Day 6

Although the jet lag has nearly faded away, I still appreciated a bit of a "lie in" this morning before Malin drove me to school. I worked for awhile in Lena's office, then had lunch with some of the students in the cafeteria. We took our time, then walked to the Aula (hall - like our auditorium) to see the election debates. Since there is a major election that's going to take place on Sunday, the television, radio, and newspapers can talk of nothing else.

The political parties here are very different than our own. "Right" and "left" are reversed in terms of liberal and conservative, and in actuality there are no "conservative" parties at all. They go from what we would consider middle-left to waaaaay left. They also don't elect particular people for positions. What they do is vote for their favorite party (there are about 7,) and the majority party then decides who they will install into the positions available. They choose from a list of their favorites, and you can, if you wish, check a box suggesting that a particular person be moved up or down on the list. It's an interesting system. So today the students watched as local politicians debated the merits of their respective parties. I, of course, understood none of it, but Niklaus sat next to me and tried to whisper the important points. It was great to just pick out the words I know, and look some others up in my Swedish/English dictionary app.

A little more work and it was time to go home. Then Viktoria arrived to take me home with her for dinner. Since we were a little early, she drove me around Äspered a little which is a beautiful small town with lots of trees and a big lake just outside Borås. There is a nice little resort right on the lake with green lawns, barbecues, etc. that is owned by the government and can be rented out for events and such. The buildings can sleep maybe 50 people. Wouldn't it be fun if all my family and friends could come some summer and hang out at the Swedish lake for a week? A girl can dream :)

Viktoria's family was so lovely, as was their home. It was a place you walk into and immediately feel comfortable. Like many homes I have been in here, it is on several levels, so is roomy. I loved that Vilma, Viktoria's 9-year-old sister, allowed me to see her room, and even to take her picture in it.

Dinner was pork in mushroom sauce over rice, salad, red currant jelly (made by Viktoria's mom,) and olives. Then there was red currant crumble with vanilla sauce for dessert - yum! The whole meal was really delicious. And while we ate we talked of what each of us does; work, s. Vilma brought me her Engelska workbook, and we practiced together. She also showed me how to make a boat/chicken out of our napkins - Swedish origami :)

On the way home, Viktoria tried valiantly to teach me to say the sju sound. I think I almost have it. You wouldn't think a single syllable could be so difficult, but when I make them think about it, they admit that there are actually three distinct sounds in that one syllable. It's all about where you put your tongue and how you form your lips as you force the air from the back of your throat to the front. Do we have sounds like that? Not that I can think of.

In bed by 10 and asleep by midnight. Alarm set for 6 am. God natt.