...but a whole heap funny...
If any of you have bothered to watch my Thimphu slide show carefully, you'll notice a photo of colourfully decorated house. Most of the buildings in Bhutan are decorated in this way, with symbols of special significance. Swastikas, floral patterns, whirling clouds, and mythical animals are most common.
The design I want to draw your attention to is the one on the centre of the wall...see it? Variations of these are everywhere too...
It's a picture of a...well, never mind...this is a clean family blog. Let's just say that in our culture we'd probably refer to it as a fertility symbol - a male fertility symbol. (Is this tactful enough? I hope so.)
Jemimah found these pictures very, very funny - as only a seven year old girl could, I guess.
I am telling you all this because I want to tell you something amusing. When kids are young, they say funny things all the time. With Jemimah - she of the long words and large vocabulary - these times are becoming rarer and rarer - which is why this exchange was so priceless...
Her (excitedly): Oh mummy, M (her 5yo cousin) would absolutely love Bhutan. It would be his very favourite country.
Me (curiously): Why would M like Bhutan, do you think?
Her: Well mummy, M just loves doodles.
Me (tactfully): And why do you think that, darling?
Her: (conspiratorially): Well mummy, he's got one you know!!
Hmmm I think we'll leave it at that.
That's priceless!
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't it sweet when it comes from innocent mouths.
The world is full of stuff that kids don't realize is not socially acceptable to mention. My 10 year old boy used an unsavoury name to his brother the other day, which I was alarmed about but calmly asked where he'd heard it and if he knew what it meant.
He told me where he'd heard it but that he thought it meant you are silly, which is the context people might use but was horrified when I told him it's actual meaning.
Nice that they are still naive.
Guess it would mimic the "symbol" a local graffiti artists "tagged" a curve sign I pass each time I go to town with!! [Probably one of my son's friends who did it!!] So there are dirty minds even in paradise!! lol...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the belly laugh :)
ReplyDeleteHere's to the preservation of our children!
Mmmm. I suppose I could have prepared you for this. They mention it in A River Somewhere (great fishing series which you would all enjoy), by Rob Sitch and his mate Tom Gleisner (Frontline, The Late Show & The Panel). It must be quite a feature unique to Bhutan, which cannot go unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteLydia
Lydia!! Yes, you could have...couldn't you!! LOL I must admit, even I found them pretty funny!!
ReplyDelete