Sky Team- 9-30-16
Yesterday, the Sky Team met together and the most important things we discussed were the “why” of our research project and the reason our topic was important to research and talk about. We concluded that our topic was important because we have the opportunity to recognize a very under-represented group of peoples (Uyghur women and Uyghur queer individuals). Through the Sky Team’s research, we begin to barely skim the surface of the construction of gender identity and expression of gender minorities in Uyghur communities. We also have to be aware of the intersections of culture, race, time period, etc., that play a huge role in how gender is expressed or repressed. Furthermore, we will be paying close attention to who is writing, talking, taking pictures, filming, etc. when analyzing the research and artifacts.
In relation, I am actively avoiding pretending like our research is going to magically improve the lives of thousands of people and that we are somehow saviors by shining light on this subject and these people. The research encompassed in our project will be in no way an in-depth study. Moreover, we as individuals have to recognize our biases when it comes to writing about a whole other group of people who we know little about. We come from a place where people can more or less (depending on individual situation, of course) talk about gender politics and queer identity—we have the opportunities and language for discussing these things. We need to be aware of how we may be mapping our biases or our language and understanding of the world onto another group of people. Honestly, it is really important for the whole class to remember the lenses that we are looking through when researching and writing about each project topic.
Story Maps Tech Lab
In class, we also learned about Story Maps and Time Maps, which are the programs that the teams will be using to create the final project. (The Story Maps and Time Maps will then be linked to the final Silk Road website!) The actual Story Map and Time Map websites do not seem too hard to understand in regards to putting information in, in order to create the final product. However, I do worry about the narrative part for our Story Maps because I am not exactly sure what a narrative looks like in the context of this project. But I am sure that all the teams will get it and understand it once that section of the project is begun.
Final Thoughts for This Week
I am nervous for our team in regards to deadlines, and I think some members of the team feel pressure about deadlines as well. We really only have a little over a month to get things done- all of the research, artifact gathering (putting those into shared shelf), and creating the Story Map. The Sky Team seems to be on a good path, and the topic seems to be igniting curiosity and enthusiasm, so I hope that procrastination does not get the best of our group members! Additionally, from talking to other students in the class and reading some other blog posts, I do not think that we are the only ones who feel behind and who are having a slow start to the project. I think that Fall Break will be a great opportunity for the entire class to catch up and move forward with the projects.
Monthly Archives: October 2016
Minus One
Sadly, Team Sky lost one. In an instance our entire project changed. Our topic and overall analysis of a specific society on the Silk Road needed revising. Unfortunately, our discussion about education regarding women in a distinct city on the Silk Road want be covered. The remaining topics are still very good interests to research but , combining them in cohesive way is the hard part. So, what do you do when the plan goes awry? My research was stalled slightly, but at the same time I was well engaged into studying the geography of the region. During our reconstruction period I explored several different cities while we worked out the kinks of our project . Our map test gave me the opportunity to understand exactly what I was dealing with. Pinpointing areas in the Tarim Basin was very interesting. While I was studying I began to realized just how phenomenal it was for a man up in age like Xuan Zang to have traveled through parts of this land.
Xuan Zang’s story is amazing and I’ll admit it inspired me. Quite frankly, his story gave me an extra push. Although we are minus one person and topic our project still has potential. Currently, we are in the middle reconstruction our ideas. As we work together to put things into place, I constantly think about Xuan Zang. I think about him crossing through desert and mountainous terrains. I think about his journey and his challenges. What it must’ve been like I wonder? In this moment of clarity I always come to realize that we can do this -minus one.
The Process: 4
A little dismayed by the inability to do much research this week, I was afraid I’d have little to post about in this blog. However, during class today we discovered the amazing world of story maps and time lines as well as how to use them. During my test map I researched a bit about spices for my side of the project concerning the food of Kashgar. One of the main spices used in the region is Cumin. This was an interesting find given that during my travels in China I did not experience many dishes that were flavored with cumin. Cumin however, is extremely popular in the Mediterranean as well as in India and Nepal (I’d soon find out it was a big deal elsewhere). The curries and sauces that are made in these regions are heavily influenced by spices like cumin and turmeric.
As for the history of cumin itself, I found several intriguing accounts online including an entire blog dedicated to the history of cumin. Go figure. According to several websites, the origin of cumin can be dated back to the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia around 4,000 years ago. Incredible. Even more incredible is the fact that the word Cumin is derived from the Sumerian word Gamun, which was written in their cuneiform script.
Moving on. The popularity of cumin in the Mesopotamia region cannot be overstated. It even made an appearance in the world’s oldest recipe collection; aka “The Yale Culinary Tablets.” In the 9th Century B.C.E. Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II threw a party where he specifically boasts about the amount of cumin he has on his table.
Just when I thought I knew enough about this legendary spice, it turns out that cumin was also used as a drug in multiple scenarios. Greek medical texts list cumin as a medicinal option that can prevent women from experiencing hysteria and Pliny the Elder, in his work Natural History, says that women who smell cumin during intercourse are more likely to conceive. The Greeks knew their spices.
But so did the Romans. A cookbook, compiled by only the snobbiest food critics of Rome, listed cumin as a “pantry essential,” a spice every well-stocked home should have. In a moment of genius, traders spread cumin into the northern regions of Europe. So popular was this spice that by the 13th century, there is record of early Britons paying their rent in cumin. Cumin was now a currency.
But you’d better believe this isn’t the end. Cumin is like the McDonalds of spices. Everywhere. Realizing that cumin must not be unique, early European traders went in search for more spices like it when they traveled on their rickety trading ships into Asia and also into the Americas. When Spanish explorers set foot in the “new world,” you’d better believe they had their cumin seeds with them. By 1600 cumin was growing in modern day New Mexico and like everywhere else, it took over and became a staple on the table.
By the 19th century, the only place Cumin hadn’t been, was inside the Whitehouse. Then came Lady Bird Johnson, first lady to the 36th President. Her “Pedernales River Chili” called for a teaspoon of cumin seeds. Cumin had touched every surface of the globe before the internet was invented. Never before was a spice so universally accepted and popular. Cumin, whose roots are so near Kashgar made its way around the world in the form of medicine, currency and finally as a condiment.
I leave you with this fantastic quote from the above blog:
“(Cumin) was thought to promote love and fidelity. People carried it to weddings and walked around with it with their pockets. It was reputed to keep lovers and chickens from wandering.”