Set of photographs #32

Commentary from Participant

Participant #35 is from São Tomé and Príncipe – an island off the west coast of central Africa.

Photo 1 of a Radiator – Participant #35 said she had never seen one of these before. Where she came from the temperature was 26C-28C the whole year round.

Photo 2 – Fireplace – Again Participant #35 said that she had never seen a fireplace before.

Tess realised that Participant #35 and other two participants were from different parts of the world that were once Portuguese colonies. A discussion took place about the different dialects of Portuguese that they spoke. Tess compared this with Ireland and England vis a vis the English language. Tess explained how the English in Ireland had been influenced by Irish and older forms of English. Tess spoke about the East Indian poet, Daniel Dabydeen. He writes about ‘coolies’– indentured servants transported to Africa and other colonies to work on the Plantations – people ending up in different countries far away from home.

Tess highlighted that it is “quite a transition to come from a Portuguese to an English speaking country”.

Photo 3 – This is of First Steps Women’s Centre – Participant #35 stated that this place, First Steps Women’s Centre, made her feel welcome and that the Benefit Checker is a “good, good, person at FSWC”. Participant #35 added that she had been overwhelmed about how things worked, the system, how to do anything! Participant #35 was very relieved that there was somewhere like FSWC to make you feel welcome and to help you.

Tess – Gave an anecdotal story of a Romanian person coming to NI and nobody told them how things worked. Tess highlighted that there was a sense of exclusion felt by Participant #35 about understanding how things worked. Tess acknowledged how Gillian had helped cut down Participant #35’s sense of exclusion. Tess stated that FSWC was a very important place for Participant #35.

Tess quoted George Bernard Shaw – “two countries separated by the same language”.

Cooking – Discussion around cooking. Participant #35 explained that she cooked for her boyfriend – local NI food whilst she had more spicy traditional food of her own culture.

This led to a broader discussion on belonging/not belonging. Tess suggested that, from listening to the other women in the Photovoice project, what most people are doing is to “adapt”. Local and BME people are adapting and food, food shops are a manifestation of that – “there is an interchange of different cultures”.

Tess suggested that some of the reasons why people leave their own culture include:

Poverty,

Homophobia,

Trouble/Persecution,

Employment

Tess explained that “the more you have choice, the easier it is to adapt if you are forced to move as in the case of Ukraine or Syria, it is so much more difficult to adapt.

If we had to leave behind our home/belongings – this journey is one where you don’t know if you’re going to make it. It is a Big Challenge to live in a different culture.”

Phot 4 -Hagan’s Bar – Participant #35 met her boyfriend there. No language to communicate BUT used mobile to translate. There was some humour when Participant #35 explained that her boyfriend, from Lurgan, was asking if she would like a kiss, but she did not understand, because it sounded like “cass”. Participant #35 also told a very funny story about having to learn to cook Irish food and they had a barbecue, so there was spicy African chicken at one side and Irish unspiced sausages at the other.

Tess noted that technology can be used to bridge the divide, to feel less excluded. Tess also highlighted the time factor in a different country where it is easier for younger children to pick up the local language, but perhaps forget some of their parents’ culture.