--- In [email protected], Share Long <sharelong60@...> wrote: > > turq, one heart warming story deserves another (-:
Oh dear, maybe you better check the real origin of your "heart warming". It could be that your left breast is hanging in your lentil soup. > http://www.culturecheesemag.com/news_wallacesavescheese > > > > > ________________________________ > From: turquoiseb <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Saturday, August 3, 2013 11:28 AM > Subject: [FairfieldLife] CHEEZE, Godzilla! > > > > > [ Warning: You probably aren't going to get this if you have never watched > any of the Wallace & Gromit movies. Or if you don't like cheeze. ] > > I spent the day with Maya and family, first shopping at the open market, and > then flying kites in the dog park near our house. Then, instead of going to a > cafe, which is my usual ritual on these weekends home, I decided to sit on a > shady canalside bench and write for a while. > > Of course, as often happens, now that I'm here in a cool place to write, I > can't think of anything to write about. So I'll "prime the pump" by sharing > an incident that was fun for me today. It has to do with the wonder of > communication, and the magic of shared humor. > > Watching Maya learn to communicate with her fellow human beings over four and > a half years has been a veritable education, and one not limited to spoken > language. Her first language was not verbal. Having heard benefits of the > practice from other parents, we taught her sign language before she could > speak. There are standard signs that are (or were, in Spain) used for common > needs and common objects, and were even known and utilized by kindergartens > and babysitters, so we went for that set. There were signs for hungry, signs > for "Ow-ee" or pain, and specific signs for different kinds of foods or other > things she might want or need. > > The one sign we customized and added to the set of standardized signs, > however, was the Nick Parks Universal Sign For Cheese. Maya knew and mimicked > this sign before she was old enough to *eat* cheese. When she grew old enough > to not only eat cheese but love it, she kept using the sign, and used it > instead of *saying* "Cheeze." Then, when we introduced her to the Wallace & > Gromit movies, she got the reference and the humor and *really* kept doing > it, so much so it's become a kind of running family joke. Any time cheese is > spied in a store or appears on our dinner table, Maya makes the cheeze sign, > and we all laugh and make it, too. > > That is why it was no surprise to me this morning when she instantly "got" > the private joke in a graphic I'd brought back from Paris to show her. For > Maya, "Paris" is synonymous with the "Eiffel Tower." When Uncle Barry goes > away for the week, where he goes is to the Eiffel Tower. So I bring her > souvenirs and photos with the Eiffel Tower in them, and she always squeals > with joy and points to the picture and says, "Paris!" > > This morning I showed her this one, and without skipping a beat she squealed > with joy, pointed at the picture, made the sign, and said, "CHEEZE, Gromit!" > Then we both cracked up. Now you know why we get along. We have similarly > bent senses of humor. > > > > > > Â >
