Russian Proverb: Любишь кататься люби и саночки возить

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General Information About Item:

  • Verbal Folklore, Proverb
  • Language: Russian
  • Country of Origin: Russia
  • Informant: AG
  • Date Collected: 11/3/20

Informant Data:

AG was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1977, but immigrated to the United States in 1999 because of his current wife. In 1999, Anton was visiting friends in Los Angeles where he was introduced to his wife by a mutual friend. They began dating, and eventually, AG permanently relocated to Los Angeles. The majority of AG’s family still lives in Moscow, Russia. AG earned an undergraduate degree in accounting at Pepperdine University. AG is fairly traditional and has stuck to his Russian roots. To this day, AG and his wife are still happily married, residing in Los Angeles, with their two beautiful kids

Contextual Data: 

Growing up, AG was an extremely active kid who loved to have fun. He was also a little bit on the lazier side and hated doing things for himself. He enjoyed soaking up all the fun and adrenaline and hated actually doing the work to get to the point where you can have fun. Specifically, he enjoyed skateboarding down big hills and mountains but hated going back up the hill or mountain (which is very similar to the proverb). He enjoyed having others do that for him, especially his mother. At around the age of 11, his mother realized she could no longer treat him like a little child, and she had to teach her son the importance of working hard before being able to play and have fun. That was when the first time AG remembers hearing the quote because his mother loved to use proverbs and metaphors to describe everyday life, so she used this proverb because it emphasizes the importance of enjoying both the hard work and the reward.

Social Context:

Russia is known for its below-freezing winters and heavy snow, which quickly led to the growth and popularity of sledding in Russia, especially with younger children, causing a very instructive thought to be formed. A sled is essentially a winter carriage on skids, but instead a much smaller size, and it is intended to bring pleasure and adrenaline when sledding down. In order to have the chance to sled in the first place, you have to pull the rope or push the sled from behind to get to the top of the mountain. This can be a strenuous and tedious activity, but the reward is going down the mountain on your sled, enjoying the speed and rush. In order to ease the tedious and strenuous activity, you must instead embrace it and also enjoy it because it’s the part that comes before having fun. You must enjoy all activities whether they are hard or fun because nothing in life comes for free.

Cultural Context:

Like most people, Russians look forward to their leisure time, especially after working hard, which is why this proverb applies to all spheres of life and is still so commonly used. Most Russian adults have found the balance between work and fun due to Russians teaching their kids from an early age the importance of working hard in order to be able to have fun. No doubt, sliding down the slope on a sled is a fun activity, but for that to happen, you must first drag your sled up the hill, which can be lengthy and difficult. There will be both pleasant and unpleasant moments in anything you do, but to get the best possible results, you need to learn how to embrace and enjoy both. Without embracing hard work, you will not achieve anything and be extremely unhappy, which applies to children and adults. The proverb depicts the relationship between rest and work by reminding us that work is an integral part of recreation and entertainment. There is no such thing as fun without work, nothing in life comes for free, and you must embrace the hard work that comes before the fun.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb: Любишь кататься люби и саночки возить

Pronunciation: Lyubish’ katat’sya lyubi i sanochki vozit’

Literal Translation: If you like to ride – love and carry sleds.

Translation: If you like sledding, you should like to carry the sled.

Informant’s Comments:

“This is one of my favorite proverbs because it was the first time I realized my behavior was unacceptable, and instead, I had to accept the fact that nothing in life comes for free. I used to enjoy things like skateboarding and snowboarding, but I absolutely hated the times I would be off the board, either trying to climb the mountain or treating an injury. I was extremely immature, but my mother’s proverb opened my eyes to the reality that life is hard, and I have to work hard in order to be able to provide myself with those fun times I enjoy. Work hard, play hard.”

Collector’s Comments:

I agree with the informant because the first time I heard this proverb, I realized I was no longer a child, meaning I would have to learn how to be independent and endure those unpleasant, hard times myself rather than have a family member do it for me, or even worse, just not endure the activity and give up. As little children and even now, we love when someone else does something helpful for us because it means less work, but the reality is that will rarely happen, and you will always have to work to achieve your reward. This proverb has helped me a lot during times when I didn’t want to work out or practice because I was too tired or lazy. It had reminded me that if I push myself now, it will pay off in the end, which led me to begin embracing the hard work and even enjoying it. The proverb’s structure is fairly typical to that of a traditional Russian proverb due to the phonetic devices and repetition, which give the proverb a catchy, smooth flow.

Collector’s Name: Jennifer Gadalov

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013 Fall 2020

Tags/Keywords:

  • Russian
  • Proverb
  • Hard work
  • Sled
  • Uphill

Russian Proverb: Без труда не вытащишь рыбку из пруда

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General Information About Item:

  • Verbal Folklore, Proverb
  • Language: Russian
  • Country of Origin: Russia
  • Informant: NG
  • Date Collected: 11/6/20

Informant Data:

NG was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1976, but immigrated to the United States in 1998. The previous year, NG’s aunt moved to Los Angeles in search of a better life. Shortly after, NG and her family moved to Los Angeles as it was important for their families to stay together. NG earned an undergraduate and graduate degree in accounting at the California State University, Northridge. NG is fairly traditional and has stuck to her Russian roots. She is happily married with two beautiful kids.

Contextual Data:

Growing up, NG was a competitive cross-country skier in Moscow, Russia. It was an extremely popular sport for Russian people, but at times NG really struggled to enjoy the sport, especially with all the pain, sacrifice, and tears that came with it. But every time she wanted to quit and give up, her mother would repeat this proverb to her to remind her that nothing, not skiing, not studying, not cooking, etc. came easily to anyone and only the people who didn’t give up, in the end, would achieve success, greatness, and happiness. Every time NG’s mother repeated this quote to her, NG knew she had to keep pushing through all of the lows because, in the end, it will pay off.

Social Context:

Fishers are regarded as extremely patient people because if they do not sit every day waiting for hours with their fishing rods to simply even catch one fish, then they will have no fish since the fish are not going to come on their own merit. Any and all activities/businesses require effort, but no effort can be done without effort. If you want to get anywhere in life or achieve success, you must have perseverance and give your full effort, or you won’t get anywhere if you are not willing to put in the necessary work. This proverb is often heard when someone complains about having to work hard.

Cultural Context:

Although Russian people are sometimes viewed as cold and harsh people on the surface level, deep down, they hide their love for laughter and cleverness. The Russian humor and wit can be difficult to follow and understand due to how tightly bound to the language’s subtleties, resulting in difficulty in translating. But with a little explanation, it is possible to see the clever remarks, humor, and wit Russians include in their everyday language, just like in this proverb. Russian people are extremely respected, wise, and well-aimed people. They expect a lot from themselves, which is how these figurative phrases and proverbs came to be because their goal is to emphasize the expectations and hopes of the people. Their wit and cleverness also stem from their desire to rid their oppressors, such as greed, lying, etc, and instead promote hard work, fairness, and commitment.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb: Без труда не вытащишь рыбку из пруда

Pronunciation: Bez truda ne vytashchish’ rybku iz pruda

Literal Translation: You can’t get a fish out of a pond without difficulty.

Translation: You won’t achieve your goals if you don’t work hard and put in the necessary effort.

English Equivalent to “No pain, no gain”

Informant’s Comments:

“This is one of my favorite Russian proverbs as I believe it applies to every part of life. You truly cannot achieve success in life unless you put in the work, no matter how hard the work is. You have to give it your all, and you cannot be lazy. As a former athlete myself (cross country skier), this proverb reminded me that I shouldn’t and couldn’t give up even when times got tough or wanted to quit. It helped me realize that I wouldn’t achieve anything in skiing without hard work, even if, in the moment, I believed it was too hard for me. I also really enjoy this metaphor because I have vivid memories of watching my grandfather go out to the pond and sit there for hours trying to catch just one fish, but never losing hope.”

Collector’s Comments:

This is also one of my favorite proverbs; as NG mentioned, it applies heavily in life, especially to sports. Being a competitive tennis player since the age of 5, there have been one too many times where I wanted to quit, give up, and move on because the work was getting too hard and the reward seemed too far away, but this quote is a reminder that nothing in life comes easy especially success. The proverb’s repetitional rhyming is also extremely catchy making the proverb hard to forget; the two proportional rhyming parts are how Russian proverbs are traditionally structured. On top of the rhyming, there are phonetic devices combined with the A then B structure, making this proverb extremely memorable for all.

Collector’s Name: Jennifer Gadalov

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013 Fall 2020

Tags/Keywords:

  • Russian
  • Proverb
  • Hard work
  • Fish
  • Pond

Entrée: Catfish

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration, belief, superstition
  • Language: English with some Chinese (Mandarin)
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: R.J.
  • Date Collected: November 4, 2020

Informant Data:

  • R.J. is a 21-year-old senior studying Economics at UC Berkeley. He was born in Houston, Texas but grew up in Shanghai, China. While living in China, he celebrated Chinese New Year every year with his family, participating in a variety of traditional festivities.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Fish is an essential dish for Chinese New Year across most, if not all, regions in China due to its association with wealth and prosperity. Although fish can be cooked in many ways, it is usually steamed with a mixture of traditional ingredients like ginger, scallion, and soy sauce. Certain types of fish, like catfish, are sometimes chosen over others because their names have additional symbolic meaning. Many households impose their own rules regarding how the fish is served, e.g., the fish head must be oriented towards guests or elders.
  • Social Context: During Chinese New Year’s Eve, it is customary for an extended family to hold a large dinner gathering either at home or at a fancy restaurant, to share an assortment of traditional dishes including fish. Usually, the dinner gathering also features other activities such as toasting to the elders’ health and giving red envelopes which contain allowance money to the children.

Item:

  • Catfish is commonly eaten for Chinese New Year because of its auspicious name “nián yú” (鲶鱼), which is a homophone for the characters that mean “surplus year over year” (年余). Typically, catfish is cooked with the body, head, and bones intact as a symbol for the preservation of wealth. After all, people want to receive the entirety of next year’s surplus rather than just a fraction.

Audio Clip:

 

Transcript:

W.W. (collector): Right. Thank you so much. Um, so as I told you earlier, for this project, we’ll be talking about Chinese New Year, specifically, a special festival dish that’s eaten during Chinese New Year. Uh, yeah so, can you describe the name of your item?

R.J. (informant): Yeah, absolutely. So the dish I’ll be talking about today would be catfish. Um, yeah.

W.W.: Cool. Yeah. So um, go ahead and tell us about catfish.

R.J.: Yeah, sure. Um, so before I dive into, like catfish, specifically, I would first like to talk about why Chinese people like to eat fish in general. And the reason is because the word fish in Chinese sounds a lot like the word surplus in Chinese. So in Chinese, fish is pronounced “yú” (鱼). And in, um, the … yeah basically, surplus is also pronounced “yú” (余). So, Chinese people really like surplus because they believe that if you’re able to save up a lot of money, um, in the current year, then in the next year, uh, it’s a pretty good sign, and you’ll have more to work around with because he had that savings from the previous year, right. So at the end of the year, during Chinese New Year, when people eat fish in general, they’re basically praying that this year, they got surplus, and that that surplus will carry forward to, um, the next year. So specifically, with regards to catfish, people eat catfish, because catfish in Chinese is pronounced as “nián yú” (鲶鱼). Now “nián” (年) in Chinese means year. So basically, when you combine those two terms, it means, uh, yearly fish. So basically, going back to what I said earlier of how, like, fish means surplus, it basically means having surplus year over year. So that’s the particular reason for why Chinese people like to eat catfish. Um, and specifically with regards to how they make it, I think one common thing, I’m not too sure about it, is that they always ensure that the fish is whole, so they never cut up the fish into parts. And the main reason is because they want to like have all of the surplus and not have like just parts of it right? When you divide it up, it becomes less than the whole, so that’s why they tend to, um, you know, cook it whole, like head, body all in one, uh, for … yeah.

W.W.: Cool. Um, thanks for sharing. Um, so, catfish, is this something that you eat with your family members or your friends during Chinese New Year?

R.J.: Yeah, definitely. So, um, pretty much every single year, we try to get at least one fish dish, um, on the table, basically the day before the New Year’s. Um, so yeah, catfish is probably the most common one that I eat. Um, we’ve also had like, other fishes, um, just sort of like, depending on what we’re feeling like. But I’ll say that catfish is probably the most common fish I’ve had on Chinese New Year’s Eve for like the past, say 20 years of my life.

Informant’s Comments:

  • An additional tradition that may be unique to my family is that we always try to go for the fish eye. Because apparently, from my parents, they’ve told me that eating the fish eye is a good symbol of prosperity in the next year because the fish eye is kind of like the core part of the fish. It represents the spirit and the heart of the fish, I guess, so they’ve always told me that if you’re able to get the fish eye really quickly, then, uh, next year, you’ll have good fortune. So, you know, one thing that we would do at the dinner table would be to fight over the fish eye. Uh, sometimes it gets pretty ugly, but other times, it’s usually pretty fun. Yep.

Collector’s Comments:

  • For Chinese New Year, my family also eats fish but not catfish specifically. In my family, the fish eye is viewed as the most nutritious part of the fish and a symbol of wisdom. It is usually given to one of the younger children to help them grow smart and strong. This is an example of homeopathic magic.

Collector’s Name: Winston Wang

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Qiānlǐ zhī xíng shǐ yú zúxià

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Title: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step 

 

General Information about Item:

  • Verbal Folklore, Proverb
  • Language: Chinese
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: CR
  • Date Collected: 11/21/2020

Informant Data:

CR is a Dartmouth student planning on studying philosophy and physics. He was born in California in November 2000, but moved to Chengdu and lived there for a year from 2010-2011. While he was there, he learned proverbs in school. He is of Irish, Scottish, English, and other European roots. However, he has been interested in Chinese culture, studying Chinese all throughout high school and even taking accelerated Chinese at Dartmouth.

Social Context:

Chinese schools always teach their older sayings to the younger generations in school. They are repeated many times until each saying is memorized, even indoctrinated, into the children.

Cultural Context:

 Chinese culture is one that values hard work highly above everything else. This proverb teaches the younger generations to work extremely hard and to never give up, even when it is extremely difficult to move forward. It comes from the Chinese philosopher Laozi.

 

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb:

千里之行,始于足下

Pinyin: Qiānlǐ zhī xíng shǐ yú zúxià

Literal Translation: A thousand mile journey by walking, starts to go by foot.

Translation: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 

 

Collector’s Comments:

I really like this proverb because it shows the importance of taking the leap of faith. Everything difficult starts with a single step forward, and if it were so easy, everyone would be doing it. Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point.

Similar to many proverbs, it has the metaphor of a long journey, which can represent any task or goal. It shows the importance of one being able to go out of their comfort zone in order to achieve something. 

Collector’s Name: Marcus Chang

Yǒuzhì zhě, shì jìng chéng

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Title: When there is a will, there is a way. 

General Information about Item:

  • Verbal Folklore, Proverb
  • Language: Chinese
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: Myself
  • Date Collected: 11/15/2020

Informant Data:

Marcus Chang is a current sophomore at Dartmouth College. He enjoys playing musical instruments such as piano and violin, and loves playing tennis and skiing. He has a strong background in Chinese culture, in which his parents frequently speak to him in Chinese.

Contextual Data:

Marcus heard this proverb frequently when he was growing up. He had the tendency to try many new things, such as many different instruments or sports, before quitting and moving onto the next thing when he did not immediately excel in the area. His mother told him this proverb to inspire him to not give up and to pursue his goals with more vigor.

Social Context:

These proverbs are frequently used by an older generation to impart important lessons onto the younger generations. These proverbs usually come with profound wisdom that the younger generation may not realize the significance until later on in their lives.

Cultural Context:

In Chinese culture, it is extremely important to show one’s elders respect and take everything they say extremely seriously. Therefore, when an older generation tells a younger person what to do or offers advice, the younger person must follow. When a younger person learns a new proverb, they are expected to take it to heart immediately and put it into practice.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb:

有志者，事竟成. 

Pinyin: Yǒuzhì zhě, shì jìng chéng.

Translation: When there is a will, there is a way.

 

Informant’s/Collectors Comments:

Marcus has not heard this proverb in a long time, but understands the important message that his mother was trying to tell him. He has taken the proverb to heart. It follows the cause and effect structure, which seems to be universal in all the proverbs found across the world. Similar to many of the proverbs, it has a simple structure that makes it easy to remember. While none of the phonetic sounds are the same, the simple A then B structure still makes it memorable.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Chang

Tags/Keywords:

  • Chinese
  • solutions

Zhǒng guā dé guā zhǒng dòu dé dòu

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Title: You reap what you sow.

General Information about Item:

  • Verbal Folklore, Proverb
  • Language: Chinese
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: CH
  • Date Collected: 11/2/20

Informant Data:

CH studies computer science at Dartmouth College and is a part of the class of 2023. He was born in July 2001 and has lived in northern Virginia his entire life. He has a strong Chinese background due to his grandparents visiting his home very often. He is second generation Chinese, does not speak Chinese at home, but understands the language well.

Contextual Data:

CH heard this proverb from her grandfather when he was young. It stuck with him because his grandpa told him when he broke a plate. He remembered it because that was one of the first memorable times when he had to face the actions of his consequences.

Item: 

Orally transmitted proverb:

種瓜得瓜, 種豆得豆 

Pronunciation: Zhǒng guā dé guā zhǒng dòu dé dòu

Literal Translation: If you grow peas,you get peas…. If you grow melons, you get melons. 

Translation: You sow what you reap.

Transcript via Zoom:

MC: Wassup CH! Could you tell me what the proverb that your grandpa told you and what it means?

CH: Here you are: 種瓜得瓜, 種豆得豆 (Zhǒng guā dé guā zhǒng dòu dé dòu). It essentially means that you reap what you sow. I suppose the English equivalent would be you’ve made your bed, so now you must lie in it.

MC: Awesome, thanks so much! Could you describe the circumstances which led to him telling you this proverb?

CH: It was one of my earliest memories that I remember doing something wrong, and I had to be punished for it. I don’t remember the circumstances too well though; I was too young.

 MC: When else would you hear this proverb?

 CH: Basically when I did anything wrong and I had to face a punishment, they’d tell me this. As I grew up though, I suppose I grew out of hearing the proverb because I can’t remember the last time I was told this.

MC: Thanks so much bro.

Informant’s Comments:

CH: I hate this proverb but I can appreciate what it is trying to tell me.

Collector’s Comments:

I think this proverb is extremely fitting. The message behind it is simple, while the proverb is short and to the point. The repetition of each phrase while only changing ‘melon’ to ‘peas’ makes it easy to remember. I can appreciate the candidness of the idea that one must be able to live with the consequences of one’s actions. This is a very good proverb to live by in order to prevent the carrying out of unwise decisions, without thinking them through.

Collector’s Name: Marcus Chang

Tags/Keywords:

  • Chinese
  • responsibility

Japanese Proverb: Kannin no nin no ji ga hyakkan suru

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Proverb

Japanese:堪忍の忍の字が百貫する。

Japanese Romaji: Kannin no nin no ji ga hyakkan suru

Translates as: the letter of the patience of tolerance does 100 pieces 

English: There is a great value in tolerating adversity;

 

RH

Zoom

10/19/2020

 

Informant Data: RH has been in Japan for a year and a half after having lived in the USA for 10 years. She is half Japanese and works at an English cram school. She mainly works with elementary school kids. I have known RH since 9th grade and she and I have spoken a lot about Japan and she has personally helped me a lot in my pursuit of learning Japanese. 

Contextual Data: RH went to highschool in the United States. I have known her for 4 years. RH was born in the US, moved to Japan when she was 3, and moved back to the US in about 6th grade. RH works 6 days a week from 1 pm to 9 pm. RH always uses this phrase with her students when she is teaching them new material and they get somewhat impatient because they cannot speak English super well yet and cannot express themselves in English. She uses that saying to help keep them motivated and prevent them from getting frustrated, which would further hinder their performance.

Social Context: Cram school is school after school. People go to cram school to study extra content that they cannot study at school. RH works at an English speaking cram school which students attend once a week. One of her students goes to Japanese Language cram school from 9 am to 10 pm on Saturday and Sunday. 

Cultural Context: Japan is known for its cultural importance of hard work, with many men placing the importance of work above the demands of homelife. Japan also has a culture of working overtime and work-related drinking activities. This idea of going above and beyond in Japan is a key part of Japanese culture and is instilled in everyone from the time they are a child. A good example being the attendance of cram school, which typically starts in elementary school and continues until the end of high school.

Gautham Sivadasan 19

3007 Mill Gate Lane

Hanover NH 03755

Dartmouth College

Russ 13

20F

Dessert: 8 Treasure Rice

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – food, Customary Lore – celebration
  • Language: English, Chinese
  • Country of Origin: China/Canada
  • Informant: A.Z.
  • Date Collected: November 7, 2020

Informant Data:

  • A.Z was born in China and spent half her life there before moving to Canada. As far as she knows, she is full Chinese. She has strong ties to her family as her mother and grandmother have passed down many recipes to her. She always spends Chinese New Year with family. Currently, she is a second year student at Dartmouth College studying computer science.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Rice is a staple food in China as it is an ingredient found in countless dishes. In its purest form, rice can just be steamed and used eaten as a side to other meats and vegetables, rice can be fried, rice can be used in congee or porridge. However, rice can also be used to make noodles and cakes. Because of its versatility, rice can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and can even be used in various desserts.
  • Social Context: Chinese New Year is a widely celebrated festival by Chinese people around the world, and it typically includes a large meal with family and many other festivities.

Item:

  • 8 treasure rice (八宝饭) is a Chinese New Year dish that dates back 2000 year ago to the Zhou Dynasty and it typically eaten as a dessert. The reason why it is called 8 treasure rice is because it contains 8 fruits that are considered very therapeutic in Chinese Medicine, including Red Dates, Red Bean, Plums, Winter-melons, Nuts, Longan, Lotus Seeds, etc. There are many variations of what ingredients are added depending on who makes it as some form include canned tangerines, winter melons, and more. These “treasures” are considered the toppings to the main component being glutinous rice.

Audio Clip:

 

Transcript:

C.C. (collector): So what is one particular Chinese New Year dish that you would eat and enjoy?

A.Z. (informant):  So one of my favorites is 八宝饭, which translates in English roughly to 8 treasures rice. This is a sweet dessert we usually have during Chinese New Year after our main courses as kind of a finishing plate. And the history behind it is that this dessert has over 2000 years of history dating back to the Zhou dynasty and the reason why its still so popular and has been popular throughout these 2000 years is that it is a very beautiful looking dessert rice dish that contains 8 treasures, that’s the name, 8 treasures rice. And each of these treasures or fruits and vegetables are believed to have medicinal and therapeutic properties according to Chinese medicine. So these fruits usually vary depending on the region of China, but basic and common fruits put into 八宝饭 include red dates, lotus seeds, plums, winter-melons, longan, red bean paste, nuts, and yeah these are the common ones we put.

C.C.: Ok that’s it. Thank you.

A.Z.: You’re welcome.

Informant’s Comments:

  • She would typically eat this dessert at restaurants instead of preparing it at home, and each place she had that dish at, the 8 treasure rice would be made differently with some of the “treasures” varying.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I have never tried this dish or heard of it before this interview, however, I am familiar with rice-based desserts. I think this dish would be similar to the rice desserts I tried in the past.

Collector’s Name: Chris Chao

Tags/Keywords:

  • Chinese New Year
  • Material Lore
  • Customary Lore
  • Food
  • Dessert

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Tagalog Proverb: Kung may tinanim, may aanihin

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Verbal folklore

Title: Kung may tinanim, may aanihin

SR

Zoom

10/30/20

Informant Data: SR is a sophomore at Barnard University. She is 19 years old and was born and raised in the Philippines. Her family is an affluent Filipino family of Spanish descent.

Contextual Data: SR learned this proverb at a very young age from her grandmother. While visiting her family-owned farm, she was fascinated with the diverse array of crops that her family grew each year. After expressing interest, her grandmother told her about the proverb and how it is applicable to all she can do in life.

Social Context: SR’s family is one of the Philippine’s most affluent agriculturally dominant families. That being said, generations of her family have continued to grow the family business, providing new strands and a diverse set of crops to be harvested. SR would spend her summers on the farm, raising cattle, hanging out with friends, and interacting with the farmers. Here, she’s learned how to find her own peace of mind and strive for what she truly wants to do in life.

Cultural Context: One of the largest industries in the Philippines is agriculture. Many consider an agriculturally export-led country to be developing and inferior due to the lack of complexity of the goods they produce. Despite that, millions of rural farmers in the Philippines have shaped their livelihood from the income generated from agriculture. Thus, an agriculturally based proverb is a metaphor for the agriculturally centered Philippines. In line with the proverb, the proverb is passed on through many familial generations and has tapped into how families share values with one another. If a farmer works hard, he can put more food on the table for his/her family, and potentially expand what they can do in the agriculture sector. The rhyming consonance of “tinanim” and “aanihin” come from the evolution of the language and how groupings of similar categorized verbs sound similar – plant, harvest.

Item:

Kung may tinanim, may aanihin.

Literal Translation: If you plant something, you’ll harvest it

Meaning: Your future will be the result of the effort you put in today.

Informant’s Comments: “This proverb is something that I tend to think about on a daily basis. It’s sort of… not really about hard work but I think it reflects the outcomes of putting hard work into things that you want to do. The way I see it is that if I’m willing to put a lot of effort into perfecting a certain thing, that is like planting the seed for which will be harvested and can be a good grade or to perform well for what I was working towards … Because it’s really vague, I think it allows for different interpretations of it so that that all align with the fact that nothing of value can be achieved without dedicating time and effort to making it happen.

Collector’s Comments: This proverb has a similar structure throughout. The use of indirect rhyming and repetition of words help create fluidity in the saying. Furthermore, consonance is used in the key verbs as they are paired actions. This is a classic example of Tagalog sentence structure, pairing similar meaning verbs with the pronunciation. Because of this, it helps make phrases and sayings more and more memorable for individuals.

This proverb is very relevant to indigenous and rural Philippine culture as the agriculture industry is most dominant in those regions. There is a belief to be in touch with the crops you grow as that will represent your fortune and how well you are committed to taking care of life. The manual labor of planting and harvesting analogizes hard work and doing what needs to be done even in the hottest of conditions.

Collector: Jaime Chuidian

Tagalog Proverb: Ang karukhaan ay hindi hadlang sa pagtatagumpay

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Verbal folklore, proverb

Title: Ang karukhaan ay hindi hadlang sa pagtatagumpay

Informant: EC

Phone Call

11/2/20

Informant Data: EC is a junior at Yale University. He is 20 years old and is the older brother of two younger siblings. EC grew up in Hong Kong for 16 years, spent a year abroad in China, and lived in the Philippines for 3 years.

Contextual Data: EC learned this proverb when he was interning at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2017. In this internship, he was working in the poverty alleviation sector where many of his co-workers firmly believed in this proverb. Hence, EC had to think outside of the box for how they can help alleviate poverty without individuals and communities believing that they are stuck in the poverty.

Social Context: The Asian Development Bank is a developmental bank focused on social and economic development throughout Asia. Headquartered in the Philippines, ADB has done many outreaches to help alleviate poverty through educational classes, volunteer events, and policy-based ways to help those living below the poverty line have more access to life-changing opportunities. As a result, ADB needs to remain optimistic for the wider Philippine community that there is a way to get out of poverty and it just needs heart, drive, hard work, and a vision.

Cultural Context: Though being trapped in the poverty cycle for over half a century, the Philippines is known for its dramatic income inequality and poverty gap. The word “karukhaan” directly means poverty and is a popular symbol of hardship in the Philippines. Despite these conditions, Filipinos remain positive in the work that they do. Through song, dance, games, and comedic jokes, Filipinos collectively can stay positive even in the darkest of conditions. This is reflected in this proverb that there is always a positive outcome ahead, it’s just a matter of finding the right way to it. When the proverb is put together, the consonance of the “h” and “a” in this proverb is a common characteristic of the Philippine language to make pronunciation more memorable and easier for individuals to say.

Item:

Tagalog: Ang karukhaan ay hindi hadlang sa pagtatagumpay.

Literal Translation: “Poverty is not an obstacle for success.”

Meaning: Where there’s a will, there will always be a way.

Informant’s Comments: “I think this proverb does two things. One, it gives a lot of insight into how the idea of poverty is perpetuated in the Philippines and how it limits the morale of communities living below the poverty line. Second, suggests that anything is achievable if one truly believes it is possible. These two strands of thinking are significant to me and my career interests the idea of achieving success applicable to anything, but it also sheds light on the fact that if one truly believes in something, it certainly is achievable as long as one is willing to put the effort in … I think this proverb also has a lot of overlap with a common Tagalog saying of “puso” which directly means “heart.” In the context in which many Filipinos use this phrase, they are implying that the best way to approach challenges is by putting your heart into what you need and want to do.”

Collector’s Comments: I personally really like this proverb. Not only is it optimistic in tackling societal issues that the entire world faces, but it also speaks about resilience and the need for one to be driven to achieving anything regardless of circumstances. While I don’t use this proverb in verbatim, I have similar proverbs that touch upon the idea of believing one can achieve anything and this proverb encapsulates just that. Whether it’s on the field or in my academics, putting your heart into all that you do is crucial for success and becoming the person you want to be. In addition to representing the idea of committing to everything you do, it also is a beacon of hope that if we help reorient the mindset of the larger impoverished community of the Philippines, we can break the cycle.

Collector: Jaime Chuidian