Hello party people,
I'm currently trying to organise my thoughts around the more mundane aspects of fieldwork in Washington and I was wondering if anyone had any (general or specific) advice for what kind of accomodation to look for (hostels?) and what kind of expenses I could incur that I'm likely not to think about. Obviously I don't expect a fully outlined plan (although....) I'm just unsure on the basic issues of moving to a foreign country for two-three months - it's not something I've done before.

On a completely unrelated note, I just noticed there's a typo on the website - it says "charactor countdown" just underneath the box I'm writing in.
Anyhows, cheers (up)

No help at all.....?:-(

Surely someone has some tips on fieldwork - it seems to be the one thing no academic bothers to write about.

hi

sorry I meant to reply and then rushed off. Washington, do you mean DC? It can be incredibly difficult to make sense of DC at the start. I once had to be in Crystal City (Arlington) and getting there was a difficulty. Most people had advised me of a really cheap students' place called Washington International Student Center I think. It's damn cheap, especially if you can take the dorms. Havent tried it though, and yes, use the underground.

I havent done fieldwork outside but travel a huge lot with my confernces and 2 pan European porjects, huge, as in like 5 trips in June, and at east once a month lol,. i think the following are in order:

1. Make sure you get all transport maps, links, lines studied before you go
2. Have some extra money for the outset
3. Get a self cateirng place to keep costs low
4. Have pots and pans with you or ready to buy at the $$ shops
5. Buy some dry foodies (soups, noodles, other crap) for tough days
6. Keep everything backed up when away. (multiple pen drives)
7. Keep a Word file on every pen drive with a 'to be returned to' on them
8. Do not leave data on the USBs and nowhere else ever
9. THIEVES. Yes, laptops are not safe. Sorry. Use drop box or something always
10. Make sure you have a sensible internet connection
11. Make sure your cards work where you are going.
12. Take a sensible rucksack
13. Once you reach the place where you'll stay, stock up on basics or take them in baggage - medicines, pots/pans, toiletries
14. Make sure your phone is quad band or whatever the US needs, that's tricky
15. take electrical and electronic stuff - converter adaptor, recorder, batteries, Ipods, spare laptop batteries, pens

What else? Nothing else comes to mind! Good luck

Also, am sure you know, but there's something about Washington and the US big cities in general that's huge and distant - huge people, huge buildings, huge roads. Most people use private transport so don't expect the busy tube traffic like in Central London or buses that ply ever so frequently. Don't expect roads to be nicely narrow enough and/or friendly. If accosted by random people for money and/or MacDonald's burgers,. the line is "sorry mate, not carrying any cash on me right now". People tend to approach you near ticketing counters for the underground, so best to make monthly passes or something so they dont see you taking out cash.

Dont intend scaring you, but have had the unpelasant experience once of having a man with a knife at 12.30 in the midnight at DC Union Station, near ticketing, with not a soul around. anything could've happened to a 24 year old woman, alone. I just looked at him after 10 mins of being followed and said "please leave me alone, I am new here. Please. PLEASE". ANd he just walked away.

Ah, have I scared you enough now?

GOOD LUCK! It will be fab!

Ouch sorry, PS:

The US is not debit card friendly AT ALL. So, credit cards, all the way, and make sure they work once there (check with the bank to be double sure and not stranded when there).

Amtrack trains are sometimes unreliable. Study Amtrack train schedules and Grayhound bus schedules carefully in case it involves flying in and out of Washington.

When you're there, make sure to do little getaways - Jefferson's Charlottesville is sooo prretty, the country roads will be lovely. There's other stuff around too.

What else? The youth hostel I mention is in a verrry noisy locale, but close t the action and stuff so will be youthish and cool. (And they do NOT accept anything but credit cards)

Cheers