Ever wondered what you pack for research in Afghanistan, a conference in Tanzania or a trip to Argentina? Anna Barker talks to her jet-setting colleagues about packing, pleasant surprises and post-trip regrets.
Angela Jorns - Associate
1. Where did you recently travel for Levin Sources?
Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan
2. What 5 things did you pack?
• Headscarves
• 5 books (3 of which were on Afghanistan and Pakistan)
• Nikon D90
• A Dari phrasebook
• Long-sleeved, wide shirts
3. What did you wish you'd brought?
• A box big enough to transport the carpets I bought
• An invisibility cloak so that I could have got a true feeling for the lives of people in Mazar
4. What was the biggest achievement of your trip?
Managing to set everything up for a survey of female jewellery making trainees, including training for the surveyors who will conduct the interviews in the two target communities.
5. What was the biggest challenge of your trip?
Dealing with the movement restrictions resulting from the security situation; this meant that I could not personally participate in conducting the survey in the target communities.
6. What were you most astounded about?
Finding that Mazar-e Sharif is a city buzzing with small and medium-scale enterprise activity and economically thriving compared to other parts of Afghanistan. The economic, political, social and security situation needs to be understood on a very localised basis if development projects and activities are to achieve their goals.
Adam Rolfe - Manager, Mineral Sector Development
1. Where did you recently travel?
Antalya, Turkey, for the Meech Symposium on sustainable mining
2. What 5 things did you pack?
• Sun cream
• Amazon Kindle
• 3 suits and every tie I could find (which is not that many!)
• My presentation
• My thoughts
3. What did you wish you'd brought?
• A Turkish visa – it would have saved me an hour at the airport!
4. What was the biggest achievement of your trip?
Presenting to the conference on behalf of Levin Sources: “Fresh perspectives for the ASM sector”
5. What was the biggest challenge of your trip?
Getting to the hotel – the prearranged driver was waiting for me with a sign (but not with my name on it). I got a taxi!
6. What were you most astounded about?
The depth of research specialisms all working to improve the sector; geologists, mining engineers, chemists, biologist (phytomining now that’s something else), sociologists. Oh, and the incredible view from my hotel window!
