little west has written something in the message board and i have written some response… but it is too long, so i put it here in the blog. here is his message:
小西：近來不時在人際上[賴]野，工作又忙，見到D學生在一個唔知係點的教育環境下唔知點，有D灰灰地。
香港的文化/政治氛圍愈來愈差，因為備課，重讀classical ethics的材料，有好大的感慨。
這是最好的年代
這是最壞的年代
我們走向天國
我們走向地獄
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little west… so much to say about the things you wrote…
read fatboy and edward's writings on shun pao the other day about university education and "university students" (although i still don't agree to generally "name" them as "one") that also made me think of these stuffs recently…
mmmm… regarding university education, i have more hard feelings for the teaching staff and school politics (or university policies) more than to students. for me, i will try my best to teach, that is to help students to develop themselves in particular subjects. and i'll try to practise and at the same time theorize (theories are practices) my own ways in teaching/research works. for me, in scm, i have been trying also to emphasize as much as possible the essence of cultural studies and the mix and match of various theories to do creative works (that are different from fine art based discipline, and also media studies in social science based discipline and kinda mix these stuffs…). of course as instructors, we have a LOT of constrains in which we don't always have the "power" to do what we want. and we can't lead any course (although we have the ability). and we can't get any research grand (it is so ironic that many of the instructors have many research projects with NO money while the other "higher" teaching staffs have so much more money and do shit!). i was very upset and depressed (extremely depressed last yr) because of these stuffs… but as i will be leaving soon so i told myself not to be so "bothered" by these things… i genuinely feel that i can't be contaminated by these stuffs too much, as i did… or else, we would have too much negative energy that harms us a lot! well… things are not just bad to instructors… but people already in better positions will be harmed by evil people in every unexpected condition… sigh!
i see no hope in the university education because there are too many evil people in power that hinder better development and advancement, in the school, or in the society at large (if we think in a way that education does help cultural advancement not merely by producing "workers" in which education is understood as human resources policies,
and also not about producing "practical" technology that makes money BUT to accent awareness to cultural advancement as the "way of living" (so "lo toe" but so true!) and to "remind" people (including ourselves to be in constant rethinking and reflexive conditions) to be more aware of how and why and what are the things that we have been believing… at least some doubts…
i don't want to talk "big" and generalize a hugh ideal to education (we are so little and we can do so little, although we have done so much…). however, if we don't have such a "larger vision," and at least the ability to see how things (we do everyday) could be connected to "real lives," i see no hope.
so still, i do see hope, as we are still trying our best to work on the things we believe, regardless the unfair systems, the almost impossible situation to go on doing research without financial support… yes, it is pretty "grey" in a way and i see no hope for my personal "future" (with the fucking mortgage of the negative assert) and as someone who dares to publicly write something like this… but i will try my best to go on…
let's support each other little west… as we have to fight those smart ass (who jumped to higher place for no reason except luck and yet still feel that they are qualified…), and those evil people in power, in the end, after we spend all our money having miserable time finishing the terminal degree!!!!!!!!!! yes , i hate these people, why not?!? as i love life, my good-hearted fellow co-workers/educators, and my students!
take good care and good health!
