Monthly Archives: April 2017

Bums

Nationality: British
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/23/17
Primary Language: English

Subject: Game

Informant: Michael was born and raised in London. His father is British and his mother is American, hence he was exposed to both cultures growing up. He currently studies Health Promotion in Los Angeles and is the captain of the universities’ rugby team. Michael is also the president of his fraternity at the university.

Original Script: If you are playing the football game called World Cup (one goal, one keeper, six players), the aim is to avoid elimination. To do that, you must score a goal to move on to the next round. If you don’t succeed, you receive a punishment called “bums”. Basically it entails standing in the goal with your ass facing the other players while they all take one shot aimed at your but.

Background information by informant: World Cup is a typical game that football enthusiasts play with their friends, especially when there aren’t enough players to play a full field game.

Context of performance: The football game known as World Cup.

Thoughts: The idea of introducing bums as a punishment naturally increases the stakes of the game and consequently makes it more exiting, intense, and enjoyable. That is if you are able to survive through the next round.

Cazuela

Nationality: Chilean
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 03/20/17
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Subject: Culinary

Informant: Sebastian was born in Santiago, Chile and has both a younger and older brother. He is currently finishing his studies in Cinema in California and plans to return to Santiago once he graduates. He spent all his childhood in Chile until coming abroad to the U.S. to study.

 
Original Script: Cazuela is a typical dish in Chile that everyone eats. It’s a very tasty soup with a variety of natural and inexpensive ingredients. Because it tastes good and is very affordable, it is always a good option for a meal. That’s why it became so common in Chile.

Background information by informant: In certain areas of Chile, soup is an especially common dish for the colder climates call for a warmer meal.

Thoughts: Like many other places, Chile has a common dish that surpasses social or economic barriers and is enjoyed by all.

Weon

Nationality: Chilean
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 03/20/17
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Subject: Folk Speech

Informant: Sebastian was born in Santiago, Chile and has both a younger and older brother. He is currently finishing his studies in Cinema in California and plans to return to Santiago once he graduates. He spent all his childhood in Chile until coming abroad to the U.S. to study.
Original Script: Puta el weon weon weon / That guy is so dumb dude

Background information by informant: This is just one example of how the word “weon” can be used in Chile to mean three different things in one phrase. However, the term can be used in a variety of circumstances, even as a an insult or a term of endearment.

Thoughts: A piece of folklore speech such as this one demands immense depths of knowledge from a certain culture to be fully understood and utilized appropriately.

Airplane

Nationality: Ecuadorian
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/23/17
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Subject: Folk Speech

Informant: Daniel is originally from Guayaquil, a city in the coast of Ecuador.  He is an only child and has just received a diploma in Business. He has lived in California for the past four years, but will be returning to Ecuador in the coming month.

Original Script: Avión/Airplane

Background information by informant: People that are always spontaneous and always “making moves” are called “avión”, which simply means airplane.

Thoughts: A single word used to describe a complex trait found in people with specific personalities.

Plantane Plates

Nationality: Ecuadorian
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/23/17
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Subject: Culinary

Informant: Daniel is originally from Guayaquil, a city in the coast of Ecuador.  He is an only child and has just received a diploma in Business. He has lived in California for the past four years, but will be returning to Ecuador in the coming month.

Original Script: Unfortunately, the coast of Ecuador suffers from extreme social inequality. However, these circumstances lead the locals to become extremely resourceful with the little they had. One of the few affordable items in Guayaquil is Plantains. Because of this, there are around 100 different plantain based dishes. This gave the locals the opportunity to diversify their culinary while still maintaining affordable prices.

Background information by informant: Each dish tastes uniquely different, and provides such a distinct palette that you cant even believe that they all stem from the same simple ingredient.

Thoughts: The brilliance of a culture comes from the ability to maximize the available resources in order to make a living. In this way, locals from the coast of Ecuador not only succeeded, but also created a wide range of distinct culinary options with the same basic and abundant resource they could find.