To Grass

This is the strange result of a serendipitous confluence of children’s dental hygiene products and would have never hung in my home if I weren’t a father.

I was extremely happy to discover that what I thought was just a simple thermometer to measure the temperature of my son’s bath actually measures temperament.

One of the more amusing aspects of my daily life in Lithuania is reading the English on products and menus. I am certainly not denigrating Lithuania or Lithuanians for especially improper use of English; these sorts of confusing phrases can be found all over the world where English is used as a second language. And, after all, not a particularly large percentage of US citizens can even begin to use a second language. However, when I read Lithuanian potato sausages called “intestines with potatoes” or potato dumplings called “zeppelins”, I find it funny. “Beef in own juice” is just one of those product names that make me laugh. I haven’t tried it yet.

The toy store from afar.

A little closer.

Right there.

The pictures say it all.

Living in Lithuania, though it has already been a total of nearly ten years, I am forced to face many unfamiliar and, often, disturbing cultural differences. In fact, this particular ad, which I think would be impossible to find anywhere in the United States and which I photographed just over one year ago, really sets the tone for this blog, and, in fact, was partially what inspired me to create it. This Chinese restaurant is actually a relatively new one in a popular Lithuanian chain that mainly sells pizza.