Learning Journal 17

The class on Wednesday became a time of reflection, thinking about the information I've gathered on my topic and what I still need to get done. Its kind of daunting to see that there are a lot of gaps in my research, especially with the IRB proposal and another project proposal draft looming in the next few weeks. But the fact that I am further than where I started gives me hope. Right now is mid-term time so of course stress levels rise as the number of projects and tests increase, but its hard to devote hours to my project with all that's going on. I didn't get a chance to work much on my research this week, but this weekend I'm going to carve out some time to work on my proposals and hopefully feel better prepared for the upcoming weeks. I still need to do a lot to solidify the scope of my project. My project focus seems to change daily whether its 'landscape perception', 'Tongan landscape design', or 'rural Tongan landscaping' I guess its all about the same. Another challenge I'm running into is that its hard to know what's feasible when so little is available in the way of research. I know I can look beyond Tongan publications, but articles focused on landscape architecture/design in developing countries is not a widely discussed topic. According to the groups I have found dealing with LA abroad, its foreigners from developed countries or locals educated in such places introducing the idea, as LA as a profession is largely unheard of in those cultures. Jobs dealing with landscape in developing countries are more along the lines of horticulture and agricultural science gained from experience rather than formal education. From Brother Ostraff I feel like there will be a lot to learn and research because Tongans have a love for plants, so I hope that will springboard into seeing the functional uses of plants as aesthetic elements.
Anyways, this last section class was great to better understand what we're going to do when we get there. It was a nice reminder of what I should focus on and prepare for as the second half of the semester begins.