Wednesday 20 April 2016

Hello! Hi there! What ho!


I like to greet folk when I am 'oot an' aboot' and so does Gail.

Whether we're visiting the park, strolling by the river, having fun at the beach or a-roaming in the hills, wherever we are, you'll get a cheery 'hello' from Gail and a friendly sniff and a tail wag from me.

Nothing unusual about this, at least in Scotland, and our salutations are most usually acknowledged and met with one of the following weather-related responses:

"Beautiful weather today!" (Meaning the sun actually shone at some point in the last three hours).
"Nae such a bad day" (i.e. it's not actually raining, although it might be freezing cold with a gale force wind).
"They say it'll be better later in the week"(i.e. no redeeming aspects to current conditions).

It is true that, especially in the early mornings, a percentage of the humans we encounter will be striding along on Planet Headphone, but they are very much in the minority (and of course you don't get this with dogs).

Well all this preamble is by way of explaining how shocked we were to learn that there is currently a campaign exhorting visitors to the South Downs National Park to say hello to one another when they cross paths in this beautiful region of Southern England.

Yes really! See the poster below:


The video which forms part of the campaign is downright weird. Although I must say I did enjoy the bit at around 1 min 56 seconds..



What's odd too is that I'm sure people from that part of the world are nice and don't need lessons in treating each other well. My beloved late Human Grandad came originally from Sussex, and he would never fail to offer a polite 'good day' to a passer by, and if she were a lady, to touch his cap.

21 comments:

  1. I guess it just shows ya dat all governments like to waste money.

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  2. The demographics of Sussex being what they are Dobre Dzien should have been added to the greetings on the poster.

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    1. Gail says: That goes for much of the UK. I found Polish hikers a very friendly bunch when walking in the Tatras Mountains a few years ago.

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  3. It just shows they don't make 'em like they used to... your human grand-dad didn't need any of this kind of training! I guess people do now?

    xo
    Toots

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  4. Crikey ..... Next they'll be putting up signs telling us four leggers to bark at one another, aye?

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  5. Well, we live a long way apart, but weather related greetings are very common in our neck of the woods as well. I loved your translations.

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  6. MOL MOL... Mom and I cracked up when Dean took 1/2 of the sandwich...Hamish would approve for sure. Any food left unattended for 1 sec is fair game.
    Mom always speaks to every buddy too no matter where she is. Upon her arrival for her interview for her job in Physics YEARS ago, the Professor told her he didn't recognize her name on her application so he asked a colleague to describe her. The colleague described mom as the lady who speaks to everyone in the halls.
    Hugs madi your bff and blabber mouth

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  7. Hari Om
    BOL - you have the Scottish interpawtashun down to a 't' Bertie lad... It's just braw over here today (not a cloud in the sky and temps just below double figs) - the birds are going mad for it.

    I was just commenting to my sissy last week that I think each second generation has to re-learn all the stuff we thought was already known; my reference was to the Keep Britain Tidy campaign of our youth - which would be well run again IMO... so pawhaps this is not so 'left Downs' as it seems. Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

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    1. pee ess... speaking of meet'n'greet... any news on the ambassadog front??? Yxx

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  8. it is nice people respond - Mom is always one of those cheerful "hi, hello" people while out walking but sadly most americans jut look at her with a "why are you talking to me look" - sigh

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  9. We ALWAYS chat with people when we're out walking. But Texas IS the Friendship State!

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  10. fortunately my staff greets all people pets, trees and light poles... so we are welcome in that park, right?

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  11. love the title I am such a fan of what ho, as per your namesake as a greeting Id probably faint with happiness if someone what ho-ed me. Weasley is a very friendly pup greeting everyone but the rest are more reserved. As for the friendly walkers I fear I have become a New Yorker and dont really greet anyone on walks partly because I walk everywhere and there are dozens of people but if I am an in a less crowded place, say walking in a less crowded park I do smile

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  12. Now that's a nutty campaign
    Lily & Edward

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  13. OMD! If we bark hello we can sneak a sandwich? Count us in!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  14. We are big fans of meet and greets when we see others!!
    Smileys!
    Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo

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  15. Here in Florry Duh, 'a bit hot, ain it?' means it's above 95 and paw burnin on the pavement.
    Bonnie n Kenzie

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    1. That's not a phrase that's ever been uttered in Aberdeen!

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  16. Ummm, not to be rude but couldn't the money have been better spent on something else or has technology brought us to this?

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  17. Now that was a polite dog. He helped the birdwatcher maintain his weight by eating half his sandwich.

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  18. Hi hi hi! Ojo here! Sun and Beach and Dog Friends, and happy greetings from all. Does it get any better than that?

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