Reflections on project since August

I feel it has been a while since I have written a reflective post. It has been an incredibly intense period of the project and the pace of turnaround has been so fast. That is partly the reason,  so much was happening that once I had got behind with my journal updates I couldn’t find the time to do the backlog. So in this post I will give my journey since unit 2. After unit 2 and through reflection of my interventions and findings I devised a process model. This was borne from my research following two parallel routes (International students and local community) but enquiring the same question. Originally I had unique questions for different sessions. I realised that I needed to make the questions the same so as to draw comparative data. When I analysed and reflected on my sessions to date patterns started to become apparent. In the process of my sessions I was going through certain motions that would set the mood to facilitate a sharing ambiance. Ultimately the purpose of my sessions was to get conversation flowing with all participants and for them to feel comfortable to open up and discuss their cultural experiences and memoirs. I had the aim of getting information and this being a spice of cultural interest, a significant cultural recipe and a food memory/story. Although I had these aims this was just a basis as a forum for discussion. The real beauty of the sessions was the stories that are shared within them. Unable to document them and capture them I recorded the sessions as audio and where possible video. My plan is for each story to have a corresponding recipe and spice that will go onto my Food-Connect website, Social Media and cookbook. Food-Connect is the social enterprise initiative that I have set up as the platform to gather and share stories of diverse communities.

I have been liaising with community engagement officers through my contact at Ealing Council. Working with the Pitshanger community through the Traders association, St Barnabas Church and Allotments. I have made contact with the British Council as they are the key international agency that my research could benefit.