No, not Barbara Kingsolver's new book.
A hole in my education.
I have realized how completely uninformed about the history of Eastern Europe and Central Asia I am. It is a definite black hole in my education, which seems fitting since I have gathered from recent readings that the area is often bypassed in favor of its Chinese, Indian, or Middle Eastern neighbors. But in reading recently about the Silk Road, having become so intrigued by the teaser of an exhibition at the AMNH (in these sense that it was light on artifacts and history and heavy on ambiance and the experience of it), I have started to put pieces together. Like why are the Uighurs in China Muslims? Well, because they were originally their own people and embraced Islam when it reached them via, you guessed it, the Silk Road. The uneasy relationship of Tibet and China? Well, there used to be a huge Tibetan Empire, that often fought with China over trade (and then they learned how to make silk!). The so-called Gypsies coming out of India to Europe? Yep, on the Silk Road. How about the difficult-to-follow history and various ethnic groups of the former Yugoslavia? And then there's Marco Polo, who traveled to China in the 13th century, on the Silk Road. Not to mention The Merchant of Venice and Othello . . . . And what of the Jewish communities of India and Christians in China? Silk Road proselytizing. And the blonde people in the Himalayas? And the way the Ottomans got all the way to almost the walls of Vienna but were stopped by the Hapsburgs? And then there's the whole Crusade thing (okay, I'm conflating the Holy Land and Turkey with Central Asia--this lacuna is big!), which was just as much about wealth (i.e. trade) and power as religion. And I'm not even going to get into the trade routes--spice route, I think it's called, whereby China and various empires sailed all over, trading, even as far as the coast of Africa (ignoring that controversial book about the (questionable) Chinese maritime accomplishments, 1421 The Year China Discovered America). Why did the Byzantine Empire succeed after the Roman one failed? Why did Alexander the Great (okay, I'm skipping around chronologically. And geographically.) go East instead of north? And why all the way to India? You guessed it, there were huge, wealthy, powerful empires in the east (of course, as a good classicist, I knew of the Scythians and Parthians and Bactrians, but only barely and as fringe groups to the histories of Greece and Rome). And not just the Persians. Except you can't ever see them on maps that split Europe from Asia right around Turkey. And so the area gets ignored. It's as if a blindfold has been lifted off my mind and I can see all these connections that I never realized before, even though they were just there hiding in plain sight. And I can't get enough. Which is why there are now 4 books on my nightstand having to do with various aspects of the region's history (including a vegetarian cookbook of the Silk Road!!).
And I have discovered another hole in my cultural literacy. A few weeks ago, there was something read at church about "to be understood, understand; to be loved, love." And I'd never heard it before and tried my best to Google it but never came up with anything. And so I let it lie. But tonight, Mama is sitting next to me doing some MP3 downloads and was talking about Sarah McLachlan and played a song, reciting the lyrics for me (because she knows I can't listen to songs and lyrics at the same time!). And, lo and behold, it was the reading from church. Can you guess it? Anyone with a Catholic education will. But of course, that's not me . . . .
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith ;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Or, as it is sung, "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace"
Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me bring your love,
Where there is injury your pardon Lord,
And where there's doubt true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
O Master grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.
-=-=-=-=-=
Date Sweets
A Recipe from "Traveling the Silk Road"
1/4 cup butter
2 cups pitted chopped dates
1/2 cup toasted flour or crushed cookie (graham crackers may be used)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 cup nuts (chef's choice)
In a heavy frying pan, melt butter on medium heat.
Mash in dates with the back of a wooden spoon. If dates are dry and hard to mash, add a little hot water to soften them.
While mashing, gradually sprinkle in crushed cookies, cardamom, fennel, and coriander (total time: 7-10 minutes).
Spread the mixture on a flat tray or plate, about 1/2" thick. Press nuts well onto the surface. Whhen cool, cut into small squares and serve.
AMNH recipe card from the exhibition
Silk Road Snack
1/4 cup butter
2 cups pitted chopped dates
1/2 cup toasted flour or crushed cookie (like graham crackers)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 cup nuts
In a heavy frying pan, melt butter on medium heat.
Mash in dates with the back of a wooden spoon. If dates are dry and hard to mash, add a little hot water to soften them.
While mashing, gradually sprinkle in crushed cookies, cardamom, fennel, and coriander seeds (total time 7-10 minutes).
Spread the mixture on a flat tray or plate about 1/2 inch thick. Press nuts well onto the surface. When cool, cut into small squares and serve.
AMNH recipe card from the exhibition
