Author Archives: rlederer@usc.edu

Russian Folk Song

Oh, not the evening is a Russian folk song that my friend learned in school. Amina does not remember what it is about, but these are the lyrics:

Oh, at this evening, at this evening, I was sleeping so little, I was sleeping so little. Oh, and I saw in my dreams… I saw in my dreams, that my horse was crazy under my saddle. Oh, evil wings came from the east. Oh, and took the black hat off from my head. But my esaul was clever, he understood and explained my dream “Oh, you will lose” he said “you will lose your head” Oh, at this evening, at this evening, I was sleeping so little, I was sleeping so little. Oh, and I saw in my dreams…

She learned this song in school when she was young. She guesses it was around the 3rd grade.

 

Russian Proverb

“The thief who stole 4 kopecks is hung but the thief who stole 400 kopecks is praised.” Amina and her family are from Moscow. When she was growing up, her father used to say this to her often. She describes him as a funny man who does not take life too seriously. He would say this to Amina as comic advice in different situations. Mostly, when Amina was stressed in school, he would say this to encourage her to cheat.

Work Ethic Proverb

If you work hard enough at it, you can grind even an iron rod down to a needle.

只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针

Awu’s father is a very strict man. He raised Awu and his sister in China for his entire life until Awu left for USC when he was 18. He says that this quote represents “the intense Chinese work ethic my father expected me to have”. He rarely had time to play with his friends, “even on the weekends”. Awu’s father repeated this quote in times when Awu was stressed by school, to discipline and motivate him.

Howling at the Sun Ritual

At a music festival in California called Lightning in a Bottle, Luke participated in a folk ritual where he and other festival goers would howl like wolves at the sun, just as it was setting. They would all meet on the top of a hill in the festival grounds for this ritual. It was supposed to wish good luck upon the night as they continued to dance and listen to music, like a blessing.