Tongue Twisters

The inability of some nationalities to utter certain sounds inherent in languages other than their own has often provided cause for hilarity. Like a Thai pilot saying ‘This is flight xxx calling Kalachi …’ when preparing for landing in the Pakistani city, or a Japanese pilot saying ‘This is fright xxx calling Rondon …’ before landing at Heathrow.

So tourists and newcomers to this Land of Vikings, be prepared for your moments of amusement and puzzlement!

Do not say no to a yin and tonic or a glass of orange yuice … or a fried egg sunny side up with the jolk all runny and jellow ... they’re all quite drinkable and edible, you know.

And all you Yapanese tourists, hang on to your jens … there’s plenty to buy, but watch out for the yunk.

Yokes aside, enyoy your stay!

And greetings from my pet cricket, Yumping Yiminy, as well.

Bad Times and Cat Food

Perhaps all is not quite gloom and doom. With economies tumbling all over the world, you would expect to see a different emphasis on food ads. But lo and behold, what did I see in the dailies the other day but a big ad about lobsters being the week’s key offering from an average supermarket in an average middle-income suburb. Comfort food?

Just goes to show, people are not tightening their belts where their culinary preferences are concerned. Perhaps that kitchen renovation has been put on hold, or that planned Christmas trip to Aruba is off the agenda ... but to live on a diet to match the economy … oh no!

Restaurant owners must be wondering ‘Will these bad times take their toll on the julbord (traditional Swedish Christmas smorgasbord, generally a seasonal treat from employer to employee)’. Judging by all the restaurant ads, the prices are still as exorbitant as in all previous years, so my guess is business will still be good.

Even our pets are not tightening their belts yet. A recent survey by a TV-program designed to draw attention to the quality of school lunches, discovered that cat food contains more nourishment than the average school lunch served to our kids. So now I know why the neighbours’ cat always has a smile on its chubby face and why little Tommy down the lane always has a lean and hungry look on his.