H is for...
This is a game that Janita started on her blog and passed onto me. She assigned me the letter H and I have to come up with ten words that start with H and explain their significance to me.Let's start with the obvious...
1. The concept of hyphenated identities have been on the forefront of my conscience for the entire year. When the topic of Chinese/North Americans arise, the only name that seems to be recognisable is Amy Tan. To my pleasure, I found that there are many others who have wrote on the same topic with passion and attitude - John Okada, Maxine Hong Kingston, David Henry Hwang, Fae Myenne Ng, Chang-Rae Lee, Eric Liu and Ien Ang. We all live in what Said calls the third space.
2.
I was not born in Hong Kong, but I maintain an intimate relationship with its culture and a love for the city. You will never see fireworks more beautiful. 
3. My culture can be described as homogeneous. In our mosaic or melting pot, this concept is foreign to many North Americans. This is best described by historian Fernand Braudel who says, "Tous les jours, une civilisation emprunte à ses voisines, à assimiler ce qu'elle vient de leur prendre. A première vue, chaque civilisation ressemble à une gare de marchandises, qui ne cesserait de recevoir, d'expédier des bagages hétéroclites."
That being said...
4. I have been blessed to be surrounded by a group that can be described as heterogeneous. I look at the faces of my friends and can see that I am surrounded by colour. If we were all together in one room, we look as if we were the United Nations. I am surrounded by different cultures and we learn from one another every day.
5. I was introduced to Hermeneutics in fall term by Denis Lamoureux.It is a philosophical technique concerned with the interpretation and understanding of texts, particularly, scriptural texts. In the 20th century, Heidegger's philosophical hermeneutics shifted the focus from interpretation to existential understanding. It was treated more as a direct, non-mediated, thus in a sense, more authentic way of being in the world than simply as a way of knowing. Three quarters of my undergrad in literary theory have been based on Hermeneutics and I fall more in love every day.
6.Happenstance is one of my favourite words. It is the meeting between two strangers in a completely random situation. Some of my best friends have come about by happenstance. It is such a lovely concept, and a lovely word.
7.Halasana is the first posture in the finishing sequence. Every time I reach Halasana, it is a relief and it is a joy. When I come to that posture, I reflect on my practice and think of what I accomplish and what I need to improve. Regardless of how the rest of the practice went, I look forward to Halasana, because it means that in 5 minutes, my poor body will be able to lay in savanasa.
8.I love Harry Potter. I am usually very wary of anything that is an international phenomenon and I am extraordinarily glad that I was proven wrong by Ms. JK Rowling. *hearts*
9. Tash Harychan is one of my most trusted confidantes. Thank you Tash for inspiring and challenging me to make the right decisions, to be a better person and a better friend.
And to wrap things up...in the spirit of the Stanley Cup...
10. Currently, I am living in Hockey pandemonium. I feel attacked by its paraphernalia, but I cannot ignore the philosophy behind this sport. It is commonplace to assert that ice hockey signifies something about Canadian popular culture, and indeed Canadian culture as a whole.
posted by Joyce @ 11:24 PM
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