Nonetheless, this week has been a BLAST! It honestly is perhaps the best week I have had on this Magellan trip. I'm almost as shocked as you are....especially after all my posts from Boston and all the amazing things I saw there...how could something here...in the middle of the wilderness top Boston? Well, I think when it all comes down to it, it is that small town culture.
Let me start from the beginning....
On Monday after catching up on blogging and doing some writing I went to get some lunch. There is a BBQ place in town that I was dying, literally and figuratively, to try. The place is in the basement of a building right off the street...it looks a little like I dungeon from the outside (I may have some pictures somewhere of it). The place was empty, well just about, but to me that is always a bit of a red flag...empty places usually means not very good food. But I proceeded in and ordered some food. I ended up sitting at the bar, trust me, you will feel ten times better sitting alone at a bar than across from an empty chair.
Anyways the bartender was really nice and since they weren't busy she had time to talk. So that's what I did for my entire lunch break. Another worker wondered over and we all probably sat there and just talked about Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, and Vermont for probably close to two hours. It was great, especially since they gave me the "411" on the town and different places in the area that I had to try or see...One thing we did talk about was...maple syrup! And they just so happened to have a little in the back and I got to try it...Move on over Log Cabin and Aunt Jemima...this stuff was amazing. It was smooth, thin, and tasted a little like butterscotch, and apparently this stuff was grade B...Makes me wonder what grade A tastes like, that means I'll have to investigate!
While there I inquired about good hair cutters in the area. My hair was getting way too long...I may have been able to braid it, which made it too long in my book. The only problem is, is that I am very, very, very protective over my hair. No idea why, but I already found my barber and having to have someone else touch this locks of curls was going to be heart wrenching....it needed to be done though. So, like I was saying I have been asking around but the places that were being suggested to me just weren't cutting it...they included a "men's salon" which I didn't understand...I wanted a barber....they know how to cut, period. I didn't want anything fancy...I just wanted it cut. One of the workers at the BBQ place suggested the barber shop right upstairs...figuring I had nothing to loose I went in.
At first I was a little concerned. It was a barber shop, but two women were working. Nothing against women, but I had always thought barbers were men. I sat down and waited my turn. They seemed really nice, but I was still kind of nervous...especially when I noticed everyone was paying in cash. You seen, getting cash is hard...there are certainly no PNCs in the area, so getting money out of an ATM means a service charge, and the whole thing is a mess...
The one lady finally finished though and asked if I was ready, as soon as I got up I asked her if they only took cash, she said yes so I said ok I'll go get some, just take the next person and I'll wait. She smiled and said just get in the chair and when I am done just leave something, an ID or a backpack and go to the ATM. She didn't want me to come back and then have to wait in line behind a bunch of more people...She was so sweet and it was such a nice gesture.
All while she cut my hair we talked about Vermont, New Hampshire, maple syrup, you know the usual things a tourist would ask about. She then told me about a bakery that was across the street, which I had seen but never went in. She raved about their "crullers" which are like a doughnut. Anyways, when she was done cutting my hair I went and get some cash to pay her. She did a fantastic job, I was very surprised. I paid her and gave her a tip, which she declined. She handed it back to me and said, "Go across the street and get a cruller." And of course I died inside because it was such a nice gesture.
 |
| The barber shop & BBQ place... |
I mean lets break down the situation, young kid walks into your shop, hair looks like a mop, doesn't know what he wants, so you the barber have to kind of figure it out for him, then it takes you forever because there is so much hair, he is talking to you the entire time while you're cutting it, and then he has to go across the street to get cash...but you still refuse the tip so he can go buy a cruller....She might be the greatest woman in the world (behind my blood relatives who are women). Of course I couldn't let her not have a tip, so I said, "I can't, you did such a good job, and were so polite and talked to me. Listen if yo don't take it, I'll have to buy you one too and bring it over" to which she replied, "Honey, I'm on a diet, I'm going on vacation" to which I responded, "You look good, now I'm leaving it right here..." It was such a great time and I was really impressed with my experience.
I eventually did try the cruller. It was delicious, here's a picture:
On Tuesday I met with a professor here at the college who is doing a digital humanities project on Samson Occom. She is transcribing his manuscripts in the Dartmouth archives and also scanning them so they can be available to view online. Many libraries and also historical societies are starting to do this because it preserves their materials and also makes them available to people who may not be able to travel to the society, etc. Anyways, I met with her and one of her research assistants in the special collections library.
Having the opportunity to observe her work was really cool. They showed me how they transcribe the manuscripts and also what the online database is going to look like. Of course I had to ask questions, such as why are you doing this, how do you make editorial decisions about transcribing...etc...etc. They asked about my research so I explained what I was doing and also information about the Magellan Project. The research assistant, who is a senior here, said she was jealous that W&J had such a project and Dartmouth didn't...Mark a win for the small liberal arts college from Pennsylvania. Whoot! Whoot!
While there I learned a lot about the project, I was really impressed with how large it was and how many different people were involved in it. The project was not just limited to English majors or professors, but included ITL (technology people), American studies people, and also a student who majored in the classics. It is certainly an interesting web of people who are strung together to work on the project- very cool! I also had the opportunity to get up and close with some of Occom's journals, which is what they are currently transcribing.
Having someone just ask questions and seem interesting in my research is really heart-warming? I say that because you pour so much energy into a project, yet, to the average person Wheatley and Occom mean nothing (sorry guys so offense but its true). Now I'm certainly not saying you aren't capable of understanding my research, but lets face the facts, you don't really care so much about the research as much as you are happy that I am doing it. Does that make sense? You are happy, that I am happy, because I am doing something I like...I mean it makes perfect sense. Here's a perfect example, I had a friend who completed a Magellan project in Boston last summer, she was a chemistry research assistant, I think...anyways...when she explained her project I had no idea what she was talking about. I mean I understood the basics, but I have very limited knowledge of chemistry...so I was more happy that she was happy, than excited about her research...I hope that makes sense...it's not a bad thing...but sometimes when you meet someone who can understand your work, it exhilarating because they get you.
Back to the meeting...so the professor and I talked so more about Dartmouth and its relation to Occom. I was curious as to how it saw him, and the college's relationship with Native Americans. It was a very interesting discussion, and then we talked about things that I should do while I am here...specifically things I should see. Apparently there are really famous murals here that I have to see...so needless to say you will probably see them in a blog post soon. Also, since our meeting was so short, it only lasted about an hour, the professor invited me to dinner so we could talk more about my research, etc. It was a very nice gesture, probably the nicest offered to me this trip.
As for my research...a lot of things have been working out really well. They are definitely coming together and I am starting to see a clear picture of my work. I still have an uphill battle, but I'm getting to the top, slowly, but I will make it.
General pictures...
Lesson of the day: Keep your head up- things will always turn around!
I eventually did try the cruller. It was delicious, here's a picture:
 |
| Heaven |
Having the opportunity to observe her work was really cool. They showed me how they transcribe the manuscripts and also what the online database is going to look like. Of course I had to ask questions, such as why are you doing this, how do you make editorial decisions about transcribing...etc...etc. They asked about my research so I explained what I was doing and also information about the Magellan Project. The research assistant, who is a senior here, said she was jealous that W&J had such a project and Dartmouth didn't...Mark a win for the small liberal arts college from Pennsylvania. Whoot! Whoot!
While there I learned a lot about the project, I was really impressed with how large it was and how many different people were involved in it. The project was not just limited to English majors or professors, but included ITL (technology people), American studies people, and also a student who majored in the classics. It is certainly an interesting web of people who are strung together to work on the project- very cool! I also had the opportunity to get up and close with some of Occom's journals, which is what they are currently transcribing.
Having someone just ask questions and seem interesting in my research is really heart-warming? I say that because you pour so much energy into a project, yet, to the average person Wheatley and Occom mean nothing (sorry guys so offense but its true). Now I'm certainly not saying you aren't capable of understanding my research, but lets face the facts, you don't really care so much about the research as much as you are happy that I am doing it. Does that make sense? You are happy, that I am happy, because I am doing something I like...I mean it makes perfect sense. Here's a perfect example, I had a friend who completed a Magellan project in Boston last summer, she was a chemistry research assistant, I think...anyways...when she explained her project I had no idea what she was talking about. I mean I understood the basics, but I have very limited knowledge of chemistry...so I was more happy that she was happy, than excited about her research...I hope that makes sense...it's not a bad thing...but sometimes when you meet someone who can understand your work, it exhilarating because they get you.
Back to the meeting...so the professor and I talked so more about Dartmouth and its relation to Occom. I was curious as to how it saw him, and the college's relationship with Native Americans. It was a very interesting discussion, and then we talked about things that I should do while I am here...specifically things I should see. Apparently there are really famous murals here that I have to see...so needless to say you will probably see them in a blog post soon. Also, since our meeting was so short, it only lasted about an hour, the professor invited me to dinner so we could talk more about my research, etc. It was a very nice gesture, probably the nicest offered to me this trip.
 |
| Looking out over the first floor of the research library... |
General pictures...
Lesson of the day: Keep your head up- things will always turn around!
