Leigh-Ashley takes a break from her research to pose
with friends in the rice fields of Baucau
Photograph by Leigh-Ashley Lipscomb, GAS Ph.D. candidate
Leigh-Ashley Lipscomb, Ph.D. candidate in Group in Asian Studies, is currently doing her fieldwork in East Timor. Her topic is "Narratives of Justice" and her project traces the historiography of justice from the time of the Japanese Occupation of Portuguese Timor during WWII, through the period of Indonesian annexation until 1999, and the period of transitional rule by the United Nations until 2002. Her work addresses the persistent themes of vengeance and reconciliation over time and how these ideas and processes impact the world's and Asia's newest nation in its most recent phase of independence and political crisis. Leigh-Ashley has conducted research for the Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor in 2003 and the Commission of Truth and Friendship between East Timor and Indonesia. Leigh-Ashley presents photographs and thoughts from her field research below.
Photograph by Leigh-Ashley Lipscomb, GAS Ph.D. candidate
This is my favorite photo from East Timor. I found this kid in this shelter above the rice fields just east of the city of Baucau. He can't be more than 2-3 years old and he was teasing, taunting and playing with these huge Water Buffalo. He had no fear, and they were like guardians over him and playmates. The sacred mountain, Mt. Matebian, is in the background of the photo.
Photograph by Leigh-Ashley Lipscomb, GAS Ph.D. candidate
Xanana Gusmao was the resistance leader of East Timor during much of the period of Indonesian Occupation. He is currently the first President of East Timor, until the upcoming elections in April 2007. Recent political graffiti as well as resistance era graffiti can be found over-laid onto each other all over the landscape of the capital city of Dili.
Photograph by Leigh-Ashley Lipscomb, GAS Ph.D. candidate
The water buffalo, or karau Timor, is a sacred animal and a symbol of prosperity and communal bonds in East Timor, as in other parts of Southeast Asia. This herd is framed in the background by the mountains of Manatuto in the dry season. The Manatuto district is the birthplace of the independence leader Xanana Gusmao, and the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jose Ramos Horta.
Monks on a pilgrimage to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa travel through
Sichuan to the Tibetan border
Photograph by Peter Schurmann, GAS student
Senior honors student, Peter Schurmann, took time out of his busy schedule to talk about his experience as a UC Berkeley Group in Asian Studies student. Peter first came to Berkeley as a transfer student and has since excelled in studies that have focused on China and Korea.
You've traveled extensively; what's your favorite place and why?
Originally my favorite place to be was India. I just felt good to be there, to absorb the mad rush and the tranquil spirituality that at once make up the Indian landscape. I loved being in the Himalayas, or wandering the streets of Delhi. It felt like you could spend years there and never quite exhaust that sense of mystery. In fact I loved it so much I went back again several times, the last time meeting my wife, who eventually took me to Korea, so that then became my favorite place to be. There is nothing quite like experiencing another country from the inside, especially a place like Korea where the magic of that country isn't as apparent as in India. In India everything is right there in front of you — temples, elephants, crowded trains and exotic holy men. In Korea I feel like you have to dig a little deeper to see what's beyond the modern façade, but once you get a sense of Korea, both the rural and the urban, you realize it really is an amazing place.
How did you become interested in Asian Studies?
I became interested in Asian Studies through my travels in Asia. Looking back I wish I knew half the things when I was traveling that I've since learned at Berkeley. It would have heightened my experience all the more had I known more about the places I was visiting. I think about being in Cambodia and seeing Angkor Wat, but not really appreciating the history there until taking a course with Professor Riegel on traditional Asian cultures.
I know Korean Studies has become a focal point for you. Although we don't offer a major in Korean Studies, you've chosen to take classes and write an honors thesis on Korea to keep your interest in Korea alive. Tell me about some of the advantages and disadvantages of a focus on Korean Studies at Berkeley.
I think one of the great advantages of studying Korea is that through Korea you learn about the broader East Asia region. My first semester at Berkeley I took a course on Korean politics. The first day of lecture the professor stressed that Korean scholars by default become China and Japan scholars, just because of the intense interaction between these countries over the course of centuries. I think also that Korea provides a unique vantage point from which to view Asia. Modern Korea has absorbed currents of East Asian thought and synthesized it into something unique. I suppose one disadvantage of studying Korea is the lack of emphasis the country receives in academia. Compared with Japan and China Korea gets relatively little attention, which is surprising considering we fought a war there not long ago, the repercussions of which are still being felt. Conversely this does offer a lot of opportunity for students to explore the field of Korean studies.
Tell me a bit about your honors thesis; why did you decide to embark on such a project? Would your recommend this to other students?
I took on the project for a few reasons. First, I wanted to see whether I could actually produce a major research paper of this length. It's been a real learning process, from learning how to formulate a thesis to compiling material and organizing ideas. I'd say anyone considering graduate school should definitely do a thesis, because it really is the best training for future work. Also I wanted to do a paper on Korea because I was interested in the subject and wanted to do some independent reading on it. I'd tell any student considering a thesis to really come up with a clear and focused question, otherwise it can be really difficult to make sense of all the information. Also I'd say to begin writing as you research, and not to wait until the last minute. The writing sharpens the ideas and helps to guide the direction of later research.
Tell me a bit about your work in journalism. What are some recent articles on which you've worked?
I've worked for a few years at New America Media, a non-profit organization in San Francisco that collaborates with ethnic media to bring the ethnic and immigrant voice into the mainstream. My wife and I worked on a bunch of stories relating to Korea and the Korean community, several of which got picked up by mainstream papers like the San Francisco Chronicle. (See links below:)
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South Korean Embassies in China Turn Away Escapees from North
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Rebuilding Buddhas a Symbol in Rebuilding Afghanistan
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History Repeats in Korea
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Fall of Scientist Underlines South Korea's Search for a Hero
In addition to your busy life as a student and freelance journalist, you're also a husband and a dad to an adorable toddler. What are some of the challenges of being a parent while a student? What are some of the advantages?
It's not easy being a student parent. Both jobs are 24/7. Weekends are especially frustrating, because it's often the only time I have to spend with my son, but unfortunately most weekends are taken up with schoolwork. It's also hard to come home from school too exhausted to play with him, even though I haven't seen him all day. I am looking forward to graduating so I can have that time to spend with him.
Being a parent is its own advantage. There is nothing that can come close to the feeling of seeing your child grow and learn. It's the deepest sense of connection I think a person can have with another human, and it is a constant source of encouragement for me.
M.A. graduate Tenzin Bhuchung was profiled in the April 2004 issue of California Monthly, the California Alumni Association magazine.