In modern Japanese, there are terms ‘herbivorous men’ and ‘carnivorous women.’ ‘Herbivorous men’ is a term for men who are gentle or introvert. ‘Carnivorous women’ is a term for women who are proactive, or women who know what they want.
The terms ‘herbivorous’ and ‘carnivorous’ remind me of the world of dinosaurs rather than humans. So I will refer to ‘herbivorous men’ as ’salad boys,’ and ‘carnivorous women’ as ‘meaty girls.
My 7-year-old son is a typical ‘salad boy’ and my 3-year-old girl is definitely a ‘meaty girl’. They are polar opposites but they are very close. This is really helpful especially during lockdown. I wouldn’t bear it if my kids were always fighting at home. I’m very lucky. Apart from occasional quarrels, Ichi and Naomi get on amazingly well.
To record what it’s like to be at home during lockdown with young children, I’m documenting my everyday family life with cartoons.
Here is today’s cartoon.
Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.
