INTENSITY²
Start here => Free For ALL => Topic started by: Semicolon on August 23, 2014, 05:03:58 AM
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First it was the Weeble more than 40 years ago. Then came Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping,” the 90s British ode to resilience immortalized on YouTube. They were the original roll-up toys, weren't they?
Actually, no. Long before Weebles graced toy store shelves, long before YouTube was even a clever idea, Myanmar (Burma) had already staked its claim on the charming roly-poly doll.
Centuries-Old Toy
The knockabout egg-shaped papier maché doll, Pyit Taing Daung or Pyit Taing Htaung, is one of Myanmar’s traditional toys. Its serenely smiling face has been bashed by Myanmar toddlers for centuries, but no matter how much it wobbles, it always manages to right itself.
It’s no wonder the delightful toy has become popular with adults as well. In Myanmar folklore, people who repeatedly stand up against all obstacles are referred to as pyit-taing-htaung, which roughly means “up-whenever-thrown.” The lesson here is to never to let anything get you down, and the toys reflect the resilience and serene nature of a culture that has withstood many trials.
Stone Versions
Stone versions of the tumbling doll appear on Myanmar buildings, a tribute to hardworking people who never achieve success. Fortunately, that was not the fate of the tumble toy. The cheerful little figure enjoyed a renaissance as the face of a 2007 UNICEF campaign to encourage measles vaccinations in rural children. Children in these areas love the rosy-cheeked figure, so it was a reassuring symbol for staying healthy and robust.
These days, city kids are not so bothered with old fashioned toys, but the dolls have once again bounced back. Tourists adore the charming wobble toys, which are usually painted in red or gold with a white face and rosy cheeks. You can buy them in male/female pairs at souvenir stalls in Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and other tourist spots.
The females have slightly different hair. Children in the cities may have moved on to the noise and bling of modern toys, but the Pyit Taing Htaung still enchants rural kids and tourists alike.
You just can’t seem to keep a good toy down.
Source (http://www.myanmarburma.com/blog/672/myanmars-weeble-toy-predates-the-imitators)
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:cbc: (http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/21/2174/Q1VCD00Z/jane-sweeney-tumbling-kelly-salay-myanmar-burma.jpg)
I salute my sister Weebles overseas! They're so serene!
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The Weebles are an ancient, peaceful and sophisticated culture :M
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The Weebles are an ancient, peaceful and sophisticated culture :M
:cbc: And we appreciate our supporters all over the world!
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Here is another of my kin from Myanmar. Look at her beautiful face. :heart:
(http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/40/97/1a/40971a13da91e13878bee278f035958d.jpg)
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From her simplicity, such complexity has arisen! Behold her descendants ... :heart:
(http://authenticfx.com/images/Russian-Dolls.jpg)
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From her simplicity, such complexity has arisen! Behold her descendants ... :heart:
(http://authenticfx.com/images/Russian-Dolls.jpg)
My family had that set of dolls in the house for years. My sister has them at her house now. :)
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From her simplicity, such complexity has arisen! Behold her descendants ... :heart:
(http://authenticfx.com/images/Russian-Dolls.jpg)
My family had that set of dolls in the house for years. My sister has them at her house now. :)
Now I wonder where my set of dolls is. If I happen to stumble on it, I will be having all kinds of spazzy memories popping up.