Everyday ethnographies

A “child of Asia”.

I have wrapped up my last meeting of the day. I skip the metro to take a long, slow walk back to my hotel. I walk past several eateries. Suddenly, […]

Reality osmosis.

Sometimes I wonder if I am a real person.

Everyday ethnographies

Six first impressions of the US.

Phoenix is basically Western Australia with cacti. – As punishment for being Internet researchers we now have to dine in the desert. It’s like academic Survivor. – These are so […]

Everyday ethnographies

This is my grandmother.

This is my grandmother admiring a photograph of her wedding portrait on my iPhone. “Hey! How do you have this? There’s only one copy! It’s hanging in Uncle James’ house […]

Everyday ethnographies

Politics, everyday life, and habitus.

After having spent ten days closely following political rallies and campaigns while tracking social media discourse out of academic interest, I took to the polls on Friday morning to cast […]

Everyday ethnographies

Political rallies and the tactility of collective effervescence.

I’m in the stands at a sports stadium watching a […]

Academica Dramatica

The day before thesis submission.

I am submitting my thesis tomorrow. For all the hype over submitting, thesis printing is extremely underwhelming. To you, it’s the end of an era. To the printers, you are […]

Everyday ethnographies

Academic precarity and transient intimacies in 28 Tweets.

A series of brainfarts about the most memorable ten-minute cab […]

Everyday ethnographies

Transit ethnographies.

One day in the future, I shall produce an ethnography about the Melbourne metro. For now, I’ll just have to reminisce over May 2015 in 14 Tweets. Oh Melbourne metro, […]

Everyday ethnographies

Bob.

“Weber is overrated. The only good thing he wrote was the Protestant Ethic. That really impacted society, how we thought about life. Every thing else was forgettable. He was a […]

Everyday ethnographies

Kids say the darndest things

Germaine: “Aunty Crystal, so when you graduate you are going to be a doctor?” Sheryl: “Can you cure people?” Megan: “Huh you’re going to be a doctor? Then you must […]

Everyday ethnographies

Grandmotherly Folklore

My grandmother is a woman of many stories. If you spend an afternoon with her negotiating Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, or Hakka, she might even go into what she was wearing […]

Everyday ethnographies

Lessons from my grandmother.

1) Stop calling me ahmah. You should be calling me popo. 2) Don’t cut your hair. Your body took a lot of effort to grow it this long. 3) You […]

Everyday ethnographies

机场安慰

请小心台阶 • 手握扶手不要只观看手机电话请放松 • 候车只需2分钟请忽停留请所有乘客落车请忽吸烟请忽站近边缘请照顾小孩及长者机场清洁人人爱

Everyday ethnographies

Brainfarts on a dramatic but totally professional and non-chaotic flight.

29Sep14, 23xxhrs. Live monologuing to myself on the Notes App […]

Everyday ethnographies

Fairy godmother, agony aunt, companion.

Some times, working the 0215hrs shift is like being a fairy godmother, agony aunt, and companion all at once… while juggling shelving, printing, scanning, document delivery, and manning the reception […]

Everyday ethnographies

0215-0745hrs.

Here is a sneak peak into my day as 24/7 Postgraduate After Hours Librarian in the Reid Library. Yes, we are the warriors who keep your dearest Reid running round-the-clock […]