The Green Hat

A man came in the cafe this morning and sat at a table next to mine. Even I was flipping a magazine at the time, he had immediately captured my attention. No he wasn't good looking or had any physical peculiarity. It's the green hat he was wearing, and also a T-shirt, one of those that carry weird messages or declarations printed on the chest front. His says 'I am a damned fool', big in size and loud in colour, in Chinese. The text by itself wouldn't have drawn my attention; I have seen much more ridiculous, absurd or silly ones. But together with the green hat, it would have made all Chinese laugh out loud, and wink or gesture to their companions.

To tell you why I need to first tell you a little story, not exact story perhaps, but the significance of the green hat in Chinese culture. Not exactly culture either; let's say a rather deep-rooted black humour, the origin of which is even more absurd than it's century old belief. Briefly It's about a turtle whose wife had many lovers. The foolish and gutless husband turtle took to covering himself with the large green leaf of the banana tree, so he didn't have to witness the painful scenes of his wife's infidelity. With that any Chinese would rather die first before he would wear a green hat. It also follows logically the insult that a man would be called a turtle, the one that prostitutes his wife.

Now back to the man with the green hat. I don't know his nationality but quite sure he is neither Chinese nor Spanish. In theory his green hat, or rather his willingness to wear it, matters not at all anywhere else except in China. Adding the loud self proclaimed message of 'I am a damned fool', to me anyway, it's funny. Even though I don't believe in that ridiculous fable of the turtles.

I was tempted to tell this guy the story and the meaning of the message in Chinese. He most likely didn't even know the significance of either. But then what if he did but chose to ignore it or be defiant or unique? I decided to say nothing.

I have always found it odd that so many people like the kind of shirts with crazy messages on. Especially the ones with extremely vulgar statements. I think they ought to know the meaning of the text when it's in a foreign language, to avoid making a real fool of himself in certain environment.

Tags:greenhat,turtle,fool

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