Feb 26, 2011

B stands for Bullshit.

Evaluation in HKIEd is pretty simple:

A stands for Asslicking
B stands for Bullshit (writing skills)
C stands for Common knowledge
D stands for Dumbass
F stands for Fucking Pathetic

Student performing well or with excellent grades is a challenging task for every university to achieve. Here in HKIEd it is pretty easy because every student in this unit is an exceptional talent. So if you have passed the qualifications  and accepted in you are on your way to success and wealth – and people treat you with respect. Those coming from abroad are in a position to be some kind of professionals, having a word “star” written on their foreheads. And stars of course have their own rules. Some examples: Every time you do something wrong, people cannot express their true emotions. “I’m sorry” comes out of their mouths, not ours. I know this cause I got caught stealing a book from out library. This intentional act of evil was of course prized with a verbal warning. But they were sorry, of course.

Every reminder here is gentle. If you are caught trying to kill a man in the pantry, next day you will undoubtedly get a gentle reminder which instructs you not to do it – at least not in the pantry. There are some exceptions though. Finnish students here are not only “stars” but “superstars”. They are told to possess some kind of psychic powers and gifts of spelling casts. Every time I say something in Finnish, people take out their rabbit foots and start repeating some protecting mantras. In the Bible this is called glossolalia but in Finland it’s called expressing yourself verbally.

People here think that I am a scientist cause I always carry lot’s of books with me. So it is not hard to become a scientist around here. In reality I’m just giving them an impression that I can read and have overwhelming knowledge about life. There is one old man in the library always working and making merit to science. But every time I pass him he normally does everything but science. I have the same kind of friends back home who think alike with this man: scientific process is self-finishing, they say, it only needs physical attendance. This is how our scientific milestones are made. 

Last week I had a hot-pot-dinner with a group of friendly Chinese. Hot-Pot is a traditional way of cooking and socializing: all eaters are gathered around a table full of different food. In the middle of the table there is a stove and one pot. Goal is to cook and eat everything. Okay. I was last to arrive. The table was so stuffed with food that I couldn’t see from the other side of the table to the other: vegetables, tofu, squid, meat in different forms, fish, corn…I thought that there were others still coming - like the whole institute. But after a while the truth came out. We were all about to die out of sloth. With that amount of food you could feed the country of Rwanda.     

I had an assignment in which I had to find out whether implementing democracy in China is really a good thing. It made me think about the nature of democracy. Governing a country is all about results, it has nothing to do with the actual mechanism. So even despotism or tribalism are wise options if they secure certain human rights and bring the good to the people. Every political ambition is bringing about the best results possible. And I don’t say democracy is the only available solution to achieve stabile welfare or sufficient living standards. Of course democracy is also all about making sure that the risks of wrongdoing are minimized. But yes, next we will notice how the Norwegian want to join the EMU or how Lapland revolts for indepence.

I’m about to start my sabbath which hopefully does not turn out to be black. Then I will keep a week off. I have worked like a mule for the past two weeks and deserve a break. In Finland it is cold I have heard, my condolences: 22+.

         

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