PhD Adventures: An Anecdote Apropos of Nothing

During a presentation of Steam Around The World, when I was taking questions, a young woman, white woman, wearing a robe of some sort, stood up, to explain her costume, which went something like this: "this is the costume of an Orientalist. I'm purposely dressing wrong just like how they would have done it back in the day. It's supposed to show how ignorant the colonizers were back in the day that they would appropriate clothing from the natives like this. So it's not that I'm dressing to be a racist, just to look like how they would have done it back in the day."

I didn't really know how to respond to it back then, but this moment, among many other such moments, has stuck with me to this day. The more I think about it, though, the more I'm filled with secondhand embarrassment for this girl, so I guess it's good that I didn't really have an answer for her back then, because I think today I might have just burst out laughing in her face. 

Goggling at Goggles

Sometime last year, I received an email from the proprietor of Steampunk Goggles, Dennis Consorte, for a plug on the site, possibly a review of goggles. Yes, this was last year, as in 2013, when I had practically no life, because grad school. I did not reply because of school, among other reasons. 

Among the other reasons is the fact that I... don't really wear goggles.

Outside Looking In

A couple years ago, I sat on a panel at SteamCon*. I'd proposed the panel, the title of which I no longer remember, as a think-tank on how the steampunk community presents itself (or how steampunk communities present themselves, or how steampunk is presented by anybody), and how the public at large sees steampunk.

Interruptions: Search Engine Fun

Also y'all only come in droves whenever I say something super angry that riles up the community and that makes me sad, so I went into my analytics to see what amusement I could derive thence:

anachrocon "goh" 2010 -- Nope, never been, sorry. Still, my surname obviously never fails to confuse!

beth dillon disseration -- I don't know if this person found what they were looking for, but I would think one ought to just ask Beth herself.

from eurocentrism to polycentrism questions -- So many, so many. 

how can one deal with racist -- Questions for our generation... and the previous one... and the previous one....

idris elba steampunk -- CAN I GET A HELL YEAH?

is+it+racist+to+wear+a+kimono -- If you have to ask, then yes, the situation will probably make it so...

people wearing other people's things -- A more common occurrence than it sounds.

the coconut and bamboo are trees? -- Well apparently bamboo is a kind of grass... but yes, do not doubt the tree-ness of the coconut.

why you shoul duse people of color -- Actually you shouldn't, because people of colour are human beings who are ends unto themselves, not means.

what+not+to+wear+and+look+racist -- A question for the ages. 

A Follow-Up: Apologies for Irresponsibility

Someone nudged me about my post about the Order of the White Feather. She pointed out to me that it was irresponsible for me to name someone as a sexual assailant without there being any formal accusations. So if you're looking for what I said about the certain someone, it's gone. I fully admit my actions in this.

I also would like to specify that neither Silver Goggles nor I personally are formally associated with the Order of the White Feather beyond solidarity; therefore, any attacks upon the Order of the White Feather are completely unjustified and nonsensical, as they are not culpable for my actions. 

Since it has gone up, with a record of a thousand pageviews in about a day, I'm given to understand that the situation has escalated, with emotions running high, lawsuits being waved about, and yelling, a lot of yelling, across the aether.

For this, I apologize.

Solidarity Link! Order of the White Feather

Some of you may know, or may not know, that about slightly over a year ago, steampunk authoress O. M. Grey was subject to harassment, followed by sexual violence, both physical and emotional. Instead of rallying to support her when she came out of the shock of it all, many people rallied around her attacker, the well-esteemed Professor Elemental, further driving her towards the fringes of the community.

In response, some members (plus her) have started the Order of the White Feather, the website which she built, to support members of the community and display solidarity by wearing a white feather.

Steampunk: Revolution is now out!

So if you haven't heard the news, which I'm sure you have, the third Steampunk anthology from Tachyon Publications, edited by Ann Vandermeer, titled and themed Revolution, came out December 1st!

There are some big names and small names and new names and old names in this anthology. I'm pleased to have a non-fiction essay sandwiched in between Amal El-Mohtar and Magpie Killjoy. You can find the full TOC here. To buy this illustrious book, check out Tachyon Publications' website. If you are an Amazon sucker, it's available there too, and even Barnes & Noble! Ay-Leen the Peacemaker wrote us a very nice review over at Tor, and I am given to understand that reviewer copies are still available if you are a book reviewer. 

I hope you enjoy my offering, entitled "From Airships of Imagination to Feet on the Ground." I'm also incredibly excited that Paolo Chikiamco's "On Wooden Wings" made it in as well! The Southeast Asian representation in this anthology is stronger than it was in Steam-Powered 2: More Lesbian Steampunk Stories, and that is just as well! 

We Interrupt Srs Bog Bzns to Bring You Twitter Feuds

Ladies, gentlemen, sweet non-binaries.

Tonight, this happened:

Let me tell you how this came about.

Link of Interest: Disabled Life Media presents "Steampunk Town"

For March, Disabled Life Media, a site that showcases media that highlights the creative talents of people with disabilities, did a steampunk photoshoot with disabled folks looking for a leprechaun's pot of gold. It is super adorable and really cool, good application of the steampunk aesthetic and all-round fun photo story. 

A lot of non-disabled folks in steampunk like to pretend they have some form of disability, and there's not a whole lot of room for actual disabilities in our spaces that I've noticed. But obviously, steampunks with disabilities do exist; people with disabilities can pull off steampunk really well, and here is proof of their awesome.

The Steampunk Postcolonialist at SF Signal!

Fabio Fernandes, who I interviewed earlier regarding the anthology of postcolonial SF he will be editing for the Future Fire, in turn asked me to participate in a roundtable about postcolonial SF, answering the silly question, "is it essential to belong to a culture that one is writing about?" 

So I gave a 9-paragraph answer purposefully deflecting the question because I am so tired of it, and instead countered with a question and completely different frame for the problem. 

There're answers from other steampunk writers too! Joyce Chng and Ekaterina Sedia participated, as did Steampunk Bible editor Jeff Vandermeer. Go check it out. 

Thanks, Texas!

Now that Aetherfest is over, I'm on the road with Magpie Killjoy and Pablo Vasquez, and we're hoping to reach Virginia tonight on our way to Watch City Festival. 

Thanks, Texas, for the great weekend =) It was really cool to have my first time attending a con in what's reported to be a pretty neo-conservative area to be surrounded by so many thoughtful people. Thanks for everyone who stuck around when the Mental Illness in Steampunk panel was clearly not going where people thought it was going to go (and hope all ya'll enjoyed it anyway). Thanks to all my fellow panelists throughout the weekend. Thanks Pablo for letting me room with him on Thursday, and Erica "Unwoman" Mulkey for letting me room with her Sunday night, and JoSelle Vanderhooft for rooming with me in between. 

Of course some goodbyes are not so sad, since I'll be seeing the Wandering Legion next weekend at Watch City, and Airship Ambassador Kevin Steil at Steampunk World's Fair. But there are some folks I won't see for quite a while! Like O.M.Grey and the Marquis of Vaudeville (who put on a terrific show on Saturday) and Unwoman and DJ Fact.50 who'll be performing at Clockwork Alchemy, while I'm at WisCon. 

Con report will be forthcoming, with pictures. Here, have a video of the Marquis of Vaudeville performing a cover of David Bowie's "Within You" while you wait. I didn't get the whole song, but I promise the next two songs are in full.

Take care, the rest of you, and send me email whenever you like!

We Interrupt Srs Blog Bzns For Some News!

Not that there has been any serious blog business in a while; I've been learning how to sew, writing essays, finalizing books, and preparing for a move to California. 

1) CALIFORNIA!

That's right, folks, the steampunk postcolonialist will be moving to California. Hopefully not for good, since there are things I'd like to do in Hamilton, and besides which, I'd rather be a permanent resident in Canada than in the States. Anyway, still working on moving details, but in short, I will be starting my PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Riverside, with a four-year fellowship, this fall 2012. I hope have to advance to candidacy by 2014, and my topic of choice will be, what else? Steampunk. This time,  I will push my research from my MA further into studying the mechanisms of neocolonialism in steampunk, in particular the rhetoric of multiculturalism. 

It really all boils down to how to make steampunk not-racist as humanly possible, by addressing racism in steampunk, and how to use steampunk to address racism. Anyway, be assured that I will continue sharing my thoughts and research and academic work with you here on this blog. 

2) STEAMPUNK: REVOLUTION!

Ann Vandermeer asked me to "update" an essay I did for the WisCon Chronicles, so essentially I re-wrote the thing. My non-fiction essay "From Airships of Imagination to Feet on the Ground" will be sharing a table of contents with looming names such as Garth Nix, Nick Mamatas, Vandana Singh, Bruce Sterling and Cat Valente, more familiar names such as Jeff Vandermeer, N.K. Jemisin and Cherie Priest, as well as dear, dear friends of mine, Amal El-Mohtar, Paolo Chikiamco, J.Y. Yang, Annabeth Leow, and Margaret Killjoy.

Here, have a Table of Contents. Steampunk: Revolution comes out in October 2012, so keep an eye out for it!

3) THE OMNIBUS OF DOCTOR BILL SHAKES HAS A LAUNCH!

Yes! The Omnibus of Doctor Bill Shakes and the Magnificent Ionic Pentatetrameter: A Steampunk's Shakespeare Anthology will officially launch on May 13, and we (meaning I and Matt Delman of Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders) will have an official book launch at International Steampunk City, also known as Watch City Festival, in Waltham, Massachusetts, the weekend of May 11 - 13!

Back Pages Books is generously hosting our book launch! Right after Magpie Killjoy's reading of What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower. In a simpler format, the details are:

Date: Sunday, May 13

Time: 1pm

Venue: Back Pages Books, 289 Moody Street, Waltham, MA

URL: http://www.backpagesbooks.com/shakes

Come and get your copy and celebrate with us the launch of this Shakespearean steampunk anthology! I will post its cover when it's ready, so come back to check this space, but I am SO FUCKING PLEASED WITH IT I MIGHT BURST.

4) CONVENTION TOUR!

I will be traveling like an itinerant again this May! Even moreso than usual, really. This is my itinerary, which you may have seen in the Blogmistress page but is now confirmed:

April 28 - 28: Fantastic Narratives Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

I will be presenting a paper tentatively titled: "Pangolin Bear?" "Just... Bear": Hybridity in the Construction of Avatar The Last Airbender and Hyphenate Identity.  This isn't what it says on the program, of course. I will be speaking on Session VII: Nature and Cultural Identity, 2.30pm - 4.15pm.

May 4 - 6: Aetherfest, San Antonio, Texas

Yeap. Gonna do Steam Around the World, and sit on a panel about mental illness with the delightful O.M.Grey (hopefully!), share some icewine with Unwoman, room with Steam-Powered editor JoSelle Vanderhooft, refrain from molesting DJ Fact 50, and if things go well, meet Jess Nevins! 

After this, I plan on hitching a ride up to Waltham with Margaret Killjoy. Maybe Pablo Vasquez and Cameron "Sixpence" Hare will join us, and it will be a van full of steampunk radicals! Perhaps I shall finally stay in those roadside motels I keep seeing on TV and movies! We will be traveling to:

May 11 - 13: International Steampunk City, Waltham 

Ay-Leen the Peacemaker and I will be joining forces once more to deliver Steam Around the World! I will nap in Jake von Slatt's bus! We will launch The Omnibus of Doctor Bill Shakes and the Magnificent Ionic Pentatetrameter!

After a break in between wherein my friend Wilma will drive me, Ay-Leen, Pablo and Cameron into New York City, it's off to:

May 18 - 20: Steampunk World's Fair, Piscataway, New Jersey

I will be part of the Steamposium track, and will be delivering Steam Around the World at 10am, Saturday, and hosting Social Issues in Steampunk at 9pm, Saturday. This is especially exciting, because Social Issues will immediately follow Miriam "Steampunk Emma Goldman" Rocek's discussion on Steampunk Political Discussion!

Wilma and I leave on the 21st for a leisurely drive to Wisconsin, where we plan to check out Dr. Evermor's Forevertron! And we finish our tour with:

May 25 - 28: WisCon, Madison, Wisconsin

I will be sitting on two panels at WisCon! Asian Ancestresses, 2.30pm Saturday, at Assembly, and then I hustle to The Many Meta-Elements of Avatar: The Last Airbender, 4pm, Capitol A. Come see! I'm taking it easy because I want to go do some shopping and sit in the hot tub and whatnot. There will also be a movie night in my room at some point, too. We check in on Thursday and leave Tuesday (YAAAAAAYYYY!).

OK this is enough news for the time being. Anymore and I might explode. Anyways, I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT SOME POINT IN THESE TRAVELS! I look forward to hanging out in the deserts or beaches of California with some excellent West Coast steampunks for the next four years! I hope you will buy many of these books that feature me in them!

Project of Interest: "We See A Different Frontier" Peerbacker

Djibril al-Ayad, editor of socio-political SFF zine The Future Fire, and Fabio Fernandes, science fiction writer, some of whom you might know as a Brazilian steampunk writer, have come together to create a new anthology!

The project in question will be a SFF anthology called We See A Different Frontier, and will be about colonialism from the perspectives of the colonized.

In their own words, here is the gap that this project intends to fill:

Colonialism is still a thorn on the side of humankind. Many of the problems of the Third World, for instance, are due to the social-political-economic matrix imposed on its countries by the First World countries since the 17th century (e.g. the manufacture by European powers of arbitrary borders and tribal conflicts in Africa, and then the creation of Arab countries to defeat the Ottoman Empire in WWI). The balance of power is changing in the 21st Century, but it's still essential to look back if we want to truly understand the forces at play in the political and cultural panoramas of Third World countries—and even in countries that hardly can be labeled as Third World, like the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).

Much widely distributed science fiction and fantasy is written by American and other Anglophone authors, and treats subjects close to the hearts of straight, white, English-speaking men. There's nothing wrong with this sci-fi itself—we love lots of it—but there's clearly something missing. Having white Anglo cis/hetero/males as (the only) role models is not an option any more. We aim to redress this balance, not only by publishing speculative stories by people with different viewpoints and addressing concerns from outside of the usual area (see World SF), but also by explicitly including fiction that addresses the profound socio-political issues around colonisation and colonialism (see Race in SF). We want to see political stories: not partisan-political, but writing that recognizes the implications for real people and cultures of the events and actions that make up science fictional or fantastic histories, as well as our own history. 

For this anthology we will be looking for stories from the perspective of people and places that are colonized under regimes not of their choosing (in the past, present or even future). We are not primarily interested in war stories, although don’t completely rule them out. We are not interested in stories about a White Man learning the error of his ways; nor parables about alien contact in which the Humans are white anglos, and the Aliens are an analogue for other races. We want stories told from the viewpoint of colonized peoples, with characters who do not necessarily speak English, from authors who have experience of the world outside the First World.

Djibril and Fabio are fundraising so that this can be a professionally-paying anthology. It is exceedingly difficult to publish anthologies cheaply (go ask Matt Delman how he is finagling royalty payments for Doctor Bill Shakes!), and most publishers find them very risky. Given how skewed the market is towards EuroAnglo-centrism in even the short story market, this is a very important decision.

Supporting this project means that you believe in and value the voices of the colonized, that you'd be willing to see them be paid professional rates for telling their stories which too often are edited the hell out of to make them palatable and easy-to-understand.

Please help fill in this gaping hole in SFF, even if just a teaspoonful. 

Link of Interest: Anti-Chinese Riot in Seattle, 1886

From HarpWeek, a site that "will make it possible to take a detailed look at the various immigrant and ethnic groups that were a vital part of American culture during the second half of the 19th century", there're various articles from Harper's Weekly, which ran from 1857 to 1916. It appears to have done a really good job of living up to its name "Journal of Civilization" by chronicling how various ethnic groups contributed to the growth of the USA. This particular item was tweeted, but I do recommend browsing the whole site. A paragraph:

A deliberate and determined effort—an effort, too, without immediate provocation—was made on Sunday, February 7, to expel the Chinese from the town of Seattle, Washington Territory. By a preconcerted plan, of which neither the law-abiding citizens of the town nor the Chinamen had a hint, a mob invaded the Chinese quarter late Saturday night, forcibly but quietly entered the houses, dragged the occupants from their beds, forced them quickly to pack their personal effects, and marched them to a steamer. The mob was thoughtful enough to provide wagons to convey the baggage of its victims. Some had money enough to pay their fare to San Francisco, and many did not, but the mob made no distinction. The few policemen that became aware of the wrong-doing had no power and slight willingness to prevent it, and before the sleeping citizens of the town or the county officers knew what was going on, 400 Chinamen were shivering on the dock. The Sheriff ordered the mob to disperse, but the only result of his order was a hastening of the work of expulsion. The captain of the steam-ship admitted all the Chinamen who had bought tickets, but refused to allow the others to go on board. He armed his crew and attached hose to his boilers, and thus assumed the defensive. Not more than 80 of the 400 Chinamen purchased tickets and safety.

This is a part of US history that I very rarely see addressed at conventions and in steampunk literature: its utter racism towards racial minorities. I find the idea of multiculturalism being practically a playground for white people to dress up in non-white costumes quite problematic already, and there is often so little engagement with the histories associated with these costumes, it feels like our selves as people are redundant, and cast aside so people can have fun with our histories.

Especially when confronted with anti-Chinese screeds today, worrying over China's relationship with Africa, the ignorance surrounding how European and U.S./Canadian powers have treated both East Asian and African peoples on their own soils is deeply ironic, and I'm sure there are tons of scathing things to be said about white analysts judging China to be neocolonizing Africa whilst ignoring how Europe/US/Canada themselves continue to patronize and manipulate politics (oh, come on, Uganda having oil and Kony 2012 can't be just a coincidence). I'm far too tired at the moment to contemplate that, though.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the link.

Link of Great Interest: What Is Cultural Appropriation?

A year or two ago, ardhra added her two-cents to a conversation I was having on Tumblr about cultural appropriation, which I've never forgotten, "cultural appropriation involves power." Since then, I've fumbled around trying to explain and extrapolate on this. 

Now she's gone and explained, quite concisely, I think, the general way cultural appropriation works, in what is very straightforward language that if you can't figure out what a word means, you can Google it. 

Some quotes:

The problem isn’t that cultures intermingle, it’s the terms on which they do so and the part that plays in the power relations between cultures. The problem isn’t “taking” or “borrowing”, the problem is racism, imperialism, white supremacy, and colonialism. The problem is how elements of culture get taken up in disempowering, unequal ways that deny oppressed people autonomy and dignity. Cultural appropriation only occurs in the context of the domination of one society over another, otherwise known as imperialism. Cultural appropriation is an act of domination, which is distinct from ‘borrowing’, syncretism, hybrid cultures, the cultures of assimilated/integrated populations, and the reappropriation of dominant cultures by oppressed peoples.

...
What’s being appropriated in *cultural appropriation* isn’t the things themselves — the images, stories, artefacts, themes, etc. — it’s the capacity of people of oppressed groups to determine the meaning, scope, usage, and future of those things. Cultural appropriation involves taking over peoples’ control over representations of themselves. Cultural appropriation is an attack on cultural autonomy and self-determination, backed up by historically constructed domination.
....
Anything that depoliticises the definition of cultural appropriation as being about cultural “borrowing” erases the reality of how cultural appropriation has come into being and operated. It’s the “colourblind,” i.e. race-aversive and power-aversive, version, that sanitises the history of cultural appropriation. 

What white people always erase is that cultural appropriation has historically been accompanied, and enabled, by violence. From weavers’ fingers to genocidal rape, the violence built into cultural appropriation is undeniable.

This is going into the 101 page, but I wanted to make sure ya'll who have me on your feeds got a chance to read this excellent essay, rather than sneak it by you.  Seriously, go read the whole thing. Twice.

Link of Interest: Article on "The Convert," by Danai Gurira

NPR has an article interviewing Danai Gurira, a Zimbabwe-American woman who spent most of her childhood in Harare, and whose latest play The Convert explores the psychological impact of colonialism. 

Happy Anniversary to El Investigador!

El Investigador, a Spanish-language steampunk magazine, recently released its 12th issue! There's steampunk in French, and in Portuguese, and now steampunk is growing in Spanish-speaking communities! 

Given the ethnocentrism that can occur in steampunk (and a recent Facebook kerfuffle involving some "opinion" that invited a great deal of racist raa-raa-USA nonsense), #steampunkchat hosts, of which I am one, have decided to join forces with @VonMarmalade of El Investigador to bring you a Spanish-Anglo session of #steampunkchat on Friday, Feb 17th, 8pm Mexico City Time!

So come join us  for Festival Anglo-Español! And don't forget to check out El Investigador... they'll have a special surprise for us in a few days! 

Link of Interest: Slavery and the Origins of Racism, by Lance Selfa

Via Tumblr, an article at the International Socialist Review on the origins of racism in capitalist-driven slavery. The article tackles a few misconceptions:

1) That Marx's analysis was only about class and ignores race. (I've been guilty of assuming this, having read bits and pieces of his writing.) Marx very insightfully pointed out the links between racial division and capitalist accumulation.

2) That racism has always existed. And is natural. (It is not.)

3) That slavery in Africa and ancient Greece can be compared to U.S. slavery. (The basis and conditions of slavery in Africa and ancient Greece were very different.)

4) Racism ended after slavery was abolished. (Look, I get that facts make you feel guilty, but telling black people to "get over it, slavery was 200 years ago" is highly counter-productive. And racist.)

5) Multiracial spaces automatically promote racial equality. (Not really, for a variety of reasons.) 

If anything, reading this should remind us that just thinking we're not racist isn't good enough; we have to be actively anti-racist in what we do and say, and even how we think. We need to keep listening to these stories of racism and heed them. We need to keep interrogating any knee-jerk "but I'm not racist!" reactions we may have. 

Event of Interest: Anna Chen Presents "Traders" Feb 16

I had the honour of having British-Chinese comedienne Anne Chen drop in on this here little blawg to plug an upcoming event in Greenwich, UK! It's a Steampunk Opium Wars extravaganza, at the Greenwich National Maritime Museum, where there will be song and poetry about the Opium Wars, and folks playing historical figures from the time period will slug it out in poetry slams over the finer details of waging war to push drugs on an entire people to enslave them in a consumer market for trade benefits. 

An official-looking page can be found on the Royal Museums Greenwich site, and the major details are as follows:

Dates: Thursday 16 February

Times: 18.30—22.00

Fee: FREE - but make sure you book ahead of time!!

Location: National Maritime Museum; Sammy Ofer Wing

Audience: Adults; Young people

Event type: Performance & storytelling

So if you're in the vicinity of Greenwich, UK, I highly recommend you go check it out, and please make recordings if possible to share with the rest of us! :O

Link of Interest: A Letter from a Freed Man

While I'm still in Malaysia and not yet writing new posts, have a link. It's a letter from Jourdan Anderson, a former slave who moved to Ohio after he was emancipated, responding to his former master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, who wanted Jourdan to come back. Jourdan responded by dictating possibly the best fuck-you letter in the history of fuck-you letters.

A bit of the letter:

Dayton, Ohio,  

August 7, 1865 

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee 

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance. 

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

 Go read the whole thing.