Monday, September 15, 2008

Beached Teletubby


Does Po need sunblock?
Port Stanley, ON, September 2008 [Click to embiggen]

About this photo: Our latest Thematic Photographic theme, closeup, continues with this up-close-and-personal view of Po the Teletubby lounging on the beach. Please click here if you'd like to dive into this week's photo theme. Don't forget to also drop in on this week's Caption This. Click here for more fun than most octagenarians can likely handle.
I've never been one for mind-altering drugs, so I hardly know what an acid trip might feel like. But had I ever been so inclined, I imagine that watching the Teletubbies approximates what your brain might feel like after taking a couple of hits of LSD.

So despite my disdain of these whacked-out children's characters, I have a bit of a soft spot for Po. She's the smallest of the quartet - something I relate to given my being my parents' youngest - and she's the troublemaker of the group (again, something I totally get.) More importantly, she's the only one I have in miniature, bag-mountable form. So ever since our eldest son was a baby, she's been clipped to the outside of my camera bag or backpack. She goes everywhere I go, and like a travel gnome, I often take pictures of her in weird and wonderful places (see here, here and here.)

Complete strangers often smile at me when they see her, too. She's an instant icebreaker whose role as stand-in model in distant airports has started more conversations than I can remember. Even when I'm far away, I look at her and can't help but smile at how it connects me to the important folks back home.

Your turn: What do you do to make complete strangers spontaneously smile?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Po's cute. I find that having a head full of blazing pink hair is a good ice breaker.
I'm in the game, finally!

http://cheeseinmyshoe.blogspot.com/2008/09/thematic-photographic-southern-fried.html

Beverly said...

I love seeing something like that that makes me smile. I have a t-shirt that has Grumpy, one of Snow White's dwarfs, on it. When people see it, they'll sometimes ask, "Are you Grumpy?" "No," I'll say. "I couldn't find one that said Dopey."

Once I was at the outlet mall, a place I rarely go, and two couples were walking toward me. The wives were in front, the husbands following. One of the ladies turned around and said to her husband, "You need that shirt."

awareness said...

Teletubbies comparable to taking acid........then what about watching Barney?? I'd say that was simply a really bad trip.

So......to answer your question? Well, I used to have a pair of bright red boots (before rainboots became GAPsationally colourful. Men in suits would smile when I splashed by all dressed up in my own funky/serious clothes I wear to the office.....

Fredericton is actually very very friendly....it doesn't take much to make people smile.....all you have to do is say hi! Before you know it, you're into a dialogue on the flavour topic of the day. But, you know what? 9 times out of 10, you do the same thing in Toronto and you get the same reaction.

Adventure girl said...

Your blog is so interesting.

Thank you so much for such sweet comments on my blog. For a newbie, it means a lot.

What I do to make people smile is compliment them and smile big at them while looking right into thier eyes;)

You are such a neat person! The world is a better place because of you!

Ben and Bennie said...

I tickle Ben which usually attracts a stranger's smile.

I am a Tornado ~ proven fact! said...

I smile at them first.

Usually.

Well, not usually.

When I'm in an exceptionally good mood.

Oh wait, that HARDLY ever happens.

I guess strangers don't smile at me. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Anonymous said...

I just want too take some time out Thank everyone for doing what you do and making the community what it is im a long time reader and first time poster so i just wanted to say thanks.