I met up with Philip on an early December afternoon, in a cafe near campus, which is populated mostly with mothers, cradling shrill babies. From the windows of the cafe, I could notice the great stacks of Christmas trees installed in a market near the bus stop. When Philip enters the cafe, he sees a friend, who he greets in German. Our interview paused only for Philip to order a slice of poppyseed cake.
Feminism is for Everybody
The term ‘feminism’ has been highly misinterpreted in modern-day society and wrongly associated with stereotypes that do not reflect its nature and purpose as a political movement. To label oneself or be labeled as a feminist is often regarded as a negative thing due to the way feminists are portrayed in the media. Feminism is
And Now, The Generalissimo Will Use These Tortellini to Turn You into a Horse
What I can remember, however, every morning, is a dream. Not merely a memory of a memory hiding in the recess of a bad night’s sleep. I remember every detail. The color of the curtains in the room, the number of flowers in the vase, the dialogue, what I’m wearing, who I am. I can recall a maximum of three dreams from the previous night, but I average around two. But just like you probably have no idea what you ate for dinner a week ago, eventually the dream falls away. I make a point of remembering the ones I want to remember and I let the rest go. People always tell me to write them down. I’ve protested this practice. A dream is ineffable, not simply language, it isn’t just a story…
Overindulging in Mukbang
After the release of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, there was a buzz around one rather unexpected scene. There is one scene in the film where a dish called Jjapaguri is prepared. The scene itself is humorous while carrying an underlying satirical tone, but the Korean audience swarmed around this scene to offer a different kind of interpretation. Although this interpretation may have been unexpected for the film’s international audience, it came very naturally for its Korean audience: mukbang.
Aiva’s New House
This story is based on a true story my Anthropology professor, Regina Knapp, told to me, but many facts were changed by me to a point that makes it impossible to tell anymore if it is fiction or a true story.
Concerning our Education: Students and Academic Freedom on Campus
Erdogan’s television tirades, railing against “criminal” academics, had taken us to contemplations on the difficulty of securing funding within the German university system. Yet we had managed to forget, or avoid discussing, a threat that is hardly nuanced or subtle. It is the threat that we students pose to academic freedom.
Reflections in the Hall of Mirrors
Clay and I took the train to Versailles on a sunny day. I hadn’t planned on doing the tourist attractions in Paris. I spent most of the time walking around listening to NPR, all the news from back home. I would stop in a café or at a park and write or just watch people
Mission Impossible: Solving Argentina’s Economic Chaos
When I moved to Argentina in 2010, 1 Argentine Peso was worth roughly 25 cents of USD. The bills from the times when 1 Argentine Peso equalled 1 USD, before the socioeconomic crisis in 2001, were still in use. Although the largest bill, the 100 Pesos note, had lost a significant part of its value since 2001, in 2010, it would still get you a 35 km taxi ride from Buenos Aires city center to the international airport or a three course dinner in a nice restaurant. Today, you won’t get much more than a pack of chewing gum for the same 100 Pesos note and its value is going downwards.