Tentar de Novo…to try again

I have felt extremely organized and almost ahead of schedule this entire preparation time yet failed to realize that many times the researcher has very little control when doing research. You have to be flexible and adapt at any time.

I have been ahead of the game and met with my research advisor a week ago today because I had everything ready and wanted to begin my study as soon as possible. My advisor is a social worker in the historic district named Amelia Aruajo. She has 15 years of experience working with adolescents. She is short, wears square red classes that take up quite a bit of her round face, and is the giggliest person I know. She also loves to exclaim the word “joy!” or “everything’s joyful” at the hint of anything slightly positive. She is also very blunt, headstrong and to the point. I have decided the giggles and cute smile just mask the intense drive that she has. We work together very well and she is just as excited about my research.

In order for me to begin my study I need to get the final authorization of the director of the school that was chosen by Amelia, the academic director of SIT, Damiana, and I. I have had all of the documents ready to give her and just needed that last go ahead but it appears that she is never actually in her office or “directing” for that matter. Beginning last Tuesday, Amelia and I have made 4 attempts on 3 different days to track her down but she is never in her office and not even her own secretary knows her schedule. It has become extremely frustrating and disconcerting. It also doesn’t help that she takes Tuesdays and Fridays off and has meetings away from the school on Mondays, as I learned yesterday. I have received permission from both of the Vice-Directors, the school programs coordinator, and several teachers but that doesn’t mean anything without the authorization of the director of the school.

During these failed attempts to meet with the director, my motto has become “tentar de novo” or “to try again”. I have tried 4 times, yet I will just have to try again to find her and meet up with her. I have to be persistent in this research. My final attempt will be this Wednesday, tomorrow, being that she doesn’t work on Tuesdays. I have left the documents on her desk and will be visiting her office. I hope that she is in because this will be the last time that I do “try again” before I move on with my study and develop a different methodology.