Canada Is Not That Strange And Other Biases | Wednesday | Period 2

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

When the students arrived today, they'd find Fraser sitting behind the desk and several words written on the chalkboard. Those words were: BIGFOOT, THE LOCHNESS MONSTER, CHUPACABRA, HIPPOCAMP, and HOBGOBLIN.

Once everyone was seated, Fraser got to his feet and smiled at the class. "Good morning. Today, we're going to be talking about mythical creatures. Behind me, you'll see the names of just a few of the mythical creatures that are part of this world's folklore. In the most basic of terms, a mythical creature is something that doesn't exist, according to most people, but hasn't been completely ruled out as fake. The first two, especially, have been the subjects of many expeditions and attempts at capturing and proving that they are real. There's been some evidence but nothing to prove conclusively that these creatures do exist."

He paused and crossed his arms. "Now, here, obviously, the rules are a little different. Here, mythical things exist and no one really bats an eye. We're an exception to the rule. Mythical creatures to us are like horses and cows to people from the outside world. If they came to this island and saw the teal deer or the gremlins, they might not be able to immediately handle it. There's interest, though, in the strange and unknown and that is what drives people to try and prove that these things do exist. Why do you think they haven't been able to find proof? Is it because they truly don't exist? Or perhaps these creatures have evolved to the point of hiding and protecting themselves that well that no one finds them. Yet, people will continue to search. I think people would continue to search even if someone proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that these were completely mythical creatures. Someone is always going to have hope."

Fraser nodded and looked out at the class. "Assignment for today is brainstorming why people seek out mythical creatures. Do you have any other ideas as to what might drive people to spend money and time on something that might exist? Does that make them crazy or just dedicated? Let's hear what you think."

Comments

Sign In [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

Being all mythical!

Re: Sign In [Canada 09/15]

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

Hyuuga Hinata

Re: Sign In [Canada 09/15]

[life_inshadow]

Tara Maclay

Re: Sign In [Canada 09/15]

[wwiii]

Warren Worthington III

During the Lecture [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

It's not a huge lecture but you can take notes, talk to each other, sleep, daydream, or stare into space here!

Re: During the Lecture [Canada 09/15]

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

Hinata... was frowning slightly as she listened to the lecture.

The problem, she thought, was that she really had no idea of what to say with this topic. Their 'mythical' creatures were... quite alive and generally vicious, at home.

Re: During the Lecture [Canada 09/15]

[glacial_queen]

For many, many years, the kindred had been considered mythical, at least, until Jaenelle came along and convinced them to start revealing themselves to the human Blood again. But Karla felt like it wasn't quite the same thing, as none of the humans in her world had bothered searching for them, before.

Hmmm...

Re: During the Lecture [Canada 09/15]

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

There was a faint blush across Ariel's face as she listened to the lecture, head slightly lowered and trying to look mostly innocent. Mythical creatures huh, ya don't say...

She was just glad MERMAIDS weren't on there on the board, but hippocamps were close enough to get a look.

Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

"Why do people seek out mythical creatures? Do you have any other ideas as to what might drive people to spend money and time on something that might exist? Does that make them crazy or just dedicated?"

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[life_inshadow]

"I think some people want to be unique," Tara finally offered. "Finding Bigfoot is an experience not many people would share with you. Like climbing Mount Everest or sailing around the world. I think it's kind of awesome."

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

"You don't think they're setting themselves up for an eventual letdown if these creatures aren't real?" Fraser wondered.

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[life_inshadow]

"It depends, I guess," Tara said. "I mean, they are, but they have to know they're choosing to take that chance, right? And journeys can be beautiful even if you don't end up where you wanted to go. Exactly."

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[wwiii]

"I think a lot of the people who can find the time and funding for projects like this have a purely scientific interest at heart," Warren offered. "I mean, in the case of Bigfoot, it's entirely possible that somebody is out searching for that missing link between prehistoric man and us. And The Loch Ness Monster has been long speculated to be another remnant of prehistory, so Nessie would be of particular interest to archaeologists, right? Sometimes, it's just a case of people wanting to understand the world they're in."

And other times, they were likely doing it for the fame and fortune that uncovering one of those creatures might bring, but Warren was biting that answer down for the time being. He had to try to sound optimistic in this class at least sometimes, right?

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

Fraser nodded during different parts of Warren's answer. "And if they don't find Bigfoot or Nessie, do you think they would call their projects wastes? Or would they just try again?"

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"For the same reasons they look for aliens? Or maybe it's a kind of rebellion. Conventional wisdom says these things don't exist, so to go against that, they try to prove it does."

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

"Is that always rebellion though? Maybe it's just curiosity," he pointed out easily.

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[oops-mbad.livejournal.com]

"Publicity, proof that they're not insane, actually being insane." Diana suggested.

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

"What would make it about proving their not insane?" Fraser wondered, curious.

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[isntabitpretty.livejournal.com]

Sara considered this for a moment, then smiled.

"I've thought for a very long time that there are two kinds of true things: the ones that really are, and the ones that might be. And isn't there just something about that 'might be' that everyone wonders about, at times? There's something so alluring about the possible." She turned to look out the window, a curious and almost wild light flashing in her eyes.

"No, I don't think those people are mad for wanting to find out. In fact, I think they're quite heroic for it -- imagine the disappointment they're risking if they discover what they're searching for isn't real after all!"

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

"That's very poetic," he said and sounded impressed by that. "Would you consider yourself one who wants to go out and look for the possibilities and not just the facts?"

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I think that perhaps their imaginations might have run away with them," Rilla offered. "Sometimes fancies can seem quite real."

Like the denizens of the Haunted Wood in Avonlea, Rilla's mother's favourite example of not letting your imagination run away with you.

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

"Would you use that reasoning to tell people about what you've seen here?" Fraser asked curiously.

Re: Class Activity | Mythical Creatures [Canada 09/15]

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

"Some people would do anything to explore something different from what they're used to," Ariel put forth without even a moment's hesitation. "And sometimes they even discover that it was worth it, that the mythical thing they spent years obsessing about really is everything it was cracked up to be once they discover it and it's the greatest thing in the world."

Not that she had any experience in that or anything, really.

Oh, humans...

Fraser [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

He's there and very much not mythical or a creature.

OOC [Canada 09/15]

[just-add-starch.livejournal.com]

NESSIE IS REAL.