carpe annum

Today marked the last lecture of the best course at SOAS: “Topics in the Chinese Economy.” Each week we look at specific and especially relevant issues: demographics, food, energy, living standards, environment, etc…Often times throughout the year, this class alone was the light, the truth, the hope.

Three cheers to Professor Bob Ash, one of the most dedicated, professional, and passionate academics you will ever come across. Always up to date, coherent, and endlessly interesting; it is no question in his students’ minds why he is one of the preminent scholars in his field.

I will miss his lectures, and his Bobisms. A Bobism is what I imagine British gentlemen sprinkled into their conversation back when British Gentleman still existed.

My favo(u)rite Bobism would have to be:

“…that is a totally different kettle of fish.”

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A true classic. With this one (and maybe only) album, Keith Jarrett has put himself in a class and genre on his own. I first heard this recording in Montreal from my roomate Mariko. After getting a hint of it streaming out of her room, I borrowed it to play on our kickass stereo setup in the living room. I remember sitting down on the (famous) couch (which several of you know quite well!) From the first notes, you are just transported by the new, playful, yet haunting? sounds. It’s just awesome to hear certain audience members shouting out moans of transcendence as they are carried away into the brisk Köln air.

Click the button on the right to hear the sublime Köln Concert. Listen to the whole thing if you have the time, or if not, IIc is essential.

Now I’m on a mission to collect a few more of his concerts in this ‘solo’ series, identified only by the city they were performed in.

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Ho ho ho,

So we (guys in our department) went out to Chinatown and thanks to the organization by good old Clive, had a great time.

Though we have been together since September, as it tends to happen, different cliques naturally sort of develop. It isn’t the exclusive high school concept of clique, but reather a natural separation of people that cluster together, largely according to background and language. For example, the Chinese students comprise about a third of our department and they just tend to huddle together socially. This party was great in the respect that some of those barriers came down (with a sip or two of beer of course).

Good food, good company, what else do we need?

Click on the photo to take a look at the people in our department during one of our lectures, and then the party after that.

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The master – Leonard Cohen – [audio:05 Hallelujah.mp3]

The protoge – Rufus Wainwright -[audio:Hallelujah.mp3]

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