A few notes from my first full day in St. John’s, Newfoundland at the 29th Annual Qualitative Analysis Conference; scholars that get together to talk about experiences, insights, and innovations in using qualitative research methods.
I couldn’t help but think about the communication practices of Newfoundlanders as I started my morning off at the local Timmy’s, everybody chatty (some more than others) and ready to engage in a conversation at the drop of a hat, to complete strangers. It was a nice feeling just to be in that atmosphere and it set the tone and my mission for the rest of the day – trying to notice what other kinds of communication made up the culture of Newfoundland.
As I walked back to Memorial University and crossed Elizabeth Ave., I was startled when the little guy on the “walk” light told me I had 44 seconds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than 28 seconds anywhere in the west. As the day went on, I had other chances to see up to 68 seconds and nothing less than 33. Could this be a symbol of a more relaxed atmosphere?
After a day of research presentations, I decided to figure out the bus system and head downtown for a walk around. What better way to really get a feel for the local community? In all the places where I have ever had the opportunity to ride the bus (San Francisco, Puerto Rico, Vancouver, to name a few) I have never had quite the experience I had today. First the bus driver greeted everybody that got on the bus (many by name), and shouted out to have a great day when they got out at the back. They shouted back thanks every time. I made sure I did when I got off as well. As I sat down a bit back from the driver I noticed a sign that I had never seen on any bus before – a “friendly” note to help make sure that patrons didn’t leave the bus forgetting a possession. More evidence.
It was a great day enjoying the friendliness on the Rock and doing a little qualitative communication research.
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Dr. Marcella LaFever (University of New Mexico, 2005) is an Associate Professor in the Communications Department at the University of the Fraser Valley. She specializes in intercultural communication and brings that expertise to various subjects such as communication for workplace, instruction, social media, team and public speaking contexts.
In Seville the added communication in the street signs features a little animated figure strolling along beside the countdown timer, but when the timer drops below 9 seconds he starts to run for his animated life! Apparently there”s a similar system in Taipei, and of course someone has documented it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=teHBzBbvHKU&NR=1