After church this morning, I biked to the university area of Uppsala. The Royal Mounted Band was making a special appearance.
Yes, the cathedral is getting some roof repair, but it does clearly give a point of reference to show that we’re in Stockholm. This is the band that usually plays for the changing of the guard at the royal palace in Stockholm.
Then I joined the crowd in walking a couple blocks to the botanical garden, where there was a nice display of playing and riding. There was a nice description of the troupe, the music, and some reference to what I think (because of limitations with my Swedish) is that this royal mounted band is in process of being considered for a UNESCO World Heritage listing for cultural significance.
The botanical garden is below the Uppsala Castle. The beginning fall colors are juxtaposed against the castle’s salmon color.
It is feeling like fall now with cooler temperatures and more rain. The week ahead is forecast with rain on most of the days. I give a mid-term exam in Intro to Old Testament and the first papers for the hermeneutics course come in, so I’ll have plenty to do and won’t be sad to be missing beautiful weather.
Yesterday, Saturday, I took Anya to the airport to see her off and help with the luggage. Our last moment was a short prayer and also words that expressed how proud I am of her and that I know Dad would be too. So, that started a few tears for both of us, but because I know it is so wonderful for her to return, to London where she is thriving, it is not hard to be happy for her.
She was thrilled to be recruited to apply for a tutoring position because of her strong grades last year. She interviewed last Monday on Skype, and she was informed that she was hired on Tuesday! So, she is excited to start on a positive note. This will be a little income, but mostly a way to build a resume’ as well as really cement her math concepts through teaching them to others.
Anya is in the same housing unit in Kensington, a Christian ministry for international students connected with the Anglican church. She actually has the same room she had last year but a new roommate. However, she met her roommate last spring, a young woman from South Korea.
I am already missing her, and not because she was enjoying a new found interest in cooking! That was very nice, but it is just wonderful to have a comfortable conversation partner, someone who knows me, and someone with whom I know I shouldn’t have to try to speak Swedish!
Sunday: 17 pointy hats in; 18 pointy hats out
This morning, after a visit to the gym, I biked to the Uppsala Cathedral for a bishop installation as part of a “high mass.” The new bishop is a son of my Swedish tutor’s friend. They were roommates in boarding school in India when they were 6 years old. The new bishop is an alum of Johannelund, but I don’t know him. For me, it was an opportunity to see the pomp and circumstance of a bishop’s installation, where the procession started with 61 people, not including all the choir members, and a total of 17 pointy hats.
Bishop installations are honored by the presence of a representative of the royal family. Today, it was both the king and queen. They can been seen in this video at moments about halfway through, when the new bishop turns to face the congregation and everyone stands. The queen is in tan to the right of the king.
I’m not rattling around home alone after Anya left. I have a “inneboende” or a renter in my home, Ida. Ida is a former student who is now in the priest training program for the Church of Sweden (which calls their pastors priests). She is in a wheelchair outside the home and a walker in the home, so when she was looking for a place to stay, I knew that my ground-level condo would work for her. It would also mean that I could practice my Swedish more often. Now that Anya is gone, there will be more Swedish spoken.
So, life continues on. Thanks for checking in on me.
