Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cultural Studies Cookbook Linguists

Cookbook Collaborators:
Caroline Fors
Martha Levenson
Holly Winters


Our collective project illustrates the joys and challenges faced by researchers working with non-English speakers, or English as a second language speakers, and the way in which language plays a key role in the production and circulation of meaning. Conducting research with non-English speakers requires a self-reflective awareness of our own cultural values and judgments, a thoughtful translation of cultural codes, and a careful process of negotiation over meaning.

Our work also addresses the issue of reflexivity. Each of us speaks at least two languages. Working in another language influences thought process, identity construction, placement of ourselves as researchers in the larger context of the world, and our knowledge and insight into other cultures. All of these in turn have bearing on reflexivity, a critical point in research.

This blog is also intended to help academics and cultural practitioners working with non-English speakers, or English as a second language speakers, to become more conscious of the challenges involved in such a research process. The artifacts represented, and the stories attached to them, illustrate the ways in which spaces and
traditions are conceptualized as unique, local, or as national identities.

The MACS program emphasizes collaboration and as such, has given us many opportunities to work in groups and to practice such an approach in our classes. As a result, each one of us strives to use a collaborative approach in our capstone project. The readings by scholars such as Don Mitchell, Doreen Massey, and Stuart Hall have been particularly useful in engaging our reflexivity in terms of our capstone project, and have also very relevant within the framework of this collaboration. We would like to bring in others who speak more languages and would like to invite anyone who has an interest in languages to participate.

Martha’s work will continue in schools and at the Nordic Heritage Museum. As a docent, she uses language facility as a way to portray the terror of immigrants at Ellis Island. In working with the outreach trunks at the Museum, the Nordic words are used in appropriate places, and translations given, so that students can see how language goes with culture. She hopes to do more language study, particularly in Swedish, as part of her doctoral work, and eventually, to do some research on informal learning in Sweden.

This project intersects with Caroline’s future work as she intends to continue contributing to the well-being of communities located in the Global South. Language barriers, the negotiation over meaning, and representation will be an ongoing process in her future work.

Holly’s future work includes developing a language school/community center that will feature bilingual education programs for Latino cultures and English speakers who wish to learn Spanish, along with providing a resource center and gathering space for tutoring, cultural events, open mic, coffee and other neighborhood activities. The acquisition of another language must be accompanied by an application for it, and a crucial aspect of her capstone will be to clearly demonstrate the importance of also understanding the culture from which the language originates.

El muelle de San Blas - Maná (by Holly)

I really love this song. English translation included.



EL MUELLE DE SAN BLAS - Maná

Ella despidió a su amor
El partió en un barco en el muelle de san Blas
él juró que volvería
y empapada en llanto ella juró que esperaría..
miles de lunas pasaron
y siempre ella estaba en el muelle
esperando..
Muchas tardes se anidaron
se anidaron en su pelo
y en sus labios

Llevaba el mismo vestido
y por si él volviera no se fuera a equivocar.
Los cangrejos le mordían
su ropaje, su tristeza y su ilusión..
y el tiempo se escurrió
y sus ojos se le llenaron de amaneceres
y del mar se enamoró
y su cuerpo se enraizó
en el muelle

Sola
sola en el olvido
sola
sola con su espíritu
sola
sola con su amor el mar
sola
en el muelle de san Blas

Su cabello se blanqueó
pero ningún barco a su amor le devolvía,
y en el pueblo le decían
le decían la loca del muelle de san Blas.
Y una tarde de abril
la intentaron transladar al manicomio;
nadie la pudo arrancar
y del mar nunca jamás la separaron.

Sola
sola en el olvido
sola
sola con su espíritu
sola
sola con su amor el mar
sola
en el muelle de san Blas

Sola en el olvido
Sola con su espíritu
Sola con su amor el mar

Sola
sola en el olvido
sola
sola con su espíritu
sola
sola con su amor el mar
sola
en el muelle de san Blas

Se quedó
Se quedó
Sola, sola
Se quedó
Se quedó
con el sol y con el mar
Se quedó ahí
Se quedó hasta el fin
se quedó ahí
se quedó en el muelle de san Blas

Sola, sola, sola

THE WHARF OF SAN BLAS - Maná

She bid farewell to her love
He departed on a ship at the wharf of San Blas
He swore that he would return
And soaked from weeping she swore that she would wait

Thousands of moons passed
and always she was at the rocks waiting...
Many afternoons they were together
They were together in her hair
and in her lips

She wore the same dress
For if he returned he would not mistake her
The crabs would attack her
her dress, her sadness and her illusion
And time was drying up
and her eyes were filled with daylight
and she loved the sea
and her body became roots
at the seashore

Alone, alone in oblivion
Alone, alone with her spirit
Alone, alone with her love, the sea
Alone, at the wharf of San Blas

Her hair went white
But not a ship from her love returned to her
and in the town they were saying,
They were saying she is the crazy lady from san Blas
And one afternoon in April
they tried to move her to an insane asylum
Nobody was able to tear her roots from the ground
and she was never ever separated from the sea

Alone, alone en oblivion
Alone, alone with her spirit
Alone, alone with her love, the sea
Alone, alone at the wharf of San Blas

She stayed, she stayed alone
with the sun and with the sea
she stayed like that
She stayed until the end
She stayed like that in the wharf of San Blas

From Rosa Maria (by Holly)

On the very first leg of my very first trip to Argentina, I met a woman named Rosa Maria. She was traveling from Seattle back to Houston, TX where she would then head south to Mexico. We were sitting next to one another on the plane, and I was confident enough with my Spanish to engage her in conversation. I told her I was on my way to Buenos Aires where I would be studying Spanish for the next few months, and she was surprised and impressed that someone like me wanted to learn Spanish. She told me about her time in Seattle, and before we disembarked she handed me a note:

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July 27, 2006

My best wishes accompany you on this journey of new experiences. May light illuminate your life so that you achieve all that you desire, and may whatever God in which you believe protect you, care for you and be your guide. These are my wishes.

Your traveling companion,
Rosa Maria
Mexico



Kind people like Rosa Maria exist all over the world, and my belief is that the United States ought to embrace and welcome Spanish/English bilingual education. Rosa Maria didn't speak any English, but that didn't stop me from getting to know a lovely human being while trapped in a flying tin can. That brief exchange between two travelers was a poignant moment in my journey, and it gave me confidence to face the long road ahead of me. I will always remember Rosa Maria. She is a Latina, a woman and a gentle soul, and she reinforced my desire to become bilingual.

Cultural research through language immersion (by Holly)

The Cookbook Linguists collaborating on this project have cited and agree that "language plays a key role in the production and circulation of meaning" (Caroline). My experiences studying abroad as an undergraduate have shaped my research in an empirical way, and have inspired my cultural studies capstone to include developing a curriculum for my own private language school. I participated in four separate language immersion programs in three countries, spending a total of nine months living in South America, and I have a solid idea of what is possible and can be accomplished in Seattle.

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Diálogo - Portuguese language immersion school where I studied for four weeks in Salvador da Bahia, Brasil; April 2009

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With my Portuguese profesora, Tatiana

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Certificate of Participation

Academia Uruguay (by Holly)

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STOP. You are now entering the Spanish-speaking world. From this point there will be no Portuguese.

This is a card that hangs outside the office in a Spanish school called Academia Uruguay. It is a private language school located in the neighborhood Ciudad Vieja, the historical district of Montevideo, Uruguay's capital city. I participated in 40 hours of intensive Spanish classes there, and lived in the attached residencia for two weeks.

Academia Uruguay is an organization that I consider to be an exemplar in my cultural studies research and development of a Spanish/English school and community bilingual center. The school's core values emphasize academic excellence, professional service and complete immersion. These are three simple, yet effective strategies to business management, language acquisition, and community collaboration. The school is relatively new, having only opened in 2007, and it is operated by a young and highly educated staff, many individuals being university students like myself.

Through my personal experience as an international immersion student and language educator, I have already learned that language teaching requires more than dictating verbs and vocabulary in order for students to achieve tangible results. It is imperative that a cultural connection be relevant and apparent. Schools like Academia Uruguay provide international students with a curriculum, support and immediate application of the materials being taught in class.

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Açaí na tigela - BRASIL (by Holly)

Açaí na tigela (Açaí in a bowl)

Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) has become popular in the U.S. for very good reason. This traditional snack from Brazil is delicious, nutritious and easy to make. You can buy frozen pureed açaí in supermarkets like Whole Foods or PCC.

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Ingredientes:
400g de polpa de açaí congelada
1 banana nanica picada
Suco de 1 laranja
Açúcar refinado ou adoçante

Preparo:
• No copo do liqüidificador, coloque a polpa de açaí semi-gongelada, a banana, o suco de laranja e adoce.
• Bata até que fique homogêneo, mas sem deixar que a polpa derreta por completo.
• Sirva imediatamente.
• Os ingredientes devem ser batidos rapidamente para se obter uma sobremesa gelada com alguns flocos de gelo, e não um líquido.
• Bata a polpa de açaí com outras frutas, como morango, kiwi, etc.
• Acrescente também pó de guaraná

Ingredients:
400g frozen acai pulp
1 chopped banana
Juice from 1 orange or the equivalent amount of apple juice
Sugar or sweetener to taste
Granola

Preparation:
• Place the açaí, banana, orange or apple juice and sugar in a blender.
• Beat until smooth, but without letting the açaí melt completely.
• Serve immediately.
• The ingredients should be tapped quickly to obtain a frozen dessert with a few flakes of ice, and not a liquid.
• Whisk the açaí with other fruits such as strawberries, kiwi
• Add guaraná if desired
• Top with granola

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Music as Language (by Martha)

Att jag spelar fiol med barn är inte nyheter. Men, vet ni att det finns en artikel på svenska i sverige om oss som var i en journal för de som spelar fiol i Sverige? Nu har vi den här: (That I play the fiddle is not news. But, did you know that there was an article published in Swedish in Sweden about us in a journal for fiddlers? here it is.) The full translation of the article follows below, courtesy of the Nordic Heritage Museum and Virginia Dublin.




Lilla spelmanslaget Carries on with the Music

On the top floor of the Nordic Heritage Museum there is a large hall.  Martha Levenson sits there with five 8 – 10 year olds and trains them in tunes every Tuesday.  A couple of parents sit on the side reading, waiting for their children. At the beginning the children tell a little about how the day has been, then Martha gets going.

They practice bowing a hambo by Dahlin.  Martha is demanding and the creases in her forehead are deep and focused.  The second run through is in two parts.  It sounds good and afterwards there is a little talk about bowing.

“Now, you are going to sit on a horse, an elephant or a rhinoceros, but not on a fish or a snake.”

That’s enough on posture.

“We have three rules here”, says Martha.  “Have fun, keep the bow going and smile. It doesn’t matter if we make mistakes, just so we follow the rules.”

The Nordic Heritage Museum provides space for the group and owns one of the fiddles  that is rented out to a student.  The hope is that the museum eventually can build up a complete collection of 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 and full size fiddles.

Then the group plays a gånglåt [walking tune] walking while they fiddle. Anika is of Swedish descent and has enticed a friend to come to the group.  A couple of them have played American folk music but think that this group has fun. At the Folklife festival the children received standing ovations.  Martha has a long waiting list of children who want to begin.

“Anika knows 20 tunes and three harmonies.  Ciara has learned four tunes in a couple of months; she practices on her own at home.  All of the children get a CD to practice along with, because we play by ear.”

“ You didn’t practice during the week, did you?  Go back and practice because I know you have it. Don’t forget C sharp and D sharp.”

One of the children nods in agreement.

Martha’s criticism is lightning quick and matter-of-fact.  The children are focused on remembering, practicing rote and so that it sounds good.  No one is made to feel embarrassed.  Last summer Lilla spelmanslaget played at Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle.  Before that they had played a dance at a first Friday dance at the Cedar Valley Grange, a community center outside of Seattle.

The rebirth is on the way, fueled by the embers in Martha Levenson who has also taken courses in Sweden several times.  She got back her desire to play fiddle when she heard a polska and couldn’t figure out the beat.  Now her passion is contagious and the children are a little euphoric when they play a schottis and hop/jump in the air at a certain point.  Or when they play a gånglåt while walking.

Good luck, Lilla spelmanslag!

Food - It's in EVERY culture! (by Martha)

It's nearly the holiday season, and in Sweden, if you go to the bakery, some special buns appear. Those are Saffron Buns, and they are delicious with a hot cup of coffee. Would you like to make some? Here is a recipe in English, and accompanying photo from a Swedish cookbook. The buns are most typically eaten on Lucia Day, December 13.

What is t is the story of Lucia? There was Saint Lucy, and she was to be burned. But, the fire did not consume her, and she became a saint. The current tradition in Sweden is traced to the 1700s. In that time, it was a celebration marking the long days of winter, and the soon return to having more light. It also marks the beginning of Advent, and the opening of the Christmas Season. So, some light fluffy buns are just the perfect thing! 

Here is a recipe for you to try, it makes 16 servings if you make loaves, but see the photo below for some ideas about shapes:


Ingredients
  • 1  cup  hot water
  • 1/2  cup  golden raisins
  • 1/4  cup  dried currants
  • 1/4  cup  sugar, divided
  • 1/2  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
  • 1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1  cup  warm 2% reduced-fat milk (100° to 110°)
  • 3 1/3  cups  all-purpose flour, divided (about 15 ounces)
  • 1  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 3  tablespoons  butter, melted
  • 2  large eggs, divided
  • Cooking spray
Preparation
Combine 1 cup hot water, raisins, and currants in a bowl. Cover and let stand 10 minutes or until raisins and currants plump. Drain and set aside. Dissolve 1 tablespoon sugar, saffron, and yeast in warm milk in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 3 cups flour, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add raisins, currants, yeast mixture, butter, and 1 egg to flour mixture; stir until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 times. Divide dough into 3 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 16-inch rope. Place ropes lengthwise on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (do not stretch); pinch ends together at one end to seal, then braid them,  pinching the other loose ends to seal. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. Then, preheat oven to 375°. Lightly beat remaining egg in a small bowl. Gently brush dough with egg. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
 
The names mean things - the bottom left, for example, is Priest's Hair. The shape above that is the Flattened Lucia Crown. The bottom right is The Boy, while the most usual shape, the Lucekatt, is the second from the top on the left. These are the ones you would see in a bakery. 

On Lucia Day, Swedes get up early to watch a Lucia pageant at the famous Zorn mansion (Zorn was a painter, made many portraits, has one in the White House!) and then they often have other Lucia pageants. These photos show the Lucia Pageant at my school in Sweden. Lucia (a woman named Anna) walks at the front of the procession, with live candles on her head, and is followed by her attendants. At my school, they come to the dining hall and everyone sings, then we have Lussekattor (those yummy saffron buns) and then we go back to class, alas!
 

Food and Language as Culture (by Caroline)

According to Don Mitchell, one way of defining culture pertains to a way of life of a people, including “language, dress, food habits, music, housing styles, religion, family structures, and values.” As such, exploring a country’s language and food habits offers one way of exploring the values of a particular place in time, or what Doreen Massey calls the boundaries and naming of a particular space-time. Working and studying far away from my country of birth has enabled me to experience various time-spaces. Interestingly, moments where I felt the most homesick were usually triggered by my inability to properly communicate in a foreign language, or because I missed home cooking. To me this suggests the important role played by language and food in constituting a particular space-time. Working on this collaborative project gave me the opportunity to return to my roots and to share some European recipes. I have included a dessert recipe from France, my country of origin, as well as a soup recipe from Portugal, a country where I spent summer vacations on a yearly basis.


In contrast to the United States of America, milk has not come to represent “nature’s perfect food” for France, as related in E. Melanie DuPuis book by the same title. While milk drinking is not part of daily social practices in France, yogurt and cheese consumption are highly rated and enjoyed. Some French recipes do contain milk, such as the dessert detailed below. Cooking home meals tends to be part of social practices in France, even in today’s busy and fast-paced environment. Many French individuals and families enjoy cooking, sharing a meal and good conversation with family and friends, as a means of bonding and celebrating life.

“Cuisiner suppose une tete legere, un esprit genereux et un coeur large”
(Paul Gauguin)

The recipe presented below is called “Clafoutis aux Cerises.” Its origin is heavily contested between natives of the Limousin and those of the Gapeau Valley. Both of these regions are part of Provence, which is constituted by multiple sunny regions, situated in the southeastern corner of France. The joy of cooking, and what can be described as the cuisine of the sun, remain characteristics of Provence. I translated this recipe from French and converted the metrics.


Clafoutis aux Cerises or Cherry Pudding
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
1 ½ pounds black cherries
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
5/8 cup flour
1 cup milk
Vanilla sugar
Wash the cherries and remove the stems. The pits are not removed because they add a nice nutty flavor. Place the cherries in a buttered (you can also use Canola oil cooking spray) baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Mix 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk and the sugar in a bowl. Add the butter, flour, milk, and mix into a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the cherries and bake approximately 40 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with vanilla sugar.

Voila!



Portugal is a sunny, colorful country located on the southwestern corner of Iberia, near Spain. Its people and cuisine are very different from neighboring Spain, partly because Portugal remained isolated for centuries from the rest of Europe. During the 15th century, Portugal launched Europe’s Age of Discovery. The Portuguese charted the west coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, discovered Brazil, the Azores and Madeira. These discoveries brought precious spices, tea, rice, coffee, beans, pineapples, tomatoes and potatoes to Portugal. It is precisely the creative combination and use of New and Old World ingredients that distinguishes Portuguese cooking from the Spanish, and that gives it a deliciously homey taste.
Here is a recipe for a soup that is quite popular in Portugal.


Sopa de Feijao Verde com Hortela or Green Bean Soup with Mint
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes


2 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound tender young green beans, washed, tipped, and cut
1¼ cups water
Salt
Black Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped mint

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, add the potatoes and cook, stirring for approximately 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile cook the beans in water with salt over moderate heat for 25 minutes until very tender. Drain the beans while conserving their cooking water. Add the cooking water (from the beans) to the onion/garlic/potatoes saucepan and puree the mixture with an electric blender.

Add the green beans and bring to serving temperature. Before serving, add mint as well as salt and pepper according to taste.

A vossa saude!


Another way of exploring the concept of culture relates to the way in which we use language. For Stuart Hall, language is the privileged medium used to make sense of things, which suggests the key role played by language in the production and circulation of meaning. Cultural meanings have real practical effects and consequences, particularly on the process of representation. This leads me to the following question: how do we represent to others our thoughts, ideas, and feelings when we have to communicate in a foreign language? As meaning is constructed through dialogue between individuals speaking a foreign language, what is shared? What is left out?

As an individual communicating in a second language, I constantly experience the limitations of adequately conveying my ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Working on my capstone project also enabled me to witness the struggle faced by my interviewees, for whom Pashto was their first language, as they tried to express certain concepts and ideas in English. Again, what might have been left out, misunderstood, misinterpreted as I collected my data?

As a cultural worker, I have become more conscious of my responsibility in the representation of a particular constituency. The language used, and the way in which I select to represent my interviewees have effects on the type of knowledge produced, and can ultimately result in real-life consequences. Regardless of the language barrier, the production of meaning remains an eternal process of translation and negotiation.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Roots and Comparisons (by Martha)

Where was this photo taken? What time of day is it? 
The answers to these questions inform my Capstone, believe it or not! This is a picture of a road in Föllinge, northern Sweden, at 1:30AM, in mid-July 2005. I had met two teachers, school teachers, in Sweden, and I started to question my future. I also began to understand my connection to Scandinavia, which comes not from familial roots, but from music and dance, and to see that this was my future. I knew that somehow it would be connected to Sweden.

One of the symbols of Sweden is the dalahäst. Not only is found here, in giant size, by the side of the road in Avesta, Sweden, but it's also found in the Folk Arts Trunk that belongs to the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard. I chose to put a dalahest in the trunk because it is such a strong cultural symbol, understood across cultures, yet it is still hand made in a small town in central Sweden.  It is clearly folk art, although it also serves perhaps as a toy.



Another way to think about customs is to ask what is the same.


Det är jag, efter sista konsert i programmet, och jag har fått en roz. Det är samma i Amerika, att vi får blommen när vi har spelat bra eller...den här roz jag fått från min vännina, Ulla. Jag har spelat solo, men andra studentar har spelat bara i gruppen.

Translation
This is me after playing the last concert in the program, and I have received a rose. This is the same in America, that we get flowers when we have played well or... This rose I received from my friend, Ulla. I played a solo, but the other students chose only to play in groups.

My capstone is based on learning in informal learning environments like museums and being able to share culture and history within classrooms that are formal environments, like public schools. My job is to evaluate the outreach programs at the Nordic Heritage Museum, programs that do the aforementioned functions.