That is great!

Fig, I am impressed!

@Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR Sheila, I would once have been considered a polyglot, I guess. Besides English, I (once) spoke three other languages well, three others enough to get by as a tourist, lol. I'm extremely rusty. Heck, I'm getting old enough that I have to really reach for words in ENGLISH, now. I haven't spoken anything but English conversationally in years. I do still read some foreign language news, but let me tell you, there's a VAST difference between having the passive vocab to read it, and being able to pull up active vocabulary to speak it. I had to pull up the German lyrics from the web in order to translate this song, because I was only catching about half the words by listening. But other than the one phrase I'm pretty sure is a double entendre (which shall not be attempted by me), once I had the German in front of me it was pretty straight forward.

That's funny that I thought they were expressing their interest in species roses ... maybe inspired by a trip to Sangerhausen.

I just find it a little odd that they knew the species name at all, in order to compare their object of desire to it, lol. Compare a loved one to a rose, yes; but a very specific rose? A very thorny one, at that? I suspect we're all still missing an implied meaning or two, here, lol.

@comtessedelacouche (10b S.Australia: hotdryMedclimate) Comtesse, that was one interpretation I was almost assuming, and watching the video again through that lens, I caught several things I didn't while I was concentrating on just translating the lyrics. How did I miss the one guy giving a rose to the other, and then later they're sitting side by side, with the one laying his head on the the other's shoulder. Kinda cute, but totally went over my head, lol. But in Germany, with its dark WWII history of the pink triangle, using "pink" has even more possible layers. I'd like to hear from someone living there what the current cultural context (and sub-text!) of "pink" might be.

EDIT: Also, watching with a more discerning eye, it seems like a few of their hand motions might be sign language, and not random movements? See it at time mark 1:40 through 1:50 of the video. Sign language is one I'm NOT fluent in beyond "I see you" and "I love you", lol.

I'm rather shocked - and, I have to say, offended - that someone (Houzz, I suppose) has deleted both my responses here. I thought we were enjoying a totally innocent and fun little detective game around the term 'rosa rugosa' and why it might have been used in a song. How could that be a problem for someone?

Could it really be that very common words like 'gay' or 'rugged' or 'rainbow flag' are somehow unacceptable in a US-based public forum, in 2026...!? Or might it have been my light-hearted allusion to 'hip-hop-ish mannerisms' as a possible reason for hand/ arm gestures that caused offence? If it did, I am sorry, though still mystified. And now I'm offended at whoever the complainant was - if there was one - and wouldn't mind an apology! Are homophobes really at large in our generally loving, and forgiving, and open minded little group of rose enthusiasts? Or does Houzz now have some ghastly AI monitoring system in place that automatically deletes any words having a bearing on human s*x**l*ty? Good Lord...

Subject matter apart, I'm struggling to remember when anyone was last censored here on our dear old ARF forum. Plenty of arguments and a few memorable cases of flouncing off but I thought we mostly just discussed these differences in a civilised manner, and offered apologies where apologies were due. I think I preferred that sort of openness to this impersonal, censorius type of monitoring of our conversations, and don't understand what benefit it is supposed to confer on forum users.

Now, I presume, this will be deleted too and maybe I'll even be kicked off the forum, for daring to question it. One of my few small pleasures as I deal with rather more serious issues, like surviving extreme illness/ disability may be taken away because someone can't cope with certain elements of reality? Well, 'que sera, sera' as Doris Day used to sing. Whatever... If I don't see any of you again after this, it's been fun, and I've loved being part of a such a lovely group of old rose lovers. (Or is 'love' also a banned concept now?) :-D

Peace and Love to All. Be kind to each other and remember to take the time to stop the world and smell the roses once in a while. <3

Trish, it is crazy in the country here now. So sorry. I love the rainbow.

@comtessedelacouche (10b S.Australia: hotdryMedclimate) Elizabeth (sorry, I know you aren't Trish!), I can not imagine that there was ANYthing in your posts that could offend ANYone. They were playful, at the very worst. You were not denigrating, posturing, hateful, hurtful, or even patronizing! If "gay" or "rainbow" is going to get a post flagged, then this one will be as well. If anything were going to be flagged, I would have thought they'd go after MY earlier post, because I actually pointed out possible gay behavior. I'm 110% on your side.

How-uzzlezz strikes again.

Are you speaking to me, Sheila? I'm Elizabeth, actually, not Trish! (IIRC, Trish is Titian from Sydney, Australia. ) I usually quite like to hide behind my Comtesse identity though, as respite from the less nice stuff associated with my real name. Anyway, if it was me you meant to address - THANK YOU!! <3 Your support is much appreciated.

For those who, very understandably, would rather avoid touching on politics here, PLEASE IGNORE THE FOLLOWING:

Although I'm again risking offence to some, and censoring, I send my love and support back to you and to all there who are living through what must surely feel to many like a living nightmare. Most of what used to be called the 'free world', of which the US was generally welcomed in its self-appointed role as leader, looks on in horror, having more idea than many Americans, sadly, whether from bitter experience or handed down memory, where these darker impulses, evident in both leaders and their followers are coming from, what it all means, and why it matters so much..

Let's just hope the current difficulties will prove to be a reset that will bring people together again in the end, celebrating once more the good in our human nature, clear-eyed, stronger and more united than ever for a better world that benefits all, not just the 1%, and not just certain bigger nations or those with smaller economies but grossly over-inflated war capacities.

Bless you all. Sorry about the OT rant... <3

Yes, I was speaking to you Comtesse. I do realize Australia has more than one person.

We do seem to be at a crisis point here in the States. I am planning a trip to Canada with my sister in March. I am hoping they let us in. What do we answer when they ask why we want to come to Canada?

@comtessedelacouche (10b S.Australia: hotdryMedclimate) Elizabeth, did you see my post ending in "How-uzzlezz strikes again"? If not, then it has been censored as well.

Wow, that's really strange. I wonder why they would do that. I wonder if it's an AI thing that deletes any post with certain words.