[HKAS Seminar] Is Death the End? Senses of Life After Death in Guangdong and Hong Kong

Title: Is Death the End? Senses of Life After Death in Guangdong and Hong Kong
Speaker: Kwong Miu Ying (Mphil student, Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Date and time: 2 July 2015, 7:00pm 
Venue: Lecture Hall, Ground Floor, 100 Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 

***************************************************************

Death poses an ultimate threat to our lives and our sense of security in this world. Life after death has always been a point of concern among people in different parts of the world and various religions and local beliefs offer diverse depictions of what an afterlife is like. This talk explores how individuals in Guangdong and Hong Kong envision what will happen to them after they die. Guangdong, like many other parts of China went through the socialist era when religions and supernatural beliefs and practices were banned. While the atheist education in that period has produced numbers of non-believers in the afterlife and even atheists, many seem to be increasingly interested in this issue since the reform era. Graveyard and related businesses are now heavily invested in. Offerings for the deceased have grown in variety to include the most up-to-date models of cell phones. What do these trends tell us about changes in senses of afterlife among Chinese in recent decades? Compared to Guangdong, people in Hong Kong have enjoyed relative religious freedom, although the government favored Christianity among other religions under the colonial rule. Its historical trajectory gives rise to a different scene in terms of senses of life after death. Based on months of in-depth interviews, this talk addresses individuals’ deepest fears and how they tackle them with or without an imagination of an afterlife.

The lecture is conducted in English. All are welcome. (Space, however, is limited to 139 seats.)

For more information, please contact Stan Dyer on 9746 9537 or anthrohk@gmail.com.

[IOFC Activity] Fieldtrip to Wolong (臥龍), Sichuan (24–28 September, 2015)

FIELDTRIP TO WOLONG (臥龍), SICHUAN

Flyer of the event

The Institute of Future Cities (IOFC), in collaboration with Hong Kong Discovery, is organizing a fieldtrip to Wolong (臥龍) Sichuan. If you’re interested in post-disaster management, tourism and international development, this is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the recent changes in Wolong since the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

During this trip, participants will visit the Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre to learn more about environmental conservation and natural resources management. They will explore local farms, villages and temples to understand Wolong’s community, history and culture. More importantly, they will study and discuss more about the 5.12 Earthquake Rehabilitation Project and other development projects. Participants will also see museums, exhibitions, heritage sites and etc.

All students enrolled in the BA Anthropology or BA Cultural Management programmes are welcomed to apply, but preference will be given to senior students. Participants are required to write a post-fieldtrip report, which will be a great chance for them to exchange and learn from each other’s different disciplinary backgrounds and expertise.

Dates: 24th–28th September, 2015 (5-day trip)
Cost: The cost of airfare, local transportation, lodging and food are covered by Hong Kong Discovery. However, participants are required to pay for their own travel insurance package of approx. HK$110.
Eligibility: BA Anthropology or BA Cultural Management students. Priority
will be given to senior applicants.
Deadline: 10th July, 2015 (Fri)

To apply, please visit http://goo.gl/forms/NirOJvNyGx and fill in your personal details, degree name, year, etc. Successful applicants will be notified via email by July 17, 2015 (Fri). 

For enquiries, please email Ms. Leanne Fung at leannefung@cuhk.edu.hk.

[In the press] 專訪王芊霓－－研究廣場舞的歷程與心得

本系哲學碩士生王芊霓最近接受了四個媒體訪問，分享她研究中國廣場舞的歷程與心得。王芊霓自8歲就學習中國舞蹈，2013年開始研究廣場舞。在研究期間，她在河南進行了半年的田野考察，先後接觸了6支廣場舞隊，並與20多位舞者進行深入採訪。對於被污名化成“廣場舞大媽”的舞者，王芊霓以深入的剖析帶出另一番見解。

環球人物網截圖

詳情：

南都週刊。2015。廣場舞是大媽的“心靈按摩”。載《南都周刊》，5月16日。

（相關連結：http://www.nbweekly.com/news/china/201505/38886.aspx）

羅昕。2015。廣場舞大媽不應成為笑料，她們是“第一代孤獨母親”。載《澎湃新聞》，4月10日。

（相關連結：http://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1319318）

黄茜。2015。跳跳廣場舞怎麼就丟人了? 載《南方都市報》，4月17日，版RB12。

（相關連結：http://epaper.oeeee.com/epaper/C/html/2015-04/17/content_3408865.htm?div=2）

余馳疆。2015。為廣場舞大媽正名：她們是第一代孤獨母親。載《環球人物》，5月15日 。
（相關連結： http://www.hqrw.com.cn/2015/0515/25851_4.shtml）

The 8th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum

The 8^th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum

“Transforming Asian Anthropology:Dialogues and Imaginations”

22-23 January, 2016

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Department of Anthropology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, invites graduate students in Asia and elsewhere to present their current research at our 8^th Postgraduate Student Forum: “Transforming Asian Anthropology: Dialogues and Imaginations”. The Forum, to be held 22-23 January 2016 (Friday and Saturday) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, will showcase the best of students’ contemporary research on Asia.

Hong Kong is a global city, a major node for trade, transportation, and the exchange of ideas. This Postgraduate Student Forum seeks to encourage the communication among young anthropologists and other social scientists all over the world, to help improve their research and to make the excellent research being conducted in Asia to be better known internationally.

Presentations and Panels

We accept proposals for individual papers only this year. Papers of different topics are welcome, ethnographic work preferred. Papers will then be organized into panels. Each paper presentation will last 15 minutes; PowerPoint and multimedia equipment will be provided. The language of the forum will be English.

How to Apply

Application procedure and additional information can be found at

http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/pgforum/

Deadline for abstract is 16 October 2015.

Forum Dates

22-23 January 2016 (Friday and Saturday)

Contacts

Email: anthforum@cuhk.edu.hk

Telephone: +852 3943 7670

從瞭解文化差異到感受文化衝擊：一個人類學學生到墨西哥交流的體驗（二）

本系的文學士畢業生陳子晴(Cora)在2012－2013年度參與大學的交流計劃，到墨西哥修習一年。 在旅程中，Cora遇到不少「文化衝擊」，並努力嘗試克服及適應墨西哥與香港間的文化差異(詳情請閱讀上篇)。在暑假的時候，Cora以實習生身份在秘魯亞馬遜雨林的一個環保組織工作，得到不少有趣的體驗。

記：記者

C：Cora

記：為什麼你會選擇到亞馬遜雨林做義工？修讀人類學的你應該對環境生態不太熟悉，為何會作出這個大膽的挑戰？

C：小時候，我久不久就會回鄉探望祖父母。祖父母居住在內地一個郊外村落，因此勾引起我對大自然的興趣。我亦常常收看BBC(英國廣播公司)的大自然紀錄片，尤其喜愛David Attenborough製作及主持的節目。入大學的時候我本想選修環境科學或相關的科目，卻誤打誤撞進了人類學系。因此，看到在秘魯亞馬遜雨林工作的環保組織招募義工的時候，我既驚又喜──一方面我並沒有這方面的專業知識，另一方面那變得遙遠的童年夢想又好像觸手可及。在這個時候，我留意到此機構同時在招募專責行政工作的實習生。由於行政工作並不需要用上對環境生態的專業知識，但又能讓我到森林遊歷，完全是理想中的工作！因此，我便決定一試，申請了機構實習生的位置。

Cora在秘魯實習期間工作及居住的地方

記：那你主要工作內容是做什麼？

C：工作內容是依據實習時間的長度、實習生的西班牙語水平及其積極性而定。我負責的工作包括整理機構海量的文獻資料庫、尋找與大學及義工機構合作的機會、及到機場迎接義工等。忘了一提，機構的辦公室同時是我實習期間居住的地方，因此整理「辦公室」亦是我的責任──清洗碗碟、執拾房間、清潔浴室等等。在辦公室實習了兩星期後，我終於有機會到機構的研究保育中心(Amazon Research Conservation Centre，簡稱ARCC)工作一星期。我跟隨不同的隊伍及研究員進行研究，例如雀鳥隊、哺乳動物隊及一個研究蝴蝶的研究員。其中一些工作包括觀察及紀錄雀鳥、記下附近環境的資料、追蹤一些指定類別的猴子等等。

記：在做義工的過程中你有什麼有趣或難忘的經歷嗎？

C：最難忘的事情莫過於我跟爬行動物隊於夜間進行考察的時候看到一條蛇(英文學名:Black-headed calico snake)正在吞吃一隻老鼠。我們逗留了接近一小時去看這條蛇把老鼠完全吞下去！除了看到各種雨林獨有的動物之外，在叢林的生活亦出乎易料的自在──沒有網絡及訊號的生活讓我能夠閱讀及做更多自己喜歡的事。與一大班來自美國、英國、歐洲及當地的人相處對我來說亦是另一種文化交流的體驗；而跟機構的創辦人一家人一起居住就像跟寄養家庭一起生活。在這裡的日子實在太美好，促使我作出了另一個抉擇：取消到有秘魯文化首都之稱的庫斯科旅行，只為了在機構多留五天！

亞馬遜雨林的一角(Cora攝)

記：擁有人類學視野的你在工作中有沒有得到什麼啟蒙？

C：我工作的機構位於秘魯一個名叫馬爾多納多港(Puerto Maldonado)的城市。在實習期間的某一天，同事們忽然興致勃勃地討論一宗新聞：在亞馬遜雨林生活的一群部落族人忽然在河邊聚集並發出聲浪，似是要求在河對岸生活的村落居民給予食物；村民有見及此便把部分食物以小船送給他們；但第二天該部落族人又在河邊聚集，而且這次更多人，有些更拿著疑似弓箭的東西，結果把在河對岸的村民都嚇壞了。由於村落跟馬爾多納多港也有好一段距離，由城市運送食物到村內起碼需要一兩天時間，故村民擔心族人得不到食物的話會以弓箭傷害他們(之前曾發生族人射殺外來者的事件)；而且若然把食物全都送出，他們自己也沒有足夠糧食渡日。最後當地政府及人道組織成員介入，疏散並安置村民。事件再次引起當地人討論原始部落(當地媒體稱之為uncontacted people)與周邊族群融合的問題。他們之所以被列為uncontacted(不主動接觸)主要是因為原始部落族人缺乏「現代人」所擁有的抗體，接觸的話會把疾病傳給他們，間接「滅族」。同事分析族人這次的行為很可能是源於森林生態被眾多不同團體破壞，使部落族人不能以一貫的方式（如打獵，採摘等）獲得食物，故主動「現身」要求食物。

當時的報導標題：Some 150 uncontacted indigenous people are seen in Tambopata

除此之外，馬爾多納多港是秘魯其中一個最富有及生活指數最高的城市(雖然單看城市景觀一點都看不出來)。它之所以富有，是因為其地理位置非常接近亞馬遜雨林，吸引了大班不同背景身份的人到該城謀事，衍生了團體之間複雜的關係及造成了各種拉鋸與利益衝突。那些團體包括伐木公司、採礦公司、以打獵或採摘堅果牟利的商人、當地商人、旅行社、保育和人道團體、地區政府等。若以背景劃分，則有本地人、來工作的外省人、旅客、部落族人、及在不同機構工作、實習、做義工或在森林做研究的外國人(以英、美、歐洲為主)等等。

就以義工機構為例：以我所知，在當地的保育或人道團體多由外國人創立，並聘請外國人及當地人為員工。我工作機構的創辦人是在南非出生長大的英國人(或南非人，視乎我們用國藉抑或「血緣」來定義)，而他太太(也是創辦人之一)是秘魯人；機構成員多為英國人，也有秘魯人。與機構直接有關係的組織包括當地政府、擁有地權的當地人、以及其聘請的秘魯員工、接待的旅客（例如是某實習生的家人）及合作的旅館。機構正嘗試向當地政府申請森林裡用作為保育中心近十一公頃範圍的地權；若申請成功，他們將能禁止其他團體入內伐木、打獵、採摘等。他們最近成功購得該地，但我不清楚那是否代表他們同時取得政府認可，並有絕對權力決定該地的用途。

而與機構間接有關係的則包括所有利用森林資源牟利的團體。保育團體與他們幾乎是敵對關係。保育團體斥責他們傾倒有毒廢料、破壞雨林及附近居民的生活環境，他們及部分當地人、外省人亦同時怪責這些團體影響其生計。在我逗留期間，我聽說那些牟利團體的員工因為政府頒布了禁令禁止他們在森林某部分擷取資源而聚集起來堵塞其中一條主要道路以示抗議。這卻令我想到「雨林誰屬？」的問題。打著保育旗號的外國人雖然致力保護消失中的森林，但又應如何與依賴森林資源的居民及商人協調取得平衡？此外，伐木、採礦、打獵、採摘堅果的公司常被視為邪惡化身，只顧利益不顧環境，但其實我們都在消費森林資源──就以雨林盛產的巴西堅果為例，它被加工使用在不同的化妝及護膚品中。既然我們在購物時亦不知不覺使用了森林資源，我們又怎可以把責任全推到他們身上呢？

當地人與原始部落的交集、不同團體之間的關係、外省秘魯人與當地人之敵視或姻親、政府在保育團體和牟利公司中的角色⋯⋯不同持份者的身份和關係千絲萬縷。總括而言，該城真是人類學家的「聖地」──除了可近距離了解世上碩果僅存的原始部落，也看到城市中不同團體間多變複雜的關係，在短短一個月裡我所看到的實在大大超出期望！

Cora與其他義工、實習生及創辦人（前排左四）合照

記：那裡的工作對你有什麼啟發或是如何改變了你？

C：關於雨林誰屬的問題絕對是刺激我思考的一大議題。是次經驗亦讓我認識到非牟利保育團體的運作及難處等等(其實他們不是完全非牟利，他們透過接待旅客、義工和實習生等賺取利潤，以支持基本營運及利用營利拓展「業務」(如製作短片、購買保育研究中心等))。另外，如何提高機構的知名度，或如何把機構的訊息有效散播出去也使我非常傷腦筋。我常常在想，不同的非牟利機構皆有一套訊息想傳遞，旨在爭取更多的關注及捐款。但不知是訊息太泛濫，宣傳方法太無趣，還是訊息本身未能使受眾覺得與自身有聯繫－－大眾好像對這些議題都缺乏適度的關注。這個問題我到現在仍不斷思考，歸根究底，是什麼令社會之間、人與人之間出現阻隔？是什麼令人們對某些議題缺乏關注？另外，在機構工作的人都有一個共通點，就是他們有非常強的動力、信心和意志力。即使似是天馬行空的想法，他們都沒有質疑或失去信心。有些想法被提出來，他們就會馬上開始討論如何實行等細節，這跟我做決定時思前想後及顧慮多的性格幾近相反，故他們的動力對我有一定正面的影響。

在墨西哥的體驗對Cora有不少的影響，亦引起了她對生活及社會各種現象的反思。從經歷「文化衝擊」、到克服文化差異、再到挑戰自己、追尋夢想，當中遇到的困難和所需的勇氣絕對不少。同學們趁年輕也不妨離開自己的舒適圈，到他國遊歷一下，說不定也別有一番體會！

Coming of Age with “Internet Addiction”: Institutional Encounters and Subject Formation of Chinese Youngsters

Since 2005, “internet addiction” has been treated as a mental disorder in China. Treatment camps for internet addiction are widely established across China to save Chinese youths and their families. Yet, the media depicts the “dark” side of these unauthorized institutions, and discloses the series of physical tortures suffered by the youngsters being sent to these centres.

Rao Yichen presenting his research at the Hong Kong Museum of History

Rao Yichen, an MPhil student of our Department, had delivered an anthropological talk* on the topic “Coming of Age with “Internet Addiction”: Institutional Encounters and Subject Formation of Chinese Youngsters” at the Hong Kong Museum of History last Thursday. He conducted three-month ethnographic fieldwork in a treatment camp to find out whether or not the news were doing justice to these institutions, what kinds of treatments, effective or not, the youngsters had received, and how these camps had informed us about Chinese society.

Living room of the youngsters in the treatment camp

The camp he conducted fieldwork at employed different therapeutics and set up various units—drillmaster team, psychological group, clinical unit, nursing unit, leisure activity group and parents group—to treat the youngsters. Uniformity and discipline were emphasized in the camp, in which the youngsters had to follow a daily schedule, wear military uniform and receive training. Pleasure control had been viewed as the key, since these youngsters were believed to have problem in impulse control. Yichen highlighted the use of Morita therapy (森田療法) in the camp, which was a Japanese therapy designed for patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder. The therapy commonly took a month. At first, the youngster would be isolated in a single room with no one to talk to, and left to his or her own mind. He or she would be given a pen in the second week to write anything, which could be reflections or creative writings. In this treatment, the soul could either be the prison, or the other way round, the savior of the body.

The youngsters and their parents attending psychological lectures together

Yichen noted that the youngsters had invented their local currency—the piece of bread distributed after dinner—in the treatment camp which enabled them to exchange and reciprocate. The “bread system” informed social actions and helped the youngsters to establish relationships, hence contributing to the formation of a community in the camp.

The whole treatment required six months for completion. Length of the treatment period was important—the youngsters might attach to the institution if they stayed there too long, or could still be at the stage of conversion if the duration of the treatment was too short.

Yichen concluded that the term “internet addiction” was only meaningful in the context. Different societies had their own ways in controlling the “abnormalities”. What shall not be overlooked was the discourse that subjected youngsters to “internet addiction” in the first place.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

*The talk was jointly presented by The Hong Kong Anthropological Society and the Hong Kong Museum of History. The list of upcoming talks can be found at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/hkas/. The talks are free of charge and open to the public.

2015 FYP Forum Highlights

This year FYP Forum was successfully held on Apr 20, 2015. 27 students presented their project on diverse topics relating to consumption, identity construction, heritage and conservation, popular culture, biopolitics, work and discipline, life course, activism, and altruism.

Presenters of 2015 FYP Forum

Our students and teachers voted to select the best three presentations among the 27 interesting presentations. This year the first prize went to Cheung Shuk Ching Salina, who worked on the topic “Volunteer Work―Who Does It Really Help?” The second and third prizes were respectively awarded to Yuen Ka Sin Claudia for her project entitled “Rethinking “Helping Others”: Homelessness & Youth Activism” and Lam Ka Ki Kiki for her project “A comparative study of university museum, the Nicholson Museum of the University of Sydney and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong”.

Prof. Gordon Mathews and awardees of 2015 FYP Forum: (from left to right) Cheung Shuk Ching Salina, Lam Ka Ki Kiki and Yuen Ka Sin Claudia

To read more about the final year projects of this year forum’s awardees, please visit: http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/tc/fyp.php. 

[HKAS Seminar] Coming of Age with "Internet Addiction": Institutional Encounters and Subject Formation of Chinese Youngsters

Title: Coming of Age with "Internet Addiction": Institutional Encounters and Subject Formation of Chinese Youngsters
Speaker: Rao Yichen
Date and time: 28 May 2015, 7:00pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, Ground Floor, 100 Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

***************************************************************

"Internet addiction" has been treated as a mental disorder in China since 2005. The past ten years have witnessed the rise and fall of a national campaign to "rescue" the 24 million "Internet addicts" in China. Some of them sat in an internet café for days or weeks without eating or drinking. Some committed suicide as a result of one quarrel after another with their parents. Some killed their parents as they "lost their sense" in the world on-line. Treatment camps for internet addiction were established across China under the mission of saving Chinese youths and their families. However, the media coverage of these institutions "disclosed" their "dark" and disruptive sides. Young people sent to these centers were said to have gone through a series of physical tortures - some were even trained to death. Based on three months' ethnographic fieldwork in a treatment camp based on different therapeutics, this talk gives an inquiry into the discipline and resistance, the institutional encounters and the subject formations of the youngsters who underwent the treatment of "internet addiction".

The lecture is conducted in English. All are welcome. (Space, however, is limited to 139 seats.)

For more information, please contact Stan Dyer on 9746 9537 or anthrohk@gmail.com.

從瞭解文化差異到感受文化衝擊：一個人類學學生到墨西哥交流的體驗

人類在不同的環境中創造出不同的社會、政治、經濟及宗教體系。修讀人類學能培養我們的理解與分析能力，讓我們對文化制度之間的異同有更敏銳的觸角。然而，了解文化之間的差異是一回事，要適應這種差異又是另一回事。本系的文學士畢業生陳子晴(Cora)在2012－2013年度參與大學的交流計劃，到墨西哥──一個由語言到風俗都跟香港截然不同的地方──修習一年。在這一年中，究竟Cora遇到了什麼「文化衝擊」(cultural shock)，而她又是如何克服並適應墨西哥與香港間的文化差異？

記：記者

C：Cora

記：大學的交流計劃有眾多地點可以選擇，當中有不少都是能用英語/普通話作溝通語言的地點，為何你會選擇到以西班牙語作官方語言的墨西哥交流呢？

C：坦白說，去墨西哥交流是一個意外⋯⋯當時要選擇最多十個地方，填完第九個後，我覺得最後一欄空著不好看，所以就填了墨西哥。心裡想著，反正不會抽中吧！哈哈，答案很令人失望吧？雖然得知結果後難免有點驚訝和不知所措，但我很快就接受了並開始準備。其實，每個人去交流的目的各有不同，有的是對某個國家很有興趣，有的是想學某種語言，有的是想修讀某大學的專科，而我則是純粹想看看外面的世界，尋找一下靈感或生命的方向，所以對於我來說，目的地並不那麼重要，重要的是那地方是否能夠滿足我冒險好奇的渴望，而墨西哥的「異國風情」就正正能滿足這個條件。亦因為如此，雖然身邊的人都跟我說墨西哥有多麼危險，但我都沒有絲毫動搖，反而更加期待旅程。

記：在墨西哥生活一年的時間裡應該遇到不少文化衝擊吧？

C：參與派對應該是我面對最大的文化衝擊。對我而言，享受派對並不是自然的事，而是一樣我需要學習的事。喝酒，我不感興趣；抽煙，我不會嘗試；跳舞，我不懂竅門；沒意義的閒聊讓我覺得無聊。驅使我參與派對的原因就只有一個──體驗一下別的生活模式。以我有限的派對經驗，我嘗試分析在這種場合會用上的社交模式：跳舞主要是為了讓人放鬆，大家都是隨著強勁的節奏擺動身體，好不好看反而是其次；音樂是由重覆性的歌詞和刺激官能的節拍組成，讓人能暫緩思考；派對中所進行的對話是不著邊際的閒聊，過後很快就會被遺忘。

Cora出席朋友的生日派對

而這個文化衝擊亦引伸至另一個問題──我好像與其他交流生不太投契。孤陋寡聞是其一, 話不投機是其二。我連香港的流行文化都不太熟悉，更遑論歐美或墨西哥的流行文化。缺乏共同話題讓我難以在派對中建立友誼，結果就一直當個旁觀者。

記：那在日常溝通方面可有遇到什麼困難？

C：在墨西哥，跟人打招呼的方式是輕輕擁抱，面貼面親一下；熟一點的朋友會抱得緊一點。對於這種打招呼的方式，我一開始也少不免會有點不習慣，畢竟第一次見面就親親抱抱感覺有點怪，所以起初也少不免有點僵硬和不自在──別人是面貼面，但我有時卻是面撞面。不過後來熟習了，就覺得完全沒問題，反而認為這種打招呼的方式也不錯──至少人與人之間肢體距離所造成的隔膜好像減少了。不過有些剛認識的人會擁抱得較熱情，也有少部分人會直接親我的面頰，這使我很不習慣。另外，有些人在聊天時會站得比較近，令我不期然會想後退，與對方保持一段距離。有一次大概我真的表現得太不自在，令對方忍不住問我怎麼了，使場面瞬間變得很尷尬⋯⋯當然，受過人類學的訓練，我知道肢體距離的差異是文化差異的一種，但明白歸明白，不自在的感覺始終會有，也唯有隨著時間慢慢習慣。

除此之外，我那初階的西班牙語也嚴重影響了我的交流生活。之前完全沒想過在一個陌生語境生活會怎樣，出發時報讀了中大的初階西班牙語就心安理得以為自己來到墨西哥應該死不了。結果那些初階西班牙語幾乎全都派不上用場。讓我最介懷的是，因為我不懂西班牙語，所以我參與學校的義工團時無法跟鄉村小學的小朋友們溝通。當有小朋友跟我聊天問我一些關於中國、香港的事的時候，我的回應往往是"QUE? Mas lento/repite, por favor" (什麼？可以慢一點/重覆一次嗎？)那刻的感覺真的很差。而且有時翻譯也未必有用，始終直接的溝通是無法取代的。另外，在做檢討的時候義工們滔滔不絕地分享感受、進行討論，我真的非常希望能參與其中，跟其他國家的人交流想法。如此寶貴的機會，我卻因為不諳西班牙語而白白浪費掉！我唯一可以做的就只有觀察，觀察他們語言以外的表達，從間中聽懂的詞語來猜來龍去脈。其實我絕對有一個很好的環境讓我好好學習西班牙語，但問題是我認識的詞彙根本不足以應付日常對話，任他說一千次我都不會聽懂。我知道學習語言急不來，但因為語言而失去的機會也著實令我覺得可惜。然而，可幸的是那時我一直懷著一鼓樂觀的傻勁，隨著西班牙語一天一天地進步，我也能一步一步地融入當地。

Cora與西班牙語課程的老師及同學合照

記：除此之外，當地人還有什麼習慣是你要重新適應的？

C：對於我這個非常守時的人來說，要適應墨西哥人的時間觀念真是一大挑戰。那不是一般早到遲到的問題──支撐著"Mexican Time"的是整個民族的時間觀念及其獨特的民族性。簡單來說，墨西哥人的時間觀念跟我一向習慣的時間觀念有本質上的差別。若你被邀請去一個九點開始的派對，你十一點到還算早，十二點多到就剛剛好。我上的Mexican Culture課程其中一篇讀物提到於晚間派對遲到一小時以上並不需要道歉，準時到達反而會被視為無禮。當然這只適用於私人約會。這種時間觀念的出現是因為墨西哥人相信宿命論(fatalism)，他們認為計劃未來是不切實際的事，因為未來總是設定好的。因此，守時對於他們來說並不重要，因為為了將來的約會而犧牲此刻的享受是不值得的。我這個慣於以時間規劃生活的人對這樣的時間觀念感到非常困惑，所以只能對別人遲到寬容一點，同時也著力控制自己不要太準時。

Cora與朋友慶祝農曆新年

記：這一年的異國經歷有讓你對香港的文化有新的見解嗎？

C：與其說是新的見解，或許說有不同的感受會更為貼切一點。一向以來，大家都讚頌香港是一個如何厲害的國際大都會，但其實香港並沒有那麼「國際化」。首先，香港並不如想像中般有名，先別說中美或南美的人，就算是在旅途中遇到世界各地的人，也有不少人沒聽過香港是什麼。然後，當我跟他們解釋什麼是「一國兩制」，香港跟中國是如何不同時，他們往往都會表示困惑，或者覺得香港跟中國差別根本不大。這個自己認知的「香港」與別人認知的「香港」之間的差距、香港本土文化與面向世界時所推廣的「香港文化」之間的差距，都令我重新看到香港在國際上的位置。不過，我相信對比起兩年前，香港現在的位置又轉變了不少。

到墨西哥交流對Cora來說無疑是一個很大的挑戰。然而各種的文化差異卻沒有擊沉Cora的熱誠。她在暑假時更在秘魯亞馬遜雨林的一個組織做義工。想知道更多Cora做義工時所遇到的經歷，請繼續留意我們媒體的更新。

Conversations with Anthropologists―What is anthropology?

People who study anthropology may have answered this question time and again―What is anthropology? Dr. Gerhard Hoffstaedter, a lecturer in anthropology in the School of Social Science at The University of Queensland, had talked to different anthropologists and asked their definitions towards the subject in the first lecture of his open online course “World101x Anthropology of Current World Issues”.

Dr. Hoffstaedter, in the opening of the video, says, “The best way to start defining anthropology is perhaps by what it's not. We are not, unfortunately, Indiana Jones-like figures finding treasures in cowboy hats with whips attached… We're also not generally concerned with dinosaurs and leave that for the paleontologists. Nor do we study insects. That's for the entomologists. Social or cultural anthropology is about people: the environments they inhabit and the things they get up to.”

Other anthropologists also give inspiring definitions towards anthropology. Daniel Goldstein, a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Rutgers University, defines anthropology in this way, “It's not about lab work, at least not the kind of anthropology that I do. It's not about quantification, numbers and formulas and things. It's about going out into the world and talking to people and meeting them as equals and getting to understand their lives and their worlds through the perspective of people living those lives. That was fascinating to me when I was 19, and it still is today.”

Sarah Kendzior, a coloumnist of Al Jazeera, talks about anthropology in this way, which is indeed very true, “You can go in with your own research question, and you'll often end up, as an anthropologist, in a completely different direction because you're following the lead of the people you're talking to. You're finding out what matters to them, what's important to them.”

Watch the video to see how other anthropologists define anthropology. (You may view the subtitle by adjusting the setting of the video.)