Five Anthropology Students and Andy

< Older | Newer >
Five Anthropology Students and Andy
I met last night with Mira of Ladythetramp.com, I met her before with Wade of VagabondJourney.com in Guatemala.

Mira is studying something about religions and related to Anthropology here in Taiwan, she is with four other students who are "something Anthropology."

Go and read Mira's blog, she has a good perspective about the world and does not try to elevate this perspective above reality. LadytheTramp.com

---------------------------------
Taipei, Taiwan
Friday, September 19, 2008
Blog of Andy HoboTraveler.com --- Add a Hotel --- Travel Bag Design Survey --- Professional Traveler Bag
----------------------------------

The word “Anthropology” is an annoying word to me, I truly can never get my mind around what is means, and it there is indeed really a person that is entitled to be called an “Anthropologist.”

Too funny, I was just reading about “Cultural Anthropology” on WikiPedia.org, the online Encyclopedia when it said,

“Cultural anthropology is one of four fields of anthropology (the holistic study of humanity) as it developed in the United States. It is the branch of anthropology that has developed and promoted "culture" as a meaningful scientific concept, studied cultural variation among humans, and examined the impact of global economic and political processes on local cultural realities.”

I think this is my problem with the word “Anthropology.” I am not sure the study of Anthropology even twinges up close to be a true science, more to me a group of people who go to coffee shops and like to talk about subjects they know very little about, however find interesting.
Think about it, I have been to 77 countries and stayed in each country from 1-2 two months minimum and in reality a lot longer. Not many people on the planet can talk in specifics about 77 cultures, with a ton of life experiences under my belt.

What there is in life are many students of Anthropology and a many a teacher, and a sincere lacking in Anthropologist who visit and learn about the cultures of countries. How do you talk about culture or a society when you cannot compare it to many others and know the classroom more than the country?

Well, I had an enjoyable evening discussing some cultural aspects of the world, this groups of student studying something to do with Anthropology were a great study of humans. There were from age 20-23 maybe, and all from the USA, a nice groups, and a culture I understand well, however we share very little in common values and culture as I have drifted far away into the sea of other cultures.

Trying to understand the word the term Mira used to described me, as her interpretation of how I affected this group. As she walked me to the bus, she said,
“You Rock them.”

I thought, hmm, interesting slang that truly is not very descriptive, however from and USA point of view, I do understand a little in a truly unclear and vague way.

American people have had their hamstrings cut mentally, emotionally and culturally by the USA culture. They have become incapable of open minded, objective, true and real understanding of other cultures. They have read so many starry eyes, love story Anthropology stories, the spin has become more important then truth and reality.

Ergo. I rock them, because I am sure I give the unedited, Non politically correct interpretations with no pretty wrappings, just reality as I see it and I believe know it.

Most people in life read about planet earth, very few people leave their own cultural cocoon and go out and live on planet earth.

In a way, I think the true study of other cultures is a solo act, I feel that Anthropology should concentrate on teaching the methodology of studying culture and stop having all these insanely stupid classed explaining the cultures. I want more people out studying and experiencing the real cultures and less people listening in a classroom.

Note, I find is culturally humorous that they all ended up talking in an expensive coffee shop similar to Starbucks more like the USA, and less like Asia.

We leave our own cultures and go searching American culture in other countries, the reason why the hamstring of Americans are culturally cut. The world live in a comfort zone of their own culture and refuse to leave the comfort zone, only want to peer out through the doors and windows to observe, too afraid to get dirty outside the classroom.

I did learn a funny phrase, "Yellow Fever," one of the girls seems to have Yellow Fever, this is when a person finds the Yellow colored skin of Asians attractive and normally goes and has sex with them.

ANTHROPOLOGY
Africa Cultural Anthropology Research
Africa Cultural Immersion
Anthro.Net Research Engine Anthropology and Archaeology
Anthropology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cultural anthropology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cultural Stages of Togo Homes
Culture
Customs of
Ethnographic realism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ethnography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ethnography
Hidden Treasure of Atakpame Togo
Intercultural Competence
Making a Record of a Culture
Margaret Mead - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mockery
One Dominant Female
Primitive and Uncivilized
Privilege
The 16th International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences
Togo Culture Identifiers
Walk a Mile in my Shoes

Five Anthropology Students and Andy < Older | Newer >
Reader Submitted Comments | Deleted Comments (0)

Chuck W0W said on Saturday September 20th, 2008 05:19:00 AM

"Andy you Rock them".I think she was damming you with faint praise.I think you can interpret her meaning as "The kids think they found the missing LINK" ! Your entertaining them Bonzo. ;)http://poll.pollcode.com/hzac

bunny said on Monday September 22nd, 2008 12:25:00 PM

The missing Link...ha ha ha

Cam, SF,CALI said on Wednesday September 24th, 2008 03:58:00 PM

I concur with Chuck WOW. I think they are goofing on you Andy. Kids can be cruel.

Andy HoboTraveler.com said on Wednesday September 24th, 2008 05:06:00 PM

When she said Rock them, she was not giving a 1960-70 use of the word "Rock."She meant like a rocking Horse, I rock them off their normal way of thinking and they do not know how to understand me, I am not fitting into any easy to define category.

Andy HoboTraveler.com said on Wednesday September 24th, 2008 10:28:00 PM

HelloMira wrote about the same night and probably explains better than me.Culture Through the Eyes of a Traveler