Evening Marc !
Fieldwork, for a cultural Anthropologist, is a lot more than going to bars and watching people. The North American tradition is to spend a "decent" amount of time, e.g. a minimum of nine months, living with the group you are studying, and time periods, on and off, of twenty to thirty years working with
the same group are not that uncommon. Officially, this time is required to gather data and gain a good understanding of the more subtle and hidden aspects of the culture.
This is not something new, but for some reason, we ignore it with our tours overseas. The typical tour abroad is 2 to 3 years. The first 6 months is literally a waste, as the individual can barely drive home on his/her own. About the point that Dick or Jane is productive, the tour is half over and once he/she rotates, the knowledge (if anything tangilble) is gone.

I might be one of the few exceptions staying for 10 to 12 years in one place. I felt comfort in my surroundings and communicated well with my counterparts. So well, that I began to understand the social and cultural exchanges as if I was one of them. Only then, did I begin to realize how much easier life was among them.

Case in point (Tom pointed out to me): I hated the Zairois even after 10 years of teaching and observing them. Thieves! But I somehow managed to get along with them even during a civil war where the white man was the enemy. I have no idea how I did it and kept my sanity.

I hope you write more (I need the free anthro lessons)
Regards, Stan