Culture Exchange

X

Culture

Change Guten Tag

你好 Ciao

Bonjour Aloha 今日は Hej

Bondjoû

¡Hola!

Dumela

안녕하세요

Selam

‫ًالهس و ًالهأ‬

Selamat

Olá

Halló

Sveikas

Witôjze Sillaw Goddag

Table of C ia IndFu n Facts

pg 19

Spring

Festival

pg 13

Student

Cucumber

Mid-Autumn

pg 20

pg 17

Raita Recipe

Moon

Festival

Student

Interview

Mrudula

Bhuvanagiri pg 26

1

Student

Interview

Cynthia pg 27 Jiang

Teacher

Interview

pg 23

Madame

Johnson

Interview

Elli Sawada

pg 28

Culture

Spotlight

Mainlan d

China vs.

Hong Kong

pg 15

Japanese pg 28 Change

XStudents

Letter from the Editor’s Desk

First of all, I would like to thank all of my editors and yearbook staff for investing their time and energy in creating this beautiful magazine.

In March 2012, when we sat around the desk to discuss publishing our first CCA Culture X-change magazine, we were all determined and excited to bring joy and happiness to the student body through our cross-cultural stories. We could hardly believe our eyes when we took a look at the finished version of the edition in May. Through the magazine, we could finally accomplish our mission of enriching the cultural diversity here in CCA.

The main goals of Culture Exchange club are to encourage students to learn new languages by challenging themselves and to broaden their perspective toward the world. In this 21st century, it is significant to communicate with one another in different languages. Expressing thoughts and feelings with other languages besides native language is the first step to open your mind to the others from different backgrounds. We truly believe that language and culture are the magnificent testaments of human civilization. Culture X-change Magazine will manifest how diverse languages and cultures have interacted to

Contents Korean

Dpgr3amas

ttish ScoHighland Student

Interview

Davina

Moossazadeh pg 25

Teacher

Games pg 29

Interview

pg 24

Mr.

Spilkin

The

Highlights of

Mexican

pg 11 Culture

The

Woes pg 9

of Korean

Teacher

Interview

pg 21

Schools

Profe

Krogh ing RisCulture

build our innovative and dynamic modern society.

In this issue, we feature various countries including Korean, China, Mexico, Scotland, and India. Each country will reveal its distinct characteristic and provide the valuable information about its culture as well as language. In order to establish a cultural connection with the student body, we included the teacher and student interview section that shows CCA is a culturally diverse school indeed.

Also, the student photography will wait you at the end of the edition.

This edition takes a spotlight on Japanese exchange students who visited CCA in mid-March. Special thanks to Mr. Quinn for letting us have an interview with each student and supporting our endeavor to feature every aspect of Japanese exchange students.

We wish you enjoy Culture X-change Magazine and look forward to receiving comments. Culture is our joy and language is our happiness. Open your heart and expand your world.

Sincerely, Angelina Woo

K-POP pg 5

Staff

Angelina Woo -Club President/Editor-InChief/Writer Sarah Ross-Vice President/Writer Keerti Tadimati-Secretary/Event Organizer/ Writer Adylen Chan-Treasury/Broadcaster/Writer/ Design Editor Eudoria Lee-Photographer/Finance/Writer Amy Kim-Writer/Editor Jessica Banuelos-Writer/Event Organizer Vienna Chan-Writer/Design Editor Sabrina Hartley-Writer/Event Organizer Anita Kulkarni-Writer/Event Organizer

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Korea

3

Dramas

By Sarah Ross and Angelina Woo

Korea is known as a country of entertainment and dramas. The entertainment industry has become one of the eminent economic powers in South Korea as the nation continues its development. Korean dramas play a significant role in spreading Korean culture throughout the world.

Beginning in Japan, the dramas have.

Korean Wave, known as Hallyu, resonates also in Latin America and the Middle East. As entertainment companies viscously compete for viewership ratings, the world anticipates further developments and innovations.

The three major genres of Korean Dramas are melodrama, romantic comedy, and historical drama. Melodramas often explore the themes of family feuds, false accusation, and the ultimate vindication through acts of revenge. While most of the melodramas contain the dark sides of human nature, romantic comedies cover the trivial trials and tribulations of protagonists in an exaggerated manner.

Finally, historical dramas are the most prominent because they reflect the profound history of Korea and its traditional values. The main characters are often ostracized by a strict, unforgiving society, but ultimately, they redeem themselves through extraordinary acts of valor.

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3

Photo from SBS

Photo from SBS

3

Photo from MBC

3

3

Photo from MBC

3

Photo from KBS

Photo Courtesy of KBS

1. Secret Garden 2. City Hunter 3. My Name is Kim Sam Soon 4. Boys Over Flowers 5. Goong 6. Dream High

Some romantic comedy features include My Name is Kim Sam-Soon (2005), Goong (2006), and Boys over Flower (2009). First of all, in romantic comedy genre, My Name is Kim Sam-Soon is aimed at a more mature audience. This drama is a Korean version of Bridget Jones that promotes characters over physical appearance and features a clumsy, mediocre protagonist who realizes her own worth in a judgmental society. For a more youthful audience, Goong, (meaning a palace in Korean) and Boys over Flower have garnered a lot of attention.

Goong based on the popular Manhwa by So Hee Park has a fairy tale plotline which tells the story of an ordinary girl who becomes a princess and faces countless obstacles in the palace. Moreover, Goong takes place in an imaginary society in which South Korea is ruled by a royal family. The other romantic comedy drama, Boys over Flower, overs a high school romance in which an average girl previously bullied by the four affluent males (F4) at an elite school struggles to break social norms. This drama was also broadcasted in Japan and China thanks to its widespread popularity among Asian teenagers.

Next let us switch our attention to Korean historical dramas (also known as saguek). Queen Seon Deok (2011) is one of the prominent historical dramas that impacted the entire Korean audience and started to be broadcasted in other countries. Queen Seon Deok was the first female ruler in Korean history and she led the Silla dynasty into success and prosperity through her wisdom and political prowess. In order to be an effective ruler, she had to overcome a rival political power led by Misil, who boasted her control over politics as well as religion. Furthermore, Tree with Deep Roots (2011), which achieved very high viewership ratings, demonstrates how the Korean alphabet (Hangul) was created by King Sejong the Great. The drama succeeded in awakening the national morale in Hangul and its cultural values in the 21st century.

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Korea

IN THE

SPOTLIGHT:

K-POP

by Angelina Woo

Photo by Dendicious Girl’s Generation Members (left to right): Yoona, Jessica, Tiffany, Seohyun, Yuri, Sooyoung, Sunny, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon There is no barrier in the world of music. This saying is well known among the people of our world who have witnessed the dynamic development of cross cultural music genre. Back to the Stone Age, people communicated with one another by using various symbols and images which gradually developed into the well organized structure and now serve as an innovative communication tool, language. Language not only conveys people’s thoughts but also represents their unique cultures. In the world of music, language and culture are beautifully intertwined to generate a variety of arts. As people have seen countless talented artists all over the world who revolutionized the history of music and mesmerized them. In this 21st century, the world pays attention to another new rising culture: K-POP. People think of the United States as the mother of Pop since numerous Pop stars such as Michael Jackson and Whitney Huston succeeded in attracting a myriad of domestic aficionados as well as global fans with their powerful performances. Influenced by American Pop culture, many Eastern countries started to incorporate this foreign genre into their own traditional ballad. Especially, ballad was the predominant musical genre in Korean culture before the Pop music impacted the nation. Since 1990s, Korean idol groups equipped with new genre, K-POP, have surpassed the popularity of solo singers. The K-POP idol groups eventually emerged on the global stage and proved their competency.

Super Junior Members (left to right): Kyuhyun, Shindong, Ryeowook, Siwon, Donghae, Heechul, Eunhyuk, Leeteuk, Yesung, Sungming

Photo from SM Entertainment

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Photo by Kim Min Ai SS501 Members (left to right) : Hyung Jun, Young Saeng, Hyun Joong, Kyu Jong, Jungmin

Photo by SM Entertainment BoA, Queen of K-Pop. How did K-POP suddenly attain its reputation as a rising cultural icon? A lot of critics agree that systemized entertainment agenPhoto by Ngoc Hankotic cies play as the biggest factor that has lead K-POP into a great success and prosperity.

B2st Members (left to right): Dongwoon, Kikwang, Junhyung, The three major agencies in Korean enterYoseob, Hyunseung, Doojoon tainment industry are JYP, SM, and YG. Each agency was prominent in training its prospective artists (age 15-18) and prepared them for the global stage.

The training is known to be painstaking because it requires high level perseverance, self-abstinence, and commitment for young trainees. Some British critics criticized this excessively hard training may cause the negative impact on young adults who are supposed to take care of their health in order to engage in studying. It is true that these days, many Korean teenagers influenced by the K-POP culture aspire to become K-POP stars and to attain success rapidly. Also, while the K-POP stars play an important role in spreading Korean culture across the world, they also cause a lot of Korean teenagers to feel insecure about their physical appearances. People from other countries agree that Korean people are generally obsessed with plastic surgery in order to stand out in the society which tends to initially judge a person by his or her appearance. Though K-POP culture sometimes negatively impacts the Korean society, we cannot deny that it is still growing as a rising world culture. Through the internet, TV talk shows, entertaining programs, and world tours, K-POP continues its international progress.

Indeed, one of our CCA Japanese students, Nanaco Saito said she truly can feel the popularity of K-POP in Japan by her skin. She also claimed that her favorite groups are Shinee (SM) and F(x) (SM). Cynthia Jiang, a ChineseAmerican student at CCA also enjoys listening to K-POP music and learning K-POP dance. “I think the spreading of cultures is good, because it allows us to have a taste of a different culture even if we are unable to travel to that specific country,� said Cynthia. CHECK OUT THE NEXT PAGE FOR INSANELY AWESOME BRIEFINGS ON K-POP IDOLS.

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Korea

WOW, FANT

SM Entertainment, considered to be South Korea’s largest music company, is known for debuting some of the largest idols in K-Pop history. World star and female soloist, Beat of the Angel, otherwise known as BoA, made her debut in the year 2000 at age fourteen and expanded into Japan within two years. When K-Pop was still extremely limited, BoA worked herself onto an international stage and remains a huge and experienced star today. Following BoA’s debut, in 2003, SM Entertainment introduced “the scary rookie group that topped all the charts”: DBSK, meaning Rising of the Gods of the East. This five member boy band blew away the Korean Media with their well-rounded talents, showing off unbeatable singing, dancing, rapping, and even acting skills. With their hit single “Mirotic,” they became the first K-Pop group to sell over 500,000 albums. Currently, SM Entertainment is most known for two major K-Pop groups, thirteen member boy band, Super Junior, which currently holds the largest fan base in the world, and nine member girl band, Girl’s Generation, five member boy band SHINee, five member girl band, F(x), and twelve member boy band, EXO. In fact, hit single by Super Junior, “Sorry, Sorry” and adorable music video by Girl’s Generation, “Gee,” both released in 2009, officially brought K-Pop to an international standing.

Photo by Ngoc Hankotic DBSK Members (left to right): Junsu, Yoochun, Jaejoong, Changmin, Yunho Big Bang Members (left to right): T.O.P., Seungri, Taeyang, Daesung, G-dragon

Photo from KOREA.NET Another extremely important entertainment agency in South Korea is YG Entertainment. Although SM Entertainment is credited for introducing K-Pop to the world outside Korea, YG Entertainment has proved to fit the international audience more. While other K-Pop agencies continuously debuted flower boys, YG Entertainment debuted an unique five member boy band, Big Bang with the hit single, “Lies.” Unlike most boy bands at the time, Big Bang was not full of typical visuals, but still climbed to the very top of K-Pop charts and now stands as the main rival to Super Junior.

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TASTIC BABY!

BY CINDY LIU 2NE1 Members (left to right): Bom, CL, Dara, Minzy

Photo by Carmela Nava

“Even if you don’t understand the language, you can still love the music.” -- CL (leader of 2ne1)

YG Entertainment again surprised Korea with an even more interesting girl band in 2009 with the name 2NE1.

Korea has the tradition of preferring girls who are very cute and innocent, but YG Entertainment countered that idea with this four member girl band composed of powerful rappers and full voices, showing off an extremely sexy and up-in-your-face style. 2NE1 automatically attracted the attention of both Korean and international fans with their sassy and punk attitudes, portraying that girls can be popular and loved without acting adorable, and was awarded “2011’s Best New Band” by MTV.Apart from these two major bands, YG Entertainment is also home to famous soloists including Tablo, Se7en, Gummy, and Psy.

Photo from JYP Entertainment 2PM Members (left to right): Junsu, Junho, Chansung, Nickhun, Wooyoung, Taecyeon

The third largest Korean music company is JYP Entertainment. JYP is both the name of a K-Pop Agency, and the name of the owner who was a successful K-Pop artist himself. JYP not only is known for training Korea’s most well-known male soloist and international superstar, Rain, he also composed many hit singles released by his signed artists, and his older dance style is clearly reflected in the choreography as artists signed to his label consistently bring back moves such as the running man and the shuffle step. JYP Entertainment’s two famous boy bands, 2AM and 2PM are polar opposites.

2PM is a group composed of six very good-looking men known as “the beastly idols”, who are powerful dancers and can freestyle or break dance to almost any song, while 2AM is more lacking in both visuals and dancing, but shows off their singing skills in some of the most heart-wrenching ballads such as “I’m Sorry I Can’t Laugh for You.” Girl groups from JYP Entertainment include the Wonder Girls, who made an official American debut in 2009 with “Nobody”, and four member Miss A.

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The Woe of South Korean Schools

Photo Found on Flickr by Dvortygirl

by Amy K.

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The stereotype that Asians are academically talented has become ingrained in student culture. Asian Americans tend to laugh at it, putting our hands up in an almost surrendering pose, meekly denying it because it’s a mere stereotype, because it would be erroneous to apply one statement to every individual in an entire race – and because we know that our devotion to studies are simply not par with that of the students residing in Asian countries such as South Korea, who we can guess are either studying, eating, studying, drinking, breathing, or studying.

South Korea’s ubiquity of hagwons, for-profit cram schools that manifest educational masochism incarnate, are testament to the culture that prioritizes studies above all else. Some hagwons close at times near midnight, straining both students and instructors. Thus, there have been rigorous efforts to curtail hagwon durations, such as the 10:00 P.M. curfew. Yet it is curious to note that even after such limitations, violators of the curfew exist.

On a brighter note, South Korean schools are almost always clean.

That is because their janitorial staff comprise of students who are scolded if they do not meet expectation. Classrooms rotate in cleaning duties, and after school, assigned students scrub the floors, desks, toilets, and walls into pristine conditions. They are rewarded for their drudgery – not with dollars – but with “a sense of pride and knowledge that their classrooms are clean,” so claim the schools.

Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the widespread use of corporeal punishment in schools. Used from elementary schools to high schools, physical punishment is accepted as a cultural norm in South Korean education. Punishment canes range from clubs, broomsticks, baseball bats, and thick, rigid sticks, things that are more likely to bruise than sting if applied with vigor.

The practice was lawful in all Korean provinces until the Gyeong gi Province, an area that encircles but excludes Korean capital Seoul, banned it from being used for education in 2010. When Seoul promptly followed example, teachers from other regions who opposed abolition expressed vigorous dissent, claiming that physical discipline was not only tradition but also an efficient means to educate. The country’s position on this issue is unclear today.

Photo Found on Flickr by strange-lands

Korea

We imagine the South Korean student to be suffering from flawed school practices, but South Korean educators who advocate such a system state that there are benefits to their schooling methods. For example, proponents state that lack of diversity in clothing enables the student to focus entirely on studying. Publicly posted scores almost instantly raise seriousness towards studying. Corporeal punishment is an efficient method in correcting deplorable behavior, thereby helping the students on their respective goals and futures, which they will surely obtain from studying. As for student janitorial duties, they underscore hygiene and create suitable studying experience – but are more or less an effectual means to minimize school costs. Are such methods appropriate? Do they motivate learning or stymie it?

Grades are posted for students – but South Korean schools generously broaden the accessibility of scores. After an exam, grades are posted publicly – with names and rankings. Teachers also announce the grades in class, asking students their respective grades. Who received a 100%?

Raise your hand! Who received a 50%?

Raise your hand – higher! To exacerbate the blow on dignity, schools are not stingy with where they place these pages. On the classroom doors! On the lunch tables! It wouldn’t come as a surprise if they taped these on the bathroom stalls.

However, hagwons are not the only institution that contributes to South Korea’s attitude towards education.

South Korean public schools embody a culture focused on education and nothing else. All students are required to wear uniforms. Painted nails, jewelry, sandals, beards, and make-up (God forbid!) are prohibited on school grounds. Every female student is required to cut her hair short – no longer than her shoulders – and risk suspension if she violates this rule. Some schools even require students with naturally brown or curly hair to carry ID cards proving that they have not colored or permed their hair.

The truly frightening aspect of the clothing standardization is that it has extended to become a canon denoting social acceptance outside school grounds – to the point that when my sister visited a coffee shop in Korea, clone-like female Asian students gawked at her pink nails, vicious toe-exposing heels, jean shorts, and highlights-streaked hair, causing a middle-aged woman to openly express her disbelief that a school would allow a student to wear such… such sacrilegious attire!

Frankly, I see the aspects of the South Korean school system encouraging excellence in studying more than learning.

Efficiency in teaching and seriousness towards education are beneficial but are and should not be the only prioritized qualities; schools are not there to make students into robotic bookshelves but to kindle thought and illuminate opinion. To suffocate diversity in a school is to undermine one of the very pillars that support learning – individuality, which, like renowned writer Ayn Rand proposes, stimulates personal aspirations and ultimately enables achievement. I am both glad and relieved to say that Canyon Crest Academy has especially upheld this creed.

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Mexico

Photo Courtesy of Martin Lopatka

Photo Courtesy of PaulSteinJC

Photo Courtesy of S. Diddy

Dance Each region in Mexico has its own form and style of dance that reflects its unique customs and traditions.

While some dances have a more indigenous expression in their folk dance, there are others which draw heavily from European dance forms, such as the Flamenco. The two most famous Mexican folk dances are The Jarabe Tapatio and La Danza del Venado. The Jarabe Tapatio otherwise known as the Mexican Hat Dance was named the national dance of Mexico in 1924 in an effort to bring several different cultures together as one national unity. Having originated in the state of Jalisco, the Jarabe Tapatio is a courting dance, where the man tries to romantically sway the women into courtship. While the women wear the traditional china poblana (a fringed blouse, a skirt and shawl) the men are dressed in a decorative charro or cowboy suit.

La Danza del Venado is a ritualistic dance performed by the tribe of Yaqui Indians illustrating a deer hunt.

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Cuisine Mexican cuisine, most commonly enjoyed for its variety of spices and ingredients, colorful decoration, and creative use of chocolate in many of its dishes, is considered to be one of the most varied in the world after Chinese and Indian cuisine. Having corn (maize) and beans at its foundation, many of Mexican corn-based foods are frequently mixed with herbs and spices such as chiles, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, chipotle, and cocoa. Chocolate also plays an important part in Mexican cuisine. Using recipes handed down from generation to generation, Mexicans incorporate chocolate into many of their meals such as savory dishes called mole (pronounced mole-lay).

Photo Courtesy of PaulSteinJC

The Highlights of Mexican Culture

by Jessica Bañuelos

• Capital: Mexico City • Population: 112,336,538 • Culture Name: Mexican • Identification: The word “Mexico” is derived from Mexica (pronounced “Me-shee-ka”), the name for the indigenous group (Aztecs) that settled in central Mexico in the early fourteenth century.

• National Sport: Charreria (a series of equestrian events)

Photo Courtesy of peasap

Holidays In Mexico, many of the celebrated holidays are of a political or religious origin. For example, Day of the Virgen de Guadalupe (Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, December 12) celebrates the day that the virgin appeared on Tepeyac hill to the native Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, and Cry of Dolores (Grito de Dolores, September 15) celebrated an event that marked the start of the independence war against Spain. However, there are only eight official holidays observed by everyone in the country which requires employers to allow employees to take the day off or get paid double time. Those holidays include: New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo), Constitution Day (Día de la Constitucíon), Benito Juárez’s birthday (Natalicio de Benito Juárez), Labor Day (Día del Trabajo), Independence Day (Día de la Independencia), Revolution Day (Día de la Revolución), Change of Federal Government (Transmisión del Poder Ejecutivo Federal) and Christmas (Navidad)

Photo Courtesy of bunky’s pickle

Music Mexico’s culture. This style of music is played by a group consisting of five or more musicians that wear charro suits.

Instruments that make up the traditional mariachi bands include at least two violins, a guitar, a guitarrón (large bass guitar), and a vihuela (similar to a guitar but with round back that plays at a higher pitch that a traditional guitar).

Nowadays, mariachi bands will usually include trumpets and sometimes a harp.

Around the time of the Mexican-American War in the 1840’s, the popular musical form was the corrido. Corridos are long ballads that describe the political and popular issues of the time as well as celebrate great deeds, much like a modern epic story. In fact, almost all the historical facts of the entire war with American are preserved in the texts of the corridos of the time. However, as time went on, the themes of the corridos changed. It became a means of expression for the lives of migrant workers and the immigrant experience who felt the injustice of being treated as a minority. They found relief in songs depicting that injustice, such as the corrido “Discriminacion a un martire” which describes a funeral service being denied to a Mexican WWII veteran. As these themes changed with the onset of large-scale immigration to the U.S, the songs depicting the injustice towards Mexican became known as narcocorridos.

Photo Courtesy of Ethan Ableman

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China

Spring Festival 1.

Photo found on Flickr byWordRidden

Photo found on Flickr by Hub

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2.

China

• Capital: Beijing • Population: 1,303,701,000 • Religion: Taoist, Buddhist, Muslim • National Sport: Ping-pong tennis Spring Festival: By Adelyn Chan

Spring Festival, or more commonly known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated in places where there are high Chinese populations: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Tibet, Chinatowns, etc. According to legend, Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast known as Nian (Chinese for Year) that would terrorize villagers by eating livestock, crops, and even children. To defend themselves, villagers put out food for Nian to eat, believing it would not feast on anything else. Surprisingly, their fear ended once they spotted Nian shying away from a child wearing the color red; from then on, villagers hung red lanterns and scrolls on their doors, even setting off firecrackers, to scare off Nian. Eventually, Nian died, and thus the celebration of Chinese New Year began, which traditionally lasts for 15 days.

It is a time when the Chinese get together with their extended families and exchange kind words and gifts. The highlight of the event is the big feast on Chinese New Year’s Eve, called Chu Xi (除夕) .

Food is a very important factor in Chu Xi. During Chu Xi, it is common for feasts to include fish, niangao (Chinese New Year Cake), You Jiao (Chinese new year dumplings), Jiao Zi (dumplings), and melon seed. Each food, especially fish, You Jiao, and Niangao, each has Chinese homophone for something related to for tune.

For example, fish(魚yu) and fortune (餘yu) are homophones. By serving fish on the New Year’s Eve feast, the Chinese believe that they are increasing their fortune. Another example, Niangao symbolizes the Chinese saying “年年高高 (nian nian gao gao) or each year bringing more fortune than the last.”

Photo found on Flilckr by oatsy40

5.

恭喜發財!

Gong xi fa cai

May you have a prosperous New Year!”

新年快樂!

Xin nian kuai le

4.

”

Happy New Year!

Photo found on Flickr by jimmiehomeschoolmom

“

Photo found on Flilckr by shaggyshoo

After Chu Xi comes the first day of the Chinese New Year. This is the day to honor extended family members and elders. It is also the day when the junior members of the family (children, teenagers) receive hong bao (紅包), or red envelopes, from older members of the same family (married couples or the elderly). Each hong bao contains money, usually varying from a hundred to a couple hundred dollars. The packets are colored red because red symbolizes luck.

For this reason, it is not unusual to see numerous red lanterns and red dragon and lion dance costumes on the other days of Chinese New Year.

If you were not familiar with Chinese New Year before, why not show some cultural appreciation by learning how to say these common greetings?

Photo found on Flilckr by Bracketing Life

3.

1. To honor the legen, each year, cities put on a Chinese New Year Parade featuring a special “dragon dance”. Dancers go under the tarp decorated to represent nian and simulate Nian running and jumping. 2.

During Chinese New Year, families usually got together to eat dumplings. Sometimes, families will insert a coin into the filling and wrap is up. Whoever finds the coin wil be granted luck for the new year. 3. According to the legend, Nian was afraid of the color red which is why numerous red lanterns hand from cables, are attached to the entryways, or are used to decorate hotels and restaurants. 4. 5. “Hongbao” or red envelopes are little embellished little bags that adults give to children filled with money. In order to earn this treat, the child must respectfully bow and wish the adult a happy new year.

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China Hong Kong

MAINLAND CHINA vs.

HONG KONG

Although Hong Kong is part of China, there are many differences between the two countries. The most obvious difference is the language. Most parts of Mainland China speak Mandarin Chinese, but Hong Kong speaks Cantonese Chinese instead. Although it’s not the only area to speak Cantonese, it’s the only place in China that speaks Cantonese and uses the traditional way of writing rather than the simplified way. Another difference between Mainland China and Hong Kong would be the money. While China uses Yuan, or Reminbi, Hong Kong uses their own money, called Hong Kong Dollars, or HKD. They are both worth about the same amount, but Yuan is worth a little bit more than the HKD. Because Hong Kong used to belong to England, the city of Hong Kong shares similar cultural aspects with London. This includes the usage of British terms (lift instead of elevator, trolleys instead of shopping carts, etc.) and the fact that in Hong Kong the drivers’ seat is on the right side rather than the left, when the rest of China is on the left like the USA. The MTR (or subway) stations are also similar to the ones in London, because what the speakers say are similar and both have a ‘tube’ feeling.

Photo found on Flickr by rmlowe

The Victoria Harbor once held the swimming and water polo competitions that led to the Victoria Recreation Club. Now, it is one of the busiest ports in the world. It is also world famous for its stunning city skylines and has been the subject of numerous photographs.

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Photo found on Flickr by See-ming Lee

By Vienna Chan

These are the banck notes issued. pictures above are the twenty dollar note and the fifty dollar note. In addition to bank notes, the government also issues coins that have the values of 10, 20, and 50 cents as well as silver coins for 1, 2, 5, dollars, and so on.

Tourist SitesPopular tourist sites in Hong Kong include The Peak, Victoria Harbor, and the Giant Buddha. The Peak is the most popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong because you can look over the city from there; from the Victoria Harbor to the green hillsides. To get to The Peak, you can also ride the Peak Tram, which is so steep that it looks as if the buildings themselves are leaning. From the ride itself, you can enjoy the vista of the city of Hong Kong. Not only is The Peak a popular sight-seeing point, but it also has its own mall, so you could enjoy shopping and sight-seeing at the same time. The Victoria Harbor is also a very popular point in Hong Kong. Most people enjoy seeing it from The Peak, where you can watch the boats travel across the water.

However, if you are in the Harbor itself, you could watch the city. This is very popular at night, since the city of Hong Kong is lit up during this time.

Hong Kong cuisine is mostly influenced by the Cantonese style of food, and many other parts of the world. Like China, a meal in Hong Kong generally has dishes for you to share while you have your own bowl of rice.

However, since Hong Kong is the “culture hotpot” of Asia, it features many different types of food around the world, including French, Italian, Japanese, etc. Hong Kong also has its own style of fast food. Rather than sell hamburgers like McDonalds, they sell Cantonese styled cuisine that’s influenced by Western countries. This could include noodles, barbeque pork rice, pork cutlets and so on. Although it may seem as if they would take longer to cook than hamburgers, they are made just as quickly.

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Photo found on Flickr by Andreas

This is one of the views of The Peak from 428 meters in the sky. The Peak is located at Victoria Gap, It is also very close to teh central MTR station. So, while there, maek the effort to visit the Peak Tower, The Sky Terrace 428, ride the Peak Tram, and the Peak Tram Historical Gallery.

Food-

Photo found on Flickr by jetalone Photo found on Flickr by jetalone

Big BuddhaAnother very popular point of Hong Kong is the Giant Buddha, located in Lantau Island.

The Buddha itself weights 250 tons and is 34 meters high. It took 12 yearsto complete the statue and was opened for public viewing in 1993. Before you can get to the statue, you have to climb over 200 stair steps. The most popular way to reach the Giant Buddha is by cable car.

This is the famous pork cutlet also known as Tonkatsu.

Photo found on Flickr by Andreas

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China

Mid-Autumn

Moon Festival

By Eudoria Lee

The Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar, which is September or October in the Gregorian calendar. The celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival is strongly associated with the legend of Houyi and Chang’e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality.

One version of the legend states that Houyi and Chang’e were immortals living in heaven when Houyi killed nine of the existing ten suns. The sun birds were the sons of the Jade Emperor, who punished Houyi and Chang’e by forcing them to live on Earth as mortals. When Houyi perceived that Chang’e felt extremely miserable over her loss of immortality, he decided to find the pill that would restore it. At the end of his quest, he met the Queen Mother of the West, who agreed to give him the pill but warned him that each person would only need half a pill to regain immortality. Houyi brought the pill home and stored it in a case. He warned Chang’e not to open the case and then left home for a while. As Pandora in Greek mythology did, Chang’e could not resist her curiosity. She opened up the case and found the pill just as Houyi was returning home. Nervous that Houyi would catch her discovering the contents of the case, she accidentally swallowed the entire pill and started to float into the sky because of the overdose.

There are many variations to the story but according to a widespread folk tale (not necessarily supported by historical records), the Mid-Autumn Festival also commemorates an uprising in China against the Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty (1280–1368) in the 14th century. As group gatherings were banned, it was impossible to make plans for a rebellion. Noting that the Mongols did not eat mooncakes, Liu Bowen of Zhejiang Province, advisor to the Chinese rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang, came up with the idea of timing the rebellion to coincide with the MidAutumn Festival. He sought permission to distribute thousands of moon cakes to the Chinese residents in the city to bless the longevity of the Mongol emperor. Inside each cake, however, was a piece of paper with the message: “Kill the Mongols on the 15th day of the 8th month”. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) under Zhu. Henceforth, the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated with moon cakes on a national level.

Photo courtesy of Pixiduc

Photo courtesy of David Yu

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Photo courtesy of David Yu

Photo courtesy of David Yu

Photo courtesy of David Yu

There are several traditions carried out on this special day: -Eating mooncakes -Matchmaking -Carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns -Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang’e -Fire Dragon Dances -The Autumn Moon Festival is one of the most prominent celebrations in Chinese culture other than Chinese New Year and will be celebrated on September 30 of this year.

Photo courtesy of David Yu

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India • India is the largest democracy in the world.

Capital: New Delhi

• India is the birthplace of cotton, chess, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Population: 1,189,172,906 Photo Courtesy(as of frankf Bollywood (which produces the most movies in the world), the decimal system, of July 2011 - second highest in the world) and the number zero.

• India’s official languages are Hindi and English, but 17 other regional languages are recognized by the government. There are also about 1,652 dialects in India.

National Animal: Bengal tiger

• Dance is a prominent element of Indian culture (it is important in worshiping) and features symbolic, intricate hand positions.

National Bird: peacock

• Indians consider cows to be sacred, which is why the cows are allowed to freely roam through the streets and often cause traffic jams.

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Photo Courtesy of Christian Haugen

National Fruit: mango

Currency: rupees

Cucumber Raita (Courtesy of Anita’s Mom)

farm

Ingredients: 2 large cucumbers, washed, peeled and finely chopped ½ cup sour cream 1 cup yogurt ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon sugar ½ bunch cilantro, washed, and finely chopped Seasoning – see recipe below ½ cup roasted finely chopped unsalted peanuts (optional) Procedure: In a medium bowl, mix together cucumber, sour cream, yogurt, salt and sugar. If using peanuts, mix together peanuts.

Set aside and prepare seasoning.

Add seasoning to the cucumber yogurt mixture and mix well.

It is okay for the seasoning to be hot. Add cilantro and mix together. Adjust salt and sugar as needed.

Serve immediately.

Seasoning: 2 tablespoons oil ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds ¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds 1 small fresh serrano pepper – finely chopped Heat the oil on low medium heat in a small skillet. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds. The seeds will start to splutter immediately. Stir the oil and add cumin seeds and stir till cumin seeds also splutter - 2-3 seconds. If using Serrano peppers, add the chopped Serrano pepper in the hot oil and stir. Cook the seasoning for a minute. Turn the heat off.

Photo courtesy of David Yu

Photo Courtesy of frankfarm

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Spain

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Teacher Interview

Profe

Why and when did you move to Mexico?

I was 15 when I decided to move to Mexico.

I did not have sufficient knowledge about Spanish language and culture since I had just taken Spanish I in my school. The decisive event that evoked my desire to study abroad was the short trip to Mexico. Though it was only two weeks, the trip greatly inspired me to experience the wider and broader world outside my hometown. When I came back home, I could not resist thinking of the stunningly beautiful vista of nature in Mexico and I was eager to learn Spanish in a real Spanishspeaking country.

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by Angelina Woo

Krogh

What are the advantages of going abroad to learn foreign cultures and languages? Also, what did you personally learn and feel?

Living in a foreign country is difficult, but just think of an old saying, “no pain, no gain.” I believe that I learned a lot about myself and the world revolving my life. Advantages of studying abroad overweigh disadvantages. To begin with, I could broaden my perspective toward the world since I had to encounter different people with different backgrounds. My old perspective back in America was too parochial compared to my new perspective gained from my experiences abroad. As I started to recognize how the world goes around, I built up my humility toward myself. I learned to be humble when I first meet new people and learn new knowledge. Moreover, I have developed my sense of humor since I have experienced numerous situations that I had to go through while in other countries including Spain, Guatemala, Peru, and Costa Rica. Humor is crucial when you learn foreign languages because you come to realize how to enjoy your learning experience. Obviously, I made mistakes in grammar and pronunciation in Spanish, but I tried to be cheerful all the time. I learned that fear hampers your progress in learning foreign languages. Of course, people do not feel comfortable as they attempt to speak in “foreign” languages; that is why they are called “foreign.” They just do not come to people naturally as their native languages do. I overcame this emotional difficulty by talking all the time, asking a lot of questions, and putting all my energy into learning every aspect of Spanish. Consequently, it took me just four months to dream in Spanish and in five years, I became fluent in communicating in Spanish. My learning experiences are still ongoing that I keep watching Spanish news, listening to Spanish radio, reading Spanish articles, enjoying Spanish music, and teaching Spanish at CCA. These are the effective ways people should apply when they decide to master a certain language.

Tell us culture shocks you experienced while studying abroad and how you cope with the language and culture barriers First of all, as I mentioned already, I was not familiar with Spanish language back then. As everyone in CCA knows, I am a very social person that I always want to engage in an active conversation with everyone that I first meet. But in Mexico, my sociability was impeded by the language barrier. I always felt uncomfortable in speaking in Spanish and whenever I sensed my shortage in Spanish vocabulary, I was frustrated so much. I believe words are crucial in communication because they represent a person’s emotions, opinions, and personalities. It was difficult for me to truly show myself when I struggled with my Spanish. Besides language, food was also the cultural shock for me. In fact, there is a great disparity between American food and Mexican food. Mexican food is generally spicy and has a strong flavor, which often frightened me at the dinner table. Now, I can say that I am really fond of Mexican food, but it just took time for me to enjoy it. In Spain, cold soup called gazpacho and tortillas composed of potatoes and eggs are gorgeous. Also, I highly recommend my favorite Mexican restaurant “Puesto” located in La Jolla! You will be impressed by its fantastic meal and clean ambience.

Photo Courtesy cyclonebill Photo Courtesy exfordy

What is your opinion about being a bilingual or a polyglot?

I just cannot imagine how the life goes on without the diversity of languages. I want to talk about my personal story that shows the importance of languages. One day, I met one Brazilian woman whose sons were studying in college in the United Sates. She barely spoke English, but I could still communicate with her due to my knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese. Despite the cultural differences, we built up the intimate relationship in a moment and enjoyed our endless conversation.

I could not have imagined talking with her in almost six hours if I had not known Spanish. More languages you know, better you can understand people around you. This world is not composed of people who speak the identical language or share similar culture; even Spanish speaking countries have different cultural heritages. So, it is unrealistic that you just rely on your own “comfort zone,” not risk yourself in exploring other languages and cultures. Being a bilingual or polyglot is a great challenge that helps individuals to grow as true human beings.

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France

Teacher Interview

Madame

by Angelina Woo

Johnson

Q. Tell us your life associated with French cultures?

First of all, my mother is French and my father is American. Since many of my relatives are from France, I grew up in the environment strongly influenced by French culture. I was even born in the French hospital in L.A.! (not exists anymore though) Since my mother speaks French primarily, I easily learned French at home and still utilizes it as my effective communication tool. I often moved between America and France for educational purposes. My college life in France was so inspirational that I fully enjoyed studying French artists and socializing with diverse people in Paris College for one year. Moreover, since I made many friends whose parents were ambassadors, I learned to be more open-minded as an international student. After graduation, I was invited by French government to teach English in public schools. This is a real culture exchange, I believe. Fortunately, my children also became fluent in French while they living in France and appreciate their cultural identities. I think that their young brains quickly absorbed French language while my husband struggled with it. In truth, younger you are, better you learn new languages. I admit that French is hard to many English speakers who are not familiar with windy sound and rhythmical accent. When you carefully listen to French conversation, you will recognize its extremely melodic aspect and people seem to sing, not speak. That is why pop music with a strong beat is hard to develop in French culture.

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Q. Introduce France: climate, geography, places, food etc.

I mainly stayed in Southern France where the capital Paris is located. Thus, I am more familiar with its geography and climate. Southern France is virtually green since there is no dessert but forest almost everywhere. The bright color of architectures well matches to this environment; the mild climate makes Southern France more attractive place for tourists. French food is very rich and healthy in flavor and spice that it is beloved by people from all round the world. French people usually spend an hour for their meal because they believe that food is there to be fully enjoyed. Americans who are very used to the fast food tradition may not understand this slow food tradition.

Q. What is the beauty of language?

Language always comes to me as a fascinating topic.

As a language teacher, language tells who I really am and motivates me to learn about this world endlessly. It is very crucial to learn language if one wants to thoroughly comprehend another from different cultural background. Misunderstanding often occurs to cause social conflicts even among the people who speck the same language and share the same culture.

So how is it not vital to learn other languages to associate with people outside my boundary? It is time to break ethnocentrism in this global age.

Photo Courtesty of girolame

U.S.A

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Teacher Interview

Mr. by Angelina Woo

Spilkin

Mr. Spilkin, our cosmopolitan APUSH and American Pop Culture teacher, was born in Edward, A.F.B. in California and grew up in a Jewish family. Thus, he efficiently learned how to speak, write, and read Hebrew. He speaks a little Spanish and sometimes hopes to live in Mexico. He has the two older brothers (47 yrs and 43 yrs old) with whom he enjoys watching American football, discussing current events as well as world issues, listening to music, and eating a variety of food. He claims that he can literally eat anything even if it is entirely foreign. He is deeply interested in foreign cultures, so whenever he meets students from other countries, he tries to speak some “shocking” words. In addition, he is fond of Asian food that he even tried Korean traditional food, bulgogi and kimchi. Mr. Spilkin is a true traveler. He traveled to Spain, Israel, Mexico, Jordan, Egypt, Fiji, England, France, Italy, and Belgium! One of his memorable places was Jerusalem where the Western cultures and Eastern cultures intersect to generate another new cultural landscape. He declared that the exotic goods at the open market captured all his attention that he became profoundly interested in Middle Eastern Culture. Always curious and energetic, Mr. Spilkin is still eager to explore the world as much as possible in order to fully expand his perspective. As much as he appreciates foreign cultures, Mr. Spilkin takes a positive attitude toward American cultures. “I believe American culture is the richest culture in the world,” said he. “Our system encourages free thinking, free expression, free global market, and open opportunities, though sometimes people recognize some paradox in our democratic ideology.”

As a Pop Culture teacher, Mr. Spilkin proposed his view of the creative and adventurous aspect of American culture. He talked about Birdseye who accidentally drew an idea of frozen food from exploring the Arctic and meeting some Eskimos. Nowadays, frozen food is one of the prominent products in a global market. Indicating this fact, Mr. Spilkin said that the inventive spirit of American culture has greatly influenced other cultures and rendered America as a nation of experiment.

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Persia

Student Interview

Davina

Moossazadeh 10th

Student Interviews

Do you know about Persian culture in detail? Did you know that CCA has a high population of Persians? Persian students largely contribute to enriching the ethnic diversity in CCA. The club People of Persia sponsored by Mr. Shakeri and founded by Talia Raoufpur is actively engaging in the exotic activities such as enjoying Persian video slides, music, and food with CCA Students. Davina, a vice president from People of Persia, willingly participated in our interview and shared many interesting aspects of Persian cultures. Let us embark the journey to explore Persian cultures with her.

Davina was not born in Persia since her parents moved into America earlier in time. She was born and grew up in San Diego, so she primarily speaks English. However, as a child, Davina actively learned her mother language, Farci, in order to preserve her own cultural heritage. Now that she is fluent in both English and Farci, she is able to communicate in the two different languages at school and home. Anyone interested in learning Farci can talk to Davina! Her family does not travel to Persia since the place is still threatened by frequent danger such as terrorist attack. However, Davina is knowledgeable about famous places and food in Persia. There are many renowned, big cities in Persia such as Teheran, Esfahan, and Hamadan; the port located in Persian Gulf is popular among tourists who can enjoy the vista of Indian Ocean there. Davina is so enthusiastic about Persian food that she loves to share it with People of Persia club members. Rice (in Persian language, Kebab) is the most commonly eaten food in Persian society. Davina made rice food for the Persian new year party in her club meeting and gave people an opportunity to have some ideas about this exotic food. To her, sharing her cultural heritages with CCA students is meaningful. She also talked about the dress code in Persian society since we are always curious about how strict it is. Prior to 1979 when the enormous revolution took place, the dress code was not as strict as it is today.

For example, women were allowed to wear short skirt or pants that are

not imaginable in modern society. The revolution gave a radical government the totalitarian

control over people’s dress styles; all these strict rules are greatly influenced by Islamic tradition that has long dominated people’s lives. Culture X-change club appreciates Persian cultures introduced by Davina who expects to further connect People of Persia with the student body.

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India

Student Interview

Mrudula

Bhuvanagiri 10th

Mrudula was born in Southern India and her family moved to the United States when she was 5. Her father decided to immigrate into the States because he wanted to grasp more business opportunities as an engineer. Also, her parents wanted to offer her and her brother advanced education in America. She visits her mother land once every two years, but unfortunately, her parents almost always have to stay here due to their busy work. When she goes to her hometown, she spends most of her time visiting her grandparents and cousins. She often enjoys her vacation in her grandmother’s spiritual house where a family gathering happens.

Mrudula said that there are 20 different dialects in India that makes the country culturally intricate and each state has its own language. Furthermore, she acknowledged that India in the 1990s is really different from India in 2012 in terms of environments. As the world becomes smaller, India has been also influenced

by Western cultures that now people can see many westernized fashion streets and taste fusion food in

India. For this culture exchange impact, she said that sometimes in India, she feels as if she is still in America

Interestingly, Mrudula corrected my misconception about Indian food. I had believed that all Indian people eat curry as their main dish, but this belief was wrong. According to Mrudula, only Northern Indians enjoy spicy curry as their main meal and Southern Indians generally eat rice. Probably, the warm climate in Southern India promotes the harvest of grain. About the language, as much as English is the most commonly used language in India, every textbook is written in English. However, in order to conserve Indian tradition, people keep learning their official language, Hindi. Mrudula also used to learn Hindi as her cultural heritage.

Now, let us pay our attention to education. While American education system is liberal and flexible, Indian education system is strict and rigid like other Asian schools. Mrudula was once shocked by the stressful and competitive high school life in India. For example, in 10th grade, the Indian government carries on the national scholastic exam by which students are strictly qualified.

This test also determines students’ eligibility to study in college, so those who do not pass are not able to go to colleges. The SAT is obviously stressful to many American students, but they have more than one chance to take it before submitting college applications. Don’t be surprised.

The college entrance exam in India is dreadful to many Indian students

because they have only one chance.

This situation is the same for many Asian countries including South Korea. Consequently, Indian parents have high expectation about their children’s academic success and careers. According to Mrudula, Indian parents want their children to become doctors, engineers, or scientists and they pay little attention to other paths such as artists or singers unless their children are extremely talented in those areas. Mrudula claims that she prefers to study in America where she can enjoy more extracurricular activities that are not given in India. In her perspective, American education system seems to let her fully live her life.

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Jiang

12th

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China

Student Interview

Cynthia

Q. Where were you born? When did you move to America if you are from China?

A. “I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but my parents are both from China.”

Q. Share some Chinese cultural aspects such as food and famous places.

A. “Different areas of China have different specialties in terms of food and travel spots along with different dialects. For example, Beijing is known for its dumplings and pancakes, Shanghai is known for its Xiao Long Bao, and Szechuan is known for their spicy food. Some famous places to travel to are the Great Wall, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terra Cotta Soldiers in Xi’An, and Gui Ling.”

Q. Chinese is known to be one of the hardest languages to learn. What do you think of this belief? Do you speak Chinese fluently?

“I do speak Chinese fluently, but I have to agree with that belief because despite the fact that I grew up in a Chinese-speaking family, I still had to go to Chinese school to improve my writing and reading. Even so, my Chinese is still not up to par with that of speakers born in China. The hardest parts of Chinese tend to be the four tones and the four-word proverbs.”

Q. How do Chinese families in America celebrate Chinese New Year in America?

A. “Different families celebrate Chinese New Year differently, but as for my family, we tend to have a gathering of family and friends where we make dumplings and eat hotpot while watching the New Years Concert in China on TV. There is also a tradition of giving kids red envelopes filled with money enclosed as a kind of New Years gift.”

Q. Do you visit China often? What do you usually do when visiting?

A. I don’t visit China as often as I like; the last time I visited was eight years ago. Usually, I will visit relatives in China and explore town they are in and other well-known places/attractions in the area. Eating and shopping are probably the two most prominent activities.”

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Student Interview

Elli

Swada

11th

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Japan

Q. How you define your cultural identity and what are your cultural heritages?

A. “I am a Japanese American. My father is a 3rd generation Japanese American and my mom was born and raised in Japan. I grew up speaking both Japanese and English because both of my parents wanted my brother and me to be able to speak both languages in order to communicate with our grandparents and stay in touch with our Japanese background.”

Q. Have you been to the Little Tokyo? Tell us your experiences if you have been. If not, can you share the info about Little Tokyo?

A. “Yes, I have been to the Little Tokyo. When I was little I remember going to the Japanese stores there and eating a lot of Japanese food. But lately, I feel like it has changed a lot from the Little Tokyo I used to know, My grandparents were farmers in Orange County and during that time there was a fairly large Japanese American community in that area. I always hear stories from my grandma about all the festivities they had there and how much livelier it was then it is now.”

Q. Do you intend to go to college in Japan or do you have any future job plan in Japan?

A. “I plan on going to college in the States but I definitely would like to study abroad in Japan for a year. I have never experienced what it is like to live in Japan, so spending a year there is something I really want to do.” ulture Spotlight: Japanese X-change Students arrived at CCA on March 21st! Culture X-change reveals a real culture exchange by spending an invaluable time with them throughout the week. Here we introduce one of the exchange students, Nanako Saito, a sweet Japanese high school student. –featured by Angelina Woo; photos taken by Eudoria Lee

Nanako currently attends the Japanese high school as a 1st grader. Unlike Western countries, most Asian countries have a different grading system in which elementary school, middle school, and high school number a student’s grade separately. For example, after the graduation of elementary school, the student starts his or her middle school as a 1st grader, not 7th grader. Also, Most Asian middle schools and high schools have three years of education each, while American schools have two years of junior high school and four years of high school.

Coming from this disparate cultural background, Nanako sees every aspect in CCA with a deep enthusiasm.

During the interview, she said, “I want to learn how American students enjoy their high school lives and how they learn their academic subjects. So far, I have enjoyed my experiences in CCA.” Nanaco is also an ambitious girl who is eager to improve her English by communicating a lot with CCA students and teachers. Her engagement in conversation continues outside of school. “I like to talk with my home stay family and friends because they are always kind to me and make me lots of delicious dinner. We sometimes go out for dinner and I have a lot of fun. Nanako was surprised when she knew that I was from Korea since she is fond of Korean cultures such as K-POP, Korean dramas, kimchi, and samguetang (Korean chicken soup). One of her favorite K-POP songs is Luciper by Shinee and her best member in the female group, F(x), is Sulli.

Wait! We cannot forget exploring Japanese cultures with Nanako. She talked about the Japaneses traditional clothes called harajuku, sushi, and the Bon festival. She became enthusiastic when explaining about The Bon festival in which Japanese drummers vigorously play their musical instruments. She also said Kyoto and the Disney Land in Japan is the famous tourist attraction.

C

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Scotland

Scotland • Population: 5.2 Million • Capital: Edinburgh • National Bird: The Golden Eagle • Famous People from Scotland: Alexander Graham Bell, Andrew Carnegie, Sir Thomas Lipton • Foods: Haggis, Scotch Pies, Stovied Tatties • National Anthem: Undecided (There are many songs used in place of a national anthem such as “Scotland the Brave” and “Flower of Scotland”

Scottish Highland Games

By Sabrina Hartley

The Highland Games: What are they?

The Highland Games are festivals that are held throughout the world to help spread knowledge about Scottish culture. They are mostly focused on the medieval time period of Scotland. The Games include numerous events including Scottish Highland Dancing, marching bands of drums and bagpipes, Caber Tosses, clan booth fairs, and a food court with live Scottish bands playing in the beer garden. They are a great experience for people of all ages to go to and enjoy. In this area, the nearest Highland Games is held in Vista. This year it will be held on June 23th24th at Brengle Terrace Park.

Photo found on Flickr by SuperStar

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Caber Tossing

Dancing

Caber tossing is a unique sport found at the Highland Games.

It is primarily performed by men. The goal of Caber tossing is to take a large wooden stick which weighs 175 lbs. and is typically 19.5 feet long called a caber, and throw it. wThis sport originated from men who were trying to throw logs to cross rivers. The goal of this sport is not to throw the caber as far as possible but as straight as possible so that the top end is facing towards the thrower and the bottom end is facing away from the thrower. Judges then go out on the field and determine whose throw is closest to perfect by looking at the caber like the hand on a clock where 12 o’clock is considered a perfect score.

Scottish Highland dancing is very different from your average types of dancing in the USA. It is somewhat like ballet in that it is all about precision and some of the moves can be somewhat similar. However, it falls into its own category. There are only ten dances that are performed by Scottish Highland Dancers; these include the Sword dance, The Highland Fling, The Highland Reel, The Sailor’s Hornpipe, and others.

A large part of Scottish Highland Dancing consists of jumping on the ball of one foot while doing motions with the other foot and specific arm motions along with them. The dances are usually about two to four minutes long and consist of “steps,” which can be interchanged. Each year, the board of Highland Dancing gets together to determine which steps will be required in the competitions that year. Traditionally, the dances either have four steps or six steps depending on the level of the dancer.

At the Highland Games, all of the Scottish Highland Dancers in the area will travel to the location in order to take part in the competitions that are offered there. There are usually two or three judges at the table and each dancer is judged individually regardless of their dance school. A majority of the dancers are female; however the dances were traditionally performed by men heading off to battle.

Photo found on Flickr by Laura M Bailey

Music

The most famous Scottish instrument is the bagpipe. The bagpipe is often found at Highland games and is a fundamental part of the atmosphere. The Highland Dancers perform to the live playing of a bagpipe player. The parades and marching competitions often include over 20 bagpipers along with drummers on snare drums, all of which are marching in unison throughout the fair grounds.

In the beer gardens, there often is a band such as the Wicked Tinkers who play music that is a mix between traditional Scottish music and more modern sounds which take pieces from rock and other American styles of music. The Wicked Tinkers is a unique group in that they have a didgeridoo player.

Photo found on Flickr by SuperStar

The Clans

An important component of the Scottish culture is that there are clans which are like family groups to which each person belongs. For example, my Grandmother’s maiden name was Drysdale, which is a last name that branches from the Douglas Clan. This makes me a member of Clan Douglas. There are numerous booths at the Games where you can learn more about your respective clan. Clan Stewart is always there to help newcomers locate the clan to which they belong.

Photo found on Flickr by Steenburgs

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