Saturday, August 28, 2010
A Wandering Blogger, I...
Greetings from Japan, true Ben-lievers! Or perhaps I should say "Kon'nichiwa, Nippon kara!"
As alluded to in my previous blog post, I am currently on the far side of the Pacific, a 14 hour plane ride away from my new apartment near Old Ivy. The main reason for this expedition was a science and technology studies conference where I participated in a pair of panels on the history of corporate science. Originally there was only one panel planned, but we were able to persuade the conference organizers that trying to cram 8 speakers into one 90 minute session would be a bad idea for all involved. In an attempt to be accommodating, the schedulers split the panel in half, with four people presenting in each section, though this was later reduced to three each as people dropped out.
Even though the timing of the sessions, in the last timeslot on the last day of the conference, made me uncertain there would be anyone in attendance, my responsibilities for the afternoon's events were twofold. In the first section, I presented a condensed version of a dissertation chapter. In the second, I volunteered to serve as discussant, listening closely to all of the talks and summarizing a few minor themes before opening the floor to questions. Rather few people showed up for the first section, but I think my paper went over well. (Though I am always nervous when no one asks me follow up questions. It could be a sign that people understood my work, but it could also confirm that the talk did not resonate with the audience or was deemed intellectually undemanding.) Fortunately, there were no other panels scheduled at the same time as the second panel, so we were able to muster a slightly larger crowd to witness my struggle to listen to all of the speakers and compose a semi-insightful commentary. Even now, several hours after the fact, I remain uncertain how original or insightful my ideas were, but at the very least I didn't receive any angry comments from audience members or my fellow panelists. In fact, the latter are already thinking of compiling our talks for a journal issue sometime next year...though we'll see if anything comes of it.
To be honest, I'm rather glad the conference has ended. The weather here in Tokyo has been brutally humid and while many of the classrooms where talks were conducted had air conditioning, public spaces and hallways did not and water fountains were few and far between. And let's not even get into the lack of wireless access at either the hotel or the conference venue. OK, that's not totally true. There was wifi access at the conference venue, but only in one building and only if you knew the super secret access password, which I only found out halfway through the event. This explains why I have not been blogging over the past few days. (Remember: "on wifi that does depend...") Internet access has been at something of a premium, even at my hotel where wired connections are available for 1050 yen (around $12.50), but only until noon the next day. Instead, I relied on work stations where I paid 100 Y ($1.18) for 10 minutes of access to check my e-mail.
Now that I have a little more free time, however, I decided to find an Internet cafe near the hotel and post a few thoughts on my time in Tokyo. This is a strange city to explore compared to some others I've visited. On the one hand, I have found it easy to navigate the public transit system since announcements and maps are available in both Japanese and English. On the other, once I leave the train, I find myself utterly isolated in one of the busiest cities in the world. I have three Japanese phrases at my disposal: 1. Hello. 2. Excuse me. 3. Thank you. This is enough to keep me out of serious trouble, but not enough to order food at a restaurant, for example, without having to point to a menu.
Tokyo is a metropolis in constant motion, with a constant background soundtrack provided by everything from electronic chimes on subway platforms to music blaring from speakers in the busier commercial districts. In the few qu ieter areas I have visited, like the parks north of Shibuya, there remains the constant hum of cicadas, buzzing away in defiance of the possibility of silence. This is a city in constant motion, swarming with people and traffic that come at you in the most unanticipated moments. In the week I have been here, I have nearly been run over by trucks at the Tsukiji fish market, crushed against the wall by Yomiuri Giants fans at the Tokyo Dome, and packed like a sardine into a commuter rail train. I have seen vaguely familiar products and brand names reconfigured. (Tower Records still exists here! And apparently Seven Eleven is really popular.) And I have confirmed that my impressions of Japan prior to arriving were woefully inaccurate.
Nonetheless, I have enjoyed trying to get a sense of the city, whether by visiting a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Meiji Emperor or looking out on a panoramic view from the 45th floor observatory of the city's municipal government building. I have wandered the electronics district at Akihabara and pushed through the crowded back alleys in Harajuku. And I have eaten a heck of a lot of sushi and other local delicacies. (My favorite? Dorayaki, a sort of pancake sandwich filled with bean paste) I even got a chance to catch up with an old friend and enjoy one of the most elegant multicourse dinners in recent memory, including two different soups, carp sashimi, and a large helping of Wagyu beef. Perhaps I will be able to post some photos later.
Tomorrow is my last day in Tokyo. I am planning to get a sense of its past and future by visiting some traditional gardens, a historical museum, and swinging by the famous Ginza shopping district. It should be a lot of fun and a good way to say goodbye to this city before returning home to Old Ivy and the short sharp shock of starting my fifth year in graduate school.
(0) comments
Greetings from Japan, true Ben-lievers! Or perhaps I should say "Kon'nichiwa, Nippon kara!"
As alluded to in my previous blog post, I am currently on the far side of the Pacific, a 14 hour plane ride away from my new apartment near Old Ivy. The main reason for this expedition was a science and technology studies conference where I participated in a pair of panels on the history of corporate science. Originally there was only one panel planned, but we were able to persuade the conference organizers that trying to cram 8 speakers into one 90 minute session would be a bad idea for all involved. In an attempt to be accommodating, the schedulers split the panel in half, with four people presenting in each section, though this was later reduced to three each as people dropped out.
Even though the timing of the sessions, in the last timeslot on the last day of the conference, made me uncertain there would be anyone in attendance, my responsibilities for the afternoon's events were twofold. In the first section, I presented a condensed version of a dissertation chapter. In the second, I volunteered to serve as discussant, listening closely to all of the talks and summarizing a few minor themes before opening the floor to questions. Rather few people showed up for the first section, but I think my paper went over well. (Though I am always nervous when no one asks me follow up questions. It could be a sign that people understood my work, but it could also confirm that the talk did not resonate with the audience or was deemed intellectually undemanding.) Fortunately, there were no other panels scheduled at the same time as the second panel, so we were able to muster a slightly larger crowd to witness my struggle to listen to all of the speakers and compose a semi-insightful commentary. Even now, several hours after the fact, I remain uncertain how original or insightful my ideas were, but at the very least I didn't receive any angry comments from audience members or my fellow panelists. In fact, the latter are already thinking of compiling our talks for a journal issue sometime next year...though we'll see if anything comes of it.
To be honest, I'm rather glad the conference has ended. The weather here in Tokyo has been brutally humid and while many of the classrooms where talks were conducted had air conditioning, public spaces and hallways did not and water fountains were few and far between. And let's not even get into the lack of wireless access at either the hotel or the conference venue. OK, that's not totally true. There was wifi access at the conference venue, but only in one building and only if you knew the super secret access password, which I only found out halfway through the event. This explains why I have not been blogging over the past few days. (Remember: "on wifi that does depend...") Internet access has been at something of a premium, even at my hotel where wired connections are available for 1050 yen (around $12.50), but only until noon the next day. Instead, I relied on work stations where I paid 100 Y ($1.18) for 10 minutes of access to check my e-mail.
Now that I have a little more free time, however, I decided to find an Internet cafe near the hotel and post a few thoughts on my time in Tokyo. This is a strange city to explore compared to some others I've visited. On the one hand, I have found it easy to navigate the public transit system since announcements and maps are available in both Japanese and English. On the other, once I leave the train, I find myself utterly isolated in one of the busiest cities in the world. I have three Japanese phrases at my disposal: 1. Hello. 2. Excuse me. 3. Thank you. This is enough to keep me out of serious trouble, but not enough to order food at a restaurant, for example, without having to point to a menu.
Tokyo is a metropolis in constant motion, with a constant background soundtrack provided by everything from electronic chimes on subway platforms to music blaring from speakers in the busier commercial districts. In the few qu ieter areas I have visited, like the parks north of Shibuya, there remains the constant hum of cicadas, buzzing away in defiance of the possibility of silence. This is a city in constant motion, swarming with people and traffic that come at you in the most unanticipated moments. In the week I have been here, I have nearly been run over by trucks at the Tsukiji fish market, crushed against the wall by Yomiuri Giants fans at the Tokyo Dome, and packed like a sardine into a commuter rail train. I have seen vaguely familiar products and brand names reconfigured. (Tower Records still exists here! And apparently Seven Eleven is really popular.) And I have confirmed that my impressions of Japan prior to arriving were woefully inaccurate.
Nonetheless, I have enjoyed trying to get a sense of the city, whether by visiting a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Meiji Emperor or looking out on a panoramic view from the 45th floor observatory of the city's municipal government building. I have wandered the electronics district at Akihabara and pushed through the crowded back alleys in Harajuku. And I have eaten a heck of a lot of sushi and other local delicacies. (My favorite? Dorayaki, a sort of pancake sandwich filled with bean paste) I even got a chance to catch up with an old friend and enjoy one of the most elegant multicourse dinners in recent memory, including two different soups, carp sashimi, and a large helping of Wagyu beef. Perhaps I will be able to post some photos later.
Tomorrow is my last day in Tokyo. I am planning to get a sense of its past and future by visiting some traditional gardens, a historical museum, and swinging by the famous Ginza shopping district. It should be a lot of fun and a good way to say goodbye to this city before returning home to Old Ivy and the short sharp shock of starting my fifth year in graduate school.
Monday, August 23, 2010
A Gentle-Ben in Japan
Really, I should be writing about my new apartment and the recent conclusion of my fellowship in the big city, but right now this seems far more relevant.
My apologies in advance to Gilbert, Sullivan, and anyone who likes or is even remotely familiar with their work.
(ahem)
If you want to know where Ben is...
He'll be traveling to Japan.
On a jet for fourteen hours
Or at least that is the plan.
He's going to give a talk.
Ideally, said talk will rock.
If not then the crowds will mock...Oh!
You may think this is all a scheme
To go on a fun-filled trip.
Well you sure know how to dream
This is simply for scholarship.
Perhaps you suppose that Ben
Will blog his trip once again
On wifi that does depend,
Oh! Oh!
On wifi that does depend...
If you want to know where Ben is,
He'll be traveling to Japan
By train, then jet,
and maybe van?
For many, many, many, many
Many, many, many, an hour
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
He has a talk
It's in JA-PAN!
(applause)
(0) comments
Really, I should be writing about my new apartment and the recent conclusion of my fellowship in the big city, but right now this seems far more relevant.
My apologies in advance to Gilbert, Sullivan, and anyone who likes or is even remotely familiar with their work.
(ahem)
If you want to know where Ben is...
He'll be traveling to Japan.
On a jet for fourteen hours
Or at least that is the plan.
He's going to give a talk.
Ideally, said talk will rock.
If not then the crowds will mock...Oh!
You may think this is all a scheme
To go on a fun-filled trip.
Well you sure know how to dream
This is simply for scholarship.
Perhaps you suppose that Ben
Will blog his trip once again
On wifi that does depend,
Oh! Oh!
On wifi that does depend...
If you want to know where Ben is,
He'll be traveling to Japan
By train, then jet,
and maybe van?
For many, many, many, many
Many, many, many, an hour
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
He has a talk
It's in JA-PAN!
(applause)
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
How Can You Be in Two Places at Once?
For those who care:
Apartment Search 2010 has finally ended and by the end of the weekend I will have moved into a nice one bedroom a mere ten minute drive from campus. There will still be trips back and forth between Old Ivy and the Big City [TM] as I clean out my office and formally conclude my fellowship, but otherwise my days as a long-distance commuter will soon be over. Whether or not this will dramatically alter my social life is unclear, particularly given the looming background presence of my dissertation, but it will be nice to get home at a reasonable hour after hosting pub quizzes.
Not that my blogging has been particularly regular lately, but this hiatus will continue until my transition between apartments is complete.
(0) comments
For those who care:
Apartment Search 2010 has finally ended and by the end of the weekend I will have moved into a nice one bedroom a mere ten minute drive from campus. There will still be trips back and forth between Old Ivy and the Big City [TM] as I clean out my office and formally conclude my fellowship, but otherwise my days as a long-distance commuter will soon be over. Whether or not this will dramatically alter my social life is unclear, particularly given the looming background presence of my dissertation, but it will be nice to get home at a reasonable hour after hosting pub quizzes.
Not that my blogging has been particularly regular lately, but this hiatus will continue until my transition between apartments is complete.
