#letsjusttalk

This is my version of the “Cultural Catch-Up List.” 

I’ll be honest, I struggled with this assignment a little bit. You see, I am not a big pop culture gal. I don’t watch Netflix. Growing up, I played outside instead of watching TV. I LOVE music, but I have never been the one to listen to the big artists. In fact, the amount of times my friends have laughed at me for not knowing the words to a pop song is pretty darn funny. I’ll be the first to say it; it’s more often than not. I am not ashamed of that. 

Don’t get me wrong. If it is something I desire to keep up with, like the latest fashion trends, or new and trendy foods, or a great self-help book- I am there for it. Just not what is typical of the gal my age in many respects.

So... what was my version of this assignment? And who is the beautiful women to my left in that photo with the sweet smile? Let me explain.

The best way to learn about culture, to learn about what someone has lived through, in my humble opinion, is meeting them right where they are through a distraction-less, face-to-face conversation. 

The women in that photo is my sweet abuela, who I fondly call Mima. She grew up in the mountains of Barranquilla, Colombia. She came to the US newly married to my grandpa at the age of seventeen- without knowing a single bit of English, a language she is now fluent in (with a super cute accent, might I add). As long as a can remember, I have thought that is just the coolest.

Just the joy of having a conversation with her has sparked a great deal of cultural connection. I have learned so much about her, about the culture of her country, about what it’s like to not speak the language in the country you’re living in.

I have always done this. I am always seeking to learn through having the pleasure of listening to others’ stories. My grandparents, my parents, mentors in my life, little kids I have nannied, my little sisters, my younger sisters’ friends, my friends, my friend’s friends, even random strangers. I love this stuff. 

Here’s the thing. I always thought this was me simply loving to talk to others and hearing from them. Just listening. It is that, but it’s also creating cultural conversations.

We got this assignment the week before spring break. I got to spend part of my spring break with my sweet Mima in Hawaii. I was telling her about these awesome bananas they have there called “apple bananas.” (They are life-changing, I’m pretty sure. Just some tiny, SUPER tasty bananas. Who knew?) To my surprise, she knew exactly what I was talking about. She said she ate them all the time growing up, and they called them, “guineo manzanos.” She then launched into a detailed story about her after school snacks as a kid with her sisters. I just sat and listened. How cool is that? I got to learn about her culture just through conversation.

So, here’s my take. I am going to continue and continue and continue to have face-to-face conversations as long as I live. They are a gift, and with technology becoming more and more present, they are being forgotten. 

The best way to learn about others, and in turn, learn about culture, is to have a conversation.