My dissertation AMBIVALAND: Tracing a Web of Cultural Ambivalence in Newfoundland is naturally related to the island of Newfoundland. Exploring the place has been at the roots of my project and is still part of my research. A couple of years ago, I moreover made Newfoundland my second home. For students ‘from away’ whose studies are … [Read more…]
Day one. We loaded the boat and filled all available cabinets, cubbies, and engine rooms with enough research material to last for 5 months. The boat seems unbelievably huge right now, but I know that after a month at sea it will feel like a small home. I have the same thoughts about the crew … [Read more…]
One thing I noticed during the pandemic is that everything slowed down. On a larger scale, global closures made it hard to get anything done, but I noticed it on a smaller scale too. People now take longer to respond to emails, to complete work tasks, and more. Even though some parts of our lives … [Read more…]
Being an artist, I know that creativity can’t be forced or called at the flick of a switch. Indeed, most people would likely agree that creative inspiration and production in the arts need space and time to materialize. An artist daydreaming, contemplating, apparently doing nothing appears to be quite an accepted picture. But then, artists … [Read more…]
Hey graduate students! How are you doing? I hope you are doing well, and Happy New Year to you and your family! I wish you all the best of luck along with peace, health and happiness. You did an excellent job last year, and I hope you are excited about this year, and rest of … [Read more…]
Time can be understood through natural and celestial phenomena. It is marked by changes in precipitation, lifecycles and animal movements. You can sense time’s cycle on a routine traverse through the woods. Breathe in deeply; the scent of decaying berries and leaves unmistakably mark time’s shift in the breeze. Tune your ears to the … [Read more…]
Hey graduate students! I hope you are doing well with the last days of the semester and the year. I would like to ask you a question: have you ever asked yourself what makes you different from others? I guess most of you will say “No”. Yup, no problems, but you should be yourself because … [Read more…]
I’m writing these lines sitting at St. John’s airport. I’m headed for Frankfurt, Germany again, after the first leg of the trip was cancelled due to fog and high winds yesterday. Luckily, I didn’t have any pressing appointments and could simply defer the voyage for one day. While I was never affected by a flight … [Read more…]
I recently finished my thesis and graduated with my Master’s degree. When I say recently, I submitted my thesis at the absolute last possible minute (literally 11:58 p.m.) to make the deadline to attend October 2021 convocation. I am usually very organized, I rarely procrastinate, I work normal to slightly over a full work week … [Read more…]
I run with this river, adjacent to the salmon beneath its surface. When we meet, the icy water cools the blood running through my veins, and there is balance. The energy of its current on the skin, and the life within, breathes meaning into stories of ecology, ontology, mythology, epistemology. Don’t be fooled by the … [Read more…]