summercomfort (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summercomfort) wrote2009-10-01 11:19 pm
summercomfort) wrote2009-10-01 11:19 pm
Long time no see
Teaching is going pretty good. We just finished the Primal Religions chapter in World Religions -- I learned about Aborigine Songlines and Lakota Ghost Dances. In World History we just finished the 1500s and 1600s, and have entered the Revolutions Unit. In another month or so, I'll be back where I picked up the classes last year, so I'll have more pre-made material, which will make class prepping easier.
I've been thinking about the history of the Western US -- the relationship with Mexico, and with various Native American tribes. The Mississippi river is quite a dividing line in terms of land and peoples. And the history of Colorado, California, and South Dakota have odd resonances that just remind me how big and open the Wild West was. Various attempts to negotiate and respect treaties on both sides. Failure due to a combination of mutual suspicion and distrust and some sort of gold/silver rush and manifest destiny. And those are just the states that I've had reason to think more about recently. Lots of thoughts milling in my head about the Columbian Exchange -- the Plains Indians' lives/cultures/religions were greatly affected by the introduction of the horse. On the other hand, the Old World diseases wiped out 90% of the native population, while the New World potato boosted population growth in the Old World. The discovery of the New World effectively shifting the center of trade from the Middle East to Europe, and shifting the dominant mode of international trade from land-based to water-based.
History is exciting and full of amazing people! I'm so happy I get to learn and teach it!
Other things going on --
Jono and I will be moving across the apartment complex to #106 -- it's a 2 bedroom with a bigger living room, which will be nice because both of us are packrats and also pilers.
Pren has started at Berkeley, so yay another UCJASer! Jono recently interviewed Patrick-Luigi, so that might be another UCJASer to add to the ranks. On the other hand BADASS isn't really happening anymore. It's more like a weekly hangout thing. I'm... uncertain of how I feel about that. On the one hand, it means things are more flexible. On the other hand, there's a certain lack of direction whenever we meet up.
I've been doing some sewing recently, but more than that, I've seem to have been hit by the occasional malaise that I get in place of menstruation -- whole days spent sleeping every chance I get, very low energy, and very little gets done. Alas.
Jono will be in Connecticut this weekend. Hopefully I'll be feeling more energetic and up for doing stuff.
I've been thinking about the history of the Western US -- the relationship with Mexico, and with various Native American tribes. The Mississippi river is quite a dividing line in terms of land and peoples. And the history of Colorado, California, and South Dakota have odd resonances that just remind me how big and open the Wild West was. Various attempts to negotiate and respect treaties on both sides. Failure due to a combination of mutual suspicion and distrust and some sort of gold/silver rush and manifest destiny. And those are just the states that I've had reason to think more about recently. Lots of thoughts milling in my head about the Columbian Exchange -- the Plains Indians' lives/cultures/religions were greatly affected by the introduction of the horse. On the other hand, the Old World diseases wiped out 90% of the native population, while the New World potato boosted population growth in the Old World. The discovery of the New World effectively shifting the center of trade from the Middle East to Europe, and shifting the dominant mode of international trade from land-based to water-based.
History is exciting and full of amazing people! I'm so happy I get to learn and teach it!
Other things going on --
Jono and I will be moving across the apartment complex to #106 -- it's a 2 bedroom with a bigger living room, which will be nice because both of us are packrats and also pilers.
Pren has started at Berkeley, so yay another UCJASer! Jono recently interviewed Patrick-Luigi, so that might be another UCJASer to add to the ranks. On the other hand BADASS isn't really happening anymore. It's more like a weekly hangout thing. I'm... uncertain of how I feel about that. On the one hand, it means things are more flexible. On the other hand, there's a certain lack of direction whenever we meet up.
I've been doing some sewing recently, but more than that, I've seem to have been hit by the occasional malaise that I get in place of menstruation -- whole days spent sleeping every chance I get, very low energy, and very little gets done. Alas.
Jono will be in Connecticut this weekend. Hopefully I'll be feeling more energetic and up for doing stuff.