I forgot to mention that I got back from my trip to Russia at about 7 am Monday, November 12. That day, my schedule showed that two of the four lab sections in one of my classes were to have labs. I missed the first class so I hadn’t been assigned to a lab group. Being the great student that I am (ha ha), I emailed my professor right away to ask him if I should show up to the afternoon lab since the 8 o’clock would have been impossible for me to make (this course is taught in Kista… a campus located about an hour from where I live - depending on luck with the timing of the tunnelbana). I was hoping the professor would not get back to me in time or say I could make up the lab later, but he emailed me back at 11:30 am to say I should attend the afternoon lab at 1pm! I took a quick shower (well, as quick as mine get which is not very quick) and had to hurry over to Kista. I was about five minutes late to meet the professor where he told me to meet him but he was also late, thank goodness! As soon as he saw me, he looked like he just had an epiphany (what can I say, I have that effect on people :) ) and then he frowned (another effect I have on people… hmmm). He told me he forgot that lab was canceled!

At this point, I hadn’t slept in the previous 30 hours and hadn’t had more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep for about four days so I didn’t even care that I hurried so much for nothing… I was just happy lab was canceled and I could do something that requires almost no thinking!

Having a class in Kista is good and bad for one reason: the Galleria… a huge mall with almost everything anyone could ever want to buy! I shopped for a few hours and my only purchase was a sandwich… shopping my style… just looking. :)

I was heading over to a friend’s place who lives in Kista when I got a phone call. A friend of mine lives in the building next to me, on the same floor (4th), and along the same hall so it is possible to see our bedroom doors from each other’s door. She called me and asked if I was in my building (shown in picture above)– I told her no and she said, “Okay, well I don’t want to alarm you but your hall is extremely smokey… I think there might be a fire in your building!” She also told me that a lot of people were standing outside and that she would keep me updated with what happened. So that figures, right!? I mean, why not!?

A couple minutes later my friend, Claire, called me and asked if I was sleeping in my room… ha ha ha… she knows I take naps and have tendencies to sleep through some loud noises. I told her I was not there but appreciated her concern. She said a friend of ours walked past my building and heard that there was a fire in a room on the first floor, the firemen had been called, and they were on their way! It was nice that two other people contacted me to make sure I was okay and to say I could stay with them if need be... when I told my mom this, her reaction was, "Oh, I'm happy you have friends!" - like she never believed me before that I have friends here; thanks, Mur. :P

The fire was put out soon after the firemen appeared and there was no extensive damage done except in the first floor. In fact, the residents of the first floor were sent in to get the bare essentials they needed from their rooms and are still in temporary housing! Unfortunately, my floor still smells like smoke; my room was also pretty bad last week but I washed everything and I think it’s much better now… or I’m just used to it. :) But obviously, it could have been way worse so I consider myself lucky!

On a completely different note, I am taking one course that is taught completely in Swedish and today in lecture, I think I understood about 70% of what the professor was saying! Of course it helps that he had pictures, videos, and used many hand gestures but I’m still happy! That’s actually sort of a funny story too…

I signed up for this course (taught completely in Swedish) because it was the only one where the credits would transfer back to Madison. I saw the fact that it was taught completely in Swedish as a challenge that I could overcome with time and the help of one of the many other native-Swedish speaking persons in the class. So basically, I was thinking the lecture would have at least 50 people and only a few people would have to know I don’t know all that much Swedish.

On the first day of class, 6 people showed up (including me) and I was the only girl! When class started, the professor began by asking each student about their background knowledge of the course material. He came to me last and after he asked me the question, I gave him a blank stare… he understood and just said, “So, you don’t know Swedish… okay.” Then he continued the whole two hour lecture in Swedish! Whoops! Since then, I have been studying a bit and getting a little better; step-by-step, right? So I'm one of six in the class, the only girl, and the only non-Swede!

Very short run-off comment: When I’m trying to formulate Swedish sentences, I can often think of a few Swedish words right off the bat – not even thinking about the English equivalent first. Then I try to fill in the blanks by using the English term and thinking of the Swedish translation. Unfortunately for me, sporadically I just substitute Swedish or English words with Spanish words or phrases! So – my point – I now speak Swanglish! If that isn’t something for my parents to be proud of, I don’t know what is! Ha ha ha ;)

So, I think that concludes the exciting/dramatic events and news in my life recently. Finally, a relatively short entry, huh?! (emphasis on relatively) :)