A Great Welcome

A week has passed in a blink of an eye because it was a lively week and I enjoyed it every second. I never thought being in a new environment could be this pleasant. Yes, I moved to Stockholm on 21 August 2017. In 4 years, I will work for KTH Royal Institute of Technology, in Material Science Engineering Department. If you wonder how my transition could be that smooth, then this is it. 

When I arrived at Arlanda Airport, Sweden, there was an arrival service from the university. So, I didn't find any difficulties to get to the campus from airport. Besides, my accommodation is on the campus. Lucky me! The only exception on that perfect day was my broken suitcase. I lost its wheel, so I could't properly drag it. It left me the pain arms. Alright, let's not bring down the mood. I went to Tax Office on that day to get registered since I would be employed. Tax Office is Skatteverket in Swedish. Wait a minute, you didn't feel tired, exhausted, or jet lag? Nope. I rarely have those kind of feelings. I was as bouncy as usual. It may be strange, but it is me (lol). I even went to a supermarket with my friend, Dimitri, for buying groceries. Well, Dimitri and I graduated from the same university, the University of Leeds in UK. No wonder if we already know each other. The world is not that big, isn't it?!

A photo taken for my dad.
He wants me to take a selfie in front of a building which has 'KTH' on it. 

Second day, I met my supervisor, Weihong Yang. I thought it would be like a formal meeting. Yet after we had a small talk, he offered me a drink while showing me the way to the office kitchen. Unfortunately, there was no clean cup. I told him that I was fine since I brought my own water bottle. Out of the blue, Weihong cleaned a cup and gave it to me. I was silent frozen. Indeed, it blew my mind. How a supervisor, literally my boss, could be this humble and unselfish. I will esteem this very moment. 

Later on, Weihong introduced me to Panos and Henry since we are in the same research group. Since I am a newcomer, I didn't expect open arms because I believe it needs time to get along well. However, Panos put lots of effort to help me getting settled with my working desk. He set up my computer as well as assisted me to get an access card and a key to the office and laboratory. It was true that Weihong asked him to aid me, but I could see the pure kindness in his actions. Still on the same day, when it came for a lunch break, Panos and Henry intentionally accompanied me. Actually  I didn't ask them, moreover they brought their own lunch box, but they wanted to show me the nearest student cafe. What a favor!

The next day, I met my other supervisor, Pär Jönsson. Have you ever feel there is a change in atmosphere when a charismatic person talking? That was exactly what I felt when Pär greeted me and lie the groundwork. Not to mention his appearances regardless his age. He is tall and has beautiful blue eyes. Honestly, I caught my breath when I saw him. Alright, back to the topic. Where were we? Ah, yes, Pär said that autocratic is not the way people work in Sweden. The most important thing is I know what I do and in research, it means I should have a good literature review and laboratory work to support my findings. It sounds fair and interesting to me. Man, this is gonna be awesome!

Finally, the last day of the week had surprise me the most. When I came to my office, I found a pot plant on my working desk. What's exactly happening here? I was not sure myself, yet truly, it made my day. It soothed my inner self. Later, Weihong and Panos told me that the plant is a welcoming gift from KTH. Hopefully I could take care of the plant well since I treasure it. I wonder if I could munch it. It looks crunchy (lol). It was a joke.

A pot plant on my working desk.

There were lots of pleasant surprises, weren't they?! I feel that the world was trying to cheer me up and made up with me. Yet I won't be carried away. A new exciting way just begin.

My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life. 

(Psalm 23, NLT - author's modify)