My Response to the 2010 Uprising in Kyrgyzstan: Drawing Our Trauma

(click on the picture to enlarge)
One declined, another accepted.

DECLINED. May 28th, 2010, I received the letter, which notified me:

dear sveta,

i just needed to let you know that we could not put up your pictures in the exhibit. i am really really sorry - it was a matter of framing them (our frames did not fit the measures and we certainly did not want to cut anything apart to make it fit). also, the other stuff we put up was from faculties or departments (not from indidivuals who work in faculties), so the concept was a little different than we originally expected. now there is a poster from the american studies department in the u, and the
ruhrgebiet poem by allen ginsberg.

(...)

again, i am really really sorry. and i hope you will come and see the exhibition sometime.

have a good weekend

ACCEPTED. June 14th, 2010, I received the letter, which notified me:

Hallo allerseits,

Anbei der Masterplan für die Konferenz, sowie eine pdf des Konferenztickets, falls ihr kein Studententicket habt.

In diesem Sinne, teu teu teu, und bis Mittwoch!

(...)

P.S.: Stefan, haben wir für Svetlana Makeyeva und Anne Kellermann ein Namenschildchen (Helfer)?
P.P.S.: Falls noch jemand morgen um 10 Zeit hat: wir packen die Konferenztaschen in
der Transferstelle...

Yes, I was invited to the Culture Entrepreneurship Forum to help with the stuff like distributing drinks and taking care of other small things. But then Angela Märtin, project coordinator of kultur.unternehmen.dortmund, asked me whether I wanted to take part in the Dortmund Creative Entrepreneurs Fair and exhibit my drawings in one of the five fascinating conference locations: DEPOT at Immermannstraße 29. DEPOT has always been one of my most favourite locations in Dortmund. Just take a look at this fascinating space, where contemporary local artists exhibit their intellectual and artistic works.

I exhibited eight graphic works from my family archive: these pictures were drawn for my pleasure, and two of the pictures were dedicated to my beloved. Hence, they were not for sale, but preserved for our home and occasional exhibitions like the one that took place in Katholische Hochschulgemeinde in the Ostenbergstr. 10 (Scroll down to see the poster of Russischer Abend am 27. April 2010 ab 19 Uhr in der KHG)

One of my favourite pictures - "Bad News from Kyrgyzstan" - might appear as the most disturbing and darkest in this collection. It is my personal response to what has become known as the 2010 Kyrgyzstani uprising (April 3 - 15, 2010).

During the uprising, I was in Dortmund. The call from parents. The bad news from Kyrgyzstan. I never felt that insecure. In the drawing, you can see me in a Kyrgyz dress, which is stylized... almost unrecognizable as Kyrgyz, but still appearing as oriental. With this, I wanted to signify that my stay in Europe changed me, but not completely. I hold a cell phone (in Germany, they call it 'handy'). The cell phone turns into a tool of torture. The solar disk -the Kyrgyz 'tunduk', an upper part of a Kyrgyz home called 'yurta'- functions as a kind of a razor throwing star. It destroys my ear. My vision gets blurred. On my shoulder, there is a naked human, swirled into a tumour. I got my worst dermatitis rash I ever had in my life the next day. I scrabbed the white matter coming out of the multiple abscesses with a spoon... It was that bad. This picture is pain. It is a drawing of trauma I try to overcome. In light of the recent pogroms and killings in Osh and Jalal Abad (please, watch the video below), I have very little hope things will get better for me and my family in Kyrgyzstan.



I am very grateful to those who support me and my country. Some people do it unintentionally, like Angela Märtin, who invited me to exhibit my graphic drawings. I had a chance to exhibit this particular one last week. People were coming to me and talking about it, and what they heard from the local news stations about the recent tragic events in Kyrgyzstan. Talking about trauma is the best way to cope with it.

------
P.S.: June 23rd, 2010. I received a letter, which notified me:

Sehr geehrte Frau Makeyeva,
Vielen Dank für Ihre Spende.
Ihre Hilfe kommt an!

Reprinted from UNHCR Emergency website: URGENT HELP NEEDED TO SAVE LIVES IN KYRGYZSTAN & UZBEKISTAN

People forced to leave their homes by the latest violence in Kyrgyzstan are in dire need of assistance. Please donate now and help UNHCR provide them with protection, shelter and aid.
You can make a difference.

My name is Svetlana Makeyeva. I am the author of this blog. I know that even 5 Euros can make a difference to my fellow Kyrgyzstani and Uzbekistani people. Please, visit the UN Refugee Agency website You can donate with the EC Karte, if you are located in Germany. The website is very easy to handle.

Contested Communities: Communication, Narration, Imagination (13-16 May, 2010)

14 May, 2010. I presented a PPT titled "The Emergence and Rise of the American Politicosphere: Overview of the Bloggers’ Personal Historical Narratives" in front of the interdisciplinary and multi-cultural audience in Bayreuth, Bavaria. The 21st GNEL/ASNEL Conference Contested Communities: Communication, Narration, Imagination was a great opportunity to meet scholars, writers and artists from all around the world. It was an inspiring experience, of course. It was also a challenge. And I like challenges. I lost 1 kilo in four days. The schedule of the conference was tough. Starting with Friday morning, my alarm clock rang at 6 a.m. The German Gasthof Zum Brandenburger, where I stayed, was quite far away from the Universität Bayreuth. But I payed 60 Euro for three nights, instead of 180 Euro... The hotel prices are crazy in Bayreuth! Yet the beauty of the city is astounding. And beauty is luxury.

I wish I could attend all the sessions available. Unfortunately, it was not possible physically. I was particularly interested in the Panel Discourse Communities Online. I kept on making notes during the presentations and in between the panels. Maybe, I should have spent more time socializing. But it was more pleasurable to observe how the participants of the conference presenting papers about contested communities and, apparently, belonging to the minority communities --- organized themselves into quite fixed groups. It was an interesting conference. But it is very difficult to socialize with Germans when there is no alcohol. There was a great conference dinner, which I did not attend. Instead of buying a 25 Euro ticket, I bought Dönner and roamed through the beautiful city of Bayreuth. Sober, I felt like in a fairy-tale.

Durchschnittlicher Kirgisischer Präsident

6.-9. April 2010: Drei Tage hielten die blutigen Auseinandersetzungen in Kirgisistan an. Der Umsturz begann am 6. April 2010 mit einem Aufstand in der Provinzstadt Talas, am 7. April folgten blutige Zusammenstöße zwischen Aufständischen- und Sicherheitskräften in weiteren Provinzstädten (Naryn und Issyk Kul) sowie in der Hauptstadt Bishkek. Sie forderten 75 Tote und über 1000 Verletzte. Der kirgisische Präsident Kurmanbek Bakijew flüchtete wie erste ex-Präsident Askar Akajew. Während der „Tulpenrevolution“ (2005) gelang es Bakijew, den kirgisischen Präsidenten Askar Akajew zur Abdankung zu zwingen. Bakijew erwies sich seinem Vorgänger Akajew als ebenbürtig, was Misswirtschaft und Korruption anbelangt. Kirgisistan ist strategisch von großem Interesse: Sowohl die USA als auch Russland unterhalten dort Militärstützpunkte und bemühen sich um mehr Einfluss in Zentralasien. Inoffiziell floss viel Geld in die Taschen des Bakijew-Clans (Dollar sowie Rubel). Bakijews Regime war zudem noch autoritärer und gieriger als Akajews. Nun teilt Bakijew das Schicksal seines Vorgängers.

The SuperDozent/in: What Does S/He Look Like? S/he Looks Like This: S-D

For a beginning course instructor like me, there are a good many things to learn and improve. No, it is not enough to observe professors (especially at Fach parties :)) in order to educate your "instructorous" Self! Though, it is a quite useful practice in addition to reading books about teaching. There is a number of course instructors who inspire me to persuit my dream: I dream of becoming a Professor working with and for students. Such professors as Doctor Aron Brudny, Doctor John Couper, Prof. Robert Jewett, Prof. Martina Pfeiler, Mr. Valeri Hardin and a future professor Eriko Ogihara.

Today, I have read several anonymous course evaluation sheets I discovered in my mail-box. The general impression is: overall, the students who completed the course were satisfied! Of course, there were things I should have done better. For example, many students thought this course will be predominantly about the 2008 presidential elections in the U.S., but it was not the case. I have spent more sessions on the history of American politicosphere, than initially planned. I do have an explanation for that, yet I give credits to those students who shared these impressions. This only means one thing to me: if I do not want to be enslaved by my ascetic and non-explanatory course description published in the student course book, and if I want to avoid any confusions --- the course description should be as clear and explanatory as possible.

I have received very positive responses about the learning atmosphere in class, my abilities to trigger interest about the topics I teach, use of new media and EWS, the diversity of the tasks performed in class, the accessibility for a conversation and questions and the selection and quality of the reading materials. I am very happy that the students appreciated my efforts. Yet the very same reasons (in addition to something else... either my personality traits or the marsh-coloured jeans) made four of my students leave. Over-exposure to The Web can be exhausting and very intimidating to some students. In addition, I am a kind of a person who persuades other people, including students, to produce something on The Web, not just consume the digitalized knowledge. This is my philosophy of teaching: use, produce and share on The Web... This is not what every person might appreciate. It is enourmous stress to produce something special (like this or this). Consequently, here is my grading policy: every student who constructively manages the stress during a deep cogitative pause, then survives convulsions of creativity and produces something intellectual and special, deserves a good grade. (In addition, the student should pass the test.) This student, afterwards, is the most grateful one.

After reading the evaluation sheets, specially developed for Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik, I spent this morning on re-evaluating my strategies and approaches to teaching and learning.

I have spent more than an hour on translating the evaluation sheet, the copies of which are supposed to be distributed by the American and British Studies instructors. I do not imply I have waisted my time on translating the "Evaluationsbogen zum Seminar"; this was a great practice of my German! But I wonder how come there is no English version of the evaluation sheet for the course instructors, who speak no or poor German? We also have Erasmus students taking courses from Anglistik und Amerikanistik, who hardly speak any German! That's right, they speak English. And in addition to the course evaluation sheet in German, there should be a course evaluation sheet in English. Students should be able to understand the questions of the evaluation sheet in order to tick the answers they find appropriate. English speaking instructors should be able to read and understand what the student ticked about his/her course in the evaluation sheet. I think, I am talking about obvious things here.

Well, back to the content of the evaluation sheet and MY BIG Moment of Zen. Based on the questions and answers of the evaluation sheet composed for and about instructors dwelling in the Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik in Technische Universität, Dortmund, I have compiled a list of the characteristics of the local Super-Course Instructor, or SuperDozent:

1. The Super-course instructor explains everything clear and comprehensible.
2. SuperDozent/in (because the German version is shorter) summarises main historical events appropriately.
3. S-D (this is short for SuperDozent/in, who looks happy because he or she is... einfach super!) encourages independent research by providing guidance, if necessary.
4. S-D effectively allocates time.
5. S-D encourages students to approach ideas critically.
6. S-D encourages students to share their own ideas, knowledge and experiences.
7. S-D ???how can one translate that???
8. S-D is open for questions.
9. S-D is also available off-hour.
10. S-D's course plan has clear structure and comprehensible goals and objectives.
11. S-D's course requirements are easy to understand.
12. S-D delivers course material in such a way that by the end of the course the students are fit for tests and exams.
13. Despite the fact that the language of instruction is foreign (English!), the students taking this course are able to easily follow the S-D in class.
14. S-D's course should be engaging.
15. S-D uses different teaching methods in order to reach all students effectively.
16. S-D should be able to raise and satisfy the student's expectations.
17. S-D's course content corresponds to the course description available in the TU, DO course overview.
18. S-D implements audio visual teaching methods in his/her course.
19. S-D's audio visual materials are of a high quality.
20. S-D creates a healthy positive learning atmosphere in class.

So there you are 20 tips on becoming a Superdozent/in within the walls of the Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik in Technische Universität, Dortmund. I suppose, that's how S-D looks like after students' evaluations: S-DDDDD!!!

Caffeinated Art of Mine: Dreaming of the Coffee Break (Part II)

“Tell me what your favorite coffee drink is, and I’ll presume who you are.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“I have two minutes before my espresso becomes poisonous.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“A good husband makes a good cup of coffee.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“All coffees are not to be tasted.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“Sweet as espresso aftertaste.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva

“Grind in peace.” (c) Svetlana Makeyeva


Caffeinated Art of Mine: Dreaming of the Coffee Break (Part I) is available here.

My Congratulations, Dear Bloggers-experimenters! What a Success!!

Dear Jana, Jannis, Susann, Irina, Johanna, Julia, Tim, Anna-Maria, Christina, Flora, Marian, Sandra, Sina, Thomas, Katrin, EACH OF YOU DESERVED A CAKE!!!

My congratulations on successful completion of the blog-projects!

I was very happy to have you in my class. I hope, you will take something from this class with you and share your new experience with your family, friends and colleagues!

Thank you for inspiration!

Caffeinated Art of Mine: Dreaming of the Coffee Break during Boring Presentations and Meetings

I would like to thank the boring presenters at different conferences and meetings out there! :) When I am bored, I start dreaming of a coffee break, and the caffeinated "art" is born, as a result. Please, click on the sketches in order to enlarge them.


From: “Poetry of Escapism”

*When I Develop a Cancer*

When I develop a cancer,
I will leave my day job.
(I think it’s a perfect excuse.)
Good bye, academic robe!

I will put on medieval dress,
Decorate it with purple roses,
The candle will tremble as I
Start rereading my students’ MOZes.

With the clear cold filtered water,
I will slip into machine's chamber
To be brewed into ounce of espresso
For some bored faculty member.

(3 February, 2010)

(c) Svetlana Alexandrovna Makeyeva

I know I can be boring as well: I saw students yawning in my classes (!) And I saw my professor drawing while I was giving the presentation about my thesis last week (!) Or maybe our Department lacks a good espresso machine... preferably, Italian. ;)