“An idea of urban space as defined by a syntagmatic chain of difference. Rural or urban or local or cosmopolitan are not temporally distinct states of being in which one evolves into another, but rather are produced in relation to each other within the same social field.”
“Successive regimes of capital destroy and rebuild infrastructures, reconfiguring space in their own image.”
“Urban space is made up of layers of networks connected by infrastructures.”
“Urban possibilities are formed out of the unintended juxtapositions of different sets present in urban space.”
-- Multiple excerpts from Bandiri Music, Globalization, and Urban Experience in Nigeria by Brian Larkin
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Papers.
So, I guess it's about halfway through the semester (ah), which has got me inevitably thinking about final papers. Thankfully, I have some ideas that I'm pretty excited about.
Religion and/as Media -
I think that for this class, I am going to write my paper focusing on televangelism. Although I'd like to talk about both Jerry Falwell and James Dobson, I think I'll end up having to pick one or the other. So, given that I am exceedingly intrigued by Focus on the Family... I'll most likely end up choosing James Dobson. (However, I volunteered to give a presentation for this class on a reading about Jerry Falwell* so at least I'll be able to fit some research in about him that way.) I just re-watched one of my favorite movies today (For The Bible Tells Me So) and got pretty re-inspired to write this paper. Although, I imagine that doing research for this will often put in me in very bad moods and leave pretty awful tastes in my mouth. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.
Moving Manhood -
American undergraduate fraternities and their ability to create an established and powerful masculine discourse through a variety of rituals, traditions and ceremonies. I have always been really curious about fraternities (and how they relate to gender and sexuality) but never really sought to do any research about them. I often just viewed Greek life in general as this bizarre and alien world that I could never associate with or understand but after doing a lot of other reading for this class, I'm inspired to finally try and understand what has always seemed so foreign to me. Interviewing some of the students in my program who go to schools that have a lot of greek life is what I'm most excited for - since I literally have had no experience with any sororities or fraternities. (Oh, to be a sheltered Sarah Lawrence student.)
Meaning of Having Children From Cross-Cultural Perspectives -
So, what's interesting about this class is that well, it has yet to begin.** Ha. So, clearly I'm jumping the gun a little on this one. Truthfully, the teacher may not even want us to write a paper... although, I think that's doubtful. Either way, I think I'd write about something having to do with same sex couples and legal rights concerning adoption and/or raising children? We'll see.
In other news, this is what the weather looks like for the next week -
Sooo.... that sucks. The new beautiful days we had a week ago were such a tease.
* "Falwell" shows up on my computer as an incorrect spelling and one of the suggestions it gives is "falafel." Jerry Falafel. Much more fitting. Although I'm not sure Jerry Falwell even deserves to be associated with such a delicious food.
** This class isn't supposed to start until April 20th and end before the 4th of June. Don't ask me how this is possible or how I'm possibly getting full credit for a little over a month of class but hey... I'm not about to complain.
Religion and/as Media -
I think that for this class, I am going to write my paper focusing on televangelism. Although I'd like to talk about both Jerry Falwell and James Dobson, I think I'll end up having to pick one or the other. So, given that I am exceedingly intrigued by Focus on the Family... I'll most likely end up choosing James Dobson. (However, I volunteered to give a presentation for this class on a reading about Jerry Falwell* so at least I'll be able to fit some research in about him that way.) I just re-watched one of my favorite movies today (For The Bible Tells Me So) and got pretty re-inspired to write this paper. Although, I imagine that doing research for this will often put in me in very bad moods and leave pretty awful tastes in my mouth. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.
Moving Manhood -
American undergraduate fraternities and their ability to create an established and powerful masculine discourse through a variety of rituals, traditions and ceremonies. I have always been really curious about fraternities (and how they relate to gender and sexuality) but never really sought to do any research about them. I often just viewed Greek life in general as this bizarre and alien world that I could never associate with or understand but after doing a lot of other reading for this class, I'm inspired to finally try and understand what has always seemed so foreign to me. Interviewing some of the students in my program who go to schools that have a lot of greek life is what I'm most excited for - since I literally have had no experience with any sororities or fraternities. (Oh, to be a sheltered Sarah Lawrence student.)
Meaning of Having Children From Cross-Cultural Perspectives -
So, what's interesting about this class is that well, it has yet to begin.** Ha. So, clearly I'm jumping the gun a little on this one. Truthfully, the teacher may not even want us to write a paper... although, I think that's doubtful. Either way, I think I'd write about something having to do with same sex couples and legal rights concerning adoption and/or raising children? We'll see.
In other news, this is what the weather looks like for the next week -
Sooo.... that sucks. The new beautiful days we had a week ago were such a tease.
* "Falwell" shows up on my computer as an incorrect spelling and one of the suggestions it gives is "falafel." Jerry Falafel. Much more fitting. Although I'm not sure Jerry Falwell even deserves to be associated with such a delicious food.
** This class isn't supposed to start until April 20th and end before the 4th of June. Don't ask me how this is possible or how I'm possibly getting full credit for a little over a month of class but hey... I'm not about to complain.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
poetry?
i'll meet you in damascus
the look in your eye and the tone of your voice
as you invited me out for a cigarette...
comparable to how the air tastes after it snows,
sharply convoluted but,
comfortably familiar.
and i wonder if you noticed the desperation
in the wet, white smoke that left my mouth,
passing slowly past my lips and
quietly evaporating into the oddly warm, thanksgiving night breeze.
boundless
fragile dawn air -
no match for sleeping faces.
the breeze -
biting and pinching
anything that
dares to move.
a boastful, bulb-like
6am sun
that shocks an unsuspecting
body of water,
sending steam to its surface -
a feeble attempt at protection.
our bare feet imprint themselves
on dew stained grass and
patches of smooth,
chilled sand as our
palms perspire.
five years doesn't
help me forget
the feeling of how i grabbed your hand and
the feeling of how you let go.
the summer morning,
a witness to when i
should have stopped trying,
but only tried harder.
the look in your eye and the tone of your voice
as you invited me out for a cigarette...
comparable to how the air tastes after it snows,
sharply convoluted but,
comfortably familiar.
and i wonder if you noticed the desperation
in the wet, white smoke that left my mouth,
passing slowly past my lips and
quietly evaporating into the oddly warm, thanksgiving night breeze.
boundless
fragile dawn air -
no match for sleeping faces.
the breeze -
biting and pinching
anything that
dares to move.
a boastful, bulb-like
6am sun
that shocks an unsuspecting
body of water,
sending steam to its surface -
a feeble attempt at protection.
our bare feet imprint themselves
on dew stained grass and
patches of smooth,
chilled sand as our
palms perspire.
five years doesn't
help me forget
the feeling of how i grabbed your hand and
the feeling of how you let go.
the summer morning,
a witness to when i
should have stopped trying,
but only tried harder.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Welcome to wonderful.
This weekend I spent in Scandinavia with my friends Thomas and Marlee. It was amazing. Possibly one of the best trips I've ever taken. I never expected to go to Denmark or Sweden, so to go to both of them in the course of three days was really exciting. I wish I had been able to stay longer - but perhaps I'll go back someday.
Highlights -
1. Staying in my mom's friend Nina's beautiful apartment in the center of Copenhagen. Cooking potato, broccoli and cheese casseroles and listening to Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder records on repeat.
2. Going to SWEDEN and going to H&M and Ikea. Malmo, the city we went to in Sweden, was beautiful. And cheap.
3. Going to the Louisiana museum and deciding I'd like to live there someday.
4. Loving Denmark and Sweden... but realizing that no where compares to Amsterdam.
In other news, I've been thinking more about the summer. Basically, I need to work and I need to not pay rent. But I've also been thinking that I'd like to spend some time on the West Coast - just because I think it will be nice to have a change. Especially if I'll be living at home next year during school (which seems like it will happen) it will be nice to be somewhere else for the summer. A buffer between Amsterdam and coming home for good. So, then the only three things standing in my way are 1. a place to live, 2. a way to get there and 3. a job. My mom seems to think I have a free place to stay - plus I have lots of friends and could also stay with them. However, it would be nice to also have my own home-base where I don't feel like I'm intruding on everyone else. In terms of a way to get there... I always thought I would fly but it seems to make a lot more sense to drive there. Firstly, it would be terrific to have a car while I'm there and secondly, I could drive across the country on my own and visit a bunch of friends along the way. That in itself seems amazing. In terms of a job... I've worked at two places that have LA locations (Cheesecake Factory and Lucky Strike) so I could most likely get jobs at those places or look for something new entirely. Either way... it all seems like it could potentially piece itself together. And the possible road trip seems amazing.
I've postponed all of the things I've had to get done today thus far and I think I should go get them done...
Until next time.
Oh and PS - I now have a computer again. And not only a computer but a brand new silver Macbook. It was completely worth the two week wait.
Highlights -
1. Staying in my mom's friend Nina's beautiful apartment in the center of Copenhagen. Cooking potato, broccoli and cheese casseroles and listening to Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder records on repeat.
2. Going to SWEDEN and going to H&M and Ikea. Malmo, the city we went to in Sweden, was beautiful. And cheap.
3. Going to the Louisiana museum and deciding I'd like to live there someday.
4. Loving Denmark and Sweden... but realizing that no where compares to Amsterdam.
In other news, I've been thinking more about the summer. Basically, I need to work and I need to not pay rent. But I've also been thinking that I'd like to spend some time on the West Coast - just because I think it will be nice to have a change. Especially if I'll be living at home next year during school (which seems like it will happen) it will be nice to be somewhere else for the summer. A buffer between Amsterdam and coming home for good. So, then the only three things standing in my way are 1. a place to live, 2. a way to get there and 3. a job. My mom seems to think I have a free place to stay - plus I have lots of friends and could also stay with them. However, it would be nice to also have my own home-base where I don't feel like I'm intruding on everyone else. In terms of a way to get there... I always thought I would fly but it seems to make a lot more sense to drive there. Firstly, it would be terrific to have a car while I'm there and secondly, I could drive across the country on my own and visit a bunch of friends along the way. That in itself seems amazing. In terms of a job... I've worked at two places that have LA locations (Cheesecake Factory and Lucky Strike) so I could most likely get jobs at those places or look for something new entirely. Either way... it all seems like it could potentially piece itself together. And the possible road trip seems amazing.
I've postponed all of the things I've had to get done today thus far and I think I should go get them done...
Until next time.
Oh and PS - I now have a computer again. And not only a computer but a brand new silver Macbook. It was completely worth the two week wait.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Limbo.
So, still no computer. I am beginning to get annoyed by it. There's only so much productivity I can take. What's most annoying is not knowing when exactly it will be ready - and the store has proven to be really terrible about returning phone calls. Which leads me to believe my new computer is at the store and that they've just been too busy/distracted to call me. Or I'm just really impatient. (Probably the latter.)
This semester is passing by much quicker than last semester. It's distressing - knowing I'll have to eventually leave Amsterdam for good. And then once Amsterdam ends - this coming summer (which is still very much up in the air) and my last year of college will be looming. I never really imagined college going so quickly. (I also realized that never in my life have I been in one school for more than 3 years at a time - and that maybe switching and leaving schools all the time has generally made school seem to pass by quickly. I changed schools in 2nd grade, changed again in 6th, went to paris in 7th grade, returned in 8th, went to high school in 9th grade, graduated in 11th grade, went to sarah lawrence for two years, left for amsterdam and then I'll be going back to sarah lawrence again. Ah. Stressful.)
Anyway, in a week and a half I'll be going to Copenhagen. Which I am very, very excited for. We may also be taking a boat to the coast of Sweden. So again, that = excitement.
Hopefully my next post will be a lot more interesting. Meaning I'll post some pictures or something... just gotta wait on the computer. Ha.
Insightful quote of the day -
"The microprocesses of heterosexuality as an institution are so embedded in daily life that, while heterosexuality may be personally meaningful, it can simultaneously function as an oppressive social institution." - C.J. Pascoe, Dude You're A Fag
This semester is passing by much quicker than last semester. It's distressing - knowing I'll have to eventually leave Amsterdam for good. And then once Amsterdam ends - this coming summer (which is still very much up in the air) and my last year of college will be looming. I never really imagined college going so quickly. (I also realized that never in my life have I been in one school for more than 3 years at a time - and that maybe switching and leaving schools all the time has generally made school seem to pass by quickly. I changed schools in 2nd grade, changed again in 6th, went to paris in 7th grade, returned in 8th, went to high school in 9th grade, graduated in 11th grade, went to sarah lawrence for two years, left for amsterdam and then I'll be going back to sarah lawrence again. Ah. Stressful.)
Anyway, in a week and a half I'll be going to Copenhagen. Which I am very, very excited for. We may also be taking a boat to the coast of Sweden. So again, that = excitement.
Hopefully my next post will be a lot more interesting. Meaning I'll post some pictures or something... just gotta wait on the computer. Ha.
Insightful quote of the day -
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