Christmas concert and potluck

1:30 pm the last rehearsal with Olle's choir before the real Christmas concert began downtown at "Kafé Station". At 3 pm the guests arrived, including Maria and Olle's uncle with wife.
The performance took about 75 minutes, 21 songs including talks in between.
The audience seemed to enjoy it, and the choir too. It is always much more fun to perform in front of an audience than just practicing. Olle had only had about three weeks to practice the different songs (the main part of the choir have performed most of the songs earlier years), but taking that into the account, it went quite good. A couple of songs were harder to sing, during these he leaned back a bit on the more experienced tenors.

Half past six it was time for the annual Christmas potluck for the choir. Most of the members showed up, some of them with their partners. We brought home baked bread. Even though it was a Christmas potluck, there were not that many typical Christmas dishes. Olle had some interesting discussions about choir life with one of the conductors.

Dissertation Dinner

An Australian guy had been pursuing his PhD for six years in the lab.
Today it was time for his dissertation, which he managed with great success during the morning.
In the evening there was a dinner with the title "Wild meats and great southern wines". The title was revealed as kangaroo and moose with roasted potatoes and chanterelle sauce. It was the first time we tried Kangaroo, it reminded us of rabbit/hare.
There was also a wine tasting with three different red wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
During the evening a spex (=amateur comedy theatre) about the life of the PhD student was performed. Maria was one of the actors.
We went back home about 1.45 am, but the party was far from over at that time.

First of Advent

We started yesterday with bringing the Christmas decoration box from the storage. Today we spread them in the apartment. All windows (except the bathroom) have now electrical advent wreaths and three of four rooms also got Christmas curtains, as long as four years ago we used them last time.
Unfortunately, we don't have snow for Advent. With some luck though, we at least have frost on the ground (after two weeks above freezing point). So some wintry feeling you could get at least.

In the afternoon we went to a office friend of Maria, to have mulled wine ("glögg") and cookies. Some Czech cookies on the plate as well, since we have a guest student in the lab right now.
Another way of getting Christmas feeling is to add cinnamon and cardamom to the coffee, at least something for Olle.

A hard work week

This week Maria started to analyze the huge amount of samples on the GC-MS. Since the 350 samples also needed to be modified before analysis, this meant Maria has been sitting pipetting for three hours a day this week - a hard time for her thumb.
Except some adjustments of the instrument during day two, the GC-MS instrument was running for 105 hours in a row starting Tuesday lunch. To be sure the instrument didn't stop working or a samples missed to be injected, a late check in the evening is a advantage. So around 10 pm Maria and Olle (thanks for the company!) biked to work, just to notice everything worked as it should. Saturday evening/night we both were glad the GC-MS run was over - it had been long days and not much of spare time this week (but time for exercise at IKSU in between working hours).
As usual the data analysis will take longer time then the data collecting. So Maria knows what she's doing the next month(s) or so. Doesn't help when you should use new programs and are not familiar with statistical analysis.

Campus Culture

During lunchtime today Maria went to listen to Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, one of the best big bands in the country. They were really good music players and and had a nice guest singer as well.

The fire(wo)man

Also this morning was for early birds, with moving out of the barracks and breakfast before 8 am.
Today's session contained more practical moments, out in the light rain. We had time for several accident scenes, where a few persons acted hurt (often unconscious) and three others were the first persons to arrive at the scene of the accident. What do you do with the hurt persons? Who do you prioritize? The person most severe hurt is usually quiet, while the chocked person without life threatening injuries screams most. Good learning moments to watch when you weren't participating yourself.

Another fun moment before lunch was when the fire engine came to the backyard. We all tried the fire hose, quite fun. Just before lunch time we took a ride with the fire engine. We all felt like excited kids.
After lunch there was time to conclude the course and then the sad good bye. When you finally start to know the others in the group, it's time to go back home to normal life. Of course we had the obligatory group photo in front of a fire engine.



Maria then had over an hour to wait for the small airplane to Stockholm. There she had another two hours before the flight back to Umeå.

(Maria thanks her friends for the photos)

What/How to do in emergency

Next morning arrived early with breakfast back at the fire station already 7.20 am.

Before lunch we focused on First Aid, learning how to handle different wounds.. We carefully went through the L-ABCDE steps: Life threatening situation - airways - breathing - circulation - disability - expose. The theory was mixed up with several practical moments, including how to do CPR ("HLR = hjärt-lung-räddning") and applying bandages. Everything is so different when you have tested to do the moment once before.







After lunch we watched some videos of fires/fire accidents, as well as discussing what to do/not to do. Then we all tested how to use a fire extinguisher on burning petrol. The teacher/fireman seemed to have fun starting fires all the time, of course in a controlled manner.





To the left you see what happen to a small fire when the hairspray bottle get warm - imaging it would be your bathroom (an excuse not to use hairspray :-).

Extinguish one of the three necessary components for a fire - fuel, warmth or oxygen.






The fireman also showed us why not to try put out boiling/burning oil with water - here it was only a small amount of water added to the pot. We all could see the use of a soucepan lid, baking tin or fire blanket instead.



Passing a maze in a smoke-filled room was another practical moment. Just to test how easily you get disoriented when you don't can trust your sight.

After an intensive day with a lot to learn, we had dinner together. The food was Swedish contemporary delivered to the fire station. It tasted really good after being active most of the day.
In the evening a few of us went to a local pub to have a beer. Maria were afterward known as the one with most glasses on the table, due to the three small beer tasting glasses next to the ordinary beer.

(Maria thanks her friends for the photos)

A first look at the fire station

Instead of having lunch Maria took the bus to the airport. Entertaining herself with a nice book she flew to Stockholm. There she just had time to change terminal before the next flight to Halmstad.
She was the first person to arrive to the fire station, where she together with 24 others from "the Swedish Blue Star" will join a two-day course in "risk and safety".
Introduction, a tour inside the fire station and dinner where the plans for the evening.
We then went to our "hotel" for the next two nights - within some military barracks. Bunk beds with six beds in each room and a common bathroom in the corridor. Nothing fancy, but we anyway won't spend much time there (went to bed short after arrival).

Winter equipped bike

Yesterday we bought a studded tire for Maria's bike and today we placed it on the front wheel. A new experience for us to have winter tire also for the bike, but several of Maria's friends praise it. Olle biked all winters in Lkg without any special tires. The winters in northern Sweden are longer though, so Maria feels it might be worth the investment. A comment will come further on...

Winter for a short while

This morning Maria woke up right in time for the sunrise (around 7.30). Not complete cloud cover for once. Relaxing reading time before breakfast.








In the evening there was a mysterious feeling outside, with the city light reflected in the clouds as well as in the snow. Not much darker than during daytime this time of the year.
Unfortunately, the snow may melt tomorrow when it will be normal November rain.

Tourist in Stockholm for a day

Maria's friend had to leave early today, so Maria had the day for herself. She decided to walk to Djurgården and spent a few hours at the Vasa museum (see post below).
The Nordic Museum ("Nordiska museet", established 1873) is dedicated to the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from the Early Modern age (which for purposes of Swedish history is said to begin in 1520) until the contemporary period.

Some hours later Maria walked downtown. Stockholm is a pretty town to walk in, a many nice old buildings next to a lot of water.






On the way she passed the Royal Dramatic Theatre ("Kungl. Dramatiska Teatern"), which recently celebrated 100 years, as well as the Royal Opera ("Kungliga Operan") where the first performance was given already in 1773.








Stockholm City Hall ("Stadshuset", completed 1923) is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet and one of Stockholm's major tourist attractions.
The House of Parliament ("Riksdagshuset") is located on Helgeandsholmen in Stockholm. The building was erected between 1897 and 1905.





The Stockholm Palace ("Stockholms slott") is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. (The private residence of the royal family is Drottningholm Palace). Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen ("city island"), in Gamla Stan (the old town) in the capital, Stockholm. Completed 1760

The impressing Vasa warship

Already on the outside of the Vasa museum you see the height of the warship (52,5 m). In the large ship hall stands the impressing warship Vasa - the only remaining, intact 17th century ship in the world.
To get to know the history you could watch a video, as well as join a guided tour.
In front of you are a more or less intact 69 meter long ship made mainly of oak.



Sunday August 10th was the day of the Vasa's maiden voyage. The Vasa ship set sail and fired a salute. But only after a few minutes of sailing the ship began to heel over. She righted herself slightly - and heeled over again. Water started to gush in through the open gun ports. And the glorious and mighty warship suddenly sank!
A third of the 150 seamen was not found afterward, and the 300 soldiers were planed to go on board later.







The main reason for the Vasa capsizing was that the ballast was not enough (obvious from the cross section model) as counterweight to the 64 heavy guns, the upper hull, masts and sails of the ship .




When the Vasa set sail in 1628 she was one of the mightiest warship in the world. At most it could set 10 sails of a total 1,275 square metres. Around 700 sculptures and ornaments decorate the warship, an art treasure. Most of them relate, in a symbolic way, how the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus wished the world to see him and Sweden. Strong, clear colours, in some places supplemented with gilding, were characteristic of the Vasa’s colouring.
(A 1:10 scale model of the ship shows how it probably looked like on its maiden voyage)


Most impressive is the sculpture -filled stern. Only a few parts are reconstructed and can easily be distinguished by the lighter tree against the blackened oak.









In 1961, the 69 meter long warship Vasa broke the surface of Stockholm´s harbour after 333 years on the sea bottom. The ship was sprayed with the chemical substance polyethylenglycol (PEG) during 17 years. It replaces water in wooden objects to prevent them from shrinking when dried, a way to conserve the tree for the future. Afterward it was slowly dried for another 9 years, and today a special air condition helps to keep all the tree intact.

(info mainly from The Vasa museum website)

The main congress day

Maria woke up earlier than planned and took a stroll in the neighborhood before breakfast. Several nice houses, probably hundred years old.





Next to these 'castles' were newer apartment houses, probably expensive condominiums ("bostadsrätter").

Thereafter the real congress sessions started. Quite intense discussions about the future policy document, now in the whole audience.
Nice two-meal lunch today as well, just hard to keep to the time schedule when so many of us should be served simultaneous.
After lunch there was time to elect a new board of the Union.

When the congress was over for this year, Maria took the metro to the north side of Stockholm. An old friend met her and she spent a nice evening and the night in their apartment.

The Naturvetarna congress

During the spring Maria was elected to be a representative for the Northern district of Sweden at the congress of the union Naturvetarna (Natural Science). Yesterday she took the plane down to Stockholm and a train to Saltsjöbaden. Arranging the travel early in the morning was not possible, so Maria stayed an extra night before the congress started at nine this morning. After registration it was time for a short introduction for all congress beginners, explaining the formal procedures during these two days.
At ten we started with the opening of the congress, followed by a speak given by the secretary of the Ministry of Education and Research. After a two-course lunch including nice views over the neighboring water, discussions in smaller groups filled the afternoon. Our group discussed future directions for the union regarding research and climate. Focus were around how can we improve the general attitude of natural science and get more people interested to teach/study the field.

We had time for a short walk in the neighborhood before we all gathered for the aperitif.
In the evening we were served a nice three-meal course. Our table was a nice mix of people, including a few insisting the dinner needed more songs. Some other seemed to think so too, since after our table (suddenly) sang loud, more songs were heard during the evening. The evening then continued in the bar, were live music entertained us all. Now knowing some more people Maria had a really nice evening. A strange situation though, when both Maria and a guy noticed each others faces, but didn't know where we had met before. Half an hour later the guy remembered that we attended the same German class in high school over 13 years ago.
The dancing/chatting continued until the bar closed, and after that a few of us had some small-talk before going to bed for a few hours of sleep.

New office tables

When two more girls arrived from maternity leave in September, we realized the office was not arranged for four persons in front of computers. Old crappy tables, not strong enough to hang the stationary computers as well as two of the girls hitting each others chair every time they moved a little bit. Not at all an acceptable situation. We argued for new tables to the room and finally these arrived today, after more than a month of delivery time. So now the office feels like a "new" office, with new tables together with the new office chairs we got a month ago. Both nice-looking and more functional.