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June 29, 2007
Photos and Collective Memories
I usually don't take many pictures from the places I travel. Somehow I get a bit fed-up with groups of tourists taking pics of the same monument and feel a bit embarrassed to do so myself. On the other hand, I also feel it a bit unneccessary to do so, since thousands and probably millions of people have photographed the Pyramids or the Westminster Abbey, what difference does it make if I take another snap or not?
However, watching this video and realising that (as the creator of the software says) "each photgraph can be linked and treated as part of the collective memory", made me change my mind. I will take lots of pictures and put them online from now on! This is wonderful!
Posted by Khodadad at 08:47 AM | Comments (2)
June 27, 2007
Yes, I am going
A few pals of mine who read these things have been worried about me and my determination to go to Iran this summer. Just to set your mind in peace, I shall tell you that I am indeed going (that was not helpful, was it?)!!!
Not to get too much into rhetoric of mutual smearing, I shall just make an analogy... if one believes all the nonesense that the media in Iran says about the US, one would never go to the United States. Now, the same is the case with what they write about Iran (at least as far as "safety" is concerned) in the American newspapers. The by now infamous picture of the young man being paraded and punished in public in Tehran because of his "western hairstyle" (published in the venerable NY Times recently) turned out to be a few months old picture of a criminal street rough.
So, my dearies, do not worry. Iran is safe to go to, and I am not doing anything but going to remote places and measuring up the archaeological sites in order to write the damned dissertation. Okay, I am concerned about the heat, agreed, but besides that, I am going to be safe and I shall update you all here.
Besides that, I am travelling a bit lately, having gone to various countries in Europe and taking a nice car-trip to very north of Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and finally managing to visit one of my absolute favourite sites, Haithabu (Old Norse Hedeby), the site of the very important and very famous southern Danish emporium which dominated the Baltic Sea trade for most of the 7th-10th centuries.
I am off to Istanbul and hopefully Antakya (the famous Antioch-on-the-Orontes of the Bible fame and once the largest city in Late Antique Syria). I have no idea how easy/hard it is going to be to travel in Turkey, but I shall try...
Posted by Khodadad at 06:31 AM | Comments (4)
June 15, 2007
Stagnation?
Not much to write about, honestly. My days are spent reading, writing, and thinking about ancient economy (who knew it needs thinking!), plus correcting the accursed final exams that a good friend FedExed to me all the way from LA. Golly, these kids write a lot!:P
I will be off to the UK to see the infamous Bactrian documents that I am going to write about. Then to Turkey to visit some sites and then to Iran, although I am a bit worried about the recent political developments, but who cares about me and my deep research into sheep droppings from 1500 years ago?!
By the way, the more I read about it, the more convinced I become that we need a new periodization for the history of West and Centeal Asia. "Ancient" and "Late Antique" and "Medieval" just don't work, we need something more relevant to the actual turn of events in that region. Maybe I should look into Chinese history for that, since they should be doing similar things... Come to think of it, I have no idea how they periodize Chinese history!
So, here I am, as you have surely realised, too deep into books to really care about the real world. I shall snap out of it, I am sure. Maybe some P. G. Wodehouse reading, eh, Jeeves?
Posted by Khodadad at 01:52 PM | Comments (4)
June 12, 2007
Germany
I am in Germany, Rostock again. Arrived in Berlin four days ago, but a I did not have any internet connexion and there was much going on. I will be here for a while and then I shall go to the UK and probably Turkey, we shall see...
I will write more later...
Posted by Khodadad at 12:21 AM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2007
Presentations
Well, we are done with the presentations, supposedly the point of this whole thing. Two days of talking about the Medieval history, which was interesting. Most of the papers were about new and sexy topics like conception of space in the Medieval church and society (essentially talking about space, this: !) and identity. It is fun to see this, Medieval history having gotten beyond figuring out wars and kings and trying some sort of cognative history, figuring out what people thought, beyond what they did.
In sharp contrast, my presentation left everyone astounded. Not because it was interesting (it was about apples and sheep and local production as a way of filling the trade deficit and providing merchant capital), but because no one had an idea of what the hell I am talking about. When I started talking about Bactria, Prof. Geary had to go and get a map so people know where these places are! Despite this, many people made great comments and poked real holes into my argument. I guess it is the great contribution of Prof. Geary, teaching his students to see the fallacies and problems in every argument, even if they are not familiar with the sources and material. In any case, I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Hanging out with the Austrians was cool too. Very similar interests and works, but a different method and more relaxed approach, methinks. It was nice to see students from a different tradition and get to chat and have dinner and lunch with them and figure out their attitude. At least so far I think the trip has been a success. Now, we are off to Austrian archives and other research resources, and I am up at 5:30!!!
Posted by Khodadad at 08:33 PM | Comments (2)
June 04, 2007
Soap
Apparently Austrians don't believe in soap. I have been to three public restrooms so far (one in the university, two in restaurants) neither of which had a soap. Water and paper-towels, but no soap, in no form. No one seemed bothered by this either!
What does this mean?
Posted by Khodadad at 02:07 PM | Comments (1)
June 03, 2007
Vienna
I am finally in Vienna, up at 5:30 due to the jet lag. Got here after a horrible 22 hour journey, courtesy of UCLA Travel Office. From LA to Philly and then to Munich, where I had to take a 5 hour train ride to Vienna. Terrible, honestly, but one cannot complain...
Things are fine. My fellow Medievalists are too busy with preparing for the two day seminar we are going to have with the medievalist students of the Austrian academy. Things seem to go fine and me and a friend of mine are sharing a rather nice apartment in Vienna. Much better than a hotel! Bis spaeter...
Posted by Khodadad at 07:41 PM | Comments (1)
June 02, 2007
LAX
Writing from the Los Angeles airport. I am off to Austria to visit the students and the faculty at the Austrian Academy of Medieval Studies. My professor has paid for the whole thing, which is very nice of him, and has also allowed me to buy my return ticket for a later time, which means I can hang out in Europe and then go to Iran. I am very excited, particularly since I will get to be at an archaeological site for two weeks in Iran and can actually get an idea of how things work.
Wish everyone a great summer and wait for later updates, hopefully frequently...
Posted by Khodadad at 09:13 AM | Comments (2)