NOT MUCH TO SAY

Hi everyone,
the King of Pop is dead, news stroke us all when we were just about to leave a classical bookstore in Chicago which will be out of business soon...another sad death on the way.
Not particularly fond of Jackson's music, but aware of the impossibility of understanding 20th century pop music without him.
I am sorry, my heartfelt sympathies to all his fans (including adorable Susian Lola, sorry if I was a bit stupid today!).
Warmest, promise to be more creative in the future.

Javier Barbero

RURAL JEFFERSON AGAINST ALL

I always wanted to know the reason why the boundaries of the American states are so perfectly shaped...couldn't think of the strange procedure through the so called new land was grilled in such a way...! Well, thanks professor Hales, everything is perfectly clear now!!!
That's just an anecdote of what's going on in this SUSI 2009 seminar...full of anecdotes which are minimal in extension, but terribly meaningful and, once again, I gotta turn my eyes to etymology and remember that that is the exact meaning of the term in old Greek...
One day more in the lives of the Susinians (thanks mate for the term) and Literature keeps on playing the important role Chicago plays in Dreiser's Sister Carrie...I guess all feel a little bit like that 18-year-old girl coming to town for the first time and being impressed by every single corner of this new place to live at...I'd say that shopping would constitute the perfect bribe for myself but, unexpectedly enough, I haven't been that naughty ... yet!!!
Anyway, huge thunderstorm at lunchtime (Nature keeps on warning of its presence) and huge walk downtown going from Michigan Av. to Oak St., the Lake front, Milton Lee Olive Park, Navy Pier and back to Michigan Av. The walking team is back!! although our feet seem to be more and more exhausted but ... who knows? we might get a prize or something for the most active walkers in SUSI 2009!!!
Dinner was a big debate until I bumped into a picture of Benningam's Guiness Glaze Bacon Burger...that was the end of it all... hey, listen! (I said) join me or leave me, but I'm heading that gourmet's treasure RIGHT NOW!! Previous visit to restroom (just mention this to include those tv screen right above the urinaries, gosh , that's glamorous!!!) and belly filled with the most delicious burger and the most astonishing Guiness beer sauce on earth...
Back home with no more options that popping into the computer lab and telling you all (is there anyone out there?) one more day has gone away...
Just one last thing: I saw this girl on the bus wearing this UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA sweatshirt and all my childhood and youth came in front of my eyes...I must admit I felt a bit homesick but Neil's bookstore tour and the promise of finding new treasures took me back to reality...this time I won't eat'em, this time I'll read'em
Warmest.

Javier Barbero

LEAVES OF "CLASS"

Hi guys,
back to my blog to tell you just a quick flavour (should I say flavor?) of what's going on in this SUSI 2009 group.
Literature stuff around, buddies, and professors Messenger and Hales have shown us new perspectives on American Literature drifting from Hawthorne to Whitman, from Alger to Fitzgerald...you know what? sometimes I've got this feeling that it doesn't really matter what you say in a Literature class...no matter how strange it can be...your teacher is always gonna say something like "mmm that's a good point", if the class takes place in America, chances of getting that kind of answer are even greater as the respect that professors show for all us, no matter where we come from, or how obscure our accent can be, is something that I do appreciate.
Something I haven't recovered from, I must admit, is the way professors face their classes as far as outfits are concerned...for me it's absolutely shocking how casual they are when they're teaching (they can even show up holding their bikes on their shoulders with a helmet on) and how formal they are when they celebrate any kind of welcoming banquet or something like that!!! And it is shocking because we focus things right the other way round in Spain, can you imagine? yeap, that's right...I wear a suit and tie everyday in class and turn into my casual look when I have any kind of celebration in which students are involved (you know, pretending I'm younger than what I really am and trying to avoid being pathetic...if possible!!!).
Anyway, nice, enriching, enlightening and very interesting classes which will fortunately continue tomorrow in the morning and afternoon.
After classes Manto planned to go to the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and I went with her just to nose around as it was the free access day and a free jazz concert was planned for this evening in the museum's terrace. What can I say? Thank God jazz chilled me out a lot, because some of the works shown in the museum fitted the perfectly assumed pattern of these artworks which mean really little under long pretentious names like "winding fan from a helicoidal perspective in a skeptical mood"...WHATEVER... sorry if I sound illiterate!!
Anyway, back home and crucial discovery for my life at SUSI: TV SET IS WORKING OK at the second floor lounge of our dorms!!!!! Rushed into my kitchen, prepared the most basic sandwich and enjoyed American commercials (could be watching 'em for hours!!). Thanks Neil for setting things up so well...
Now I just need to know when GREAT Doctor House is on...that will make my day.
See you soon!!

Javier Barbero

PICK UP TRUCKS

Hi SUSI guys!
one more day and one more professor to enlighten our way to a deeper knowledge of American culture and civilization. In this case, Peter Hales, former director of SUSI, has just come our way to talk about myths and symbols and America and its need for expansion, liberty, self justification and so forth...
Still not used to witnessing how close and familiar professors are to us. Peter (I'm allowed to call him so) just keeps on talking about this schizophrenic duality of his, being a farmer and a UIC professor...totally unbelievable for a so called respectable university professor in Spain (like myself, I guess :) happy enough to have a nice suit and tie to talk about Chomsky !
Anyway, quick lunch (for a change) and rush into the Chicago History Museum.
Wow, man! I cannot stop feeling surprised about the capacity of Americans to create something worthwhile out of "not much" (or so Europeans historians would say...) It's more than funny to see an Oscar Mayer sausage can within the objects shown to the public and all typical pop culture objects associated with the history of the city. What can I say? I'm used to Greek friezes, Velazquez paintings or Rodin sculptures! and now I come across a Michael Jordan's basketball shirt!!! Once again, welcome to America...!
Visit to the zoo and nice talk to professor Arnesen about education, edutainment, American universities and Spanish universities from which I've learnt soooo much. The best thing about Eric is that you know that if you ask him something, he's certainly gonna answer you in the best outstanding way coming out from his overwhelming knowledge and intelligence. I feel really relieved as I 100% agree with him (the evolution from homo literatus to homo videns is here to stay folks, thanks Giovanni Sartori) as far as our students' studying habits are concerned...yeap, call me old fashioned or simply old, but I cannot understand these students studying on top of their beds in the most twisted ways, holding a cup of Starbucks coffee, listening to their Ipods and with their History books in front of their faces!!! Ain't gotta go to Ikea to see there's something called desk and chair, and even lamp which may be pretty helpful once one decides he or she wanna study something! (Gosh I do sound like my dad...!)
Anyway, after the zoo (can't be bothered to talk about tired hot animals in the sun) our lovely flatmate Mark (from Japan) leads some of us to this sushi place where we have our dinner...needless to say that me, an educated man, pretended everything was delicious, but my friends did notice I was having a hard time fighting against this rare fish (first time I ever had sushi) and sort of helped me out offering some kinda softer stuff (thanks Jutta!) Mark was really lucky we are Fulbright lovely teachers as I was just about to make him pay his recommendation to me (tune sushi is very Japanese!!) MY GOODNESS!!!
Anyway, we hit the road back with our dinner fulfilled (well, their dinner fulfilled) and ready to take a rest.
As this blog is now known by my dearest SUSI friends, I thought telling double colour eyed Neil would be a nice idea, so he can sort of watch me over and warn me if I'm going beyond the red line, but I think I'll be alright. Thank God I use the English Language, I can tell I wouldn't be able to be so nice, polite, soft and happy in Spanish (too much swearing, I'm afraid)\
By the way, a general warning for all of you, it is confirmed: NEIL IS A MUTANT (self confession) so be careful from now onwards ... :)
See you on the road, guys, but careful with so called pedestrian crossings!!! (especially if you are a brave impulsive Italian woman!)

Javier Barbero

VISIONARIES

Free Sunday for SUSI 2009 and the gang chooses to enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural wonders around Oak Park. Very recommendable walking tour but even more recommendable the tour inside Wright's home and studio. Unbelievable to see the constant defying of all those Victorian style houses right at the beginning of the 20th century, in such a way that you could tell these dwellings have been created by Norman Foster or somebody like him...
Completely knacked by the never ending walk, the guys decide to stick to American lunch style within sort of a Spanish time (3 pm, wow, that sounds good!) and cheeseburgers and hot dogs are devoured pleasantly. Thank God I could convince my friends to join me at Starbucks to get something similar to a European made coffee and rest for half an hour more.
Back to the road Hemingway's birthplace and museum were closed althought Jutta's German opened up the doors of the writer's birthplace where an adorable German old man informed us about the opening hours but couldn't help to show us around quickly (free!). A lovely background vital story back in 1966 when he met his Italian wife in America and decided to stay to enjoy her way of preparing pasta, her Spanish classes and the depth of her loving eyes...
After this beautiful encounter (I will never stop saying how FRIENDLY Americans are!!) back home and laundry, ironing and reading business...American Literature week is coming up and I guess Professor Messenger expects us to be more than busy ... at least that's what it seems according to the pile of books on my desk! We'll see tomorrow...
By the way, Brazil beat Italy in the Confederation Cup (sorry Manto!!) and what it is more exciting, Spain will play vs. the USA in the semifinals...I just hope they win, otherwise life is gonna turn really difficult for me around here :)

Javier Barbero

TO HANCOCK OR NOT TO HANCOCK

Well, first free day for SUSI participants. Some of them have decide to go up to the Hancock Building Observatory. It's 15 bucks but it's worth it. You can appreciate tremendous views on Chicago plus the overwhelming organization around this tourist site. I always envy this capacity of Americans of being able to transform almost anything in a profitable touristic site! I wish we did the same in Spain, instead of making low class chiringuitos (bars on the seaside) grow and grow and spoil our natural environments...
Anyway lovely and exhausting day shopping...well, shop watching I dare say, and witnessing the Magnificent Mile and all those glamorous shops which would drive me crazy if I didn't know I just do not have a single chance to buy anything there...
Back to Millenium park we met the guys for the Rachmaninoff concert...yeap, the music was great but...do you know what I really enjoyed? The sociological experience of watching Americans transform an enormous area into a picnic site...I' m absolutely shocked how many things they can bring around for their picnic ...! some of them had their own small tables with all kind of food and candles to make it even more comfy!!! wow! Welcome to America. I couldn't help thinking about little kiddies running around their parents with lovely Classical music at the background being literally educated in the love for music, family and good company.
Back home I feel absolutely devastated but it was worthy, I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, absolute free day in Chicago and a pile of dirty clothes are threatening me from my closet...I guess I will have the use the laundry tomorrow...maybe I should just stay and rest while laundry is on...well, I'm pretty sure someone will come up with some interesting plans and my clothes will have to wait.
But we'll see...

Javier Barbero

THUNDERSTORMS

New day, new plans. Visit to Hull House (Jane Adams´ incredible starting settlement in the city of Chicago). We meet professor Katrin Schulteiss who will be guiding house into what Americans call Women´s Studies. We do tour around Hull House, watch a very interesting video and feel History in front of our eyes...I always say that being such a young country in historical terms has got some advantages. Yes, Americans don´t have such a long record of events as we may have in Europe, but they can feel and live and even touch their own History with their fingers. Americans have got this kind of self respect and perpetual admiration for their past that I do envy very much. It´s not that we don´t respect ourselves back in Spain, but we don´t take so much care about our historical heritage in the way Americans do...I wish we learnt a little bit more from them in that aspect.
Right in the middle of our visit a typical thunderstorm blasts into our ears with pouring rain hitting Hull House´s roof violently. Every time I witness this kind of weather events in this country I think Nature is here again to remind us that we are basically nothing. That´s right, I feel so insignificant...especially in such a huge country like this one.
We get to the Students´Union´s Shop after our visit to Hull House and surf among all this sweatshirts and tshirts and caps (almost all of us get something as a souvenir) and back home for lunch and the 13:30 lecture with Katrin.
Believe it or not, I felt another thunderstorm on our heads...there are certain topics we can´t make jokes about, and women´s discrimination and segregation is one of those...some people in the group don´t seem to notice it, but at the end we get through the class and feel that dark side of History has been fairly enlightened to us thanks to perfectly organized Katrin´s class.
Back home, lovely dinner prepared by our particular Japanese chef Mark. Unbelievably accurate in the handling of pans and noodles, I just couldn´t imagine how nice sharing my time with my new international friends could be. They´re all soooooooo lovely: Blandine and her particular consideration of short term memory (mmmm who am I?), Jutta and her sort of squarely-organized sweetness (Austrian stuff...not German!!); Manto and her neverending generousity with all of us (is there a place you haven´t been to?) and Mark and his unbelievable mixture between Asian vital philosophy and Western fondness of beer!! Thank you all, guys!
Well, I must be off. There´ll be more events for the weekend. I´ll keep you informed.

Javier Barbero

THE LEAST DANGEROUS BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT: MYTH DESTROYING ON AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.

So far I think I´m already used to the challenging classes of professors Howard and Arnesen. It´s somewhat rewarding to observe their efforts for showing us various versions of the same historical facts, no matter if the greatest myths of American History are smashed violently for the sake of truth. Father Christmas does not exist, so Jerry from South Africa says...that is the exact impression he´s got once he´s told Lincoln´s views on slavery being submitted to the sacred concept of the Union. That´s right, nothing is what it seems, especially when we deal with History, regarding how biased most historians turn out to be.
A constitution for the people…but not everybody was considered people…slaves, for instance, were just 3/5 of a human being, which is, at least, eye-catching, or women, who simply did not have the right to vote. If we kept on counting minorities who were excluded, we´d find out that just a few had the rights, that just a few were real people…
Afternoon session with professor Arnesen and a visit throughout a nation of immigrants, racism and economy, welcoming and hostile bunches, Ellis Island and Angel Island. Can´t help think about my home country, full of locals whose fathers and mothers emigrated back in the 60s and 70s refusing the integration of those who get away from pain, poverty and a more than probable death. Debate lightens up quickly, social assumptions, social truths and social problems based on the concept of race. We do get back to it again because…at the end of the day, what is race? Let´s escape from biological detailed enumerations and let´s face the truth: race is a social construct, a made up excuse, an inaccurate barrier.
Great Neil and Eric have taken us to the Chicago Art Museum where we are recommended to visit the Modern Art Wing. We do so and encounter absolutely delighting masterpieces by, among others, Spaniards like Picasso, Dalí, Miró or Juan Gris, needless to say a sort of special pride is felt from head to toes ... the guys discover an overwhelming terrace on Millenium Park: photo session, loud gang of foreigners becoming predictable and a good laugh…
Back home Jutta (from Austria) just bets on visiting this more than typical American cafeteria where Manto (Italy), Mark (Japan) and myself head in. We feel like in the movies when the Afro American girl goes: “hi, my name is Alice and I´ll be your waitress tonight!”, we do decide to complete the stereotype and taste magnificent Chicago burgers (cheese and bacon) to ensure our American experience will add wise knowledge to our lives and some extra kilos of weight…
Our only hope is, as the saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…well, let´s see if we are able to leave those kilos behind whether in Vegas or not.
Time to go to bed, my Japanese lad must be overcoming his REM phase, I´ll try not to be noisy!

Javier Barbero

SLAVERY AND FREEDOM: THE AMERICAN PARADOX

That's right! We now live in the most powerful country on earth, we share the advantages of living in such an advanced society, we enjoy the endless possibilities of a city like Chicago but...why do we have the impression that there are so many inequalities within this society? Professors Arnesen and Howard took back to the old times, to the origins of it all, to the time of Columbus and the first encounters in North, Central and South America. Economic motivation plus unconciousness of an invasion (not a discovery) which brought to America not only the Europeans, but also their diseases and therefore a massive number of deaths in the native population. Spanish, puritans, the first fathers of the American nation have been revisited and questioned, examined and debated, explored and criticised...
Was Thomas Jefferson a hypocrite or was he just one racist more? How can his wish for equality be compatible with his own vital record (female slave pregnancy and later baby included) in favour of the slavery status quo?
Let's move onto stereotypes, and what's more...race. What's the definition of race? Does such a concept exist? is it biological or is it just a social construction? if so, how can we actually determine differences and priviledges depending on race?
A very intense day trying to explore these and many other ideas leading us within the times of the arrival to the New World. The origins of America take us straightly to the origins of its biggest paradox, a country which thoroughly fought for its own freedom whereas took freedom from certain human beings...an undoubtable democracy which still has not solved the big question of race, segregation, equality of opportunities...a complex workfield which will take us (I hope) to a deeper knowledge of us all as human beings.
After classes, a nice guided real and virtual tour around UIC overwhelming library. Wow! Still nervous as I know I will be ble to enjoy the electronic resources of this site for a whole year, I guess I will have to download so many things...impressive facilities with an effective staff member who guided us through with the best of her smiles ... I wish library staff members in Spain would take courtesy as one of their main obligations when it comes to making their libraries accessible and operative, but I'm afraid we're still miles away from that...!
Last, but not least, I keep on thinking about how young this great country is (from a historical perspective) and what a great opportunity this factor gives to its population to get a deeper knowledge of their roots, their History so as to be able to learn from the past and try not to repeat their mistakes in the future.
I think my laundry is over. Gotta go! (to be pronounced with an American accent!).

Javier Barbero

BLAME IT ON THE RAIN

First serious lecture of the seminar. Let's talk about political philosophy, is America democratic? Is there Justice in America? What do we understand by Justice?
Professor Howard has led us through an interesting path covering the highlights of the thoughts of Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Adam Smith. Weaving concepts and interrelating them all with the current sociopolitical American situation, debate has come up immediately with some interesting points and some predictable answers, I must say. Not familiarised with this debate system (a bit messy, from my point of view) I've preferred to listen and be silent (could you believe it?) so that I can acquire a perfect pre knowledge of what's going on in this seminar before actually participate really actively...
Back home and quick lunch before departing for dock number 1 on the river. Disappointingly enough it was raining cats and dogs, and taking a couple of buses ended up being sort of a dangerous adventure we happily fulfilled...an architectural tour on the river was meant to be really eye catching, and it'd have been so if it hadn't been raining heavily from beginning to end. Art deco architecture, familiar names like Ricardo Bofill or Santiago Calatrava, popular facades like the Chicago Tribune one, funny examples of architectural copies from Europe like the Wrigley's building (sorry, Neil, I can't see my lovely Giralda there yet...) are some of the ingredients of a tour that I'm sure it's worth enjoying with better weather.
Going back to UIC campus on two more buses has turned out to be little less than a battle for survival...heavy rain and Chicago locals struggling for getting onto those characteristic buses surrounded by a bunch of foreigners yelling out loud in order to get a drier location has been terrible, I must admit...
Back to UIC, adorable Manto from Italy has decided she's gonna take care of some of us with her delicious pasta dishes, so we try our best buying wine, doing the washing up and giving mutual company to celebrate a yummy dinner where Mark, my dear flatmate from Japan, has become a star thanks to his intelligent sense of humour and his endless anecdotes about peculiarities on Japanese culture.
Once I'm just about to finish this post, I realize there's so much to read for my lectures and so little time that I must say bye for now.
A quick message for my friend Miguel: lo siento majeton, pero se supone que tengo que escribir en extranjero para justificar mi estancia, no? de todos modos sigo tan alambicado y arboreo como ya sabes...asi que no creo que fueras a disfrutarlo especialmente jejeje. Un abrazo y gracias por todo, tu ya sabes...pensare en ti en el Monte Rushmore.
That's all for now. See you soon folks!

Javier Barbero

JUST TO GET STARTED

It's been just three days since I hit Chicago and it seems to me I will love this city and experience for the rest of my life. People at UIC are really charming and trying to get things easygoing and interesting for us all. When I say us all, I mean this extraordinary bunch of people coming from literally all over the world, not every day you've got the chance to meet someone from Mongolia, Norway or Nicaragua, just to put some examples.
English as a lingua franca...how many times can I have used this expression in my writings? don't know, maybe hundreds, and I must admit it is precisely now when I can thoroughly understand what I meant. Different accents, different mistakes, different intonations, but a common wish to be understood in terms of courtesy and politeness...it's the English language what I certainly call a linking element in this case, and I'm so proud of taking part in this linguistic experience...I feel I've got to say I'm sorry for taking everything into the philological way (as my new friends already know) but, what else can I do? I do enjoy it and tend to look for a philological side in almost everything I do!
Chicago is simply awesome...with a perfect mixture of the classical American skyscrapers and sort of European side with its amazings overviews on Lake Michigan ... I do enjoy this city and I'm pretty sure I will learn to enjoy it even more...
Jet lag apart, we are enjoying wonderful housing, finance and academic conditions thanks to the perfect organization held by Neil, Janet and the rest of the guys who are simply a dream come true. Professor Arnesen and the rest of the teaching staff started everything off today with a general approach to the three basic topics on which we will base our research here, that's to say, History, Law and Literature, a perfect combination to really be capable of getting near to the commonly accepted concept of the complex American identity. Who are they? why are they the way they are? who's written American History so far? who were excluded? who shouldn't have been included?
Many many questions to which we will try to find an answer in the following weeks...I will inform you as soon as I get the possible answers, but I'm afraid we will never be able to reach a consensus and that's is exactly what all of this is about: respectful debate from different points of views no matter how far we get in the discussion...
I could also talk about my flight, my Internet connection or the socializing events which we have already enjoyed, but it's late, and the real essence of American is waiting for me hidden in some readings I must fulfill before going to bed. Let's get it done then!
I'll be back.

Javier Barbero.