Today was the day dedicated to electronic equipment. There is one apparent paradox in working on the documentation of little languages spoken in exotic areas. On the other hand the researcher has to adapt to quite difficult enviroment and organise in the most comfortable way his/her stay. On the other hand, the research work is not possible with the use of hi-tech.
One could spend thousands of euros on this, but we have a budget limit. It is normal to use own material. For example, I already have a recorder, a microphone and external hard disks. Today I have been searching for a notebooks and videocameras. I find notebooks the best solution in the fields for their dimension and the autonomy of the battery. As for the camcoder, I decided to consult with the people that will organise a training on the technological aspects of doing language documentation. I would like a real camera, but to get a very goon prices go from 2-3000 euros. We have only 1400 and should buy 2. May be we'll go for good photocameras. Eventually we are not going to make movies. It is rather reasonably good filming of people telling stories, chatting and other cultural and interactional events. The training will take place at the Max Planck Institute in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, from 2 to 6 July.