Mango Languages

Travel Tuesday: Ringing In The New Year Right

Sawat dee pee mai! For those of you who don’t speak Thai (myself included), Happy New Year! I hope you all had a safe and joyful celebration, full of good people, good times, and good food (and drink)! I write to you from 32,000 feet in the air, a mere 2 hours into my 12 hour flight from Bangkok to Paris, where I will have an 8 hour layover, followed by another 7 hour flight back to Detroit. A small price to pay for the absolute trip of a lifetime I just experienced during my two weeks in Thailand. My cousins and I traveled to Bangkok, Petchaburi, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son, doing virtually everything from riding elephants, to kayaking, to shopping, to visiting temples, to playing with tigers, to shopping, to eating amazing food, to shopping again. Needless to say, we had our fair share of awe-inspiring activities to keep us occupied.

It was a little weird to be away for the holidays. I must admit, hanging out in 90 degree weather on Christmas day is not something I am accustomed to (but something I could definitely deal with). Additionally, on New Year’s Eve, rather than the usual gathering of friends and family with fancy clothes and classy drinks, my cousins and I experienced something quite different in Chiang Mai. I had seen pictures of the lighting of the lanterns, but thought I had missed my chance to see it in person, seeing as Yi Peng (Floating Lantern Festival) occurs in November. I was thrilled to see lanterns being sold on nearly every street corner as we made our way to dinner. We learned that these lanterns are also a New Year’s Eve tradition. Each person that sends a lantern off into the sky is supposed to make a wish for the year to come. My cousins and I all took turns lighting our lanterns and sending them on their way, watching as they joined thousands of other glowing masses carrying the wishes of everyone on the ground below. It truly was a sight to be seen, and nothing I could capture with my personal camera. Though these professionals seemed to do a pretty good job.

Rather than listening to everyone’s New Year’s resolutions revolving around hitting the gym more, spending more time with friends, or learning a foreign language (a resolution I fully support, by the way), the Thai people are much more reserved, silently sending off their wishes for the new year into the sky.

At midnight, the lanterns were joined by a seemingly constant stream of fireworks ringing in the new year. Unfortunately, some of these lanterns quickly became casualties and fell into the river below (that can’t bode well for those New Year’s wishes, could it?), but for the most part, they floated out of harm’s way into that black abyss. We didn’t stick around Chiang Mai long enough to catch the after math of the lanterns making their way back to Thailand (as Sir Isaac Newtown said, what goes up must come down), but I have heard that it is a sight to see, as well.

I know that lighting the lanterns was a really special moment on the trip for my cousins and I, and I am so happy that we were able to be a part of something so different than from we were used to, especially because the tradition is laden with cultural relevance. It is something truly unique to have experienced and something I will never forget!

What is the most interesting New Year’s Eve tradition you have heard of around the world? Have you ever been able to participate?

World Wednesday: Happy Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States and we wanted to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving from the Mango family to yours! There are many traditions we have to celebrate this holiday…what do you do to celebrate?

Happy Halloween from Mango

Some of us here at Mango have dressed up to wish everyone a very fun-filled and happy Halloween!

In that spirit, check out these fantastic photos of Halloween Around the World from The Huffington Post and fill us in on your favorite Halloween traditions!

Cheers to Oktoberfest

“O zapft ‘is!” These are the words (a Bavarian term meaning, “it’s tapped!”) that each year mark the start of Munich’s massive Oktoberfest celebrations.  And when we say massive (or riesig, as Germans would say), we really mean massive.  Last year’s Oktoberfest pulled in approximately 6.4 million visitors, who collectively consumed about 7.1 million liters of beer!  (In addition to almost 90,000 liters of wine, more than 119,000 pork sausages, and over 500,000 units of chicken!)

While many tourists of course focus on beer as the primary attraction of Oktoberfest, the festival truly has so much more to offer in terms of entertainment, culture, and fun.  Take for example, the fantastic Bavarian bands that play in the beer tents from morning to night.  They keep the crowds alive with a hearty mix of traditional songs, Schlager (kitschy pop music popularized during the 60s and 70s), and modern hits….stopping every so often to lead the crowd in a “Prosit”, or musical toast, after which the crowd lift their massive krugs of beer in the air and chant the phrase “oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa!” (a toast in Bavarian dialect which means “one, two, three, drink up!”)

But the music isn’t the only thing to envy about the Oktoberfest.  They also serve an array of fantastic food, including Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinehaxen (pork knuckles), Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Schoko-oderglasierteFrüchte (chocolate-covered or glazed fruits) and Lebkuchenherzen (heart-shaped gingerbread cookies).  The Lebkuchenherzen are sold on hanging ribbons and each are emblazoned with a term/phrase of endearment written in icing (like Ichhabdich so lieb = “I love you so much,” or Schatz = “sweetheart,” literally “treasure”).  Oktoberfest-goers like to purchase these treats for their significant others, so it’s not uncommon to see men and women walking around with a Lebkuchenherz hanging from their neck.  Some choose to eat the gingerbread right away while others hang it on their wall at home as a souvenir from the festival, allowing it to dry out and become an ornament.

And you can’t forget the rides!  Each year a number of carnival rides, including a full roller-coaster, are constructed on the Theresienwiese (meaning “the field, or meadow, of Therese”) in Munich.  The Theresienwieseis often just called “theWiesn” for short, so if you hear somebody saying “I’ll meet you on the Wiesn,” that means that they’re planning to meet you at the Oktoberfest!

In celebration of Oktoberfest, we are offering an Oktoberfest course for a limited time. So  jump into your lederhosen and learn how speak, and not just yodel,  German for Oktoberfest. Click HERE to start learning!

Do you have a special way of celebrating Oktoberfest?  Have you ever been to Oktoberfest in Munich?  Please share with us your favorite stories about this festive time of year!

World Wednesday: Chong Yang Festival

The Chong Yang Festival, otherwise known as the Double Ninth Festival, is observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese Lunar calendar. In 2011, that’s today (Oct. 5).

The name “Chong Yang” in Chinese actually means “double Yang,” and while that might be reminiscent of Chris Farley’s explanation of El Nino, the Yang in this case actually comes from the Chinese concept Yin and Yang. In a nutshell, Yin and Yang represent the positive and negative sides of everything. Yin is considered to be the negative side, while Yang was dubbed positive. This concept was applied to numbers: even numbers belong Yin, and odd ones to Yang. Since nine is an odd number, it belongs to Yang, and since this is a double nine: Double Yang. Also noteworthy, since nine is the largest odd number, putting two nines together symbolizes longevity. Often, there is a focus on the elderly during this celebration.

So how is Chong Yang celebrated? Well, legend has it that a man named Huan Jing was told about a terrible event that would happen on the ninth day of the ninth month, and that he had to rush home and take his family to the top of a mountain, spray dogwood on his bags, and drink chrysanthemum wine to escape their plight. Long story short, they climbed the mountain, sprayed their bags, and drank the wine. This is the tradition that continues today, and the fall weather is perfect for doing this. Many people head outdoors and either hike or climb in the country, and this is generally the last time in the year that people have a chance to do this before winter.

Shanah Tovah! (Happy New Year)

Today, at sunset begins the Jewish New Year called ראש השנה (Rosh Hashana), literally meaning the “Head of the Year.”  On the Hebrew calendar, this will be the first day of the year 5772.

Rosh Hashanah symbolizes a time of reflection called the aseret yamei teshuva, ten days of penitence. Jews believe that while they can find forgiveness for sins committed against the Boss,  it is left to them to seek out and apologize to people they feel they have wronged in the previous year. The aseret yamei teshuva end on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Many Jews go to Synagogues for Rosh Hashanah, asking  for forgiveness and pray to be inscribed in the “Book of Life” for a sweet and healthy New Year.

The most famous symbol of the holiday, the Shofar, is sounded in synagogues on Rosh Hashanah, and is critical to the obligations on Rosh Hashanah. The Shofar is  fashioned from a ram’s horn. Yonah Bookstein, from the Washington Post, says, “The blasts of the Shofar are likened both to the wordless cries of the humanity speaking to God and a wake-up call to the soul which transcends rational explanation.”

“Some  other cherished customs include: dipping challah and apples into honey and eating honey cake to symbolize our wish for a sweet new year; consuming  huge meals with too many courses, calories, and cousins; tossing bread crumbs into living waters during a ceremony called ‘Tashlich‘ to symbolically cast away our sins; and renewing synagogue memberships.” Rosh Hashanah brings the whole family together to celebrate the New Year.

A typical greeting is שנה טובה (shaNAH toVAH) meaning “Happy New Year.”  Shana means “year” and tovah means “good.”  Another common greeting is שנה טובה ומתוקה (shaNAH toVAH ve metooKAH) meaning “Happy and Sweet New Year.”  Metookah means “sweet.”

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and sweet New Year! Shanah Tovah!

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.

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!

French Canadian is Here!

Today is July 1st, which means it’s Canada Day. In celebration of this holiday Mango has launched French Canadian!

The differences between Canadian and standard European French are analogous to the differences between American and British English or the Swedish of Sweden and the Swedish of Finland. They are mutually intelligible, but there are some interesting differences, especially in vocabulary. Mango makes it easier for you: we now offer both.

Here is a brief timeline of the French influence in present day Canada: New France in Canada, the St. Lawrence valley, was the historic homeland of the French Canadian people in the time of New France. It corresponds to the southern part of modern Quebec excluding the Eastern Township. Later it had various names: the Province of Quebec (1763), Lower Canada (1791), Canada East  (1840), and finally the Province of Quebec (1867) again.

There are nearly 6 million French Canadian speakers living throughout Canada and North America, with the majority of that population residing in the province of Quebec. With a little help from Mango’s new French Canadian language course,  patrons will be soaking up the general joie de vivre in Montreal, touring the many historic points of interest scattered throughout Quebec City, or reconnecting with their Québécois heritage.

Ready to check it out? On your library’s website, log into Mango Languages to access the French Canadian course and start learning!

Enjoy!

World Refugee Day

Today, June 20th, is World Refugee Day. This day honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threats of persecution, conflict, and violence, as well as the people who have dedicated their lives to helping them.

According to the United Nations, the 2010 Global Trends report shows that 43.7 million people are now displaced worldwide – roughly equaling the entire populations of Colombia or South Korea, or of Scandinavia and Sri Lanka combined.

Within this total are 15.4 million refugees (10.55 million under UNHCR’s care and 4.82 million registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), 27.5 million people displaced within their own country by conflict, and nearly 850,000 asylum-seekers, nearly one fifth of them in South Africa alone.

Many of the world’s poorest countries are hosting huge refugee populations, both in absolute terms and in relation to the size of their economies. Pakistan, Iran, and Syria have the largest refugee populations at 1.9 million, 1.1 million, and 1 million respectively.

Today is a day when everyone should be made aware of these facts and learn what they can do to help. The UN Refugee Agency has the ‘Do 1 Thing’ campaign, where you can donate to help refugees around the world.

The World Refugee Day website has a great Take Action page. It provides ideas and suggestions of activities that everyone should do in order to take part in World Refugee Day. The website also has Survivor Stories that give a first hand look at what life is like as a refugee. The stories are both heart-breaking and inspiring.

What are YOU going to DO for World Refugee Day?