Improving the World... One Interaction At A Time.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Northern Ireland
Country: Northern Ireland
Continental Location: Northwestern Europe; Island of Ireland
What They Call Themselves: British, Irish, or Northern Irish
Primary Language: English
Secondary Language: Irish Gaelic
Prominent Cities: Belfast [capital], Derry
Famous/ Historical Sites: Giant’s Causeway
Currency: The Pound Sterling
Starter Phrases:
Welcome: Failte (FALL-cha)
Hello: Dia duit (DEE-ah gwit)
Goodbye: Slan (SLAHN)
Thank you: Go raibh maith agat (GUH ROH MA ug-ut)
You’re welcome: Ta failte romhat (Tah fall-cha roat)
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: Van Morrison (singer, “Brown-Eyed Girl”); Kenneth Branagh; Liam Neeson; C.S. Lewis (author, “Chronicles of Narnia”).
-Queen Elizabeth II is their reigning monarch. David Cameron is Prime Minister of the UK.
-The sovereign state of Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland) part of the United Kingdom) covering the remainder in the north-east.
-Regarding their flag, they fly the Union Jack as a province of the United Kingdom.
-Sentiment in Northern Ireland is divided over long standing religious clashes and identification with and loyalty to British rule. The Protestants call themselves “British.” The Catholics consider themselves “Irish.”
-The Giant’s Causeway is a natural wonder made of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns; the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. It also appears on the iconic cover of Led Zeppelin’s album Houses of the Holy.
-The RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner owned by British shipping company White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. For her time, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world. On the night of April 14, 1912, during the ship’s maiden voyage, Titanic hit an iceberg and sank.
-For more information on Ireland see Improving The World: Ireland entry.
What To Avoid:
Confusion with the independent Republic of Ireland. Stereotypes about Irish drunkenness and brawling. Civil unrest in Northern Ireland: Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, while Nationalists wish it to be politically united with the rest of Ireland.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Northern Ireland
Country: Northern Ireland
Continental Location: Northwestern Europe; Island of Ireland
What They Call Themselves: British, Irish, or Northern Irish
Primary Language: English
Secondary Language: Irish Gaelic
Prominent Cities: Belfast [capital], Derry
Famous/ Historical Sites: Giant’s Causeway
Currency: The Pound Sterling
Starter Phrases:
Welcome: Failte (FALL-cha)
Hello: Dia duit (DEE-ah gwit)
Goodbye: Slan (SLAHN)
Thank you: Go raibh maith agat (GUH ROH MA ug-ut)
You’re welcome: Ta failte romhat (Tah fall-cha roat)
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: Van Morrison (singer, “Brown-Eyed Girl”); Kenneth Branagh; Liam Neeson; C.S. Lewis (author, “Chronicles of Narnia”).
-Queen Elizabeth II is their reigning monarch. David Cameron is Prime Minister of the UK.
-The sovereign state of Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland) part of the United Kingdom) covering the remainder in the north-east.
-Regarding their flag, they fly the Union Jack as a province of the United Kingdom.
-Sentiment in Northern Ireland is divided over long standing religious clashes and identification with and loyalty to British rule. The Protestants call themselves “British.” The Catholics consider themselves “Irish.”
-The Giant’s Causeway is a natural wonder made of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns; the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. It also appears on the iconic cover of Led Zeppelin’s album Houses of the Holy.
-The RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner owned by British shipping company White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. For her time, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world. On the night of April 14, 1912, during the ship’s maiden voyage, Titanic hit an iceberg and sank.
-For more information on Ireland see Improving The World: Ireland entry.
What To Avoid:
Confusion with the independent Republic of Ireland. Stereotypes about Irish drunkenness and brawling. Civil unrest in Northern Ireland: Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, while Nationalists wish it to be politically united with the rest of Ireland.