Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The smell of money.

Funny how, without warning, something will take me back to the U.S., and make me...sentimental. Yesterday I needed to get some U.S. money from a currency exchange. (By the way, the exchange rate right now is an incredible $1 = 8.6 SEK=.94 Euro !!) The U.S. dollar is not made of paper, but rather is composed of 75% cotton and 25% linen, and has a distinct scent.  I do not know of what materials other currency are composed.  I read that Euros are made of cellulose and Australian, Canadian, and other countries have switched to polymer. Maybe the U.S. will switch someday too.  But in the meantime, I do, in a literal sense, love the smell of U.S. money.  : )


U.S., Norwegian, Czech, and Swiss bills

Two other notes regarding money.  Some friends were surprised to know that even if the look of U.S. currency changes, no U.S. money ever retires and becomes valueless.  I remember speaking to a Pakistani man who assumed that U.S. currency would have a picture of Obama on it.  

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

What News?

Below are some of the Headlines/ bylines from The Local, an English language newspaper.  The Local is also available in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland.  

http://www.thelocal.se/

'Segregation in Sweden will continue to rise'
Botkyrka outside Stockholm is one of the most segregated areas in Sweden. Photo: Maja Suslin/SCANPIX

'Segregation in Sweden will continue to rise'

Segregation between ethnic Swedes and people from foreign backgrounds has gone up in the past two decades in some of the biggest towns in Sweden, according to the Dagens Nyheter daily. READ  
    Emmylou Harris and Evelyn Glennie win Polar Music Prize
    Left, Emmylou Harris, Photo: Veronique Roland. Right, Evelyn Glennie, Photo: Jim Callaghan

    Emmylou Harris and Evelyn Glennie win Polar Music Prize

    American singer Emmylou Harris and Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie have been announced as the winners of the Polar Music Prize 2015. READ  
      Swedish activists push for gender neutral toilets
      Activists want gender neutral toilets in Sweden. Photo: Shutterstock

      Swedish activists push for gender neutral toilets

      No more “I'll just pop to the ladies'”, or “have you seen the queue over at the gents'?” Transgender activists have been covering public toilet signs with stickers as part of a campaign to make toilets in Sweden gender neutral. READ  



      Sony to slash 1,000 jobs in southern Sweden
      Staff arrive at a Sony Mobile meeting in Malmö on Monday morning. Photo: Ola Torkelsson/TT

      Sony to slash 1,000 jobs in southern Sweden

      UPDATED: Sony Mobile has confirmed it is cutting 1,000 jobs at its facility in Lund in southern Sweden. READ  
        Ukraine crisis
        Russia blames Sweden for Ukraine crisis
        Sweden's foreign minister, Margot Wallström met Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, in Kiev in November last year. Photo: Gustav Sjöholm/TT

        Russia blames Sweden for Ukraine crisis

        Russia’s embassy in Sweden has pointed the finger of blame at its host country for causing Ukraine's woes, in a furious response to comments made about the crisis by Foreign Minister Margot Wallström. READ  
          Norwegian pilots' strike 'nearing resolution'
          Norwegian's flights in Scandinavia have been cancelled since Wednesday. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

          Norwegian pilots' strike 'nearing resolution'

          A ten-day pilots' strike which has seen nearly all of budget airline Norwegian's Scandinavian flights grounded since Wednesday could be one step closer to a resolution, reported Norway's newspaper Verdens Gang on Monday. READ  
            Swedish police quiz two in triple murder case
            Police investigate after three people were found dead in Uddevalla, Sweden. Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT

            Swedish police quiz two in triple murder case

            Two brothers were being held by police on Monday over a triple murder in the town of Uddevalla in western Sweden on Saturday. READ  
              Shut-down escalators get back in action in capital
              Travellers have been forced to walk up and down the escalator steps at Östermalmstorg. Photo: Yvonne Åsell/SvD/TT

              Shut-down escalators get back in action in capital

              Commuters in Stockholm have welcomed the return to action of three escalators in the capital's underground system, bringing to a partial end a three-week escalator shutdown prompted by a serious accident. READ 
                Sides remain locked in Sweden pilot strike
                Photo: TT

                Sides remain locked in Sweden pilot strike

                The pilot strike affecting flights operated by Norwegian continued on Sunday with 20,000 passengers set to be hit as the conflict entered its ninth day. READ  
                  Bomb threat targets Swedish newspaper
                  Photo: TT

                  Bomb threat targets Swedish newspaper

                  The offices of a Swedish local newspaper were evacuated on Saturday evening following an anonymous bomb threat. READ  
                    Swedish police hunt two in triple murder case
                    Photo: TT

                    Swedish police hunt two in triple murder case

                    Swedish police are seeking to come into contact with two people on a moped seen leaving the scene of a suspected triple murder in Uddevalla in western Sweden on Saturday. READ  
                    And so it goes....