Beds and Bed-Making
I know, I know.  You are thinking, "Why in the world is she writing about bed-making?  How different can bed-making be?"  I would have thought the same thing.  After all, I know how to make a bed.  I am a nurse.  Not only was bed-making part of my education, but as a nurse educator, I have taught others how to make beds.  But, like so many things, this is different here.   Thus this post. 

First of all - the beds themselves are different.

There are not box springs and mattresses.  The top mattress has the feel of condensed cotton batting, similar to a futon.  I thought it was pretty comfortable, but my husband definitely prefers the good ol' American box spring and coil mattress.

 

And now the bed making. 

 

 

 

First of all, there is no fitted sheets to cover the shallow mattress. Swedes use a flat sheet for that.  And that is the only flat sheet used.  That is, Swedes don't use a top sheet!!!  I know!  Also, in a shared bed, each person gets their own quilt.  I don't know why, but there you go.

 

Is this all earth shaking?  Obviously not.  But still, I wouldn't have thought if it.  Thus the post!

 

"Hash", or "Tally" Marks

Several months ago I was in my Swedish language class which was, of course, filled with immigrants. This was truly an international group from all over the globe.  Anyway, some one was drawing a right angle on the board.  I didn't know why, so I asked my Brazilian friend.  She patiently told me that much of the rest of the world does not draw hash / tally marks like we do in the States.  Maybe I should have known that - or at least suspected it - but I never thought about it.

So - I borrow the following from Wiki:

(for more - see Wiki)

 

The weather Friday evening was lovely.  Although still cold, the sky was bright blue, and we were happy to get out and take a walk.  When we got to Gustof Adolf Torget there was a small crowd gathered.  The King and Queen were coming!  And so we waited a few minutes to be a part of the crowd waving.  The royal couple soon arrived accompained by a small handful of security gaurds.  There was a polite, though apparently genuine, applause and a  cheer went up that reminded me of "Hip, hip, horray!", and...OK that was pretty much it.  I didn't see many royals in Ohio, so it was fun.

 

 

And, by the way, they came via a big yellow bus.

 

 

That's it.  ...then we went and got a pizza...