We can't all be Mark Siano, but if we have a father who is handy with photoshop (thanks pops!) and a friend willing to take academic glamour shots of us on the streets of Beijing than we too can have our own promotional posters.
This photo, and those below, were taken one cold day in the historic hutong Nanluoguxiang, a pedestrian street and moderately cheesy tourist attraction near my home in central Beijing. Fulbright had demanded pictures of all of its grantees "doing research" for our conference in March and so I asked Wu Jie to take a few. I was hoping for a shot where I was foregrounded, looking intellectual, and there was a blur of frenzied consumers behind me. Unfortunately there weren't many people out that day strolling in the cold and so Wu Jie had me pose in front of a few shops, reflecting on the wondrous array of consumer goods. Of course my research has nothing to do with knit hats or Fidel Castro dolls, but I tried to pretend.
Wondering what astute observations I was recording on the notepad? I just kept writing 研究, the Chinese character for "research," over and over again and imagining what a jerk I must look like. Now I know. And I kind of like it.*****************************************************
*SOME of the fun, certainly, but not ALL of it.
6 comments:
sexy and sophisticated, what wonderous thoughts she must have
Aw shucks Siano, you're making me blush.
Just in case it didn't come through in my snarky blogspeak I'm tremendously proud of you and REALLY wish I could see your upcoming show. Give my love to the freedom dancers!
IN YOUR FACE
SO. COOL. and cute!
But of course the "von" is my favorite part...
Some anthropologist...WHERE IS THE AMBER JEWELRY, THE ARMCHAIR, THE CUP OF TEA? You look far too chic, perhaps you should have built a diorama of a consumer exchange at least we could put that on exhibit.
Matthew: not nearly as epic as your watchband shots.
In YOUR face, John. Don't forget, you are only an object of study as far as I am concerned.
Montana: I von love you!
Marybeth: Did you not see the massive ring of antique Chinese porcelain that I am wearing in the pictures? It may not be enough to satisfy you but perhaps it will stay your criticism until I can have some native wear fashioned and get that diorama built.
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