Cross Cultural Psychology

This Basketball is much more than a toy to me, it does more than bounce, and fly through the air spinning backwards toward a metal hoop. Growing up in Decatur Georgia, sports were a very embedded part of our existences as young men, and they are still that way today. Everyone went to school, and everyone played a sport, things like band, chorus, or any other extracurriculars were treated as just that, extra. But the sport you played? Well that was more attached to you than even your own arms and legs. When you introduce a friend to someone, you put the sport they played within their description somehow. ”This is my bro, Johnathan, we used to play little league baseball and football together.” And that is legitimately how the two of you met and became friends. It leaves me to wonder just how many friends I’ve made through school, and basketball respectively. Of those two groups, it is undoubtable that of the friends with whom I’m still close, the closer and more endearing relationships are with those who I ran suicides with, or did dribbling drills until my arms were numb along side. To me, it is almost like going through battle together, win, lose, or draw (Though a draw is unlikely in basketball), that’s your brother, and in his moments of grief, you pick him up, and he does the same in return. When you play to win, there’s an intensity that bonds you to a teammate, you are allowed to blow up at them, you are allowed to criticize and receive criticism, ultimately pointing you all towards one goal. Mentally, the game teaches you patience, trust, being precise, being able to maintain efficiency, and resilience above all other things, and these are all skills that i’ve taken with me into academic settings. And the thing that basketball has taught me, which is more applicable to life than any of those other virtues, is that you only succeed for as long as you continue to better yourself and those around you.

This is a photo of me after I voted for Keisha Bottoms, at my voting precinct. Election Days are times of pride and happiness for me. My parents often expressed the importance of voting all throughout my childhood and adolescence. I can still remember the first time I went to a precinct, back when President Bush and Senator Gore were running for office. I remember wanting to vote and being unable to, because of my age.  This made me very upset, I was an American citizen, so I wanted to vote. My parents told me that I ought to be grateful because some of my ancestors never got the opportunity to vote; one day I would. The first I time I ever voted was back when President Obama and Senator McCain were running office. I was ecstatic that my Candidate won, however discovering people in my close circles voted differently or not at all was a downer. Back then and even now a lot of my peers said that my vote doesn’t really count so it’s not worth time and trouble. These days I strive to participate in every election especially the local ones because they affect me more. My friends complain about Marta being too short, I laugh and say you should’ve voted. I may not be able to directly make laws and choose what gets written up or off. But awareness of my politicians locally and federally is powerful tool. With this knowledge, ultimately what happens in Atlanta and America is something I DECIDE.

Born and raised in Ghana, I had no way I could escape the history of the country. We were taught Ghanaian history right from Elementary School which we call it Primary School. From Primary school to University, one must know the concept of Ghanaian history, and Cape Coast Castle which is based in the Central Region of Ghana was the most interesting of it all due to Slavery. Before our Independence in 1957, Ghana was initially called the Gold Coast due to the mineral resource we had. These mineral resources attracted European countries to our country. The first country to set foot on our home soil were the Portuguese around the 15^th century. As they settled in, they demanded human labor which later turned into slavery. They used the castle to keep slaves and as well trade them to the Americas and Caribbean. Majority of West African slaves were shipped to other countries as well but didn’t make it at sea during the middle passage. When a slave was being shipped, and they end up being sick, they are thrown into the sea to perish. The castle was the final stop in several ways. Most slaves who were being shipped like cargo experienced the castle as the last place they stepped foot on the grounds of Gold Coast. While the Portuguese continued to use the Castle as a trade lodge, the Swedish people took over by constructing a permanent wooden fortress for trade in timber and Gold. The Danes took over ten years later by practicing the same act as their predecessors. As the British took over the Danes, they registered the castle as their headquarters colonial governor. About 1,500 slaves were packed in the castle dank. These danks were badly ventilated, less room to lay down, people sleeping in their mates’ waste which caused a lot of illness. Majority of women were raped by these colonial masters which were very terrifying. As Gold Coast fought for their Independence under the British Colony, they became the first African country to regain their Independence since slavery was eventually stopped because of the British ban on the slave trade. As for now, The Cape Coast Castle is now a tourist attraction where people go to see a lot. It has attracted well-known people to visit such as Ex. President Obama and his family.

The Tinikling (bamboo dance) is a widely recognized traditional folk dance of the Philippines. It’s said that during colonization, natives who worked too slowly in the plantations would be punished by having their feet beaten by bamboo. Natives would jump to avoid being struck and in doing so, their movements seem to imitate the long-legged Tikling Philippine bird that quickly yet gracefully escapes rice field traps set by farmers. It’s danced to an ensemble of stringed instruments or rondalla music which is heavily influenced by past Spanish rule. In its simplest form, the dance involves two people (clappers) hitting, sliding, clapping 12 ft. long bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in synchronization. Simultaneously the dancer(s) step between and over the bamboo. More complex forms of the dance include 4 or more poles in cross formations and 4 or more clappers and dancers. Both women and men wear traditional dresses and outfits and must be barefoot. It takes practice, agility, coordination, and rhythm to keep from getting your ankles caught as the tempo speeds up and bamboo formations change. The dance is usually done during town/national festivals, wedding receptions, other special occasions. Tinikling is one of many folk dances that pay tribute to our history by retelling a story. It is a dance that embodies the spirit of the people, by turning adversities into a beautiful and skillful art form.

Here are example videos, each with their own unique style of choreography:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WLfqDMwA_o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SqZRQWC6AQ

In Afro- Guyanese tradition the night before a wedding the couple has a Kweh Kweh. It began as a way to help dependents of the  African diaspora connected to their home traditions. The Kwe is done to celebrate the union of the couple as well as the merging of the two families. During the Kweh the couple will be giving words of wisdom from the elders, dance to traditional conga music and dance with family and friends. The families practice libation to honor those who have since past and remember the place from where we came.  Games are played as a way to teach the couples lesson on what they’re to expect from marriage and how to deal with each occasion.  Besides being a pre-wedding party, the Kweh remind us all that despite our separation from Africa and our ancestral lineage we are all still all one family. 

Manizales is a city located in the middle of the Colombian mountains, where the richest coffee in the world grows. Every January on the first Saturday of the year, the largest carnival in Colombia starts. During this time, the city is flooded with thousands of tourists from all over the world. One of the main events during this festivities is the International Coffee Pagent where beautiful girls from all of the coffee-grower countries participate. There are at least four parades with different themes, and activities every day where most are free to the public from concerts, theater, comedy stands, sports competitions and more.
A lot of our traditions come from the Spanish culture, mainly in my city. El Festival Taurino (picture above) is an event that includes a massive parade throughout the city, and it ends at the bullfight ring. In the middle of the image, it is a sculpture from a local Catholic church of Virgin La Macarena (that also traveled in the long parade). It is believed that she is the protector of the matadors, and it is a tradition for them to pray to her before getting into the arena. Once they arrive at the ring, the lights are turned off, and everyone lights up a candle, followed by a minute of silence to show respect to the patron saint. An interesting fact of this bullfight at night is that the matadors do not wear their usual flashy outfits, they wear traditional Spanish men costume in brown colors. It is also a tradition to donate all the earnings from this festival to the city children’s hospital.

Every summer for the past 24 years, thousands of music fans across the country attend a music festival called the Warped Tour. Warped Tour is unique compared to other music festivals because it is not in just one location. Warped travels to over 40 cities every summer with over 60 bands performing at each date. This festival is all day, usually from 11 am. to 10 pm.  Most people view this as strictly a punk rock music festival, but several rap and pop artists have performed, such as Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, and Katy Perry. Depending on the year, each show has between 7-9 stages. The  Monster Energy stages are typically where the heavy metal bands play. The Journey stages are reserved for the bands that headline the tour, and the final three stages give new up and coming artists a place to perform.

Warped Tour is not only the about the music, but about the community of people that attend it. It is a judgment-free area, so making new friends is inevitable. The tour creates a safe space for everyone, no matter your race, religion, or political beliefs. The people that attend look after each other as they would a family member. For example, last year an awful storm came midway through the day. I witnessed numerous people giving their extra umbrellas and ponchos to strangers. Unfortunately, last summer was the last Warped Tour ever, but the values the tour stands for will never die. The picture below perfectly sums up the spirit of the tour. A young disabled girl wanted to crowd surf but had difficulty doing so because she was in a wheelchair. The people around her lifted her up, and passed her along so she could experience crowd surfing.       

Group 1 Posts are due on Monday, 9/10/18 by 5:00 pm

Group 1: Zuly, Jarred, Sri, Stacey, Randy, Jake, Sara, Tara, Gerald, & Patricia

Happy Posting. Let me know if you have any questions  🙂

 

As you walk the airport, parks, eat at the restaurants, and even the hotels you stay in Guatemala, the music you always hear comes from the marimba. In Guatemala, the marimba is named the national instrument. The marimba is an instrument that is composed of rows of wooden bars, and it is played with mallets. A marimba is usually played with three people when it is a smaller one and four with a bigger one. In my family, I grew up listening to marimba music, and whenever I hear it, I find it relaxing. I remember when first visiting my family in Guatemala even though I was very young, I remember how surprised I was of how the marimba was played in a variety of places. What I enjoy, every time I visit is seeing people play live at the parks and during festivities. It is also common to find individuals playing the instrument on the streets so that several tourists can experience what the music is like. Guatemalans listen to the marimba for a variety of reasons. Some listen to it to remember their past and their ancestors while others just to enjoy the beautiful sound that comes out of it.

 

Here is a link if you would like to listen to a famous song that is played with marimba in Guatemala, “El Ferrocarril De Los Altos”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgyd9mVzuQ

 

One of the most well-known instruments in Middle Eastern cultures is the goblet drum. There are different names for the drum depending on the part of the Middle East you are from. In Lebanon, it is referred to as a derbake, but other nations have referred to the same drum as darbuka, doumbek, or tablah. For the past 15 years, I have taught myself how to play this drum, and it probably is one of the coolest instruments that I know how to play. It is so fascinating to be able to perform with other Arab musicians and singers with this drum. There is not a single song that is performed without this instrument included in the ensemble. The derbake peaked my interest when I was about 7 years old and noticed this instrument at my uncle’s house. I was never forced to play the instrument, and I never stopped improving my techniques. Not many people my age can say that they can play an Arabic instrument like this, and I am so proud to be able to say as such.