***streaks in***
As Gaeilge update, I can now speak Irish well enough to be understood by some people, mostly those under 5 (only joking) other adults do understand me, whilst I madly search through the dictionaries.
I am watching a highly amusing Irish children’s programme called “Rita agus Crogall” = “Rita and Crocodile” – they are only 5 minutes and you don’t even need to know what Rita is saying to Crogall to find it amusing. Crogall never talks but is an expressive crocodile through his or hers eyes, gestures and body language. Perhaps one of the most expressive crocodiles in animation history? I will let you be the judge…
My favourite one is “An Zú” (The Zoo). It has quite the dazzling plot, undercover crocodiles, naughtiness and outrageous disobedience of synchronised swimming crocodiles. The crocodile (cunningly disguised with a yellow hat, a pink sweater with a red heart on it, and some heart shaped sun glasses) goes to the Zoo, eventually jumping in and performing synchronised swimming with the other crocodiles at the zoo. There’s no “Z” in Irish/Gaeilge so it is a loanword. 5 minutes of complete silliness that may be prescribed to anyone who wants a smile and perhaps a chuckle. The crocodile sequence that begins at 2.28 for those who are poor of time. At first the other crocodiles don’t recognise “Crogall” because of the James Bond level of disguise! Once that disguise is shedded there is Jewish dancing around Crogall starting at 3.02. https://cula4.com/en/video/rita-and-crogall/S1E6 and the crocodiles keep dancing. For further amusement at 3.42 all the crocodiles put their hands up when Rita calls Crogall. Outrageously they laugh together. (I bet they have been influenced by cheeky Australians). They find themselves most amusing, I think that this narrative teaches us all a deep lesson here, it is most important in life to find your self most amusing. I have confidence with all the wit & humour in the Holiday forum that you have all grasped the deeper meanings of this five minute episode, of appreciating your own humour, but I put it here just in case someone needs to be reminded about how hot that they are. The crocodiles continue to dance.
My second favourite episode is “An Ghráinneog” (The Hedgehog) with one of the highlights of the 5 minutes being the hedgehog getting into the bowl of milk and doing a 360 degree turn in it’s own synchronised swimming in a bowl of milk, whilst drinking the milk. This occurs, of course, after that intrepid hedgehog has been able to wait out “Rita agus Crogall” until they are sleeping. Rita learns that the prickly spikes are prickly, harking back to simpler times of childhood if you were not living with two sociopaths. https://cula4.com/en/video/rita-and-crogall/S1E4 For those who are time poor start watching at 3.17 and you can see the Hedgehog in all their glory. The wriggling around of the hedgehog’s legs in the air, whilst on their back in the bowl of milk is a moment not to be missed. Starts at 3.24 if you need immediate silliness to cheer you up.
I tweeted some of the dead children of Gaza today with the petition to take the Australian government to the ICC, whilst not much is everything to those who have lost so many people. I needed to feel I was doing something, however small and inconsequential. The 92 page document is impressive, these are smart cookies. Many Australians are working very hard to follow all avenues available.
***streaks away***