Last night was the third time I've read Yi-Fu Tuan's "Topophila," specifically the second chapter. I love the way it starts out because it reminds me why I am engaged in researching communities.
“The earth's surface is highly varied. Even a casual acquaintance with its physical geography and teeming life forms tells us as much. But the ways in which people perceive and evaluate that surface are far more varied. No two persons see the same reality. No two social groups make precisely the same evaluation of the environment.”
As I walked through Sonia’s house, she pointed out objects in her home and described their significance in Spanish, almost none of which I understood verbally, but mostly understood kinesthetically by her facial expressions. What I noticed:
- Her sister recently passed away and it was obvious that she missed her dearly.
- She loved the chocolate I brought her and that made us both very happy.
- Three birds – parakeets, maybe?
- Yellow roses and other beautiful plants that she made a point of mentioning represented her love for gardening.
- I now know that “Poco, poco” means “little bit, by little bit.” Sonia is very patient with my lack of Spanish.
- It seemed like my room might have been an addition to the main structure of the house or is that just my North American imagination?
- She made the most of her kitchen. It wasn’t large by U.S. standards, but it seemed like she had everything possible to make the most wonderful meals.
- She reminded me of my relatives, which made me feel really comfortable.
I’m curious about differences besides geography, age and language. I'm also curious if I'm really understanding her correctly. Hopefully I will have interview questions in español when I return from the weekend at Manuel Antonio. Here's where we're staying: http://www.verdemar.com/.
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