One of the visitor center displays at the Air Force Academy was a replica of a student dorm, containing two neatly made beds. There were an array of coins scattered on each bed. At first, I thought this may be a staged arrangement somehow illustrative of games of chance and forbidden gambling.
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| Coins (bed on the left) Dolla dolla bills y'all (bed on the right) |
I asked the information lady whether the coins had been intentionally placed or if the charity was the work of visitors. According to her, some snarky visitors decided to test whether the beds were prepared to military standards by enacting the syllogism that a coin ought to bounce off the taut sheets.
... but is not understood quite the same in every culture
Her explanation made sense to me. I had heard of this piece of Americana from movies and seen demonstrations. However, I could not help but laugh at the relative obscurity of this pop culture to foreigners.
Watch this hunky, bare-chested man demonstrate (no homo)
I told the lady why this left me so amused! I had seen a tour group of Koreans pass through earlier. Less culturally-aware guests mistook the money left behind on beds as a sign of a dry wishing well, or a textile Koi pond, and deposited dollar bills!! Now that is irony!
LOL.
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