Up days and down days

The thing about what we do, at least for this year, is we have to produce the kind of standard of work you would expect from a masters or even a job except with one crucial difference: we have virtually nothing to go on. Seriously guys, apart from our wits and sheer beauty (most of us anyway), we do what we do without time, information, reliability, even without the same language! For this and all the other things we do without i'd like to start todays blog entry echoing what Roi finished with, a huge pat on the back to everyone!

So today was a work day, some headed to Sulukule for another testing round of frustrated efforts in communication and information. But slowly slowly we're edging closer to the end, of the istanbul leg anyway, and things are beginning to make more sense so we know what we're looking for when we go to the field and it takes a little less time. Back at the palace all were balancing work between personal projects (well and truly off the starting line) and group analysis. Analysis has been a tricky one, a real test of what we've been accumulating all year, whereas the projects although a new format seem to be easier for people to get stuck into. Maybe its just because we've done so much group work and we're glad not to have to look at each other any more! Another huge lesson learnt, this business of working in a group, and i'd be the first to admit its a massive lesson involving a hell of a lot of learning how to shut up basically (yes, i know, especially me!). But we're getting there, we're getting things done faster, we've stopped shouting at each other and decisions are made more easily despite, as i said, having pretty much zero to work with.

Somehow - between thirteen people, no turkish, a lot of chai, and not a lot else - we've produced an astonishing amount of work, and I reckon with the wind behind us we'll be ready for the big guns on friday. Today wasn't really an up or a down day, but I think thats a real testament to how well we can all evidently cope with a situation that really, a lot of people couldn't handle, a lot of people chose not to, and a lot of people never experience the kind of challenge we have over the last weeks. Personally, i couldn't do it without everyone else, so thank you, and see you tomorrow for an up day...