A Q&A with Clemente Sanchez, MIT PhD Candidate in Political Science and MIT GOV/LAB Graduate Fellow, about his field research in Brazil.
MIT GOV/LAB is committed to supporting MIT graduate students conducting original field research and data collection on MIT GOV/LAB topics and themes of interest. One way we support students is through our 
MIT GOV/LAB: If you had one piece of advice for students planning to do fieldwork what would it be?
My advice would be that while it is important to plan things in advance, a lot of my most insightful interviews happened serendipitously. If you are not having any luck reaching out to people over email or WhatsApp, my advice is to simply show up in person and ask to speak with someone. While this might not fly in more formal settings (I would not attempt this in Brasilia), in other areas people are much more laid back and willing to accommodate foreign researchers. So just show up, and hope for the best!
MIT GOV/LAB: What was your favorite thing about Belém?
If I had to name one thing, I would have to say the food. It is absolutely delicious. I am a huge fan of fried fish in all its forms, but the Pirarucu has become my favorite fish preparation by far. I am also a huge fan of the rest of the regional cuisine, which includes a lot of crab (my favorite preparation was the _unha de carangue_ijo), vatapá (a shrimp stew), and tacacá (a soup that includes shrimp and a local herb called jambú, which leaves your mouth feeling a little numb afterwards). Special mention goes to the traditional way of consuming açaí, which is not as a dessert, but rather as a side dish mixed in with mandioca flour, which complements fried fish perfectly.
Article originally published on mitgovlab.org.