This informant told the story of how her mom would successfully manage to get her and her brother to throw away all their candy on Halloween. Each year, they would have a great big pumpkin, and by the end of Halloween night, they would give all their candy from their trick-or-treating to it. In return, the pumpkin would give back some sort of gift. The informant and her brother would be allowed to only keep only a few pieces of candy. The informant’s memories are most vivid from when she was a child; she remembers, for instance, her brother and her getting an orange razer scooter when they were around six and seven. In order to get the gift, you would have to dump all your candy in the pumpkin and the more candy you give, the bigger the gift would be. All the candy gets left there overnight, it’s kind of like the same premise of Santa Clause, because the next morning there would be a gift ready for them when they woke up. The informant spoke about how she and her brother loved doing this every year, and weren’t even big fans of candy so it made it easy to let go of the treats. The informant doesn’t know how her mom got the idea or if it was something her grandparents would do with her, and, up until a few years ago, the informant thought other people had participated in the same sort of event until a friend of hers had no idea what she was talking about when she brought it up. The informant looked back fondly on these memories. I think this is an interesting take on how to decrease childhood obesity and diabetes… that may sound extreme but I am a firm believer that these things start young and on holidays such as Halloween. I think I’ll use this same tactic when I have my own kids to avoid any rotten teeth. It’s definitely a smart idea.
Monthly Archives: April 2018
Peanut Butter Hiccups Remedy
I asked my mother if she has any unique home remedies:
“I swear by my home-remedy cure for hiccups. All I do is eat a spoonful of creamy peanut butter straight out of the jar and it always works for me.”
I then asked where she learned this:
“I actually figured it out for myself. Hiccups always annoyed me so much so I tried all of the typical remedies people suggest and nothing ever worked. I figured out my peanut butter trick sometime around my last year in college and it’s worked ever since.”
Background: Tamara has lived her entire life in Southern California and attended USC from 1979 to 1983.
Context: My mom shared this trick with me while sitting at our kitchen table eating breakfast.
Analysis: A remedy is such an interesting thing in and of itself because each one is so different depending on who you ask, and most typically, people swear by the specific remedies that work for them and disregard remedies from other people. One remedy that could work every single time for one person could never work once for another, which I think makes them a really interesting topic of study in cultures around the world. I have grown up attempting to cure hiccups by eating a spoonful of peanut butter because it is what I learned from my mom. Depending on where and how you were raised, you have a very different view of what really has the ability to heal.
For other hiccup remedies access the link below:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9896.php
A Time-Traveling Experience: Hotel From the Past
In October 1979, two couples in Dover, England, set off on a vacation together through France and Spain. The journey turned out to be one that took them to another world. When they tried to find a hotel to stay, they were struck by some posters advertising a circus. “It was a very old-fashioned circus,” Pauline recalled. “That’s why we took so much interest.”
Further on, they did find an old-fashioned building marked “hotel.” Inside, they discovered, almost everything was made of heavy wood, and there seemed to be no evidence of modern conveniences as telephones or elevators. Their rooms were also extremely simple. There were no locks but simple wooden catches, no pillows, and the bathrooms had old-fashioned plumbing.
The next morning, when they were eating breakfast, two gendarmes entered wearing very old-fashioned caped uniforms. There was also a woman wearing a silk evening gown sitting opposite from them. “It was strange,” Pauline said. “It looked like she had just come in from a ball, but it was seven in the morning. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.” After receiving what turned out to be very bad directions to Avignon from the gendarmes (they didn’t seem to understand the word “auto-route”), the couples were astonished to pay a bill that came to only 19 francs. They left before the staffs could change their minds.
After two weeks in Spain, the couples made a return trip through France and decided to again stay at the odd but very cheap hotel. This time, however, the hotel could not be found, even after the couples drove up and down the road three times looking for it, certain they were in the exact same spot (they saw the same circus posters). After returning to Dover, the pictures they took of the hotel did not process, as if the pictures had never been taken. Little research revealed that French gendarmes wore uniforms of that description prior to 1905.
My friend M S shared this story with me. It first appeared in “World of Strange Phenomena” by Charles Berlitz, published 1988 by Wynwood Press. The story also appeared on numerous blogs, uncredited. This story was also reported on the British TV Series “Strange But True” in 1995, Season 2, Episode 2 at 3:39.
When I asked her if she had any “ghost stories” to share with me, she said she remember she read this story somewhere a while ago. She also pulled up the thread she saw it at to help her better tell me the story. She really liked this story because it was “spooky, creepy, and mysterious”. When I asked her if she thought the story was real, she said no. Regardless, she really liked how there are so many detailed descriptions to make the story believable. I asked her why does she classify this as a “ghost story”, if there were no mentions of particular “spirits” of any deceased person. She said that the fact that the couples encountered the buildings and the people in them, but then turned out to have never existed, must be related to some form of “spirits” or ghosts from the past.
Personally, I also really enjoyed the story. I believe the reason for that is there are so many detailed descriptions, such as the names and exact locations provided. Also, the fact that there are no other evidences but merely the verbal accounts of these couples make the story more appealing; it adds a mysterious shade as there are no ways to prove its validity, while the details make it sound so realistic. I believe this is not necessarily a “ghost story”, but definitely a paranormal or supernatural story. The “time-traveling” aspect of the story also adds a science-fiction tone to the story. If the couples did travel “back in time”, then the people they saw and talked to could be considered as spirits of people of the past. However, another argument could be made that the couples simply entered another dimension, so their state should be questioned, rather than those of the dimension they entered. As it can be seen, the perception of the story can differ from person to person, depending on how they approach it.
The Ghost of the Mauna Kea Hotel
THE STORY
The Mauna Kea ghost was in the area long before I ever went there. I first came to the hotel for my honeymoon in August of 1965, shortly after the hotel opened. That’s when I learned of the ghost. The Mauna Kea ghost was a beautiful woman. She was a native Hawaiian who fell in love with a white rancher who came to the island later in his life. They were so in love that they were destined to be married! Their families did not allow this, though, because of their different races. Her broken heart caused her much sadness, and she decided to drown herself in the ocean. Her last steps on Earth were on the very beach that the hotel now stands on.
People now say that they see the ghost at the hotel! My foolish husband doesn’t believe in ghosts, but even he heard her one time when he was alone in the bar area. That’s where she likes to be the most. She appears to men who have had too much to drink at the bar. She also likes to get in the elevator with guests. I once heard of a man at the hotel who saw a woman when he entered the elevator. Then, in the middle of the ride, she walked straight through the closed doors! I’ve never seen her myself, but I have been to Mauna Kea enough times to know that she is there.
ANALYSIS
Context: The respondent first learned of this story in August of 1965 on her honeymoon at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii. The respondent has made several trips back to this location, and had learned of several additions to the story over the past few decades. One of these additions included a personal experience from her husband during their second trip to the resort. The story was collected over a lunch interview.
Respondent’s Beliefs: The respondent believed in the ghost of Mauna Kea, even though she had no personal experience with the ghost. She gave credence to all of the sightings of the ghost, and even interpreted an experience her husband had as a ghost sighting (despite the fact that her husband does not believe in ghosts himself). The respondent was Roman Catholic, but did not reference religion when telling the story.
Motifs: This narrative is a classic example of a ghost of a suicidal lover. Many stories throughout history have featured lovers who are forbidden to be together by society, often leading to tragic deaths. Tragic deaths often lead to ghosts, and this story is no exception. The Mauna Kea ghost appears to haunt the hotel due to an unfulfilled life, which is consistent with many ghost narratives such as the Hispanic La Llorona legend. The ghost also haunts male guests the most, especially drunk men. Many ghost stories involve the consumption of alcohol, and from a skeptical perspective, intoxication can lead to increased hallucinations or misperceptions, increasing the chance of a person seeing a “ghost” that isn’t really there. This story differs from other common stories, though, in regards to the name of the ghost. Most ghosts that are based on real or legendary events have a name, or at least a nickname of some importance (such as “La Llorona”). This is not the case with this narrative, as the ghost is called by the name of the hotel with “ghost” appended to the end. The narrative tells a rather personal story of the ghost that is rather emotional, yet she does not have a name nor any other identity marker.
The Little Girl in the Greenhouse
Have you had any odd experiences with spirits or ghosts? Or maybe just events that can’t be explained in rational terms?
“I lived in a new house, there were 24 homes in the development where there used to be greenhouses. I had been living in the house for 3 months, and my husband would travel for 7-10 days each month and I would be alone with my dog. And I would get lonely at night and I would talk to the dog and he would sleep on the landing of our stairs. So one night when I was going to bed… I could smell sweet flowers. And this kind of happened for several months, about once a week, and it was always when I was alone and it was late at night and I was feeling alone. So I was talking to somebody at one of the neighbors and she told me that a little girl had died in one of the greenhouses on the property. So… because I was trying to figure out why it smelled sweet I would close the windows to try and figure it out. So after I found out about the little girl, I sat on the step and I addressed the little girl and I told her that I was happy she was there and she could be there any time she wanted and I liked the smell of the flowers. And there would be times that I was feeling lonely after that, I would sit on the stairs and pet the dog and talk to her… and I could smell the flowers. So instead of me just smelling the flowers, I would talk to her and then start to smell the flowers… and it happened all 10 years I was living there. So basically Alexa what started as her introducing herself to me turned into me being able to communicate and interact with her on my terms, not just her being there. But sometimes I would come home and the house would just smell of sweet flowers. I know it was to make me smile… I just know it. Cash our dog would feel her presence as well, he would look up and around and could tell that she was around. He would begin whimpering and look, so I would ask him “Do you see her?” and he would cock his head to the side and look over in a general area.
What about when dad would come home?
“When your dad would come home, it didn’t happen when he was around… it was only when I was lonely cause I hated being by myself. Being alone at home is something that I have always found scary, so knowing that there was someone else there with me was a huge relief and calmed my nerves. Since she knew that she would show her presence through the smell of flowers. I’ve told your dad what happened and he knows the story, he just never experienced it.
Context behind story:
The person who had the experience with the little girl in the greenhouse was my mom. It took place at her and my dad’s first house in Atherton, CA in an area that contained 24 homes either already built or in development. My mom was confused as to why the home would smell strongly of flowers even when all the doors and windows had been shut for the day, so she spoke with one of the neighbors and was told about a little girl who died in the greenhouse behind our home. There were multiple greenhouses around the property, however the one right behind our house was the only one which had a death occur within it. As stated in the text, no one actually knows or has been told how the little girl died in the greenhouse, the only thing they know for a fact is that she did in it. My mom has always had a strong belief in the existence of ghosts and spirits, having many other odd encounters besides the little girl. My dad used to travel a lot for work, leaving for a week or more at a time. My mom has always hated being alone at home, so she began to encounter the little girl whenever my dad was away. A strong scent of flowers would waft into the home at night, and that was the little girls signal to my mom that she was with her. Our old dog, Cash, would also share this experience with my mom as he would start whimpering and look around the house, trying to find the little girl. After some time, my mom began to have social interactions with the girl. It was like the little girl knew that my mom didn’t like being alone, so she would show her presence to put my mom at ease and make her feel like she wasn’t the only one at home. After some time and gaining comfort around the ghost, my mom would sit on the steps of the home with Cash and begin speaking to the little girl. She never heard a voice back, but the smell the flowers would signal the ghost was present and listening to the conversation. This happened each time my dad left for the 10 years they lived in the home, but never when he was around. Although it definitely happened more than once a month, the total number of minimum encounters my mom had with the little girl would be 120.
How do you interpret what happened in the story?
“I totally believe in spirits; I believe there is energy all around. I definitely believe in what happened, I interacted with the ghost for 10 years. I have always had a belief in ghosts, so I was never scared of the situation and accepted it for what it was. I can feel things when I walk into houses and places, so the interaction with the little girl felt almost normal to me. Supposedly a very sweet little girl died in the greenhouse, but how she died was never told to me. When I would ask other people about her death, they too did not know how she passed. The sweet girl helped me through many nights of being alone and worried, so I guess you can say my ghost encounter turned into a blossoming friendship! Hehe you see what I did there… blossoming… flowers… get it!?”
My interpretation of the story:
My interpretation of the story is that what my mom experienced was real and involved a friendly ghost. The fact that a little girl was known to have died in the greenhouse behind their home and that my mom would smell fresh flowers whenever she was alone or scared is very coincidental. A way to refute this being a ghost would be saying that doors or windows may have been open or because they were so close to the greenhouse, but this would only happen when everything in the house had been shut for some time. Also, the fact that our old dog, Cash, would begin barking or whimpering whenever the house would begin to smell attests to the little girl’s presence. Another part as to why I believe this story is real is the possibility of having conversations when coming in contact with spirits. There were times my mom would sit on the stairs and began speaking to the little girl with the sole purpose of connecting with her, and then begin to smell fresh flowers after speaking for a few minutes. Also, the fact the Native Americans believe ghosts to be so intertwined with society and my mom being connected to her ethnic roots contribute to why she would be so sure this is a ghost, and also why I am also a believer. We both believe that all things have souls and are always present in society one way or another. Many ghosts are known to be people whose life purpose hadn’t been fulfilled, so there being a ghost of a little girl is very plausible. She didn’t have the chance to grow up, get married, have kids, or other life experiences. Her life was unfortunately cut short, potentially causing her to be unable to cross over. Since there is a good amount of compelling evidence from this experience, I definitely believe this to be a true ghost encounter.