Yesterday was my first day of classes for this year. I actually had a lesson for each of my timetabled events this term (excluding the Special Project) so I know a little bit about how they're all going to work. I'm not dreading anything... yet. In fact I really think I'm going to enjoy everything.
At 9am was the "Ethnicity & Nationalism" lecture - a very unfriendly time, but once you're in there it doesn't really matter so much. I don't know why I didn't take this class in my second year as it's always been something I was interested in. Probably an issue with clashes or some such thing. By leaving it until now, it means I missed out on being taught by Roger, as he's retired now. He was nothing short of a legend, everyone misses him. Instead, there's a new lecturer who started last year when I was away - Dimitrios. He's Greek, and was telling us how he's done fieldwork on multiple topics in multiple areas - I admire the ability to cover so much ground; even with my specific area of interest, I'm barely able to stretch my efforts to cover it [case in point: today was supposed to be dedicated to research].
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| How Izanagi and Izanami made the islands of Japan |
He's basically started the course from scratch though, totally reorganised it, but y'know what? I think that's for the better. I heard Roger made you choose a place and devise your own essay question - that freedom would be perfect for me, I've always been one for doing what I like despite the lack of support I may face. But I know a lot of people that just don't work like that, and they struggled. Also, by leaving taking the class until now, I have an extra 2 years experience under my belt. That really does count for a lot. Time helps to shape your world view. And as adament as I may have been when I was just 15 that I was an adult, there is just so much you don't - that you can't - know. Even now. I'm only 22. For the seminar on Friday I have to either find a creation myth or a newspaper article thet refers to nationalism. I think I'll just sum up the Shinto creation myth - I'm already quite familiar with that.
After a 3 hour break (which eventually I will learn to use productively) I had my first Spanish class. All I learned in Spanish was "me llamo" (my name is) and "soy de" (I am from). It was just an introduction to the course really, and a way to introduce ourselves. However, the only people's names I remember are a guy called Oscar who sat next to me, and the teacher Manolo who is from Seville and, blatantly, a very proud Spaniard. I do enjoy languages though - I still can't tell whether I will struggle with Spanish or not (in comparison to 日本語). I'm happy to stick with it anyway.
Then after another 2 hour break was one of my core modules for this year: "Theoretical Perspectives in Social Anthropology". How inspiring! I can't emphasise what a suprise it was to leave that session feeling so excited. I didn't really know what the class was supposed to be about - all I knew was that it replaces the old theory lectures that just used to teach you the history of the subject. It may be very boring, but I don't know that stuff, and I can't help but feeling like I'm supposed to. Why though? This is the thing - the department are trying to make the subject, which doesn't really leave to a concrete career, more practical. One of the kookiest, but definitely favourite, staff in the department - Melissa - is leading it. She's decided to take some really old anthropological ideas like 'taboo', 'witchcraft' and something called 'virgin birth' (which I haven't come accross before) and look at how the ideas have been used over the years/ whether they are still relevant etc. She says that the way she will know whether the module has been succesful or not will be based on in a conversation, if we as anthropologists can blow people's minds when they say something that they just take for granted. Like: say there's a discussion about politics, of course everyone's complaining, and someone just says "but it's always been that way, it can never be any different"; I shuld be able to come back at them with "well, actually, in some Polynesian societies..." You get the idea.
This is why anthropology rocks.
And I can't wait to be able to do that.
Unfortunately today has slowed me down again - until I speak to my supervisor I'm reluctant to make a start on my project. Though I know there's an obscene amount I need to do in this term alone. Instead I've been worrying about living on a tight budget again. And deciding about societies. And eating too many skittles.
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