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SCMP Reporter

Name: Daniel Tryggvi Thors

Age: 17

Country/City: Iceland, Reykjavik

Name of school: Menntaskolinni Reykjavik

Star sign: Aries

I live in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. I'm an optimistic person and try to be friendly and fair.

Most Icelanders are open, friendly and approachable. You don't need to be afraid of asking a stranger for directions, because everyone will treat you like a friend.

My favourite place in Iceland is Thorsmork. It's a huge national park where you can hike and see wonderful landscapes, such as waterfalls, valleys and forests.

Visiting the glaciers is an amazing experience. Imagine standing on a huge pile of snow, yet not feeling cold at all - this can happen in Thorsmork in the summer.

I study maths, biology, chemistry, physics, geography, Danish, Icelandic, English, French, history and physical education. I spend about an hour on my school work every day, which is a lot less time than I should.

My idol is Thom Yorke from Radiohead. He's a great singer and songwriter. I recommend that everyone buy OK Computer, the band's most famous album, to understand what I mean.

During my free time, my friends and I usually visit each others' homes. My leisure time is usually laid back and relaxed. During holidays, I prefer to stay at home, although I recently visited Taiwan.

Football is my favourite sport. I think it's a perfect sport because it involves speed, action, technique and strategy. Football is a great sport for everyone.

I live with my dad, stepmother, brother and stepbrother. My family life is very harmonious. Everyone contributes to make our home a lovely place.

My mum lives in a house at the opposite end of Reykjavik, a 25-minute drive from home.

There are two big festivals in my country. Liberation Day falls on June 17 and celebrates Iceland's freedom from Danish rule.

But the most popular festival is Cultural Night, which takes place in late August.

About a third of Reykjavik's 300,000 people wander along the streets to check out a variety of performances, such as plays, poetry, dance and concerts.

I was in Hong Kong as an exchange student with AFS Intercultural Exchange last year. When I was there I missed the fresh fish from my country. It's a staple part of the diet in Iceland. The fish in Hong Kong doesn't taste as good. Hongkongers wear more clothing than Icelanders. This makes me laugh. But somehow I find that 15 degrees Celsius in Hong Kong is the same as five degrees in Iceland. It's the coldest 15 degrees I've ever felt in my life!



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