Social Situations

We (my husband and I) have a place to live, I have possible contacts or gatekeepers, possible social situations and only 48 days until I get on a plane and begin building rapport with these gatekeepers and possible actors in these social situations.  It hit me in the last class period that although we organized actors, location, and activity into a social situation these are real people, real locations, and real activities that I will have more than just a research attitude for the people and location , as it is now, but I will have real emotional connections and relationships with the place and the people. As time to leave approaches I think of how I will build rapport with the people.

 I realize that  most relationships will be built through my host family and my gatekeepers I get in contact with but obviously it will be more than just that. I will come to know and build relationships with people in the community and I hope those relationships will spread. I expect that those relationships will start with my host family and the people I farm with but I don't know where it will go from there. It could be with nuns in the monestary, it could be with people I meet in the markets, in could be with students who I would love to know more about. I am sure that as I play sports with those on the field and ask families about their family tree that I will certainly begin to know individuals in the community and I can't wait to experience that.

I am excited to get there and buy clothing suitable for the culture --  To wear the married women attire and to know what is customary verse popular, and what is casual verses formal. I am excited to have the people teach me about their culture.