Posts

Posted on

Blog Post 4: Cultúr agus Teanga

My third week at Oideas Gael presented me with a very interesting, and illuminating, cultural experience that I have come to cherish. I had acquired my customary ‘cupán caife agus briosca seacláide’ during the morning break, and was halfway through a bite when I heard a booming, jocular voice ring out with a “Namaste!” Out of all the things I would not have expected to hear in remote Donegal, my native language of Hindi would probably be at the top of the list.

But Hindi it was (with a pronounced Irish accent) and it was coming from a tall, old man. My first response was surprise, followed by my brain processing seemingly contradictory details (Gleann Cholm Cille, population 200, old Irish man, Hindi) and providing me with the knee-jerk interpretation of “ah, he must be using the only Hindi word he knows because I am (obviously) South Asian.”

But once I had responded to him with my own ‘Namaste!,’ the man proceeded to follow up with with questions in fluent Hindi. Turns out that James had worked in Fiji for close to four decades, and had picked up the language there. I got to have a wonderful and unexpected conversation with him; never had I expected that I would get the chance to speak Hindi in Gleann Cholm Cille. It was a wonderful feeling, being able to converse in my native language in a place where I had come to learn a language that is so very different from it.

Upon introspecting after going through the D.I.V.E model, I realized that my initial interpretation of the situation stemmed from an apprehension of being Othered for my cultural and linguistic difference, and this apprehension might close me off from wonderful interactions like I had with James. In my expectations of being Othered, I had overlooked details like how James had followed his initial “Namaste” with a fluent “Aap kaise hain?” (“How are you?”), which came back to me later, and colored the situation differently.

The D.I.V.E method of approaching intercultural interactions is certainly useful, and I want to be able to internalize this model of thinking, and make it my norm!

Posted on

Post 4: When the Music’s Over

***Given the prevalence of music in this week’s cultural activities, “When the Music’s Over” by The Doors seemed the most appropriate title for my fourth entry.

Dia daoibh. Tá mé ag scríobh anois i mo sheomra i nGleann Fhinne, agus ní chreidim go bhfuil mé ag imeacht an tseachtain seo! Níl mé ag iarraidh dul! D’fhoghlaim mé go leor, agus ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad ar an áit seo. In addition to practicing my spoken Irish and familiarizing myself with the grammatical structures of the language, these past few weeks have offered greater insight into Irish culture, specifically through the medium of music. I attended a music session last week, where approximately 40 people gathered at the national school in Gleann Fhinne for an evening of ceol agus craic. Seated in a large circle together, musicians and spectators bonded as fiddles, bagpipes, guitars, harps, and tin whistles were played, with some pieces accompanied by words as Gaeilge. In addition, several people volunteered to sing their own songs, contributing musical pieces from Scotland, Wales, South Korea, Poland, and many other locations. 

Several times, the moderator of this event inquired if the other Notre Dame students and myself would like to sing for the group, which we declined to do each time. In those moments, I felt uncomfortable and nervous; as a lackluster singer, I could not fathom following the incredibly beautiful and moving acts of the session performers. I began to wonder why the moderator was so keen on us performing; what cultural force was at play here? Upon using the D.I.V.E. (Description, Interpretation, Verification, Evaluation) model, I achieved a greater understanding of the potential meaning behind his request for us to sing. During my time in the Gaeltacht, I have found that music reflects local and cultural pride, serving as a strong force that brings people together. A means of communication, traditional Irish music creates a space where we can reflect on Irish history, as well as collective experiences of love and loss. The precision of the notes and perfection of the singing voice are less important than the emotions the music evokes; at the end of the day, we just want to feel connected. Perhaps, in asking us to sing, the session moderator was really asking us to partake in this act of community building, offering us the space to share our stories if we wanted. Perhaps, next time, if I am feeling more bold, I will accept his offer. Go raibh maith agaibh; tá an-ocras orm, agus anois beidh mé ag ithe an dinnéar leis na mic léinn eile. Slán go fóill!

Posted on

Un poco perdido en la traducción

I have completed my first two weeks of class in Salamanca at Collegio Delibes. My classes consist of 2 hours of grammar, 2 hours of communication, and a 1-hour lecture on culture/ history. I am staying with a host mom for my time in Salamanca, and I absolutely love it! I live about a 15-minute walk from the school and Plaza Mayor so am very central to a lot of the famous sites in Salamanca. 

Some critical incidents I have experienced have been with my host mom and an older man who started talking to me in the Plaza Mayor. When I first arrived, my host mom was very surprised by my appearance and kept saying I don’t look like a typical American. She asked, “tienes raízes orientales? (Do you have eastern roots?)” Similarly, the man in the plaza asked if I was an international student studying at the university. When I told him I am from the U.S. he stated, “No, pareces oriental (No, you look eastern/asian).” At first I was very surprised by the use of oriental as an adjective because it usually has a negative/derogatory connotation when used in English. However, I could very clearly tell my host mom and the man I was talking to meant no offense. Upon further research, I learned that the word oriental in Spanish isn’t something to be avoided like it is in English and that Spanish uses occidental (western) in the same way. Regardless of this difference is translation, I think I learned a lot from these interactions about how people in Spain view Americans. I am American and I’ve always felt as though I am therefore perceived as such, so it’s definitely been a bit surprising when people react to my nationality with questions about my heritage. 

I am very excited to continue learning more about the Spanish language and culture. Posted below are some pictures of Salamanca and of my class. Hopefully, I will be able to post a video about an excursion I took last weekend to La sierra de Francia and more info about what to do in Salamanca!

Posted on

Vous voulez un dessert?

We all know the feeling, I think. You just ate dinner, maybe it was great, maybe it wasn’t. Regardless, you’re in the mood. You’ve got an itch. You want some dessert.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but there’s always that feeling of subtle judgment when you indicate that you want dessert after dinner when dining in the US. Even if there’s no judgy looks, the culture around asking for dessert is an unspoken “I won’t unless you do, please dear god speak up I want some ice cream” narrative we only really communicate through a hesitant 30 second long period of charged looks when the waiter at a restaurant asks if we want a dessert menu.

You’ll understand my surprise then, when my host family informed me that not only would we be having dessert most nights, but that it was more than normal to have dessert after meals in France, or that when I would go out to eat, it seemed like an expectation that I would get dessert. In fact, the culture around food is a lot more structured, and often includes parts of a meal that we don’t typically take (appetizers and dessert are usually expected). As my host mom told me, the order of a meal is entree (appetizer), plat (main course), and dessert OR cheese (though we’d often take both because I discovered I am addicted to french cheese).

I don’t necessarily know what this indicates about me, but I do think that I noticed more of a balance when it comes to the idea of indulgence in France. They are more inclined to eat what they want to eat (I don’t think I touched a vegetable I didn’t actively seek out), but they are more strict with things like recycling, turning off lights, public transportation, and not using plastic. Perhaps it’s more of a balanced approach to indulgent living, and I am curious to see how it compares when I return to the US.