The Midterm Entertainment Board
May 28, 2010 4:39 AM
Welcome to Iceland! by The Midterm Entertainment Board
A fresh, thick layer of snow coated the ground, stands, and anything else that might have been left out over night, including a large wooden hut that had certainly not been there a day previously. The Quidditch pitch had been - once again - transformed. Behind the hut was an expansive rock wall with safety harnesses, and one section of the stands no longer existed, replaced instead with powdery slopes in varying degrees of elevation. A collection of skis and poles rested near the hut. The House flags and banners were now identical in the red, white and blue of the flag of Iceland. Occasionally a jet of steam could be seen swiftly rising from a series of small caverns in the ground. At the entrance to the Quidditch pitch there was a large notice. At the top of this notice was the flag again, and beneath it was text.Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 39,769 square miles. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Iceland is located on both the Iceland hotspot and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs right through it. This location means that the island is highly geologically active with many volcanoes. There are also many geysers in Iceland. Despite its proximity to the Arctic, the island's coasts remain ice-free through the winter. The highest air temperature recorded was 86.9 °F; the lowest was -36.4 °F. Iceland's official written and spoken language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse. Icelandic culture has its roots in Norse traditions. Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas and eddas which were written during the High and Late Middle Ages. There has been a lot of influence of wizarding culture onto Muggles, and vice versa; for example, most Muggle Icelanders believe in elves. Most of Iceland's cuisine is based on fish, lamb, and dairy products. Traditional dishes also include skyr (a very soft cheese), cured ram, cured shark, and black pudding. Iceland has excellent conditions for ice and rock climbing, and is also a world class destination for alpine ski touring. The main traditional sport in Iceland is Glíma, a form of wrestling thought to have originated in medieval times.
Please enjoy the rock wall and ski slopes responsibly. Charms are in place to ensure your safety. Avoid the geysers. For refreshments, head to the serving hut.
Should anyone enter the hut, they would find a variety of Icelandic culinary delights, and could watch a projected illusion demonstraing the wrestling that had been mentioned on the sign at the entrance.
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The Midterm Entertainment Board
Welcome to Iceland!
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The Midterm Entertainment Board
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Nic Sawyer from Florida
May 28, 2010 6:16 PM
Freezing, but having fun by Nic Sawyer from Florida
Nic had, after considerable thought on the subject, decided to stay at Sonora over midterm. This choice was made based on several key pros that outweighed the cons. The cons were limited largely to (a) it was warmer in Florida, (b) making Christmas cookies with Mom, and (c) there was zero chance he'd have to share a room with anyone. Con A could mitigated by staying largely inside, con B was mitigated by making Christmas cookies in Charms, and con C was mitigated by Sam Bauer not being a particularly difficult to live with roommate in the first place, assuming he even stayed, which Nic wasn't sure if he was or not.The pros were rather more extensive. First of all, he'd have the excuse of being half a country away to avoid the Christmas parties his folks liked to attend. Secondly, his mom wouldn't say anything like 'you should come downstairs and spend some time with us' or 'you should go outside and play with the other kids' when he decided that what he really wanted to do was to spend the entire vacation locked up in his room. Thirdly, the prairie elves cooked way better than either of his parents; they didn't invent weird meals that the world would have been a better place without; and he could go fetch food when he was hungry not when it was ready. Fourthly, all the Divinations supplies at Sonora would remain safely tucked away in the Divinations classroom. Fifthly, well, suffice to say, there were more good reasons for staying.
Despite his every intention of being antisocial and spending the whole time shut away in Crotalus, reading or drawing or building things with his legos, Nic found himself heading out the Quidditch Pitch. He'd heard at lunch there was ice and rock climbing, and he was intrigued enough to risk not only the cold but possible interaction with other people. Oddly, without his mom telling him to be more social, he wasn't quite as adverse to possiblity as he would have been back home.
Not to mention, unlike with the neighborhood kids in Miami, he didn't actively dislike anyone at Sonora yet, so that helped too.
The Pitch was exactly what he'd heard about. More, really. He had missed the part about the geysers (which he might try exploring later despite the warnings to stay well back of them - especially if he got really cold climbing). All in all, it was pretty impressive.
He just wasn't sure if climbing a rock face in freezing cold temperatures was something that ought to be undertaken alone, so he took his time putting on the climbing gear, half-hoping someone else would show up to buddy-system with him.
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Nic Sawyer from Florida
Freezing, but having fun
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Nic Sawyer from Florida
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