End of Semester Report Pt. 1

Well, one more final and it's over. One more semester and it's -completely- over. Hm.

There will be a lot to say about what worked and what didn't about this semester, but before I start taking a serious look at my progress (have to figure out which direction I should be looking first) there is one amusing anecdote about the semester that forced my soul to let out one of those little half sobs that skirts the line between sob and laugh.

The major project in my modern Asia class is a book review. Not a report, where we write the first paragraph of every chapter and end with "I liked this book because," but an honest to goodness review. Our teacher encouraged us to debate with the book, to analyze the source, all that good stuff. I enjoy the chance to read interesting things and then write critically about them, so it's a great project for me.

The students in that class are a mixed bag. Take one handful of Asian studies majors who can actually point to Laos on a map (I can't, but I know where Taichung is, so I'm exempt), a handful of architect students who for some reason need to take upper division Asian studies, and sprinkle around the usual 'I need to fill in a requirement' crowd, and you have our class.

As someone who has been forced to go the 'I need to fill a requirement' route myself, I can't blame those students for not knowing or caring about what we are learning. But sometimes I can't help myself and end up wonder what the hell certain students are doing in college.

With that excessively lengthy introduction aside, here's what happened.

We had to present the books we were reading to the class within 5 minutes. It was pretty clear who had read and understood and who hadn't. The highlight of all the presentations was one about a book studying Japanese streets. From what I could gather from the presentation, it had a sociological bent, what with the mention of 'how the Japanese use streets', but after 5 minutes I can honestly say I had no clue about what this book was about.

I can't say I was surprised. The presentation opened with this interesting fact. "Kyoto is the capitol of Japan."

What? Not since the Meiji restoration has Kyoto been the capitol of Japan. I'd get it if the presentation was on something prior to that, but it was all about modern day Japan, and there was no 'was' anywhere to be found. Not in the speech nor the powerpoint.

Ok, well, I've been known to make odd mental switches. It happens to the best of us. What else about Japanese streets?

"Japanese use a lot of kanji because it looks good, like art."

...what?

...

WHAT?

From there it went down hill. The only thing said within those five minutes that sounded like it was worth hearing was a quick comparison between French streets. ("French use streets to mingle, Japanese use them to get somewhere.") I was tempted to take the book out afterword to see just how much the presentation was an exercise in pooping out tidbits of BS from the mouth, but I had my own book review to do.

The worst part, perhaps, was that I could not tell if the presenter was doing this intentionally or not. They had made their contempt for the class and the teacher blatant from day one, answering every question with 'sure' no matter what it was ("What's the capitol of Japan?"), and did not seem to like me at all, probably because I participated. I like to have an optimistic view of humanity and think that someone in an upper level Asian studies class saying that Japanese use Kanji 'cause it looks cool is really code for 'fuck you sensei', but sometimes the distinction between willfull and innocent ignorance doesn't matter, and all I want to do is say 'fuck you' back. I can hear the fatal flush of my tuition money swirling down the toilet when I'm in classes populated by people like that.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I decided to go to a university where the most difficult hurdle in the admissions process is graduating high school.

That Asian Studies class didn't teach me much, but I certainly did realize the value of being selective with who you deal with. So thank you presenter person, you've given me an education in your amazing efforts to avoid one for yourself.