I wasn’t prepared when they called me in first time! I was guided to the room by a very stressed guy. The first thing I saw when I entered the studio was my pen sketch picture projected on a wall. Cool! I had brought a pen sketch with me to the studio. They wanted me to lineart it with ink during the show a little later on Anyways, I had to tip toe after this stressed guy to not disturb the ongoing recording. He placed me by a high table, told me to stand on the “X”-mark on the floor and not move. I glanced over to the sofa corner, the hallmark of this show, and noticed that the recording was going on over there. I was surprised of how the studio looked like. The sofa corner used to look very warm and comfy on the TV-screen. But it looks totally different in the studio. It is built on a stage, placed at the end of a big dark stockroom-like room. The whole place was dark except on the spot where the stage is. A little now and then I could see three silent dark camera men sweeping around the stage. They looked kinda spooky…

I tried to whisper to the stressed guy who showed me the way in. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and what they wanted me to do. But he quickly moved away from me and suddenly I saw how the hostess Kristin Kaspersen was moving towards me with the shadowy cameramen! And then, just like when I do my mental practice, everything went black! I felt like I was hit by a stun gun when the hostess asked me a simple question. It was such an simple question I could have answered it if you woke me up in the middle of the night! Luckily Kristin, a famous Swedish TV celebrity I didn’t know of right then, was very professional and saved me a couple of times when I was losing it. THACK YOU KRISTIN!!! ;w;

hurried back to the coffee room as soon as I was allowed to. When I got back I felt how I transformed back to myself again! Cameras! They twisted my mind and made me acting strangely! Curse on them! Kajfa tried to calm me down and thought everything was very amusing. Soon all the guests who were going to talk about Asian culture were called in. I was very happy that they offered Kajfa to hang around in the studio! Just knowing he’s there close to me made me calmer.

From the left: Me, future researcher Magnus Kempe, writer Carin Balfe Arbman, editor of Manga Mania Johan Cedmar Brandstedt and Kristin Kaspersen.

was less nervous when so many of us were sitting there together on the sofa corner. My main task was to finish inking the pen sketch they asked me to draw. Even if it looked as if I took my time while drawing I was actually very rushed! I tried to do the lines as fast as I could while keeping precision (it wasn’t easy!). I’m not used to draw on such a big canvas. I focused so hard I didn’t notice my feet didn’t touch the ground… I could only vaguely hear what the other guests said, it felt like I was under water trying to hear a conversation over the water surface. I just got to put the lid back on my pen when Kristin asked me to show my picture to the cameras! I finished just in time with the most important lines to make it presentable. Phew! Kristin asked me some questions about the picture and this time I was more prepared! XD I thought I smiled when I was talking, but now when I’ve watched the show myself I noticed I didn’t smile much at all. O___O;;

Hostess Kristin was very nice on the TV sofa. But she’s even nicer when the cameras are off! She gladly talked to us and was fascinated over the manga phenomenon. Apparently her son reads a lot of manga. When we all got to the coffee room she asked me if I could give the inked picture to her so she could give it to her son. She thought her son would think she’s a cool mother then. In my opinion I think she’s already a very impressive mother. Kajfa told me Kristin is a very skilled journalist and tv hostess. She has been hostess for some big Swedish shows and she’s also daughter of a famous Swedish actress! Lucky me I didn’t knew all this at the beginning of the show, I think my black out would have been worse then. I was very flattered she wanted to have my drawing. I hope her son Filip likes it.

Kajfa, who had his eyes more alerted than me (as usual) noticed soccerAnna! Anna Pohjanen was one of the Swedish national television soccer commentator this world cup. She was appearently also one of the guests at the show that day. We took our chance and took a picture with her.