Author Archives: Tiffany Wen

Proverb – China

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 43
Occupation: Managing Director
Residence: Sweden, Beijing, New York
Performance Date: March 28, 2008
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English, Spanish

“????”

“Zhao San Mu Sz”

“Morning Three Evening Four”

It is necessary to understand the following story to be able to understand the proverb:

“There is a new zookeeper assigned to the monkey section. His first assignment is to announce the monkey-eating schedule. He gathers them around and tells them, “You will have 4 bananas in the morning and 3 in the afternoon.” The monkeys don’t respond well; they are upset and throw a fit. The zookeeper then asks himself what he should do. He proves to be a smart, young man by rewording his announcement. He tells them the next day, “You will have 3 bananas in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.” The monkeys cheer and the zookeeper knows he has done his job successfully. The moral of the story is that there are many ways to be creative. Sometimes, all it takes is presenting the same information in a different way to achieve unexpected positive results.” – Ping Hu

Analysis:

I learned this proverb from a family friend who is in charge of an entire business and operation division of her company, Phillip Morris International in China. Over one hundred people report to her on a daily basis and she often uses this technique to get people’s consensus and support, which often leads to critical business implications. She is forced to think outside the box on a daily basis in recreating new strategies to market the product, cigarettes. After sharing this story with me, I couldn’t help but equate the monkeys in the story with consumers and zookeepers with the media. Evidently, we are embedded in a consumerist culture. While the zookeeper successfully persuaded the monkeys, the media does not always elicit positive feedback. It has infiltrated our society, bombarding us with information left and right (some of which is unreliable information). It becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from the media’s construction of reality. To be a success in advertising, one must constantly think outside the box to appeal to a wide audience.

This story also pertains to patterns of communication. I am in a communication course entitled “communication as a social science” and we just learned about the importance of question phrasing. The way one phrases a question can have huge implications as to how the listener interprets the message and responds. A famous experiment conducted by Loftus came to the following conclusion: after an accident, the investigator asked a group of witnesses if they had seen “a broken headlight” versus “the broken headlight.” The witnesses who were asked the latter were more likely to remember the broken headlight and provide assistance. Merely changing the article of the subject changed the meaning of the question and influenced the way the witness responded. Anyone can be creative; even a zookeeper on the first day of his job. Evidently, creativity almost always leads to success, which is the message I took away from the proverb.

Story – Native American

Nationality: Black, Native American, White
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 24, 2008
Primary Language: English

Story of the Moth

“So, um my aunt was telling me a story about why we have stars in the sky. Um and so she told me that before we had moths and butterflies, we just had butterflies. One night, they realized they wanted light at night; something beautiful to look at. So some of the butterflies decided to fly all the way up to the top of the sky and when they got to the top, they poked little holes in the sky. But on their journey up, they lost a lot of their color because the journey was really stressful! So then when they came back down they were different and no longer just had butterflies. We have butterflies and moths and even though moths are not as beautiful as butterflies, they gave us stars in sky and for that they’re more noble. They sacrificed what they look like for a good cause.” –Kim Mills

Analysis:

Kim heard about this story from Olive Kelly, her great aunt who is half Native American, a quarter white, and a quarter black. She learned about it from her a long time ago. Olive thinks it’s important to preserve their Native American culture (they are descendants of the Cree tribe) and make sure they understand their roots and are proud of them. When I asked Kim about her thoughts on Native American folklore as a whole, she said that they always have some underlying meaning and simple message. They offer great advice in life and encourage us to recognize the world around us. There is usually an emphasis on nature and animals to demonstrate the importance of nature and encourage appreciation and celebration of the world around us.

I really like the underlying message of this particular story. When I think of moths, only negative attributes come to mind. They create holes in clothes and are almost impossible to get rid of when they fly inside the house. However, this story sheds a positive light on their character. The story shows how a negative attribute can also serve a positive function; creating light in the sky so we can see at night. Maybe this was not the intention of the story, but my take on it is to not judge a book by its cover. After all, moths are not as attractive as butterflies. However, they evidently have good intentions and work for the greater good of society. I would like to think that everything that lives and breathes exists for a reason, even moths whose attributes initially seem more negative than positive.

Contemporary Legend – Oxford, Ohio

Nationality: caucasian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Oxford, OH
Performance Date: April 22, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: French, Hebrew

Ali’s Oxford Legend

“Ok, so the story goes that there was this girl who lived on Oxford-Milford Road and she had a boyfriend who her father didn’t really approve of because he rode a motorcycle…picture James Dean. So, the forbidden couple devised a system where he would ride his motorcycle down her road at night and she would flash a flashlight three times to let him know her dad was asleep and it was okay for him to come over.

So here’s where the story gets a little hazy, but I’ll tell you my favorite version. So, one night

he comes down the road and can’t wait to see her. Maybe he was coming home from WW2…I don’t know…and pays no heed that she hasn’t given him her usual signal. Throwing caution to the wind…”Fuck her conservative father; I’m in love!”…he thrusts open the door only to find his love in bed with another man! Crushed by her deception, he tears off through the night on his motorcycle, ending his life by crashing into a tree on the road.

So now the legend goes that if you park where the road makes a 90 degree turn and flash your headlight three times, a lone headlight will appear in the distance, presumably the heart-broken ghost of our James Dean-ish hero, making another ride for his sweetheart. I’ve had some success with it and a lot of people I know have as well.” –Ali Smith

Analysis:

I have found that some of the most interesting folklore comes from college campuses. I remember being on the tour at USC and learning just as many legends and myths about the school (ie: Tommy Trojan) as facts and statistics. This was during my junior year of high school when I visited over ten schools and had a hard time distinguishing them from one another (most tours showcased the same kinds of information). However, I distinctly remember USC having some of the most interesting folklore, whether it be the story of the legendary Tommy Trojan or rumored pranks UCLA had played on us in the past. My decision to come to USC did not ultimately depend on my interest in the school’s folklore; however, it made the school that much more appealing to me when evaluating its pros and cons and in judging my overall experience during my visit.

I was talking to my best friend at home about our school’s folklore and the one that stuck out in her mind was this urban legend. My friend is originally from New York and learned about this legend during her freshman year at school. Since she couldn’t remember the full details of the story, she referred me to her friend at school, who is a resident of Oxford, Ohio where this folklore originated. Oxford is the college town of Miami University. I called her friend, Ali, who learned about it in high school (it’s pretty well known in both the town of Oxford and Hamilton, the town next over). Ali told me that she has seen the light before and heard the mysterious engine sound at 3 am at the site. While she believes the story is true, she worries that increased traffic in the area may have scared the ghost off.

Remedy – Fort Worth, Texas

Nationality: German, English, Persian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Fort Worth, TX
Performance Date: April 18, 2008
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: French, Farsi

Remedies/ Fool Proof Medicine

To help your joints: You dice up garlic and leave them on toes. This is said to help alleviate joint pains.

To get rid of splinters: You take the skin off garlic and cook it in the oven for an hour. You then stick your finger in the cooked garlic and let it sit their overnight. In the morning, the splinter should fall out (the juices in the garlic makes the skin expand and loosen the splinter).

Analysis:

Lauren learned the first remedy from her grandmother, Mamon Barzorg, which means “Big Mother” in Farsi. She lived in Lauren’s house in Forth Worth, Texas and used to perform the remedy pretty regularly to help her toe joints and kill the fungus on her toes. Lauren has also tried the remedy before and it seemed to help a little bit. Both her mother and father are confident that it is a fool proof remedy. Compared to the splinter removal remedy, she thinks the act of putting a finger in an onion seems “weirder” for lack of a better word, but “if it works, it works!”

Lauren learned about the onion remedy from her father who is full Iranian and came to the US when he was 15. He told her about it during dinner after he had gotten a splinter earlier that day. He said that the splinter fell out and has worked on almost every other occasion. She says, “It’s the kind of thing people with no nurse or health center at grade school have to do when they get home, cause they don’t have tweezers or something…I don’t know.” She is not sure whether these remedies are unique to Persian culture or not, but finds them interesting nonetheless.

I guess one’s repertoire of folk medicine or fool proof remedies depends on the frequency and type of illness one experiences on a regular basis. I never used to get sick, but since I’ve come to college, constantly come down with a sore throat and common cold. When over-the-counter or homeopathic medicine doesn’t seem to be working, I always resort to my mom’s “tea with honey and lemon,” which seems a lot less farfetched of a concoction than Lauren’s fool proof remedies. The honey dissolves the phlegm and the lemon soothes any soreness in the throat. Because I am a hypochondriac and admit that I self-induce the illnesses I come down with, I force myself to think that certain remedies will work over medicine.

Story – Brazil

Nationality: Chinese, American, Brazilian
Age: 49
Occupation: Financial Advisor
Residence: Ossining, NY
Performance Date: March 23, 2008
Primary Language: Portuguese
Language: English, Chinese

Saci- Perere

“Esta e uma lenda que se originou no nordeste do Brasil e foi influenciado pelos indios que povoavam naquela regiao do pais. A estoria e sobre um jovem negro, que usa um chapeu vermelho, fuma cachimbo e tem apenas uma perna. Ele perdeu a perna numa briga de capoeira, que uma danca de artes marcias originado pelos escravos de plantacoes de cana no
Brasil. A caracteristica sobre este menino e que ele e travesso. Ele e notorio por entrar nas casas das pessoas e roubar coisas. Ele assombra os viajantes nas florestas, e rouba as coisas pessoais deles. Ele faz as travessuras apenas por brincadeira e nao machuca ninguem. Esta lenda tem passado por varias geracoes e hoje Saci-Perere e uma personagem destacada durante o Halloween Brasileiro. Alem disso, ele aparece como personagem de varios livros infantis.

This is a tale that originated in the northeastern part of Brazil and was influenced by the Indians who inhabited that part of the country. The story is based on a young, black kid who wears a red hat, smokes a pipe, and has one leg. He lost his leg in a capoeira fight, a martial-arts dance started by the slaves on the plantations of Brazil. The thing about this boy is that he is troublesome. He is notorious for breaking into people’s houses and stealing. He roams through the forests, scares people, and steals their personal belongings.  He does this for fun and doesn’t cause harm or deliberately hurt anyone. This tale has been passed on over generations now. Saci- Perere is a popular figure during Brazilian Halloween (is marketable and commercialized). Also, this boy appears in popular children’s story books.” –Peter Wen

Analysis:

My father does not have personal connections with this popular Brazilian tale. He moved to Brazil when he was five years old and wasn’t exposed to as many Brazilian fairytales or legends since his parents grew up in Taiwan and engaged him in a different cultural environment. He heard about it through the grapevine and in the media tailored to the younger crowd. The story’s origins are crucial to understanding Brazil’s history of colonization. Back in 18th century Brazil, African slaves would tell stories of this popular Brazilian character to scare little children. While Saci played tricks on people using his magical red hat, he was also the brunt of practical jokes. It was common to see Saci trapped in a glass bottle, which emulated stories of Arabian mythology. The Muslim’s occupation of parts of Portuguese territory influenced the circulation of the story. The oicotype has travelled through several regions in Brazil and adapted to local cultures. One variation says the story was partly influenced by Christian folklore and that Saci symbolized demonic forces (different from our traditional perception of “demonic” and more along the lines of innocent troublemaker). At the very least, he has become a marketable product in both merchandise and children’s tales, especially around the time of Halloween. The image of the one legged black boy with holes in his hands and a red hat has become an iconic figure in the world of children’s tales.

Perhaps children can identify with Saci, who is both mischievous and good-hearted. One cannot help but sympathize with Saci’s one leg and decrepit physical state, which may symbolize the poverty that exists in Brazil. Perhaps, Saci represents the lower class who is further disadvantaged by his physically handicapped state. It comes to show that despite certain setbacks, Saci and other handicapped, underprivileged individuals in his situation can still move forward and live a normal life. He is a relatable character who can provide inspiration to those who struggle physically or financially (he always seems to make ends meet). At the same time, those who don’t struggle still delight in his good-hearted, harmless nature and take comfort in his perseverance.