Mimozë

“Previously, until a few years ago, it was customary for the Norwegian to be born with skis on his feet. But one of the improvements that has been made is that this is no longer the case*. Modern research has revealed, in fact, that this could be very uncomfortable and, to some extent, dangerous to the mother.
*It still happens that the birth takes place with skis on the feet, but now it is most often the mother who has the skis on during the birth.”
― Odd Børretzen, How to Understand and Use a Norwegian: A User's Manual and Troubleshooter's Guide [Illustrated]

“It's a lousy Napoleon cake. The cream should be a pale yellowish white and light, but this one is feverish yellow and sticky. I eat just the top and leave the rest on the plate. I ought to complain, hold the cake up in front of the lady at the counter and say: "This is a cheap imitation, I want my money back." But I have never done that. I have never complained about anything except badly written books and the world situation, and you don't get your money back when little Nepalese girls are sold by their families to brothels in Bangkok, or because the World Bank refuses to waive cruel loans to Uganda. On the contrary. And lousy books; they just look at you and say: "Why don't you write one yourself, then?”
― Per Petterson, In the Wake

“—¿Y ella no tiene frío?
—No, no se acuerda del frío, está como en otro mundo, ensimismada dibujando a la pantera.
—Si está ensimismada no está en otro mundo. Ésa es una contradicción.
—Sí, es cierto, ella está ensimismada, metida en el mundo
que tiene adentro de ella misma, y que apenas si lo está empezando a descubrir.”
― Manuel Puig, Kiss of the Spider Woman

“- But you have to reason it out then and convince yourself.
- Yes, but there are reasons of the heart that reason doesn't encompass.”
― Manuel Puig, Kiss of the Spider Woman