It's quite reassuring, I find, how familiar, remembered moments can come back to tap you on the shoulder via disturbed sleep patterns and half-awake dreams. And not just the awful regrets you try to bury away or the times that you know, deep down, you fucked it all up. A couple of nights ago I was transported back to a former University life, when I was on the other side of the counter. A humble padawan. Before venturing off into the anthropological field, I took heed of the wisdom of one of my supervisors, Judith Okely. It was a rather more considered wisdom than what was offered to the graduate students of Alfred Kroeber ('take a pencil and a notebook'). Amongst the many points of guidance, she begged me to use all the senses - to try and not be so dependent on my eyes - and to keep my mouth shut and ears open for at least a wee while. Smell and touch, she demanded, were just as important whilst engaged on fieldwork duties. She was absolutely right, of course, and I find, in a very real way, this is a 'code' (if we can call it that) not just for anthropological study. It is, actually, a way of life. Our eyes can sometimes fool us, play tricks, we all know this. Needless to say I am a terrible practitioner of such a multi-sensory (as well as disciplinary) approach to the social world but I am learning. Touch, especially, is something I'd miss more than any words could describe. Like when saying goodbye to a close friend or when comforting your child, those moments of holding on, and then letting go. Anyway, with such dull words out of the way here are some songs to give over to your various senses. Dancing is very much encouraged though, true, The Sugargliders cover version of the classic Sea Urchins song might induce a few tears, and more. It is a beautiful version though. And it lets me point to Stephen's residence, in a fairly natural way.
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(We Are) Performance - 'Vandals' (4.04)
Clor - 'Outlines' (4.33)
All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors - 'When things come falling' (3.43)
Club 8 - 'Close to me' (2.27)
The Sugargliders - 'Please rain fall' (cover) (2.18)
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Worth your adoration, completely. Make an Order. Speaking of University life, I do hope you are watching, and falling over yourself in appreciation of, this new series? So near the not actually very surreal bone it hurts. The VC is clearly based on.... (insert high profile name of your own caddish and libelous choice).
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Yikes. History Man for 2011? So true about the foreign students.... But since when do people teaching different subjects actually interact with each other?? And geting *over* paid?? Ha! Suspension of disbelief there! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, getting paid twice in the same month. A wee bit too surreal even for me, that one.
ReplyDeleteBut, hey. Interdisciplinarity? It sometimes happens! :)