Comments on: Global Awareness = Learning About Other Cultures’ Foods & Holidays?

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:10:25 +0000

I stumbled across your blog when searching Jason Mraz’s Suerte. I totally agree that the songs have two distinct feelings. I first heard the spanish version, but listened to the english and liked it as well. But after hearing the spanish over and over again, I have come to prefer it. I feel like it is more romantic, more intimate. The translation is certainly different, but I think you are right, it is more than changing it to make it fit the rhythm. Spanish is just much more romantic, no matter what is being said, it seems to have more poetry even when saying the simplest of things .

But as well, the feeling, the theme of the song seems different. The english version, to me seems like lovers that have been separated by distance and are reuniting. Where as the spanish version seems to depict a couple feeling lucky to be with each other each day “lucky to wake up with you”, etc. I dont feel like the english verse in the spanish version fits all too well, but, nevertheless I still love the song.

I enjoyed your post!
.-= Sara Â´s last blog ..Mass Murder of Ants =-.

By: sinikka

sinikka — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:43:46 +0000

Hi again Silvia
Very interesting topic, especially as I, too, came across the same image and quote by Scott McLeod just this week. Having done many international school projects, I agree very much that we should be able to get deeper than the superficial level of food and holidays, or the accompanying flag-waving, especially with older students. More easily said than done, though.
Do you ever feel that you lack the diplomatic training and expertise to handle more sensitive topics with young students? Start them talking about religion, human rights, or democracy with peers in other countries, for example, and you may be walking on thin ice. It’s very challenging to coach them in being culturally sensitive and empathetic, and to avoid any patriotic or nationalistic feelings if others express negative ideas about their country or culture. We from the free-speaking west often find it hard to understand what topics might still be out of bounds in cultures different from us. We have had many critical incidents when collaborating with Asian schools, for example – some never resolved leaving both us teachers and our students quite baffled. Valuable learning experiences about cultural relativity all the same. All this said, though, I do believe we should be brave to tackle more complex issues than merely the safe and mundane.
Sorry that I babbled on about this without being able to provide you with any insights into the song lyrics (my Spanish is too basic), but thank you for introducing me to a new musician!

By: Shelly Terrell

Shelly Terrell — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:20:41 +0000

I came across Scott McLeod’s post and it struck a cord with me as well. I think that every school should promote cultural awareness and allow students to learn from each other. The world is beginning to interact with each other more through social media. I think by limiting a student’s perception or not allowing students to share their culture with each other schools do them a disservice. Future generations should collaborate on fixing global issues not just live in their own microcosm. Students should learn about serious issues abroad such as poverty, hunger, how global warming impacts places around the world, wars, etc.

By: Patricia Barrett

Patricia Barrett — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:11:52 +0000

You ask:

Is this a cultural difference, that â€œstayingâ€ and â€œgrowingâ€ in each language would have been perceived differently by the listeners?
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Rather than strictly cultural consciousness, you have probably waded into the territory of evolutionary consciousness [see Jenny Wade's book "Changes of Mind" and Beck and Cowan's "Spiral Dynamics", the latter based on the work of Clare Graves].

No matter what language they speak, in an open society or culture, people are generally free to evolve developmentally at their own pace and in different directions.

In “Changes of Mind”, Wade describes several levels of consciousness in ascending order of complexity, including what she calls “Conformist” Consciousness, where “not changing” is perceived as a good thing. Its primary motivation is safety and security through predictability. (“Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed . . .)

At a more complex level of consciousness is what Wade calls “Authentic Consciousness”, where personal growth is viewed as a good thing. At this level, there is “respect for personal agency, diversity, and the autonomy of others.” (Lucky that there is more to know and that with you I will grow. . .)

My guess is that the original lyrics were written from, and/or pitched to “Conformist Consciousness”–where one finds most of popular music’s audience. The person who translated Jason Mraz’ lyrics into Spanish was probably at “Authentic Consciousness” and chose not to pander to commercial interests.