For most of my life, I’ve been fascinated by Sweden. It started with ABBA, of course. Then I discovered their approach to how society should operate matches with my mine. Then I visited and discovered the beauty of the place, and the awesome people. Music, literature, film.
“You speak very good Swedish”, the bloke behind the counter said to me, as I purchased 200 grams of mixed “godis”. Godis is the Swedish word for “sweets”, though the word sweets often don’t apply to Swedish confectionery.
“That’s too bitter for me”, someone nearby said, after tasting the licorice. In contrast, I’m a huge fan of licorice (always have been), and I’m not a great fan of “sweet sweets”; I like the Swedish approach to confectionery.… Read the rest “Svensk Godis”
I had studied French in high school, ahead of settling on German. I don’t recall the reasons why, but I ended up studying German to HSC level. For the final two years, our school couldn’t justify enough students for a class and so we studied via the Correspondence School.
My fellow student (and friend to this day) hated the experience (and so did I).… Read the rest “Learning Languages”
At first I thought it might have been an LGBTQIA+ rally. On the stage in the nearby park, they had just rehearsed “We Are Family” (by Sister Sledge), and then it was “What’s Going On?” (by Four Non-Blondes). Respectively, they are anthems you might normally associate with gays and lesbians. As I got closer, I spotted the word “family”, further reenforcing my thoughts that it might have been a “rainbow family” event.… Read the rest “Weekend”