Re: CHAT: "the future," sci-fi, Quecha (Le Guin)

>From: J Y S Czhang <czhang23@...>
>Reply-To: Constructed Languages List <CONLANG@...>
>To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU
>Subject: CHAT:  "the future," sci-fi, Quecha (Le Guin)
>Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 03:53:03 EDT
>
>     I just had to share this... I thought this has a lot of relevance:
>         to conlanging in terms of semantics,
>         to conculturing in terms of metaphors and cultural interpretation,
>         to our own lives and creativity in terms of being able to "see
>things
>differently and anew", etc.
>     So I quote Ursula Le Guin...
>
>     "We know where the future is. It's in front of us. Right? It lies
>before
>us - a great future lies before us - we stride forward confidently into it,
>every commencement, every election year. And we know where the past is.
>Behind us, right? So that we have to turn around to see it, and that
>interrupts our progress ever forward into the future, so we don't really
>much
>like to do it.
>     "It seems that the Quechua-speaking peoples of the Andes see all this
>rather differently. They figure that because the past is what you know, you
>can see it - it's in front of you, under your nose. This is a mode of
>perception rather than action, of awareness rather than progress. Since
>they're quite as logical as we are, they say that the future lies behind -
>behind your back, over your shoulder. The future is what you _can't_ see,
>unless you turn around and kind of snatch a glimpse. And then sometimes you
>wish you hadn't, because you've glimpsed what's sneaking up on you from
>behind. . . . So, as we drag the Andean peoples into our world of progress,
>pollution, soap operas, and satellites, they are coming backwards - looking
>over their shoulders to find out where they're going.

This is interesting :)

The Akan of Ghana also have a sense of time which is somewhat backward to
our own.  They have the "sasa" - the "now period" or present, and "zamani" -
"big time."  They don't really have a future in an abstract sense.  Since
the future doesn't exist yet, it cannot be considered a part of time.  They
don't have a sense of progressing toward something.  Zamani is kind of like
"forever" - when you age, move through time until finally death finally
removes you from Sasa and you enter Zamani.  But you still remain connected
to the present through the memories of the living - recently deceased are
considered to still be present.  The longer you've been dead, the less
connected you are to Sasa, and the more you are assimilated in Zamani.
You're not actually dead until no one remembers you - likewise, you aren't
really alive yet until you have children who will remember you when you die.

Andy


_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx