A lesson to travel writers everywhere

by Anna Lemberger

The Center’s lecture series brought out the crowds again with its second speaker of the semester, Arun Saldanha, a professor of geography from the University of Minnesota. His lecture, “A Tear in the Fabric of Time: the Immediate Impact of Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s Itinerario,” and research were pretty much out of my comfort zone, but the audience seemed to respond quite favorably, so it must be interesting work. Saldanha’s current research focuses on, basically, a travel guide, the Itinerario, from 1596 and its impact on the Dutch traders, voyagers, etc. and the people they encountered, especially in India—definitely a far cry from his previous research on the 80s rave scene in Goa, India. He is looking at  how this book jump-started Dutch colonization and global travel. Interestingly, all of his work seems like it would be better absorbed when under the influence of some sort of hallucinogen, or so I’ve been told. I guess if it’s good enough for Freud. . . .

Since I wasn’t stoned, I am not even going to try to explain Saldanha’s thesis or summarize his lecture. So, if you would like more accurate information, please click here. I did, however, find his research process extremely interesting and learned a lot about different ways to incorporate and approach information. At first the lecture felt like a history lesson, but once he started describing the “timespace continuum” it became more scientific and theoretical. (I also kept thinking about Star Trek . . . not sure what that means.) It was interesting to consider the present in a different way, as a moment that remembers and contracts the entire universe’s past. We can never really say what the present is because it is always defined in relationship with the past. Saldanha went on to describe the tear in the fabric of time through several confusing diagrams. I started having nightmares about my geometry classes which probably relates to my breakdown in understanding. Of course, I should not expect to grasp something in an hour that Einstein and others spent their lives theorizing and studying.

Dr. Grusin asked me before the lecture if we could try tweeting during future lectures. This intrigued me so I tried to think of what I would have tweeted during Saldanha’s talk. Not as easy as I expected. I also learned that I’m perpetually sarcastic and tangential and that this might not be the best assignment for me. Here were some of my hypothetical bird chirps:

*Wow, I’ve really had a poor history education. Who knew the Dutch were so adventurous!

*I agree, our classification of developing countries is totally biased and based on one perspective about how the world works.

*The Dutch were really not fond of the Portuguese and Spaniards. They used the Itinerario to avoid them at all costs. I wonder what Rick Steves would say about that.

*Pre-1600 maps were much more useful. They actually warned you where all of the sea monsters and cannibals were! I’m surprised anyone leaves the house anymore without that kind of guidance.

*What a mixed audience! Very multidisciplinary. Too bad I’m the wrong discipline for this mind trip.

*Lesson of the day: Be careful what information you spread. It might speed up time!

As always, thanks for reading. Until next time . . . stay golden.