#doktorart

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

What a unique form of happiness: to walk along New York streets in dazzling sun and have right to say "It's part of my research on multiple modernities".

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

Znalazłam notatki z lutego 2011 roku z rozmowy z Profesorem, a w nich:

- zacznij pisać, materiał sam się będzie porządkował, otwierał - materiał doprowadzi do metody - znaleźć punkt oparcia - zobaczymy, gdzie nas to doprowadzi.

Z perspektywy lutego 2016 stwierdzam, że zaprowadziło dalej, niż kiedykolwiek mogłam sobie wymarzyć. 

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

Wszystko co doskonałe, dojrzewa powoli.

Arthur Schopenhauer

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

Somehow I wish T. was right few days ago, when she said with compassionate smile "At least Shanghai is covered with this disgusting smog and you won't feel too broken hearted to leave". Somehow I knew already back then it won't be true, because Shanghai has always been giving me these beautiful departure smiles. Such as today. With fire crackers to scare off all the ghosts who might have tried to get on my way and keep me away too long. With a morning sunbeam getting into my room and bed for the first time since I've moved into this room. Thank you Shanghai. For this, and for this beautiful year. And for everything since that September long ago when I arrived here as a lost student. Hopefully I'll be back very soon and I won't be a student anymore!

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

Little prayers

Please give me enough strength to reap, as you gave me strength and seeds to sow across two continents. 

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

Best introduction I ever got at the party: "Have you met before? That's Polish chief expert on Shanghai".

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

I know I'm exceptionally blessed with my Teachers, but when one of them spontaneously invites me to have a conversation about research on Modernism in Shanghai over a cup of afternoon tea and chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream, I somehow feel even more blessed!

[cudoziemkawszangraju]

- I don’t think that constant hiding behind Baudrillard’s or Bourdieu’s or anybody else’s theory proves somebody is smart. It actually demands a lot of courage to stand by yourself behind your research and say “this is my own understanding, following my own research and life experience”. Moreover connecting everything with everything is certainly possible, but it doesn’t bring us closer to understanding things. And interestingly enough, I’ve noticed that many of those mostly quoted authorities actually didn’t rely on anyone in their cherished books.

(J.F.)