La Nueva Sincrética: Sometimes I go to class too

This past week, we had parciales (mid terms); I have never been less prepared for important examinations in my life.  My academic experience in Peru has been an adjustment.  First, there was the language barrier; in most classes I found my Peruvian classmates harder to understand than my professors.  The obvious exception being my Arqueology professor; he speaks “entre dientes” and I still only catch one word in five.   

Furthermore, the structure of Peruvian Universities is completely different; by this I mean there is a general lack of structure.  This is not to say its better or worse, harder or easier; it’s just different.  In one of my classes we basically don’t have assigned readings (except for three groups of articles that we need to read for our three “controls”-reading quizzes) or homework.  My exams were all between 2 and 3 hours, and consisted of extremely open-ended essay questions-a far cry from Collin’s epic take home exams.    

In general, I have been struggling with focus and motivation.  I can’t shake the feeling of being “en media de nada”.  In abstract my courses are interesting enough, but I am not studying the things that interest me most; it almost makes me miss MatLab.

But that’s not to say that my experience in la Católica has been a complete waste.  I really like Contemporary Peruvian Narrative; a class that focuses on the origins of the literary style: “indigenismo” and its evolution through the work of Jose María Arguedas and Mario Vargas Llosa.  The professor studied in the United States, and understands what it means to be an “extranjero”; she is sympathetic to the foreign students without being condescending.  

The experience of being a racial or cultural minority is intimately tied to the central theme of the course.  Our midterm focused on Los Ríos Profundos by Arguedas.  This semi-biographical novel focuses on the development of Ernesto, an adolescent misti who is trapped between two worlds.  Through Ernesto, Arguedas questions the implications of modernization for Andean culture, and contemplates the social changes necessary to implement modernization without acculturation.  (All the while giving some pretty spectacular descriptions of nature and Inca stonework!)     

I spent most of my time studying for Narrativa because it is my only class that is worth the effort (“el unico que vale la pena”).  Over the weekend I reviewed the readings and course themes with a group of friends; while studying in my house we watched a series of YouTube videos that more or less encapsulate the central themes of the novel:

Diversity of Peru

“No, no hay país más diverso, más multiple en variedad terrena y humana; todos los grados de calor y color, de amor y odio, de urdimbres y sutilezas, de símbolos ultilizados e inspiradores.” –Jose María Arguedas

The migrant experience

“La vasta discursividad arguediana examina casi siempre con optimismo la fortaleza o la astucia (la ‘plasticidad cultural’ diría Rama) que permite al hombre andino apropriarse selectivamente de atributos que le son ajenos y enriquecer con ellos su experiencia del mundo.” –Antonio Cornejo Polar

The Nostalgia of the Foreigner

“Después de todo, migrar es algo así como nostalgia desde un presente que es o debería ser pleno las muchas instancias y estancias que se dejaron allá y entonces, un allá y un entonces que de pronto se descubre que son el acá de la memoria insomne pero fragmentada y el ahora que tanto corre como se ahonda, verticalmente, en un tiempo espeso que acumula sin sintetizar las experiencias del ayer y de los espacios que se dejaron atrás y que siguen perturbano con rabia o con ternura.” –Antonio Cornejo Polar

Acculturation vs. Adaptation-About the Mestizo Project   

 “Yo no soy un aculturado; yo soy un peruano que orgullosamente, como un demonio feliz, habla en Cristiano y en indio, en español y en quechua.  Deseaba convertir esa realidad en lenguaje artístico y tal parece, según cierto consenso más o menos general, que lo he conseguido.” –Jose María Arguedas

The Importance of Language

“El problema era cómo cruzar esta distancia y llegar al lector; mostrarle la sociedad andina de tal forma que pudiera ver al mismo tiempo ‘su propio rostro’.  Arguedas vio que la dificultad técnica básica era el lenguaje.  El lenguaje y la cultura son indivisibles, y por lo tanto no era fácil que el español se convirtiera en un vehículo para la cultura y la sensibilidad quechua.” –William Rowe

Social Change

“La chichera encarna la promesa de una cultura emergente…el drama de la modernidad no se actúa solo en las grandes ciudades ni sus actores pertenecen en exclusividad, a las capas ilustradas.” –Peter Elmore

But don’t worry we made room for fun as well; my study group and I made time to go to la Noche en Blanco, an event in Barranco.  La Plaza Central was transformed into a concert venue for a series of concerts (Lucho Quequezana, DJ Hanna Has, and Dengue Dengue Dengue) and the streets were filled with installations of contemporary art and architecture.  The art was…interesting, and the butt of many jokes about the Post Modern World, but the event was a great way to have fun and get culture on a Saturday night. 

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La Casa Verde-coincidentally a book by Mario Vargas Llosa

 Photo credit Kelly Carasco

When I was skimming through “separatas” (photocopies of various chapters from the Handbook of South American Archaeology of questionable legality) on the combi en route to my exam I had an epiphany of sorts.  Supposedly I was reviewing for my archaeology exam, but the only things that really interested me were the descriptions of geography of South America and the geologic context for the archaeological sites.  I got really excited when my archaeology textbook recommended that I read Science for more information about plant domestication.  Guess I am lucky to be studying what I truly love back home in the States.