April 28, 2016: Ups and Downs

Up: The landmark of the day is getting a copy of my printed PhD dissertation.

Ta dah!
Ta dah!

Then I saw this:

Two copies of my dissertation on display in the library!
Two copies of my dissertation on display in the library!

Wow! Colleagues have been wonderful and encouraging. My advisor is pleased that my dissertation is the first one under the new merged school named (VID Specialized University). He thinks that an Old Testament Pentateuch–the beginning of the Bible–is a good beginning for the dissertation series. And then the intercultural focus (I believe the I of the acronym VID relates to the international/intercultural focus) is a great positioning of the special focus of this institution.

Yes, I took the bus to my school this morning and met with my adviser, Knut. The UP is the book, the DOWN is the discussion of the direction of my trial lecture as Knut is helping develop it to have stronger outcomes. It just means that I have more work to do than I thought, and my brain is jet lag foggy. Its stressing me a bit.

I had a nice visit with my friend, Marta, mid-day and did a bit more work until my brain was twice as thick and three times as heavy as normal. So, I walked down to downtown passing through Gamle Stavanger, the old part of town, which was almost demolished in the 1970’s because it’s aesthetic was not appreciated!

Old Stavanger juxtaposed with a towering cruise ship in the harbor.
Old Stavanger juxtaposed with a towering cruise ship in the harbor.

I picked up some postcards at my favorite tourist store and was greeted by the salesperson who recognizes me. And I headed down the road.

The most colorful street in Savanger.
The most colorful street in Stavanger.

This picture was taken on the way to the Fretex thrift store to get a black leather belt, as I realized I forgot to pack one. This is a good place to find Norwegian sweaters for a great price, but I’m not shopping for any more. I did get one I like and wear for only $30 on one of my first trips here.

I passed the Stavanger Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Norway, on the way to the bus.

The Stavanger Cathedral is under restoration.
The Stavanger Cathedral is under restoration.

I think I nodded off on the bus ride home but didn’t miss my stop. The rest of the day was trying to progress on this trial lecture with my let lag brain, with a couple breaks for tea, dinner, and some emails and a couple postings, including this blog.

I would appreciate your prayers as I’m a bit concerned that I’m not going to have enough clear-head-space time to develop this trial lecture well. I think I need to go to sleep now and hope my brain is a bit more normal tomorrow.

With blessings in spite of my thick head,

Beth

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