Posted by Kanga. (With input by DaddyBird below.)
One evening we were exploring the bookstores of Fujairah. Bookstores do have a few books, but they are mostly stationary supplies. Some of the stock looks as if it has been on the shelf for 30-40 years. It can be an amazing adventure.
In one of the stores we saw this poster. It was tacked up above the shelving where educational posters were stored. We searched through the shelves for a copy to purchase, but did not find one. We went away, disappointed. But, the next time we were in the store, DaddyBird asked the storekeeper for one. He looked and was unsuccessful, as we had been. DaddyBird then asked if we could buy this one. It took a little convincing because the storekeeper couldn’t fathom that we would want it. In the end he gave it to us for free, because it was old and dusty. Who knows how long it had been tacked up there. We would have gladly paid, but accepted his offer.
A happy boy:
- Love his father and respect him
- Love and help his mother
- Help the poor people
- Love his friends and help them
- Love his brothers and sisters and respect them
- Cut his nails
- Visit the sick in hospital
- Brush his teeth morning and evening
- Help the old people
I’m glad that fingernail hygiene rates up there with respecting people and visiting the sick.
DADDYBIRD’S INPUT: In addition to the poster being old and dusty, the storekeeper didn’t want to sell it to us because it was damaged. He said it had been cut down so it was small enough that it could be displayed within one of the panes of the front window of the store- the “Happy Boy” title had originally been at the top of the poster, but was cut out during the process and glued in its current position- and it was naturally faded and sun-damaged from having been in the window for some time. I’m glad that he relented and gave it to us when we convinced him that we really did like it and want it, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to get it for free! (We did buy a number of other items while we were there, including another similar educational poster that had not been modified. We’ll post a photo of that one soon as well.)
It’s a delightful poster to me. It reminds me very much of the the sorts of posters I used at times in the past when I was teaching Christian Sunday School in America, even though this particular poster is aimed at an Islamic and Arab audience. Despite the differing contexts, the message is much the same. So I like the poster on its own merits of wise content and endearing presentation, but also for the bit of nostalgia it invokes for me.
Living the Travel Channel 