I am off to Boston for a few days, so I better finish writing about "Fieldwork" before I go.
The story ends tragically with a battle between two conflicting gods. My conclusion is: delving into other cultures can let you know about your self and others, but there are parts of us that we simply can't change.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
More on the book FIELDWORK
My last entry I eluded to the fact that I had started to read this book. It has become a rather complicated story. It is a contrast, compare type story between two types of foreigners in Thailand. One group are Christian missionaries, who have been spread the work and word of the Christan god in Thailand for 4 generations and the other group are anthropologists studying the natiave people.
On page 257 is a quote, which I think so far is what the book is about. "unless we understood our own culture, we cannot understand ourselves-----and we simply cannot understand our culture from the inside." We cannot reach the wisdom of knowing ourselves unless we leave the narrow confinement of the customs, beliefs and prejudges into which we are born.
To me, that means we must expand ourselves, and not be afraid of going a little (or a lot farther) figuratively or literally.
This doesn't mean we need to reject our culture, but we should take a good look at it in an objective way.
My last entry I eluded to the fact that I had started to read this book. It has become a rather complicated story. It is a contrast, compare type story between two types of foreigners in Thailand. One group are Christian missionaries, who have been spread the work and word of the Christan god in Thailand for 4 generations and the other group are anthropologists studying the natiave people.
On page 257 is a quote, which I think so far is what the book is about. "unless we understood our own culture, we cannot understand ourselves-----and we simply cannot understand our culture from the inside." We cannot reach the wisdom of knowing ourselves unless we leave the narrow confinement of the customs, beliefs and prejudges into which we are born.
To me, that means we must expand ourselves, and not be afraid of going a little (or a lot farther) figuratively or literally.
This doesn't mean we need to reject our culture, but we should take a good look at it in an objective way.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Yeah, I am so happy. I have finished King Lear and related reading and have started "Fieldwork" by Mischa Berlinski. It is about an American living in Thailand, researching a story.
More on that later, but I want to quote something from this book.
As he looks at pictures of college professors who were linquists, he comments, " All the ghosts nod companionably. They know how diffiuclt it is to discipline oneself in the afterlife, now that time is no longer an issue and tenure is no longer guaranteed."
My comment on that is, I believe that is how retirement should be. We should not worry about tenure of any kind and should enjoy the time we have earned.
More on that later, but I want to quote something from this book.
As he looks at pictures of college professors who were linquists, he comments, " All the ghosts nod companionably. They know how diffiuclt it is to discipline oneself in the afterlife, now that time is no longer an issue and tenure is no longer guaranteed."
My comment on that is, I believe that is how retirement should be. We should not worry about tenure of any kind and should enjoy the time we have earned.
Friday, April 17, 2009
OK, so I finally finished reading King Lear. Then I read A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley. This book is based on King Lear, but in the current time, in the USA. It is set on a farm in the heartland of America in the 70's.
This book was really hard for me to read. Families are safe places that have to take you in no matter what, but they can also be exclusive to those on the fringe, like inlaws, meaning those married to children. And family members can be so mean to each other.
And much of it is based on what happens in childhood or old age. We should care for each other at those times, not try to grab for as much individual power and control at those times.
Anyway, I have had enough of King Lear and his daughters (may I saw three daughters). I am moving on the the story of Marconi, the inventor of the wireless. He was compulsive and weird, but not so mean.
This book was really hard for me to read. Families are safe places that have to take you in no matter what, but they can also be exclusive to those on the fringe, like inlaws, meaning those married to children. And family members can be so mean to each other.
And much of it is based on what happens in childhood or old age. We should care for each other at those times, not try to grab for as much individual power and control at those times.
Anyway, I have had enough of King Lear and his daughters (may I saw three daughters). I am moving on the the story of Marconi, the inventor of the wireless. He was compulsive and weird, but not so mean.
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