Challenges in the Field

On Monday we talked about all of the challenges we might encounter in the field. I wanted to do a quick survey of the ones that I think will be most important for me in Tonga. The first one I thought about was the language. I'm hoping that it won't be much of an issue because a lot of the population speaks English, but as I learn more about the country I realize that a lot of the people that I want to interview may only speak Tongan. This means that I'll have to find a translator who doesn't mind working with me during the days. Fortunately, I think that this will be a solvable problem in the first week or two of me being in Tonga.

The next thing I'm worried about is cleanliness. I believe showers and toilets are outside. All of the laundry is done by hand. I have never lived that way except when camping, so I think it will be a challenge for me, especially at the beginning. However, with persistence and optimism I'll survive.

I'm also a bit anxious about not being able to call my family whenever I want. Nowadays I call my parents at least four times a week. In Tonga, I'll be lucky to talk to them once a week. Regardless, I am used to being alone and independent, and with the help of new friends I'll feel more comfortable. In congruence with this issue is feeling lonely on an island where not very many people understand me, and I probably don't quite understand them. I can see this becoming quite frustrating. To cope with this, I've decided that I want to have the attitude of "How can I learn more?" and "Can you teach me how to do this?" If I keep busy with whatever is happening on the island, I think that I'll do better with making friends and keeping my mind off of how lonely or isolated I may feel.

It was suggested in class that if we ever feel like leaving, or like we shouldn't be in the new country we're in, we should make a list of all the things we love about Tonga. I think this is a great exercise to do in almost any circumstance. If we stop thinking of the negative things about people or places, we learn to appreciate everything that is good and beautiful about them. A new dimension is brought to the personality of these people or places. We learn to love them in a new way. We can also write back to our family and friends and tell them everything good and happy that is happening, rather than the unfortunate things. This keeps us optimistic and always looking for ways to be busier and happier.

Finally we discussed how our timeline should be flexible. We have to allow for lulls in the plan that can arise for any number of reasons. With this in mind, the field study becomes somewhat laid back and even creates its own pace based on the people being studied. I can also be open to trying new methods and even new people, if necessary.