- The first thing I would take is my memory book of my Mom. My sister made it for us last year for Christmas and it is a picture book of all the pictures we used on the slideshow at her funeral. It has pictures through the years of my mom and many family pictures. This is important to me to be able to remember my mom and also other family members.
- I would take my recipe box. It has all my favorite recipes that I cook frequently including many that I have found on pinterest. It also has the recipes that have been passed down from my grandma and my mom and recipes that were given to me by other family members at my bridal shower. This is important to me because these are family recipes. There are a few that any time my siblings and I get together we still always have to make. These are also things that represent my culture and the type of food we enjoy.
- I would also take my camera. I love taking pictures and catching moments in time. I want my kids to be able to have pictures to look back on to remember.
If I had to give up two after arriving it would be very difficult, yet I would choose my memory book. The recipes I can always attempt and hopefully write down from memory a few and the camera I can hopefully get another, but I can never replace the pictures.
This was actually pretty hard to decide. I walked around my house a few times because there are so many things that are meaningful to me, yet I also was trying to think of things that would represent my culture. I think these three do because the pictures show some past history especially in some with clothing and even some technology (there is a picture of my mom on a computer in the early 90s-it is huge). The recipes are an example of the types of food we eat because not every country eats the same food or cooks the same as we do. The camera represents the importance of pictures and I wonder how many other countries do not have access to cameras.
I am excited to read other people's items and what they choose to represent their culture. I think there is going to be so much diversity because just like our social identities are different what we value enough to choose will also be different.
Jennie, I agreed with you memory books and pictures are very valuable to our life. Memory can fade away. Imagine when we get old, our memory will get worse sometimes deteriorate, like dementia. Photos and memory books are good to keep refreshing our memories. The issue with modern technology is that people putting all the memory and photos digitally. But sometimes technology can also kill the memory that swipe away all the traces of records. That is very horrible and thing that I am afraid of. We have to always keep reminding ourselves to make backup. But you know, sometimes you will just forget that "just in case".
ReplyDeleteYes, life is always having choices. When we have to choose, it is difficult for us to make up our mind. That is why I think this exercise is quite meaningful and interesting. It also allows and helps me think of what is the most important of all in our life other than this culture question.
Thankyou for sharing.
stella
Jennie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post, especially that we have similar priorities. In fact, I also walked around my house and the first item I chose was pictures. It sounds like family and people in your life define your culture, just like me.
Food is also a big part of me, and I hope that the recipes are set in my mind.
Do you think that if you arrive in a brand new culture and have no choice but to settle there, that you would miss anything else? Like TV shows you know or music?
Zeina