Category Archives: Gestures

ACUPUNCTURE

Nationality: Indonesian
Age: 80
Occupation: Grandmother
Residence: Indonesia
Performance Date: 4-20-2018
Language: Indonesian Primary / English Secondnary

ACUPUNCTURE

 

Main Piece: (rough translation from Indonesian)

 

When you are sick besides coining you can also do acupuncture.

 

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese tradition and method of healing where you lay flat either on your back or your front side and an experienced and trained physician sticks needles gently into you acupuncture/acupressure points.

 

They believe that by doing this you can “clean up” or “open up” your chakra / meridian points / flow of energy throughout the body.

 

They believe that this is because all sickness in some way shape or form block or disrupt the flow of energy through the body through these acupuncture points.

 

I always use acupuncture when I am sick and it always makes me feel better very fast.

 

 

Background Information:

Why do they know this piece?

Because this is a good way/method of healing for the body.

 

Where/Who did they learn it from?

From a lot of places, books, doctors, family practitioners.

 

What does it mean for them?

A very powerful Chinese tool and tradition to cure the body of anything.

 

Context of Performance:

Talking to grandmother over the phone.

 

Thoughts:

I personally believe in acupuncture and a lot of my friends who had it before told me that it worked – but I never did it because I am very afraid of needles. This is a very well known Chinese tradition and way of healing.

Eye contact during toasts (A common drinking gesture)

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Flemington, New Jersey.
Performance Date: 4/22/18
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

Michael Gordon, a Junior studying Pop Music at the University of Southern California, who hails from Flemington, New Jersey, provided four pieces of folklore for this collection.

The interview was run, within his studio, at Orchard Avenue, on the outskirts of the University of Southern California.

Folk Type: Folk-Speech.

Folk Performance: Eye contact during toasts (A common drinking gesture).

“Any drinking rituals out on the east coast?” – Stanley Kalu

STORY: Story-time, Mike again, if you do a cheers or a toast you gotta clink glasses and if you do, you need to make eye contact with each person that you’re about to toast with and when you take your drink you need to be making eye-contact with one of the other people and if you don’t it’s bad like and the cheers is forfeit.

Background Information: Michael enjoys this piece because the drinking culture on the east coast is particularly strong. He learned of it in high-school while drinking with his friends.   

Context of Performance: The context was illustrated in the story section.

Thoughts: There are theories that this practice stemmed from the frequent poisonings that would happen in European Court culture but i’m not sure how that applies to looking into people’s eyes. I wasn’t able to find any concrete reasons why this practice exists. So my current thought is frustration.

 

Down Down Baby

Nationality: Mexican American
Age: 15
Occupation: High School Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 04/13/2018
Primary Language: English

Main Piece: Down down baby

The following was an interview of a Participant/interviewee about a folk game that is passed around mainly in elementary. She is marked as HT. I am marked as DM.

HT: Down down baby/ Down down the roller coaster/ Sweet sweet baby/ Sweet sweet don’t let me go (cross arms and hit chest 4 times)/ Chimi chimi coco puff chimi chimi riiiide (tucks hair behind ear)/ Chimi chimi coco puff chimi chimi riiiide (tucks hair behind ear)/ I had a baby a biscuit/ He’s so sweet a biscuit/ Apples on the table/ Peaches on the top/ Step out baby I don’t want you anymore/ To the front (jump forwards)/ To the back (jump backwards)/ To the side side side (jump to both sides)/ To the front (jump forwards)/ To the back (jump backwards)/ To the side side side (jump to both sides)

Background/Context:

The participant is fifteen years old in the tenth grade. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, but she has Mexican parents and family. Hailey, who is marked as HT, is my sister. I was at home for my mother’s birthday party on Friday, April 13, 2018, when I overheard my youngest sister playing a hand game with my cousin. I noticed it was the same games I played in elementary, but the lyrics of the game were slightly different. I began to ask her questions about the game. My middle sister, Hailey, got into the conversation. We began to compare our elementary games. In this particular game, the objective was to be able to sing all the words and do the movements with them. This game was mainly to just pass time in recess.

DM: How do you know this?

HT: Um, I uh, I played it in elementary.

DM: Who did you learn the game from?

HT: Uh

DM: Do you remember?

HT: Not the person but I know I learned it from my friends.

DM: Uh, why did you like this game in elementary?

HT: It was catchy it was uh yeah just catchy.

DM: And at that time what did it mean to you? What did the game signify to you?

HT: It was entertaining it distracted me and yeah.

Analysis/ My Thoughts:

While I was in elementary, this “Down down baby” game was very popular during recess when we had enough time to rest but not to play full games like kickball or handball. My sister told me this game was also very popular in her recess. Although they were both similar, the lyrics are different. Today’s version is shown above while the one I did in elementary nine years ago goes as stated: Down down baby/ Down down the roller coaster/ Sweet sweet baby/ Sweet sweet don’t let me go (cross arms and hit chest 4 times)/ Chimi chimi coco puff chimi chimi riiiide (tucks hair behind ear)/ Chimi chimi coco puff chimi chimi riiiide (tucks hair behind ear)/ I have a boyfriend a biscuit/ He’s so sweet a biscuit/ Apples on the table/ Peaches on the floor/ Step out baby I don’t want you anymore/ To the front (jump forwards)/ To the back (jump backwards)/ To the side side side (jump to both sides)/ To the front (jump forwards)/ To the back (jump backwards)/ To the side side side (jump to both sides).

 

Mailman Mailman

Nationality: Mexican American
Age: 10
Occupation: Elementary student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 04/13/2018
Primary Language: English

The following was an interview of a Participant/interviewee about a folk game that is passed around mainly in elementary. She is marked as CT. I am marked as DM.

CT: Mailman, Mailman here comes the lady with African booty. She could do the pom pom (arms parallel to the chest and moves them back and forth). She could do the twist twist (moves hips in a circle). Most of all she could kiss kiss kiss (two fingers on lips for every kiss said) with the red hot lips. K-I-S-S-I-N-G (open legs a little for every letter).

Background/Context:

The participant is ten years old in the fifth grade. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, but she has Mexican parents and family. Christine, who is marked as CT, is my sister. I was at home for my mother’s birthday party on Friday, April 13, 2018, when I overheard my sister playing a hand game with my cousin. I noticed it was the same games I played in elementary, but the lyrics of the game were slightly different. I began to ask her questions about the game. In this particular game, the objective was to see who could spread their legs further apart without falling down.

DM: Where did you learn this game?

CT: I learn this from one Roslyn (her friend).

DM: Where did you learn this?

CT: At school.

DM: Do you know where she learned it?

CT: She learned it from Cara.

DM: Why do you like this game?

CT: I like this game because it’s funny and that he is attracted to someone.

DM: What is the meaning of this game to you?

CT: It means to me like, like, like when, like when you wanna make someone laugh you could make them laugh by this game.

Analysis/ My Thoughts:

While I was in elementary, this “Mailman” game was very popular during recess when we had enough time to rest but not to play full games like kickball or handball. My sister told me this game was also very popular in her recess. Although they were both similar, the lyrics are different. Today’s version is shown above while the one I did in elementary nine years ago goes as stated: Mailman, Mailman do your duty. Here comes the lady with the African booty. She can do the pom pom (arms parallel to the chest and moves them back and forth). She can the twist (moves hips in a circle). Most of all she can kiss kiss kiss (two fingers on lips for every kiss said). K-I-S-S (open legs a little for every letter).

Teddy Bear

Nationality: Mexican American
Age: 10
Occupation: Elementary student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 04/13/2018
Primary Language: English

The following was an interview of a Participant/interviewee about a folk game that is passed around mainly in elementary. She is marked as CT. I am marked as DM.

CT: Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground (touch the ground). Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around (spin in a circle). Teddy bear, teddy bear tie your shoe (touch your shoe). Teddy bear, teddy bear get out of school.

Background/Context:

The participant is ten years old in the fifth grade. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, but she has Mexican parents and family. Christine, who is marked as CT, is my sister. I was at home for my mother’s birthday party on Friday, April 13, 2018, when I overheard my sister playing a hand game with my cousin. I noticed it was the same games I played in elementary, but the lyrics of the game were slightly different. I began to ask her questions about the game. In this particular game, the objective was to see touch the ground, turn around, and act like you are tying your shoe all while jump roping.

DM: Where did you learn this game?

CT: I learn this from my friend Stella.

DM: Why do you like this game?

CT: I like this one cause I like jumping a lot

DM: Do you know where Stella learned it from?

CT: She learned it from Krishell.

DM: What is the meaning of this game to you?

CT: This game means to me like, to like be active and it like makes you cheerful cause like, like, like I can’t explain it but like its like really active and then like when you also wanna hang out with your friends.

DM: So it’s a fun way to be active?

CT: Yeah, it’s a fun way to be active.

Analysis/ My Thoughts:

While I was in elementary, this “Teddy Bear” game was very popular during recess when we had enough time to rest but not to play full games like kickball or handball. My sister told me this game was also very popular in her recess. Although they were both similar, the lyrics are different. Today’s version is shown above while the one I did in elementary nine years ago goes as stated: Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground (touch the ground). Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around (spin in a circle). Teddy bear, teddy bear tie your shoe (touch your shoe). Teddy bear, teddy bear I love you. Then the song would repeat in a faster pace until one missed to jump the rope. My initial thought when I heard my sister’s version of the song was “How could a kid’s game be telling them to get out of school? And where did this version come from?”. I was shocked that the song would be telling a kid to get out of school. The kids might not be thinking about the actual meaning of the song, but when looking back to it, they are going to realize what they were saying.