(no subject)

Wow - I just gave a powerpoint lesson to Prof. T, our department's resident rockstar professor. He is so nice. I showed him what to do for about an hour and then we sat and chatted about my research and funding and fieldwork and the difficulties about being in grad school. He gave me $20 for my time which was very nice, and it was good to hear some advice about getting my dissertation written. He said that his advisor asked him to write him something every month - so he wrote up topics - not a field journal - he wrote up topics each month and was able to learn, through that writing, where the holes were in his research. I think I should do the same. My goal before I go back into the field is to have a couple of chapter topics written up. Some to start with =
Written music's role in peformance/interpretation
The history of the Conservatory in Uzbekistan
The maqom competition - institutionalizing the elite and the canon
Learning methods - oral/imitation vs. reading text

(no subject)

I was not the fattest person in the gym today. This makes me very happy. I like seeing fat people like myself out being active and healthy. I like breaking the stereotype that fat=lazy or fat=inactive.