Author Archives: Alexandra Dasilva

Halloween Song

Nationality: Amerixan
Age: 63-66
Residence: New York
Performance Date: April 18, 2015
Primary Language: English

When the informant was younger, her sister and she performed it at a halloween concert. She still sings it and it has been passed down to her kids (and her sister’s child as well).

“Halloween, Halloween

all the witches to be seen

some are black and some are green

hey ho, it’s Halloween”

 

The informant says that they learned this song around 1962. This song has an A-A-A-A nursery rhyme scheme making it really catchy and easy to learn, which definitely implies it was a kid’s rhyme. This particular rhyme informs the audience that witches the symbol of halloween. Even though witches are often portrayed as mean and scary this light-hearted rhyme implies, with the “hey ho” that they are comning out celebrate as well.

The informant says that her sister has passed away and that halloween was her favorite holiday. As a little celebration for her sister, she still sings this song on the morning of every single halloween. Despite the informant teaching her children and children this rhyme. The informant clearly still associates performing this song with her sister. It serves as a nostalgic reminder of childhood.

Roses are Red…

Nationality: American
Age: 63-66
Residence: New York
Performance Date: April 18, 2015
Primary Language: English

This rhyme uses the famous “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue” poem:

Roses are Redish, Violets are Bluish, if it wasn’t for Christmas we’d all be Jewish.

 

The informant told me that when she was younger she used to be jealous of the kids in her class that would celebrate christmas. She says that her other friend from school that was also Jewish taught her this rhyme and that they would say it to each other. The informant and her friend felt left out for not celebrating Christmas because they went to a school with more kids who celebrated Christmas than Hanukah. Since the informant and her friend had the same religious identity they would share this rhyme with one another to feel a little more included (And to make light of the situation).

A grandfather’s favorite jokes

Nationality: American
Age: 90
Residence: New Jersey
Performance Date: April 22, 2015
Primary Language: English
Language: German, Hebrew

The informant is 90 years old. He tells jokes all of the time.

 

1. Two friends are playing golf and one man says, “I can’t wait for my grandchildren to leave”

“Oh. When do they come?”

“Tomorrow”

The informant mentioned that this was a joke his friend once told him while they were playing golf. The irony of a grandparent not enjoying the company of their grandchild is what makes this joke so funny. The informant is a grandparent and so is the man who initially told him the joke which may be why they both find this joke so hysterical – they share a common identity and they can relate to it. They know their being ironic but the joke might not go over so well if one of they say it to their grandchildren.

 

2. A woman is on her deathbed and she is telling her husband to continue living his life including getting remarried. So she tells her husband that when and if he gets remarried that she wants for him to give his new wife all of her things, including her new golf club.The husband says, “Honey that’s not possible because she is left handed”

The informant has been married for 67 years. I think that the informant likes to tell his wife this joke.   Perhaps he likes to tell this joke because it plays upon something that the informant would never do – leave his wife for another woman.

 

3. A man is sitting on a bench crying and a cop comes by and asks,

“Hiya Pop, why are you crying”

The man responds, “I have a beautiful young wife, a lot of money—“

The cop interjects “so why are you crying Pop?

Because I forgot where I live”

This joke about alzheimer’s is definitely geared for older generations. It’s protecting a pretty serious issue that many people and families have to deal with as members of their family age – alzheimer’s disease. By making light of this heavy topic, the informant is also making light of his older age.

Farofa Receita (Recipe)

Nationality: Brazilian
Age: 71
Occupation: Cameraman for Globo News
Residence: New York
Performance Date: March 19 2015
Primary Language: Portuguese
Language: English, Spanish

The Recipe:

Farofa Vegetariana

 A  farofa vegetariana é uma tendência que existe já há algum tempo e as pessoas nem a chamam de vegetariana ou de farofa vegana, mas simplesmente de farofa. Isso acontece porque muitas pessoas não colocam em suas farofas ingredientes como ovos e bacon frito. Assim, as farofas modernas costumam ser naturalmente vegetarianas e consequentemente mais saudáveis.

Esta receita fica sensacional se você seguir os ingredientes à risca…

Ingredientes

  • 1 xícara de farinha de mandioca crua
  • 1 xícara de farinha de milho amarela*
  • 2 colheres de chá de azeite
  • 1 cebola grande picada finamente
  • 2 dentes de alho amassados
  • 1 xícara de azeitonas verdes picadas
  • 1 xícara de cenoura ralada
  • 1/2 pimentão vermelho picadinho
  • 1/2 xícara de uva passa escura
  • 1/2 xícara de cheiro verde picado
  • 1 xícara de couve picada finamente (opcional)
  • sumo de 1 limão
  • 2 espigas de milho cozido
  • sal a gosto (se necessário)

Como fazer a farofa vegetariana

Cozinhe o milho e retire os grãos. Refogue a cebola e o alho no azeite, acrescente as azeitonas picadas e a couve e mexa bem, acrescente a cenoura ralada, o pimentão. Tampe e deixe por 1 minuto em fogo mínimo. Desligue o fogo, acrescente o limão, as uvas passas, a farinha e o cheiro verde, mexa, prove o sal e acrescente um pouco se necessário e sirva.

Translation:

Vegetarian Farofa is a trend that has exist for a while. People can call it vegetarian Farofa or vegan Farofa but it’s simply Farofa. This is because many people do not mix farofa with their eggs or their meat (like bacon). Modern farofa dishes are naturally vegetarian so it is more healthy.

This recipe is sensational if you follow the ingredients….

1 cup of flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal *
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped green olives
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup raisins dark
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup finely chopped cabbage (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
2 ears of corn on the cob
Salt to taste (if necessary)

How to do the Vegetarian Farofa:

Cook the corn and remove the kernels (or niblets). Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, add chopped olives and cabbage and mix it well, add grated carrot and peppers. Cover and leave it on the fire for one minute (minimum). Turn off the stove and add the lemon juice, the rains, flour, and parsley. Mix it and add a little salt if necessary and serve.

Analysis:

The informant is a Brazilian who has been living in America for about forty years. He is the cameraman works for a Brazilian News Company called Globo – think the “ABC” of Brazil – so all of his footage airs primarily in Brazil and the reports are only done in Portuguese. Everyone that works at Globo speaks Portuguese and share a love for Brazilian culture. In fact, Most of his co-workers are like the informant because, they too, were transferred from Brazil to New York for work.  The informant says that in order to stay connected to Brazil, people at Globo will often host “Churrasequeria’s” (Barbecues) for the whole office. They stay connected through their love of the food from home. This farofa recipe was shared around the office through email by one of the informant’s co-workers, perhaps to remind everyone of home. The recipe is in Portuguese, highlighting a that it is for a specific audience – Portuguese  speakers.

Edward Mordrake

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles/New York
Performance Date: April 28, 2015
Primary Language: English

“The story is that this man had a fully functioning human being. He had a functioning brain and his face and body looked normal. However, he had a face on the back of his head. The Face on the back of his head would whisper evil thoughts into his mind.”

 

Analysis:

The informant found this story through a link he clicked on twitter.

According to the informant, Edward Mordrake is a non fictitious figure. Apparently, Mordrake was a man living with two faces, one evil, one good. However, the informant not believe that part to be entirely true; He believes that the man existed but does not think he actually had two faces. As the informant was telling me this story, I immediately saw a parallel to the story of Edward Mordrake and Professor Quirell’s character in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  Quirinus Quirrell’s character eventually reveals that he has an evil face on the back of head, like Edward Mordrake. Except in Harry Potter, it’s the the nefarious dark lord Voldemort whereas in Mordrake’s case, according to the informant’s story, is just an evil face. From the informant’s story it seems that the Evil Face and Mordrake share the same body and brain, like Quirrell/Voldemort in Harry Potter; making it so that Mordrake and Quirrel are brought to do evil deeds by their other faces.

The idea of the doppelgänger has been a central motif in the horror genre. The story of Edward Mordrake plays upon the Jekyll and Hyde motif. It seems like a cautionary tale to people to allow them to embrace their evil thoughts or “shadows” as Carl Jung puts it, or else repressed negative or attitudes will manifest itself and take over the psyche.

 

The informant is a fan of American Horror Story and said that two of the episodes this season were titled “Edward Mordrake.” In fact, this is what prompted him to find the story online.

 

Citation:

Rowling, J. K., and Mary GrandPré. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: A.A. Levine, 1998. Print.

 

IMDB pages for AHS Edward Mordrake Episodes:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3687728/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3687724/