Mango Languages

Travel Tuesday: My Big Fat Bavarian Wedding

At first, the idea seemed crazy to me.  It was March of 2010 and I had just gotten engaged to my boyfriend of 6 years.  We were living in Germany, and he had spontaneously proposed during an afternoon hike close to his Bavarian hometown.  Following on the heels of our engagement, we made the decision to return to Bavaria the following year to celebrate for our wedding.  The only problem?  We also planned to move back to the States in the meantime!  In fact, the time between our engagement and our departure back to the States was so tight, that we were only left with one day to look for a suitable venue.  None of those we saw ended up being our “dream location.”

And so it was in April of that year, that I headed back to the United States with a full list of “to-dos” to complete from more than 3000 miles away.  From day one, I had to be realistic about many things: like, for example, that my wedding wouldn’t be full of the many DIY details that I had fawned over in bridal blogs.  It just wouldn’t be logistically possible to ship decorations over from the States, so I would have to make do with the linens provided by the venue, plus a few IKEA-bought candles that we could easily pick up over there (FYI – Germany has more IKEA stores than any other country, which explains why most homes there look like a page out of the catalogue!)

The inherent cultural differences between Germany and the US also posed a few additional bumps along the way, as I found that my expectations didn’t always align with the outcome or options I was met with.  Like the fact that none of my vendors asked for a deposit – except for my photographer, who was American.  While this may seem like a dream, given the cost of most weddings, keep in mind that deposits also offer protection.  It was only after our officiant randomly gave away our date 6 months after booking that we actually began to ask our vendors if we could put down a deposit (as you can imagine, most said yes!).  I also found it difficult to locate a baker that could reproduce the dream of a modern 4-tiered cake that I had held in my head for years.  In Germany, the norm still leans towards plainer, more traditional cakes – most commonly, flat heart-shaped cakes covered in fruit.

But the thing is, after several months of trying to contrive my wedding to be the event I had always imagined it to be – I stopped.  I realized that it simply wasn’t going to look like the weddings I had seen in American magazines…but that this was a good thing!   I had chosen to have my wedding in Germany for a reason, and I needed to embrace what it would mean to have a German wedding with American flair…rather than trying to have an “American wedding” in Germany!  Once I came to this realization, I began to treasure the cultural surprises, rather being than be thrown by them.  Not only did this make for a much less stressful planning experience, it also made for some incredible adventures too!

So while a having an overseas wedding meant that I had to give up control about many things, it also means that I now get to tell my kids I was married in a palace (Schloss Nymphenburg) and that I incorporated several different languages into my ceremony.  I also get to show them the formal pictures I took in Munich’s main square (Marienplatz) and recount memories of having tourists follow me to take pictures.  So if you’d ask me if I’d go back and change anything – I’d say no, not in a million years.

Have you ever attended a wedding or another type of celebration abroad?  What kind of cultural differences did you experience?

US vs. Them: British vs. American English

[Thanks to Matt Owen for this guest post and his perspective!

Hey there! I’m Matt, and I’m from England. I was trying to write a few words for Mango on the differences between UK and US English. I thought it would be fun.

Unfortunately I can’t do it.

I mean, I can write the words down easily enough, but it’s nearly impossible for me to point out the differences.

Because Microsoft Word won’t let me.

As in all fields of combat, the US tends to rely on technology to dominate the battlefield, and the battle for control of the language has been running since you guys decided you were probably better off without the King sticking his royal nose in your business.

And yeah, I’ve tried changing my settings (which incidentally, read “English” or “UK English” – make of that what you will), but every time I save or reopen a document, Microsoft discards all of this.

I’ve tried to convince it that I like spelling “Favour” like that, but it won’t take the hint. Or do me any favors.

Of course, this isn’t the only way American English has become the version most of the world speaks. When Britain was at the height of its powers, it spread the language by forcing people to use it to buy and sell, and by using it in churches and schools across the globe.

America on the other hand simply visits any given country, and quietly builds a Starbuck’s around anyone speaking another language.

I’ve already mentioned the war of independence, and John Adams himself was (unsurprisingly) a great fan of “Americanisms”, happily announcing that he thought the US would do a great job of “Polishing the language”.

What John forgot to mention was that we Brits had been polishing away ourselves for several hundred years already, and people continue to do so on both sides of the Atlantic.

To really understand the differences, you have to delve further back into history.

Despite the name, English is actually something that crawled out of the mud of French, Saxon and pig-Latin  [He’s kidding about the pig-latin part, ightray, Attmay? -Rachel].

You can also add a few other factors to those weird roots: A history of being invaded by nearly every country in Europe (quite why the Romans were so keen on trooping all the way from sunny Lazio to get their hands on a small grey island with nothing but a bit of tin and constant rain going for it remains a mystery), and books written by semi-illiterates on printing presses that couldn’t handle all the letters.

Take the word ‘Ye’ for example, it only exists because old printing presses had a symbol that looked like a ‘Y’ instead of a ‘TH’.

Next up, Britain went through an industrial revolution a bit earlier than most countries, with the billowing smog in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool filling the local people’s sinuses and having a similar effect on the local accents – they all make you sound as though you’ve got a clothes-peg on your nose [For Americans: case in point; we say clothes pin -Rachel].

Meanwhile, in the US, something more profound was happening. We like to call it “Hollywood”. The movie industry has a huge history of imposing standards on across the world.

Here’s a question for you – what noise do frogs make?

If you answered “Ribbit”, it’s because that’s the noise frogs from Southern California make, most other places they go “Bloik”.

And English is the same. All over the world, countries got used to the language of Shakespeare through films, where trousers were pants, pavements were sidewalks and words followed the general American rule –pronounce it how you spell it.

This approach is sensible, but wouldn’t really work in England, where no word seems complete without a hidden ‘H’ or a silent ‘U’ in the middle. This is why tourists constantly ask me the way to “Li-ses-ter Square”. It’s actually pronounced “Les-ter”, but spelled “Leicester”.

Meanwhile, my American workmate gets weird looks when she asks for Pleated Pants in stores here. In the office, any businessman who wears ‘Suspenders’ probably shouldn’t mention it if he wants that promotion (If you want to know why, try using Google.co.uk to look the word up –just don’t do it while you’re at work!).

We’ve also got different words for commonplace things: some make more sense, some make less. Want to give me a call? I’ll take it on my mobile. It’s a phone, and it’s mobile. Makes sense yes? ‘Cellphone’ actually means ‘battery powered phone’. When you think about it, that’s just weird.

On the other hand, a Truck sounds much better to me than a Lorry…

The differences don’t stop there either: remember the history bit earlier? England has a pretty long tradition of battling with France at every given opportunity, so that any word sounding vaguely French is considered low class, so the Toilet is the ‘Loo’, although you guys might say ‘restroom’. A few years back an Aunt of mine told me that when she first visited back in the 80s, she honestly thought that a restroom was just a quiet area where you could go and sit down and read a book for a while…

And then there’s slang. In the US, English has had a healthy injection of Dutch, German, Spanish, Yiddish and Eminem to help it along, In England we just go for weird rhyming slang (Apples and pears= stairs, dog and bone = phone), text speak and references to weird English sitcoms from the 70s. In other words, If we fancy an ace night out we get bladdered down the nags, and hopefully there’s no aggro involved innit, y’get me?

I’ve tried to come up with an American equivalent for that last line. Let’s just say a few beers after work doesn’t quite sum it up…

Meanwhile the yoofs have well and truly looted the language for all it’s worth. Where I live, most kids is speakin the Jafaican mon [Matt explained this to me as "fake-Jamaican" -Rachel] (when they aren’t stealing ‘Trainers’ from the local sporting goods store), usually in a weird accent that arrives in Hackney after swinging through Kingston Town and early 90s South Central LA. Don U be letting the feds catch ya janga sistrin innit?

Nope, I don’t know what that means either…

Overall, the language we speak is vaguely similar, but history, immigration and culture have changed the two so that visitors from either side have to make a real effort. Whenever I write for a website, a good bit of my time is spent going through and putting ‘Z’ instead of ‘S’ in words – although in England even the letter would be pronounced differently, so bad news for any fans of Zed Zed Top out there.

On the plus side it means that the way we speak gets more and more interesting as we go along. The regional diction of newscasters doesn’t really match what people say in San Diego, or in Des Moines, and in England it has to be said that even the Queen (god bless you ma’am…) has a pretty weird accent compared to most of her subjects.

The reason English is so dominant on the world stage is because it’s inclusive, always happy to add in a new expression from a different country or a new technology – look for ‘Twiterati’ in Websters and the Oxford English soon. And hey, next time I walk into a diner and order a beefburger and chips, cut me some slack yo?

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?

Overheard in Montreal: 5 Quintessentially French Canadian sentences from the streets of Quebec.

I love Montréal; the sights, the sounds, the food (try the poutine at La Banquise Resto), the people, everything!  But let’s talk about the sounds.

One of my favorite parts of traveling to Montréal is overhearing, “Québécismes;” words and phrases that are très French Canadian.

Check out these five actual phrases I’ve heard during my travels to Montréal and what they can teach us about the language:

1. C’était bien le fun!
What it means: It was really fun!
Why it’s awesome: I was speaking in French with a Quebecois man when I heard this phrase. After he said it, I remarked that it was interesting that he used the English word “fun.”

He looked at me like I was crazy.

Much like “bouquet” or “clique” in English, the word “fun” (among many others) is used so frequently that French Canadian speakers don’t even realize it’s an English word.

2. Je vais te sender un email.
What it means: I am going to send you an email.
Why it’s awesome: The word “sender” in this sentence is what I found the most interesting. Especially when it comes to technology, French Canadians borrow lots of English words. When referring to email, the English verb “to send” was adopted into French grammar by adding an “–er” verb ending.

3. Il faut pas se bâdrer avec les détails!
What it means: Don’t bother with the details!
Why it’s awesome: The word “bâdrer” comes from “to bother” in English. This sentence is awesome because of what it reveals about the difference in the accents of Francophones when speaking in English. Stick with me here. When someone from Paris says, “the car” it usually sounds like “zee car.” When someone from Montreal says it, it usually sounds like “deh car.”

So, the word bâdrer comes from the French Canadian pronunciation of the word “bother” in English. The “th” sounds like a “d” and an “–er” verb ending was added.

4. C’est le friforâll (See photo above)
What it means: It’s a free-for-all.
Why it’s awesome: When I first looked at the advertisement in the photo above, I had no idea what friforâll meant…until I sounded it out in French: free…for…all ! Voila! French Canadian often takes English words and changes the spelling so that when sounded out in French, the pronunciation remains similar to how it’s pronounced in English.

5. Je suis badeloqué, la.
What is means: I have bad luck.
Why it’s awesome: Much like the free-for-all example above, badeloqué comes from the English “bad luck” but with a French spelling and is used as an adjective, “bad-lucked.” The “la” at the end of this sentence is heavily used in French-speaking Canada. In instances like this, “la” doesn’t have much meaning. It’s a filler that can be compared to “um” or “so” in English and is used to show emphasis.

The French Canadian language is a fascinating mélange of culture and history (with some English mixed in for good measure). Have you encountered any interesting “franglais” phrases or any other language combinations?

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?

Travel Tuesday: Love Locks

The following post is a guest blog from one of our Mangoes, Alana Wolfman. Alana recently returned from a Mediterranean cruise, where she traveled to Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Turkey. Here is a bit about her time spent in Venice.

Crossing the southern end of the Grand Canal, the Ponte dell’Accademia (aka the Academia Bridge) was the one place in Venice, Italy to make such an impact during my 10-day trip through the Mediterranean.

Rebuilt in 1985, the Ponte dell’Accademia is a busy bridge because it’s one of only four bridges in Venice allowing pedestrians to walk across the main canal. It was designed to replicate the temporary wooden bridge built there in 1932, but the new one was to be built with metal support features to maintain its durability throughout the years. The view from this bridge is absolutely outstanding and, unlike any of the other bridges in Venice, the location almost reaches St. Mark’s Basin and you have wonderful sights in all directions.

It was not only the view that caught my eye; looking down on the inner hand rails on the bridge, I noticed a cluster of pad-locks locked to the railing. Looking around even more, there were multiple clusters of pad-locks, each with writing on them. “Mila + Greg 1998″ and “Dimitri <3 Lena 2003″ and “L + K forever” were just a few.

These “love locks” have been noticed in other cities in Italy, but reportedly started in Hungarian city of Pécs during the 1980s. It is meant to symbolize that lovers’ love lasts forever, where they lock their locks to the rails and throw the key into the waters below. There were so many love locks, I couldn’t believe all of those tourists knew about it! If anyone is going to take a romantic trip to Venice, Italy, head over to the Academia Bridge, but be sure to carry an extra lock with you and a permanent marker.

What other “romantic” traditions have you come across in your travels?

Travel Tuesday: One Stick of Fried Butter, Please.

This weekend, a few friends and I took an unforgettable road trip to visit our dear friend Colleen in Des Moines, Iowa. Yes, Iowa. Despite my initial resistance (what’s less daunting: a $550 plane ticket or a 10 hour drive?), I eventually succumbed as soon as talk of the Iowa State Fair began. Not to mention the fact that Colleen has no qualms in constantly reminding me that she came to visit me in France, so skipping out on Iowa was simply out of the question.  The girl has a point.

Who needs to travel internationally when you can take a big bite out of America with just a (not so) quick car ride away? We talked up the fair for weeks, planning all that we were going to see, do, and most importantly, EAT! The Iowa State Fair has an entire landing page on its website dedicated to food on a stick. Our group of friends can be found at any given time eating, planning what we are going to eat next, or talking about something we wish we were eating at that moment, so we definitely were up to the challenge. Fairs, festivals, and carnivals of any kind are generally known for their unhealthy fare, but the Iowa State Fair takes unnatural cuisine to an entirely new level. Case in point: fried butter. This is not a joke. Fair-goers (my friends and I included) indulged in a stick of butter dipped in a honey batter and fried to a golden brown. When in Rome, right? We also treated ourselves to fried cheese curds, fried candy bars, and most notably, a red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese glaze. To say we all need to hit the gym this week is an understatement, though I don’t regret a thing! It’s all about life experiences.

In addition to the hundreds of food vendors, the fair boasts rides, carnival games (one of our friends lost $60 trying to win a Michigan State pleather jacket. Karma for supporting Michigan State, I suppose), craft beer tents, musical performances, pageants, and a petting zoo, among a multitude of other attractions. One of the events that has garnered the most popularity over the years in Iowa is the butter sculpting competition. The Iowa State fair is most known for its famous Butter Cow, which celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2011! As described on the Iowa State Fair website, the tradition started years before the fair even began as a means of worship for Tibetan monks who carved animals from yak butter. The cow sculpting held a special meaning this year, as the first female sculptor and only the 4^th sculptor in the history of the fair passed away in June. Norma “Duffy” Lyon began sculpting the cow in 1960 was succeeded after her death by her apprentice of 15 years, Sarah Pratt. The butter cow is made of wood, metal, wire, steel, mesh, and butter, and it weighs approximately 600 lbs upon completion. Photos can be seen all around Des Moines in preparation for the fair and it is clear that it is a source of pride for the city.

Despite a few minor setbacks (mainly the one where I arrived in Iowa and realized my purse, including ID, cash, and credit cards was still in Michigan), the trip was well worth the travel time. Though maybe not as “exotic” as traveling somewhere where I would need to speak a foreign language, Iowa definitely has a story to tell. The heart burn from the fried food will eventually subside, but the memories of the good times shared with my friends in a brand new city will last a life time! Until next time, Des Moines – sorry I ever doubted you!

What is your favorite “hidden gem” in the United States? Have you ever stumbled upon a cultural event by accident, only to be pleasantly surprised?

Travel Tuesday: The Hills are Alive

To say that The Sound of Music was a defining film of my childhood would be an understatement. It was the movie that instigated my passion for musical theater that still thrives today, nearly 23 years later. Aside from dancing around my room pretending to be one of the Von Trapp children, I was actually in the show twice. I auditioned for Gretl, the youngest child, and ended up playing Mother Abbess, the oldest character in the show. Go figure. Needless to say, when my friend Chelsea suggested a trip to Austria, I immediately became ecstatic at the prospect of fulfilling a lifelong dream: The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg!

Usually when I travel, I gravitate towards the local hangouts and other places off the beaten path rather than tourist traps. However, this was an extenuating circumstance and we made a lightning-fast exception on this trip! After all, what screams AMERICAN TOURIST more than a hop on/hop off Sound of Music tour? I might as well have carried around an American flag and a Lady Liberty head piece to identify myself as a foreigner. Chelsea and I were like two kids in a candy store as we sang songs and reminisced about our favorite parts of the film at each stop throughout the 4 hour tour. From the Nonnberg Abbey to the Frohnburg Castle to (just wait for it) the famous SOUND OF MUSIC PAVILION, we saw it all! Unfortunately, the doors of the gazebo were locked, so we were unable to recreate our own rendition of “16 Going on 17” like we had planned (Chelsea as Rolf and me as Liesl), but we DID snap tons of pictures and squealed with glee at each monument. Sometimes you have to suck it up and embrace your right to be a camera happy tourist.

As we headed back to Bastian, our host in Austria, we couldn’t wait to tell him all that we had seen! You can imagine our shock and awe when Bastian informed us that the majority of Austrians had barely even heard of the movie, much less seen it. You would have thought he had told us that Santa isn’t real. We couldn’t quite grasp the concept. You mean there are actually people in the world who did not grow up wanting a governess? Actual people who had never, not even once, sang “My Favorite Things” during a rainstorm? When he told us most Austrians only know of the movie from “silly Americans who come to Austria to go on the tour,” we nearly lost it. This was completely unacceptable. Since we were learning so much about Austrian culture from our time in Salzburg and Vienna (including important German vocab for young travelers, namely Prost, which means “cheers”), we decided it was only proper to complete the cultural exchange with a little American education. That night, Bastian brought over a projection screen and invited over a bunch of friends for an official Sound of Music screening. Though skeptical at first, we (obviously) won everyone over in the end. As though anyone would be able to resist Frauline Maria’s charm and taste in music. Even Bastian’s friends who barely spoke English momentarily forgot the language barrier and were singing along as best they could. While I’m sure none of them ever watched the movie again, I’m sure they will never forget that night and neither will we. As we said “So Long, Farewell” to Austria and our new friends, our hope was that we left as much of an impression on the country as it left on us.  A big Prost! to Austria – until next time!

What is the most “touristy” thing you have ever done on vacation?