2017 – Page 21 – SLA Profiles (2017)

Anna Fett Blog 4: A Religious Minority Impression of the Holy Land

On Friday, I jumped at the chance to travel to Haifa, a port city in northern Israel, to learn more about the Baha’i, a religious minority group often overlooked in discussions concerning the religious landscape of this region. With all of the hype about the Holy Land as a place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, it can be easy to miss the larger more complicated mosaic of religious and ethnic diversity at work here.

I was allowed to enter and tour the Baha’i gardens which cut straight down through the middle of the downtown of Haifa from the top of the Mount Carmel to the Mediterranean Sea. The Baha’i religion originated in the mid-19th century in Iran with the message and thinking of the Bab. Persecuted and killed for his views, his body was eventually brought to Haifa and interred in a mausoleum in the gardens. One of his followers, Baha’u’llah, became the prophet and founder of the tradition, escaping persecution in Iran only to be imprisoned in Acre (Acco), a port city facing Haifa. From his prison cell, Baha’u’llah could look through his window across the sea towards a beautiful hillside in Haifa. This hill–having no religious significance to any other monotheistic tradition with a presence in the region- was easily purchased at a cheap price. This hill became the site of the Baha’i gardens where Bab was buried–the second holiest site for the Baha’i after the tomb of Baha’u’llah in Acre.

The Baha’i gardens from the top of Mount Carmel descending towards the Mediterranean Sea

The Baha’i are monotheistic and believe that Christians, Muslims, and Jews all worship the same God. However, Baha’u’llah believed that the reason for infighting amongst all these monotheists stemmed from each of their holy books, whether the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, or the Qur’an. Monotheists needed to leave behind these texts and focus on worshiping one common God instead.

This religion was truly progressive for its time. Baha’u’llah called for an end to all forms of religious discrimination and full equality between the sexes along with the elimination of extreme poverty and wealth. While the religion has not incorporated equality measures for gays, lesbians, and transgender persons, this tradition was already more inclusive at the turn of the century (and still is) than many Christian traditions that I am familiar with, such as Catholicism and many Protestant sects. After the death of the two founders, there have been no religious leaders comparable to priests or imams, etc. for fear that such leaders might try to “limit the word of God.” You cannot be born into the Baha’i tradition; at the age of 15, you decide which religious tradition to join and there is support even if you decide not to become Baha’i or do not marry a fellow Baha’i.

The Shrine of Bab, the second holiest Baha’i site

Currently there are between 700-1,000 Baha’i volunteering in Israel (on limited duration visas since they cannot apply for citizenship). They come to volunteer in the garden or at the other holy sites. The cost for the upkeep of these impressive gardens is fully funded by Baha’i members. They take no outside donations. When one decides to become a Baha’i, the member must start paying a percentage of their salary as well as committing to volunteer work–at these holy sites and in philanthropy efforts worldwide.

The Baha’i volunteer I spoke with who was working at the entrance of the shrine said she enjoys prayer and meditation both within the shrine and throughout the gardens. She explained that Baha’i hold group gatherings of worship every 19 days but not within the shrine itself, again so no one leading worship would risk “limiting the word of God” through their interpretation. There are also no holy objects within the shrine itself since it is just a place for personal prayer and meditation. There are beautiful statues of peacocks and hawks as well as star patterns throughout the gardens but these have no religious significance. The Baha’i emphasize beauty through symmetry as a means of preparing oneself for prayer. They do pray in the direction of Acre, where the prophet Baha’u’llah is buried.

There are 8 million Baha’i world wide, most living in India, as well as in over 200 other countries–except for Israel! Despite the fact that the two holiest religious sites for the Baha’i are in Haifa and the nearby port city of Acre, Baha’u’llah did not want Baha’i followers to settle in the Holy Land, a dictate which has continued to this day. When I asked the Baha’i young women the reason behind this decision, she explained that the while the Baha’i see this as the common Holy Land for all monotheistic religions, the Baha’i do not want to “occupy the land or get in the way”–a refreshing perspective on how to view this land which remains special and sacred to so many religious persons around the world. The Baha’i hope is for “all to live in peace and harmony”.

Cologne Part 3: Frühstück and Übersetzen!

Last Sunday, Klaus invited me to his house for Frühstück —– breakfast. We had a great, typical German breakfast with toast, jam, slices of meat, salmon, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and coffee, and of course a wonderful conversation over the meal!

After a nice, long meal and conversation, we sat down together in his living room. Our task: Übersetzten! We needed to work together to translate a text Klaus had written from Deutsch to English, and I couldn’t have been more excited for the challenge that awaited!

Klaus explained that his long-lost cousin (quite literally), whose grandparents had moved to America before World War II, came into contact with him over a year ago after digging through some of his grandma’s old documents and finding his contact information. The newfound correspondence eventually led to a visit a few months ago in May, and Klaus and his cousin were re-united.

Klaus enjoys writing portraits in his freetime – short, descriptive biographies with more of a personal touch, about any- and everyone he finds the least bit interesting. In memory of the visit, he composed a portrait of his cousin, in German, of course. The problem was that he wanted to share it with his cousin, who only speaks English. The solution: eine Übersetzung!

For the next three hours, that’s exactly what Klaus and I worked on together. Sentence by sentence, I came up with a rough translation, and then we worked and re-worked it until we were both satisfied with how it sounded. Klaus writes beautiful German. Some sentences were particularly challenging to translate — there are some things that sound better in German, and many German sentence constructions don’t have an English equivalent that matches up perfectly. Each time we finally settled on a good translation for a sentence, we experienced a feeling of relief and accomplishment — we understood each other and created something that would allow others to understand as well!

Eventually we made it through the document and quit for the day, but there was still room for the translation to be improved. We’re meeting tomorrow for another Frühstück followed by some Übersetzen!

The whole experience was great, and I am really looking forward to tomorrow as well. I got a better appreciation for the difficulties in translating – it wasn’t easy. In many ways, translating is its own art form, like composing a whole new portrait, and it requires both a firm understanding of the language and the intentions of the original composer; luckily for me, I had the author in front of me the whole time and working with me, which helped greatly. Beyond the intense language practice, it was also an exercise in cultural understanding and a neat glimpse into the life of Klaus’s family – a portrait of German-American relations. I see myself as another piece in the mosaic of German-American cultural exchange, both representing American culture myself and stepping back to appreciate the big picture.

Chinese Attitudes Towards the US

After being in Beijing for 5 weeks now, I have definitely seen America’s influence in China. When it comes to cultural influence, I feel that I have seen a lot of incorporation of American customs. For instance, among young adults, American movies, shows, and clothing is especially popular. At every shopping center there is a substantial presence of American brands, and I’ve seen plenty of American movies being offered in theaters. However, when it comes to politics, young adults have definitely pointed out the increased tension between China and the US since a new president has been in office. From what I’ve collected, there hasn’t been any positive feedback when recent US political topics have been brought up.

Younger individuals I’ve conversed with here in China don’t have much input when it comes to China and America’s political relationship, but they did have an interesting point of view of American students. We visited a Chinese middle school recently so we could interact and learn about differences in our education systems, however the young students didn’t seem to have a good impression of American students. We asked them what they thought college in America was like, and they said all they thought we did was play. After conversing some more, I could definitely tell how the differences in our education systems led to Chinese student believing schooling in America was extremely loose and much less cut throat. However after introducing our lifestyle at Notre Dame, they seemed to be much more receptive of the American education system.

Un Bon Séjour en France

I have finished my French language studies at Tours for this summer. My last professor, M. Jean-Jacques Bolo, was one of the best language instructors I’ve ever had, and I profited greatly from his instruction. Upon leaving the institute, I received my exit evaluations and discovered that I had moved from the low-intermediate level to the upper-intermediate level in all facets of the language. M. Bolo encouraged me to continue my studies, telling me that I’ve come too far to not keep working.

This sort of encouragement is absolutely necessary when studying a language. If I’ve learned anything this summer, it is how difficult a task it is to attain fluency in a foreign language. The space between not speaking a foreign language at all and speaking fluently could not be more vast. In the great space between these two poles, there lies a frustrating realm where you can sometimes make yourself understood, can sometimes fully understand others, and yet more often than not are frustrated by your limitations. To receive encouragement from an experienced professor, and a native Frenchman at that, helps buoy the spirit when it dips.

Upon taking a step back from my studies, I can say that I’m very pleased with my time at Tours and the gains I’ve made. I certainly speak better French than when I had arrived, my reading comprehension has increased greatly, and I can now write more complicated phrases than this time two months ago. Above all, however, I am pleased to say that I “hear” French much more ably now than I ever have before. The bane of every French student is the dreaded listening comprehension exam, which consists of listening to native speakers partaking in a conversation at everyday speed and then responding to questions about what you’ve just heard. There is a large difference between taking part in a conversation, which progresses only as fast as you let it, and trying to keep up with a conversation between native speakers that you are overhearing.

Two months ago, I was hardly able to overhear a conversation between French children, let alone adults discussing complicated subjects with unexpected turns of phrase. Thanks to my time in Tours, after listening to French conversations daily, and being forced to follow these conversations and respond in turn, I can now distinguish sounds and make sense of phrases more ably now than I ever could have from traditional studies alone. There is just no way to reproduce the experience of hearing native speakers use the language for extended periods of time. I certainly have a very long route to take in order to be able to passively listen to full French conversations and make sense of them, but thanks to this SLA Grant and my time in Tours, I’m closer than I would have ever expected two months ago.

After my final day studying at the Institute of Touraine, I traveled to Paris for the weekend and became a tourist for a few days. This was my first time in Paris, in Europe in fact, and I was amazed to see the architectural and artistic achievements of French civilization. I visited Notre-Dame de Paris (the leading image of this post), the Eiffel Tower, Le Panthéon, Le Château de Versailles, Shakespeare and Company book store, and finished with a boat tour on the river Seine. Among these sights, Le Panthéon was by far my favorite place to visit. Originally a Catholic church dedicated to St. Genevieve, the building was repurposed during the French Revolution to become a momument to radical democracy. It is the final resting place of the heroes of the revolution. It is also the home to one especially famous literary intellectual and one philosopher.

Tomb of Voltaire in Le Panthéon. It reads: “Poet, Historian, Philosopher. He enlarged the human spirit and taught it to become free.”

When you descend the steps and enter the crypt of the Panthéon, you will find two monuments on either side of you. To your left, you will discover a statue and an engraved tomb dedicated to Voltaire, author of Candide, ou l’Optimisme and Traité Sur La Tolérance .

To your right, you will discover an engraved tomb dedicated to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, author of the French Revolution and other more textual works. Sixteen years after his death in Ermenonville, France, Rousseau’s remains were disinterred and brought to Paris for a ceremonial burial in the Pantheon, sponsored by the Jacobin Club, agents of the Revolution. Rousseau’s influence among the revolutionaries probably could not have been higher. Having died in disgrace, it may have amazed Rousseau to know that he would be buried less than twenty years later in the most prestigious funerary location in all of Europe. Then again, perhaps he would not have been surprised to discover his lofty position in the world he helped create.

Post-Sorrento Reflections

It has now been a little less than a month since I returned home from Sorrento back in June, and I have had plenty of time to think about and reflect on my experience. Having spent a month in Italy, taking classes each day, and living with a host family, I now understand how hard it is to truly master a language. Taking classes at school definitely helps keep the language in practice, but I now believe that it requires some form of living in your country of choice in order to really learn the subtleties of any language. From idioms to more colloquial phrasings of things you thought you knew, studying abroad is an integral part of language acquisition. In regard to the goals I set at the beginning of the summer, I believe that I definitely made great progress in all of them. While my conversational skills are definitely not perfect, I felt far more comfortable speaking with my host family on the last day than I did when I arrived. Additionally, my reading skills definitely improved as a result of the literature class I took that required us to read extended excerpts from various contemporary Italian works each day in class.

As a result of this experience, I have learned so much about what it’s like to live in another country. It has really opened up my worldview and helped me to understand the importance of being a global citizen. While Sorrento is obviously a well developed and tourist friendly area within Italy (by no means an underdeveloped country), there are still certain things that we take for granted here in America that aren’t available in every country. For example, I came back from Sorrento with a greater consciousness of my daily environmental impact. Italians are very conscious of their energy and water consumption, which was a bit of a change for me at first, but I quickly learned to respect my host family’s ideals. For example, I no longer leave lights on when I don’t need them, and I also try to take quicker showers in order to conserve water. While I didn’t expect to come home with this newfound environmental consciousness, I am certainly glad that I did. For anyone even remotely considering applying for an SLA grant or beginning their own summer language study, I would highly encourage them to take a change and pursue that desire. I know a month away during the summer may seem like a long time for some people, but spending any amount of time in a different culture is an experience that I believe all people should have at some point in their life.

Going forward I have a few ideas for my Italian studies. Obviously I will continue studying the Italian language on campus, while also doing my best to maintain and improve my ability in my free time as well. My literature teacher, Domenico, suggested a few Italian books for Nick and I to pick up and read throughout the year, so I have slowly been making my way through the first of these: I Nostri Antenati (“Our Ancestors”) by Italo Calvino. During my future studies, I believe this SLA grant experience will help me in all of my Italian Studies classes as a result of my improved conversational skills and reading ability. Not only will my SLA experience benefit me in school, but beyond as well. In addition to a new desire to study abroad junior year, I think going abroad professionally for a period of time would be an amazing experience. If I could use my Italian ability to actually work in Italy for a period of time, I would really enjoy such an opportunity. I learned so much during my time in Sorrento, but I think the most important thing I discovered was how much I actually don’t know. This realization is going to be a driving force in my education going forward, as I strive to understand the Italian language to the fullest extent possible. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that this SLA grant gave me, and I can only hope that I will be able to return to Italy soon.

An Cheathrú Rua

Dia duit! I arrived at the Shannon airport only a week ago! It feels as though I have been in Connemara for months! I’m so happy to be here. Ireland is absolutely beautiful and has welcomed me with open arms. I already know that saying goodbye will be difficult!

The other students and I were taken from the university in Galway to Connemara last Friday and introduced to our host families. I feel incredibly blessed to have Lucy as my bean an tí (woman of the house) because she has made me feel so at home. She is also an amazing cook! We had our first classes on Saturday; we did a bit of reviewing and assessed the range of fluency in the class. I moved up to a higher class on Tuesday and I’ve already learned so much. Our class day starts at 9:30 every morning and we have a break at 11 for tea (of course!) and at 1 for lunch, before finishing at 4. We have already reviewed a few of the verb tenses and practiced lots of conversation. I want to work especially on my vocabulary while I’m here so I can hold a real conversation instead of just doing conjugations! Luckily, there is Irish everywhere I turn. From the people in the tiny grocery store to the broadcasters on the radio to my host family, I am constantly surrounded by native speakers. The environment has been very effective in getting me to think in Irish and call words to mind while I am speaking. I know that this knowledge will only grow as the weeks pass!

Although we are in class for most of the day, the other students and I have been making the most of every moment outside of the classroom. I am lucky enough to be in the same house as 2 other Notre Dame students whom I had not met before. We have become fast friends! We have also befriended people from Canada, England, and even Japan! This past week, we have explored most of Carraroe by foot. The scenery is stunning with greenery and flowers everywhere, as well as the coast nearby. The walk to the beach is my favorite-there are so many green fields bursting with flowers, horses running freely, and little stone walls crisscrossing. On Tuesday night, a local sean nós singer came to sing with us and teach us some traditional songs. He had a voice that made the Irish language flow so beautifully in the music-something that I have not quite mastered yet! Last night, we attended a céilí, a traditional Irish dance. The different dances were so fun and made you feel like such a community with the people around you. I am already excited for the céilí next week! After the céilí, we had a class field trip to a pub, or teach tabhairne, about 15 minutes away. There were some local sean nós musicians playing. Their instruments and voices were spectacular. A few others in the pub came over and sang some of their own songs without having even prepared anything. The whole room joined in on a few of the songs and created an atmosphere that was so warm and welcoming. I know that I will have to go back!

I cannot believe I only arrived a week ago. It has been so packed with exploring, an Ghaeilge, and making friends! I am so excited to immerse myself more in Carraroe and talk more with the locals in their language. We are visiting Kylemore Abbey tomorrow so hopefully I can practice my conversation!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me to get here! I miss you!

the view from the top of the hill near our house!

July 21st – Second to Last Week at SNU!

On Wednesday I had a presentation in my psychology class on language and techniques to improve language retention and memory. This was an interesting topic to present because it was very applicable. Many of the students at the SNU ISI program came to learn the Korean language and through an brief in-class survey, many of the students spoke both English and another language (mostly Korean) and others even spoke a third language.

On Tuesday, I met with Hillary Powell, a reporter from WBST who came to Korea to interview Notre Dame affiliated students and alumni who were studying in Korea. I told her about my intention to study Korean and my hopes of increasing my overall proficiency. She also asked me about NK and SK relations and my thoughts on Korean culture and society. It was nice to be able to talk about my experience in Korea thus far and why it means so much for me to be back in my home country.

This Friday we took a trip to the Gocheok Sky Dome, home of the Nexen Heroes, a professional baseball team. Prior to this day, I had never been to a major league baseball game. When you think of baseball culture you immediately think of stadium food, cheering on your favorite players, and singing the national anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Baseball culture in Korea is not too different. However, there is one clear difference. In Korea, there’s one very important person who leads the crowds and the other cheerleaders (typically females) in chants and songs and dances and motions to excite the spectators and encourage the players. This person is called the cheerleader/cheermaster (typically male). He directs the crowd almost like how a conductor would lead an orchestra. Cheermasters are minor “celebrities” and are popular among the team’s fans. Hundreds of thousands of people chanting the player’s names and reciting songs at the top of their lungs has to be electrifying, right? Good news: the Nexen Heroes beat the KT Wiz!!!

Post-Tours Reflections.

Upon reflection, the language acquisition process can be addressed in many different ways. While I was aware of the different elements of language, such as writing, speaking, and listening, there are many different exercises by which to improve these areas. For example, we would read aloud and improve pronunciation and read and answer questions for comprehension or listen and answer questions for comprehension, also have grammar lessons or written exams. The language acquisition process is ultimately multifaceted and exhausting. In terms of the cultural differences I came into contact with, they were pretty well handled and didn’t require too much adjustment on my part. The lateness of the dinner is an example of a cultural difference, but I quickly adjusted my internal clockwork and came to enjoy the late night meals and conversation. In terms of language learning the SLA experience has shown me how much I have left to learn. I have definitely met my goal of being able to be confident in my language skills and to employ French whenever possible, as well as improving my level. However, I am unsure as to whether or not I improved it enough for the coming semester of French classes in Paris. I probably needed more time at the institute or just need to sit down and memorize grammar. In my time before I return to France I will put a lot of effort into mindfully memorizing verb formations and vocabulary. At the same time, I do not want to undermine the progress I have made after my month in Tours, but I also need to rise to the challenge of mastering French.

As a result of my SLA Grant experience I have brought back insight into how to interact with people who I not only do not know, but who share a completely different basis than me, starting with the language. The pace of life in Tours, France is something I have come to admire and appreciate and seek in my own life; while slower, it is seemingly more mindful. The dinner conversations that opened up politics and philosophy alike to questioning and discussion is the sort of open challenge and address that I long to have in my daily interactions. If I could give advice to someone who was considering applying for an SLA Grant or preparing to start their own summer language study I would tell them that it is a beautiful experience and one they should take advantage of, that while it is mentally and emotionally exhausting, it is the sort of satisfying exhaustion that leaves you happy you did it. I would ask them why they want to do this, why learning this language is important to them and to tell them to let that motivate them to go and talk to a someone who they perhaps wouldn’t normally if only for the sake of practicing and improving their language. It is easy to get lost in the culture and in the role of observer when going abroad, but for the sake of learning the language it is important to not fall into the idea of learning language through osmosis.

My immediate future following this SLA experience is very clear, as I will be studying at Sciences Po in Paris for the duration of the Fall semester. I will grow what I have learned already by enrolling in a B2 French course for the semester and by having two other college courses in French, all the while living in France! When I return from my semester abroad I hope to continue to take courses in French and keep my level of French up by potentially seeking post graduate opportunities in France or to teach English in a French speaking country. In the meantime I will continue to read the news in French and to listen to French music. Keeping up the level of language as well as learning it requires a constant and mindful attendance. I hope to take French into my professional career of international human rights lawyer or some other field. I definitely hope to live and work abroad for at least a few years in the future. While this SLA Grant experience showed me the difficulties of living abroad, it also showed me the beauty of it and it has definitely made my desire to live abroad more of a realistic goal.

Week 1: Tours est Fraîche

During my first conversation with my host father, the car ride from Saint-Pierre-des-Corps train station to his quaint home, I bumbled through introductory French with vigor, falling back on d’accord and the hmm sound whenever I couldn’t understand. After one week, I’m still vigorously bumbling and Tours still looks quaint save for a scarcity of cobblestone.

What surprises me is the abundance of activity around Tours. There are multiple language schools and colleges, and tourists (mostly French) frequent “Tours Old Town” and Avenue de Grammont, the road running North-South through the middle of town. Rather than making it kitschy, all the activity gives Tours a vital air which is partaken of most consistently at La Guinguette de Tours sur Loire. La guinguette means “the tavern” and many towns along the Loire have one situated by the river, so mention of “la guinguette” is understood to refer to the local riverside dive. This week, I went to Tours’ on Wednesday for an outdoor movie and on Friday to dance with fellow students.

Le film en plein air, «Les Nouveaux Sauvages», à la Guinguette

At L’Institut de Touraine, the language school where I’m studying during my séjour, students from around the world attend anywhere between a week and a year strictly to learn French. I’ve already met students from Taiwan, China, Japan, Turkey (tentatively Kurdistan), India, and Spain, as well as many other Americans. Americans make up the largest portion of students, so I have to discern who amongst them is willing to speak French if I want to get the most out of this experience. As of now though, tout va bien.

At least in regards to language-learning. My navigational ability still wants improvement. Without phone service, I’ve tried to familiarize myself with the layout of Tours by walking. The day after I arrived, a Sunday, I planned to take a half-hour walk to Place Jean-Jaurais. The said Place is the central junction of all of Tours, so it’s useful to recognize. It turns out that unfamiliarity with Tours can lengthen the walk there and back to about 3 hours. The next day, the first day of school, I got lost returning home because I exited the Jardins Prébendes d’Oé via the wrong gate. I walk through those gardens everyday on the way to school and back, and now through the correct gates.

Les Jardins Prébendes d’Oé: le chemin quotidien

I enjoy getting lost in Tours more than in most places. Old buildings line the streets, many of which are strikingly quiet. Detours can lead to gardens, wine bars, or (as I discovered on what I thought was the way to Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours) a beautiful mental hospital.

The most ridiculous of these misdirected outings occurred this Saturday, when I met a friend to attend an outdoor play. Online, the event had an attached map with a pin. I recognized the spot as an insignificant point along a road near my host family’s house, but I showed up anyways to find my friend confusedly searching. We didn’t find the play because the pin was misplaced by about three blocks. Despite foreknowledge, I really expected to find the play, even in the middle of the road. Maybe because of a sensory overload, or maybe because I’m an idealist, I feel a sense of heightened possibility here and am thrilled for the weeks to come.

Before it all.

I have never had such an opportunity to make travel so academic so conscientious. While I have traveled alone before, I am expecting this experience in Tours, France to be unlike before because I am arriving to a place wherein I do not speak the language well and wherein I do not know the people who I will be staying with. I am fully prepared for this experience, and am excited for the higher level of French I will achieve. People say there is nothing like learning a language in a country in which they speak it, but I will now finally be able to attest to that commonly accepted idea. While the 22.5 hours of instruction will surely take an effect on my French, I expect the atmosphere to challenge me to be more outgoing and willing to speak French despite the possible grammar mistakes. Furthermore, I feel some pressure to increase my level since I will be attending Sciences Po in the fall. I hope for the best and have high aims, I am also fully prepared to look foolish for the sake of improvement.