What I learned

Ultimately in this past quarter and my research and my interactions I have learned a lot, and enforced my own personal ideals as well. There has been many validating interactions and as well allowed further insight into a world that I do not belong.

With the fieldwork experience I didn't realize how much fear can be in another country towards ones own identity and what could be thought of as polite in a different setting. I also believe I made a good friend through this. I had never heard much of Argentina as well as the interactions of someone such as Talias or political or ethical backgrounds of her. Something that may be controversial to us her personal culture seeing it as okay.

This lead me into a way of thinking that maybe my ethics may be called into question as well as they stand. With so many different cultures in the world and so many different view points what can truly be considered good, or proper? Am I even qualified to answer that question other than what I want to succeed in. I don't have that answer and I am unsure who does if any of us do.

The book itself was a fascinating read. I can't bring up one passage that particularly stood out compared to the rest of it, because I get so excited. But many of the stories and the points brought up in the book "Strangers in their own land", I felt I could relate with a lot of it. Not from cultural stand points but from an ethical and point of view. Because I have tried my best to become objective in my ideals, despite putting myself into a situation of not having strong opinions but thats not entirely a bad thing from an anthropological stand point. In the end the book gave me a few more tools to go down my path as a potential journalist.

In the end my empathy walls have always been maxed out even from a young age. However I think they have changed to a point of thinking that perhaps I can take a logical view of emotions as well now instead of just feeling them I can think more clearly and perhaps understand why people are feeling the way they do versus just knowing how they feel. 

5th blog Talias background

When I spoke with Talia in the previous blog it was made apparent that her upbringing in Argentina was apparently a fairly "normal" one. Happy family, a lot of childhood friends and highly active life. When she was younger she saw a lot of people as she said, "were fake, and could not trust them", in regards to religious view points and when she got into middle school her grandmother began to show her more spiritual paths such as witch craft.

While her parents didn't seem to like that she continued to practice in secret. With this she began making different friends that sort of lead her into a party life style, despite maintaining a strong academic life. She began to pursue drama in her highschool ages, and felt like progress was starting to happen. However she was still warry on being public about her sexuality and political view points as much in Argentina is still conservative.

Such as viewpoints on other spiritual paths other than Catholicism or abortion or LGBT. While recently there was a lot of progress to allow LGBT more rights, she felt that her identity would still compromise her life. Despite being highly sexually active with multiple of the sexes, she did all of such in private. Keeping that part of her life away from most of her peers and family. Though many did know she enjoyed the partying and concert going scene. She continued to practice her witchcraft and sexuality and she was content with that.

The recent president put strain on her values as well when activists began to go missing that were pro indigenous peoples, or pro LGBT. That the country started to become more tight police wise. So she thought it was wise not to come out to others. Despite this fear, she loved talking about her crushes and her wanting to be with a girl who she met in her drama class. However she felt it might not be morally correct, as at this point she was helping teach the class. While in America that is a big taboo, teacher and student, she says there are few laws of professors or teachers in Argentina from being able to fraternize with students. 

But still was conflicted.

She also asked if I drank Yerba Mate. I said I did, and she was extremely excited by that fact. She said she never met an American that drank Yerba Mate. Which is a tea made from the Yerba tree, that is high in caffeine as well other nutrients that make it supposedly healthier than coffee.

This point is important because she uses Yerba Mate in her magickal practice, because everyone shares Yerba Mate, and it becomes easy to implement a spell or herbal interactions with others. Through this she can practice coercion or manipulation of another through herbal concoctions she creates with her yerba mate.

While she has a high ethical value from an Americans perspective, she does believe that future is hers for the taking especially when she was given the tools to do so. So as of now she has strong feelings in magickal practice, but still holds enough sense to be quiet.