Cultural Post #5: Cultural Symbols
This week I thought that I would focus on some of the cultural signs that have come up during my stay in Hungary! I haven't been interacting with a lot of Hungarians, because of the language barrier and also because my classes and events are geared towards international students. This also means that I have been able to interact with a lot of different people from around Europe!
I have noticed several cultural norms between my roommates and interactions with classmates. I have been keeping track of some things that stand out to me and sorted them by nationality.
DISCLAIMER These are some of the fun quirks and small differences that I have been noticing while living abroad. These in no way are meant to stereotype or poke fun at other nationalities. In some ways, laughing at our differences has truly made me realize how similar we all are.
Korean:
I have been traveling with an ever-rotating group of four Koreans, and spending a lot of time with them on weekends has been very interesting and challenging. Making plans is a lot more difficult with a language barrier involved. Even towards this point in the semester, when their English has improved, they are all very polite and hesitant to show a lot of emotion. I can never tell if they are really enjoying an activity. Now though, I have a better grasp on their subtleties, and I can tell that they have been enjoying traveling with us. The groups of Koreans and Americans have been the ones to travel the most, because we have less of a chance to see Europe.
1. Age
In Korea, age plays an enormous role in respect and social interactions. In fact, when I first met my two Korean classmates, their first question was my name, and the second one was my age! Not to mention, they have a different aging system. They all age on January first in the new year! It shocked them that I was only nineteen when we met, because they are mid-20s. This is mostly because they men serve a mandatory military service for a few years during college.
2. "Daba"
I have learned one word of Korea, and it is universally applicable. "Daba" is slang meaning "jackpot" and it can be used seriously or sarcastically. My friend Ki Tae has been obsessed with learning American slang words during our trips. I was texting him the other day and he actually said "we're gucci". I was pretty proud.
3. "Yes"
I have also noticed that they have a really hard time saying no to things. After talking to Ki Tae about it, I learned that to refuse drinks, food or invitations is actually really rude. \
4. Lucky Number 7
I knew a little about common Asian superstitions, including the number seven. I had never seen anyone mention them in practice before this semester. When we were locking our luggage in a train station in Brussels, Ki Tae remarked that we had chosen the lucky locker number seven. Later when we returned to the station, we had just enough time to grab our luggage before catching the bus. Thank you number seven!!
Italian:
Living with three Italian girls has been a real adventure! they are some of the most hospitable, caring and inclusive people. They also love to laugh, and can make dinner appear out of whatever is left in their fridge. They made Tiramisu the other day and it was to die for!!
1. "Oh mio dio!"
Maybe I cannot say this about all Italians, but the girls I live with love to make a good drama out of anything. Maybe they met a guy in their law-class, or the supermarket was all out of zucchini. They
are talkers, and it is not hard to learn all about their days. Their stories are usually filled with expressions like "Oh mio dio!" (Oh my god!!)
2. The Stereotypical Italian hand gesture.
Yes! The Italian girls that I live with make a gesture with their hands that involved putting their fingers together and gesturing around. They use it to mark their words with emphasis, or sometimes just to chastise others silently. For example, when one of them will go to coffee pot to see that it is empty, they might gesture around as an exclamation, instead of saying anything.
3. Music
The Italian music that I have heard is more operatic, but they listen to a lot of top forty as well. In fact, all of them listen to music and sing out loud around the house. I think this may be more of a young-student thing than an Italian thing. Music is a really big deal here, because most people know American songs it is a point of connection across many cultures.
4. McDonald's
I learned about this with my roommates, but I think that it extends to many different Europeans. McDonald's is actually pretty high-class in Europe, and especially in Budapest. Inside there is a nice coffee bar that is separate from the restaurant. Also, because the prices of McDonald's are more fixed globally, it is actually a pretty expensive place to eat compared to other things in Budapest. The interior is beautiful and well kept.
5. Hospitality
I have not gone a day without being offered coffee, a snack, or an invitation to make plans with my roommates. They are some of the most inclusive people I've met in my life. It was really the best when one of them visited Italy this semester and brought back an entire suitcase full of food! I have tried some of the best meat, pastries and chocolate thanks to them.
Spanish
I have run into some Spanish people, and I have really had time to get to know my one roommate Blanca. I have picked up on a few things, and maybe some of the other McBride-rs who are living in Spain have some similar experiences.
1. Humor
Laughter is one of the most important things when it comes to making friends across cultures. It poses a real challenge to use sarcasm or make jokes across a language barrier, but when you laugh with someone, there is a connection that is immediately made. The Spanish people are always laughing!! When I first came to Budapest, there was a Spanish guy living in my flat with me. He was making some potato soup (or as he called it purée). He made so much that three people each had a few servings with leftovers. When he moved out of my flat and into a flat nearby, he took
four tupper-wares of purée with him! It became a bit of a running joke I didn't see him for a few months and when I did he immediately laughed about it again, saying that he was mostly made of purée as this point!
2. Social Media
My sample size is pretty small, but among young Spanish adults, social media and especially pictures are very important! Blanca especially takes a lot of time and puts a lot of care into her posted pictures, and makes sure to include about twenty hashtags. This seems to be the case among most of the students living abroad (myself included), but the Spanish in particular. I think that they place a special emphasis on staying connected to family and friends.
3. The Schedule
Living with Europeans made me seriously change my schedule. It meant eating much later and snacking more often throughout the day. The hardest part, however, was living with Blanca. When we would agree to go out or run errands I might suggest that we go in the afternoon. To me this meant about 2pm. For Blanca this meant about 7pm!! We have since adapted by making sure we make plans using exact times!
Hungarian
I have met a few Hungarian students, and I have also learned a lot about Hungarian culture through a class with a very thoughtful Hungarian teacher.
1. The older generations
I have been noticing that there are a lot of very independent senior citizens living in the city. They are often carrying large bags of groceries or running errands and managing traffic, and I've even seen them almost running to catch the public transportation. They are extremely independent! I spoke with two lovely ladies on the metro briefly one Sunday morning as I was returning from weekend travels. One of the ladies left the metro and started to speak in Hungarian to our group. When she left the other lady explained that she was blessing us, and wishing us good fortune in our futures. She also said that her friend (who had left the bus) lived on only 5000 forints a month after paying rent. This is only about $17!! She said that the community helps her out and will often make meals for her, but still this is an incredibly impressive feat.
2. Hairdryers.
All of the bath houses have hairdryers, and most of the international student housing came equipped with them. I have been very happy about this, but it seemed a little odd to me. Most Hungarians would never leave the house with wet hair, or even hang around for every long without drying it.
This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the things I have gotten used to while studying in Hungary. I am glad to be able to put at least some of them into words, because I have gotten used to so much while I am over here, I may not even notice some of the differences until I return to the states.
I have noticed several cultural norms between my roommates and interactions with classmates. I have been keeping track of some things that stand out to me and sorted them by nationality.
DISCLAIMER These are some of the fun quirks and small differences that I have been noticing while living abroad. These in no way are meant to stereotype or poke fun at other nationalities. In some ways, laughing at our differences has truly made me realize how similar we all are.
Korean:
 |
| This is my good friend and frequent traveling companion, Ki Tae. |
I have been traveling with an ever-rotating group of four Koreans, and spending a lot of time with them on weekends has been very interesting and challenging. Making plans is a lot more difficult with a language barrier involved. Even towards this point in the semester, when their English has improved, they are all very polite and hesitant to show a lot of emotion. I can never tell if they are really enjoying an activity. Now though, I have a better grasp on their subtleties, and I can tell that they have been enjoying traveling with us. The groups of Koreans and Americans have been the ones to travel the most, because we have less of a chance to see Europe.
1. Age
In Korea, age plays an enormous role in respect and social interactions. In fact, when I first met my two Korean classmates, their first question was my name, and the second one was my age! Not to mention, they have a different aging system. They all age on January first in the new year! It shocked them that I was only nineteen when we met, because they are mid-20s. This is mostly because they men serve a mandatory military service for a few years during college.
2. "Daba"
I have learned one word of Korea, and it is universally applicable. "Daba" is slang meaning "jackpot" and it can be used seriously or sarcastically. My friend Ki Tae has been obsessed with learning American slang words during our trips. I was texting him the other day and he actually said "we're gucci". I was pretty proud.
3. "Yes"
I have also noticed that they have a really hard time saying no to things. After talking to Ki Tae about it, I learned that to refuse drinks, food or invitations is actually really rude. \
4. Lucky Number 7
I knew a little about common Asian superstitions, including the number seven. I had never seen anyone mention them in practice before this semester. When we were locking our luggage in a train station in Brussels, Ki Tae remarked that we had chosen the lucky locker number seven. Later when we returned to the station, we had just enough time to grab our luggage before catching the bus. Thank you number seven!!
Italian:
Living with three Italian girls has been a real adventure! they are some of the most hospitable, caring and inclusive people. They also love to laugh, and can make dinner appear out of whatever is left in their fridge. They made Tiramisu the other day and it was to die for!!
1. "Oh mio dio!"
Maybe I cannot say this about all Italians, but the girls I live with love to make a good drama out of anything. Maybe they met a guy in their law-class, or the supermarket was all out of zucchini. They
are talkers, and it is not hard to learn all about their days. Their stories are usually filled with expressions like "Oh mio dio!" (Oh my god!!)
2. The Stereotypical Italian hand gesture.
Yes! The Italian girls that I live with make a gesture with their hands that involved putting their fingers together and gesturing around. They use it to mark their words with emphasis, or sometimes just to chastise others silently. For example, when one of them will go to coffee pot to see that it is empty, they might gesture around as an exclamation, instead of saying anything.
3. Music
The Italian music that I have heard is more operatic, but they listen to a lot of top forty as well. In fact, all of them listen to music and sing out loud around the house. I think this may be more of a young-student thing than an Italian thing. Music is a really big deal here, because most people know American songs it is a point of connection across many cultures.
4. McDonald's
I learned about this with my roommates, but I think that it extends to many different Europeans. McDonald's is actually pretty high-class in Europe, and especially in Budapest. Inside there is a nice coffee bar that is separate from the restaurant. Also, because the prices of McDonald's are more fixed globally, it is actually a pretty expensive place to eat compared to other things in Budapest. The interior is beautiful and well kept.
5. Hospitality
I have not gone a day without being offered coffee, a snack, or an invitation to make plans with my roommates. They are some of the most inclusive people I've met in my life. It was really the best when one of them visited Italy this semester and brought back an entire suitcase full of food! I have tried some of the best meat, pastries and chocolate thanks to them.
 |
| Food brought back in a suitcase from Italy. |
Spanish
I have run into some Spanish people, and I have really had time to get to know my one roommate Blanca. I have picked up on a few things, and maybe some of the other McBride-rs who are living in Spain have some similar experiences.
1. Humor
Laughter is one of the most important things when it comes to making friends across cultures. It poses a real challenge to use sarcasm or make jokes across a language barrier, but when you laugh with someone, there is a connection that is immediately made. The Spanish people are always laughing!! When I first came to Budapest, there was a Spanish guy living in my flat with me. He was making some potato soup (or as he called it purée). He made so much that three people each had a few servings with leftovers. When he moved out of my flat and into a flat nearby, he took
four tupper-wares of purée with him! It became a bit of a running joke I didn't see him for a few months and when I did he immediately laughed about it again, saying that he was mostly made of purée as this point!
2. Social Media
My sample size is pretty small, but among young Spanish adults, social media and especially pictures are very important! Blanca especially takes a lot of time and puts a lot of care into her posted pictures, and makes sure to include about twenty hashtags. This seems to be the case among most of the students living abroad (myself included), but the Spanish in particular. I think that they place a special emphasis on staying connected to family and friends.
3. The Schedule
Living with Europeans made me seriously change my schedule. It meant eating much later and snacking more often throughout the day. The hardest part, however, was living with Blanca. When we would agree to go out or run errands I might suggest that we go in the afternoon. To me this meant about 2pm. For Blanca this meant about 7pm!! We have since adapted by making sure we make plans using exact times!
Hungarian
I have met a few Hungarian students, and I have also learned a lot about Hungarian culture through a class with a very thoughtful Hungarian teacher.
1. The older generations
I have been noticing that there are a lot of very independent senior citizens living in the city. They are often carrying large bags of groceries or running errands and managing traffic, and I've even seen them almost running to catch the public transportation. They are extremely independent! I spoke with two lovely ladies on the metro briefly one Sunday morning as I was returning from weekend travels. One of the ladies left the metro and started to speak in Hungarian to our group. When she left the other lady explained that she was blessing us, and wishing us good fortune in our futures. She also said that her friend (who had left the bus) lived on only 5000 forints a month after paying rent. This is only about $17!! She said that the community helps her out and will often make meals for her, but still this is an incredibly impressive feat.
2. Hairdryers.
All of the bath houses have hairdryers, and most of the international student housing came equipped with them. I have been very happy about this, but it seemed a little odd to me. Most Hungarians would never leave the house with wet hair, or even hang around for every long without drying it.
This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the things I have gotten used to while studying in Hungary. I am glad to be able to put at least some of them into words, because I have gotten used to so much while I am over here, I may not even notice some of the differences until I return to the states.
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