An introductory note

Hello everyone!

I am writing this introductory note from an especially rainy day in Vancouver, which seems somewhat perfect for this occasion. My name is Astha Kumar, and I am a fourth year Sociology major, about 4 courses shy from graduating this spring. In my free time, I thoroughly enjoy reading, cooking and finding music from independent artists.

I took this course because it seemed like a great way to exercise my curiosity and break out of my comfort zone. My new year resolution this year was to broaden my horizons when it came to reading, and I believe the diverse RMST 202 reading list is a great way to exercise my commitment. Literary works are not only powerful sources of knowledge, but great informers of culture, language, people, traditions and ways of life. My primary expectation from this course is to be able understand, compare and contrast the unique voice in every text and make a genuine effort to learn something of value from each one of them– perhaps ideas I can carry with me, long after this course is finished. Every good book, in my opinion, is able to do this.

In reference to the introductory lecture, Professor Jon’s passion was captivating and infectious. I especially appreciated how he practiced reflexivity in explaining his choice of the texts, and made sure to acknowledge areas, topics, and aspects that were missing from the diverse collection. He also viewed the translated nature of texts from an extremely unique standpoint. I often believe that there is an original essence of the work lost to the reader when reading a translated text, but Jon reassured us that it was an opportunity to re-make, re-imagine and travel with the texts. Hence, I embark on this journey, and brace myself as I travel across the world through the texts in pursuit of understanding what underpins romance in our world.