Culture in the Blender

I learned something interesting in my culture and psychology class the other day. Americans think that the world is more malleable than the self. (Whereas Chinese, and probably most everyone else, think that the self is more malleable than the world.) Maybe that’s why so many Americans play their music out loud without headphones on [...]

Recently, I came across an article entitled Loving Those Who Justify Inequality: The Effects of System Threat on Attraction to Women Who Embody Benevolent Sexist Ideals. It found that when men felt like their country was being criticized by a foreigner, they were more attracted to women who clearly had incorporated belevolent sexism than to [...]

Although by all standards I should be in bed, I’m procrastrinating my trolling the blogosphere. I found a very interesting interview with Aida Seif el-Dawla and Rabab el-Mahdi in the Guardian Unlimited. Both are corageous activists and feminists in Egypt, and in the article provide just the kind of explanation of context and feminist analysis [...]

Recently, I asked my grandmother for a cookie recipe that I really like. They’re very crisp and tender, and the closest cookies I’ve had like them are those “Danish butter cookies” you can buy in tins. Of course, store-bought is never as good as home-made, and the tins (at least here in the US) are [...]

Yesterday was the 90th anniversary of Finland’s independence. My mother forwarded a letter from President Halonen to all Finns abroad that her Finnish club had been sent. I find it remarkable what this says about her (President Halonen’s, not my mother’s) deep understanding of cultural globalization and its implications for her country. And sort of [...]

One of my new friends is born in Thailand. Her parents came from Laos to Bangkok, fleeing across the border between Laos and China to escape unrest. If she could go anywhere, she would go back to Thailand with a lot of money, but she feels Chinese, even though she’s never been there. Her heart [...]

After being over that horrid hotel ordeal, I’m having a blast networking. I’ve made four friends in 24 hours, and I love it. I love connecting people across disciplines, countries, cultures, and styles. Something about connecting people makes me feel calm and at peace.

I haven’t posted much lately because I’ve been very busy with my research, trying to really get somewhere. However, it’s difficult not to be reminded that not only do I live in a country that doesn’t take feminism for granted, I am in an atmosphere where discrimination can’t be discussed – a major research university [...]

I recently ordered two theses from the University of Munchen that seemed very helpful in writing my own thesis. They arrived, and although I read slowly in German compared to my mother tongues, I realized on the bus today – I’m following a discussion on quantum mechanics in relation to observable variables in surface science [...]

I took a 太极拳 (Tai4ji2quan2) class in 重庆 (Chong2qing4) sort of to have something to do over the summer. It was nice to get to know some of my traditions. I liked it, even though it’s not really something someone my age “should” be doing. I can’t help but want to be one of those [...]