Part 1:

 

Susan: Welcome to Mystery Show and I’m Susan. Our episode today will have time to listen to some Asian superstitions. And today we have a special expert on our show, Mrs. Julie. 

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Julie: Hi! I'm Julie. I have studied and researched superstitions in Asian cultures for 4 years. It is my pleasure to be here to share my experience with you.

 

Susan: Thanks, Julie. 

OK, do you remember your first experience of an Asian superstition?

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Julie: Yeah, of course. When I was 6, I often had nightmares when I fell asleep. I told my grandma and she asked me to put a knife or a garlic bulb under my pillow to protect from the ghosts. 

 

Susan: Wow. So is that true?

 

Julie: Well, because silver is transmissive and could eliminate pathogens. So, putting a silver knife under your pillow also calms your nerves, it means you sleep better because you feel more relaxed.

 

Susan: Oh I see, that is for the silver knife, right. How about garlic, Mrs.Julie?

 

Julie: Yeah, right, it sounds a little bit strange that such a strong and distinctive smell of sulfur compounds allicin from garlic can calm sleep, but many people have tried and proven it.

 

Susan:  Really. And what about the“ghost”?

 

Julie: Actually, there is no ghost, it's just because our ancestors did not know how to explain these facts by science, so they used “ghost” to symbolize “bad things”.

 

Susan: Wow, that is a great explanation... Now, we will have a short break here.  If you have any experiences or questions about this, please contact us by the number on our website right after the break.

 

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Part 2:

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Susan: Welcome back to our show! We will continue to talk about Asian superstitions with our expert Ms. Julie. Oh, we have the first call here…Hello, this is Mystery Show, I’m Susan.

 

Marie: Hello. I am Marie.

 

Susan: Nice to meet you, Mary. Do you have anything to share with us?

 

Marie: Yeah, it is a sad story. My mom is Vietnamese. She usually brings some colorful papers home on special occasions and burns them. She called it “ghost money”.  At first, my dad didn’t care much about it, but then my mom did it more frequently. And…one day a fiery argument was started between them… It has been a year until now, but they still argue about that. I want it to be stopped as soon as possible. So I would like to know who is right?

 

Susan: Thank you for your sharing, Mary. So what do you think about it, Ms.Julie?

 

Julie: Well, this superstition came from China. A long time ago, some people from the high class were buried with their treasures to ensure they have a better life in the afterlife. Then it changed over time, people use ghost money instead to hope for the same thing.

 

Susan: So, are there any scientific explanations for this like the one before?

 

Julie: Actually, it hasn’t been officially proved even in Buddhism. 

 

Susan: Oh, um … and one more question, please. Should we continue to follow this?

 

Julie: Well, even this is a traditional practice, it is not recommended or even forbidden in some areas because it damages seriously to the environment by wasting paper and causing air pollution.

 

Susan: Wow, I don’t think that superstition could cause such harm. Hmmm... I think it is enough for one call. Can you give us some advice before we end, Ms.Julie?

 

Julie: Sure, as you see, based on the demonstration of science, these superstitions actually happened, we can believe... However, some cases are unreal due to the elder’s beliefs and have no evidence. So, we should be more careful to trust these.

 

Susan: Thank you, Ms. Julie. So, this episode will end up here. A special thanks to Ms.Julie and Marie for participating in our podcast today. We will be back at 8 pm on Friday every week and do not forget to check our website for reading our new magazine next month …. SEE YOU AGAIN.