Author Archives: Morgann Ramirez

Vietnamese Bedtime Story

Nationality: Asian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Washington D.C.
Performance Date: 4/23/2012
Primary Language: English

Story:

“It’s a bed time story that my mom used to tell me about this human eating monster that like terrorized a village in Vietnam. And I don’t know, this one hero got him to like try this delicious Vietnamese chicken dish and he liked it so much that he just ate chicken”

My informant liked this story because was funny and so easily resolved.

In this little story, it connects my informant with her Vietnamese heritage, not only in the location, but also in food.  It presses that Vietnamese food is so good, that it can stop a terrifying monster who now loves it so much, it is all he eats.  It is her mother telling her that their culture is important for her to know.  It is the last thing she hears before she goes to sleep and what she eats every day.  It was important for my informant to hear this because she grew up away from Vietnam in American culture.

Spoons the Card Game

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/26/2012
Primary Language: English

My informant first played this game in middle school and played it through high school.  His friend taught him when they were hanging out together.  He told me the rules as we played a small game together.  It was typically played with four people, but could be played with more.  To play, spoons are placed in the middle of the circle and there is always one less spoon than players.  It doesn’t have to be spoons, but it is the most preferable.  Each player has five cards. The first player draws a card from the deck and discards one next to him. The next player picks up that card and discards one of their own. And it goes on through the circle.  The goal is to get four of a kind and when you do, the player with four of a kind grabs a spoon.  Once one player grabs a spoon, all the others quickly try to grab one as well.  One player will not have a spoon and they lose.  The game can be played with elimination, but casual games just keep track of who lost the most times.

This game is not like typical American games where there is one winner.  A player has to rely on the other members, but at the same time tries to trick them. What you have in your hand depends on what the person ahead of you has given you and to not lose, you have to pay attention to the other people in the circle.  However, a player wants to be the first one to get four of a kind so that they will defiantly have a spoon and not lose. At the end, everyone who does not have four of a kind must compete with each other to get the spoon. This game is typically played at a time where kids are starting to learn how to interact with others in a way that is mutually beneficial, while still a bit self-serving.  It teaches that there is a balance between the two, and good players know how to work that balance to their advantage. You don’t have to be lucky to win this game, just fast and good at reading people.

Peanut joke

Nationality: White/ Jewish
Age: 24
Occupation: Writer
Residence: Laguna Hills
Performance Date: 4/25/2012
Primary Language: English

Joke:

“So a man was sitting alone at a bar and he kept hearing this whispering that said “hey nice shoes” he looked around and nobody was there he heard “You look nice today” he looked around nobody was there. Then he finally asked the bartender “Am I hearing anything?” and the bartender said, “it’s the peanuts. They’re complementary”

 

My informant loves to tell this joke because it’s clean and it’s a pun.

Puns are a way of playing with language in a way that messes with how similar words can mean very different things.  In this joke, complementary means both free and giving complements.  I’ve heard lots of jokes where the bartender responds with a pun. It is a popular genre where the idea is that the bartender is the one who knows what is going on while the patron is confused or, a similar one, is where the bartender acts as the frame for the joke.  This may be because a bartender is expected to be the one in control of a bar. They are the ones who control the intake of alcohol and are there to interact with the patrons.

Funny Bones

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Academic Coach
Residence: Long Beach, CA
Performance Date: 4/25/2012
Primary Language: English

My informant was told this by a friend when she hit her funny bone and held it close to her side.

“If you touch your elbow after you hit your funny bone, you will lose money”

Her friend was from Mexico and said she learned this from her mother.  My informant was a bit confused by this advice.

This belief might be because holding your elbow after you hit it could be counterproductive, like it bunches up the muscles which make it take longer to stop hurting.  Also the threat of losing money reveals that wealth is very important to the community that the friend came from and can be used to prevent certain things.

Dove Signs

Nationality: German
Age: 23
Occupation: Front Desk Worker/ Grad Student
Residence: The Valley
Performance Date: 4/25/2012
Primary Language: English

Story:

“In my family, we believe that when a person dies, they become a dove.  When my great-aunt and grandfather died, the next day there were two doves in our backyard.  So I believe it.”

My informant thinks this is because the dove is often associated with souls that fly up to heaven.

The Mourning Dove is often symbolic of optimism and is spiritual with a message of life, hope, renewal and peace.  This is very helpful for a family that is coping with the death of a beloved member.  There are other tales of loved ones becoming butterflies or ladybugs. It is typically an animal that can fly and is very beautiful, which is similar to the idea that the soul of a loved one is beautiful and flies up to heaven.