Tales of Juha - Conditioning

Tales of Juha: Classic Arab Folk Humor has definitely been my favorite read this semester.  This could partly be due to the fact that the entire book is purely jokes divided into different topics, but also because even though it is Arab humor, it is still relatable and enjoyable universally.  In addition, it relates to my “Humor around the World” presentation, so that was pretty neat!  And then, I think most importantly, this collection of humor was culturally enlightening. 

This last grouping of reading, which included the sections of “Juha the Butt,” “Boastfulness and False Pride,” “A Witty Rogue,” “Cowardice,” “Justice and Generosity,” and “Critic of Despotism,” may have actually been my least favorite of the three.  I can definitely say that the first day of reading was my favorite, mainly in part to the wit and smartness of Juha.  I can definitively say that wit is my favorite form of humor, therefore justifying my favorite grouping of reading.  But why then did I enjoy this one so much less?  I think this is partly due to the culture references in this section.  While most of the humor in this book is universal, some I think would be funnier or more enjoyable to those who understand and live in that form of culture.  This can particularly be identified with some of the judge jokes, and jokes involving the governor.  Also, since I preferred the first section due to the wit and smartness of Juha, it makes sense that I did not enjoy when Juha was the butt of the joke or viewed as naïve and cowardly.

One of the jokes that particularly stood out to me in this grouping of reading was from the section entitled “Critic of Despotism,” where Juha taught Tamerlane’s donkey to read (135-136).  The way in which Juha taught the donkey to “read” (rather, taught him to turn the pages of a book), was by placing barley between the pages, turning the pages as the donkey ate the barley; then the donkey would begin to turn the pages on his own, in order to get to the barley to eat; after that, Juha did not include the barley between the pages, but the donkey continued to turn the pages of the book.  Juha said the donkey would continue to turn the pages without the barley, because he was looking for the barley.  This situation reminded me of Skinner’s “Operant Conditioning” where learning occurs by association.  At first the barley makes the donkey eat and turn the pages of the book, making the barley a reward for the desired action of turning the page.  Therefore, Juha was promoting positive reinforcement as the donkey had to turn the page in order to get the barley.  Eventually all it took was for the donkey to see the book to know it should turn the pages, because the donkey had been conditioned to do so, and was still under the impression that he would find barley between the pages.

This story also reminded me of The Big Bang Theory,  when they depicted conditioning by Sheldon training Penny to not sit in his spot, or to be quiet and not talk as much.  Sheldon trained Penny by giving her chocolate every time she did something correct or realized a mistake, in order to eventually train her to not have those tendencies. 

 

There are two other particular reasons I enjoyed this particular joke.  First, Juha is depicted as being smart and cunning, opposed to dumb or cowardly like many of the other jokes in this grouping of reading.  It takes some intelligence and understanding in order to get the donkey to respond the way he did.  Second, it reminded me of science and psychology which I love!  The mind is truly fascinating and seeing a correlation in this humor excited me and was noteworthy.   

The Final Conversation...

Today, Sunday, November 18, 2012, I had my final meeting with Alex.  It was a bit sad, as Alex and I have had some great conversations over the course of this semester.  We agreed to meet for lunch or dinner sometimes next semester just to keep up with one another!

At first, though, I did not think Alex was going to show up.  I arrived promptly at 1:30 and after ten minutes of waiting, Alex had not shown up; I decided to send him a text to see if he was coming, but received no response.  At 1:45, I decided maybe it would be more effective to call, and that was successful.  My phone call consequently woke him up, so he said he would meet me in ten minutes. 

 

Once Alex finally arrived, we first discussed our weekends and what all we had done.  Alex had watched quite a few movies, none of which I had even heard of!  He made a joke about Americans being fascinated with zombies, because two of the movies he watched incorporated zombies.  I am not personally interested or really entertained by such movies, but I suppose some people are!  While still discussing our weekends, we learned that we both had eaten at McAllister’s Deli for dinner Saturday night!  We discussed what we had eaten, and both agreed that it was delicious.  We also talked about the weather, and how it was so beautiful outside today; not hot, not cold, but basically the perfect sunny, blue sky, jeans and a t-shirt type weather!

 

Our last topic of interest today was Thanksgiving and what our plans for the break entail.  We both are excited for the mental break of school for 5 days!  I plan on going home and spending time with my family, whereas Alex’s plans include staying at TCU.  Originally a group of his friends were going to go to San Antonio for the break, but too many people backed out where it started to become too expensive, so instead he will be staying at school.  He is unsure of what all he is going to do for the 5 days here; I suggested sleeping! 

We wrapped up our conversation at this point, as I had a meeting to attend, but we both agreed to meet at different points throughout next semester for lunch or dinner, because who doesn’t love food and some good company?! 

And in spirit with the Thanksgiving atmosphere, I am thankful for this opportunity to have met with Alex throughout the course of this semester.  I have learned a lot from him and it was a great way to be exposed to a different culture and customs.  I would not have expected to learn as much as I did from this experience, but I certainly have and it was truly worthy of my time. 

Conversation Number 7!

Alex and I meet today at our usual Sunday time and location, 1:30 pm at Union Grounds!  It is hard to believe that this is already conversation number 7!  At the end of today’s conversation we set up our eighth, and consequently, our last conversation time.  This semester truly has gone by incredibly fast and I can’t believe that our conversations are nearing an end.

Today, we finally talked about the all-important topic of humor!  Alex informed me that the main thing that they, in China, and he laugh at is other people’s mistakes.  And here we are, back to the topic of Schadenfreude.  As shown by many of the presentations, as well as my conversation with Alex, this concept is something that appears to be considered funny somewhat worldwide. 

Other than this, Alex was not really sure how to identify and describe their humor.  Also, what some people find to be funny, he does not.  Jokes were a big topic of discussion, but Alex did say that many of their jokes are not transferable or funny in America.  Alex did, though, take some time to tell me a few jokes, such as, “How many steps does it take to put an elephant in the refrigerator?”  Answer: “3 – open the refrigerator, put the elephant in, and close the refrigerator.”  Next joke, “How many steps does it take to put a giraffe in the refrigerator?” Answer: “4 – open the refrigerator, take out the elephant, put the giraffe in, and close the refrigerator.”  Alex just thought this joke was hilarious.  And I can agree that it’s funny, but this is a little bit of a different concept of humor than what I now hold as a young adult.  Another type of joke that Alex said the Chinese people enjoy are jokes that talk about events that recently happened.  These jokes help lighten the mood about the events and also give the people a way to discuss them. 

We also discussed comedy movies, and according to Alex, they are considered low-level, like junk food or fast food.  I found this to be a very interesting viewpoint, especially since comedy is a crowd-pleasing genre here in America.  Personally, many of my favorite movies fall into this category, such as The Proposal, Pitch Perfect, Baby Mama, and The Sandlot. 

The last question I asked in regards to humor was if anything was off-limits to joke about in their culture.  Alex said that really anything could be joked about as long as the other person finds it funny.  He said that one thing that he cannot joke about is death.  His mother does not like when people talk about death, as it is like a curse to that person. 

To wrap up our conversation today, we talked about what was on our agendas for the rest of the day; mine consisted of lots and lots of homework and studying, as well as bible study; Alex’s consisted of homework, sleeping, and Skyping with his parents!

The Lesson

The Hokum reading was fully enjoyable!  I actually enjoyed all three stories that were assigned for today’s reading.  All three were entertaining reads, but I particularly liked the second story, “The Lesson.”  Many things hit home with me and caused me to think.  The part at the end when the students learned the lesson made me rethink how I view things and made me realize how incredibly blessed I am. 

When Sugar stated, “You know, Miss More, I don’t think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs” really struck me.  The other line that really got me was, “Imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven people.”  Wow.  How powerful, yet true, that statement is.  Earlier in the story it was stated that there was a toy that cost thirty-five dollars; that thirty-five dollars could “pay for the rent and the piano bill too.”

 

The world I grew up in and was raised in, the type of living I am accustomed to is utterly different than that which is depicted in “The Lesson.”  It really was an awakening and a reminder at just how fortunate and blessed I truly am in my life, especially with the opportunity to be at a phenomenal school receiving a higher education, something that many people dream of but never have the opportunity to achieve.  Also, in regards to money, our tuition is a ridiculous amount, especially in comparison to someone only paying $35 in rent.  And yet, we horned frogs find the $43,000 a year to attend this university.  Just how crazy is that?  I was talking with a friend who grew up in a family where the annual income was only $35,000.  That’s as much as tuition at TCU, and with the addition of room and board, is even less. 

Another conversation I had in the past week was with a cleaning lady in Samuelson.  She told me how she has been applying for the job at TCU for over a year and finally got it.  Why was she applying for it?  Because she wants to give her kids an equal opportunity to attend school and get an education that is so stressed in today’s society, something that she never had the opportunity to achieve.  How humbling.  I, a lot of the times, forget about how lucky I am to receive this opportunity.  To me, it just seems normal; since a young age it has been put in my head that I can do anything; that I will go to college; and that I will receive a higher education.  Other people are not as fortunate. 

The lesson learned by Sugar, is that “this not much of a democracy if you ask me.  Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?”  And I agree.  Unfortunately, our world, our country, our society is not set up this way.  And it definitely was not in the 1970s when blacks were heavily discriminated against and were not given nearly the same rights or opportunities as the white race who viewed themselves as superior.

But just remember, being at TCU is a huge blessing, and this story was an incredible reminder at just how lucky we are to be here.

Conversation Number 6!

Today, Alex and I met at Union Grounds for another conversation and discussion!  We grabbed some drinks and got to talking!  First, we discussed how the rest of week went since we had last met on Monday and what we had done this weekend.  We both participated in LEAPS yesterday, so we shared our experiences with each other and both agreed that it was rewarding. 

After this discussion, Alex abruptly changed subjects and asked about religion and Christianity.  He associates Americans with Christianity, and to clear things up I made sure he knew that America is founded on freedom of religion and we don’t have an official religion.  There are a wide varieties of religions practiced in America, but approximately 75% of Americans do identify within the umbrella of Christian faiths.  It was interesting to hear about how he does not believe in God or in a god, and that he views the world as a material thing.  It was also interesting to hear some of the stereotypes that he views in regards to Americans and Christianity.  While some are true in regards to some people, they are after all just stereotypes and were not necessarily true for the mass population.

 

Alex asked me to explain some of the basic components of Christianity, such as God, his son, Jesus, forgiveness, sins, and communion.  While explaining, Alex would also share his view and opinion on these topics and what he knows/has heard before.  It was interesting to be presented with his perspective on this stuff, and I also realized how weird and crazy some of these beliefs may sound to an outsider; also, it could be hard for him to believe in something like this when he has never been exposed to it.  He told me that his grandparents are Buddhists and explained some of those beliefs; I explained that as Christians because of Jesus we are forgiven for our sins, but he said for Buddhism that if you do something wrong then directly or indirectly at some point in your life something bad will occur to you.

 

We also talked about history in many regards.  First, we talked about the history of religion and I asked how important religion was in China and what faith is most widely practiced.  Alex gave me a little history of the migration of religions through the dynasties which was actually pretty cool!  Alex was then interested in the history of Texas, as they had briefly touched on it in one of his classes on Friday.  I explained the six flags over Texas, who Texas has been ruled by, and the process of Texas gaining their independence – being sure to mention the Alamo.  Explaining this to him took a lot of digging and memory as the last time I’ve studied Texas history was in 7^th grade (when I did not particularly enjoy history…).  But I did my best and Googled a few articles and pictures to better help my explaining and his understanding. 

 

The conversation today was definitely interesting and for the first time I was required to do most of the talking.  It was truly enjoyable, and I am glad that Alex was comfortable enough to ask these questions and that I was able to explain these things to him! 

Conversation Number 5!

Last week, Alex and I decided that we would meet on Sunday at 6 for dinner like our previous meeting.  At 6:00 I was standing at Union Grounds when we decided to meet and I found myself standing there by myself for 5 minutes.  I texted Alex asking if we were still meeting, and he replied saying he completely forgot about our meeting and asked if we could move it to Monday.  Immediately following class today (Monday), Alex and I met at Union Grounds for some coffee (or in my case hot chocolate) and conversation; we had a visitor today, too!  One of Alex’s friends, Leo, was with him and joined us for our conversation.

The dynamic of the conversation was different having an extra person, but it was a good change!  It was neat to meet another person and have a conversation as a group.  Our conversation began with the usual introductions for Leo and myself, as any first time meeting on a college campus would begin.  I found myself struggling to understand Leo sometimes, but Alex would translate for me which was pretty cool!  The three of us talked about the weather and how relieved we were that it is no longer so hot outside.  We then talked about music and the types of music we enjoy listening to.  They had some friends going to the Justin Bieber concert tonight, and the three of us agreed that he was definitely not our favorite artist.  Leo then asked who my favorite artist was and I quickly answered Train.  I realized though that the chance of them knowing who Train is was a long shot and was about to start explaining to them when Alex said, “Oh, the band that sings that song Drive By.”  I think my day was made when he knew who Train was. 

Leo and Alex had a lot of questions about classes at TCU and the format and such.  For the remainder of our time this is what we discussed.  We discussed the sorts of classes I take for my major, what they want their major and minor to be, textbooks for classes, and the format of lectures and tests.  It was interesting having to explain these different aspects and concepts of classes to them, as it is just second-nature to me at this point.  It is so common for me that I forget it is a foreign concept to them.  I sure hope I did a good job explaining everything! 

We wrapped up our conversation after 45 minutes as Leo and Alex had grand plans of hitting the gym and working out!  All in all, today’s conversation was awesome and extremely interesting.  It was cool to have a small group type setting for a conversation and to gain perspective from another individual. 

Hokum Readings

I have found Hokum, an anthology of African-American humor, to be an interesting, surprising, and confusing read. 

In regards to the first selection, “When De Co’n Pone’s Hot,” I could for the most part understand the writing but there are a few lines I could not, and therefore am confused on the meaning and context of this story.  In regards to the last story, The Bone of Contention, I enjoyed the story and especially the punch line at the end.

But the reading that affected me the most was the “Assorted Jokes Compiled by Alex Rogers.”  I found these assorted jokes to be fairly humorous, some even evoking slight chuckles and laughter from me while reading.  I believe that this was due to the set-up and the way these jokes were presented, as well as the wit of these jokes.  The perception of the joke and then the punch-line was different than expected, or was witty, which made these jokes humorous.  However, what confused me is that these jokes seem to be making fun of a colored person, or make them seem stupid and ignorant.  If some of us in this class were to say some of these jokes then we would be perceived as racist, or someone who enjoys racial humor.  So the reason I am so surprised is because these jokes, poems, and stories we are reading in Hokum are written by African-Americans, and therefore why do they find this as humorour or why do they portray themselves in humor this way.  I am not sure why I was so curious and wondering so much about these jokes, but I even read some and was discussing the context and humor with some friends.

In general, Hokum has not been my favorite read so far, and mainly I think that is due to the fact that I don’t fully understand the humor.  This could be due to the cultural context and time-period, where I am simply missing the point and the humor.