- What does one do at a Museum?
Shop.
What is the most popular item women buy for themselves?
Scarves.
What is the most popular gift to take back home?
Scarves.
- My favorite tee-shirt during the busy Easter season:
YOU BET I’M GOING TO BLOG ABOUT IT
- My favorite quote (two teenage girls in the ladies restroom): “Oh my god why are we here? Think of all the shopping we could have done.”
- I wrote my first Haiku:
Plastic colored CROCS
are so last year, now it’s TOMS
of many colors
I hadn’t heard of TOMS shoes before my blogging buddy Earth Ocean Sky Redux wrote about them in a post earlier this year.
- Can anyone tell me why children are being pushed around the museum with little TV’s strapped to the handle of their strollers?
I photographed these two spending the afternoon in the main lobby watching cartoons…
- They came to the museum to watch TV in the main lobby.
- I served a group of women from Guadaloupe. Be honest, can you locate it on a world map?
Do you know what language they speak?
- I met five-year-old triplets (two girls and a boy) from Alabama.
“Say hello to Miss Rosie,” their mother told them.
“Hello Miss Rosie,” they said.
I went down onto the floor so I wasn’t looking down at them, and said “Hello y’all,”
“Hello Ma’am,” they said, and the boy gave me a such a big hug it nearly knocked me over. His sisters were too shy, and hid behind their Mom. Too cute.
Student from China
- Another Black [titanium] American Express card. The woman told me she was from Taiwan, her husband was German, and they lived in Singapore.
- “I’m not buying the pale blue reading glasses because they match my eyes, but because they match my bathroom wall,” she said.
Asian students always want to be photographed with Charles.
Wondering Rose 
Hi,
I was surprised that scarves were what a lot of ladies buy, I always look for some sort of souvenir about the Museum, most of time I usually buy a book. I love what was on the t-shirt, that is priceless. 🙂
I love your Haiku, and I have never heard of Guadaloupe, so many wondrous places in the world.
Reading glasses to match the bathroom, now that is different. 😀
Hi Mags,
Books are popular too- the Museum Handbook is a good seller as are books on the Impressionists, but you’d be surprised at the number of scarves flying off our shelves right now. Women are really into their scarves.
Thank you for reading my Haiku. If you click on the name Guadaloupe it’ll take you to the Wikipedia entry – a French island in the Caribbean.
Guadaloupe has a very interesting history as well, fighting for their Independence, very interesting Country.
I think Guadaloupe would be a very interesting place to visit.
I love your Museum musings, and the wanderers of the world who cross your path never cease to amaze me. The TV attached to strollers thing is a new one to me — how obscene! I can’t even believe that no child looks out the car window at the passing scenery anymore — what a loss! Daydreaming and being where you are is a concept that is totally lost on this generation… and YOU BET I”M GOING TO BLOG ABOUT IT! ha!!! Thanks, Rosie!!
Hi Betty,
Thanks for popping into my humble home when you’re in the middle of your world travels ( Are you still in Nepal?)
When you see kids wheeled around our amazingly stimulating museum watching TV’s attached to their strollers, it gives you pause…
I would totally buy a t-shirt with that slogan on it! Again, you have such interesting visitors to your museum – well-captured and accurately observed anecdotes. Strollers with TVs – good gosh, what happened to engaging with your surroundings?!
Hi Reggie
I’ve discovered that every tee-shirt has an interesting story, but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to ask the guy about his tee-shirt.
I wonder whether kids in your part of the world are being entertained with TV’s?
Oh this is fabulous. I’d like to visit the museum of yours. The time spent with the visitors from various regions must be indeed fun. What are the other antique and ancient artifacts in your museum?
I meet people from all over the world at my cash register Sonali. Every day’s always an adventure.
We don’t have ancient artifacts in our museum. Our permanent collection is only European art but we’ve recently had special exhibitions from Asia, Mexico, United States! and Cuba.
It’s fun to wander around in the museum with your thoughts and comments. Why kids are pushed around in musems with TV’s on their strollers? I don’t know, but I know the answer to the question about Guadeloupe, It’s a Caribbean island with a shape of a butterfly. French I believe is the language…
Hi Otto,
It gives me much pleasure to know that you enjoy wandering around the museum with me. Thank you.
Bravo! You’re right about Guadeloupe being a French Caribbean Island. Have you been there?
When I met the ladies and they spoke French I didn’t think they were from France, and I wondered whether they came from west Africa (Niger, or Senegal) or east Africa (Mauritius). I didn’t think of the Caribbean!
I’ve never been a scarf-wearer or purchaser. Tee-shirts are my thing, but I don’t think I’d ever wear that one you mentioned – I’m probably going to blog about it, all right, but I wouldn’t want to put people off.
I know about Guadeloupe because of hurricane season. When The Season arrives and we start tracking storms, many of them begin to come to life in the Antilles. And, a number of my cruising friends have been “down island”, as they say. Not me, though. I never got beyond the Turks and Caicos.
That business of the children and the television is just ghastly. That’s all I’ll say about that. I just don’t “get” some things about today’s culture. 😉
Hello Linda,
When I started at the Museum over 10 years ago I don’t think we sold one scarf. We now carry at least 30 or 40 different scarves at any time.
Of course you’d know about Guadeloupe because of hurricane season. Congratulations. Do you know what language they speak over there?
I was hoping that one of the parents who wheel their kids around a Museum with little TV’s will leave a comment to explain why they think it necessary…
French, I believe. I do tend to get a little confused with the places I’ve not been, because there’s quite a historical mix – the Dutch showed up, and I think perhaps even the Danes. I’ve come a long way, though – decades ago, I assumed all of the islands and all of South America spoke Spanish!
What a kick, Rosie! Loved this post – AGAIN. I ought to be packing, but I could not resist reading you, my friend. TVs ON STROLLERS? Please tell me these children know how to use their imaginations…please!!
P.S. – Way to Otto!
Otto gets the prize – he guessed both location and language!
Amy I don’t know whether these kids have ever used their imaginations.
Sorry I delayed your packing. Hope you had a pleasant drive to your sister and that she’s doing well.
Never a dull moment for you there at the museum, Rosie!
Please, where can I get a “YOU BET I’M GOING TO BLOG ABOUT IT” t-shirt? It would make a great companion for my “GENEALOGY, LIFE IN THE PAST LANE” bumper sticker. I’ve never bought a scarf at a museum before but maybe I will start doing so. A gift to give with no worries about size. I must confess, I do like shopping in the gift shop as much as I like looking at the museum exhibits, consumer that I am. Especially books and DVDs…
TV’s strapped to the handle of strollers??? It’s as if the little ones are being drugged into passivity! If a child is that difficult to manage in public perhaps the family should skip seeing museums for a few years.
The triplets sound adorable!
Hi Barbara,
I think we’re going to have to make our own “YOU BET I’M GOING TO BLOG ABOUT IT” t-shirt.
When I started working at the Museum we didn’t sell ladies scarves. Now we have a whole wall and a rack devoted to displaying them.
The triplets were the highlight of the year. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed them and their cute southern accent. I hope they come again.
Your sentiments about the TVs strapped to the stroller handles is exactly what I feel. If a child doesn’t want to be in the museum, or anywhere in public, the parent should try again in a few years.
You describe your experiences in your museum beautifully. So many new visitors form different parts of the world speaking different languages. It must be a wonderful experience. 🙂 And let me tell you I could not believe people came to the museum to watch TV in the main lobby. And after reading Otto’s comment, I came to know about Guadeloupe. Thanks for sharing this information also.
Hello Arindam,
I’m happy you enjoyed the view from my museum cash register. It’s never dull there.
I know you wouldn’t have believed me if I’d told you that people come to the museum to watch cartoons in the main lobby. Luckily I had my camera with me that afternoon.
Scarves and other items at museum gift shops are so irresistible. There’s always something to capture the imagination and unique. Perhaps scarves are so popular because of the minimalist way girls dress in t-shirts and jeans. That splash of color and the way they fold it can be stylish, also bringing attention to their lovely face.
Guadaloupe is where a former French colleague of mine did his French studies, rather than go to France. But your question does remind me of a trip daughter #1 and I made to Trinidad. Once on the plane, we asked out loud? Where are we going? Yes, you’ve given me inspiration…”I am going to blog about that.” Ha ha…I loved our trip to the museum again.
Sorry, I’m just getting here…busy week…and guess where I’m going tonight? A poetry reading. Perhaps I won’t blog about that, but I just may e-mail you.
Hi Georgette,
Many local people come to our Museum shop specifically for gifts. We also sell a lot of jewelry – mainly earrings.
I’m impressed that you know where Guadeloupe is. Your colleague must’ve had a great time studying French in a Caribbean Island instead of France. Hammocks and pineapple drinks instead of traffic jams…
I look forward to hearing about your trip to Trinidad. And tonight’s poetry reading. I think I know who was reading tonight.
I think Guadaloupe is the place where there are some interesting turtles and other marine life (I know the “some interesting turtles” sounds way too dumb to write in a comment on a blog, but I can’t help it. The memory fails me). It certainly has been one of the places I wanted to visited because of its marine life.
I like the name of the university on the Chinese student’s jacket.
I once presented scarves to a couple of British women who stayed with us for week while visiting India. If I’d known then that scarves are the preferred sourveniers, I’d have felt smug about being in-vogue. 🙂
Oh, and the haiku! I saw that post on EOSr and agree that the shoes are well worth writing a neat poem on. Yours is brilliant.
Thank you for noticing my little Haiku.
Salaam Priya
Welcome back. I love your new gravatar – it’s the first one that shows your face. Hello 🙂
Thank you for enlightening us about the interesting turtles and marine life in the waters around Guadaloupe. Now I really want to visit it.
You also for noticed the name of the Chinese University. I wonder why it’s called “Normal”….
I don’t know if scarves are the preferred souvenirs, but they don’t take up much room in the suitcase and they’re so fashionable now that I’m sure your British visitors must treasure your thoughtful gift.
I WANT THAT T-SHIRT !
I gagged at the bit about the TV screen for kids … what a piece of parenting !
I’d love to hang out with you at work for a day … or two … or three.
Your observations are wonderful !
I’d love to show you around the museum Sybil but you know I’m thinking I should quit my job and start manufacturing tee-shirts 🙂
Hi Rosie, do you mean to tell me I’m not supposed to bring a portable DVD player to the museum for my children to watch in the lobby? Really? Wow. 🙂
Just kidding — that is unbelievable! But, there must be a reason, right? I’m trying to figure out why this family would want to do that. Were they traveling? On an 18 hour day and not ready to go into the museum today, so they came early to buy tickets for tomorrow? Then the father had to go somewhere for a meeting or something so the little boy and his mother waited in the comfy chairs for him to finish, before their hotel was ready for them to check in and grab some dinner? And then tomorrow they would explore the wonders of the museum?
Forgive me, but my mind needs these little stories to think the best of people.
Hi Melissa,
Your stories are interesting but I don’t buy any of them, mainly because the Museum is free, and you don’t need to come a day ahead of time to buy the tickets.
Perhaps the father wanted to see the museum and the kid didn’t… but that doesn’t explain why they think they need to travel about with a TV?
Rosie, you’re not helping with my happying-up of your story. 🙂 I guess I like to think there must be good reasons, at the heart of all the craziness I see.
But I bet you are right. Your museum is free? That’s wonderful! What a treat. The ones we frequent are so expensive that I sign up for the discount passes at my local library. Take the Boston Aquarium (though not a museum, it still sits in the culture category). It’s $23 for an adult, and $16 for a child. So even if I took the kids without my husband, found street parking (which is hard, but definitely possible), it would still be $55 just to get in the door! Ridiculous. And not possible for many families.
The Harvard Museum of Natural History (not flashy, but my kids still love it) is much more reasonable, with tickets coming in at $9 for adults and $6 for children. And there is even a library pass for that. The pass isn’t free, but for example, the Aquarium pass will get you in for $10 per person (last year it was $5!).
Regardless, there are usually discount days, or nights (the Boston Children’s Museum has $1 Friday night entrance fees, which if you can beat the rush-hour traffic into the city is a great option) to make things workable. And the local art museums sometimes have entirely free days. It’s just a matter of doing a little research, and hoping that your children don’t have school on the free/reduced admission days.
And of course there are other completely free and fun ways to spend a day, but we are talking about museums.
So, to take a DVD player into a museum? I would be mortified. Really. Though I crafted the imaginary story in my previous comment, to give that unknown mother some slack, I would never do that with my children. They wouldn’t want it, anyway! We were recently at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and it was insane how excited the kids were. They get that way with all museums and cultural attractions. At this particular place, there was an exhibit on dinosaurs and a butterfly room, so both my son and daughter were in heaven.
It is so important to just let kids BE. To explore, to fail, to figure things out, to imagine, to create.
We do watch DVDs on long car rides (like the 7 to 10 hours it takes to get to my in-laws’ house), but also, I bring activities for them. Coloring books, stickers, crayons, games — nothing electronic as I don’t let my kids play video games — and they do great. There is something to remember, though, when it comes to criticizing parents for playing DVDs on long car rides: when we were little, we were allowed so much more freedom of movement inside the car than children are today. It’s the law to have them secured tight enough for a lunar landing. I remember rolling on the floor, changing places with my sister, hanging my arm out the window — anything to reduce the ants in the pants, and all of which are forbidden to children today. Illegal, actually. So I would ask for some understanding on that part. It’s not fair that children have to be so physically confined.
But again, in a place of culture and wonder — it’s a disgrace to put something electronic in the hands of your child. Even in our home, I don’t let the kids play with electronic games. They are so happy without them! My son is 5, and I won’t lie, it’s been awkward at some of our friends’ houses, when their kids bring out the video games and I won’t let my children join in. But it’s just that important to me. Okay, now I am ranting. 🙂 I just got caught up in your comment and wanted to continue the discussion.
A friend of mine, before I ever had kids, came to visit with his children many years ago. This friend is attached at the hip to anything electronic. He is a wonderful person and father. But he also believes in the power of computers and games and the benefits they can offer his children. However — I don’t. And I gave his son, who must have been around 7 at the time, a birthday gift. A wooden boat that he could construct with his father, self-propelled by rubber bands. I thought the little boy would be so excited! He opened the gift, took it out, and tossed it on the floor. “Huh. A toy for the cat,” he said.
I will never forget that.
It doesn’t take much to encourage creativity in your children — they are fountains of it. But also, it doesn’t take much to kill it.
Melissa, It’s only in the past year or so that kids are playing games on their parents iPhones and watching cartoons on TV’s strapped to their strollers. What did they do before? They had to look around them and remember they’re not in a bare dark basement. They’re walking around a world famous museum with paintings of many colors on the walls.
My children grew up before TV’s in the car BUT with strict seat belt laws and on long car trips they sat strapped in the backseat. One thing we did for the long car trips was borrow story tapes from the public library and listen to unabridged stories in the car something we all enjoyed. I still remember Lloyd Alexander’s “The Chronicles of Prydain” (a series of five children’s fantasy novels about Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper)
It can be very costly taking a family to a museum, it’s good that you’re able to get discount admissions.
Your last line expresses exactly what I was trying to say: “It doesn’t take much to encourage creativity in your children… But also, it doesn’t take much to kill it.”
What did the parents say when their kid made that awful “a toy for the cat” comment? I hope they didn’t just let him get away with it?