After a year of studying the culture and history of the Palenquero people, it was incredible to finally arrive in the village and meet the individuals whose language we will be investigating. Although we experienced a few bumps in the road, both physically and metaphorically, such as transportation issues and loss of electricity in the entire village upon arriving, I felt nothing but gratitude to be there. Walking along the dirt roads and greeting members of the community, it was surreal taking everything in. Below are some photos of our daily sights along the streets:
Soon after our arrival, we began our participant testing the very next day. I quickly began to understand and experience all of the difficulties and exhaustion that go into field research. I was analyzing the ability of the Palenqueros to code-switch, a linguistic phenomenon which was very unfamiliar to my participants. Therefore, each test I conducted required the maneuvering of my ability to translate and to explain the task I was asking of my participants. Admittedly, I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my academic work. So, it was initially difficult for me to accept that no matter how hard I try to explain and guide my participants through the task, some individuals may not get it. And that’s ok! Through this experience my eyes were opened to the realities of conducting research. Whether it’s from participant to participant or day to day, you’re not going to always get the data you’re looking for. Not only is this a reality of research, but life itself. Yet, this allows a good day of data collection or even a single task performed well by just one participant, that much more rewarding and exciting.
Our trip was very front-loaded, testing anywhere from 10-15 participants daily, each morning and again in the afternoon. Accomplishing this task, as well as adjusting to the heat and our living situation proved to be quite difficult. Although I was pushing through, I unfortunately became sick and had to continue working in poor health. Therefore, our time in Palenque was very strenuous for me. However, now being able to look back, I am incredibly grateful for each and every part of this experience–both the good and the bad. From this challenging experience, I believe I am stronger and better able to take on whatever life may throw at me. I feel more skilled in my ability to conduct research. I feel excited to have completed my investigation and to take back data to Penn State to be further analyzed. I feel humbled by this experience of living in the conditions that those in extreme poverty must persist each day. And finally, I feel blessed to have shared smiles, hugs and laughs with such beautiful people of a rich culture. Below are the faces of the Palenqueros who I will never forget:
