Thursday, September 9, 2010

Timmy Time: Animated Animal Folktale

The world of animal folklore has really opened up in recent years. Thanks to animation we can watch lions, chickens, chimps, pigs and cats navigate their worlds; overcoming obstacles while learning valuable lessons about how to treat one another and the planet.

I recently watched a very creative animated episode of Timmy Timecalled "Go Kart Timmy". The upcoming North American premier will include “Tidy Timmy” and “Timmy’s Plane,”” takes place September 13 on Playhouse Disney after the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally special.

Created by Aardman Animations of the UK, Timmy Time is designed for preschool audiences. The main character Timmy the lamb has, like all preschoolers, a lot to learn about social skills, such as being responsible and learning to play fairly with others.

Fast moving, the colorful show is based on the hit childrens' series Shaun the Sheep. It does a good job of capturing common elements of preschool life that are common to all children. Timmy and his barnyard friends must help clean up after doing an art project and they must share the play yard toys. But to do so requires teaching and training from adults about putting supplies away once you are done with them and taking turns so that everyone has a chance to play.

Timmy’s personality and his impulsive desires to just do only what he wants to do when he wants to do it get him into trouble. He isn’t interested in being responsible and he doesn’t want to be last in line when it comes time to learn how to drive the go kart. Fair enough, right? Almost everyone can relate to the impatience and the desire that over time must be developed into patience and self-control that do allow a lamb – or child – like Timmy to have it all.

This is the lesson we all must learn in order to get along with others and what better way to learn it than by watching a cute little lamb find out the hard way that he must pay attention and do as he is told so that he can have his cake and eat it , too?

The simple storytelling style is clever, very clever. There is no human dialogue which alleviates challenges of cultural differences. I believe this underscores the universal nature of "what is important" when it comes to interacting with the world we all live in. In the freedom from verbal interpretation, we are allowed to experience the "other" senses. We observe the character’s expressive animation, gestures and reactions to the situations he finds himself. Through this we experience, as he does, the ease that occurs when he finally learns to do the right thing.

This show – a work of contemporary folklore - is perfect for any language, any culture because it is based upon core human (and animal) values of respect for self, others and property.

To find your local television listing, visit http://www.timmytime.tv

Friday, September 3, 2010

Pomegranate Blessings At Rosh Hashanah

Pomegranates are one of the symbolic foods found on Jewish tables during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). As with other foods it conveys a special message. Namely that the new year be fruitful.

May your joys be as plentiful as the seeds in a pomegranate!

Interestingly, the pomegranate is also popular because it was believed that it contained exactly 613 seeds and 613 is the number of mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah (teachings.span>

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree. Native to the Iranian Plateau, it is also found in other regions, like the southern Mediterranean, Sahara and Arabic peninsula.


The flowers of the pomegranate tree are bright red and the edible fruit is a berry a bit larger than a lemon in size. There are approximately 600 seeds in each berry. Drought-tolerant, the tree can be grown in dry areas with either a Mediterranean winter rainfall climate or in summer rainfall climates.

As well as being a sign of abundance, the fruit is also prominent in India's Ayurvedic medicine chest. For thousands of years it has been a source of traditional remedies.

For example, the rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree is used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, and dysentery. The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat. The astringent qualities of the flower juice, rind and tree bark are considered valuable for a variety of purposes including use as eyedrops as it is believed to slow the development of cataracts.

It's imagery goes back to the ancient coins of Judea. As a holy symbol, the pomegranate is believed by some Jewish scholars to be the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden.It is mentioned in the Bible many times, including in the Songs of Solomon:

"Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks." - Song of Solomon 4:3.

This fruit has found its way around the world, from the Middle East to the Mediterranean to Asia and America. Prized for its sweet seeds and delicious juice, it will continue to be a treasured fruit and no doubt will continue to be a source of blessings for years to come.