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Troubled Times Can Bring People Together In Strange Ways

, , , , , , , , | Friendly | July 31, 2024

I live in Ukraine, and as most readers will know, lately, our days are frequently disrupted by air raid alerts. At this time, the subway stations also function as shelters.

An alert catches me in one of the stations on my way home, so I take out a book and prepare to wait it out.

Next to me is a young man who is on the phone.

Young Man: “Question one goes: ‘An assimilation or merging of two or more religious traditions is called: A) animism, B) syncretism, C) mythologism, or D) theologism?’”

He has to repeat the question several times because he keeps getting drowned out by the subway noise. Finally, the person on the phone, who I assume is his classmate, answers.

Classmate: “Aww, I dunno, man. Gimme another one…”

Me: “Syncretism.”

Young Man: “Huh?”

Me: “The answer is B) syncretism.”

Young Man: “Hey, there’s a lady in the subway telling me it’s syncretism. Let’s go with that! Question two: ‘Where would a ‘čeres’ be worn? A) waist, B) head, C) feet, or D) arms?’”

Following a few more repetitions…

Classmate: “S***, I’ve no idea! Never even heard that word!”

Me: “Waist. It’s a traditional leather belt from western Ukraine.”

Young Man: “Thank you! Hey, [Classmate], this lady’s smarter than you!” *Laughs* “Question three: ‘Which vegetable was the basis of a peasant diet in medieval times? A) potato, B) corn, C) turnip, or D) tomato?’”

A lady on the student’s other side answers.

Lady: “Turnip.”

Young Man: “Thank you, too!”

We work together to solve about twenty more questions, and we finish the last one right before the all-clear sound for the alert rings.

Me: “What class was that for, anyway?”

Young Man: “Ethnography, but we have missed half the lectures because of air raids. How did you know the answers?”

Me: “I’m sure glad at least someone could benefit from me taking that class all those years ago.”