Backstage at Lund university

So, here I am, on the "other side" of the university. I've been in Lund for almost six years total, and being on the working rather than the studying side of it is different. It's fun, it's interesting, it's making me panic some times (it usually goes "I'm not smart enought for this, what are they thinking?" They being the people who hired me). But it's like seeing everything behind the scenes for the first times. What do the teatchers and professors actually do all day? What do they say about the students? Are they hard workers? Etc.

What's great is that it doesn't seem to be your run of the mill academics here. We're a small departement, one of the smallest in the university actually (and there are a few), so we're kind of in an underdog position, which seems to make people nicer and more down to earth generally. They're not all know-it-alls who only want to make tenure and rise to the top, even if some of them have done those things, of course.

If I could get rid of the panic-thing, I'd be very satisfied with the job so far. And I guess I just have to dive right into it and believe in the fact that I'll learn everything I need to know along the way. Right?

Other than having a new job that takes up most of my time and thinking power, I'll try to report on other stuff going on here too. Me and my BFF from first grade, Hanna, are going to our nations capitol Stockholm next week, to see our favorite band Coldplay. It's no where near as far away as the northern town where Mats is going, but since we're cheap/poor we've decided to take the bus, which makes the trip nine hous long. By train I think it's about five hours. The plan is to take the bus on Wednesday the 17th, at ten p.m. Then we're supposed to sleep, or try to sleep, on the bus. First I was kind of bummed that I wouldn't get to see very much of our beautiful countryside since we'll be travelling in the dark, but then I realized that it's mostly just pine woods anyway, which all looks the same and gets a bit boring after a while.

We'll arrive in the very center of the city at 6.30 a.m., and then, since the hostel doesn't allow check-in until 3 p.m. (what's that all about? It seems to be like that all over the hostels and hotels in Sweden nowadays), we're gonna have to do some sightseen or shopping of whatever until we can go and rest for a few seconds, grab a shower and then head out to where the consert is, which is a bit outside of the real city center. The Globe arena is where they're playing, and I've actually only been outside of it before, so it'll be cool to see the inside too. I guess one could call it a duller, less cool and smaller version of the Madison Square Garden, although the architechture is kinda cool, and kind of the opposite of the American arena. Anyway, the thing is, we really have to leave the hostel quite early to get a decent spot in line for the concert. Since most European arenas and venues, including the Swedish ones, don't have seating in the same way as the American ones, you have to get there early and wait in line to get a good spot in front of the stage. Last time me and Hanna saw Coldplay, in Copenhagen (the Danish capitol which is a bit closer, actuelly a train-ride of about 30 minutes away), we got a real good spot in line. Just a few people in front of us. Problem was, we drank some beers and some wine and really had too pee about two hours before they we're letting people into the arena. There was no place around there to go. No restaurants or anything. Not even a good bush. So we stood quietly (which is very uncommon for us) in line, suffering, while all the other fans we're happy and anticipating greatness. We had to run straight to the bathroom after finally being let into the arena, and thus we missed our spots and had to stand 20 yards from the stage instead of 5 as we had planned. The worst thing about that is the fact that the people who stand that par back (which is still very close of course) are usually not as enthusiastic as you are, making you feel stuping for screaming a lot or dancing or whatever. Squares, that's what they are. This time the concert sold out so fast, they set one more date in Stockholm, the night before, and that's good, since there's a bigger chance that we'll be with a big, more appreciative crowd in stead. And hopefully there is some kind of pizza place or whatever outside, so we can pee.

I'll report back after, and you can hear all about the peein-possibilities of the area around the Globe arena in Stockholm.

Until then, lots'a'luve!

PS: Excuse my bad spelling and language, I'm intellectually beat nowadays.