I am digressing from the Sicilian scene today and present you with the record of a conversation I had one Easter with a Chinese student whom I shall call Yu and to whom I taught English on a one-to-one basis. Yu was a pleasant, enthusiastic young man and he wanted to know everything about Britain and British life. I have three excuses for including the conversation in this blog: [1] I always think back to it at Easter and smile, [2] it is time to post something lighter and [3] it does say something about language learning and about cultural assumptions when you move to another country. As a teacher, I have always believed that when a student asks you a question you should answer it honestly and to the best of your ability but, as will become clear, the more I tried to give Yu the information he craved the deeper became the theological pit into which I dug myself!
Yu: "I want you explain me some British festivals, please."
So we start with Christmas and I say that we think it was the time of Christ's birth.
Yu: "Why, when people surprised, they say 'Jesus Christ'?"
Me: "It's just an expression but it upsets some people. Look up 'blasphemy' in your electronic dictionary."
Yu: "Oh."
We get through the Christmas explanation fairly smoothly up to this point and it turns out that Yu does know of Santa Claus.
Yu: "I know man in red and white with white beard."
When we come to Easter, I explain about eggs being a symbol of fertility and about the chocolate tradition and then we come to the religious part. I say that Good Friday is a sad day for Christians because it is the day Christ died.
Yu: "Why it called good Friday if it day Jesus die?"
Me [never having considered this before]: "I don't know. Maybe because he was a good man."
I go on to say that Easter Sunday is a happy day because it is the day Christ came back to life.
Yu: "He only dead 2 days?!"
Me: "Well, we think so."
Yu: " So he die on Good Friday, he only dead 2 days and then he come back to life?"
Me: "Err - yes."
Next is Whitsun, so I say that we do have a spring bank holiday but it is no longer on a day that coincides with Whitsun. I say that this is the time when Christ went back to heaven.
Yu: "So he die on Good Friday, he only dead 2 days, he come back to life, then after 2 months he go back heaven?"
Me: "That's about right."
Yu: "Busy guy!"
Yu: "What is difference between Catholic person and Protestant person?"
I tell him about the Pope, Henry Vlll and the Archbishop of Canterbury. I add that one of the main differences is that Catholics pray to [I didn't complicate it with "through"] Mary.
Yu: "Mary Jesus mother?"
Me: "Yes."
Yu: "So she Mother Christmas?"
Me: "No, she is Mary, the mother of Jesus but she is not Mother Christmas because Christmas is the festival, not a person."
Yu: "But I see picture of Jesus baby with man and woman. This not Mother Christmas and Father Christmas?"
Me: "No, Father Christmas is the same as Santa Claus."
Yu: "Oh. Anybody pray to Jesus father?"
Me [deciding not to go into the fact that Catholics pray to or through some saints and that Joseph is one of them]: "Well, Christians believe that Jesus's father is God."
Yu: "Man in picture not Jesus father?" [I can see where this is leading.]
Me: "Mary was married to Joseph but she didn't sleep with him before she gave birth to Jesus because Jesus is the son of God."
Yu: "How they do that?"
Me [thinking, "If I knew, I'd be the Pope"]: "Look up 'miracle' in your electronic dictionary."
