Les Hannah, day 54, part final

This morning was travel time. Headed to the English Teachers’ Conference in Middelfart. I decided to walk to the train station; it’s only about thirty minutes, but it was cold and sprinkling slightly. Two colleagues were also doing to the same conference: Metta and Ulla. Turns out Maj was also on the same train, but not headed to the conference; she was headed to Copenhagen.

Once we arrived at the destination and made our way to the conference hotel, we got checked in at the conference and found the coffee. Once that mission was accomplished it was time to meet and greet. I was introduced around to several people and held brief conversations before the start of the conference. Now I have to admit this was perhaps the most unique English Teachers’ conference I have ever attended. Though it was an English teachers’ conference it was almost all in Danish. In fact I was the only presenter to speak in English, but I had to remember that English is a foreign language here. Still, it was interesting to be at an English Teachers’ conference and have the content delivered in a language other than English. Obviously I was not able to follow much of the presentations, but that is not an indictment of the conference, merely a mention of my Danish language deficiencies.

Then came my turn in the mid-afternoon, time to deliver the full version of Indigenous Peoples in a Globalized World. I think it was received well; there were lots of questions and a great deal of interaction between the audience and myself. I really enjoy that type of exchange, where the audience gets caught up in the presentation and asks driving questions. This was a great audience. They must have enjoyed my presentation because I had tons of questions following its conclusion, and even out in the hallway and afterwards at dinner. Some representatives of a school south and west slightly of Copenhagen talked with me about visiting their school before I return to the US. There is only one possible time that may happen and that is the last Monday I am in Denmark. We discussed the preliminary details at dinner and worked out a potential schedule. Of course this is all pending approval of the proper administration at the school. So if approved I may have yet another speaking event added to my schedule; additionally, there was talk of a short trip into Sweden with this group. Wait and see I suppose.

Following dinner – here I am just going to stop talking about the food; by now you know what I think of Danish food, and this meal was no different – I returned to the train station and boarded a west bound night express to Esbjerg. By the time I got back to Esbjerg, and then walked to the flat it was nearly midnight. Pretty much straight to bed for me as I had to get up early once again in the morning to board yet another train to Aarhus. There is a university there I am to visit.