Bolsters in Switzerland – Stories from Swiss Hotel School Students

First of all what is a bolster? A bolster is a long narrow pillow or cushion filled with cotton, down, or fibre. In western countries, it is usually placed at the head of bed and functions as head or back support. Since approximately the 1960`s bolsters are also used in yoga classes. In order to encourage more accurate positioning, that would help people to perform in poses with greater comfort and better form.

In Southeast Asian countries, in particular Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, the bolster has another completely different meaning.

Here it is definitely not just a “pillow”. It is designed to be hugged when sleeping. In Vietnam, it is called “gối ôm” meaning “hugging pillow.” In Japanese it is called a dakimakura.

Tradition suggests that a wife would fashion the bolster out of bamboo and give it to her husband when he traveled away from home so that he would not be lonely at night, hence the name “bamboo wife,” or “Dutch wife,”

So what does a bolster have to do with Switzerland?

Well, it all started in Singapore where some SIM University students, who were scheduled to do their final year of their Bachelor in hospitality, met and discussed their one year Swiss educational stay.

This discussion was not about chocolates or snow. No it was about `bolsters` and the importance of those special pillows to keep their souls and hearts warm when abroad, away from family and friends.

They found out it was very hard to find bolsters in Switzerland. They decided to ship bolsters to Switzerland. Cause every student on IMI campus should have at least one bolster to snuggle up with.

At one point a huge pile of boxes arrived at IMI university centre Lucerne full of…., Bolsters`. Beside the fact the bolsters were shipped to Lucerne and all students received one, they also came up with the idea of making a BlogSpot about the bolster, its importance and different ways to use it. As in Switzerland, so little is known about the importance of the `hugging pillow`.

With this blog the students want to give the bolster the credits that it deserves! See and enjoy the really creative and funny blog coverage of this long tail story of students studying at IMI University Centre. Created by Peiwen Chen.

http://www.bolsterinswiss.blogspot.com/

This series of stories is contributed by Swiss Hotel Management School Students from IMI Luzern

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