9.30.2006

Formal report

Week 1 is over and done. I'm feeling kind of frustrated. Here's what I've got:

  • I am so fucking sick of people being dismissive about learning languages. The fact is, the vast majority of people I've known in grad school don't have the languages they need at the level they need, myself very much included. Faculty members, most of whom know several languages, act like learning a language is sort of like learning how to ballroom dance or how to play a new card game. There's this ridiculous dichotomy between "you should already know the language" and "you really need to learn it but there's no programs or grants to help". The only history program I know of that specifically funds and support language study is Harvard. And I ain't at Harvard.
  • It's really hard setting up social events, especially in a town like Santa Cruz which is on the side of a mountain and is held together by tiny little roads. I'm incapable of just letting things happen on their own pace, because "their own pace" still involves someone making the goddamn phone calls and organizing everything. And that's usually me.
  • It's tough getting back in the saddle, even though it's only been 3 months. I genuinely sympathize with my cohorts who have been out for years and/or are coming in straight from their B.A.s. That's tough.
The problem is that I'm a historian. There have been so many times in human history when the notion that "everything will just work out" was so bloody wrong (for individuals and for groups), it's hard for me to really ever feel like that.

5 comments:

another kind of nerd said...

Homie.... you need a stealth strike force of fox as well. Don't discount it. Folding little squares of paper can be beautifully mind-numbing and then you can throw them at people like they were throwing stars.

A said...

Amen, brother! I am right there with you on all of those frustrations! And I really appreciate all of the organizing you have taken on out of sheer determination to create a socially functioning cohort. We will have to join E and launch an origami attack! Our foxes will bear the message: "cohorts unite"!

kungfuramone said...

Origami attack! Kill, kill!

In tribute, I am wearing my ninja shirt today. It has a picture of a ninja that says "Ninjya!" on it (it's from Japan, even.)

Anonymous said...

Academia seems to be dishing out its usual course of slop with a parsley garnish. But eating slop is better than having Plato's finger up your butt (I really appreciated that blog entry).

Kungfukitten said...

Things will get easier. Languages are freaking hard to learn as an adult! It's difficult for me not to be angry with my parents for not teaching me French, Spanish, Italian and Sanskrit when I was three years old. *grinding teeth* Instead, I learned obscene Spanish from the Venezuelan boys down the street. That was actually quite fun but not very useful.