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[felis_ultharus]

The worst of my two exams is over. The test was really difficult, but I think I did well on two of the three essays, if slightly incoherent. There were only four of us in the room, including a friend of mine.

I found out after the test, though, that it shall be marked by Bina, the program's most extreme postmodernist. I've been avoiding any class with her name attached to it, mostly because they're about postmodernism, and not really about the books studied in those classes.

Now I have to read a few thousand pages for next Friday. Right now, I've reading a very, very sincere 700-page novel by Rohinton Mistry about an unusual friendship that strikes up between two upper-class Parsis and two Hindu untouchables.

It's a good (though thorough) novel. But I really just want to watch anime right now, and I've got "Cloud Age Symphony" stuck in my head (Grainy video with SOUND here).

Anyway, we're considering a party and a D&D game next week, after my last exam (probably the last of my academic career, ever). The game will probably be Sunday, as per usual, but I'm happy to take suggestions for the party.

Comments

[yumemisama.livejournal.com]

Now that's an interesting novel to have to speed through. I don't know much about the caste system in India; the bulk of my education in it comes from a sociology professor who spent quite a lot of time there some years back. Mostly what I learned is that visiting scholars are evidently considered Brahmin, and therefore it drives everyone into a confused frenzy when you, a visiting scholar, stop and ask the Untouchable street sweepers to teach you how they do that swirly thing with the broom. Dr. Mahmoudi has kind of made it his life's work to be crazy in as many exotic locales as possible, though, so he probably did it on purpose. ^^;

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Untouchables aren't supposed to hear Brahmin prayers, pollute a Brahmin with their shadow, or share food with a Brahmin :/

Technically speaking, the caste system is abolished in India -- Gandhi spoke out against it, and liberal Indians profess disgust for it. Prejudical hiring practices against Untouchables are illegal.

I understand the reality is a bit more complicated -- analagous to being black in the Deep South. Segregation is officially over, but continues all the same, with occasional waves of violence against those who cross the line.

I don't know if Parsis have any status within Hindu religion, not being Hindu. There's a scene where a Brahmin cringes at being trapped in the shadow of a Parsi girl in Bapsi Sidwha's Cracking India, but it's hard to tell if he's more bothered by her religion or her sex.

The Hindu untouchables in A Fine Balance have no problem working with a Parsi, of course, and her only concerns about having them working in her home (they're her employees) is based more around hygiene than spiritual pollution.

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Oh, and while I'm here,

Happy Birthday!

[yumemisama.livejournal.com]

Thanks. ^_^ Shame you didn't end up on IRC with us last night. We were very, very silly. At one point we were spitting out 'alternative zombies' after one of my dear friends from high school reminded me of how he once played a vegetarian zombie in one of my games, and wandered around moaning for 'graaaaaaaaains'. We got a lot of good ones, but they declared me the winner of the Complete Dork Award for the evening when I proposed the Fortinbras Zombie, who moaned about "stupid Daaaaaaaaaaaanes".

Then we got into a discussion of what a wreck Hamlet's MySpace page would look, and proposed an all emo-kid production of Hamlet (where Hamlet would have at least one facial piercing, and Ophelia would have her hair dyed patchy goth black and refuse to look anyone in the eye), and it degenerated from there. XD