I Was Getting Ready to Be a Threat

It's been quite a week. The night after crying into dishwater, still with a nasty cold, I also got a nasty headache of the possibly days-long and nights-up-in-tears-of-pain-and-frustration variety just before going to bed. Which is never good, but was particularly bad as i was to get my grades back on three essays from last semester the next day, and also had a long-awaited meeting to discuss my disseration ideas with that glorious professor who was on sabbatical last semester. So I was a little tense when I went to bed (quite likely the cause of the headache in the first place).

And I dreamed. Oh boy, did I ever dream. About getting my grades back and having them be bad. Only the essays were not the ones I actually wrote--about Regional Innovation, the World Bank and Sustainable Development--oh no. In the dream, I had written a freakin' brilliant paper about German artist Joseph Beuys and his work as a statement on food scarcity and deprivation and emergency measures required to address them.

ASIDE: (i.e. not in the dream, but a word of explanation) Joseph Beuys has long been one of my favorite artists, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't bring the book I have about his work and his theories with me to Wales (he was also a sort of activist for human power over the future and our world, though i must admit it's been years and I don't really remember what he said. I do seem to remember he was strange and cool) Anyway, the story/myth about Beuys goes like this: He was shot down over Crimea in WWII and was freezing, but was rescued by a tribe of Tartars who coated him in fat and wrapped him in felt and nursed him back to health. True or not, no one really knows. But anyway, much of his work is sculpture and installation incorporating fat and felt and ideas of rescue and warmth. I've always liked the images, but had never seen his sculpture or installations in person. A couple of weeks ago, in the week I had between last semester's exams and the start of this semester's classes, J and I took the Megabus to London for a few days of museum-hopping. All of it was incredible, but my favorite thing was the Tate Modern. I hadn't researched what they had in their collection so I was ecstatic to turn a corner and see this Beuys installation:



It's not the best photo in the world, but it's the most evocative I could find on the net. (In my dream and my memory, it's in color and you see the side of the van and the sleds out behind to the distance, but it's always photographed this way instead.) It's called "The Pack" and it is just 24 sleds spilling out behind an old VW bus, each sled has a survival kit of a roll of felt (for warmth and protection), a lump of animal fat (for energy and sustenance) and a torch (for navigation and orientation). Beuys is quoted on the Tate website as saying of the work: ‘This is an emergency object: an invasion by the pack. In a state of emergency the Volkswagen bus is of limited usefulness, and more direct and primitive means must be taken to ensure survival.’

So that's the basis of my dream, and the paper in it. Even when I woke up, I thought it quite a good idea for a paper. But alas, in the dream, I went to school and got my marks back and had been given a horrible grade. I was very upset, but quiet until I overheard two other students talking to professors about their similarly bad marks on papers incorporating art and/or literature into a social science essay. Well, then I was livid and I stood up and gave a rousing speech about how this school failed to realize the importance of art as a lense through which to view social and environmental concerns, and how these papers represented some of the most creative work being done in the department. It was exhilarating.

And then I woke up. And my head was throbbing. And I had to really go and get my marked essays and meet with Professor Perfect. I'm afraid I can't tell you my marks, because I promised myself that, good or bad, I wouldn't tell the whole Internet. This was a measure to avoid feeling like shame or pride were making my decision for me. I will say that I was greatly relieved and headache-free by the end of the day. Also, and unrelated to grades, when I read my papers after not looking at them for a month, I was shocked to see that the language and tone were so professional-sounding and organized. I think there's hope for me yet.

And my meeting with Professor Perfect? Well, after our chat, he asked if he could be my dissertation supervisor. Which was exactly what I had hoped for in preparing my notecards to talk to him. And I didn't even have to ask. So he's declared that he'll work that out with my Course Director if at all possible. But it shouldn't be a problem.

This semester is sooooo much better than last. I can't even begin to tell you.

Join our Film "Society"

Here's the film list we've started. It's a mish-mash of fictionalized history, full-on fictional drama and documentary and is in no particular order. Feel free to comment or suggest additions. Disclaimer: I'm making no claims about the accuracy of my descriptions. Do not depend on them for your undergraduate film history exam or to make you sound smart at parties.

POLITICAL FILM LIST

Land and Freedom – Spanish Civil War
Reds - Bolshevik Revolution period
All the President's Men - US Watergate scandal
Ride with the Devil - US Civil War
The Constant Gardener - Kenya and pharmaceutical industry testing
Cry Freedom - About death of activist Steve Biko in S. Africa in 1977 and journalist Donald Woods
Trials of Henry Kissinger - documentary –charges against Henry Kissinger as a war criminal - allegations documented in Hitchens' book of the same title - based on his role in countries such as Cambodia, Chile, and Indonesia. Kissinger's story raises profound questions about American foreign policy and highlights a new era of human rights. Increasing evidence about one man's role in a long history of human rights abuses leads to a critical examination of American diplomacy through the lens of international standards of justice.
Matewan - US Miners unionizing in West Virginia in 1920’s
Fog of War - cool documentary Robert S. McNamara talks about Vietnam and his time as U.S. Secretary of Defense (McNamara was later head of World Bank 1980-1991)
Control Room - about invasion of Iraq
The Killing Fields - about Cambodia
Swimming to Cambodia - Spalding Gray's one man show about Killing Fields
The Quiet American - About early stages of Vietnam
Cradle Will Rock - about American federal theatre project, only time in US history such a thing existed - attacked by anti-communist Dyes Committee
In the Name of the Father - about the Irish Republican Army and the Guilford Four
Some Mother's Son - events leading up to and surrounding hunger strike where Bobby Sands, Sinn Fein activist, died. He was elected to be Northern Ireland's representative in Parliament while he was in jail.
The Interpreter – UN interpreter overhears information about plot to assassinate African head of state
The Mission – Jesuit missionaries in S. America and their falling out with Spanish colonial business interests. Jesuits were ordered to shut down missions because their plantations were becoming financially competitive with local businesses
Ararat – about Armenian genocide in Turkey, 1915-1918
Four Days in September – Marxists in Brazil kidnapped the US Ambassador and held him hostage and made demands of Brazilian gov’t.
Danton –post French Revolution (1793)
Das Boot – claustrophobic life on a WWII German submarine
Before the Rain – drama set in Balkans highlighting ethnic and cultural tensions between Muslims and Christians in the area
The Year of Living Dangerously – set in Indonesia, political drama during 1965 revolution
The Year of the Gun – about Red Brigades in Italy
Downfall – about Hitler’s last days in a bunker
City of God – drama based on true events –gang wars in Rio de Janeiro in late 1970’s and 80’s – beautifully made
Death and the Maiden – about disappearances in South America, adapted from a play, non-specific country
On the Waterfront – (marlon Brando) about gangster crime in labor unions (said to be Director Elia Kazan’s justification for snitching in McCarthy communism hearings)
Manchurian Candidate (1962 version) – drama about brainwashing and radical conspiracy theories set against the backdrop of Joseph McCarthy’s rise to power in the US
The Atomic Café – documentary using footage from US gov’t propaganda films about the atomic bomb and the effects of radiation – looks at American attitudes from the 1960’s
The Guns of August – documentary about WWI, lots of footage
Machuca – two boys observe a political coup in Chile
Battle of Algiers - commissioned by Algerian government - shows both sides of Algerian/French conflict - must see
The Revolution will Not be Televised - About brief coup against Chavez in Venezuela

Thanks, Belatedly

So, I had written this post in November and then left it in draft form because I wanted to scan in Susannah's paintings, which I have since done and posted. I just realized it was still sitting here and y'all deserve the thanks, so I'm posting it now.

It's good that I stumbled on it because I'm in a miserable mood with a sore throat and cough that won't go away and I cried while washing dishes tonight because I so wanted to be back in Seattle. I couldn't really explain why, except that life as I know it seems irreversibly changed now and after this whole year of school and focus I'll come back to Seattle and try to get a serious career-type job. As I sobbed to Joshua with my hands hovering in the dishwater "I won't be able to just sit around watching That 70's Show and going to my part-time job without a future and not really worrying about things." Now, most of you know that my life was never really all about my (meaningful) part-time job and watching (excellent) sitcoms--I've always had too much going on and taken it all very seriously. But today somehow grad school and jobs and such just all seemed too important and burdensome and I needed a break. So I had some lemon curd on toast and felt somewhat better. And now to get rid of the nasty cold--I'm pretty sure its really all that's wrong with me anyway. So, whatever, here's the Thanksgiving post:

Last week we had over a collection of international people for Thanksgiving dinner. Jason had never or briefly met most of them, but gave a rousing tale of what Thanksgiving means--you can probably imagine. Something about how we celebrate giving the Native Americans smallpox and taking their land, after calling a friendly dinner to butter them up. Something like that. Our guests ate it up. The food and J's Thanksgiving lesson. And the turkey turned out beautifully in spite of the tiny oven with a heating element only at the top and the roasting pan that wouldn't fit and the resulting lopsided rack on the smaller pan. I also made everyone go around the table and say what they were thankful for. They were very willing players. And then we talked about Johnny Cash and White Stripes and listened to June Carter Cash's song about Quentin Tarantino. S. from Portugal brought orange flavored rice pudding for dessert.

Also, I will take this opportunity to thank those of you at home who have sent things to us here in far-off Wales. Ms. Susannah sent a book of watercolors of our wedding-like party at Rainier. They are all so beautiful and I cried with missing you all and thinking how wonderful our friends are. (see these in previous entry--cause I'm all out of order!) She also sent a pair of fantasy books that allowed me to forget facts and figures and sleep peacefully during much of the semester. And a picture of her darling baby boy.

And John Galt sent us a CD of Awesome's Delaware show and F. and G. sent chutney and travel books for Thanksgiving (and many of our books and winter clothing and things before that, with help from Some Guy). Mom and Dad sent a subscription to National Geographic. Amazon sent me some books I ordered. And from others, e-mail and blog comments and general support.

So, thanks to you all. I miss you. (Except Amazon, who's as close as she ever was.)

FOOD PROPAGANDA

Animation to fight the forces of evil:

THE MEATRIX

Extracurricular Education

I was having a conversation at a pub one night with some fellow students and mentioned that J. was writing historical lessons for school kids. While passing along what he'd taught me about the Spanish Civil War, I mentioned the film "Land and Freedom," (which you should all go out right now and rent). Anyway, folks were interested, and C. from Nigeria said he loved political films and so we started talking about them and there are lots of good ones that not everyone had seen. So we're starting a fortnightly political film night at our house! I can't wait. We're starting with Land and Freedom. I will be making fajitas. (Nothing to do with the film, just that I mentioned that local "Mexican" food was not the American "Mexican" food I pined for and that I had learned to make salsa. They promptly committed me to making fajitas at the first film night.)

So far, it's J. and me, O. and P. from London, Z. from Turkey and C. from Nigeria. Should make for some great conversation and perspective comparison.

Jason and I have started a list of good (i.e. not JUST educational) political films. I'm not going to post it here because it's too long, and because my descriptions are probably not totally accurate, but if you'd like to see it, let me know and I'll email it to you once my fellow film society members have added their suggestions. Also, if you have knowledge of amazing films about world politics, let me know and I'll add them if they're not already on it. Maybe I'll figure out what high-tech Internet way to post it here without having it be in my blog text. I'm a little slow about such things.

Happy Birthday, S. Lorelle

Blue Series - Cardiff Walking Photos, at Sonya's request

The streets near Cardiff University. I pass through the neighborhood nearly every day.

And ... GO!

School's on again. And I'm excited again.

The social setting is remarkably different this time 'round. Whereas first classes last semester were silent and timid and awkward before and after class, now you can barely hear each other talk--it's like a crowded bar! We're all familiar faces, at least, and even if we never spoke before it's somehow easy now. And for those who've become friends, it's like we haven't seen each other in ages, even though it hasn't been long. It's loads more fun now.

My class options are pretty great this semester too. Here's what I think I'm taking (in order of enthusiasm I have for them):

Sustainability and the Agri-food System - consumption habits, social history and trends around food and family, health issues, school meals and kids' attitudes to food, loss of food and cooking skills in some societies, food travel and embodied energy and cost, local food movements, organic and other alternative production models, supply chain and food processing issues, and on and on and on.

Globalisation and the Local Labour Market--youth and other exclusion in slowing job markets and the long-term consequences of that, the position of education, training and credentials in hiring, job security--how real is the problem and how does anxiety affect the labour market, etc., in addition to the obvious job relocation to other countries issues

Governance and Equity in Europe--descusses regionalism and devolution of decisionmaking, which while specific to the EU are interesting concepts and ones that are definitely in play in the food policy world. (Also other things. But I haven't been to this class yet.) AND it's taught by the illustrious back-from-sabbatical professor.

Environmental Law

Sustainability in Practice

Research Methods and Dissertation Design


The ones I think I'm not taking, but I plan to sit in on anyway, are:

Corporate Environmental Management
Environmental Management in Practice.

Tell me you're not jealous. I won't believe you, because I can't imagine not being, though I guess there are people with different interests and you, dear Reader, might be one of them.