RMST Introduction!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Harshi and I’m a second-year psychology major. I am originally Indian but I grew up between Hong Kong and Shanghai. I love all things art, especially photography, painting and music! In my free time, you would either find me painting on random pieces of scrap, finding new music, creating an unnecessary number of Spotify playlists and/or taking photographs of almost anything and everything I find remotely aesthetic. Although I do enjoy reading, it is not something I do very often (unfortunately). I believe the last time I read a full book was probably over the summer when I was stuck in quarantine for 21 days –thanks to Hong Kong’s ridiculously strict COVID rules.

I chose this course simply to fulfil my literature requirement. I didn’t think much about it other than the fact that it was the one course that I found slightly more interesting than the options. However, now that I have a better idea of what to expect, I can confidently say that I am genuinely looking forward to it:) Not only do the texts seem really interesting but both Jon and the TA’s enthusiasm makes me all the more excited.

Prior to registering for this course, I didn’t have much –or any– exposure to the Romance-speaking world. I don’t speak any of the romance languages, nor have I visited any of the romance-speaking countries and yet I’ve always been intrigued to learn about it. After watching the introduction lecture, I found it really fascinating to learn that there is no “Romance World” per se. I always thought that’s in a similar way to other areas of studies -such as Asian studies- Romance Studies would also draw from a specific nation. Due to my lack of experience and general knowledge about the Romance World –prior to knowing it does not exist– I was slightly nervous that I may be at a slight disadvantage of sorts when it came to interpreting these texts. However, I now know that this is not the case because, well, there is no one particular nation to draw from and therefore we are all strangers starting at the same point. Obviously, there would be contextual factors that impact each of the texts in a different way, but knowing that there is no homeland and that no one can claim to be closer to the source since we are all beginning anew rid me of my anxieties and comforted me.

Romance studies is so much more than simply reading and analyzing texts that originated from/were originally written in Romance Languages. It is instead a field of study that invites and encourages different perspectives which is why I am looking forward to reading all of your blog posts and listening to everyone’s unique interpretations in our discussion sessions!

: )