rich points

Michael Agar, a linguistic anthropologist, describes rich points as those times that make you go, "Hunh?" When something jars because it doesn't make sense. As an anthropologist, that's the kind of thing that makes me want to look more closely, to figure out how it makes sense - what cultural aspects are at play.

Apparently I'm not good at the culture of my university's department. It seems I'm often in conflict with somebody when I ask what seems to me to be a simple question. I asked two of my committee members what they think of Wolcott as an ethnographer, and I get long responses that basically refuse to answer the question and go off on other directions. I ask how long between written and oral exams I have to wait, and the same crap. It's so often like that.

Part of the problem is they want to keep me/us the students here as long possible - and most of us have figured out that there isn't much for us to get here so we want the hell out. But instead of offering us what we can get by sticking around longer, we get ignored or circumvented replies off-topic. It's frustrating. I want out. I will get out. And when I ask for explicit directions about what to do, it's the same crap. They don't tell us what we need to know, and then they want to punish us for not knowing it. The best example of this is when the dean scolded my friend via email for not knowing certain theoretical and methodological things - which I had actually asked about in class and couldn't get straight answers. I just want out!! Unfortunately, each person on my committee worked on their PhD's for many, many years - and are resistant to my hyper-speed plans. But they're the best the school has to offer - the smartest and most willing to actually do work with me. So, I'm kinda stuck.

Anyway, that's not that big of a frustration anymore - just, a rich point. But I reject that rich point's importance. To get the kind of information I want, I would have to develop different strategies which I really refuse to do. Even though I'm not really getting what I want, pushing the envelope as I do has its own benefits. As my advisor says, my complaining could get old, except that I'm trying to make things better instead of easier, so he actually appreciates it.

But another rich point today, more interesting. Sitting at a table with two boys who recently transferred to my continuation school from the high school up the street, one said, "You should teach there." Why? Something about them seeing me as a "real" teacher and cool, and that school being entertaining for all the fights. What's interesting is how they perceive school - this is not a real school? Why not? What makes me a "real" teacher? That is interesting.

I'm drinking masala tea. I first drank it in Ghana - one of the volunteers who left the day I arrived was from Chennai/Madras, India (where I was planning to volunteer in January) and he had brought it. I bought some in my short time in Chennai, and enjoy it. What's my point? Um, it's yummy and halfway gone and I'm crazy to drink the caffeine so late in the day. And how it's interesting that I was going to volunteer someplace that provides volunteers to other places.