Author Archives: Melissa Leu

Proverb – USA

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 30
Occupation: Editor
Residence: Newport Beach, CA
Performance Date: April 10, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin

“Strap before you tap.”

Benjamin learned this proverb while he was in the U.S. Navy from his captain out at sea. Usually, the boat would be out at sea for about six months straight, with only a three to eight days in between every couple of weeks at port. Docking was a valued time off the ship, where many of the men could find female company they had been lacking on board. Right before the ship is about to port into a foreign country, the captain would deliver port briefs, which were basic rules and regulations. Benjamin said, “He would tell us the ‘do’s and don’ts’. Like ‘don’ts’ would be, ‘don’t piss off the locals, don’t act like an idiot and get drunk and get arrested. ‘Do’s’ would be like go have a good time. Join tours and enjoy yourself.” The captain would also reiterate the phrase, “strap before you tap,” during these briefs. As sort of a ritual to reinforce the message, the sailors on watch would have a big basket of condoms right before people exited the ship.

Benjamin said that the proverb means exactly what it sounds like. “Wear your condoms before doing anything stupid.” He believes the proverb to actually be a very good recommendation. He said that in foreign countries, especially places like Australia, following this simple piece of advice could save a lot of future headaches. “As you can imagine, STD’s aren’t too treatable when you’re on an aircraft carrier,” he said. It also keeps the medical departments from getting too busy. Due to the limited medical abilities on board, sexually transmitted diseases are difficult to treat.

The proverb simply means to put on a condom before having sex. It is a short quip warning the sailors of the dangers of having sexual relations in familiar territory with unfamiliar people. It is generally understood fact amongst the crew that most sailors heading to shore will be engaging in sexual activities, so the captain makes a preemptive attack on the trend, since he knows it will happen, and issues a warning to prevent possible health problems in the future.

The phrase is a direct reflection of the stereotypical idea that carnal desires take over men when they have not been in contact with the opposite sex for a long period of time. Although the proverb may not be applicable to everyone, it is targeted towards the sailors who will be prone to falling under this stereotype. Especially in the military, the captain uses this proverb probably to make fun of this accepted idea, as well as to warn the sailors.

I think that this proverb can probably be applied to everyone, not just to the Navy. It is solid advice for all men who participate in loose sexual relationships. However, it takes on special significance when told to those affiliated with the military. Because the military is mostly made up of men, the proverb targets that specific gender audience. Although it can also apply to women in the general meaning, it does not work directly. Women can’t “strap” a condom before having sex. The advice would be more about having safe sex.

Especially because the military breeds aggression and capitalizes on masculinity, the exact words used are very appropriate. The proverb draws on the understanding of slang in the group. “Strap” is equivalent to putting on a condom, while “tap” means to have sex. These words are a more vulgar way of warning men. By rhyming, the captain makes the advice easier to remember, and as a result, more likely to be spread.

Superstition – China

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Zheng Zhou, Henan, China
Performance Date: April 9, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin

“I know that on Chinese New Year, you’re not supposed to eat medicine because it means you’ll be eating medicine for the rest of the year.”

Teng learned this superstition growing up in China until the age of nine. She claims she grew up knowing about it, because her mom would remind her every Chinese New Year. Even when she moved to Australia, her mother would never allow her to eat medicine on that day. Fortunately, Teng has never been sick during that time period, so she has never had to suffer a day without medicine due to a Chinese superstition.

Her mother probably learned the superstition from her mother, who probably learned it from the generation before them. The superstition is the type that is passed down between families and friends.

Teng said that she would tell other people about not eating medicine on Chinese New Years in any sort of context. However, it would be pertinent when that time of the year draws nearer and thus the risk factor of falling into the faux pas increases. She would usually tell this to her friends or younger relatives because the older adults she comes into contact with would probably already know about it. She would also talk about this superstition to during a conversation about all of the different kinds of Chinese superstitions, as she claims there is a plethora of.

Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar. Thus, following the commonly used solar calendar, the day usually falls sometime in early February. During this day of celebration, many superstitions and traditions are followed. There are even preparations going into the event to ensure a happy, healthy, and successful new year. Usually, it is a day when spirits roam free and need to be chased away.

Although Teng does not really believe in the superstition, she said that her mother reminds her every year anyways. Because she grew up in Australia, she cites a scientific education that has led her to doubt ideas that have not been proven. Superstitions do not play as heavy of a role in her life, because she does not believe in things that are not logical. Yet, at the same time, she has never tested the superstition because her mother would never allow her to toy with long held beliefs.

Although the origins of this superstition are unknown, Teng thinks that it probably comes from ancient times, when an emperor became sick for a whole year after eating medicine on the first day of the New Year, and ended up dying after a year of suffering. Because Chinese culture is very based on what previous generations passed down, compounded with the fact that not much was known in the field of medicine, people tended to follow superstitions no matter how foolhardy the advice seemed. She said it is a legacy based on paranoia and a few false beliefs.

The superstition is told as a word of warning to all of the dangers. It reveals that health is considered especially important and is valued in Chinese culture. Taking these seemingly strange precautions on New Year’s Day lends people who believe the superstition a piece of mind. I do not necessarily believe that this is true. If indeed there was a king who suffered a whole year and then died, I feel like the people that were around just needed to find a reason to explain away his death. This superstition is successful in the Chinese culture because it has taken many important elements and combined them into one simple rule of life that is easily followed.

Myth – China

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Zheng Zhou, Henan, China
Performance Date: April 9, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin

“So once upon a time there was a young man, who lived from just like farming and like chopping wood and selling it. So he’s pretty poor. But, and then his parents died when he was really young, but everyone around him, like his neighbors and things all love him because he is kind and he is like pretty good looking too. Well, that shouldn’t be a reason. Um, and then so like one day, a really beautiful girl just appeared out of nowhere. And they ended up falling love. Um… and then they got married, and they began living a very happy life. And then like one day some soldiers, heavenly looking soldiers. And came out of nowhere and said they had to take the girl back, like his wife. So the girl ended up being a fairy from the heavenly temple and like in heavenly rules normal people are not allowed to marry heavenly goddesses. They were so in love when the girl got taken back. By then they already have 2 kids, and so like the queen of the heavenly temple heard their story and basically felt sorry for them. So she set up a day like ‘qi xi’ (? ?) ‘the seventh day of the seventh month.’ for the boy, I mean the man, to go with his kids to see the goddess and they walk across the milky way to find her. Its like a ‘niu lang zhi nu’ (? ? ? ?) story. ‘Niu lang’ is the guy. People call him that because he owns a cow and his main job is farming, which is what the phrase means. And they call the girl ‘zhi nu’ because after she married him her job was to weave at home. ‘Zhi’ means to weave. It’s actually a really sad story. And once a year they actually celebrate that day. Even now. I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day now.”

Teng learned this story from her grandmother when she was around five years old. She remembers specifically that it was on that day (the seventh day of the seventh month) that her grandmother told her the story behind the day. Her grandmother resides in China, where Teng said that her grandmother learned the story from. Teng was born in China herself and lived there until she was nine years old. As a result, her grandmother often told her stories behind certain Chinese culture and traditions.

Teng said that she would tell other people this story when the subjects of the story are relevant to the conversation, like Chinese festivals, Valentines Day, and old stories, but most likely on the day the story takes place (? ?). However, she said that the target audience would probably be the younger generation because adults probably already know this story. Teng forgot to take into account that probably only Chinese adults that are familiar with the story. I assume that the story would probably be more spread amongst the Chinese community and those interested in Chinese culture. However, Teng also said that she could tell it to one person or a big group.

Teng thinks that this story is especially sad story of torn lovers. It is a very melodramatic and tragic love story between the godly and the ungodly. To her, it is an unrealistic version of love that influences the modern materialistic world to value love more than the superficial things in life. She said that Chinese culture is also very similar in that romanticism is often thought of as important, despite the general population being attracted to material possessions in the global society.

Stories of star-crossed lovers are popular in all cultures. This story in particular draws on the class distinctions between a man and a goddess. Translated into real life, the goddess was probably just a female of higher rank. The story reveals that in Chinese past, marriage customs stated that the woman had to marry someone of equal or higher rank. By having the goddess being forcibly separated from her husband, it shows that the Chinese are rigid in following particular rules dictating social behavior.

The fact that the Chinese celebrate this day as a holiday opens up two possibilities. Either they created the story to explain the holiday away, or they created the holiday after the story. I think that the story is probably loosely based off of true events that have been exaggerated through time. Because the story has been around for so long, I think that it permeated Chinese culture to the point, where it was necessary to designate the day a holiday.

Folk Medicine – Mexico

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Newman, CA
Performance Date: March 9, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

“So this is for when you have a toothache. You know when you’re burning the candle and the wax starts to burn off. You’re supposed to put melted candle on each fingernail and it will get rid of your toothache. Just a drop though. My dad says that because the candle wax is so hot that it burns your fingernails that you forget about the toothache and the pain kind of balances out.”

Ariana said that her father told her about this folk remedy for toothaches when she was growing up in Newman, California. Her father learned it from his mother, who had tried it on him whenever he had toothaches. Ariana’s father lived in Mexico until his early twenties, where his father owned a candle business. The roof was flat, so there was always an abundance of wax drying out because of the convenient structure. His mother used this technique often instead of going to the dentist for proper treatment. Ariana, however, has never had to experience the use of hot candle wax on her fingernails instead of a visit to the dentist.

This technique is used whenever someone is suffering from a toothache. Ariana said that it could probably work in alleviating most other types of aches and pains because she believes it works by distraction. It can be tried on people of all ages, but probably more easily applied to younger children who are prone to believe in it working. Using candle wax, she said was probably just something her grandmother made up, but could have been something she learned while being involved in the candle business. She derives her explanation of the technique from her father, who has personally undergone this procedure.

Ariana thinks that the folk remedy came as a result of her grandfather’s candle business. Her grandmother probably just thought to try it out, because candle wax was so available to the family and probably a lot cheaper to try than going to the dentist would have been. She does not think it works. Her father, on the other hand, told her that the remedy works as a sort of pain distraction. Instead of getting rid of the toothache, it really focuses all one’s attention on the burning sensation of the dripping hot candle wax. Because Ariana’s father chose not to pass this folklore remedy on to his children through practice, I assume that he does not believe that it works himself. Ariana said he told her that he thought the technique sounded farfetched to him as a boy, and from experience did not feel like it go rid of his toothache.

I think that this folk remedy most likely came about because Ariana’s grandfather was in the candle business. Being exposed to the candle community, there should be plenty of folklore surrounding the multiple uses of candle wax. A neighborhood or friend might have mentioned it to Ariana’s grandparents, knowing that they have a lot of access to the materials involved. Ariana’s grandmother also could have just made it up because the family did not have enough money to go to the dentist at the time. Even if it is an unconventional way of ridding oneself of toothaches, the method still works because the mind notices the toothache less so the pain is reduced.

Festival – USA

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Newman, CA
Performance Date: March 9, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

“The Fall Festival. So it started way back in the day. Newman is an agricultural community and way, probably a long time ago. Back then it was really big because it was in the middle of walnut and almond fields. And so most of the people who live there are ranchers and so when harvest season came around, the town would gather because the town was really small. And they would celebrate the harvest. And there’s always a parade. And they have a Miss Newman contest, Little Mister and Miss Newman. And they get to ride in the parade. And all the different shop owners and stuff have their own float type thing. The fire department pulls out the trucks with a bunch of candy handed out. Originally, it was booths with the harvest stuff and now it’s whoever wants to set up a booth. It’s kind of like a little mini flea market. Now there’s a bunch of deep-fried everything, Chinese food, Mexican food, and kettle corn. The FFA has their contest because they have to raise animals. They take them to the fair and win contests. Usually they win. There’s also a Bud Light stand, where most of the guys between 21 and 30 are. And they have the festival at the city park and they’ll close off the street. And they’ll have like rides. It’s kind of a little mini carnival with a Ferris wheel. They’ll have a section for the little kids and another section with a few rides. It’s like the town’s main event and everyone usually turns up.”

Ariana was born in northern California, but moved to Newman (also located in northern California) in 1998. Every year since she has lived at Newman, she makes an annual trip with either her friends and/or family to the festival. The town is extremely small and the population is about 7,000 people. Usually there are not any other major city events besides the fall festival that is held every year.

The festival is a community-oriented celebration that is target to people of all ages. Ariana said that because the town is so small, the fall festival is usually one of the biggest events of the year. It takes place annually in September and the whole town is usually in attendance. Originally meant to celebrate the harvest, the festival draws its roots from the city’s agricultural history. Ariana said that much of the town is still rural, but a majority of residents commute to work instead of work in farming. However, after several years of celebrating the fall festival, it has become a town tradition.

Ariana said that the festival was especially fun when she was young, because everything was new. However, after years of going, she feels that it gets boring because it is the same thing every year. The town is so small that everyone knows each other, and going to the festival is just seeing the same people she sees everyday congregated into one area. She said that usually the attractions and booths are the same, and people just go to pass the time away.

Although now the festival has generally lost its original meaning and is really being thrown every year for the sake of carrying on tradition, I think that residents still consider their agricultural history as part of the Newman identity. Mrs., Miss, and Mister Newman on floats embody the small town. Having businesses showcase themselves through floats also reaffirms Newman identity. The time of celebration is especially important because it indicates the beginning of fall and marks the harvest season. The floats, food, and rides are all modern conveniences that have been added to resemble a fair, but the original purpose is not lost because the festival is still a way for residents to connect to their town’s history.