Most societies are composed of different members with differing mentalities. Ideally, this will compose of those of different ethnic, cultural, and ideological backgrounds. Normally, one set of values will naturally become the standard, which will provoke a set of counter-values. In the sixties, the hippies were popular, which inspired the beatnick generation. Today, counter cultures include goths, nerds, spiritualists, etc. And yet, most of these members can usually live together in functional harmony.
However, in our intellectually-driven arena, I've found that there is usually some urge to be intellectually independent. What this means is that there will often be individuals who take contrary stances to the norm, and justify them with (sometime faulty) logic. And as an exercise in playing devil's advocate, that's fine. But it bugs me when people claim things when they clearly can't substantiate such claims of belief in life. This may include sensitive topics like beliefs/skepticisms in religions/spiritualities, or other things like thinking whether genocide is a preferable alternative to reducing the eco footprint that humanity leaves on the planet.
The latter example is pretty dark, but the fact remains that a lot of people are willing to publicly declare and defend their intellectual stances on sensitive topics like these (or perhaps less sensitive ones like refusing to conform to social norms in order to remain 'genuine'). What often happens, however, is a hypocritical cowardly turn when the stake is actually challenged.
As I finished my exams in April and was waiting to board the bus to take me back to my hometown, I observed an uncomfortably loud and offensive exchange of expletives on another bus platform. A man was repeatedly swearing, which drew the attention of a mother (with young children -- around 8 yrs old or less). The mother screamed for the man to pay more attention and consider his surroundings before swearing a blue streak. The man returned "I don't care! I don't care if children are around! *bleep bleep bleep*!" As soon as security appeared, however, the man fled. What happened to not caring?
Apparently, the claim that they "don't care" (assumingly, they're not caring about societal norms), is clearly unsubstantiated because they clearly cared enough to avoid the authorities of that society. People who truely don't care about societal norms wouldn't care to continue cohabiting in the same geographical region as that society. If you really don't care, make both yourself and society happy by leaving. Admittedly, finding political/ideological independence from society is getting increasingly more difficult, given the growing reaches of expanding metropolises.
Another form of hypocrisy I've recently observed is online, in the form of scanlations (see glossary for definition). These scanlation groups often hide behind incomplete understandings of copyright laws to justify their technically illegal practice of translating and distributing manga. Often, the rationale is "it hasn't been liscenced for translation/distribution in our region, so we're at complete liberty to work on them." Sadly, that is not true. But that's not even the point of this post. Many groups are now increasingly vigilant about controlling their own distribution of scanlations, forbidding the hosting of their files on online storage sites such as rapidshare, or mediafire. Despite the fact that they themselves are clearly violating the publishing and distribution copyrights of the Japanese (and increasingly Korean) comics, they feel at complete liberty to incur full indignation when they experience violations of their own distribution of scanlations. If it's supposed to be free and open for all to have access, scanlation groups should stop whining and let the internet spread it to the far corners of digital space. Otherwise, they should stop their own activities completely, since they've already experienced for themselves what the official/legal producers/authors of the texts encounter on a daily basis.
As an aside, it also irks me when these scanlation groups treat Chinese translations of Japanese works as being "raws" as well (ie, original works), just because they're historically, culturally and geographically closer to each other than they are to western civilization. Chinese translations are as original as English versions of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Sure, you can use it to enjoy the text, but it'll never give you sufficient insight to the subtleties of Russian culture/language.
In summary, I personally feel that while it may be a mark of social distinction to claim a philosophy contrary to dominant beliefs, I also think that claims should be substantiated. It's too easy in our times to blithely remark "you believe in God!? How naive can you be!" when it's exactly those kinds of claims that would get you killed in certain regions in the East. If you claim it, you should believe it.
To end on a humorous note, I end with a quotation from television: "to each his own, I say, unless you're high episcopalian, in which case you're either Catholic, or you should just shut up."
2009/05/11
2009/05/07
Ich lebe noch
Still alive. Scrambling to adjust to my [hopefully] last term of an undergraduate degree. Look forward soon to some possibly political and sociologically informed posts. :P
2009/03/12
Oriental Mysteries
A popular myth that may not necessarily be so false, is the idea that in general, Asians don't visibly age as quickly as Caucasians. As a 'CBC' (Canadian-Born Chinese), this is obviously something that I encounter more often than perhaps the average North American.
Having said so, I have found that it certainly applies to me, in the encounters that I've had with others (Canadian or otherwise). Profs usually think I'm significantly younger than I am (they usually guess about -6 yrs) while peers will guess just a bit older (maybe -3 yrs). I think a lot of this is obviously context-induced; most undergraduates are obviously between the 17~23 range.
Whether I'll be able to enjoy this false visage of youth is something to be discovered in 2010, once I've graduated and waited the statistical period that university graduates wait before employment. However, I think that the myth itself deserves some more attention.
While I obviously don't agree that Asians have this propensity for longevity, I certainly think that one's personal experiences will colour the way they interpret new experiences. And when one looks at the range of facial features in Caucasians contrasted with those of Asians, it should bear little surprise to learn that Caucasians find Asians more youthful-looking.
Worded another way, our social (or perhaps our family/ethnic) experiences affect the way we're able to properly interpret the aging signs in different groups of people. Although, I think it must also be said (as hinted above) that context plays a huge role in guessing age. The way I dress, for example, is certainly more typical for a 19~22 year old than it may be for someone slightly older. Then again, each new generation wave brings with it new fashion trends as well, so maybe I'm just being normal.
One last thing that I think needs to be said is that even among Asian circles, I often get wild guesses about my age. (And it's always younger than my actual age! I'm hoping that's a sign of my excellent health, as opposed to an askance reference to my lack of social maturity.) When I was 17 or 18, I was once in conversation with another boy my age, who tried to go beyond the typical "you look X yrs old" by qualifying it with specific clues. In his words, my "skin looks younger, but [my] eyes seem much older". That was quite the Doctor Who moment for me.
Having said so, I have found that it certainly applies to me, in the encounters that I've had with others (Canadian or otherwise). Profs usually think I'm significantly younger than I am (they usually guess about -6 yrs) while peers will guess just a bit older (maybe -3 yrs). I think a lot of this is obviously context-induced; most undergraduates are obviously between the 17~23 range.
Whether I'll be able to enjoy this false visage of youth is something to be discovered in 2010, once I've graduated and waited the statistical period that university graduates wait before employment. However, I think that the myth itself deserves some more attention.
While I obviously don't agree that Asians have this propensity for longevity, I certainly think that one's personal experiences will colour the way they interpret new experiences. And when one looks at the range of facial features in Caucasians contrasted with those of Asians, it should bear little surprise to learn that Caucasians find Asians more youthful-looking.
Worded another way, our social (or perhaps our family/ethnic) experiences affect the way we're able to properly interpret the aging signs in different groups of people. Although, I think it must also be said (as hinted above) that context plays a huge role in guessing age. The way I dress, for example, is certainly more typical for a 19~22 year old than it may be for someone slightly older. Then again, each new generation wave brings with it new fashion trends as well, so maybe I'm just being normal.
One last thing that I think needs to be said is that even among Asian circles, I often get wild guesses about my age. (And it's always younger than my actual age! I'm hoping that's a sign of my excellent health, as opposed to an askance reference to my lack of social maturity.) When I was 17 or 18, I was once in conversation with another boy my age, who tried to go beyond the typical "you look X yrs old" by qualifying it with specific clues. In his words, my "skin looks younger, but [my] eyes seem much older". That was quite the Doctor Who moment for me.
2009/01/16
Remark on Lamarck
Whitman: (some passage that had some vague reference to the changing of creatures, and thence evolution)
Prof: "Well, I don't know much about evolution, but it seems to be a reference to it. Does anybody know more about evolution, and whether it applies to the text?"
Student: "Well, evolution is a need or a response to a change in the environment. So [giraffes] will grow longer necks to reach the leaves on the trees, or developing opposable thumbs to better hold objects."
Prof: "well, that's more than I know about evolution"
student: "well yeah, I took a course on it."
me: "and what, did you fail it? Unless you were being imprecise about your description of evolution because this isn't a biology class. Otherwise, what you were describing was Lamarckian evolution, and Lamarck's theory was most emphatically disproven by his own peers in his own time."
</end fantasy>
Well, the only fantastical element was my own response, although it was pretty real in the sense that those lines were running through my head at the time. Yeah, it's an English class, so they shouldn't care too much, but why compound the ignorance of science among the arts?
Prof: "Well, I don't know much about evolution, but it seems to be a reference to it. Does anybody know more about evolution, and whether it applies to the text?"
Student: "Well, evolution is a need or a response to a change in the environment. So [giraffes] will grow longer necks to reach the leaves on the trees, or developing opposable thumbs to better hold objects."
Prof: "well, that's more than I know about evolution"
student: "well yeah, I took a course on it."
me: "and what, did you fail it? Unless you were being imprecise about your description of evolution because this isn't a biology class. Otherwise, what you were describing was Lamarckian evolution, and Lamarck's theory was most emphatically disproven by his own peers in his own time."
</end fantasy>
Well, the only fantastical element was my own response, although it was pretty real in the sense that those lines were running through my head at the time. Yeah, it's an English class, so they shouldn't care too much, but why compound the ignorance of science among the arts?
2009/01/14
Blogging
I really wish I had more time to blog. It forces me to organise my thoughts, and gives me the opportunity to gain some input from both close friends and complete strangers. Unfortunately, I've recently been spending more time (on average) either in bed, or zoning out between classes, so my overall productivity has gone way down. I wonder if it has anything to do with the weather? Somehow, I never thought of myself as being susceptible to SAD, but who knows? These things can be acquired, after all. But I really do have many moments in any given day where I'll end up thinking "I should make this a blog post." Too bad I never take the time to write them down or remember them though. So no long post for today.
But, to give a quick update on the progressing new winter term, my courses are all proving to be interesting, and my profs are all showing themselves as being highly competent as well as being very engaging. This means that they know their subject matter well (which should be a given at the university level, but unfortunately not always the case), and that they also know how to entice the student into being interested in the subject at hand as well. This skill is particularly rare among profs, probably in part due to the lack of standardization in university pedagogy; it's left entirely to the individual researchers/PhD-holders to develop the social/rhetorical skills to give effective lectures. If only this could be my last term, I would be so happy! Unfortunately, I still have another term after this, and I can only pray that my profs will be half as informed and engaging as the ones this term.
Alright, that's all you'll be getting out of me for now. 'Til next time!
But, to give a quick update on the progressing new winter term, my courses are all proving to be interesting, and my profs are all showing themselves as being highly competent as well as being very engaging. This means that they know their subject matter well (which should be a given at the university level, but unfortunately not always the case), and that they also know how to entice the student into being interested in the subject at hand as well. This skill is particularly rare among profs, probably in part due to the lack of standardization in university pedagogy; it's left entirely to the individual researchers/PhD-holders to develop the social/rhetorical skills to give effective lectures. If only this could be my last term, I would be so happy! Unfortunately, I still have another term after this, and I can only pray that my profs will be half as informed and engaging as the ones this term.
Alright, that's all you'll be getting out of me for now. 'Til next time!
2009/01/09
Kennen und Machen
...and the reader responses were astounding! I guess that means I don't really have the 5+1 readers that I thought I had. Which is fine, it gives me more freedom to write whatever I want. :)
Recently, I've been sacrificing certain hours of my sleep for entertainment (in the form of streaming TV shows online). On Tuesday night, this meant watching 5 episodes of My Own Worst Enemy. Last night, it meant nearly the entire first season of Natsume Yuujinchou. Meanwhile, there are still two Shakespeare plays and a long Whitman poem waiting to be read. I think the problem is, I'm still in vacation mode. But all my courses are turning out to be pretty interesting though.
The extraordinary thing is, the entire time that I was watching episode after episode (a process that wasn't passive at all) and looking at the clock, I kept telling myself that I should be sleeping, or at the very least, doing the readings for my courses. And yet I was lying in bed, filling my mind with fantasies of espionage and the supernatural. Did I know better? Sure, of course. And yet, although at every moment between 10:00pm and 5:30am, why isn't it that I didn't turn off the lights and fall asleep? Surely there must be a reason.
I find that there is a huge difference between "knowing better" and having the strength or discipline to actually follow through with one's knowledge/wisdom. In fact, I have nothing but the highest respect for people who are able to discipline themselves to a mechanical level. (Although sometimes it freaks me out when they'd turn everything into a routine.)
My point though, is basically that although most of us have a fair amount of knowledge on how things should be done, most of us don't necessarily go through with them. I would even go so far as to argue that this is in itself a form of intelligence. After all, pragmatically speaking, what use is your knowledge unless you use it? I think this has clear applications beyond the maintanence of one's health as related to sleep, or the regular readings for school. I find that it also applies to the interactions between humans, where we *know* it's better to, say, seek immediate contact for a quick apology and patch things up, and yet history is rife with examples where fathers have died at odds with their sons, or couples permanently separated by pride and obfuscated misunderstandings.
So why don't we smarten up and actually follow through with this obvious wisdom? Why do we find it so difficult to employ our knowledge towards creating healthier lifestyles, healthier relationships, and a healthier planet? Why do we get so blinded by greed and pride that we fail to take responsibility for our actions against ourselves, against others, and against the planet? I think this is the point that separates true proponents of alternative ways of thinking from those who spout nonesense just for the sake of intellectual individuality. Sure, it's easy to say "there is no God" when the dominant ideology is God-fearing, but how easy would it be to espouse the same view when your response could lead to the potential deaths of millions? When the stakes are high, most fall silent.
Semi-heavy post, I guess. But if you know better, do it! Help contribute to the overall intelligence of the human race. :)
Recently, I've been sacrificing certain hours of my sleep for entertainment (in the form of streaming TV shows online). On Tuesday night, this meant watching 5 episodes of My Own Worst Enemy. Last night, it meant nearly the entire first season of Natsume Yuujinchou. Meanwhile, there are still two Shakespeare plays and a long Whitman poem waiting to be read. I think the problem is, I'm still in vacation mode. But all my courses are turning out to be pretty interesting though.
The extraordinary thing is, the entire time that I was watching episode after episode (a process that wasn't passive at all) and looking at the clock, I kept telling myself that I should be sleeping, or at the very least, doing the readings for my courses. And yet I was lying in bed, filling my mind with fantasies of espionage and the supernatural. Did I know better? Sure, of course. And yet, although at every moment between 10:00pm and 5:30am, why isn't it that I didn't turn off the lights and fall asleep? Surely there must be a reason.
I find that there is a huge difference between "knowing better" and having the strength or discipline to actually follow through with one's knowledge/wisdom. In fact, I have nothing but the highest respect for people who are able to discipline themselves to a mechanical level. (Although sometimes it freaks me out when they'd turn everything into a routine.)
My point though, is basically that although most of us have a fair amount of knowledge on how things should be done, most of us don't necessarily go through with them. I would even go so far as to argue that this is in itself a form of intelligence. After all, pragmatically speaking, what use is your knowledge unless you use it? I think this has clear applications beyond the maintanence of one's health as related to sleep, or the regular readings for school. I find that it also applies to the interactions between humans, where we *know* it's better to, say, seek immediate contact for a quick apology and patch things up, and yet history is rife with examples where fathers have died at odds with their sons, or couples permanently separated by pride and obfuscated misunderstandings.
So why don't we smarten up and actually follow through with this obvious wisdom? Why do we find it so difficult to employ our knowledge towards creating healthier lifestyles, healthier relationships, and a healthier planet? Why do we get so blinded by greed and pride that we fail to take responsibility for our actions against ourselves, against others, and against the planet? I think this is the point that separates true proponents of alternative ways of thinking from those who spout nonesense just for the sake of intellectual individuality. Sure, it's easy to say "there is no God" when the dominant ideology is God-fearing, but how easy would it be to espouse the same view when your response could lead to the potential deaths of millions? When the stakes are high, most fall silent.
Semi-heavy post, I guess. But if you know better, do it! Help contribute to the overall intelligence of the human race. :)
2009/01/05
Reading and Readership
As an English Lit. major, I'm expected to read a certain amount per course. That makes sense. Sometimes it'd be around 5 novels, or perhaps 10 plays, or a novel and 20 short stories, etc. And the thing is, I used to read a lot as a child. And yet, nowaways, when I have spare time, even if I have a book I've been meaning to read, I'll more likely err on looking stuff up online, or reading less literary narratives like shoujo manga. Oh, the shame. What can I say, I'm a sucker for sappiness at times.
Sometimes, I worry about whether the amount of popular Japanese entertainment I intake has some warped affect on my ability to analyze "real" literature -- ie, that which we're studying in class. And also, to a greater degree, how it affects my arguments and my constructions in my essays for those courses. So, this term I'll try a little experiment and see if by dutifully doing my readings and abstaining from irrelevant junk, whether my grades will show a marked improvement.
As to the other half of my title, I sometimes wonder about how many people actually read this blog (or even my other blog -- the grammar/linguistics one). That one is specialised though, so I kinda leave it to its own evolution. But as far as this particular blog is concerned, where I generally talk about things in my personal life, or intellectual issues that are inspired by personal events, who is my readership? Aside from the people who know me personally and already have some sort of personal interest in my daily happenings and general well-being, why would a general stranger bother reading the conceited ramblings of an undergraduate?
Not that I'm trying to chase my dear readers away -- I actually find it neat that others would take to time to even work through what I have to say. At present, I can think of two readers whom I don't know personally (at least, I'm pretty sure I don't know them personally), who have made themselves known to me. One of them was fairly googleable though, and according to facebook, we share over ten mutual friends, most of whom are from my hometown or univeristy circuit. The other one also maintains a blog, but I wonder if the only connection is the fact that my blog is named in french. (Aside: Originally, I had wanted to name it "Le Nouveau Naissance," but my francophone friend advised against it. That's one grammatical bullet dodged!)
So, dear readers, as I count the minutes until my first lecture of the new year (which will be in 36 minutes), I would humbly request a short but sufficiently detailed comment explaining what about this blog you find remotely interesting (in other words, what makes you keep coming back for more?). It probably won't change how I do things around here, but it's cool to see how different things interest different people. ....Well, I suppose that's a generous assuption that my blog here is so multi-faceted as to be able to appeal to different kinds of people. :P So, comment away! :D Sometime later, I'll make a post or two about my christmas holiday. =)
Sometimes, I worry about whether the amount of popular Japanese entertainment I intake has some warped affect on my ability to analyze "real" literature -- ie, that which we're studying in class. And also, to a greater degree, how it affects my arguments and my constructions in my essays for those courses. So, this term I'll try a little experiment and see if by dutifully doing my readings and abstaining from irrelevant junk, whether my grades will show a marked improvement.
As to the other half of my title, I sometimes wonder about how many people actually read this blog (or even my other blog -- the grammar/linguistics one). That one is specialised though, so I kinda leave it to its own evolution. But as far as this particular blog is concerned, where I generally talk about things in my personal life, or intellectual issues that are inspired by personal events, who is my readership? Aside from the people who know me personally and already have some sort of personal interest in my daily happenings and general well-being, why would a general stranger bother reading the conceited ramblings of an undergraduate?
Not that I'm trying to chase my dear readers away -- I actually find it neat that others would take to time to even work through what I have to say. At present, I can think of two readers whom I don't know personally (at least, I'm pretty sure I don't know them personally), who have made themselves known to me. One of them was fairly googleable though, and according to facebook, we share over ten mutual friends, most of whom are from my hometown or univeristy circuit. The other one also maintains a blog, but I wonder if the only connection is the fact that my blog is named in french. (Aside: Originally, I had wanted to name it "Le Nouveau Naissance," but my francophone friend advised against it. That's one grammatical bullet dodged!)
So, dear readers, as I count the minutes until my first lecture of the new year (which will be in 36 minutes), I would humbly request a short but sufficiently detailed comment explaining what about this blog you find remotely interesting (in other words, what makes you keep coming back for more?). It probably won't change how I do things around here, but it's cool to see how different things interest different people. ....Well, I suppose that's a generous assuption that my blog here is so multi-faceted as to be able to appeal to different kinds of people. :P So, comment away! :D Sometime later, I'll make a post or two about my christmas holiday. =)
2008/12/31
New Year's Eve
With less than an hour to go 'til the end of 2008, how am I spending my time? Am I at the main party hosted by my 2nd-degree friend, and attended by the majority of my primary friends? Am I with another set of not-so-close-but-generally-friendly friends to herald the new year? "No" to both.
Instead, I'm holed up in my room, with a "steady" supply of Fucithalmic viscous eye drops ($22.80 for 10 mg!! Meds are expensive...), and apple juice, to combat my eye infection and cough. 40 minutes now, and how have I spent the last few hours? Reading up on Mandarin-English issues in SLA (ie, how English speakers learn Mandarin, and vice versa), general linguistics, recent news for linux, and attempting to familiarize myself with the proof for Fermat's Last Theorem. Am I a geek or what. Please, don't answer that. ...Especially not in my comment box. :P
Oh yeah, I was also supposedly working on a translation job for a friend of mine. Dunno how much of it can be considered sensitive information, since it's a company form letter to the public, but I think I'll err on the safe side and just say that it's a Japanese-to-English translation, and the Japanese is very high-flown. Ie, super polite language. Its the kind of things I'd write if I were caught in the moment of having been granted some mercy or grace. Things like "We can only hope to reciprocate the benevolance bestowed upon our humble company by you honoured patrons, and shall endevour with our hearts and souls to even approach your exquisite expectations". While I'm only supposed to be translating some of this stuff, I kinda wonder how much I'm supposed to edit for audience. I.e., in standard North American business practices, we don't usually refer to our rival companies as "bestowing us with their sagacious knowledge and experience". Isn't this borderline linguistics-stuff? I suppose. I could even make a post for it in my other blog. But anywhoo...
So, it's the new year in 30 minutes, and I'm ill. The coughs are starting to make my throat and chest feel sore, and my right eye is irritated. With the power of the internet to both inform and distract, I've been able to read up on some interesting topics, but also fail to complete my translation. I wonder how that bodes for me in the new year.
In a less self-pitying note, I hope that all you readers (all ... five of you) enjoy[ed] (depending on your time zone) a happy new year! With the tempestuous hibernal Boreas blowing in Toronto, I hope that those in the city have safe travels on the street, and that those in ski resorts enjoy the snow. Whee! 2009!
Instead, I'm holed up in my room, with a "steady" supply of Fucithalmic viscous eye drops ($22.80 for 10 mg!! Meds are expensive...), and apple juice, to combat my eye infection and cough. 40 minutes now, and how have I spent the last few hours? Reading up on Mandarin-English issues in SLA (ie, how English speakers learn Mandarin, and vice versa), general linguistics, recent news for linux, and attempting to familiarize myself with the proof for Fermat's Last Theorem. Am I a geek or what. Please, don't answer that. ...Especially not in my comment box. :P
Oh yeah, I was also supposedly working on a translation job for a friend of mine. Dunno how much of it can be considered sensitive information, since it's a company form letter to the public, but I think I'll err on the safe side and just say that it's a Japanese-to-English translation, and the Japanese is very high-flown. Ie, super polite language. Its the kind of things I'd write if I were caught in the moment of having been granted some mercy or grace. Things like "We can only hope to reciprocate the benevolance bestowed upon our humble company by you honoured patrons, and shall endevour with our hearts and souls to even approach your exquisite expectations". While I'm only supposed to be translating some of this stuff, I kinda wonder how much I'm supposed to edit for audience. I.e., in standard North American business practices, we don't usually refer to our rival companies as "bestowing us with their sagacious knowledge and experience". Isn't this borderline linguistics-stuff? I suppose. I could even make a post for it in my other blog. But anywhoo...
So, it's the new year in 30 minutes, and I'm ill. The coughs are starting to make my throat and chest feel sore, and my right eye is irritated. With the power of the internet to both inform and distract, I've been able to read up on some interesting topics, but also fail to complete my translation. I wonder how that bodes for me in the new year.
In a less self-pitying note, I hope that all you readers (all ... five of you) enjoy[ed] (depending on your time zone) a happy new year! With the tempestuous hibernal Boreas blowing in Toronto, I hope that those in the city have safe travels on the street, and that those in ski resorts enjoy the snow. Whee! 2009!
2008/12/07
Essays and Evil
Two essays out of the way, and another 1.5 to go! Strangely enough, the longest essay (which was also the first one due) also has the longest extension (this would be the .5 essay remaining). It's also my favourite subject of the four courses (ie, a term paper per course), which are basically two core English courses (Lit. Crit. I & Survey of Brit. Lit. I), Amer. Lit. I, and Second Language Acquisition. Guess which one's my favourite (especially given that I have a parallel blog devoted exclusively to linguistics).
I should really reduce the amount of parenthetical remarks. Anywhoo. Another essay to churn out for tomorrow, to be marked by a passionate prof who unfortunately lets his passion override his rationale. I don't want to get into details, but basically, he seems to have the following hierarchy:
The two good things that've come from this experience are my raised awareness of "those" kind of people in the world, and also an acquired list of things NOT to do when I come to be in a similar position of power (ie, an instructor or some other position of authority).
I just want this term to be over.
I should really reduce the amount of parenthetical remarks. Anywhoo. Another essay to churn out for tomorrow, to be marked by a passionate prof who unfortunately lets his passion override his rationale. I don't want to get into details, but basically, he seems to have the following hierarchy:
- Do I agree with the thesis of this essay?
Yes: go to 2
No: give a bad mark - Did I enjoy the prose?
Yes: go to 3
No: give a bad mark - Does the essay have supporting evidence for its claim?
Yes: give a good mark
No: give a bad mark
The two good things that've come from this experience are my raised awareness of "those" kind of people in the world, and also an acquired list of things NOT to do when I come to be in a similar position of power (ie, an instructor or some other position of authority).
I just want this term to be over.
2008/11/18
The Paths Ahead
I'm on schedule, as far as revisions go, and in less than a year I'll be graduated with an honours undergraduate university degree. On the one hand, it's a cause for celebration, but on the other hand, I don't know what I'd like to do...
My Japanese prof. had the brilliant suggestion of going as an artisan's apprentice in Kyoto to learn one of the classical arts -- which I totally wouldn't mind, especially since I've already had painting/calligraphy training from my grandmother. But while I enjoy doing it, would it even be possible for me to become an apprentice? I understand that some of the more traditional schools have barely budged from the medieval concept of patrilinear succession; outsiders wouldn't be allowed to inherit the school. (Not that I'd want to anyway, but if you're going to study something, you may as well be good at it, right?)
Meanwhile, there's also the possibility of grad school, and of course, there's also working for the government. Lots to worry about. But a step at a time, right? Which for the next few weeks means getting several essays drafted, polished and printed. Until December!
My Japanese prof. had the brilliant suggestion of going as an artisan's apprentice in Kyoto to learn one of the classical arts -- which I totally wouldn't mind, especially since I've already had painting/calligraphy training from my grandmother. But while I enjoy doing it, would it even be possible for me to become an apprentice? I understand that some of the more traditional schools have barely budged from the medieval concept of patrilinear succession; outsiders wouldn't be allowed to inherit the school. (Not that I'd want to anyway, but if you're going to study something, you may as well be good at it, right?)
Meanwhile, there's also the possibility of grad school, and of course, there's also working for the government. Lots to worry about. But a step at a time, right? Which for the next few weeks means getting several essays drafted, polished and printed. Until December!
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