What's that?

RC and I spent most of yesterday at the new house, measuring and what not. In the late afternoon, Chrys took over while I took Bro to an appointment. I had faced countless "What's Dat?" over the course of the day - ceiling fan, air conditioner vent, nickel, etc. Chrys got the outdoor version when he took her for a walk.

From him:
We went for a walk down the 2 blocks to the area around the pond. The whole time, Roo was asking "Whassat?" "That's a windmill." "That's a bird house." "That's a cable TV utility box." "That's a trash can on a stick" "That's a Mazda Protege" "That's a sign". You get the idea. Her last such question, 30 minutes into the walk, "Whassat?" "That's a box for dog poop" (I over simplified -- it was a sign instructing dog owners to be responsible and providing free plastic bags.) Her response was horrifying, but completely understandable, given her background: in more of a confused tone than a true question -- "Feed the ducks?"

In Japan, she went to a number of zoos and "Biology Parks". It is very important there for people to go to see wildlife in captivity so they know what a non-tamed animal is like and why it's worth protecting. They do everything they can to make the patrons more attached to the animals and enjoy their stay. The desperate hope is that they'll go home, tell their friends how great everything was and how it was worth saving their habitats, etc. Part of this effort is accomplished by having visitors feed them wherever possible. Sometimes there are boxes on posts with signs, and in the box is food appropriate for the nearby animals.

I'm certain it's easy for you to imagine a toddler's perspective where you feed the animals with the stuff provided. And my explanation, after 30 minutes of "Whassat?" wasn't as helpful as it could have been. Her conclusion is perfectly logical. It makes it almost comical that she has trouble with the "f" on the beginning of "food" and pronounces it "pood".