REAL CAMELS, UNREAL MONKEYS, AND MAN MADE SOUND: AN ELABORATION ON THE CONTEXT OF CURIOSITY Gisa Jähnichen Shanghai Conservatory of Music [email protected] Abstract This exp oration of how a speci!c environment shapes research is to re"ind ourse ves of so"e core tas#s of acade"ic thinking. $ a" an acade"ician. %cade"icians are given space& ti"e& and often "ateria support to do what they are "eant to do. On the one hand& it is sure y a sha"e how acade"icians are often deva ued by non-acade"ic decisions and bureaucratic actions even in the "ost deve oped and supposed y civi i)ed societies. On the other hand& as it is cha enging to beco"e an acade"ician, "any of us "ay think that the "ateria support has a ready been earned just by being an acade"ician thus not showing "uch co""it"ent to engage with further research activities. This is a fruit ess approach, a dead end. Support in whatever shape is a ways a credit given based on trust and hope into one*s own intrinsic capacity for curiosity. $t is not usua y given through an o+cia institution or awarding body. $ think& no authority or re igious be ief can ever co"p ete y eradicate a sense of adventurous curiosity a"ong peop e a over the wor d. Sure y& only a few dare to satisfy it. Therefore& despite the rea di"ensions of supportive behavior practiced in institutions& universities& or fa"i ies& the credit given in advance is in any case an invest"ent in the better"ent of ife& in the creation of #now edge or of too s to gain #now edge& that faci itate understanding even of so"e see"ing y use ess "atters and their potentia app ication. ,otwithstanding ana y)ing so"e patterns of conte"porary research idea is" -Cacioppo et a & .//01& the story is about so"e very si"p e observations on the fringe of a journey into the center of the %sian continent& into a city that is in each direction "ore than 2333 #" fro" the sea4 5ru"6i and its surroundings. The journey too# p ace .3 years ago and with this ti"e distance and the experiences of ater encounters& so"e hu"b e 6uestions can be raised Gisa Jähnichen& 7ea Ca"e s& 5nrea Mon#eys& and Man Made Sound4 an 8 aboration on the 86 Context of Curiosity& Música em Contexto& 9ras: ia ,;. -<3.=14 >2(..3. that wi he p to individua ise and a so broaden a historica understanding of co""unications between "an and beast. $ start with "y report. Keyw r!s4 curiosity& eco"usico ogy& #now edge "anage"ent& Centra %sia& ?injiang. Res"# 8sta investiga@Ao de co"o u" a"biente espec:!co "o da a pes6uisa serve para e"brar(nos de a gu"as tarefas bBsicas do pensa"ento acadC"ico. Sou u"a acadC"ica. 's acadC"icos recebe" espa@o& te"po e& "uitas ve)es& suporte "ateria para fa)er o 6ue e es deve" fa)er. Dor u" ado& certa"ente E u"a pena 6ue os acadC"icos seja" "uitas ve)es desva ori)ados por decisFes não(acadC"icas e a@Fes burocrBticas& "es"o nas sociedades "ais desenvo vidas e& suposta"ente& civi i)adas. Dor outro ado& co"o E u" desa!o tornar(se u" acadC"ico& "uitos de nós pode pensar 6ue a ajuda "ateria E "erecida apenas por ser u" acadC"ico& não "ostrando "uito co"pro"isso e" participar de atividades de pes6uisa adicionais. 8sta E u"a abordage" infrut:fera& u" beco se" sa:da. % ajuda e" 6ua 6uer for"a E se"pre u" crEdito dado co" base na confian@a e esperança na prGpria capacidade intr:nseca de ser curioso. 8 essa capacidade não E obtida por "eio de u"a institui@Ao o!cia ou de !nancia"ento. 8u acredito 6ue nenhu"a autoridade ou crença re igiosa pode erradicar co"p eta"ente a sensa@Ao de curiosidade aventureira entre pessoas de todo o "undo. Certa"ente& apenas a guns se atreve" a satisfa)C( a. Dortanto& apesar das di"ensFes reais do apoio praticado por institui@Fes& universidades ou fa": ias& o crEdito antecipado E& e" 6ua 6uer caso& u" investi"ento no "e hora"ento da vida& na cria@Ao de conheci"ento ou de ferra"entas para obter conheci"ento& 6ue faci ite" a co"preensAo "es"o de a gu"as 6uestFes aparente"ente inúteis e sua potencia ap ica@Ao. %pesar de ana isar a guns padrFes de idea is"o da pes6uisa conte"porInea -Cacioppo et a & .//01& a histGria E sobre a gu"as observa@Fes "uito si"p es J "arge" de u"a viage" ao centro do continente asiBtico& e" u"a cidade 6ue E& e" cada dire@Ao& "ais de 2333 #" do "ar4 5ru"6i e seus arredores. % viage" ocorreu há .3 anos e& 7evista do Drogra"a de DGs(Gradua@Ao e" MHsica da 5niversidade de 9ras: ia %no ?$& vo u"e . -outubro de <3.=1 Gisa Jähnichen& 7ea Ca"e s& 5nrea Mon#eys& and Man Made Sound4 %n 8 aboration on the Context of Curiosity& Música em Contexto& 9ras: ia ,;. -<3.=14 >2(..3. 87 co" essa distIncia te"pora e as experiCncias de encontros posteriores& a gu"as 6uestFes hu"i des pode" ajudar a individua i)ar e ta"bE" a"p iar u"a co"preensAo histGrica das co"unica@Fes entre ho"ens e ani"ais. 8u co"e@o co" "eu re atGrio. Palavras-chave: curiosidade, ecomusicologia, gestão do conhecimento, Ásia Central, Xinjiang. Re$ rt % 5ru"6i& China. % sunny day in Septe"ber <330. $ cou d not s"e anything at a . The air was so c ean and dry that "y ips were getting chapped after $ inha ed a few ti"es without having covered "y face. % other #inds of prevention fai ed. The odor ess air was a new and strange experience that see"ed to be usefu in an odd way. In a 8uropean )oo ogica garden& one cou d s"e a ca"e enc osure from far away. ,ot so in 5ru"6i. 'n y standing right in front of this ship of the desert and ooking into its eyes can one beca"e aware of its presence. The eyes into which I have ooked at the centra "arket of 5ru"6i were big& round and not entire y b ac#. They gave "e an i"pression of honesty. The beast was a ready aged& not very ta & and of a subli"e ca "ness. 8very day& I guess& it has to carry a ot of curious peop e. %"ong the" wi d y ju"ping or crying chi dren& overt y anxious adies or very heavy gent e"en. That "ay have contributed to its serenity. $ts fur was strong and !r". Kina y& it was rea y re axing to sit on its natura sadd e and ride up and down the "ain road for a whi e. $t fe t as if a the stress of the journey sudden y dropped from "y shou ders. Low wou d it be to sit on a ca"e for a ong ride through the desert or the "ountainsM % one the thoughts of "issing comfort and body pain brought bac# the stress. $ got down then and buried "y hands in the ca"e *s thic# fur. $t sudden y ooked at "e as though it wanted to chat 7evista do Drogra"a de DGs(Gradua@Ao e" MHsica da 5niversidade de 9ras: ia %no ?$& vo u"e . -outubro de <3.=1 Gisa Jähnichen& 7ea Ca"e s& 5nrea Mon#eys& and Man Made Sound4 an 8 aboration on the 88 Context of Curiosity& Música em Contexto& 9ras: ia ,;. -<3.=14 >2(..3. a bit. $ whispered a than# you in its right ear and went oN. My co eagues were waiting for "e. Kig. .4 9actrian ca"e & painting by %nne Oerber -by courtesy1. Pater $ was told that in desert and steppe com"unities peop e ove their ca"e s above everything& however& in a complete y diNerent way from those infatuated 8uropeans ike "e. Ca"e s are essentia and c ose to the people*s ives. Therefore& they are personi!ed as being "ost y of a cheerfu character& having specia physica and "enta s#i s& being from ti"e to ti"e e"otiona or stubborn. ,o ca"e is ike the other. The peop e around 5ru"6i& 5yghurs& Oa)a#hs& Oyrgy)& 5)beks& Taji#s& Mongols& Tartars& and others& have sharp y 7evista do Drogra"a de DGs(Gradua@Ao e" MHsica da 5niversidade de 9ras: ia %no ?$& vo u"e . -outubro de <3.=1 Gisa Jähnichen& 7ea Ca"e s& 5nrea Mon#eys& and Man Made Sound4 %n 8 aboration on the Context of Curiosity& Música em Contexto& 9ras: ia ,;. -<3.=14 >2(..3. 89 diNerentiating ideas about and experiences with ca"e s and peop e& s#i s that are very he pfu in their dai y socia practice. I##e!iate Re'ectio( a(! Early A(alysis Qhi e in 8urope ca"e s are at best #nown for nice war" home s ippers "ade of ca"e hair or antistatic brushes used for optica tools& ca"e s are a far "ore essentia part of the wor d in the inner"ost area of %sia.