Barbadoes Bananas

This bunch of bananas graces the wall at 323 Barbadoes Street, which was a takeaways shop prior to the earthquakes.  Some one must have used a stencil as each banana is the same.

I’ve never liked bananas.  My childhood memories include being served banana custard for dessert, and that might be enough to put anyone off.  For many years I’ve had an aversion to the colour yellow, possibly because it’s the colour of bananas (I do make an exception for sunflowers).  Occasionally I’ve been offered banana cake, and felt it would be rude to refuse, but I’ve never enjoyed it.  I’m aware that bananas are sometimes the base of the smoothies I enjoy, but always well disguised with other fruit.

Stephen does like bananas, which are a source of fibre, potassium, and vitamin C, and he will often have one for breakfast.  When doing this week’s online shopping I inadvertently managed to order 100 grams instead of one kilo, so our delivery included just one lone banana.

In India bananas are called the Fruit of the Wise Men, because legend said that wise men meditated under the shady green leaves of the banana plant.  No mention of there being any opportunity for women to meditate in the shade!  The phrase to go bananas means to become crazy or angry – could be another reason to avoid the fruit.  Apparently this saying originated in the late 1960s when rumors spread across U.S. university campuses that roasted banana peels had psychedelic properties, and that ingesting them could lead to hallucinations similar to ones brought on by LSD or magic mushrooms.

Do you like bananas?  Have you ever seen a straight one?

This is one fruit I’d never choose
and I eschew its yellow hues