Culture is the Salt of Life

There is a European comedian I recently discovered who uses his audience to pull content from, very participatory. He asks questions, pulls stories and from those answers he weaves his show. So intentionally his performances are about ethnic identity, relations between countries, history, politics, etc… but because it is all discussed within the guise of comedy it pulls apart and identifies problems within European countries in a humorous manner. You might think as he names the Russians in the room as genocidal or the Israelis, teases the Germans and the French, it would become uncomfortable but it does not. In his light hearted manner he follows with a punch line and everyone laughs. He’s smart and knows his history. I am drawn to watch his routines to see if there will possibly be a moment when everything goes sideways?? None so far. What unfolds is a vibrant map of European personas, discussing histories, rivalries, potential solutions (?), and political views. He is doing something quite remarkable, he’s holding up a mirror to these audience members and through the medium of humour, asking them to contemplate the state of the world and what their role is in it.

Victor Patrascan

So it has me wondering how his content might shift if he flew over the pond to this side of the Atlantic. This is a country where, for some, their ancestors dismantled their cultural connections and quietly tucked them away in drawers when they arrived. Assimilation was survival. Fitting in was important. Would this show now become about what it means to be Canadian? This is an interesting direction in my mind. It has me feeling around for where I identify with most. As a second generation Ukrainian Canadian my roots and heritage were always at the forefront of my upbringing. Raised in a solid Ukrainian community, driven by preserving its culture, I cannot dislodge one from the other - The Ukrainian and the Canadian. When I am travelling and someone asks, “Where are you from?” My response will always be, “Canada”. But when I’m home in Canada and someone asks, “Where are you from?” there is a longer context, “I’m Ukrainian.” My identity shifts with geography. But I cannot have one without the other. And that’s a recent revelation. At least on a visceral level.

The thought that keeps returning as I interact with people here in Canada is how different life can feel between those who live with a strong sense of culture and those whose families set it aside somewhere along the way. It is the people who have carried their culture forward and kept it in a place of precious preservation that I relate to most, whether it is Ukrainian, Italian, Syrian, Mexican, or anything else, there is often an immediate sense of recognition between us. A shared understanding that life is shaped by inherited stories, recipes passed down, a grandmother’s embroidered blouse, and the music that is felt in our bones.

Perhaps this is why culture continues to matter so deeply to me. It is more than heritage. It is a way of experiencing and translating the world. It is the salt of life.

Thank you Victor Patrascan (Romanian Comedian) for igniting this morning’s musing.