I got to take two trips towards the end of 2021!
I was very excited to travel to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico for Form and Analysis in Mayan Linguistics VI (FAMLi 6) in November. Due to the pandemic, this was my first trip since I began my program at UCSC. It was a bit nerve-racking, but everyone involved with the conference took safety very seriously. The conference was also completely hybrid, with many participants Zoom-ing in and many attending in person. I presented some of my ongoing work on final sonorant devoicing and final aspiration in Tz’utujil and other languages. My slides (in Spanish) are available here.
Due to the pandemic, all of my work on Santiago Laxopa Zapotec since 2020 had been in collaboration with consultants who live here in Santa Cruz, CA. Most of my fieldwork has been remote, using Zoom and Zencastr.
I was very grateful to have the opportunity to travel to Oaxaca City during winter break in December. While the town of Santiago Laxopa is still closed to outsiders for safety, I had the opportunity to meet and work with a few additional consultants outside of Laxopa. I also got to see sights, eat food, and get to know some of the beauty and history of Oaxaca.
The pandemic took a turn while I was abroad, which was scary. Fortunately, everyone was taking masks, handwashing, temperature-taking, and safety very seriously in Oaxaca City, and I was able to get tested regularly. I am now back to working from home for the time being.
I was in Oaxaca City on December 23, which is traditionally the Noche de los Rábanos, a unique holiday celebration in which artisans create elaborate sculptures and scenes out of carved radishes. The 2020 celebration had to be virtual due to the pandemic. 2021 was supposed to be in-person again, but it was canceled at the last minute (I suspect more due to politics than Covid safety concerns). A few businesses still hosted rábanos, however, and I got to get an idea of the festivities. I even tried my hand at making a radish budgie. Not bad for a beginner?
