We had a young lady from Thailand live with us for a year through the AFS program. She was bright and eager, and I learned a lot from her. Living with people from other countries lets you glimpse your culture through their eyes. Sometimes the results are--unexpected.
When I took her to our high school to register, she paused in the entryway. She stared open-mouthed at the imposing pirate statue that guards the entrance. The statue is every stereotype of a pirate--black hat with the Jolly Roger, peg leg, eye patch.
The young lady turned to me, swallowed hard and asked, "What is that?"
I explained that it was our mascot. Did she understand what a mascot is? It's a symbol to fight or rally under. Our school's mascot is the pirate. Did she know what a pirate was?
This young woman--born and raised in Thailand--answered quietly, "Yes. A murderer on the sea."
So, she really DID know what a pirate was.
Love it!
ReplyDelete-Rachel