Surveying on the coast
Over a week in Tamatave now, and I’ve only got four days of work in. I started out strong, working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. But I took Monday off to spend the 4th of July with the missionaries, Tuesday, I ended up using the weather as a lame excuse not to work, and Wednesday, I used no excuse at all other than not feeling like working. I did get fifteen surveys done yesterday, but then woke up with a pinched nerve in my neck today and lost yet another day. Tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll get back in the swing of it. At any rate, I plan on being done with surveys by next Friday or Saturday.
Working here is a lot different than in Tana. I feel like there is much more diversity here than in Tana. Yesterday, ninety percent of my respondents were Antesaka from the south east coast. Most were second or third generation immigrants to Tamatave as well. I guess the difference is that in Tana, what diversity exists is a highlander/cotier mix, while here it is more often a cotier/cotier mix. Although, I still heard reference to a chef de Fokontany here who is supposedly Merina, while I have never heard of a cotier chef de Fokontany in Tana. I’ve notice a lower level of education among people here in general. However, they have a very different mindset than the Merina. I feel like, so far, fewer people have issues with the experiment
portion of my survey. Many people in Tana refused to answer the questions stating that they couldn’t decide if they expected the hypothetical candidate to be successful or fair because they haven’t see yet if his policies are successful or fair. They have a hard time having an expectation rather than simply a wait and see attitude. Much remains to be seen though; I’ve only just begun here. We shall see what we shall see.
portion of my survey. Many people in Tana refused to answer the questions stating that they couldn’t decide if they expected the hypothetical candidate to be successful or fair because they haven’t see yet if his policies are successful or fair. They have a hard time having an expectation rather than simply a wait and see attitude. Much remains to be seen though; I’ve only just begun here. We shall see what we shall see.
Abraham Contos 