Spring and new growth from traditions to politics

Alex says that shaving lotion and cologne are typical Father's Day gifts in Moldova. as Jorge (Spain), Fatima (Brazil), and Rei (Japan) look on.

Now comfortably ensconced in the Georgetown Safeway Starbuck's, the Georgetown Library's English Conversation Club is a place to make new friends while sharing traditions from Eastern Europe, Spain, Peru, Brazil, and Japan, and learning about the American political system.  Today, Rei described the day-long picnics that celebrate "starting a new life" in Japan, with kegs of beer and rice balls called onigiri.  Groups of picnickers share food and fun.  With the flowering of the cherry trees, Spring is a hopeful time, when students graduate, and the academic and fiscal year begins.

Further West, Spring Day, which comes on March 1st in Moldova, is a celebration of mothers.  In Albania, the Spring holiday, which  does not come until two weeks later, is celebrated with sweet pastry.  Father's Day in Spain, coinciding with the Feast of Saint Joseph, is not universal but at the discretion of individual provinces, while in Albania, there is no Father's Day at all!

From Spring holidays, the conversation moved to the traditional topic in Washington -- politics.  Everyone was familiar with House of Cards, a regrettably accurate depiction of how the game is played in the USA.  Jorge asked a provocative question: how long does it take to learn how to play the game?  Despite being from different cultures, the psychologists present, Tringa (Albania), Cristel (Peru), and Estrella (Spain, Jorge's wife) all agreed that it depends on the person.

Onigiri

Georgetown Library Conversation: Now Calling the Georgetown Safeway Starbuck's Home

On February 18, when we got to the Georgetown Library, we learned that it was closed due to a broken pipe.  The chief librarian, who helpfully posted our sign on the Library's door, suggested that we move to the comfortable and convenient Starbuck's at the Georgetown Safeway, 1855 Wisconsin Avenue, between Reservoir Road and T Street.  As befits a cafe, at Starbuck's on Monday and Wednesday mornings, from 10 am until noon, conversation has become more casual, reflecting the wants, needs, and even reading tastes of those present.

By contrast, at the Library since we started up again at the beginning of February, we talked mostly about defined topics such as Bruce Jenner's transition from male to female, a biofeedback device that uses GPS technology to let the wearer know whether her friends stress her out, community colleges as part of the US system of higher education,  and Sherry Turkle's TED talk about how it is still possible to be lonely in our connected world.  Ines Lima, from Brazil, commented in an email that she enjoyed receiving pre-work with a list of topics and links as well as follow-ups on conversations whether she was able to attend or not.  On the subject of loneliness in our global village, Ines wrote "I totally agree with Sherry Turkle about the 'paradoxes of technology'! However, what worries me the most is the 'security' aspect of the 'virtual reality'. I also worry about the dangers of 'drones' and other robotic devices. The complexity of the new technology is something beyond my understanding. Yet, I couldn't live without my computer and the internet. "

Whether we are at the Library or at Starbuck's, though, there are often new participants, and it is a pleasure getting to know each other and the customs of Brazil, France, South Korea, Russia, Spain, Colombia, and China.  Unsurprisingly, child-rearing practices, food preferences, and attitudes towards different animals like guinea pigs and horses vary widely among these countries, but there is still a lot of overlap from country to country as the acceptance of American attitudes, for example, is beginning to make parents less strict than they used to be in Asia.  I was surprised to learn, as one instance among many, that the ideas of Thomas Szasz regarding de-institutionalization of mental patients have caused as much havoc in Spain as here in the USA, because in neither place have there been sufficient social services available to help people once they were liberated from mental hospitals.

At the Starbuck's we have talked about lying (too many examples to list here), Internet shaming of Justine Sacco, and whether our attempts to de-clutter our lives are misguided.  As there is still no indication of when the Library will re-open, we must content ourselves with good coffee and conversation.  Please check the Library's website for updates.  --Susan Joseph