I received this from my professor in
China after being in Xi’an for about a month:
ASSIGNMENT #2
Now that you have spent some time
getting used to your surroundings, it is time to step back and remember what it
was like view your surroundings with completely fresh eyes. For the second
assignment to turn in to me, I’d like you to reflect upon how your journal
entries may now reflect a bit of an "old China hand" attitude! In
order to facilitate this I would like you put your observations in an imaginary
framework as follows:
Pretend that I am an American who wants
to know something about China. Maybe a grant agency, or a market researcher or
someone looking for an alternative way of life. I know nothing about China or
your topic. Tell me what I need to know about Chinese art, medicine, business
practices, practicing Taiji, taxi cabs, leisure reading, learning English,
everyday values, what have you.
- Tell me what I may have to FORGET
about my intuitive ideas of what goes on.
Tell me what I about what DOES go on, as
far as you can see so far.
Propose some questions that you wish to
pursue, AND give me some idea of how you might be able to pursue these
questions
Tell me if there are any reasons why
pursuing these questions may difficult or uncomfortable, and what I can to do
minimize these sorts of problems
Tell me why the student of this realm of
life is important
Make use of further "focused
observations" (like the ones you did last time) while you explain these
things.
This Notebook Analysis is part of retrospective
of my life taken from emails that I sent or received on the First of the
Month.
