Mango Languages

Travel Tuesday: Aloha, Mickey!

Disneyland, one of the happiest places on Earth, already boasts a pretty impressive resume. With attractions in areas such as Paris, Florida, and Japan, the timeless brand can now add one more exotic location to its list: Hawaii! Though I have never visited the island, it has always been a dream to bronze my increasingly pale skin on one of Hawaii’s many exotic beaches (which, obviously, would include attending a traditional luau…food is never far from my mind). While I must admit that much of Hawaii’s appeal was inspired by the Saved by the Bell episodes that took place there years ago, the addition of a brand new, state of the art Disney resort is just the icing on the pa’i palaoa (Hawaiian for cake)!

The 840 unit resort and spa is located on the island of Oahu, just about an hour from Waikiki. Most notable about the resort is its strong ties to the Hawaiian culture. Even its name, Aulani, comes from a Hawaiian term that means “messenger of a chief or higher authority.” While Disney influences are strewn about the hotel (for instance, each room has a custom lamp featuring Mickey Mouse with a surf board), the main focus in both design and function is celebrating Hawaii. As a language learning advocate, one thing that stuck out to me was the adherence to the Hawaiian language. The Olelo Room lounge has all items labeled in the native language, including chairs (noho) and floor (papahele). Anyone working in the Olelo room will be fluent in Hawaiian and be able to speak with other staff members and other employees of the resort will undergo language and cultural training to keep the experience authentic for guests. You think they’re offering training with the brand new Mango Languages Hawaiian course?

Every last detail, including the landscaping (inspired by an ahupuaa, an ancient Hawaiian land division system that extended from the mountain to the sea) pays homage to its Hawaiian roots. The main theme of Aulani involves canoes and an overall maritime theme, inspired by the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokulea. Joe Rodhe, head of Aulani’s creative crew, says the focus on canoes represents the “whole sense of arrival, journey, and … canoes are this sort of quintessential Hawaiian art form.” A Honolulu native, he recognizes the importance of a focus on the Hawaiian culture and recognizes that guests visits Hawaii “first and foremost for everything Hawaii has to offer” (The Oakland Press, 4 September 2011).

Aulani opened its doors yesterday to guests seeking an upscale experience and is expected to serve clientele from the West Coast and Asia. Free of most of Disney’s popular attractions, the resort seeks a different type of visitor, while still holding true to Disney’s sense of whimsical imagination. Though Hawaii will always hold a special place in my heart as the backdrop for my favorite television series, Lost, Disney’s new Aulani resort may now come in as a close second. So grab your Mickey ears, a lei, and be sure to book your stay at Aulani! Until then, aloha (yes, it means “hello” and “goodbye”… thanks, Miss Congeniality)!

What other locations do you think Disney should consider for future attractions that could offer a similar sense of language and culture?

Spanglish: English Words With a Spanish Twist

I recently took a trip to the beautiful city of Austin, Texas. Besides the record-breaking heat, the amazing night life, and the delicious and diverse food, one of the things that I noticed is the use of Spanglish.

As a passionate student of the Spanish language I was fascinated with the popularity of this dialect, one that combines Spanish and English and that has become socially accepted and encouraged.

Ilan Stavans, professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and author of,  Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language, says Spanglish changes so fast it’s hard to pin down. His book includes a Spanglish dictionary. Some examples: “Backupear” is to back up a car, “yarda” is yard, “pregneada” is pregnant.

Here are some definitions from his book:

carpeta (kar-PE-tah) — carpet.
chopin (TCHO-peen) — 1.Shopping center mall. 2. n., going shopping.
deiof (dey-OF) — day off.
frizer (FREE-zer) — refrigerator.
grocear (gro-SEAR) — to acquire groceries.
jonrón (khon-RON) — home run.

There has been an ongoing debate among academics and politicians about taking Spanglish more seriously and recognizing it as an official dialect. Many feel like using Spanglish takes away from fully learning and appreciating either the English language or Spanish, while others believe that it is a way of self-expression and serves as a representation of a new culture, one that incorporates both Spanish and English.

Stavans goes on to say that “poets, novelists and essayists have realized that it [Spanglish] is the key to the soul of a large portion of the population. Spanglish is a creative way also of saying, ‘I am an American and I have my own style, my own taste, my own tongue.’”

In Spanglish, one would say “parquear” which means “to park.” Using the initial letters and sounds of the English word with the correct er/ar ending to represent the Spanish verbs, Spanglish words and phrases are created.

The use of Spanglish has been produced by close border contact with large bilingual communities on the northern side along the United States-Mexico border and many US states such as California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Florida.

Personally I think it’s awesome to combine two languages to create a new way of expression and communication that represents both cultures and traditions.

What do you think about Spanglish?

Travel Tuesday: Combining Business and Pleasure

Working in events, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel from time to time for work. Unfortunately, this was not the case for a recent trip to Puerto Rico taken by Jason Teshuba and Ryan Colpaert, our CEO and Director of Sales and Marketing, respectively. The rest of us Mangoes spent the week slaving away at the office while Jason and Ryan spent a week relaxing on the beach in sunny San Juan. Ok fiiiine, I will admit that their trip was not without purpose (and I promise I’m not still bitter). Our two jetsetters made their way to Puerto Rico to attend the 77th Annual World Library and Information Congress Conference and Assembly! The conference took place from August 13-18 and, according to the website, it brings together over 3,500 participants from more than 120 countries. The exhibition portion of the conference boasts over 80 exhibitors with a combined buying power of all delegates estimated at more than 1.2 billion dollars! Needless to say, it was an exciting opportunity for Mango Languages to attend the show for the first time, especially given this year’s exotic location.

Because most of our Mangoes are curious travelers and always seeking out cultural experiences, Ryan and Jason decided to extend their trip and get a little taste of what San Juan has to offer. And being a self-proclaimed foodie, I was most interested in what they actually DID taste. Jason came back raving about his new favorite food, mofongo. A specialty of Puerto Rico, the dish combines mashed plantains with any combination of meat, seafood, and vegetables. Traditionally, the dish is prepared in a mortar and pestle, but can also be made in a food processor, depending on how authentic you want your experience to be. Either way, I will selflessly offer to taste any mofongo you decide to prepare. I’ll bring the Puerto Rican rum.

Aside from food and drink, Jason and Ryan also took advantage of Puerto Rico’s famous rain forests. While in San Juan, they had the opportunity to take a tour of El Yunque, pictured above. Additionally, the guys caught an awesome cultural performance of native dances at the conference, shown in the video below. I’m thinking we should try this out in the office. Nothing like a little choreography to break up the work day!

That, coupled with lounging in the sun, does not sound like too stressful of a work trip, no? That, my friends, is what we call “fundipline.” A combination of “fun” and “discipline,” it is one of our core values we are always striving to emphasize over at the Mango office (and the creation of a new word exemplifies “innovation,” another one of Mango’s core values.. TANGENT ALERT). Work hard, play hard is what we are all about. Rather than fly in and out solely for the show, our Mangoes decided to take advantage of their time in a new and exciting place. I think it goes without saying that I will be joining the guys for the 2012 conference in Helsinki (where we will hopefully indulge in some Finnish sweet bread, called pulla). Until then, adios and hei-hei!

Can you recall a time where you have been able to combine business and pleasure to gain a cultural experience?

World Wednesday: The Knight of the Andes

Today, in South America, is Día del Libertador José de San Martín, or Anniversary of the death of José de San Martín, liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Born in 1778 in Yapeyú, Corrientes (current day Argentina), Don José de San Martín was a man who seemed destined to carve a military career for himself. He left his homeland at the age of just seven to study in Málaga, Spain, and fought in the Spanish army until around 1812. It was then that he began working with the United Provinces of South America (what is also present day Argentina).

I’ll save you the rundown of military accomplishments and battles, but along the way, he earned himself more titles than I have pairs of shoes- Protector of Peru, Knight of the Andes, and a number of political and military titles, including Governor and General, were among his accomplishments. He played an instrumental role in the liberation of the three countries from the Spanish, and was even a statesman along the way.

I have four pairs of shoes, by the way.

Today in South America, there are statues, streets, schools and all kinds of other things dedicated to José de San Martín. I think the only thing he’s missing is an action figure.

Being from Michigan, I’ve honestly never really heard of José de San Martín before doing some digging, and there are certainly other figures, events, and whole chunks of history that I would have had no idea about until I would have searched. So enrich me, and everyone reading this blog: comment with a historical figure or event that you think is underrepresented by the history books.

Citizen U.S.A.

Happy Monday Everyone!

The past weekend, as I was flipping through the channels to find something to watch, I came across a really interesting documentary, Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip on HBO.

Emmy-winning filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi attends naturalization ceremonies across all 50 states and meets people from all over the world who have just become American citizens to learn why they chose America as their home. Her documentary includes interviews from newly naturalized citizens about where they came from and what they love about America. Pelosi’s Dutch-born husband’s swearing-in ceremony inspired the filmmaker to go on a nationwide road trip “to experience the moment new citizens take their oath, to find out why so many people are willing to renounce their birth country and swear allegiance to the United States of America.”

After watching the full documentary, I was moved. As a person whose family came to the United States to live the American dream, even I realize how easy it is to take things for granted.

When asked, “What do you like most about America?” the answers varied: freedom, security, clean water, respect, equality, education, being able to practice any religion, American food, customer service, and 911 were some of the answers.

It made me realize how diverse the United States really is, how many unique and incredible people we have here that have their own backgrounds, history, culture, and reasons why they came to this beautiful country. Most of the people in the documentary came to the U.S. with very little money, no knowledge of the English language, and full of hopes and dreams for their future. They came here for an opportunity to reach their full potential.

We should strive to learn as much as possible from people all over the world. In this amazing country, is nice to know that you don’t have to go far to experience diversity.

Click here to watch the documentary trailer.

What are your thoughts? Have you or someone you know immigrated to the United States? Why?

Marines and Happy Mondays

Happy… Wednesday, everyone!

July 18th of this year in Japan is Umi no Hi (海の日), which translates roughly in English to “Marine Day” or “Ocean Day.” Being Japan’s newest holiday, only adopted in 1996, this holiday is still finding its sea legs (bad joke) among people in Japan. They generally spend the holiday, coincidentally, at the beach.

Although the holiday is fairly new on a national scale, it actually dates back pretty far. Marine Memorial Day, Umi no Kinen Bi (海の記念日) was originally designated in 1942 to commemorate the Meiji Emperor’s 1876 voyage in a steam ship around the country. It took until 1995 for the holiday to be declared national, and in 1996, it was first celebrated as part of the Happy Monday System (ハッピーマンデー制度) and renamed Marine Day.

What’s the Happy Monday System, you ask? Aside from finding its initial support with Garfield the Cat–that’s a lie–the system, which moved a number of national holidays to Mondays, was enacted by the Japanese government to give workers who normally work five day workweeks a three day weekend.

Do you know of any beach or water related holidays in other countries? Tell us about it!

Singin’ in Singapore

If you’re into some far out art from the far east, make sure to look into the Singapore Arts Festival from May 13th to June 5th. This festival originated in 1977 as a highlight of local communities’ artwork and continues every year in May.

Currently, the festival is a mixture of both Western and Eastern art, both traditional and modern.  For the most part, traditional artists have been given the most exposure, but there is a definite uptick in the attention given to up and coming artists.

Partly because of this festival, Singapore has become a major cultural center in East Asia and has seen growing public interest in and demand for the arts. Other events and festivals have also aided to foster the lively cultural scene found in this community.

Although there is an online presence all year long beyond the actual performances, there will be 75 stage shows from numerous countries throughout the whole festival. Awesome!

Share some eastern music, art, or even a story with us!

Meet Our Newest Mango, Pamela!

We would like to introduce our newest HR Coordinator, Pamela Kendall. Pamela has been with us for a couple of weeks now. Let’s learn a little bit about our newest Mango!

How did you hear about Mango Languages? I was introduced to Mango Languages from my friend Kari. We met through another set of friends, eventually I took Kari up on her offer to try Jazzercise and that’s when we realized we have a lot in common, both of our significant others are named Trevor (her’s is Trever) and we have lots of sisters. Kari told me bits and pieces about Mango over time. It always sounded like a great place to work, and after viewing the website, blog, and videos I knew that I wanted to be a part of the passionate group of creative individuals!

What is your official title and job description here at Mango? I am the newest member of the Human Resources team and will help Alan out as a Recruiting/HR Coordinator. My focus will be on developing relationships with organizations, universities, and potential future Mangoes to build a strong network to help with continued hiring needs as the company grows.

Where did you study/work before coming to Mango Languages? I just completed my B.S. in Human Resources Development at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. While I completed my degree I maintained a full time work schedule. My background is in Human Resources based in the Automotive and Consulting industries. I’ve worked for great companies like Volkswagen, Bentley, BCG, and P3 North America, Inc., and have met amazing people along the way, but I’m excited to be a part of Mango Languages and make an impact in the e-learning language software industry!

Do you speak another language(s)? If so, which one(s)? I speak some German (usually to my cat), it’s rusty but I plan to change that soon!

Any international travel stories? My favorite trip was a Eastern Caribbean trip a few years ago. I’ll never forget getting lost in the rain-forest, swimming in waterfalls in Dominica, and meeting Wilbur the giant pig from St. Kitts.

What do you love most about working at Mango? I’m big on employee development. Although I’ve only been here for a few weeks I remember how great I felt leaving the office after my first and second interviews. The HR Manager and other leadership team members were great. I could clearly see the dedication they have to making Mango a great place to work. I feel very lucky to feel great at the end of a work day and look forward to finding more talented professionals for this organization!

What core value describes you best? I think it’s a toss up between quality and integrity. I strive to produce the highest quality work at all times in my professional and personal life but I couldn’t do this without Integrity. Honesty and good moral character are so important, I choose to surround myself in people who feel the same in doing what is right for the right reasons. Like my mom, Sherri, has always said, “What is popular isn’t always right and what is right isn’t always popular.” And let’s face it, mom’s are usually right!

Thank you Pamela for sharing. Welcome to the Mango Team!

Vesak

Vesak (Vesākha, Vaiśākha) is widely considered the most important day of the Buddhist calendar. It is a celebration of all three of the main events of Buddha’s life: his birth, enlightenment, and paranirvana (his passing away).

The day itself, informally called “Buddha’s Birthday,” is spent either celebrating with large festivals featuring vegetarian food and animals, or communing in small groups with a focus on meditation. Aside from this, there is a focus on bringing happiness to others who are less fortunate, especially the handicapped and sick. Buddhists will donate cash and the like to charities, as well as spend time decorating and illuminating temples in place of satisfying one’s own needs.

Vesākha is celebrated in a number of countries, including Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It goes by a few different names, but in each country the premise is the same.

Even if you aren’t Buddhist, we could probably all take a lesson from this holiday. Go out and do something nice for someone today! Tell us about it!

Learn to Speak Pirate

We are so excited to announce that the Mango Pirate Language Course is here!

Ahoy mateys! If it’s pirate chatter ye be after, you’ve come to the right place. Mango’s Pirate Language Course will teach you everything you need to know to “parley” in perfect Pirate. It’s available for a limited time, and right now, it’s FREE!

In just a few minutes, you’ll learn:

• The appropriate way to hail your fellow gentlemen o’ fortune.
• A few choice names to call your lazy excuse of a crew.
• The finer points of swashbuckling.
• A bit about Pirate history, and the part it played in forming modern democracy.
• All sorts of practical Pirate lingo!

We had so much fun creating this course and along the way, got a little caught up in the life of a Pirate. Watch the footage of what the Mango Grove looked like when were were creating this course.

Looking forward for the Pirates of the Caribbean movie to come out later this month? Well now you can ACTUALLY understand everything that Johnny will be saying!

Just go to http://www.mangolanguages.com/store/pirate-day.html to start your Pirate Course for free!

Enjoy Mateys!