Looking back at Leiden: Where was this painting made?

Having visited an antique convention in the Hague a few months ago, I found this postcard being sold that was labeled as being from Leiden. Supposedly a postcard of the city painted in 1934 by artist Bernard van Vlijmen (1895-1972) as indicated on the bottom left corner initials of B.V.Vlijmen, the watercolor art is drawn from the perspective of someone overlooking the cityscape, half of the painting being the city streets and its buildings with people walking by, and the other half being a canal, with everything being interconnected by bridges and walkways.

Torvehallerne, Quality and Dialogue

Torvehallerne are food halls which are positioned in the center of Copenhagen which sell a large variety of food. This includes fresh vegetables, cheese, fish, and freshly baked bread. The prices are high and the focus is on quality and ecology, rather than price and quantity. The shops are specialized in offering a selection of products from their respective shops. In conversation with cashiers, they explained to me that the dialogue is what sets apart Torvehallerne from regular supermarkets. This is the conversation around the products being sold.

A Visit to the Market Place (1)

This morning I was at the marketplace, after more than a week without going out. I was astonished by what I saw: almost everyone (adult, child, woman, man, young, old, buyer, seller, security guard...) had a mask. I was astonished because in social networks (Twitter, Facebook) I keep hearing about "the indiscipline of Senegalese who do not respect the barrier measures, especially the wearing of masks". I personally found it very responsible that everyone has a mask, with a few rare exceptions. Then I am aware that there are all the problems related to the quality of the mask and its use.

Planting and Fellowship Amid the Pandemic

Here in Taiwan, social networking has not totally retreated due to social distancing. Many things still move on ... just behind the masks and the precautionary measures.

These pictures show the day when people came to build the cucumber shed together. This space is more than a farm. It's a public space that provides the healing effects of the collective work of nature and fellowship, especially at this time of pandemic.

Staying in the Circle

I am at an ATM cash machine at 9 pm waiting in my circle for my turn. Ayanagar, New Delhi. It was the first time i found myself physically disatanced in public place. A big change from the evening before where I was jostled as usual in a grocery shop by customers at 8pm. "I thought that you were not yet buying, only looking," said the only one who bothered to answer.

Learning To Be an Anthropologist (2)

When we went to the field to collect oral histories or stories or experiences of U Pein Bridge, we did not know how to explain our tasks or talk about them. Our group then applied what we had observed the foreign anthropologist do - smile and make eye contact. We adopted this when we spoke to a fried-fish seller who we first thought may know about something of the U Pein Bridge. First, we bought a pack of fried fish with 2000 Kyat before asking her about U Pein bridge. So, we used our money to get data and we were very happy.

Learning To Be an Anthropologist (1)

This was the first field trip for us and there were many new experiences for us. All of us as first-year anthropology students had never experienced this kind of field trip; and we asked ourselves, ‘What are we going to do?’ We motivated ourselves by asking the question, ‘If we are afraid to ask questions, we will know nothing’.

Imaginations of a Street

Mesha Murali, Senior Research Assistant, Centre for Community Knowledge, Ambedkar University Delhi, for her story took inspiration from all the exhibited photos for the session on Reading/Writing/Re-writing/Telling/Re-telling using prompts, 20 December 2019.

I saw people sitting on the street, outside their houses, talking, eating and enjoying the passing day. Children were playing games, laughing, dancing to music and being asked by their parents to stay at a safe distance from the main street.

Changing Nature of Public Spaces

It was believed that if one made a wish with their arms wrapped around the Iron pillar with their back against it their wish would be granted. Before the iron railings that ‘protect’ the Iron Pillar today, many visitors, both young and old, would try their luck at making a wish. Similar are the memories of long-time residents of Mehrauli. Many remember being able to freely enter the Qutub Minar complex and playing or picnicking, before the ticket booths and high walls of today.

What Is the Most Beautiful Place in Taungthaman: From Children's Memories

What is the most beautiful thing or place in your village? The question asked was to the young school children from Taungthaman Village.

The first drawing is of U Pain Bridge and the second one of Taung Tha Man Thitsar.Many children also drew pictures of their grandparents, Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda, Taung Tha Man Lake.

We asked them to explain their drawings - what they know about the particular place or thing - the dos and dont's.

Humanities across Borders

A Humanist Model of Collaborative Higher Education

Public Space