More Sweden and Denmark

They have only one child, it seems, but they take that one everywhere in all weather.  I did not once see a family with a third child.Somehow none of them is ever pregnant. Though with the drapey, dark clothing it is admittedly a lot easier to disguise. The children are remarkably well-behaved, even when you see them in large day care groups walking two-by-two with their teachers.

Considering the dressing in all black, when something is that consistent in a culture I have to think it is not only expressing what they are trying to be, but what they are trying not to be as well. There seems to be a widespread horror of being flashy, of standing out. There was some splashy red at the Christmas markets, especially in Denmark as it is one of the colors in the flag, but it seemed confined to costumes and decorations. The Swedes didn't even have much blue and yellow out there unless it was clearly meant to be suggestive of the flag or on some humorous character like a troll.

Lots of English words penetrate their conversation even with each other. Sure. Absolutely. I just... mothers tell their children to stop. The singsongy Swedish Chef voice is more common among older men. In the restaurants in the cities at any rate, one sees couples much as one would here, and groups of women together. Yet I think it is more common to see groups of older men together, dressed well but not in business suits, just sitting and talking affably, with their slightly unkempt hair and glasses of light beer. I looked on it a bit enviously, as if they have found something easy in society which we find more difficult.