At the beginning of a new scholastic year at Olivet College I was introduced to an incoming freshman who was from Mexico. She had lived in a small town in the central region and was sponsored by the church to come to the U.S. to study. The culture shock was visible but everyone chipped in to help her navigate her new surroundings and make her feel welcome. If you’ve ever lived in a foreign country you’ll understand. The language, customs, fashions, pace of life, and so much more are so very different and you constantly feel out-of-place and usually a bit overwhelmed.
The college had no guitar classes at that time, only private lessons. So when I taught her it was just the two of us together in a room. Part of my teaching style is to make my students feel as comfortable as possible. Apart from just being friendly there is a professional reason too. Students are understandably nervous playing in front of me and if I present a stern and judgmental demeanor it will only make things worse. The more comfortable they are with me the better they will play (although never a good as they practiced at home). This allows me to more easily evaluate their progress and make recommendations. It just makes the process easier for both of us. As a result I often have some very interesting conversations with my students.
As the first few weeks went by we got to know each other a bit better. It was a little more difficult for her because I was a mature male teacher and she had been taught that I deserved respect and was, perhaps, to be a bit feared. Culture shock can be a two-way street so I was navigating these waters as a novice too.
Thanksgiving break was fast approaching and students, faculty, and staff were all ready for a couple of days away from the routine. I casually mentioned Thanksgiving to her during our lesson and she politely smiled and nodded as we all do when we don’t understand something. I remember living in Tokyo. When a holiday occurred I would suddenly see banners, flags, festive attire, and perhaps even a parade and would have no idea what was happening. So I asked her if she knew what Thanksgiving Day was. She didn’t.
I gave her the elementary school version of the day. The Pilgrims, the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, etc. Yes I know it’s more nuanced than that, but it was a beginning. Then I told her that it really was an excuse to gather with family and friends and eat way too much food. I also explained there certain foods that were considered traditional for the day and that you could go to nearly any house on the block and get nearly the same meal.
I asked her if she had plans for the day and she said that her roommate had invited her to come home with her for the holiday. I told her that it was a feast and their would be a lot of food on the table. Much of it would be new to her so I suggested she try it and not be embarrassed if she didn’t like it (her host would understand). “Some of it will be familiar and I’m sure you will enjoy that. Plus the bonus…pie for dessert.”
She looked at me with some confusion and asked, “What is pie?”
Okay, so now we’re both a bit befuddled. I had never had to describe pie before so I gathered my thoughts and did my best. So she smiled and nodded. “No matter”, I thought. “She’ll know soon enough”.
A couple weeks later, after the break, she came in for her lesson and I was anxious to hear about her holiday adventure. She was understandably surprised by the quantity of food and the many new things she tasted for the first time. So, of course, I had to ask, “Did you get any pie?” She grinned shyly and said, “Oh……I like pie!”
Welcome to America…..