Cultural Appreciation, Week I [Wednesday, Periods 4 & 5]

[atreideslioness]

Ghanima was perched on the front of her desk as students came in today, watching them curiously. "Good afternoon, and welcome to hopefully our only on-campus class," she said, once everyone had arrived. "For those of you that are new, I am Lady Ghanima Atreides, and this is Cultural Appreciation. If you are in the wrong class, please depart now." She waited a moment to see if anyone was going to get up and leave before continuing. "If you have not had one of my classes before, you may call me Lady Ghanima, Miss Ghanima, or Miss Atreides, whichever you are more comfortable with."

"Too often, students become wrapped up in the strange culture of Fandom Island very quickly after they arrive here, never looking past its boarders to see the wider world. This class is an opportunity to explore the mainland on a regular basis, and take in some of the wonders that this planet has to offer. We will travel by portal to various points of interest all over the United States, spending two hours at each stop to learn about the culture of the time and place we are currently residing in."

"This is a field trip class, and we will be going off-campus nearly ever week," she said. "In the past, I have used the Danger Shop to simulate non-Fandom environments, such as for the class on terrain, but that would run counter to the entire point of this class. We will be going to three museums, three plays, three national parks, and three formal restaurants. If you are unsure as to appropriate clothing, I suggest a trip into town, just to watch the residents and see what they wear."

Ghanima gestured to her own blue-on-blue eyes. "Of course, being an off-worlder, I stand out, as some of you may. I myself will be wearing sunglasses or special contacts to disguise my eyes when off-island, and I strongly suggest that everyone consider how to blend in. While being a school fieldtrip for 'special students' will excuse many eccentricities, it is important to remember that humans are easily spooked, even this era. Causing riots is not nearly as fun as it sounds, and I will be most put-out with you if you do so deliberately. You won't nap through detention as a punishment, you'll be doing community service work for as long as I deem appropriate."

"Raven, if you would be so kind as to see me after class?"

[OOC: Wait for the traveling OCD! The OCD has claimed its baggage and arrived unharmed!]

Comments

Sign-In!

[atreideslioness]

On an adventure!

Re: Sign-In!

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

Dolf Wega

Re: Sign-In!

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

Peter Bishop

Listen to the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Take notes, pass notes, lean over and chat with a friend.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[trigons_child]

Raven was very excited to have Lady Ghanima as a teacher again. When her name was called, however, she wondered just why Ghanima wanted to see her. Hopefully someone hadn't started telling her teachers Raven was evil and needed to be expelled from the island.

It was possible Raven was still a wee bit paranoid.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Azula's eyebrows rose when she saw Lady Ghanima. This would be an interesting class.

Discussion!

[atreideslioness]

"What I need to know today," Ghanima said, "Is how you define 'culture,' and what are you most interested in learning about. What sort of trip are you looking forward to? Do you enjoy music? Dance? Sculpture? Poetry? What one thing from your home-culture do you most wish you could share with your classmates?"

Re: Discussion!

[mathletenomore.livejournal.com]

"Culture, to me, is what a certain group is accustomed to such as their behaviors, values, and activities," Lindsay said after a moment of thought. "For example, music is a big part of the culture of teenagers, at least in my experience. So I think that's as aspect of my culture I would want to share."

Re: Discussion!

[atreideslioness]

"Any type of music in particular?" Ghanima asked. "Blues, classical, jazz, rock, trance...one of the wonderful things about this planet is the diversity of its music."

Re: Discussion!

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

"In the context of this class, I think we're meaning culture in the sense of arts and humanities. The exact sort of thing you even detailed: dance, sculpture, theater," Peter said. "And with modern culture, we have to incorporate cinema, and the dreaded interactive media. In my opinion."

By 'interactive media' he meant video games, of course. "And personally, I wouldn't mind seeing Lady Gaga in concert. That's totally on the syllabus, right?"

Re: Discussion!

[atreideslioness]

"Can you elaborate on interactive media?" Ghanima asked, curious. "Do you mean the alleged 'reality' shows, or something else?"

Re: Discussion!

[boho-to-be.livejournal.com]

"I like music, and I hardly ever get to see live performances," Christian said eagerly. "I'd like to go to the nightclubs in Montmartre in Paris and see the dancing girls."

"And," he added, "I'd define culture as the system we use to perceive and interpret the world around us."

She hadn't said it had to be something from their culture that they'd personally experienced.

Re: Discussion!

[trigons_child]

"My home, Azarath, boasts great libraries of knowledge and the beauty of its architecture," Raven said, "but not anything created with passion, like music or poetry or dance. I have learned a great deal about such things since I have come to Fandom, but I rarely have left the island, and so I am eager to learn more of the culture of the world of my mother's birth."

Re: Discussion!

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"At home, culture is limited to seeing speakers in Charlottetown, a visiting missionary at the church speaking about the heathens, or picnics, dances and taffy pulls," Rilla said, blushing at having to speak aloud and sounding very precise in her effort not to lisp. "I love to dance?"

Re: Discussion!

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"'Culture' is stuff that people think you need to experience in order to be well-rounded," Squall answered. "In a class like this, it probably is mostly things that three-quarters of us will be bored by."

Re: Discussion!

[snarkyhealer.livejournal.com]

"Culture is the songs and stories and experiences of a people and how those things are shared and further experienced," Shira said. "I very much enjoy music and dance. I haven't had any experience with sculpture and not much with poetry, but I look forward to learning."

She frowned. "As for what I'd like to share... that's kind of a tough one." The Shaladorans kept their culture secret. "Some of the music of my people."

Re: Discussion!

[nohaircutsplz]

"Culture is, I believe, the shared attributes of a group, which have been developed over time," Medusalith said. Then she found herself at an impasse, because she had no interest in sharing her culture with the humans. Wait. German. Right. "...we have sausages?" she tried.

Re: Discussion!

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen gave a far more detailed description of culture than the mun's dead brain could possibly come up with necessary. "I am interested in all types of culture, though I admit to being very interested in art, religion, and folklore."

Re: Discussion!

[notlikebobby.livejournal.com]

"Culture is pretty much what everyone else said." He was still getting over his first teacher claiming to be from another world. "I don't know who Lady Gaga is, but I like the idea of a concert. I'd share that with everyone."

Re: Discussion!

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"There's nothing quite like community theater with humans, and muppet animals both participating."

Mark the Manitee had been a fantastic Herod.

Re: Discussion!

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"There was no dancing in the Fire Nation," Azula said, thinking on it. "My grandfather Fire Lord Azulon discouraged people from any sort of activity that would distract our people from the war."

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's around, before and after class.

Re: Talk to Ghanima

[trigons_child]

"Lady Ghanima? You wished to see me?" Raven said, approaching her after class.

Re: Talk to Ghanima

[nohaircutsplz]

"Lady Ghanima?" Medusalith asked. "I fear I may have a problem being...unobtrusive, as I cannot cut my hair." Well, it was technically possible, but that was a thing that was not going to happen. "I can put it up, but it's still obvious that there is quite a bit of it." Under normal circumstances, this was the opposite of a problem, as her hair was her pride and honor, but the humans did seem to find it quite remarkable.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

GUYS I WAS POSITIVE TODAY WAS TUESDAY. I AM SO CONFUSED.