Lars-Göran is currently at a board meeting for the association that runs our apartment block. They usually discuss finances, repairs and any other planning or maintenance that is needed. I am keen to know when the proposed bathroom and kitchen renovations begin, as that will give us a date to work towards regarding when we will launch the boat this spring, as we have no intentions of living in the apartment while all that is going on. So please pray for a warm summer.

We are really lucky in that our association is very well run and the board members are both hard working and friendly towards one another. This is not always the case in Sweden and recently a friend of mine was telling me about an association in her town that made the headlines in their local paper. It should firmly dispel any notions that you may have about the stereo-typed Swedes being cool, unemotional and essentially peace-loving people.

The particular association was one that ran the local pet cemetery. Presumably it was made up of the owners of the pets buried there. You have to understand that Swedes like to have formal associations or föreningar so that everyone gets a say in a very democratic way and knows where they stand. All very civilised.

So, apparently they all got together for an AGM the other day to discuss something vitally important. Exactly what that was, nobody is saying, even though there was a riot at the meeting and the cops were called. When the police arrived at the scene, no-one would disclose what it was about on the grounds that it was "private association business." This, despite the report that people were being shoved and a lady had been "beaten to the ground".

What made me laugh was that the main perpetrators in this affair were two women, aged 50 and 70! No arrests were made, but there was apparently discussion by some members that "certain" dogs should now be disinterred from their last resting place and that they and their owners should go elsewhere.

Sheesh! People can be so strange.

I got a very funny request in the mail today. I really laughed for a long time over this one. I have been contacted to see if I would write an article for an Adelaide weekend newspaper about Sweden. I have spoken on the phone to my contact and submitted an article that is being edited at the moment.

Today came a suggestion that I might also like to write an additional piece about a quirky Swedish institution like the wonderful systembaguette thingy. Systembaguette???? It took me a little while to realise that what she was referring to was the alcohol monopoly shops Systembolaget - a very dour and sensible name for a booze chain. "The System Company". Whatever that is supposed to mean. I think I prefer the Finnish name for their monopoly - Alko.

So once I stopped laughing I got to work and started to think about our dear "systembaguette thingy". I'll never be able to keep a straight face in there again.