I am sorry for not updating this weblog more frequenlty, but I am tembel (lazy)! In the meantime, many things happen, related or not to my research, more properly related to my life. I have brought with me from Amsterdam the book of Margaret Mead "Letters from the field, 1925-1975". It's funny, because my supervisor proposed to take a monograph with me, "to not feel lonely in the field". It was a good idea indeed but, instead, I chose a collection of letters, during her long period of fieldwork in the islands of the pacific. I am more interested in the emotions, the thoughts, the mood of the researcher. Because the theories we are teached at school. The practice is now and it includes feelings besides methodology, collection of data, interpretation. Reflections, I should say.

Mead writes that letters and news from home are both a temptation and an interruption; they can wrench one's thoughts and feelings inappropriately away. I don't know about that, because I am firstly anthropos and next anthropologist. Last Friday I received a sad news about a very dear family; I was overwhelmed. And Saturday I had to go to a Greek carnival party for participant observation. Before I go, I thought that I definately need a masque with a huge smile, to veil my sadness. But as soon as I was there, the field cought my interest and distracted my thoughts. A party, nevertheless, is a good way to distract one's mind. So, the anthropologist in me was back, and now I am happy about that. In general, my research is going well, and by now I am introduced in, but not a part of, the community. For them I am a Greek doing research, and the Rum community is very cautious with outsiders. But in general they are very helpful and kind people, with sincere feelings, I think.
I know that the title of this weblog is 'fielwork in Istanbul' but most of the posts are about my life here; it depends on my mood. We'll see what's next...