Comments on: Everybody’s Waiting for the Man with the Bag. http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/ Deplorable solipsism? The new face of literature? Or merely a clever procrastination device... Mon, 21 May 2012 20:34:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Shit Out of Log. http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-472330 Shit Out of Log. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:54:00 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-472330 [...] in Switzerland means only one thing: everyone’s favorite sack-toting, child-beating sidekick, Schmutzli. I have happily incorporated this particular aspect of Swiss culture into my own seasonal [...] [...] in Switzerland means only one thing: everyone’s favorite sack-toting, child-beating sidekick, Schmutzli. I have happily incorporated this particular aspect of Swiss culture into my own seasonal [...]

]]> By: If You Squint, It’s Perfect. http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-419060 If You Squint, It’s Perfect. Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:07:52 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-419060 [...] Schmutzli is missing. We’re pretty sure he’s somewhere in the apartment, but I’d keep a close watch over your children all the same. It would be a shame to lose one so close to the [...] [...] Schmutzli is missing. We’re pretty sure he’s somewhere in the apartment, but I’d keep a close watch over your children all the same. It would be a shame to lose one so close to the [...]

]]> By: Amanda http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-171077 Amanda Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:36:41 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-171077 Hoping you had a happy new year! Hoping you had a happy new year!

]]> By: Nancy http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-170144 Nancy Mon, 31 Dec 2007 04:01:36 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-170144 You've been quiet....is everything ok? You’ve been quiet….is everything ok?

]]> By: kate http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-168565 kate Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:21:04 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-168565 A fifth (sixth, whatever) for the David Sedaris story. My husband is German, but grew up about 6 kilometers from the border to the Netherlands, and also taught Dutch while finishing his PhD. According to him, the "Schwartz Pete" thing is absolutely true. Sinterklaus comes on Dec. 5th (or 6th, depending on where you live), and brings with him 6-8 black men, though one of them is the "head Pete". I'm sorry to say, but the brown beard, brown clothes, etc., is really just the modern day version of the "blackface" of olden times. It's not used to make the Schmutzie look dirty, but rather to make him look African, since there are, uh, well... not a lot of black people in Switzerland (and even if there were, I doubt you would find one willing to take on this particular role), and I'm wagering that similar to the Dutch and the Germans, Schmutzie, frankly, come from Christmas tales of Sinterklaus and his "helper" (an improvement over past titles of "santa's servant" and "santa's slave"). Anyway, yes. We've always thought that would be a lovely tale to pass along to our children. "If you don't act nicely, Santa and his posse may snatch you, beat you, and stuff you in a bag to take back to Spain... so BE GOOD, BWAHAHAHAHA!" A fifth (sixth, whatever) for the David Sedaris story. My husband is German, but grew up about 6 kilometers from the border to the Netherlands, and also taught Dutch while finishing his PhD. According to him, the “Schwartz Pete” thing is absolutely true. Sinterklaus comes on Dec. 5th (or 6th, depending on where you live), and brings with him 6-8 black men, though one of them is the “head Pete”. I’m sorry to say, but the brown beard, brown clothes, etc., is really just the modern day version of the “blackface” of olden times. It’s not used to make the Schmutzie look dirty, but rather to make him look African, since there are, uh, well… not a lot of black people in Switzerland (and even if there were, I doubt you would find one willing to take on this particular role), and I’m wagering that similar to the Dutch and the Germans, Schmutzie, frankly, come from Christmas tales of Sinterklaus and his “helper” (an improvement over past titles of “santa’s servant” and “santa’s slave”).

Anyway, yes. We’ve always thought that would be a lovely tale to pass along to our children. “If you don’t act nicely, Santa and his posse may snatch you, beat you, and stuff you in a bag to take back to Spain… so BE GOOD, BWAHAHAHAHA!”

]]> By: KDA http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-168010 KDA Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:52:41 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-168010 I too endorse David Sedaris' story! I too endorse David Sedaris’ story!

]]> By: MsPrufrock http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-167218 MsPrufrock Mon, 24 Dec 2007 20:49:46 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-167218 What a coincidence, one of my favourite websites just published this article today: http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=168 Hurrah for the odd Christmas customs of Europeans! What a coincidence, one of my favourite websites just published this article today:

http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=168

Hurrah for the odd Christmas customs of Europeans!

]]> By: emily http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-167192 emily Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:16:20 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-167192 And a Merry Christmas to you! And a Merry Christmas to you!

]]> By: Becky http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-166762 Becky Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:13:22 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-166762 Merry Christmas to you, too. I'm always hoping that Schmutzli avoids me. But you never, ever know. But now I can see my husband warning ME against doing naughty stuff (like buying myself gifts when I should be buying them for others.) by threatening Schmutzli on my ass. Merry Christmas to you, too.

I’m always hoping that Schmutzli avoids me. But you never, ever know. But now I can see my husband warning ME against doing naughty stuff (like buying myself gifts when I should be buying them for others.) by threatening Schmutzli on my ass.

]]> By: She Likes Purple http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/comment-page-1/#comment-166517 She Likes Purple Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:08:03 +0000 http://flotsamblog.com/2007/12/21/everybodys-waiting-for-the-man-with-the-bag/#comment-166517 Thanks for that last paragraph. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and aren't and are spending Christmas day with his pregnant sister and two pregnant cousins. Thanks for that last paragraph. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and aren’t and are spending Christmas day with his pregnant sister and two pregnant cousins.

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