Category: SLA

In one of my favorite romantic comedies, Four Weddings and a Funeral, a woman receives an unconventional sartorial compliment: “Fabulous dress.  The ecclesiastical purple with the pagan orange symbolizing the magical symbiosis in marriage between the heathen and Christian traditions.”

When I began this spoken Latin program with the Paideia Institute, I felt as though I was experiencing two different versions of Rome.  I would immerse myself in the Classicist’s Rome during class, in surreal and unforgettable site visits to the cave of the Sibyl at Cumae, the Capitoline Hill, and Mount Vesuvius. During my own time I would play the pilgrim in the Catholic’s Rome, visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and hunting down the relics of my favorite saints.

It wasn’t until a day trip to Ostia, an ancient Roman sea port, that I realized the very obvious— my love for Latin and my love for the Church don’t have to be separate.  The Paideia program has a philosophy of “loci in locis” which means “the passages in the places.”  In practice, this means that we read beautiful works of literature, in Latin, in the historical places to which they refer.  On this particular day, my teacher led our group into some unassuming ruins in Ostia, and we read from the ninth book of Augustine’s Confessions, in which Augustine speaks with his mother Monica soon before her death.  I’ll offer you a quote from our reading and a very rough translation of my own:

“Quarebamus inter nos apud praesentem veritatem, quod tu es, qualis futura esset vita aeterna sanctorum, quam nec oculus vidit nec auris audivit nec in cor hominis ascendit.  Sed inhiabamus ore cordis in superna fluenta fontis tui, fontis vitae, qui est apud te, ut inde pro captu nostro aspersi quoquo modo rem tantam cogitaremus.”

“Between us we were discussing, in the presence of the truth, which you are, what the future eternal life of the saints would be like, which neither eye has seen nor ear has heard nor the heart of man reached.  But we were gaping with the mouths of our hearts at the heavenly flow of your font, the font of life, which is in your presence, so that we might then contemplate so great a matter in accordance with our ability, in whatever way possible, and be sprinkled with its waters.”

I’ve read that passage several times, but it never moved me like it did on that day.  I was reading the words of Augustine in their original language, in the town where he and his mother stayed, across from a window much like the one he and his mother must have looked through as they contemplated things unseen.  I felt connected to the past and the people who inhabited it as never before— only a dead language could have such power.

If the relationship between Christian and heathen traditions is a marriage, it’s certainly a complex one.  The marriage seems to be thriving when the two parties share ideas, when Augustine interacts with Plato’s ideas or Aquinas with Aristotle’s.  On the other hand, the marriage seems to be a power struggle if you look in the Piazza Colonna, for example. The statue of St. Paul perched atop a column depicting Marcus Aurelius’ military triumphs looks less like a healthy marriage and more like a woman trying to shush her loud and slightly embarrassing husband at a dinner party.  I look forward to exploring this relationship more, and spending more time with the pagans, politicians, popes, and rhetoricians who wrote in the language that I love.

I am partway through my second week of classes at Oideas Gael. I have had a more fantastic time than I could have imagined! I became very close with my classmates last week, even though we have only known each other for a few days. I think that the intensity of the classes and our shared interests bonded us together. For that reason, it was sad to say goodbye to many of my new friends last Friday. I am staying in Gleann Cholm Cille for the next three weeks, but many of the students come for just one week. Luckily, I also have many friends from the first week who are staying for at least another week!

Today I have been reflecting on the role of music and singing — ceol agus amhránaíocht — in the Irish language and culture. I took a class on Irish-language song this past semester, which has turned out to be perfect preparation for my time in Gleann Cholm Cille. Music is an integral part of traditional Irish life. Just this past week, I attended a night of singing at Oideas Gael, sang several songs in my classes, heard plenty of Irish-language singing in pubs on various nights, and listened as my classmates in Oideas Gael played the flute, harp, and guitar. Even if you’re like me and can barely sing, songs are a reliable way to pick up vocabulary because you can hear them all the time. 

My favorite cultural activity so far has been the night of amhránaíocht at Oideas Gael last Tuesday. One of the teachers printed copies of the lyrics to several Irish-language songs and taught us the pronunciation and meaning of them before beginning to sing. She had a beautiful voice; I think many of us students were too distracted by her voice to join in ourselves! Our teacher told us all about her childhood in a mixture of English and Irish, describing how she learned to sing when she was younger. Every song had a story behind it and a particular association with a person or an event from her childhood. It was very moving to see how happy my teacher became as she sang and recalled these memories. I naturally learned several new words as we sang each song, and experiencing the musical quality of the language firsthand inspired me to continue working hard to increase my language fluency.

I also enjoyed a musical night at the “Rusty Mackerel” pub in a nearby town. The town is located even further into the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, so most of the people there were speaking Irish with each other. A man and a woman playing the guitar and fiddle, respectively, sat in the corner and entertained everyone with music and Irish-language singing throughout the night. Eventually they opened the mic to anyone who could sing or play an instrument. The man said that anyone was welcome to come up and sing in Irish or in English, so we enjoyed music in both languages! 

As I listened to the music, I began talking with an older man who told me about his life in the Gaeltacht. The man told me that he was born in 1934, and that he barely spoke English as a child. His brother didn’t speak English at all. The vast majority of the people in his hometown spoke Irish all of the time. Such experiences are increasingly rare now, since less and less people are growing up speaking Irish as a first language. It must have been very bizarre for this man to see his first language gradually dwindling in the very place where he had grown up speaking it. 

Happily, though, the language seems to be very much alive and well out here in the Gaeltacht. People are really passionate about preserving and revitalizing the language for subsequent generations. I have been really inspired by the people in charge of Oideas Gael and their dedication to teaching the language; it is thanks to people like them that non-native Irish speakers can pursue their interest in the language. And it is thanks to the music that several people outside of Ireland have become interested in the language in the first place. Irish students learn at least some basic phrases and grammatical constructions in school, but many non-Irish students I have spoken with first heard the language through music. When they listened to an Irish-language song in a pub or on a CD, they were so moved that they were inspired to research the language and begin learning it.

After spending nearly five fabulous weeks at Oideas Gael, I have begun to think hard about what makes this place so special, and why Notre Dame continually sends Irish students to better their language skills here. The first, and most obvious thing, is that Oideas Gael is one of the most renowned and well-established Gaeltachts (Irish-speaking areas) for adult learners. It was founded in 1984 and has only continued to gain more students and prestige throughout the years.

This prestige is not the only reason why Oideas Gael has become so special to me. The love of the language here is contagious, and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The teachers, the students, the directors, the employees….There is an ever-present respect and love for Irish that makes me want to become fully fluent in it. In addition to this, there is the sense that learning the language must be something you want to do, and in a way that is useful to you. In classes, there is no pressure to get everything perfect, because that pressure would erase the feeling of ease and wonder at the language. There is also an emphasis on learning the language in a way that is most helpful personally –while grammar is important, it may not be the most important thing to everyone, and sometimes the fear of not getting the grammar perfect can actually hold you back from speaking at all. Oideas Gael is special because it puts the language into perspective; Irish is not solely about learning a specific set of vocabulary and phrases and using it to pass an exam. Rather, it is a language full of history and cultural importance.  Oideas Gael recognizes that and offers students do many opportunities to realize that history and culture importance for themselves, through dance and song and poetry and walking through the landscape. It really makes me think of Irish not as an isolated, dying language, but one of usefulness and hope.

As my time at Oideas Gael comes to a close, I feel lucky to have been able to come here. It was a life-changing event, both through the learning of the language and the friendships I made. Oideas Gael is so very special.

A metal sculpture of Ireland and its counties near the beach in Gleann Cholm Cille.

The sign outside Oideas Gael

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The beach at sunset

                  My thoughts concerning Peruvian food prior to my time in Cusco were very mislead. Because one of the official languages of Peru is Spanish, I figured the cuisine would be similar to Mexican food. Burritos, tacos, and quesadillas were the first items that came to mind. If you had to guess what Peruvian cuisine is like, would you think the same?

                   My perceptions were completely incorrect. In fact, I have only encountered one Mexican restaurant since my arrival four weeks ago! Peruvian gastronomy has a plethora of influences (none of which include Mexican style cooking). Cuisines from Africa, Morocco, China, Europe, and Japan come together to create the unique food served here in Peru. Every meal is packed with bold taste and a variety of spices and ingredients. Some dishes feature rice or noodles while others utilize chicken or raw fish. Though these ingredients are vastly different, their finished products have one thing in common: incredible flavor.

                   A special cuisine near and dear to the heart of Peru is a seafood dish called ceviche (pronounced seh-vi-chay). It is almost a sin to visit Peru and not try it. When I asked my host family and teacher about the food I should try during my stay in Cusco, both responded very quickly, “ceviche!” The dish is very easy to find in restaurants; however, seafood restaurants make it best.

                   During the weekly cooking class last Friday, Ceviche was featured. Surprisingly, the professional chef leading the class was my host dad, Yuri! I watched him prepare the entire dish, made my own version, and then taste-tested my creation. Not only was this class interesting, but also it allowed me to ask questions and engage in discussion about the ingredients, preparation, and presentation of the meal.

                   The most important thing when cooking ceviche is choosing a fresh fish. There are many variations of the dish, but most use a type of white fish called corvina.

                   Because Cusco is not on the coast, the best place to buy the corvina is in the fresh section of the market. After choosing the perfect fish, it is then cut into bite size chunks. Contrary to popular belief, one cannot just cut in any which way, he must cut along the nerves of the fish. Cutting in this way will allow the meat to soak up the most flavor when the juices and spices are added. Furthermore, the cutting process is important for the removal of any lingering bones.

                   Next come the remaining ingredients: tiger milk, onion, red chili pepper, salt, lemon, and cilantro. Tiger milk is a combination of celery, lime, milk, and fish broth. Though it sounds less than appetizing, tiger milk gives the fish a great flavor and is a key ingredient to traditional Peruvian ceviche.

                   Peruvian lemons (on the left) are not like any in the United States. In Peru, lemons are small and green; much like a U.S. lime, but even smaller. The size is slightly bigger than a cherry tomato.

                   All these ingredients are mixed in a bowl and stirred around with the corvina for about 5 minutes. During this time, a reaction takes place between the lemon juice and salt to cook the fish and produce a shiny hue, “Like a diamond”, Yuri told the class. This hue is one key way to differentiate good preparation from bad preparation and is the primary indicator that the fish is ready to serve.  

                   Traditionally, ceviche is served with sweet potato and choclo (a special kind of corn native to Peru). The sweet potato contrasts the spice from the chili pepper to give a mild overall flavor while the choclo adds extra texture and sweetness. The choclo can also be eaten by itself; it tastes just as yummy!

                   The ceviche cooking class was an excellent way to learn about traditional Peruvian ingredients and cuisine. Cooking with friends made for a fun experience and I cannot wait to participate again. Next week’s featured dish: rocoto relleno!