Author Archives: Olivia Garcia

Childhood – Song

Nationality: American (black)
Age: 12
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 2011
Primary Language: English

Down down baby

Down down the rollercoaster

Sweet sweet baby

Sweet sweet don’t let me go

Shimmy shimmy cocoa puff

Shimmy shimmy rah

Shimmy shimmy cocoa puff

Shimmy shimmy rah

I had a boyfriend

A biscuit

He’s so sweet

A biscuit

Apples on the table

Peaches on the floor

Step back baby

I don’t want you anymore

To the front (jump forward)

To the back (jump backward)

To the side side side (jump side to side)

The informant learned this song/chant in elementary school from her fellow classmates. She then also taught it to other friends. The song is performed with a partner while several variations of clapping motions are made and some small jumping at then end.

For the most part the song does not have a direct meaning but is more of a innocent nonsensical rhyme. Some of the keywords within the rhyme represent things that are on the consciousness of elementary school age girls, words like rollercoaster and boyfriend.

My informant said that they performed the chant during recess and lunchtime for entertainment. These types of songs and games are definitely most prevalent among elementary school age children especially girls. Young children in English-speaking countries learn and sing variations of the rhyme. A Sesame Street episode from 1980 featured some children performing the rhyme although most children who sing the song did not learn it from Sesame Street.

Game

Nationality: American - Black
Age: 15
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 2011
Primary Language: English

This is a game that Greg learned from his peers in middle school. In the game at a random time one person will call the other person’s name while making an ‘o’ shape with their hand anywhere but somewhat discreetly around their body away from their own eyes. If the other person looks at your hand then the person who made the gesture is allowed to (playfully) hit or punch the other person. The object of the game is to get another person to look at your hand so you can hit them. Mostly boys play the game and it is fairly simple but has some variation depending on who is playing it.

It is a school age game that is used for entertainment and an excuse to be somewhat violent. It creates friendly competition that most people enjoy even though there is no prize and the winner and loser can switch at any time. Other than punching the other person the game really has no true purpose, goal or objective. It seems normal in many cultures for young boys to have a game surrounding or relating to violence in someway.

Proverb – Egyptian

Nationality: American - Egyptian
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Palo Alto, CA
Performance Date: March 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Arabic, Farsi

Egyptian Proverb

“A man’s back doesn’t break by bending”

The meaning of this proverb is that it never hurt anyone to give or lend themselves to others. She said, “You don’t lose anything by lending a helping hand or bending backwards a little for others. Your intention is the most valuable part of your actions”. My informant said that she grew up on the principle of being generous and having a giving nature. Both her parents are from Egypt and she said it is a major part of Egyptian culture to be giving and selfless.

This proverb is used across the world but directly reflects the culture and values of Egypt. For a nation’s most well known proverb to be about giving reveals a lot about the country and their integrity. This phrase and the good qualities it implies make Egyptian people proud of their origins.

Custom – Foodway

Nationality: American - Caucasian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Palo Alto, CA
Performance Date: April 2011
Primary Language: English

Every Sunday evening my informant and her family and extended family all go to her grandmother’s home for dinner. Her grandmother always cooks for everyone and they spend time with one another talking and playing board and card games. My informant describes it as a “standing appointment”. There is an understanding among all family members that it is an important family tradition that you do not miss unless it is an extreme circumstance. Sunday also happens to be a Sabbath day, meaning a religious day of rest. Being that my informant’s father is a preacher, the family attends church service that morning for worship then comes together in the evening time to feast.

This tradition is a way for family members to come together after either the beginning or end of a business and fast paced week when they may not be able to spend much time with one another. Historically, since Sunday is a religiously observed day for rest and devoted to family it is fairly common for families to have a traditional Sunday dinner even if they are not religious.

Folk Remedy – butter for burns

Nationality: American - Black
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Stockton, CA
Performance Date: March 2011
Primary Language: English

Liz’s grandmother taught her that a remedy for burns is butter. If you burn yourself you are supposed to apply butter to the wound in order to help it heal faster. Liz burned herself while cooking with her grandmother one time and this is when learned about this folk remedy. Liz does not believe in this remedy because she tried it one time and did not find it particularly useful.

She thinks that her grandmother learned this remedy as a child when they did not have access to antibiotic creams and other medications to help with injuries like burns. It also makes sense that butter, a common cooking ingredient, would be used for burns that are most frequently obtained in the kitchen from ovens and stoves. Some folk remedies are difficult to make sense of although this one applies well to the situation and circumstance of the injury.