sem ráða gefa almenningi langt nef og mikil er skömm forsætisráðherra sem fólk kaus í góðri trú.
Auðvitað vissu allir hverslags tuddi fjármálaráðherra er og verður, en að sjá hvernig forsætisráðherra hefur tekið upp óbreytta takta hans er hreint með ólíkindum.

Sú ágæta kona sem kemur að vestan og talaði af miklum þunga um að fátækt þyrfti að útrýma er ekkert annað en fagurgali og svo greiðir hún atkvæði rétt eins og næsti dagur á undan og umræður hafi aldrei farið fram.

Mér dettur það oft í hug að alþingismenn haldi að við almenningur séum upp til hópa háflvitar, sem hægt er að ljúga endalaust að og við gleypum lygina hráa.

Alþingismenn hafa ekki hugmynd um hvernig allar bætur skerðast fram og til baka við hvert lítilræði.
Ein bára veltir annari og loks verður öldugangurinn slíkur að fólk fær hundruði þúsunda bakreikninga vegna þess að þeir fengu einhvern tíman einhverja aðstoð.
Öryrkjar eru sérstaklega undir þessum hnífi og ekki batnar það.

Nú er komið nýtt kerfi varðandi ellilífeyrinn og hægt að taka hálfan ellilífeyri og hálfan lífeyrissjóð og líklega að vinna með. Ég skil þetta ekki og nenni ekki í dag að setja mig inn í málið.

Öryrkjarnir eru ofurseldir kerfi sem enginn skilur og líklega síst af öllu alþingismenn.

Áttu foreldrar langveikra barna ekki að fá desember uppbót samkvæmt gæsku ráðherra?
Fái þau þessa uppbót þá spyr ég:
Mun hún skerða eitthvað annað og fá þau ef til vill bakreikning á næsta eða þarnæsta ári?

Vitleysan er svo gengdarlaus að ég ríf hár mitt í hvert sinn sem ég sé hvernig farið er með öryrkjana.

Ég verð æf þegar ég sé fólk rífast endalaust um einhverja hungurlús sem guðs konan fékk og sama fólk minnist ALDREI á öryrkja eða eldri borgara.

Frú guðs getur vel við unað og mér er hund sama þó hún borgi einhverja smámuni í húsaleigu og fái greitt ofurtaxta fyrir 2 blaðsíður ritaðar í útlöndum. Frúin er jú guðs og það lið er ekki undir sama hatti og ég og vinir mínir sem eru annað hvort öryrkjar eða eftirlaunaþegar. Nei, guðs frúin er í sama hópi og forsætisráðherra og fjármálaráðherra sem stjórnar öllu, ÖLLU, ekki bara fjármálaráðuneyti, hann stjórnar forsætisráðuneytinu líka. Það þarf ekki annað en horfa á forsætirsráðherra til þess að sjá taktana.

Tveir Píratar berjast eins og rjúpan við staurinn og hamast við að fá þingsályktunartillögur sem hafa verið samþykktar, upp úr skúffunum. Þau eiga hrós skilið fyrir eljusemina og vona ég að þau haldi áfram og hafi erindi sem erfiði.

Inga Sæland er með munninn fyrir neðan nefið og vonandi notar hún hann til góðs en kannski væri betra að undirbúa sig aðeins betur þegar verið er að etja kappi við samviskulausann fjármálaráðherra sem hefur ekki hugmund um hvenær hann segir satt og hvenær ekki og er nokk sama um einhverja fátæklinga.

Það er kominn tími til þess að sauðsvartur almenningur hætti að kjósa eins og hann hefur alltaf gert.
Það er kominn tími til þess að almenningur taki ábyrgð á atkvæði sínu og sjái til þess að öfl eins og núverandi stjórn komist ALDREI aftur til valda.

Vonandi lafir þessi stjórn ekki lengi. Kannski gerir hún það því ekki var mikið að marka uppreisn þeirra sem þóttust ekki styðja stjórnina 100 prósent og ætluðu minnir mig að greiða atkvæði samkvæmt samvisku sinni. Líklega hafa uppreisnarseggirnir týnt samviskunni eins og svo margir aðrir þingmenn.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

27.desember 2017

Umræður um fátækt á Íslandi fóru fram á Alþingi fyrr í dag.

Málshefjandi var Inga Sæland frá Flokki fólksins.

Gott var að þessi mál kæmu til umræðu á hinu háa Alþingi en óttalega voru þær nú mikið málæði um ekki neitt.

Svona umræður verða oft máttlausar og meira til þess að auglýsa einstaklinga og flokka.

Bjarni Ben var að sjálfsögðu himinlifandi með sjálfan sig og sitt framlag.

Þorsteinn Víglundsson sem óneitanlega belgist út í eigin velmegun getur talað lengi um ekkert.

Hver á eftir öðrum komu stjórnarliðar og lýstu yfir ánægju sinni með að Inga Sæland hefði opnað þessa umræðu á hinu há æruverða Alþingi.

Hver á eftir öðrum komu þingmenn sumir með háfleigar ræður og aðrir með nokkur orð og ég spurði sjálfa mig: Til hvers voru þau að taka til máls?

Jú, það þarf að nota hvert tækifæri til þess að ota sér á framfæri því það koma jú kosningar aftur og þá þarf að vera hægt að sópa rykið af ræðustúfum sem passa inn í loforðaflauminn.

Ég er ekki að segja að umræða um fátækt eigi ekki rétt á sér á hinu háa Alþingi. Nei, þvert á móti hún á fullan rétt á sér. Það sem ég gagnrýni er málæðið sem rennur upp úr þingmönnum bæði stjórnarliðum og stjórnarandstöðu og engar lausnir eða tillögur um raunhæfar lausnir.

Ellilífeyrisþegar eiga greinilega ekki upp á pallborðið hjá þeim sem lögðu orð í belg í dag.

Auðvitað væri best að hægt væri að koma þessu vandræða liði, eldri borgurum, fyrir einhvers staðar uppi í sveit á heimilum fyrir fjölda manns svo hægt væri að spara ríki og borg þessi bévaðans útgjöld sem fylgja fólki stundum sem gerist svo ósvífið að verða gamalt.

Fátæk börn má heldur ekki ræða upphátt. Það er ekki gott að ræða um börn sem ekki hafa efni á að fara í tónlistarskólana, íþróttirnar og tómstundastarf. Þetta eru börn sem á að hafa sem minnst í umræðunni og kjör foreldrar þeirra eiga auðvitað aldrei að komast í opinbera umræðu.

Það er voða fallegt að vera ráðherra og tala um menntun og tómstundir. Ætli ráðherra þekki einhver börn sem ekki geta farið í skólaferðalögin eða tónlistarskólana eða í íþróttafélögin? Ætli ráðherrann þekki einhver börn sem ekki fá almennilegan morgunverð áður en þau fara í skólann og eiga kannski ekki heldur almennilegt húsaskjól til þess að koma í þegar þau fara heim? Ætli Þorsteinn Víglundsson eigi slíka vini?

Það vita allir að Bjarni Benediktsson er úti að aka og sér ekki niður fyrir silfurskeiðarnar og skilur ekki líf venjulegs fólks.

Það er ágætt að vera ráðherra félagsmála og tala fjálglega um allt sem á að gera en verður svo agnarlítið og oftast ekki neitt. Já, það er einmitt svo gott að komast inn í svona umræðu, umræðu um fátækt og höfða til alls þingheims um að standa saman þegar allir vita að allt sem frá stjórnarandstöðu kemur verður fellt og þessi ágæti forsætisráðherra sem nú situr við völd ætlar sér að gera eitthvað einhvern tíman. Ekki strax og ekki á næsta ári, líklega ekki fyrr en nokkrum mínútum áður en næstu kosningar verða og loforðaflaumurinn tekur til að vella eins og grautur sem upp úr sýður og dreifist um allt stjórnlaust.

Inga Sæland og Flokkur fólksins halda líklega eitthvað áfram að malda í móinn eins og gerðist í dag.

Það er ágætt og góðra gjalda vert en orðin mega sín lítils ef framkvæmdir eru í algjörri mótsögn við flauminn sem rennur úr ræðustól.

Það þýðir ekkert að tala og tala ef fólk hefur ekki raunhæfar tillögur um úrlausnir. Jú, eitthvað þarf að gera og á jólum er tilvalið að hamra á fátæku börnunum.

Hvað hafa margir þingmenn Flokks fólksins fylgt dæmi Forseta Íslands og gefið hluta af launum sínum til þeirra sem ekkert hafa þessa síðustu daga mánaðarins?

Hafa þessir þingmenn hugsað sér að láta af hendi rakna ríflegt framlag í hverjum mánuði til þeirra sem eiga minna?

Þingmenn Flokks fólksins eru komin á ofurlaun, rétt eins og aðrir þingmenn. Þau koma úr láglaunastéttum, allavega sum þeirra og kunna að láta sér nægja lítilræði og gætu áreiðanlega haldið áfram sparnaðarleið sinni og gefið stóran part ofurlaunanna til góðgerðarmála.

Gera þau það?

Ég veit ekkert um það en þætti það ekki óeðlilegt og þeim til framdráttar í baráttu fyrir orðum og merkingu þeirra.

Nei, ætli orðin verði ekki bara látin nægja.

Ekki hefur neitt heyrst af málarekstri gegn ríkinu sem Flokkurinn hóf fyrir all mörgum mánuðum? Dagaði það uppi?

Eina ráð okkar ellilífeyrisþega til þess að ná rétti okkar er að fara í mál við ríkið og láta dæma ógilda eignaupptöku á sparnaði okkar. Hver gæti aðstoðað við slík málaferli er mér hulin ráðgáta.

Það er nenfnilega öllum nákvæmlega sama um gamalt fólk sem komið er yfir 65 ára. Það getur etið það sem úti frýs. Það kom skýrt fram í bla bla umræðunum á hinu háa Alþingi fyrr í dag.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

Portuguese SAGAS

Christmas in Portugal

27^th of December 2017

I love the Portuguese Christmas.

It’s simple but beautiful.

At least that’s how it is where I spend my Christmas.

A good company with family and friends is a precious gift that not everyone receives.

I went north to my friends and spent Christmas with them.

I left my home on the 24^th in the morning and drove north. The traffic was not heavy but my lord how fast they drove. Sometimes I think some of the drivers think their world is disappearing and they are in a hurry to catch the last moments. This is not just Portuguese drivers, the immigrants are here now and of course the foreigners that live in the country are not all very good drivers.

So, how is Christmas in Portugal, the Portuguese one, spent?

Where I stay there is a light lunch at the 24^th and we are all preparing for the wonderful food that will be served in the evening.

Christmas Eve is just like in any other country. The food, the presents, the songs and the company are on.

My family, the Portuguese one that has adopted me, make a wonderful food. I like their food even though I don´t like most of the food in my land. Perhaps the reason is that they lived in France for a long time and perhaps adjusted a bit to that culture.

Seafood, Portuguese codfish and a lot of other wonderful food.

At the table are the family and the closest friends. Everyone is having a good time. Laughter and a lot of talking is of course the joy.

This Christmas we reflected on the horror in October when they woke up surrounded by fires and no help to get.

The memory is raw. Outside the kitchen window there is the testimony. Burned trees everywhere and even houses destroyed. The wind spread the fires. This was an October that no one will forget.

Life has to go on, there is no way around it, and everyone is trying to adjust. Some are doing better than others but the community is united.

The Christmas gifts are the company, the laughter and the smiles. We don´t need huge expensive gifts, most important is being together and being alive.

After dinner with families the friends come over and sit down and have a cake or desert or a glass of wine. This is a close community.

Everyone goes to bed late, very late, at 2 o’clock those who give up first. There is a feeling of not ending the evening. Just continuing the unity but as you know we also do have to rest a bit.

On the 25^th, the Christmas day, we get up late. No need to go to work or do anything at all. This is the day to enjoy yesterday’s memories and prepare for the mass in the little church.

A light lunch and wood in the fire to keep us warm is cosy and wonderful.

At 4:15 the mass is on.

Everyone from my household went to the mass, except the dog she stayed at home.

The church is cold, of course, and I had brought with me my warm fur coat and it kept me warm throughout the mass. Since I am always cold I had perhaps more clothes on than anyone else in the congregation.

15 Children or thereabout, sung at the end of the mass and after them I sung the beautiful Icelandic Ave Maria. It is amazing full of emotion and I love it.

At the end everyone is hugging everyone and wishing each other Merry Christmas. I got a lot of warm hugs and some thanked me with tears in their eyes for my song.

What more can you wish for when performing? If you reach the peoples inner most feelings and they shed a tear you know you have done well.

This was my contribution to the congregation and it went well.

After the mass it was pouring rain, the church is just few meters from the house and we almost run and everyone was wet. Some had umbrellas with them but those who did not were offered one and they united under a big one. Suddenly there were many umbrellas outside at the veranda, some of them belonging somewhere else. This is how it is in a close community.

The dinner was chicken and wonderful salads with homemade ice cream and of course more cakes. Fever people were at this dinner than the day before. There are other families to visit as well.

This evening we went to bed early, a bit after midnight and woke up fresh the next morning. Just an ordinary day ahead. Some had to go to work and others just to meet their friends at the coffee shop and read the newspaper. In Portugal we don´t have second in Christmas as in some other countries. Now the Christmas is over and we wait for the New Year and the last day of this year.

Hulda Björnsdóttir

Christmas greetings to my friends

23^rd of December 2017

Now Christmas is around the corner. Here in Europe it’s tomorrow but already on in China and some other countries.

I want to say thank you to all my friends all over the world.

Thank you my Portuguese friends. Thank you for taking me into your society and allowing me to be one of you. Thank you for all your support and love. I appreciate each and every one of you and hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year.

Obrigada os meus amigos portugueses. Obrigada por me levar a sua sociedade e permitir que eu seja um de vocês. Obrigada por todo o seu apoio e amor. Eu aprecio cada um de vocês e espera que todos tenham um Natal maravilhoso e um feliz ano novo.

Thank you my Chinese friends. Thank you for your friendship and thank you for loving me like I am. Thank you for your support, for your e-mails, for your conversations on Skype and QQ. I miss you all my Chinese friends and hope I will see you one day in the future. Have a wonderful Christmas and may the New Year be good to you all.

谢谢我的中国朋友。谢谢你的友情, 谢谢你像我一样爱我。感谢您的支持, 您的电子邮件, 您的 Skype 和 QQ 的谈话。我想念你们所有的中国朋友, 希望将来有一天能见到你。祝你们圣诞快乐, 新年快乐。

Thank you my Indian friends. Thank you for all your messages. Thank you for your support and thank you for being my friends. One day I hope to visit your country. I wish you all a happy and joyful Christmas.

Thank you all my English speaking friends all over the world and I wish you a merry Christmas. Some of your languages I don´t know but I appreciate you all. I hope your holidays will be full of happiness and joy.

Thank you all my Scandinavian friends. Thank you for all your wonderful support and your good wishes. You mean a lot to me and I appreciate your friendship. Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your food.

Tak til alle mine skandinaviske venner. Tak for al jeres vidunderlige støtte og deres gode ønsker. De er alle veldig vigtige for mig, og jeg sætter stor pris på jeres venskab. En virkelig god jul til jer alle og nyd den gode mad.

Thank you my Icelandic friends. Thank you for your support, your motivation and your never ending strength in a difficult struggle and sometimes fight with the government. Thank you for your inspiration and thank you for never giving up on me and my struggle to get through to those who have the power to make our lives better. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families and friends.

Ég þakka ykkur íslensku vinir mínir. Ég þakka ykkur fyrir stuðning, hvatningu og ótakmarkaða trú í erfirðri baráttu fyrir bættum kjörum. Ég þakka ykkur fyrir hugmyndir ykkar og ég þakka ykkur fyrir að gefast ekki upp á mér og baráttu minni fyrir því að reyna að koma skilaboðum í gegn til þeirra sem valdið hafa og geta bætt líf okkar. Ég vona að jólin verði ykkur öllum dásamleg og þið njótið þeirra með fjölskyldum ykkar.

Hulda Björnsdóttir