Happy Resuming
The past three weeks have been a mixture of celebrations and taking some time off, of reading research related literature while relaxing, of combining moments of working with those of pleasure, of conducting fieldwork and just enjoying being here. As I think about it writing this post—and apart from the holidays arguably—the weeks occurred much like most other weeks experienced during my time here, however in sorts of microformats, for while I indeed have appointed slots for certain fieldwork engagements, the fact that I am immersed in a setting of olive orchards and olive oil production wherever I set foot here in Ostuni means that multiple fieldwork engagements occur by everyday happenstance. Fun details of the matter, there are pressing facilities all over town and an olive plant may be spotted whichever direction one turns. Now, passionate about the subject matter at hand as I am, I would not want it any other way, but I am just saying, distance from my fieldwork occurs rather impossible in general, and with the current Covid-19 restrictions preventing us from leaving the municipality in particular.
In any event, that I consider these past three weeks occurring much the same as the majority of the prior twenty weeks, once again apart from the holidays that is, might perhaps also be as this particular surrounding, which I just gave a hint of above, makes it much difficult, maybe also quite strange, not to take experiential and literal note of daily occurrences taking place, accounting for such encounters as research encounters, jotting down notes and photographing, making connections and thinking through them relationally to previous experiences. Moreover, as I truly enjoy both the people I work with and the work conducted—having established rapport beyond research with collaborators and grow fond, let alone skilled, of many of the practices we engage—it occurs for my being also rather irrelevant to distinguish between moments of fieldwork and just being in this setting, of working and enjoying the immersion, of observantly participating and just hanging around.
Thinking about it, the only thing that has been different, that is apart from the holidays a third and last time, is that I have left the blog aside for these past weeks, and this is much due to, yes you got it, the holidays, for I have rather prepared big-time celebrations and spent time with my husband, being outdoors picking flowers and baking, than sitting at the computer doing visual layouts and writing. That changes now though, for with the celebrations and holiday season over, much enjoyable and splendid as it were, I am eager to resume my sharing of fieldwork experiences. The collage features a sneak peek of some fun times from the past three weeks, visualizing some curiosities and experiences which will be furthered already next week and others in more distant posts to come. Happy Friday and a presto!
