Mrs. Mecomber’s Scrapbook

Renate’s Merilin blog, titled Renate’s Merilinatomy, has got the be one of the funniest and most enjoyable blogs I’ve perused. I was absolutely tickled with the writing style. When I clicked the Renate link at the top, I was greeted with:

In Chinese, the sound ‘Renate’ means ‘bite the wax tadpole’.

LOL! OK, you’ve got my attention! What is a wax tadpole, though, ancient Chinese natural acne treatments?? I read on and was enjoying a high level of entertainment with this:

I’m Renate, and I Google everything. I was born on an autumn day in 1982 in the northern regions of Norway, where the hospital had their flag up, because a princess was born… I’m not your average Norwegian. I’m not tall, not blonde and I definitely do not appreciate a good snow day. You won’t find me whooping with joy as I swoop down the skiing tracks. You might find me at the bottom of said track, drinking cocoa and thinking about how my socks are wet, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Renate also studies history– an obsessive hobby of which I am also addicted. So what have we, between the two of us– we both love geekery, history, and humor. And I am of Norwegian ancestry!

Seriously, this is a fine blog for the more literary readers. There are also VERY FEW pictures. I saw NONE on the first page. It’s all Renate’s writing that the reader must connect with. And she does not disappoint! The style is fun, quirky, everyday, and masterful. Is Norwegian Renate’s first tongue? Because she writes like my English teacher: impeccable. This is a terrific blog for REAL readers.

About the theme. It’s a Wordpress-powered blog, and the theme is all home-grown by Renate herself. It is very sleek and I love the swirly emblem in the header. However, there are a few discrepancies. I see a very long html code tag in the sidebar, which detracts the eye and ruins the elegant look of the theme. Also, the titles to the posts are not clickable. Clicking the “permalink” link at the bottom of the post enables me to view the individual post, but it is one of those “picky” things about blogs that I personally prefer. And the comments, which I would like to follow, look like this:

Ikkje sånn kjempemange flere timan enn med tog, men betydelig mindre komfortabelt. Og så må æ jo uansett toge til Oslo for å ta bussen, så det hadde vært veldi digg å slippe å veksle så mellom transportan.

I guess I need to study my Norwegian a little more! I’ve been stuck on Swedish Chef Swedish for so long…

Everything else worked well. There is minimal content in the sidebar (reminds me of those Pergo ads I see in magazines– a beautiful wood-looking floor with just a few pieces of colorful furniture). I am used to the big baubles of American and Asian blogs, so the minimalistic Scandinavian look was something akin to culture shock. But I like it.

I like learning about how people live in other countries. Renate’s Merilin blog is wonderful for such a purpose. (And, Renate, I’m REALLY REALLY sorry about your home loan and the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. It’s not my fault and I have been against the moneylenders schemes, ok?!)

In the mood for some good reading? Try Renate’s Merilin.