Wednesday, April 04, 2007

In the buff

Yesterday I went to a spinning class after work at the company’s gym. Obviously one needs to change into clothes (and shower) before and after the class, which is fine. I like to get in, change clothes, and move on. I also tend to cover myself with a towel when walking to and from the showers. I’m certainly not prude, but I am American. Swedes, on the other hand, seem to be much more comfortable with the naked factor. They walk around the locker room nude, and have long conversations sans undergarments. I mean it’s one thing to talk to your friend while changing clothes, but isn’t it a little bizarr to just stand there, full frontal, without making a move for your clothes, and carry on as if you were in the office? –This being said, my boss (a woman) was in the same spinning class as me yesterday. That’s all fine and dandy, but somehow the idea of seeing my boss without her clothes on (or her seeing me!) makes me a little uncomfortable…

While were on the subject of Swedes, I have another observation. They are obsessed with candy! I mean really! We’re talking the loose candy that you buy by the pound and scoop into a paper sack. It’s Easter weekend and all I hear about it how much candy everyone is going to eat! Although the candy obsession seems to loom on us throughout the year, holidays are the worse. I can’t have a conversation (usually with a woman) without hearing about how big their candy craving is. I know that we eat badly in America, but I’ve never (knowingly) been around adults who are so candy obsessed! Just an observation. In case you’re wondering, the Swedish word for candy is “godis” which is pronounced: “goodies.” It’s definitely the word of the week…

In other news, I picked up my Chinese visa from the Chinese Consulate today! We leave for Beijing in 3 weeks! I looked through my passport and realized that I’ve almost completely filled the pages. This strangely gives me a feeling of accomplishment, like I’ve nearly finished a book. I could order extra pages, but I decided that I’ll just wait until August when we’re back from our honeymoon. I’ll need to get a new passport in my married name anyway.

Happy Easter to all!

No comments: