Smart Classrooms (for real)

Fun Fact No.59: You have to be SUPER gay. Here in Iquitos, there is a thriving gay scene. Lots of transvestites, transexuals, and generally queer people. They are loved and hated in the same fell swoop, but they are loved more if they really REALLY show how gay they are. It´s kind of sad for those who don´t want to paint their fingernails and grow their hair long, because they have little chance of being accepted.


Today I gave a lecture in the private university of Iquitos (UPI) about ethnomusicology. It was a success for a number of reasons:
1. it was my first lecture in my field in Spanish
2. the audience paid attention, participated, and did not seem to be bored (even after a full 1.5 hours)
3. I think they got it. I mean, I think they listen, processed, and understood. Hooray! Hurrah!
I enjoyed myself immensely and it was refreshing to be in front a class again. I (unexpectedly) had lots of fun. Oh, and the other neat thing was that the room was a smart classroom à la UT. Except that here, surprisingly, it was remarkably efficient. Seriously, who would have thought that in the middle of the Amazon a smart classroom would exist and work? They had laptop, iTunes, speakers, stereo, internet, and a pointer thingy so that I didn´t have to be anywhere near the computer to change powerpoint slides. How badass is that? It ran so smoothly I almost choked. It was unbelievable. If the Society for Ethnomusicology conference went half as smoothly (technologically speaking) as my lecture today went, the conferences would be 10 times better.

The sad thing about my lecture was that none of my friends came (except for papa Mario, who was really excited). Most of my friends here are in biology or forest engineering or some such kind of jungley field, and I think they don´t get why I´m here if I´m not saving the manatees. (There are manatees here that my roommate César is actually saving.) It was a full house, but no one I know (except papa Mario) got to really see what it is that I do. Alas...

Good news / bad news:
1. I´m in Peru until August 5. I´m actually dreading leaving right now because I still have SO much work to do! But I want to see my friends (y´all) so I do want to get back -I´m generally conflicted.
2. Jamie Freedman is leaving. Great for her (who doesn´t love San Fran?) but sad for me and my apartment complex. Boo hoo....
3. Erica Konya emailed the sweetest email today. Great news, it´s just that she made me really miss my girls from 702 Wooster.

OK, ttfn!