Slice of Life Story Day 29 Going Round The Bend Over Bananas!

Today I’m going bananas! Well, not literally, but bananas have been on my mind. You see, the cost bananas has skyrocketed here in Australian since Cyclone Yasi struck the state of Queensland’s northern regions and decimated up to 80% of the nation’s banana harvest.

The cost of bananas has rapidly reached $14 per kg in some places, or $4 each. As a consequence, many fruit lovers are holding off buying this perennially popular fruit. Who can blamed them? I have always loved bananas. You could say I have a bent for them, but that would be too obvious. Yet, in recent weeks as the price has steadily risen, I have had to be strong and walk past them in shops and supermarkets. I heard someone recently refer to bananas as God’s chocolate. Well, even with that noble label, I still can’t justify the purchase.
So bananas are off the menu for the foreseeable future, which is sad. I know how good bananas are for my health. Bananas have a curious way of capturing everyone’s imagination.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
I am fully aware that bananas provide a sustained and substantial boost of energy - that’s why they remain a favourite of athletes looking for a quick source of carbohydrate. Until recently, I have been in the habit of reaching for a banana when I return from a walk or when I come home from work. Not anymore.  Another member of the fruit family is going to have to step up and present very soon. No more picking up a banana, putting it to my ear and taking a pretend phone call from someone (works a treat with grandchildren). Banana humour is over for now. The cost is not something to laugh about.

I recall my Dad telling me when I was a small boy that he actually knew the man who had the job of putting the bends in the bananas. The gullible lad that I was just said, ‘Oh really?’  ‘Yes,’ replied my Dad, ‘It certainly keeps him busy.’

 And finally, I leave you, dear reader with this point to ponder,   -Is it right to refer to two banana peels as a pair of slippers? Maybe I am going bananas?

Comments

  1. Wanda Brown29 March 2011 at 20:47

    Glad you still have humor about bananas as their cost is nothing to laugh about. Hope it all changes soon so you can maintain that healthy lifestyle and energy boost you are used to!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous30 March 2011 at 01:30

    I love bananas, so I don't know what I would do if there were a shortage of bananas. That's funny that people would refer to bananas as God's chocolate.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Elizabeth G.30 March 2011 at 02:57

    Oh my, that is an insane price to pay. Of course I'm sure this makes you crave them even more. I hope another fruit steps up to the plate soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Linda B30 March 2011 at 03:04

    Ha! you gave me a good laugh, although I do feel your pain over the price. I saw a lecture once about the market being kept safe by the bananas offered that we are used to, but there are many types available that are just as good for you. Do you have access to them? I like the story about your dad's joke, & the "slippers". Bananas are a favorite at my house, too, but I also have an apple a day-just like the doctor ordered! Try it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tam30 March 2011 at 05:28

    I never heard the one about the guy putting the bend in the bananas! I think I'll use that next time I see my grandchildren. Slippers?--it's okay if you can't eat your bananas. Now you have everyone thinking about you when they eat a banana. Ours is now $.59 a pound--sorry. Can you order over the internet? As usual, excellent post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous30 March 2011 at 13:38

    I see I have taken bananas for granted. Hope the price comes down soon for you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Letterpress30 March 2011 at 16:18

    Ditto Tam--great story. I sometimes tease my husband and call him my favorite primate because bananas are his favorite snack. He can eat two, and on the weekends, three a day. He just came upstairs and I showed him your post and he said "I wouldn't be eating too many at that price." I hope your country soon recovers from all the natural tragedies. . . and that your banana prices come back down so you can snack on them too.

    Thanks for your comments on my posts--been fun slicing with you!

    Elizabeth E.
    http://peninkpaper.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not eve...
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers...
Read more

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intentio...
Read more

Slice Of Life Story-The Trials Of A Left Handed Writer

Image
Amazingly I learnt to write using my left hand. An achievement against the prevailing beliefs of the day. My very first teacher saw it as her mission in life to ‘fix’ the poor, wretched little boy suffering from what she clearly diagnosed as left handed disease. She must have thought, 'This child must be re formatted! If he remains left handed he will be forever condemned to writing in a scrawl that no one will be able to read. Ugly hand, ugly hand.' ...They tried to say it couldn't be done, it mustn't be done. They took the pencil out of my left hand and placed it in my right hand. It felt unnatural. It felt weird. It was not right. More to the point it was not left. I was not about to conform. At least they didn't try tying my hand behind my back. Watch me I said. I may be an oddball, left handed scribbler but I am a determined oddball. I mean how boring would the world be if everyone wrote with their right hand? So I dug my toes in –and my hands to...
Read more

Answering Questions Posed by Young POETS

Image
UPDATED, May 2020 As a frequent visitor to schools I have the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrive in a classroom, young poets are often pre-loaded with questions, and most keen to have them answered.  I try to answer as many as I can, but we frequently run out of time, and the poetry caravan moves on to the next classroom. So I am here to answer some of those questions -right here, right now. So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published over the years, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The ...
Read more