Workshops and WaWa Weirdness

Today in class we continued to work on Theatre of the Oppressed. Yes, we have spent two entire days waving our arms and making strange noises at each other. For social justice. 

As always, we began class with a student-led Qigong ritual. Then we did an exercise that involved silently listening to our conversational partner for a minute. This activity was great because, as odd as it is to speak for a minute without interruption, it is really nice to just listen. Our next activity was one in which we walked around the room and practiced doing the opposite of whatever spoken orders we received. This activity was interesting to think about for multiple reasons. Participation in this activity involves rebellion on a superficial level but no one is actually rebelling, we are all following directions, albeit coded ones. Secondly, the activity requires a form of doublethink. Participants have to hold two conflicting realities in their minds in order to perform the task at hand. Also, it is useful for revealing how ingrained certain habits can become. 

Berries at the farmers' market

So delicious!

For lunch today Julia and I went to the farmers' market which is held on Wednesday every week. (I love farmers' markets!) At the farmers' market I aquired amazing golden raspberries, which I consumed in approximately 30 seconds. 

Finally, we began to make short skits about oppression in our groups from yesterday. My group focused on the challenges faced by interracial couples. My favorite part of the activity was hearing my peers experiences of racism. Personally, I find T.O. to be a frustrating medium for communication, but it is a good way to start a dialogue and I can see how it has impacted me and made me question my reality. 

Squirrel sighting of the day

After dinner in the dining commons, Julia and I roamed the campus for a while. First we tried to see if the Kelly Writer's House was open (it wasn't.) Then we explored the campus a bit more and I found a tiny community garden and it made me unreasonably happy. Then our mission of exploration became a quest to find the CVS in order to stock up on important supplies, like tape. (Mostly tape.) We finally found the CVS, though I was super wrong about its location. After that we looked for the post office (it was closed.) After this last ignominious defeat we returned to the dorms. There, I met one of the most curious squirrels yet. The squirrels here have a lack of fear that is downright frightening.

I ventured outside once more today, for a quick jaunt to the WaWa with my roommate Mayaan. Mayaan needed a buddy to go with and I felt like I needed the exercise, and Other Julia wanted milk. After my roommates convinced me that going to the WaWa in my pajamas was a socially acceptable thing to do, (why did I listen to them?) I ended up doing exactly that to buy a carton of milk. (Also, since we were all trying to get rid of our spare change, I was equipped with only quarters to pay for the milk.) Surprisingly enough, this odd behavior did not perturb anyone at WaWa in the slightest. I guess they get slightly disheveled, pajama-clad customers who buy only one item and pay in quarters all the time. All I can say is that my esteem for the WaWa has risen to even higher levels, and I still think my roommates were wrong.

I spent the rest of the night reading "Ways of Seeing," which we were assigned to read and "The Dispossessed,"  by Ursula K. LeGuin, which was suggested by one of our guest speakers. Both books are excellent but the latter of the two is going to be one of my favorite books this year.