Kurious

Martha: We only use k to spell kilogram.
Mickey: Then why have a k?
Martha: Because we need it to spell kilogram.



It's true, there a very few k's here.When they do show up, they're always in words borrowed from other languages, like kimono. And you'll sometimes see them spelled with a q anyway, as in quimono.



Which brings me to the kioscos/quioscos you'll find on nearly every street. They're usually tiny, just big enough for the owner to sit or stand inside, and sell candies, phone cards, stamps, and other sudden necessities.

All of which is really a cheap way to introduce you to my favorite store idea in ages. It's a place called Kiosk in New York (in Soho). Every six months the owners visit another country and bring back all sorts of things to sell, from chewing gum to sauna buckets. They have a great eye for the kind of local graphic design I adore. Right now they're selling stuff from Finland. Like this plaster head, which is the "best friend" award given throughout Finnish schools every year. Like Miss Congeniality, it's voted by the kids themselves. The best part? It's fragile and rumor has it that inside is a note that says "Why did you break me?" Your prize is smashed, but the guilt lives on forever.