Yesterday, we had a guest speaker from the USA, Gastón Espinosa, from Claremont-McKenna College. He had two guest lectures. The first was on current trends in world Christianity, which is related to some of my research, and the second was on religion and politics in the USA presidential race. He has worked with the PEW Charitable Trust, so he is well informed. I thought it interesting that so many Swedes were interested in finding out about American politics, but the USA wields a lot of influence globally. Generally, there are well informed questions and thoughtful comments.
I spent the evening in Swedish and baking a chocolate cake to thank the men who helped haul the ping pong table upstairs. That meant that today, I had to figure out how to get the cake strapped to my bike for a safe trip to school.
The cake was well received and it was shared at morning fika for the staff in honor of the movers. One of the mover guys seemed to really be enthused about this gesture. I also noted that there was much more English spoken at morning fika than usual! So, if I need a means to unlock the English communication channels, I might have found the key–chocolate cake!
(I paused for a bit of ping pong with Anya, and now I am back!)
Later, I was shown my new office. It is a long story, but I will be moving in now.
It is approximately 9.5 x 18 feet and the windows you see extend the full 9.5 width. I am excited about the adjustable desk, no cranking needed. It is powered by electricity.
The rest of the day has been working on getting my presentation ready for tomorrow. I’m grateful for two coworkers, Anna and Åsa, who helped with some shaping of it to strengthen it. I am stressing a bit, actually quite a bit. I can’t read it, as I’m supposed to talk through it. However, I basically have to memorize it, but I see how this effort is helping me develop vocabulary, pronunciation, and a better understanding of the words I wrote. I’m slowly developing some conversational aspects, but my last line is (as translated), “I am glad that I am here, except for my struggle with Swedish.”
With blessings,
Beth
A few bricks and boards can cure the lack of bookshelves, eh?