Let's Play Catch-Up

This is the first of what will undoubtedly be MANY "catch-up" posts.

Fabulous Friday began with a phone call from one very elusive scholar
who has been hiding in Russia since the summer. I was lucky enough to
live somewhere almost as interesting as Moscow, so Emily came to visit
for a day. I strolled up to Penn Station, always a nice walk, and caught
her there. We walked back to campus, picked up lunch, booked a bus
ticket to get her home, and headed out for our adventures.


After the wonderful time I had with Hillary at the Chelsea Market, I had
to show Emily. We picked up some sweet bread and chocolate milk for an
impromptu picnic, then left the market. From there, we climbed to the
Highline. We had picked up "Kenny's Window" by Maurice Sendak while
at the dorm, and we read it in the park.
We walked back to campus along
the Hudson, and we made it back just in time for a documentary showing
at- ready for this?- the Kevorkian center. Yup.

The documentary was called "Neyse Halim Ciksin Falim (Coffee Futures)."
It was put together by Zeynep Devrim Gursel, a visual anthropologist. She
brilliantly connected the Turkish tradition of telling fortunes by studying coffee
grinds with the place of Turkey's struggle to join the EU in the daily conversation
of the Turkish people. She mentioned at the end that she just finished putting
French subtitles on the film because it was a hit in the European political
sphere and is gaining a political life... she's hoping that it will open fresh
discussions where things seem to have stalled. Good luck Zeynep!

After that, we met up with Cindy for Ethiopian food before walking back uptown
to catch the bus. Upon our return, we collected friends for tea and a round of
the card-game Munchkin. Cindy and I ended the night watching Private Snafu
videos on YouTube with our friend London, because he asked about Dr. Seuss'
adult-focused work. Sometimes I wonder at how amazing my friends are to do
these things with me.

Repeat that last sentiment. Saturday morning, Cindy came with me to the Martin
Luther King Jr. Day of Service. We were up nice and early! The group that we
worked with went to the BRC Senior Center on Houston. We were met there by
Rick Akin, who gave us some background on BRC and then told us that we would be
painting the center eggshell as soon as he pulled out the paints. Lo and behold, we
opened up the two tubs of paint to find...purple. Sooo purple! We painted everything
anyway, and it looks nice and cheery, but we had quite a laugh about our "eggshell" paint.
We finished fairly quickly and got out around 2. I had noticed on the way there that we passed
a community garden with a "Volunteers Wanted" sign, so I cut off from the group to stop in.

Cindy came with me, and we ended up spending an extra 3 hours working in this garden.
While there, we met Penny, who teaches- I think- at Columbia. We also met a boy who is
a fellow NYU freshman. I remember that he mentioned being an economics major, but I forgot
to ask his name. Next time. And there will be a next time, because we signed an hours log
when we finished that day. If we make it to 20 hours, we get keys. If we make it to 40 hours,
we get a plot. I'm so excited for spring!
After showing the dorm security guard my dirt-and-purple-paint-encrusted knuckles, I
finally returned home to clean up a bit. Cindy went back to her dorm as well, but within
a couple of hours we were re-assembled in Hillary's room, with the addition of Rhoen. Hillary
had found two gallery openings that she wanted to attend, so we headed first to see the work of Sue Scott. I have to admit, I didn't quite get it. The first screen showed sets of pictures similar to those games they used to put into news papers where you had to find all the differences; each frame had two shots of the same location at different times of year. The next screen had headphones available. I didn't listen to the whole thing, but here is what I heard:

"Chicago is very grey. Great for photographers. And there are all these serious businessmen rushing around malcontent with various parts of their lives... I guess they do that everywhere, but they just do it differently in Chicago... I hated it. I went to New York; I love New York. It's a great city of misfits. That's the thing: when you don't fit in anywhere else, go to New York. I'm not saying you'll fit in there, but that's the beauty of it. No one fits in in New York..."


The final screen again had two shots in each frame. On the one side, the lone actress was being very natural, but she was walking through a jungle. Shotgun over her shoulder, she waded through swamps and cut through hanging vegetation. Meanwhile, the same actress was in the other shot, but she was obviously interacting with and posing for a director. She rode her bicycle through a field of daisies and read the paper in her whitewashed house. There was a moment when jungle-woman was sitting on a rock to urinate while actress-woman was untying and peeling off her ballerina-style sandals in as erotic a fashion as she could manage.

The juxtaposition was there... but was it wasted? What does that mean if your art doesn't communicate the message that you put into it? I understand that not all artworks have meaning, but this one obviously did...somewhere. At least the first screen was interesting. It was like looking at a fractal pattern; the differences were slight enough to escape notice but significant enough that you knew they were there.

The next gallery we went to belonged to Collette Blanchard. The artist was Derrick Adams, and this piece I was better able to comprehend. Well... at least the beginning pieces. I looked at the pieces when we first walked in: brick walls dressed in fur coats; brick walls in brown sweatshirts, one with an African statue set wearing the hood; a brick column "carrying" composition books with a transparent black box for a head. A commentary- perhaps- on the state of black youth in New York schools? He says something about dealing with prejudice against blacks; how can the youth achieve when they are expected to be dense or focused on fast-money. I feel, though, that the same could be taken out of the racial context and applied to all students. How can kids be expected to learn if we assume their heads are empty (the transparent box)? They are bombarded with standardized tests. If the one goal is passing the test (as a brick wall's one goal is to remain strong, for reasons of support/defense/decoration/etc.), the students may reach that goal, but what good will that do them? Which has more potential for growth, a brick wall or a tree? Of course, the addition of a plant is my own. The artist continued the exhibit with "brick walls" dedicated to a fur coat and a trophy. There were also several pieces that I don't understand at all, including concrete pots shaped like Darth Vader's head and filled with ash.

We stopped at a cute little restaurant called Bruschetteria on the way home. There were two signs that it would be wonderful. First, it caught Hillary's attention. Second, there was a bright orange Gerber daisy in a wine bottle sitting on the bar. We split a bunch of yummy things, talked about everything under the sun, and strolled back towards the dorm- stopping on the way to try on vintage hats.

Sunday was fairly quiet and unremarkable. Monday (the 25th) I had my first class for Service Learning Through Youth and Community. Orientation for the tutoring/fieldwork component of that class is Thursday. I'm excited to be working with kids, but I have to admit to being a little nervous. What if they want me to teach math?! After Service Learning, I worked in the library until it was time for my Myths and Folktales class- which I love!- and my first Oral Tradition, Culture, and Investigation class. I've been excited for this class for quite some time; oral tradition fits my concentration perfectly. However, the class has a journalism slant that will require my hunting for interviews around the city. Wish me luck!

I got back that night, took a long walk uptown at Rachel's suggestion, then came back for work and bed. Tuesday morning I had Anthropology bright and early, followed by Education as a Social Institution. Afterward, I met up with Alex for lunch. We met Hillary and some of her friends at one of the dining halls, then we went to Murray's to smell the air and pick up some cheese. We also learned that they offer classes there. How wonderful would it be to take mozzarella-making or cheese-and-wine-pairing or even cheese-basics-101 and explore their underground caves or go rock-climbing?!? I didn't know such things were possible. We hung out for a while after, then Alex went to the gym (you go, girl) and I went to do homework.

Doing homework included looking up teaching certification requirements for the city, stressing about getting certified, making peace with not getting certified right away, applying for study abroad in Prague and Berlin, registering for language lectures in French/Czech/Hindi (German was full), and reading Bruno Bettelheim. Yay!

At some point in there I got to speak with Cass, and he put my head back in order. Which I appreciate very much.

Ermmm.... today was a whole 'nother adventure, but I have work to do first. Fill you in later.

Study Break

I wasn't going to write today. With the way classes are working out,
I certainly won't be able to write on a daily basis. However, there are
some moments in which studying becomes briefly impossible.

For example, this moment, in which Rachel's online radio just decided
to play "World Spins Madly On" by the Weepies. Sometimes the links
between sensory input and memory amaze me. I had to stop reading.

And so, here I am. Today I caught up with Cindy, and then I had two classes.
First was "Performing Stories East and West." While
I'm having to drop the course in favor of a more education-based
set of credits, I have to wonder that such classes exist.
Those students are going to really enjoy their semester. The class is a mix
of Buddhist/Daoist meditations, individual/group dances, and dramatic
character development. I came out with a reading list and the address for
the Shambhala center where the professor teaches meditation classes. Also,
I learned the basics for two exercises which could be adapted for use
in my own classroom someday. The first of these exercises is called the Snake
Dance and is a physical meditation. While the professor mentioned
that this is a very complex and multi-dimensional activity, the basics are simple.

Snake Dance rules:
1. The person in the front of the line is the leader
2. Followers line up behind the leader
3. Each follower meditates on the person immediately in front of them (not the leader)
4. The leader begins choreography with improvised repetitions, stills, and movements
5. The followers each try to stick with and copy the movements of the person in front of them
*Use of sound is encouraged, but sound should be continued by the followers instead of echoed by them
*Perfection and precision don't matter. Relaxation, use of peripheral vision and awareness of the body in front of you are important.
*Leaders can switch. Multiple snakes can interact. "Free agents" can interact with the snakes.

The second activity we did was called the Circle Dance.

Circle Dance rules:
1. Stand in a circle as a group
2. If music is in use, dance for a minute or two
3. Watch the movement/fidgeting/tapping of others in the circle through your peripheral vision
4. Pick up motions and actions from others, then put them down as soon as you notice another movement
*Relax
*Don't hold on to any motion too long

We ended with a class meditation, and I was relieved to be heading to my
research seminar on Myths and Fables. Perfect. As uncomfortable as I feel with
dances and acting, research and reading always bring me back to a comfortable place.
I knew from the reading list that this class would be fantastic. My professor asked
about our concentrations, and she responded to mine with "I can already see research paper
topics waiting for you." If I could explain to you how excited I am by this...well... I would
need a couple more languages and possibly a short happy dance.

I then spent ridiculous amounts of money on textbooks, ate soup, shuffled courses
one final time, checked out two articles (http://knol.google.com/k/polyphasic-sleep#
and http://knol.google.com/k/why-are-europeans-white-e1#, though I haven't finished
the second yet) and settled down to read "Small Victories" by Samuel Freedman.
I'll let you know how it is when I finish. Which I can do now that the music changed...

First day back!

This morning I was supposed to have a recitation for my
Anthropology class, but it was canceled since we haven't
really done anything in class yet. It's so strange: I don't have
to be anywhere until 2.

Yesterday was the first day of classes for the semester. I started
with "Human Society and Culture" aka Intro to Anthropology. Searching for the
entrance to the building, I bumped into Adiel- formerly a Stern
business student- who informed me that he's switching majors and
starting Anthro. We ended up having class together, and I have to say
that it's nice to have a friend to sit with in a class of 130. Yikes! The
professor said himself, "Any smaller class you can find will be a better class
than this one." Shame there aren't any smaller Intro to Anthro classes, or
any taught by him (I've heard pretty good things.) At least he was honest.
I'm excited regardless. The texts and syllabus look really interesting, and he
requires us to do fieldwork projects. I'm not very good at work that requires
putting myself out there and approaching strangers for interviews, but I'm
looking forward to the experience.

After Anthro, I went to "Education as a Social Institution" which is part of the
teacher core. The first thing the professor said? "Now I'm sure you are all aware
that this class requires 15 hours classroom observation in a New York school."
What?! Again, I'm a little nervous but very excited to see how this plays out.
The class is supposed to look at the education system from a sociological standpoint
and to compare the American education system with others abroad. Jealous, Cass?
I found a familiar face in this class too; she was in my educational theater class, and
I was always a little intimidated by the power she exudes... We aren't exactly friends
but I love being nearby to hear her reactions and thoughts during lectures.

That class finished up around noon-thirty, so I met up with Miss Hillary- who I've
missed something terrible- for a walk. We strolled around the Meatpacking District,
explored the Chelsea Market, picked up some bread and sat in High Line park to enjoy
it as we caught up. These are the moments when I know I love New York.



We worked on our to-do list for the semester. At some point, we will make a
meat dinner. We will also go gallery-hopping in SoHo.

I then met up with Rhoen and his friend Shizuyo for dinner. It was great to
see him again, and I loved meeting Shizuyo. Rhoen has a gift for finding
wonderful people. Even though Hillary and I didn't get up to visit him over
break, it sounds like he had a good time.

Finally 7pm rolled around and I went off to my last class. This one is going to
be tricky. I'm the only freshman in the class. I know this because we went around
the room and gave our name/year/major. After a chorus of juniors and seniors
who- all except for one linguistics major- are early childhood education students,
it was my turn. There goes my cover. We need classroom observation hours for
this class as well, but we also need to collect writing samples from a focus child who
we will write a case study on. I've done a case study before, but am not student teaching
at the moment and am wondering where I will find this child... Hmmm...

After class I wrote up a resume and cover letter for an internship, sent a couple important
emails, visited Julio, had tea with Miguel, and went to bed. Ta da.

Declaration of Intent

Fact: My family has been giving me grief for not keeping in touch.

Fact: My friends have been giving me grief for not keeping them up to date.

Fact: They're all justified in their frustration.

I apologize if you were expecting an academic blog or something terribly
insightful and strange. What I am hoping to do with this space is to post pictures,
papers, class updates, and stories from my day to day. Wish me luck.