Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I'm an expert!!!

My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared.
- PJ Plauger

I guess that would make all of the Peru team (all 18+ of us) experts on climate change...

Actually, that is a bit depressing. Well, what can you do?

Anyways, not much to report here. I have been transcribing my recorded interviews for my entire life up to this point. It means that I am taking frequent breaks from the rewind-play combination on the computer. Somehow it seems that a car horn honks every time someone says something important... Granted, car horns honk just about every 5 seconds or more frequently, but it's always when I don't really know what the person was saying right then. When I have an exact quote in my head... crystal clear recording. Maybe it's me.

Anyways, my breaks are dangerous. How, you may ask, can breaks be dangerous?? Well, I don't want to take too long of a break, so I've been trying to avoid games. For the same reason, I don't want to go walk around or do something unless it's time for a big break. So, I cruise the internet. However, YouTube has been having issues, so my usual route of distraction has been out. So, I check my e-mail, which has really only been junk mail mostly. Rarely do I have more than 1 interesting e-mail on my breaks. Wikipedia is fun, but sometimes I can't find anything interesting or it's all information I know and I want details. So, I've returned to my bad habit.... eBay. Now, I like deals, so I rarely spend much, but you'd think I would want to be there when the shipments come in, but no. I am content to know they're there.

Don't get me wrong, most of this stuff includes things that I had planned on buying eventually. For example, the Star Wars trilogy. It has been bugging me for a while that I didn't own it. Episodes 1-3, whatever, I can live without, but the CLASSIC trilogy is a staple of every good movie collection. I went so far as to preview some here, but honestly, for Star Wars, I want quality movies. So, I decided to pay the big bucks. However, Amazon was charging a bit more than I wanted, so I returned to my old friend, eBay. Of course, once you open the dam, it's much harder to close it. Luckily, I'm mostly buying presents. I found a book here that my brother would LOVE, so I bought that for him. I had been thinking about getting something for my mom and there was a good deal, so I got that also. (Since that includes 2 of my staple readers, I'm not going to say what each of those things ARE.) However, other things are frivolous. Just silly little things that I saw while browsing and decided would be fun to have. For example, I found 3 t-shirts for 99 cents, including a superman shirt that's just like my old one. I loved that shirt until the seams fell apart after 5 years of constant use. So, hurray, right?? Well, I think so. I have no idea what Sandip is going to think when he starts getting a mountain of boxes on the front stoop...

Well, anyways, I should get back to my transcribing. Actually, I should go find somewhere quieter to get back to transcribing. I was sick of everyone in the hostel thinking that I was sleeping until noon when I stayed in my room typing up interviews all morning. (I've been avoiding breakfast in favor of all of the yummy goodies I received in my care packages from my parents and Sandip. There's really only so much bread I can eat in the morning before craving other things.) However, Sra. Francesca has been an absolute doll about everything, so I want her good opinion. She actually called the Office of Statistics for me and talked to the boss to get a copy of a book for me. She's like my little Peruvian grandmother. Takes care of me when I'm sick and beats up the bad guys when they give the gringa trouble. However, sometimes it's easier to just wake up and start typing before I get too restless. Plus, the radio is UP at the California Cafe today, so I can't hear as well. Well, I'll figure out somewhere to go. I may even take a long break and get some tourist agency interviews. I typed up a whole Manifesto of what I want to get done during my stay, and I'm worried it's a bit ambitious if I don't get a move on.

To transcribe or not to transcribe, that is the question.

4 comments:

Sarah said...

Transcribing in Huaraz would be an art. I'm envisioning you transcribing outside and avoiding dogs and cars although I know that is not the scenario you described. However, it would be hard to transcribe after walking through all this... Are you still giving dogs all of your bread? Or did that rather still Fido dissuade you.

Sarah said...

I am leaving the dogs my bread or omelets or whatever food I have leftover. I've decided that dog was just a REALLY deep sleeper. But he woke up and ate that bread I left him, just seconds after we walked away, I'm sure of it.

However, yes, it seems like no matter what I do, I always enter the busiest, noisiest part of town to do the transcribing. Even if I find quiet... the noise comes to me!!

Unknown said...

I have heard an expert is a person who is more than 50 miles from home. So, you must be really expert.

AJ said...

Greg is about to purchase his third version of the awesome Superman shirt. It seems the first two have each lasted about 5/6 years as well. The Star Wars trilogy sounds sweet and so does the surprise book for Greg.