The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round

After one has been travelling on any form of transport for a while, one notices the "regulars" that enjoy(!) commuting. I am starting to notice this as I bounce around on the Number 25 bus to and from work every weekday. Because it's half-past silly in the morning -- and because we're Swedish -- most people keep to themselves, quiet as can be with a slightly distant look on their face. However, some people stand out more than others because of certain foibles or mannerisms they have.

Every now and then, I'll return to details any new characters I chance upon; however, there are three (or, technically, four) that I have noticed.

Mr. Blind-as-a-Bat. Even though he wears glasses, he takes them off and holds his Metro about 5 centimeters from his face, squinting like Mr. Magoo and taking ages to read any one article. He usually gets on at my stop but doesn't stand up until the bus has stopped - presumably because he can't see the number until it's right in front of him.

The Turk. This guy plays his music a little too loud, so you hear the high frequencies of ethnic Turkish music coming from his iPod. I have no idea what he looks like; I only know that he sits towards the back of the bus on the left-hand side. If one sits within 5 rows of him - which I have done on numerous occasions - one can hear that annoying tinny sound of someone who's listening just a little too loud. Not that I have anything against Turkish music per se, but it kind of loses something when you have to listen to it second-hand.

Miss Bullhorn and Miss Tired. These couple of giddy girls get on the bus before me, but I know when they are there (along with just about everyone else on the bus). Miss Bullhorn, obviously, talks at her friend in a loud voice, usually about telephone conversations she's had the night before. She has a bad case of the guztuhs (see below). "Hon säga till mej, 'blah blah blah', och så säga jag till henne, 'blah blah blah'..." is the usual thing you hear (with actual "blah"s in there); at the same time, her friend is saying "'A... [yawn]... 'a... [yawn]... 'a... [yawn]" ('a is Swedish for "yeah", it's a shortcut for ja), she's either bored out of her skull or she's been partying too hard the night before. My guess is the latter.

So, three examples of people on the Number 25 bus. Feel free to share your regulars in the comments below.

*guztuh is a word from the Midlands (especially Leicester). It's short for "goes to", which actually means "says to". Can also be just guz = goes = says. For instance, a Leicester person would say:

"She guztuh me, she guz 'Eh up Shaz, are ya gooin down pub tonight?" And I guztuh 'er, I guz 'Nah, I ain't got no moneh'."

"She asked me, 'Pardon me Sharon, are you frequenting the public house tonight?' And I replied to her, 'No, I seem to have a lack of funds.'

Even if it should be in the past tense, it's still used in the present.

Back to Work

Linda and I have just enjoyed four weeks' vacation from work. It's not unusual for Swedes to take this many weeks off, unlike the UK where most people would take a maximum of two weeks off, maybe three, in one go. Anyway, most of the time we were fixing the new house up; finishing off painting, going to the Swedish Place of Worship (IKEA) for more furniture and so on. We also enjoyed visitors coming over for a barbecue, and we went to Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen for a short stay. It's a beautiful city actually, well worth a visit. If you are a Facebook friend of Linda's, then you can view some photos here that she took. Otherwise, click here to see my copy on a web album.

We decided to take the time off now to avoid conflicts with work calendars. There is a phenomenon every year where the Svenssons take a long (four-ish week) vacation toward the end of July, and effectively Sverige AB (Sweden Ltd.) closes down. Lots of small shops, restaurants, cafés and indeed, sections of the government itself, go on hiatus for the vacation duration. Läppstiftet, the skyscraper in which I work, is like a ghost building; hardly anyone is around and the café and restaurant on the ground floor is closed for business.

There is a similar thing in England where most Brits go on holiday at the end of July, but it just seems so much more noticeable over here.

Also, this summer season is when lots of roadworks are performed. A great idea in principle, but I think Sweden has forgotten the hoards of tourists they get! Sweden is a lovely country to visit, but because of the Jante Law (of which I will comment on in another blog entry one day), your typical Swede won't admit to it. So, they close roads off and suspend some tram and bus services, leaving Mr and Mrs Tourist scratching their heads, wondering where the tram is (according to their tourist map) and wondering what the strange Swedish sign says on the platform.

Yes folks, Sweden can be a quirky place. Wouldn't change it for the world though.

Newsflash: Concentric Circles Eminating from Glowing Red Dot

Just read this startling news from The Onion's video network:


Breaking News: Series Of Concentric Circles Emanating From Glowing Red Dot

Waste-to-Hip Ratio Extreme!

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Originally uploaded by bdaywans

There I was, surfing teh interwebs as one does, and I found this peach on Flickr.

It took me several minutes to return to planet Earth.