It was a full day of the Maasai Research Group Seminar, but it was a good day.
The richest part for me was developing a very good connection with Sara de Wit, an anthropologist from the Netherlands who worked with the Maasai. (She also was an MK who grew up overseas, for her Chile). We both did fieldwork in 2012 and 2013, and we both are in the midst of writing our dissertations with 3 chapters completed.
I sat across from Sara at dinner last night, and the conversation continued after others had left. I asked her about her writing journey, as mine was a daily dealing with a thousand self-doubts. She instantly identified, and we talked about the micro-critical reflection on each source integration, citation, development of argumentation, etc. We also identified how much we appreciated what we had learned from each other. So, it was a great connection!
I got home at about 8 pm. Anya had a tough day related to the issues of her involvement in a presentation project. She was eager to help out until she realized that her limited Norsk may affect the overall grade for other students. Then, this grade may affect some classmates perception of their ability to get into the high school that they want through a very competitive selection process. These are things I can care, support, and encourage, but I can’t make it better. She’ll rock in the Spanish and English presentations, but is concerned about dragging down her friends. Keep her in your prayers.
With blessings,
Beth