Nearly time to head home!

I finished my last in person exam/class thing today! I realized it was the only written test I took all semester which is a bit unusual. Unfortunately the semesters here don’t officially end until like January 19th, so I’ll still have a bit of work to do after I get home. But anyway, now I can focus on just how I’m going to fit all my things back into two suitcases and getting to the airport on time on Monday.

This past Monday I gave another riveting presentation in my Africa class, but this time it was on a topic that I found somewhat interesting: recent economic developments in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was interesting mainly due to the fact that the recent past is the only time period for which we have somewhat reasonable data. Everything we did before seemed like it was all made up, which it probably was. That class has definitely been a learning experience as it’s something completely opposite from what I’m used to, so I’m glad I made it through. All I have left is to write a paper when I get home.

I’ve tried playing piano twice in the last week and it went well both times! It was really quite scary to not know how my hand would be after I lost the battle with a glass but it is almost fully healed without much complication at all so I think I was very lucky. On Tuesday I turned in the keys to where I’ve been practicing all semester. It was a really great arrangement and I probably would have gone crazy if I hadn’t had something like it!

Tomorrow I’ll be trying another Swedish julbord (Christmas dinner) but this time a little fancier than the IKEA version! It’s at the Grand Hotel which is a pretty nice hotel in town here. On Saturday night, there is a free concert of Handel’s Messiah in the Cathedral! If my Swedish is correct I don’t think they’re doing the entire thing which is fine by me…it should be pretty cool to hear it in that space though. Then on Sunday, another free concert this time of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (hopefully a cut version too). All a good way to finish off my last few days here in Sweden!

And on Monday – the big jet back across the pond! If you want to track my flight, look here.