In college I was introduced to sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and the like. We jokingly called them "bird-feed". They were eaten by the Arab friends of our who got packets and packets of the stuff. They were not shelled, roasted and salted and we took to munching them and spitting out the shells. It was quite an art to do it without using your finger to shell the seed!
Cut to many years later. We were travelling in the UK with our girls who were then 4 and 5. Impressionable and sweet, they hung onto every word I said. This was their first trip Westwards. I was constantly on the alert to ensure that the knife was in the right hand, the mouth was closed while chewing, the Ps and the Qs came out at the appropriate time, the shoe laces were tied, etc etc etc. It was quite a crazy holiday!
In London, we stayed at this apartment on Queensway. It was lovely and only a short walk to Hyde's Park where we took the girls to run around. Inside the Park I let them be, I did not have to worry about table manners and, luckily, they have never been the screeching type! On one such occasion, on the way to Hyde Park, we stopped at a store to buy some juices and stuff. There I spotted a packet of sunflower seeds, the same seedless salted stuff! Nostalgic, I bought a pack,
Once inside Hyde Park, I taught them how to shell and eat the seeds... Intrigued, they tried it for some time till they got bored.
Walking back, they asked me, "what will happen if we eat those seeds?
Inspired, I replied, "why, you'll have sunflowers growing in your tummy!"
The rest of the holiday saw them munching sunflower seeds, running up to me, opening their mouths wide and asking me, "do you see the sunflowers, Ma?"
I always did.
Those were the days, were they not?
Cut to many years later. We were travelling in the UK with our girls who were then 4 and 5. Impressionable and sweet, they hung onto every word I said. This was their first trip Westwards. I was constantly on the alert to ensure that the knife was in the right hand, the mouth was closed while chewing, the Ps and the Qs came out at the appropriate time, the shoe laces were tied, etc etc etc. It was quite a crazy holiday!
In London, we stayed at this apartment on Queensway. It was lovely and only a short walk to Hyde's Park where we took the girls to run around. Inside the Park I let them be, I did not have to worry about table manners and, luckily, they have never been the screeching type! On one such occasion, on the way to Hyde Park, we stopped at a store to buy some juices and stuff. There I spotted a packet of sunflower seeds, the same seedless salted stuff! Nostalgic, I bought a pack,
Once inside Hyde Park, I taught them how to shell and eat the seeds... Intrigued, they tried it for some time till they got bored.
Walking back, they asked me, "what will happen if we eat those seeds?
Inspired, I replied, "why, you'll have sunflowers growing in your tummy!"
The rest of the holiday saw them munching sunflower seeds, running up to me, opening their mouths wide and asking me, "do you see the sunflowers, Ma?"
I always did.
Those were the days, were they not?
Love the imagery. One little open mouth completely filled with a big yellow flower. LOL. How trusting we all begin... :)
ReplyDeleteIn my head it was a whole field of sunflowers. And bright blue skies and sunshine too! :)
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