"Lost in Translation" at Hostelling International

February 4, 2013
By Molly Hartigan

Upon hearing the word "hostel," terrifying images (reminiscent of the 2005 film Hostel) of being trapped abroad and having limbs hacked off enter into the psyche. However, that film could not have been further from the reality. The February 4th massmouth story slam entitled “Lost in Translation” was held at Hostelling International, a quaint hostel located near Chinatown in Boston, and posed no threat to the attendees' health or safety.

Participants were asked to share a five-minute tale of a time in which they had been subject to a language barrier, whether it be on the giving or receiving end. Norah Dooley was the host of the event as well as the sacrificial storyteller. Norah shared her tale of traveling abroad in the city of love and recalled how she was sorely misunderstood while attempting to purchase cigarettes. Instead of asking for a pack of cigarettes, Norah emphatically repeated to the clerk at the cigarette shop that she wanted his hand in marriage.

Sam Feldman

First time tellers Paul Kulne, Benny Diep, and Sam Feldman told of the surreal experiences that one can encounter when traveling in a different country. Paul recounted his trip to Venezuela where he was invited to join a group of locals and encountered what it felt like to sleep on the floor of an open building in the middle of nowhere (there’s our nod to Hostel). However, when Paul awoke he found himself surrounded by beautiful fields bathed in fog and morning light. Similarly, Benny shared the tale of his trip to the Dominican Republic where he learned that stipulations of beauty are not the same throughout the world when a younger resident informed him that his wife would die trying to cook all of the food Benny needed to sustain himself. Sam rounded out our tales of traveling abroad with his story about how he felt as though he needed to bribe a Bolivian police officer to confirm his hotel reservations.

Helen Aki

Helen Aki (2nd place winner) and Stephanie Luke (3rd place winner) gave us a taste for what it was like to eat abroad. Helen shared her story of the trials and tribulations of being a vegetarian in Japan. At every meal, Helen would emphatically proclaim to her host family, in their native tongue, that she wanted no meat -- that is, until one night, when the family offered her a fish and her proclamation fell on deaf ears. Helen learned the hard way that, in Japan, fish and meat are two different entities.

Stephanie told of her experience going out to dinner in Italy for her friend Mario’s birthday. Once the three hour long meal concluded, Mario, the birthday boy, footed the entire bill. It was then that Stephanie learned that in Italy it was customary for the individual being celebrated to pay for his/her friends.

The last group of tellers, Paula Junn, Scott Schultz, and Matt Long (1st place winner) exemplified that one does not have to be far from home to experience being lost in translation. Paula told a tale of every kid's dream; receiving money every day from their parents for no reason! Every day Paula’s mother would give her and her brother money and mumble an explanation of what it was for. Paula had assumed that her mother was explaining the money away in a Korean term until one day, when she asked her mother what the term meant, her mother explained it was "e-mer-gen-cy" money; a simple misinterpretation and not some mystic Korean myth.

Congrats to the winners! L to R: Matt, Scott, Helen, Stephanie

Scott encountered what he called a “cordial mugging,” domestically. While living in L.A., Scott was confronted by a gaggle of thugs who told him they, “liked his jacket,” at which point Scott realized the thugs wanted to posses the jacket for themselves. Scott proceeded to try and call the police when his friend informed him that his situation sounded more like forced gift-giving than a mugging. It was then that Scott learned the sad truth: that giving a gift is not always voluntary. Matt concluded the night with his account of swimming in a watering hole in the South. While Matt was on the high-dive in the lake, a menacing creature appeared on a boat and began shooting at Matt and his friends. The only explanation they received was the hoarse shout: “Lake’s closed mother f*******, get the hell out!" That night Matt learned the true meaning of Southern hospitality.

While it was interesting hearing all the tales of misinterpretation abroad, the tales of being misunderstood at home really resonated with me. This story slam just goes to show that it is important to watch what you say because you never know when you’ll ask for a hug and receive a husband.

Want to find a storytelling event near you?  Visit www.massmouth.com/events
Photos courtesy of Paula Junn.
www.paulajunn.com
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[From the look on Molly's face, and the placement of her "desk," you can probably tell that she's currently an intern here at massmouth.  Bio coming soon.]