Gatty Lecture Rewind Podcast The Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University

In this episode, Francine interviewed Sirithorn Siriwan, or Ing, a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Asian Studies at Cornell University. Ing discusses rice rituals in northern Thailand and how they relate to animism, or “Sasana Phi.” She draws from narratives surrounding what she coins Thai "ricelihood" to unfold the juxtaposition of phi, rice deity, and Theravada Buddhism. Finally, she recaps her multi-media methodological approach, which includes the use of theater and autoethnography.
 

Lightning Round: 4:42
 
Research and lecture summary: 12:07
 
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 47:37
 
Sirithorn Siriwan's Top Recommendations:
Buoyancy (2019)
 
The music on the podcast is from "Me and Some Friends", a musical project by a group of friends at Cornell, to experiment with how the beautiful timbres of Gamelan music can meld with hypnotic guitar parts to create a contemplative and unique experience. Check them out here. 

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Diana Kim, who is an assistant professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service as well as a core faculty member of the Asian Studies Program. In this conversation, Dr. Kim discusses how the Japanese occupation can help us understand the legacies of European colonial institutions in Southeast Asia today. She explains how the Japanese occupation allowed the transmission of pre-war European colonial institutions into Southeast Asia. She also explores the occupation's historical legacies and contemporary outcomes, comparing it to the long-term effects of other colonial institutions. Finally, Dr. Kim shares timely lessons on teaching pedagogy, reflecting on her own experiences.
 

Lightning Round: 4:14
 
Research and lecture summary: 15:14
 
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 39:36
 
Dr. Diana Kim's Top Recommendations:
How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee The music on the podcast is from "Me and Some Friends", a musical project by a group of friends at Cornell, to experiment with how the beautiful timbres of Gamelan music can meld with hypnotic guitar parts to create a contemplative and unique experience. Check them out here. 

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Boreth Ly, an associate professor of Southeast Asian Art History and Visual Culture at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Ly discusses her research on the black and white photographs of the Sultans of Java as well as the Dutch governors from the colonial era. Transitioning to a postcolonial context, she analyzes these "Happy Marriage" photographs' evolving cultural and political legibility.
 

Lightning Round: 4:43
 
Research and lecture summary: 10:00
 
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 39:40
 
Dr. Boreth Ly's Top Recommendations:
Pan Ron The “Mad Mother” in Rithy Panh’s Films (The Cinema of Rithy Panh) Six Memos for the Next Millennium by Italo Calvino Malila: The Farewell Flower The music on the podcast is from "Me and Some Friends", a musical project by a group of friends at Cornell, to experiment with how the beautiful timbres of Gamelan music can meld with hypnotic guitar parts to create a contemplative and unique experience. Check them out here. 

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Nora Taylor, an Alsdorf Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dr. Taylor discusses her research on contemporary Vietnamese art and the ways in which she has engaged with the paradoxical nature of monuments. She reveals how the Vietnamese public views art pieces, including monuments, differently as their historical memory of the Vietnam War and colonialism has evolved overtime. Finally, Dr. Taylor reminisces on her Vietnamese language learning journey, giving witty advice to all new language learners. 
 

Lightning Round: 3:43
 
Research and lecture summary: 24:20
 
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 48:54
 
Dr. Nora Taylor's Top Recommendations:
Inside the Cocoon Shell The music on the podcast is from "Me and Some Friends", a musical project by a group of friends at Cornell, to experiment with how the beautiful timbres of Gamelan music can meld with hypnotic guitar parts to create a contemplative and unique experience. Check them out here. 

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Hew Wai Weng, a research fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, National University of Malaysia. He is currently a visiting fellow at Cornell University under the Fulbright Malaysia Scholar Program. He discusses the rise of right-wing majoritarianism and the popularity of decolonial discourses in Malaysia, explaining how “decolonial” rhetoric feeds into right-wing propaganda in political campaigns, social activism, academic writings, and pop culture. Finally, he draws attention to the possible danger and limitations of decolonial scholarship. 
 

Lightning Round: 3:43
 
Research and lecture summary: 9:20
 
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 44:15
 
Dr. Hew Wai Weng's Top Recommendations:
La Luna Tiger Stripes The music on the podcast is from "Me and Some Friends", a musical project by a group of friends at Cornell, to experiment with how the beautiful timbres of Gamelan music can meld with hypnotic guitar parts to create a contemplative and unique experience. Check them out here. 

In this episode, Francine interviewed Dr. Daniel Whitehouse, an ERSC postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, SOAS University of London. Dr. Whitehouse introduces the idea of "network institutions," specifically through Suan Kularb Wittayalai. Suan Kularb Wittayalai is Thailand’s oldest state-administered secondary school and the alma mater to seven prime ministers. Dr. Whitehouse explains the network politics of Suan Kularb and its influence on Thailand's military, bureaucracy, commerce, and more.
 
Lightning Round: 3:35
 
Research and lecture summary: 12:30
 
Advice for researchers and recommendations: 38:37
 
Dr. Daniel Whitehouse's Top Recommendations:
The Kingmaker (2019)  
The music on the podcast is from "Me and Some Friends", a musical project by a group of friends at Cornell, to experiment with how the beautiful timbres of Gamelan music can meld with hypnotic guitar parts to create a contemplative and unique experience. Check them out here.