Reverting to childhood
Having had a quite exceptionally horrible day yesterday - and not being possessed of that state of physical fitness which might otherwise permit me to stomp about and work the stress off by means of an energetic game of 'pin the tail on the donkey', or whatever it is fit people do to maintain that physical peak which they have so relatively effortlessly achieved - I turned for solace instead to Things Which Made Me Happy When I Was A Child.
Moomin Valley. That made me happy. Moomin Valley and all its denizens. Except possibly the Hemulen. I thought he was a bit wet. And the Groke. Who was rather scary. But I loved Snufkin. Seriously. I had a huge crush on him at the age of about eight. I think it was his self-sufficiency and independence which appealed to me: the fact that he could just get up and leave, carrying everything he needed on his back. And he smoked a pipe: this seemed to me, at the time, to be very daring and grown up in one so young.
(If you have absolutely no idea at all what I'm talking about, try Wikipedia.)
Moomin Valley. That made me happy. Moomin Valley and all its denizens. Except possibly the Hemulen. I thought he was a bit wet. And the Groke. Who was rather scary. But I loved Snufkin. Seriously. I had a huge crush on him at the age of about eight. I think it was his self-sufficiency and independence which appealed to me: the fact that he could just get up and leave, carrying everything he needed on his back. And he smoked a pipe: this seemed to me, at the time, to be very daring and grown up in one so young.
(If you have absolutely no idea at all what I'm talking about, try Wikipedia.)
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So, anyway. For Moomin lovers everywhere, I have tracked down the must-have accessory.
Hattifattener key ring mascots: how cool is that? But it gets better:
"When you touch this NyoroNyoro*. You might be having electronic shock. Once you touch this NyoroNyoro, you can not live without it which must be your special."
So, just like the real** hattifatteners, these little guys can sometimes make you tingle a bit.
Ok. I'm a grown up. I do realise that these are possibly the most pointless thing in the world. But aren't they fab?
Available from the endlessly-entertaining Strapya.com. I urge you to sign up for their newsletter emails. Partly because you will be astonished at the variety of items which young Japanese people hang from the antennae of their mobile phones, and partly because of the idiosyncratic approach to the English language which pervades the whole Strapya retail experience. As may have already been apparent to you from the description I've quoted above.
They do ship to the UK, by the way. I've ordered from them in the past with no problems at all.
The Editor
*NyoroNyoro is, apparently, Japanese for Hattifattener. Wikipedia told me. So it must be true.
** Er, by "real", I mean "fictional". Obviously. Just in case you were concerned.
posted by
Lady Bracknell | Thursday, June 21, 2007
12 Comments:
It may be an, er, 'sign of the times' - my times, to be precise - but I am totally failing to see the appeal of something which, as far as I can tell, mostly resembles the mutant lovechild of a spider and a tampon.
I just realised I really need a plastic ferret to dangle from my phone.
Moomintroll is best!
So I wouldn't be losing too much dignity, then, in admitting that during those couple of years I lived round your way (Britain, that is), I occasionally would watch The Moomins to stave off homesickness? And Pingu? This was when I was twenty-seven, now.
The point being that I can vouch for the mood-lifting efficacy of Moomins. And Pingu. Erm.
I mean. I adore Pingu. Though I have to say that the website is much more annoying now than it was a couple of years back.
Erm.
Dame Honoria,
The problem with that website is the sheer number of things one suddenly realises one really needs to dangle from one's phone...
(I liked the ferrets as well.)
Jess,
Although I have seen the attraction of dear little Pingu when I have happened to catch him on television occasionally, I am too old to have fallen for him as a child (i.e. he wasn't around when I was of the appropriately-impressionable age.)
So I wouldn't seek him out as a comfort blanket when times are hard.
It may be embarrassing to admit to using childhood favourites to take you to a happy place when the world seems to be against you, but surely it's preferable to the "mature" alternatives of finding oblivion in alcohol and drugs? I mean, you're not very likely to turn into a Pingu-crazed icicle-wielding murderer, are you?
I also enjoyed King Rollo, for that matter. "I don't want to play with King Frank! He's bossy!" :D
King who what now?
Jess - I have to admit that when I am sick, I spend the day curled up on the couch re-reading my collection of Calvin and Hobbes and watching Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. Especially Mr. Rogers. Sesame Street has changed, but Mr. Rogers is eternally great.
I haven't been out of the country long enough to get homesick (sigh), but when I do get that chance, I'm taking some recordings of Mr. Rogers with me. You know. Just in case.
King Rollo. But unfortunately I can only find the opening titles. Created by the same guy who did Mr. Benn (but I've never seen Mr. Benn) It's hilarious-- or at least, it seemed that way at 2:00 am.
(Lady - Agreed! Mister Rogers is wonderful. I'm from Pittsburgh-- we've got an especial attachment to good old Fred around here. :) )
Well, that's odd: I knew nothing about said king.
Although, given the date, it may be one of those things which completely passed me by because I was living in Greece when it happened/was broadcast.
For example, I appear to be the only person in the UK who has never seen, "Boys From The Blackstuff".
I loved the moomintrolls, I still do. My older brother and I used to play act the characters.
I've recently read Tove Janssons "The Summer Book" delightful :)
But I'm not going to dangle one from my phone. I eschew the mobile phone.
Oh dear, I've just read becca's comment and spluttered coffee on the keyboard.
"mutant lovechild of a spider and a tampon."
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