Expect anything...

We made it through the air travel, with very few difficulties. Arriving in Southern Califorina's Onterio International airport, we were struck by the sunlight and the temperature. Probably 90 degrees when we arrived...hot by Seattle standards. My father and sister picked us up from the airport. This was the first meeting between Liam (our youngest) and his grandfather. Kind of an odd place for this kind of meeting.

My father's house, a modest ranch style home with a small back yard. In one corner a small hot tube, the kids favorite place to play.

Wednesday morning started as they normally do. Breakfast and morning talk t.v...There is nothing of value to watch on morning talk t.v. As the kids continued to explore the back yard garden, the day seemed to be off to a great start.

One thing I've learned about travel mixed with kids is that anything can happen. Vincent, our 4 year old started to complain about his head as well as his tummy and became very lethargic. This lasted about an hour, as his eyes became glassy. We got concerned that he may have been bitten by a spider or eaten something in the yard he shouldn't have. We left our daughter Elsa with grandma and grandpa and rushed him over to the nearest ER.

We spend most of our first full day of vacation in the ER, trying to figure our what was wrong with our boy...after long while he threw-up and felt better. He still has a low fever, but is slowly becoming himself again.

This goes to show that Anthropological Fieldwork is one of the most dangerous professions there is.

Nancy Howell (1990) reviewed official reports of accidents, injuries, crimes, illnesses and deaths in the field in "Surviving Fieldwork: A Report of the Advisory Panel on Health and Safety in Fieldwork.  She found not only that most fieldworkers are effected by one of, if not many of these events.  She also so found that part of the reason is that people go into the field very unprepared.

You never know what you will run into...