Author Archives: Kelly Lichter

Rhyme/Game – South Africa

Nationality: South African
Age: 49
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: March 29, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Afrikaans

A flock of birds before my eyes,

When will be my next surprise?

This little verse has been passed down from generation to generation. Every time a flock of birds flew by in the sky the first child to see it would announce it to the rest of the group or the other members present. Anyone else in the group then randomly shouted out a time. The person who saw the birds originally would then wait for the time to come and see if anything special happens and if their surprise occurs.

My mother originally played this game in South Africa as a child and then taught me and my sister the game at an early age. She cannot recall from whom she learned the poem but rather it was a well-known game by her, her family, and all of her friends.  Although for her there was no deeper meaning, she taught it to us as it caused excitement and anticipation. Although she knew that the future occurrences were not based off one person reciting this little poem, it was still an enjoyable as well as fun activity to participate in.

Although a few people might be aware of this poem in the United States, I have never heard anyone but South Africans recite it. Mostly, I have heard this quote used by my immediate family members throughout my childhood. However I never considered the meaning behind the saying. It was something I never questioned but rather just a comment that I began using myself. However upon hearing this quote used a few weeks ago by my mother I reconsidered the meaning behind the quote and realized the incongruity in the wording.

Birds are often an omen foreshadowing something bad that will be occurring. Therefore it is interesting that the surprise that the person is referencing is a good surprise. It is ironic that a flock of birds causes excitement and hope for a pleasant occurrence in the future.

Yet a flock of birds signifies that a handful of individual birds have come together in order to fashion one assemblage. Instead of flying alone they have joined forces to create one large force.

Metaphorically speaking, eyes are often the mirror to the soul and so it is possible that the quote serves a purpose of showing the inner desire for acceptance and a group, and the positives that will occur when working collectively with other individuals.

Holiday Tradition – Jewish

Nationality: South African
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 19, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

“For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind” (Emerson).

The Jewish holiday of Passover tells the story of how the Jewish slaves escaped from Egypt. They were in such a hurry to leave and escape their enslavement that their bread was unable to rise. As a result they had unleavened bread. It has become a tradition that when Passover comes around each year the Jewish people not only recite the Passover story but also do not eat leavened bread for eight days in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt. The product that it is eaten in lieu of bread is termed matzah. This unleavened product is also eaten at the Jewish Seder. Seder is a Hebrew word which translated in English means order as the night follows a specific order and is repeated in this order in all households. Towards the finalization of the night the matzah is hidden and the young children will vehemently rummage through the house to try and find it. A small gift is then given to the person who finds the hidden matzah. Depending on the family the gift can range from a monetary reward to simply a verbal congratulatory remark.

There are no people under the age of thirteen (bar mitzvah) at the Seders that I attend and as a result everyone is considered an adult. Since there is no one of the correct age left to search for the matzah a new tradition has been started in my family. Each person is given a type of “matzah sandwich”. Instead of a filling being placed in between the two matzah pieces, a significant quote is placed inside. Although these quotes have nothing to do particularly with the Jewish religion, they are selected with the sole purpose of making us reflect on our lives and find the connections with the Passover Seder.

My sister, Megan Lichter began this tradition a few years ago and since then it has become a standard part of the Passover evening. She wanted to find a way to have all people involved. Not everyone that attends our Seders is a practicing Jew and there are even a few people that attend that have no affiliation to Judaism at all. As a result these secular quotes can be understood by all attendees of the Seder. Although the quotes are carefully selected to relate is some way to the Passover story, people will interpret the connection in varying ways regardless of their religious connection.

The quote featured above by Emerson was a quote that was included in the matzah sandwiches this year. Upon discussion the group came to the conclusion that instead of living life with anger and regret, one should embrace each moment. It is similar to the idea of “living each moment as if it was your last”. We only have a minimal amount of time to live and therefore one should not waste the precious moments with anger. My sister, Megan found it to have a relation to Passover in that we were an enslaved population for many years. This holiday is about remembering but it also embraces our freedom. We should utilize and live each moment as we are so blessed to be given freedoms. I agree with her analysis as it logical and has a legitimate connection to the Passover Seder.

Annotation: For more information one can read the Haggadah by Moshe Lazar. Matzah is mentioned throughout the entirety of the Haggadah.

Lazar, Moshe. Ladino, Passover, Haggadah. Los Angeles, 2006.

Camp Song

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 27, 2008
Primary Language: English

Well I walked around the corner and I walked around the block,

And I walked right into a bakery shop,

And I picked up a doughnut, and wiped of the grease,

And I handed the lady a five cent piece

Well she looked at the doughnut and she looked at me

And she said this doughnut is no good to me

There’s a hole in the middle I can see right through

Well I said there’s a hole in the doughnut too

Thanks for the doughnut

Bye now!

This is a camp song that Lauren learned at a sleep away camp that she attended every summer. All the campers came to learn this song. It is meant to be sung extremely quickly. It follows an AB AB rhyme scheme which allows it to be read with increased speed. It flows very well and the rhyme scheme also aids in learning the song. The words are basic are there are not too many syllables in each word as the song is meant to be simple and straightforward. It is meant to be sung by campers of all ages and is usually sung when the entire camp gathers together such as after meals in the dining hall.

Singing the songs is one of Lauren’s favorite parts to camp and it is one camp tradition that never changes. The same songs are sung each year and it has become a part of camp that many campers look forward to. Although this particular song has no specific relevance to her, it is just something that she enjoys singing.

After she sang this song to me I tried to analyze the words in search for a deeper meaning to this song. Although I initially thought that this song had no significance, the more I looked at these words, I came to realize something unique about this song.

Camp represents a time for a child to embrace his or her youth. Although many children do mature from being away from their families and around new people, in general camp is mostly about having fun and enjoying one’s childhood. There are no real stresses when one is away at camp. When one looks at the words of the song it clear that the person believes he or she can buy the doughnut with a coin with the center that is missing because a doughnut also has a missing center. This is a representation of a type of childhood innocence, where everything just seems simplistic and easy. The song represents the ideals that summer camp stresses; a time for innocence and lighthearted and clean fun.

Psychic – Jordan

Nationality: Jordanian
Age: 47
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 19, 2008
Primary Language: Arabic
Language: English

There is a recognized lady in most communities in Jordan who has a talent in reading the pattern of the ground Turkish coffee beans left behind after drinking coffee. She has become the designated person to do this after every meal. She supports a saucer on top of the cup and then turns the cup upside down. The pattern of ground coffee left in the cup is she what she interprets.

When she read Yousef Ghandour’s coffee she found seven columns in the cup and between two of them was a large space. She interpreted the large space to be a window and she predicted that he would be at a meeting with a group of seven other people. The window was the opportunity that would come out of the meeting. This appeared to come true some time later when he met with several physicians who offered him a position to work with them.

There are many truths that she has told people from reading their coffee cups. If she gets bad vibes from the coffee cup of the person that she is reading about, she won’t continue. This has become a ritual at social gatherings especially after the meal.

Although this particular case seems like coffee cup reading is valid, usually I would not believe in predictions for the future. With fortune cookies, horoscopes, and fortune tellers it appears as if they select a general prediction for the future that in some way each person can make it apply to him or herself. Many times I feel that my prediction did actually come true but when I actually think about it many circumstances could apply to the prediction.

Holiday Tradition

Nationality: American
Age: 60
Occupation: Dental Receptionist
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 12, 2008
Primary Language: English

Diana expressed that the most vivid memory she has of her youth took place when she was four years old. The Saturday night before Easter Sunday she was really excited for the events to come. She was unaware at that moment that her mother had spent days hiding items around the house that she said the Easter bunny had brought. Her mother went to great extremes to make the items very varied. For instance, she hid popcorn bunnies in her shoes, candied eggs in every nook and cranny, and fun little items all over the house. On Easter Sunday she would give all the children prettily decorated baskets for all the items they found. She made it so credible that the Easter bunny had really visited the Smith’s house. For years, Diana believed that this was in fact true. Apparently her mother stayed up really late in the night to hide everything and had to document where she placed all the edibles, in case the children were not able to find them all.

Diana has continued this tradition for her children and her grandchildren for as long as they will continue to believe it as Diana believes that fantasy is a necessary part to life.

I agree with Diana about how crucial fantasy is during childhood. Although at some point there is a time when children need to grow up, there is no need to dampen their imagination and hasten their maturation when they are young. Every child develops at different times but it is important to have a time in life when one’s imagination is allowed to run wild. By spoiling the excitement of the Easter Bunny at a young age won’t assist with one’s development in the future. It will only serve to constrain their imagination at a time when it is essential to be active and vibrant.

Obviously not all people celebrate Easter and as a result not everyone has a period of their childhood where they believe in the existence of the Easter Bunny. However this same concept of imagination and creation can be comparable with children who have imaginary friends. Having an imaginary friend would be unhealthy if it continues past a certain stage later in life but it is deemed acceptable when one is young. Imagination has become such an indispensable fixture in childhood that there are not only religious beings that are said to be existent (such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny) but secular beings too (such as the tooth fairy). Imaginary creatures stimulate a sense of excitement that will only last for such a minimal period of time in one’s life and as a result this time period should not be hindered but instead promoted and encouraged.

Annotation:

For more information read the chapter about Easter in the Modern time (the Easter Bunny will be featured).

Bradshaw, Paul F. Passover and Easter : Origin and History to Modern Times. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame P, 1999.