Only on the third day did the sellers begin talking to me rather than about me.
Participant observation begins with waiting. On the first day I was an obvious visitor: notebook, pen, and too many questions. I got nothing worth writing down.
Day two: silence
I left the notebook in the bag and sat down. I bought tea and stayed two hours. I noticed what I would never have thought to ask about: that the sellers pass small change between themselves without keeping account, and that the arrangement of the shops is not random but follows the kind of goods.
Day three: talk
Once they knew I would be back, the shape of the talk changed. It became talk with me rather than about me. And that moment — not the recorded interview — is the beginning of real fieldwork.
The lesson I repeat to my students: in this method time is not a cost. It is the instrument itself.
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