Meta Reality in a Business Analogy

These past few weeks seem to really have been flying by.  They've been filled with interviews completed, surveys passed out, YSA activities, and surveys never returned (sort of the frustrating part) but the project is moving forward.  I have just a few more interviews to do, but I'm hoping to start planning the final project this week.  I want to get my introduction written and have an outline for the rest of it, that way I can simply fill in the stories of the members as they come.  I hope to be able to get this project enough underway that the members will be able to continue it after I leave. It is, after all, their project and not mine; I am just the initiator of it.  I also have this crazy idea that I will upload my project to the internet, that way the members here can all get online and write their own stories and it can become a virtual database of inspiring, personal, and local stories about members of the Irapuato stake.

It's hard to believe that I already have been in Mexico for 2 months, and during this time I have learned a lot.  I have learned, mostly, about the difficulties of undertaking a field study.  Working alone in a foreign country with a language that you are still learning has its many challenges.  I know that I'm not supposed to come home from my field study and talk about what I learned about myself, but I definitely have been learning a lot about how important it is to know yourself in order to work well and productively.  I think that we sometimes forget that when we work alone we don't really work alone, but with ourselves, and it is important to remember to treat ourselves well as we work towards our goals.  In our daily field journals we kind of need to be Sherlock Holmes in order to view not just those around us, but the reasons and patterns that we ourselves follow.  I think I explained this concept well in my field notes the other day by comparing my field study to a business:

Today I realized something interesting, and that is that a field study
is like a one-man company.  Not only am I all the workers in all the
different departments (office boy, interviewer, clerk, etc) but I am
also in charge of planning for the future, of productivity, of HR,
employee morale, and customer satisfaction.  I am every employee and every
boss.  The trick is being a good boss to yourself, and giving your
best work as an employee.  Just as a good boss needs to treat his
employees well and show that he or she loves them, so I need to do so
with myself, and, in like kind, I need to reciprocate that by being a
good, hard-working and dependable employee.  It really is a rather
interesting analogy which, if I can master, can bring me light years
ahead of where I currently am not only in productivity, but also in
understanding myself and how I work with myself and others.  Hmm, if I
can learn how to teach myself, then I will be much better at teaching
others.  If I can love and lead myself, then I will have so much more
of an understanding and a preparation to be able to do so with others.

Now to apply some of these findings and get to work getting to know better the language and the people here.  My next blog post should incorporate some of what I have learned from the application of this knowledge, and, hopefully, talk a little more about the actual progress of the project that I came here to do.

Guanajuato and Project Perspective

Guanajuato is amazing!  This past weekend we went to visit Guanajuato, and I've never been in a more romantic/ cool looking city.  I love cities that are built on hilltops, so that you can see all the houses and different neighborhoods spread across the valleys and hills.  Below the city is an intricate tunnel system of roads and free parking for University students.  Above the ground, around the hills and between the markets and museums lies a network of callejones, or little pathways paved with cobblestones.  Of all the streets and callejones in the city, nearly half of them have a specific story and a special history.

Our first night there we were taken around on a guided tour of the most romantic parts of the city (including El Callejón del Beso) by a callejoneada, or Mariachi Band.  They sang cultural songs, told stories and jokes and provided great entertainment.  At the beginning of the tour the all had us promise to ourselves that we would leave behind any worries and have a good time, and that we did.  That is to say, we did until we got home that night and ate the pizza that we had bought on the street.  We were up all night... I'll leave it at that.

The next day we went to see the mummies of Guanajuato, and they had one mummy there that had only passed away in 2001.  There is a unique phenomenon in the soil there that causes the bodies to mummify quicker than anywhere else in the world.  Before and after the mummies we just went exploring/window shopping.  I got a painting of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and a sweet fadora, which I am pretty excited about.  I also found a luchador mask that was Captain America themed!

In our group meeting this week Tanner and Yvette were able to get some really great ideas to get their projects moving, but I still felt that my project was rather stagnant.  However, after talking with Tanner and Jonny on different bus rides I felt first, by Tanner, inspired to re-think my project, and second, by Jonny, to further the idea that I had of a collection of conversion stories.  I might even be able to hold a fireside at the end of July and present some of my information to the stake and have a bunch of these pamphlets full of conversion stories that I will pass out for free.  

Thinking about these pamphlets made me realize that I wanted it to be the collection of conversion stories, and thinking about the conversion stories, and with some help from Jonny, I was able to not only find new purpose in my project but to find new methods to collect my data.  I may not even need to have a whole lot of interviews if I can find other ways to have the members share their conversion stories with me.  I want to re-write the encuesta that I pass out each week to a different ward, and I want to encourage the members to even type of their stories and email them to me – anything that I can do to increase the amount of stories that I can share.  In the front of the pamphlet I also would like to share my testimony and what I hope that my pamphlet will do.  I want to aim for 30 stories.

A Few Weeks In

Wow.  Mexico sure is great.  These past few weeks have been very interesting indeed, and I've been able to spend them kind of just getting used to Mexico.  Several really cool things have happened since I have arrived...

I find that I am understanding a lot more and my Spanish is improving (YAY!!!).  I make sure that I am reading in Spanish every day (El Libro de Mormon, Harry Potter y El Prisonero de Azkaban, lo que sea) and what helps a lot is just being able to get out and talk with people.  This helps my comprehension as well as my speaking capability.  Some days are better than others and at times it is hard to express myself, but I'm trying to have patience and inasmuch as I have done so I am beginning to see that I really have been getting quite better.

I have gotten to meet a lot of cool people.  Joshua and that family that I mentioned before with the book store have proven to be great "gatekeepers," meaning that they have opened doors for me in the community.  They live right in the middle of town so whenever I need to know where I can do something or need a place to sit and think for a while they are there for me.  I have almost become part of the family there as well.  Joshua and I are great friends, and Carmen, the mother, and I really get along.  The other day I was just walking into the shop when Carmen was walking out to go and pick up her niece from school.  She asked if I wanted to come along so I did.  We picked up her niece and went shopping and just spent time together.  I am beginning to learn that spending time together (especially if their is food) is an important part of the culture here.  What a wonderful cultural aspect.  I wish that things in the US were more like that.

They are also good friends with Martin, a history expert at the museum across the street whose job is basically just to help college students with their research.  Martin has been extremely helpful so far because even though he doesn't have information concerning the LDS church, he has tons of information concerning the history of the state of Guanajuato.  This is great because for my classes I need to be read quite a bit about the history of the area here, and because Martin has provided me with so much, I basically can choose to read about the things that most interest me.

I also have gotten a good start to my project.  I have completed two interviews so far which have helped me think more about how my project is going to work methodologically.  I decided to create a survey for members to fill out if they have interest in the project, and through this manner I will be able to get contact information for those who have an interest and are willing to share more, possibly in an interview.  What is more is I will be able to prepare more individualized questions for the interview based off of the information they provided in the surveys.  I started passing them out yesterday in one of the wards and they were way more popular than I anticipated.  I still have several wards to go to, but I can't wait to start getting back some of these surveys and really getting to work on the project.

All in all, I have really been enjoying my time here.  The only real problem that I have had is that sometimes I have been having a hard time getting out and about to get things done.  I always have course work I can do at home and it is tempting to stay inside out of the sun, but I also love just getting out and talking to people.  I have taken some time to get settled and to figure things out, and I want to be better at getting out and making things happen.  I feel like I have the tools that I need, and tengo muchas ganas de estar en trabajo y tener éxito (I'm excited to get to work and start seeing things happen).

Benjamin

¡Que Simpáticos Son!

They are so nice here!

I have only been in Mexico for 4 days now, but I am quite "whelmed" as to how nice they are here, indeed it may be said that I am "over"whelmed with joy because of it =) Everyone is super helpful.  In my prep-course they talked about the different stages of culture shock, being the honeymoon stage (everything is new and interesting here) the irritation phase (things should be like they are at home) the adjustment phase (just like it sounds) and the bi-cultural stage (Yay, I love both places!).  Besides a little bit yesterday when I was feeling slightly sick (all good now =) ) I have definitely been in the honeymoon stage, and I hope to keep the two middle stages as short-lasting as possible.

So, cool things... I already I have made several friends... we went to go see The Avengers on Wednesday and while waiting in line I met a family just as excited to see it as me (which is saying something, I brought my captain america shirt solely for that movie). They were excited to meet me because Felipe was really tall, but not as tall as me.  We´ve become friends and should meet up sometime to practice our Spanish and English respectively.

Today after the others left for the Racheritos I went and ate a huge lunch of delicious rice, beans, and puerco in a picante sauce, complete with lime and onions and everything authentic. I filled myself up for like $2.40 USD! Then went and spent an hour in the Museum of the City of Irapuato learning about the history and the culture here. I love museums and could spend tons of time alone in each. On the way back towards my apartment I decided to stop in a "libreria" (bookstore) and the guy behind the counter was playing guitar, so after talking for a bit he let me play his guitar (we both love the band Coldplay). We were talking and I mentioned my project about the history of the LDS Church in Irapuato, and he told me he had a friend who was Mormon... which happened to be one of the few people that I know so far in my 2 day stay in Irapuato. Long story short, we´re going to get together to play guitar, platicar (chat, converse), and help each other learn each other´s languages.

On my way home I saw a little girl asking for her dad to pick a flower from a high tree, I asked if they wanted help and helped them choose a good one. I met the whole family there in el centro and they were just so kind and talked with me for a while.

What a great place this is.

Basically, I´m seeing every sign that everything I hoped for and more will come to me in these few months in Mexico.  Each day I am learning more Spanish... the more I come to know the members here the easier my project seems to be able to complete... with every person that I meet I am reminded of how kind and hospitable these people are... the city is beautiful... I love spanish music and food.

Todo me trata bién =)

Early de la Mañana

Well, this is it!

Early tomorrow morning I´m off to México!  Still got to put a few more things in the pack and then to catch a few winks before I get up ridiculously early to catch my flight.

You know that feeling you get when your about to embark on a grand adventure that will change your life? Yeah, it´s pretty awesome :)

Well, to work, to bed, to Mexico!

See you, on the other side!

Benjamin

Cultural Activities

Because I am taking a Cultural Proofs class while in the field I will have the opportunity to visit, see, and participate in many cultural activities and places.  Some of the suggested activities that seem particularly interesting include: 

"Learning from someone how to cook a traditional meal," "Making a language log of 30–50 local, commonly-used expressions or phrases such as metaphors, idioms, analogies, proverbs, and clichés" "Interview 3–4 elderly people of the community on what life was like when they were growing up (represent each gender)" "Creating a vocabulary log and build your own dictionary with examples, illustrations, or photos." "Reading literature important to the local identity in the target language." and "Keeping a grammar and vocabulary field notebook."

This got me thinking more about the local culture and the experiences that I will have there.  I found this really interesting blog (in English) that is kept up to date by a local high school in Irapuato: Technológica de Monterrey.  Here is the site:

 http://irapuato.wordpress.com/

I also wanted to look into what holidays I will be celebrating while in Irapuato, and I found this neat list on mexonline.com

May 1: Primero de Mayo is the Mexican national holiday that is equivalent to the U.S. Labor Day.

May 3: Holy Cross Day Dia de la Santa Cruz, when construction workers decorate and mount crosses on unfinished buildings, followed by fireworks and picnics at the construction site.

May 5: Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican national holiday that honors the Mexican victory over the French army at Puebla de los Angeles in 1862.

May 10: Mother's Day, Due to the importance of the mother in Mexican culture, Mother's Day is an especially significant holiday.

June 1: Navy Day is an official Mexican holiday.

June 24: Saint John the Baptist Day is celebrated with religious festivities, fairs, and popular jokes connected to getting dunked in water.

June 29: Fiesta of Saint Peter and Saint Paul notable celebrations in Mexcaltitan, Nayarit and Zaachila, Oaxaca.


Basically, I´m pretty excited for this trip.

Tener Asistente?

I have been pondering a little bit about the transcribing process that I will have to go through in the field and all of the work that is required for it.  The article about transcription that I had found early did more than just re-assure me that I can live in Mexico for three months (though thank goodness it did that).  It also got me thinking more about the actual methods and process that I will undergo while I transcribe these interviews, and the idea has arisen- should I ask for help? Should I look for a part-time assistant to help me with the transcriptions?

As I have spoken with other students going on a Field Study this summer many of them have told me about how they will be requesting the use of, and recruiting the help of translators.  I don't need a translator, but it would be very useful to have someone, a local speaker, familiar with the accent and the language, to whom I could go to help me interpret the audio recordings of my interviews.

Of course, this brings up several questions, like, how much of this wonderful learning experience and opportunity for growth do I want to delegate to others?  How will I make sure that I don't become reliant upon a transcriber and do not take up too much of his or her time?  Where will I find such a person who is willing and capable to help?  How can I show reciprocity for the extra help?  How ethical would it be to incorporate another researcher into this project?  What parameters would I need to go through in order to approve a transcribing assistant.

I will attempt to answer the questions, though I will reserve the right to change my answers for the better in the future and the field.  I do not want to put off experiences that will help me grow and learn the Spanish language, entonces, I definitely don't want to delegate all my transcribing to another; perhaps I can have help with just difficult sections.  This would also be beneficial in making sure that I don't take up too much time from anyone that I ask help from; possibly I can find someone who is willing to help me once a week for an hour or two and I can just reserve the difficult passages for them to help me understand what has been said.  I could then pay for their dinner or something to show reciprocity for their help.  This shorter time commitment also opens up doors as to how many people might be able to help.  I'll probably first ask my host family if they know of anyone.  Ideally I could find someone who is an informant, who has an actual interest in the work that could help me listen to and transcribe my interviews.  As for registering my "assistant" or helper with the IRB to make sure that they can view the "raw data" (if this is even necessary) I can ask my mentor, Mark, if he knows anything about that, or at least who I could ask.

Wow, that seemed like a good thought-discussion with myself.  I certainly am getting more and more exited for this trip!

Benjamin