There is a point when traveling- sometime after I stop caring if I wear black and brown together, quit wondering why I am not with my fellow English majors on luxurious London study abroad programs, and finally embrace freezing bucket showers, that I stop waking up in the middle of the night wondering where I am and what the heck I am doing.
I’m not there yet.
At my honors thesis orientation the instructor told us that "every adventure looks like a mistake somewhere in the middle". I think I somehow managed to forget how hard field studies are. I got so used to simplifying my Ghana experience when I got home, like a Band-Aid wrapped too tightly around a wound with no oxygen. Some things were never given space to heal, or room to just be! People would always ask, “How was Ghana?” It was not necessarily an invitation to really talk about it (not because they didn't care, just because it is hard to relate to), and I became so accustomed to the typical “it was good” answer that I also started to over simplify the experience. Especially this part.
Don't get me wrong. It was good. It was amazing! But it was also really hard.
Don't get me wrong. It was good. It was amazing! But it was also really hard.
Getting integrated into a community and gaining access was my biggest struggle in Ghana. Turns out, it is also my biggest struggle here. I am beginning my third week and it is about time to feel a bit more adjusted. These things cannot necessarily be planned, but I did some social situation triangles to help brainstorm some ideas for how to find the people I need to meet in order to write the creative project I was planning on. Social situation triangles are just ways to think about different social situations that I could encounter as a way to generate more ideas about where I can get more material.
Side 1- Subjects
- Monks at conversation class
- Me
- Group members
- Tourists
- Ram (a flute shop owner from Nepal)
- Sunam (another shop owner)
- Host grandma (what a character)
- Host family
- Grumpy envelop seller near the post office
- Margaret and Amanda, Australian teachers of conversation labs
- An Indian beggar???
- Ex political prisoners at conversation classes
- Jamla (another shop owner)
- Saifi (Kashmir shop owner)
- Tashi (a great informant at the library)
- Old retired American traveler I ran into my first week here
- White monks and nuns
- English speaking monks and nuns
- South Indian monks
- People from my past (for my personal essays)
- Kristen’s Indian poet friend
- Cows (and we’ll stop there…)
Side 2- Locations
- Various restaurants
- The kora
- Conversations labs
- The Library
- My home
- Group members homes
- Yoga and mediation classes
- Guest houses and Internet café’s
- Sunman’s shop area
- LHA
- My terrace
- My room
- Upper McLeod (more Indian)
- Lower Dharamsala (no idea what is down there yet)
- The Temple
- Book shops
Side 3- Activities
- Using internet
- Yoga/meditation classes
- Concerts
- Temple events
- Prostrations
- Eating
- Working (shop keepers)
- Walking (kora, etc.)
- Studying (library etc)
- Holiday activities
- Whatever activities are posted on the many fliers here
- Relaxing on the porch
- Hiking
- Reading
- Meditation
- Praying
- Photography activities
- Waiting in the rain with strangers
- Participant observation
- Character sketches
- Blogging
I think I have a lot of ideas here to get my wheels spinning. I’m coordinating with three English faculty members back home to try and figure out my honors thesis right now. The big question I'm figuring out is how (or if I even should) try to incorporate all of my digital media learning into it my thesis. Any thoughts on that?
More updates to come.
Virginia
When I was about to move from Hawaii to New York City, one of my coworkers who recently moved from NYC to Hawaii told me that when she first moved to NYC, she kept asking herself for the first few months "What did I get myself into? I made a mistake! What was I thinking??" And then eventually, she became accustomed to the NYC culture and ended up loving every moment. Hang in there! In my experience of studying abroad, it is a very trying experience - but you are strong! If anyone can do it, it is YOU! You are an amazing woman! For locations, are there any spas or communal baths? I think just something to relax and clear your mind - and I think you should for sure check out the yoga and meditation classes! Good luck!! I always enjoy reading your blogs! XOXOX
ReplyDeleteI second that. Also, let me know if you need someone to go to the spa with. I think we should talk more, because I'm not exactly sure what your creative project is and I might be able to help with the honors thesis aspect. Good thing I'm going to see you soon!
ReplyDeleteThe thing I'm perpetually curious about is what the on-the-ground method for creative projects looks like. I have an experience of my own with the travel writing class, but are the some common, even standardized, procedures for doing a creative field research project?
ReplyDelete