Category Archives: Game

Game – University of Southern California

Nationality: Korean
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: January 13, 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Korean

“’Paptong’ is literally translated from Korean into English as rice bucket. It is a… both the name of an object and uhh… game that every new member of USC Korean Student Association [KSA] plays as part of their initiation. It is set up by the upperclassmen as a rite of passage. And these ‘seniors,’ or older members, pour a large content of alcohol into a bowl. Then… uhh… they mix a variety of food into the bowl. And usually, the food is whatever is available at the time. Sometimes it has ramen [Asian instant noodles], kimchi [fermented lettuce], and spam. After the seniors are finished preparing the “paptong” [bowl with alcohol and food], they hand it over to the younger class and tell them to drink and finish everything in the bowl. Uhhh…there are usually a lot of underclassmen to initiate, but they tell the underclassmen to drink as much as they can for the group before passing it on to the next person anyways.”

Alicia participated in “paptong” during the winter retreat. The game only takes place during KSA retreats, usually held once during the fall and winter. During the retreat, the upperclassmen of the club initiate the game. Alicia said that they do not disclose the contents of what goes into the “paptong,” but it is generally understood that the mixture would not be pleasant and would include copious amounts of alcohol. All of the new members are expected to participate and she says that peer pressure plays a large part in the voluntary game. Although it would be acceptable for new members to opt out of the game, Alicia said that no one does because everyone understands that it is just a part of the tradition.

Alicia said that sometimes when other schools plan their retreats to coincide with USC’s retreat, the clubs come together to form a competition amongst the schools. The school that can finish the “paptong” the fastest wins. However, she claims that even in these cases the game is less of a competition than a form of bonding amongst the new members. The retreat is a time for new and old members to get to know one another, and the “paptong” serves as a medium to achieve that purpose.

I think that “paptong” is also a clear reflection of the respect shown to elders within Asian culture. It is widely known that the younger generation is not meant to challenge the older generation and should listen to them obediently. New members of KSA probably play this game primarily because of this reason. Since most members of KSA are of Asian descent, many of them have been taught at a young age to follow their elders, which can be exhibited in their behaviors in regards to this game.

Another possible reason is because the game is generally understood as a rite of passage. It is an initiation ceremony that transforms new members into senior members. “Paptong” is a tradition that has been held at every retreat, so members do not necessarily view the game negatively. This mentality is also very similar to fraternities and their hazing rituals. Despite not necessarily liking a task, pledges go through with them because they know that previous pledge classes have done it before them. It becomes a rite of passage that a new member must go through in order to feel part of the group. Especially during youth, the need to be accepted plays an enormous role in motivating actions and behavior.

Game – USA

Nationality: Scottish, Irish, Italian, Swiss, German
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 9, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

“The ‘Chuck, Fuck, and Mary game.’ Okay. Basically, you have to name three people, and they can be anybody, like friends, some of my friends choose teachers and whatever, to give to someone else as choices.  And the other person has to choose among those three. So, one of them has to be ‘Chuck,’ and ‘Chuck’ is like someone you would eliminate. Like you wouldn’t fuck or marry them. It’s usually the person you can’t stand. And ‘Fuck’ is somebody you would sleep with, no strings attached. And ‘Marry’ is well, obviously, you would marry the person. It’s all kind of relative, because you wouldn’t necessarily do any of that really in real life, but it’s the most preferable order.”

Katherine said that her friend, Lauren, taught her this game not too long ago, while they were catching up on college experiences. Katherine went to high school with Lauren in Los Angeles, and considers her a relatively close friend. They were having a conversation about college in general and their experiences in co-ed living. Eventually, they started talking about how people rank each other based on attractiveness and how everyone in co-ed living makes it a point to notice who is attractive. As a result of this perceived pattern, Lauren brought up this game as a related topic.

Later on, Katherine would teach this game to my roommate and I, which became a cause of a lot of laughter. She taught it to us because she thought it was a random and amusing game that could pass the time. Katherine said that it was probably most appropriate in a social setting with friends who are familiar with each other and each person’s social networks, because then the game would take on a lot more significance. However, the game can also be played with strangers or among people who are not as close. The choices would then have to be celebrities, so that everyone could participate. An example of when to play this game would probably be during a party or a small get together. Katherine said that it is best played with only people in the same social circles, because the answers are “obviously funny and nobody would get offended because it’s just a joke.”

Katherine says this game is just a fun way to pass the time and was probably created by a couple of high school or college friends hanging around. She does not typically get offended and takes all answers with a grain of salt. Katherine finds it especially funny to predict what other people will say and considers it a silly method to get to know someone better. However, she also gives a caveat against playing this game with a new significant other, because the game might cause some unnecessary tensions and/or drama.

I agree with Katherine in that the game was probably created by young adults entering a period in their life when exterior looks play a very important role in their social lives. It toys with a question that crosses everyone’s mind at one point or another, but because it is in a game format, the topic becomes easier to bring up. On the surface, the game is a lighthearted way of getting to know someone. Each individual’s choices in a given scenario reveal a lot about that person and their values. At the same time, I think that the game also plays on the insecurities about physical appearance and behaviors common during that age. Because acceptance is so important during this age, the game serves a sort of outlet to mock the system of superficialities.

Tongue Twister – Turkey

Nationality: Turkish
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Turkish

Tongue-Twister- Turkey

Bir berber bir berbere gel birader seninle beraber bir berber dükkani açal?m demi?.

“One barber said to another barber, ‘come brother let’s open a barber shop together.’”

Ahmet grew up in western Turkey and lived there until he went to boarding school in Canada (and later in the U.S.) in 8th grade. He could not provide a transliteration, as he did not know some of the words since there is a big difference in tenses and grammar structure between the Turkish and English language. He knew what it meant in English, he just didn’t know the transliteration. He learned this tongue twister at a young age from his parents. He used it around his friends, as there used to be a competition between his friends to see who could say it the fastest. He said that mainly children use it, as it is a way for them to compete against one-another and it is a form of entertainment for them. It doesn’t have any real significance or meaning in his life, other than it sounds ridiculous and it’s hard to say.

This tongue twister is definitely harder to say in Turkish than in English. Just by observation, many of the words in the Turkish version start with b or have a ‘b’ sound. It doesn’t have the same effect in English because the words do not sound similar, and don’t get your tongue-tied. Ahmet said that the subject of the tongue twister (the barber opening up a barber shop) doesn’t have any special Turkish significance. It is similar to the English tongue twister, “she sells sea shells by the sea shore.” This tongue twister doesn’t really mean anything or symbolize American culture, but it is fun and difficult to say.

Children’s Game – Turkey

Nationality: Turkish
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Turkish

Children’s Games: Hide and Seek rhyme- Turkey

Önüm, arkam, sa?am, solum, saklanmayan sobe!

“My front, my back, my right, my left, whoever isn’t hiding is out.”

Ahmet lived in western Turkey until he moved to boarding school in Canada in 8th grade. He is 100% Turkish and his parents and family all still live in Turkey, where he resides during the summer. He said this saying is used when children are playing hide and seek. The seeker must countdown with his eyes closed from 10, and when he reaches 1, he must say the above verse. After saying this, he is free to open his eyes and look around for people who aren’t hiding. If he spots a person in the open, they are out.

Ahmet said he learned this verse from his parents, and it’s something that every kid knows in western Turkey. He doesn’t know how it originated, and was unable to provide the transliteration, as he doesn’t know how it exactly translates into English but knows what it generally means. He said that it was important that this phrase was said after the seeker is done counting down, as it alerts the people who are hiding that he is about to finish and come look for them. If the phrase isn’t said, and the seeker finds someone in the open, argument ensues amongst the kids over whether that person is really out, since the seeker didn’t say the final phrase.

I find this similar to American phrases of the same game. When I was little, the seeker would countdown from a predetermined number, and at the end he must shout, “ready or not, here I come!” I find it interesting that halfway across the world, kids play the same game with very similar rules and employ a warning phrase at the end of the countdown.

The fact that this phrase alludes to all four directions is very important. By saying “my front, my back, my right, my left”, it demonstrates that the seeker is very aware of his surroundings and will look anywhere to find someone hiding. While my American phrase is more personal (“here I come (to look for you)”), this phrase speaks to the people who are hiding as a whole. It shows that the seeker has no single person he wants to find, but rather is looking for everybody equally. It makes a clear statement by saying “whoever isn’t hiding is out”. This is important with kids, as it is black and white and there are no gray areas. If a person is caught in the open after this phrase is said, there is no chance for an argument; that person is out.

It is interesting that children have warning sayings such as this one at the end of the countdown. I think that this shows fairness within the children. It evens the playing field. If the seeker counts too fast, this will at least give the people who are hiding a crucial few extra seconds to hide. It makes sure that the seeker can’t get away with cheating to a large extent. By giving the hiders a warning and thus, that extra few seconds, it promotes fairness as it shows mercy to hiders who couldn’t find a hiding spot right away.

Children’s Game – Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Nationality: Polish
Age: 87
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Bedminster, NJ
Performance Date: March 21, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Polish

Children’s Game: Peggy

Peggy is a game that involves a wooden stick and a wooden paddle. The participant holds the wooden stick in one hand and the paddle in the other. The object of the game is to hit the stick with the paddle as far as possible, and the winner is the person who hits the stick the furthest.

Bruce learned this game in the 1930s when he was growing up. He was born in 1921, so this was during his youth. He lived in Bridgewater, Massachusetts during this time and learned the game from the kids in the neighborhood. Many of these kids were immigrants as during the 1920s and 1930s, many immigrants lived in working class (blue-collar) neighborhoods, such as Bridgewater, in New England. Even though he is Polish, he said he did not learn this game from Poland, as he moved to the U.S. when he was one year old. He said that this game was one of a few games that he played with the kids in the neighborhood; the other games he played were “Kick the Can” and “Spin the Bottle.” Since there was no TV and radio was just starting up, the kids played games for entertainment. This game was one of Bruce’s favorites. Since playing games was the children’s entertainment, it meant a lot when they were able to go out and play Peggy as it provided a lot of enjoyment and was much better and more fun than doing chores or homework.

I don’t know the game’s origins, nor did Bruce, but it appears to be similar to a popular American game that stretches back to the mid 1800s, baseball. While there is no pitcher, and no fielders, the concept of using a wooden object to launch projectiles for distance reminds me of baseball.

Another interesting thing about Peggy is that it is a very cheap game to play; you don’t need a lot of materials to play the game. Since Bruce played this game at the height of the Great Depression, it is possible that this game was invented sometime earlier during the Depression as a way for the kids to have fun, since not many of them were rich or even had the money to buy a baseball bat, a glove or a baseball. It is very easy to find large broad wooden piece that could be fashioned into a paddle, as well as a wooden stick that could be used as the “Peg”.

I’m not quite sure about how the name “Peggy” came about either, as the game doesn’t involve hitting people with the stick, or pegging the stick onto something. I’m sure the kids didn’t mind it’s name however, they just wanted a game to play.

I don’t see this game being popular today. Many people are much more well-off, and can afford materials to play other games such as baseball or basketball. Also, the culture is very different, as many children today are entertained by video games and television rather than outdoor children’s games.