Today marks exactly four weeks (28 days) since I first arrived in Seoul.

The fieldwork is going as well as can be expected considering (1) the socio-cultural dimension of securing meetings (with socially and organisationally well-placed individuals) in a country such as Korea, (2) that I have no prior contacts in Seoul, and (3) the unquantifiable (!!) effort that I have invested into this venture. In the four weeks that I have been in Seoul, I have had four meetings and I have three more confirmed over the next couple of weeks. With any luck, I may get one or two more. Given what many others have told me about the difficulties of securing meetings in Korea, I guess I am doing about as well as can be expected.

Meanwhile, I have been working in the libraries at the university where I have a temporary “affiliation”. I have also been taking part-time evening classes in the Korean language - the course ends tomorrow and I have in the four weeks learned how to read the Korean script and make very basic sentences. I have also tried to fit in a few, but not many, visits to explore other parts of this big, sprawling city in order to get a better feel of what Seoul might truly be like, if such an endeavour were possible.

I can’t say that I’m enjoying being in the field any more than I did when I first started out. I’ve merely resigned myself to the situation and doing what I can - that’s not to say that I am making the best of it (there is a subtle difference). The stress of being on fieldwork is starting to manifest itself in what I guess can be called “medical conditions” - I’ll leave it at that - and weariness is setting in.

Today also marks 32 days since I last saw my boyfriend. This is now without doubt the longest period we’ve been apart. Sadly, it wouldn’t be for another 12 days until I see him again. That’s when he’s expected to arrive in Seoul for the beginning of a two-week period together. It will be good when we get there.

Before I left on fieldwork, I wasn’t sure what would become of our relationship. In fact, I wondered if that relationship would still exist the moment I left Australia for the fieldtrip. Fortunately, in the time we’ve been apart, the matter has become clearer. We’ve both been making effort to keep in contact through the separation of time and distance. On my part, I feel the separation has helped to clarify my feelings for him. If anything, they have become stronger. We’ve also had at least one conversation, through the distance, that brought us closer together. MJT has told me several times in the past that he felt comfortable about “us” but it wasn’t until recently that I felt “secure” with it all. I blame it partially on my insecurity. In any case, we seem to be doing well for now.

I wished today also marked at least the halfway point of this fieldtrip. Sadly that is not the case. I don’t expect to board a plane to go home to Canberra/Australia until 18 December at the earlierst… and that’s not for another 49 days at least… and that is a long time away…

Posted on October 29th, 2007 by jl
Filed under: Fieldwork