[January 8, 2015]
Blog 4
Reflecting back to day one before takeoff, before the trip was even reality, the question in my mind was how the group was going to evolve throughout this course. We all come from different backgrounds and we all have completely different personalities. The pre-departure meetings broke the ice quite a bit, but there were still so many unknowns not only within the group but within myself.
Landing in Mindanao the first night I was nervous, curious and excited. My nervousness was more because we had been on time with every flight except our last flight, which made us late for the first Mindanao group dinner. Upon our arrival at the hotel we were warmly greeted by Dr. Iyer, who had walked quite a ways to retrieve us and bring us back to the restaurant. Once at the restaurant the initial feeling when walking into the room felt like the first day of kindergarten; not only the fear of not knowing if you’ll fit in, but even more having an awareness of how quickly that fear dissolves. The room already was filled with laughter and everyone was extremely gracious, even though they were all done with their meals. It was the absolute best release sharing all of our stories of the challenges with flights, sleeping on benches and now laughing at swollen ankles. The best part of telling my stories was knowing that the discomfort was stuck in the past and I did not see the possibility of it reoccurring – our laughter soothed me.
We are now in day three of meetings and the group dynamics are continuously evolving. This is our first day in the van and we will definitely be quickly getting to know one another. Getting on the road early the next morning was definitely a challenge, but my excitement to see what else was out there overcame my exhaustion. I am beginning to understand what makes Mindanao’s land so desirable. Meeting to meeting we hear about the resource rich land that sparked the struggle and conflicts; all are starting to make sense.
So much to process from the first few days but for me we have gone from a research group to a research team. Every day the team adjusts a little and in part we are becoming more open with one another. In interview settings you can see our interconnection and focus that makes our research more efficient and meaningful. At the end of each day we all have different ways of responding to what we have heard and seen. For me sometimes I just want to sit and be quiet and dwell on all that has happened. Other times the most refreshing part is laughter. The few minutes of escape to play twenty questions that turns into fifty-five or to just tell off-the-wall stories turns into therapy- not to erase or forget the issues and problems surrounding the local people, but to release a little of my own tension. Serious contemplation and laughter – both are necessary and it is nice to know that within this group we have a balance of both.
