I'm on my ISP period, which means that classes have ended and I'm now working in the field. Right now, however, the field is a Starbucks located 2 blocks from my apartment. I'm writing about occupied factories in Argentina, something that has interested me since watching the movie "The Take" as part of my summer assignment for the program. I have included the trailer here to give a bit of an introduction to the theme:
I am going to interview 3 occupied factories and businesses this week. I'm very excited but also very nervous to conduct my first interview in another language. However, once I get them over with I can really start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The majority of people on my program have stayed here are in other parts of the country. Others have decided to travel to other places to conduct their research, including my friend Pepe, who seems to have already had some incredible experiences (in the next couple of weeks, there could be some accounts of his experience here on his blog), researching Mapuche identities in the face of fracking in Neoquen. I'm so incredibly inspired by his ability to understand and befriend people of all walks of life--right now he's living in a Mapuche community, having been invited to do so.
I also draw inspiration from another friend Skylar, who is researching public education in the face of a huge disparity of income between peoples in Bariloche. His blog can be found here.
I guess it's just difficult at times to spend all day researching and procrastinating in the same place, knowing that others are out there establishing relationships and having experiences that seem so adventurous. Yet I think that as soon as I get some interviews under my belt, I can start to feel more accomplished.
Also, I just realized I have a little over 20 days left here and it's very hard to believe.
