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Observing Sweden - Driver's Test

There are also math questions. Not easy if you’re unfamiliar with the metric system.

Somerset Maugham - Exerpt

Somerset Maugham

Taken from: The Razor’s Edge -Published 1943

Do you remember how Jesus was led into the wilderness and fasted forty days? The when he was a-hungered, the devil came to him and said: If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But Jesus resisted the temptation. Then the devil set him upon a pinnacle of the temple and said to him: If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down, for angels had charge of him and would bear him up. But again Jesus resisted. Then the devil took him into a high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and said that he would give them to him if he would fall down and worship him. But Jesus said: Get the hence, Satan.

That’s the end of the story according to the good simple Matthew. But it wasn’t. The evil was sly and came to Jesus once more and said: If thou will accept shame and disgrace, scourging and a crown of thorns, and death on the cross thou shall save the human race, for greater love hat no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus fell. The devil laughed till his sides ached, for he knew the evil men would commit in the name of their redeemer.

An Unhappy Medium

 

Take a trip to Brazil
I’m sure that you will
enjoy it.
Only 99 cents
Such exciting events
you’ll share.

So just listen to this
  Almost free as a kiss
today. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG6g5CkyWAo

 

 

Available at Amazon.com – You Could Do Worse

Charles Bukowski - Thoughts on jobs.

 

the great escape
by Charles Bukowski

listen, he said, you ever seen a bunch of crabs in a
bucket?
no, I told him.
well, what happens is that now and then one crab
will climb up on top of the others
and begin to climb toward the top of the bucket,
then, just as he’s about to escape
another crab grabs him and pulls him back
down.
really? I asked.
really, he said, and this job is just like that, none
of the others want anybody to get out of
here. that’s just the way it is
in the postal service!
I believe you, I said.
just then the supervisor walked up and said,
you fellows were talking.
there is no talking allowed on this
job.
I had been there for eleven and one-half
years.
I got up off my stool and climbed right up the
supervisor
and then I reached up and pulled myself right
out of there.
it was so easy it was unbelievable.
but none of the others followed me.
and after that, whenever I had crab legs
I thought about that place.
I must have thought about that place
maybe 5 or 6 times
before I switched to lobster.

“the great escape” by Charles Bukowski from: Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way. © Ecco Press, 2004.  From Writer’s Almanac – Reprinted with permission.

Observing Sweden 4 May 2015

Swedish For Immigrants

SFI Update 4 May 2015

Last Look At Class B

I have graduated from Class B, but failed to make it to Class C. There was no way. My written test scores were okay, averaging around 80%, but talking the talk . . . not so good. I have been shunted in to Class X, which feels about right. No written tests here, more emphasis on talking. Class meets from 9 to 12, an hour less than before, and only 3 days a week – also an improvement. As always, I have interesting classmates. Two from Vietnam, two from Thailand, three from Syria, and one from Eritrea. Don’t know what has brought the Eritreans here. The rest of the class are from Somalia.

So anyway, I am back in the linguistic saddle again, and to make things more interesting I am now studying for the Swedish driver’s test. My U.S. license is no longer good here. The Swedish test is beyond belief. Must be around 600 possible questions – including questions about the environment, morality, and what to do if someone is injured, or if you run into a moose. 200 of the possible questions have to do with road signs, some of which are obvious, others, not so much.

 

Deaf People Crossing

 A total of 70 questions will be asked on the test. One can request the questions to be asked in English, thank god, and there are study books in English. Unfortunately the texts have been translated by someone living in England where they really don’t know how to speak English. House trailers are called caravans, trucks are lorries, and one pips the horn. There are also interesting typos. “One must break in time to keep from driving the car in front.”

The tests are on computers, of course. One must score 63 out of 70. After passing the computer test there is a driver’s test, part of which is on some kind of slippery surface to see what you do when the care starts to slide. Then there are roundabouts, my greatest fear here, but I prefer them to electric signals.

How Swedes drive – From Wikitravel

Swedes are driving pretty calm compared to other countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece. On the motorways there’s not much respect for the speed limits and people will always try to overtake you.

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