How To Write An Ethnographic Report

Observation

Living in a small town with few cultural differences, people after years living around each other having adapted to each other’s culture-made it difficult for me to choose a place. After, asking the professor for an advice about where to complete my ethnographic report, as suggested to visit a church, I decided to visit the Sikh temple located in Delano on Sunday, January 7th.
I drove by the temple, but no one was around, but a sign with the local number. Having called so many times-no response, I decided to visit the near by gas stations to directly talk to a Hindi. After, failure to recruiting one, I decided to visit this last gas station, in which I was happy to see a Hindi. There in the gas station he informed me about the Sikh services on Sundays (only) and the time 11:00am-1:00pm. As excited as I was, he encouraged me to invite as many friends as I wanted, so I decided to invite my sister and friend. However, he did not inform me about a specific way to dress, and I forgot to ask, but I figured we would go on a skirt, long shirt, and a scarf. We made arrangements a night before to be there 30 minutes before their actual service start time.
On Sunday morning, my sister and I were nervous and excited
at the same time as we were getting ready to leave-my friend was unable to come with us, but she was going to meet us there at a later time. I drove about 3 minutes to get to the temple located a few blocks from my house. The first thing I noticed was a sign in “Hindi words” (only) and their local phone number. The temple is located on a shared land, so the temple is hidden behind a trailer home. As we drove on a wet muddy road to park, we noticed religious people carrying conversation while a few were sitting and others standing.
After parking, we decided to walk to the front of the temple. On our way there, we noticed how the older Hindi men were staring at us. They didn’t approach us, but obviously we were the center of attention. Not one person came to greet us or to ask if we needed help. Honestly, I thought this was rude because in my culture as a Hispanic American, in our church we give them a warm welcome and a handshake. We continued to walk. I observed how the faithful were dressed: men, women and kids. A few men were wearing their traditional clothing. The older men were wearing tunics. The young men and boys were wearing jeans and a long shirt-all man had their head covered. Older women and young girls had their tunics matching pants and their head covered. As we made ourselves to the front side of the temple, I took a few pictures.
On the front of the temple, I noticed shoes right before the ramp. Also, there was a place to wash their feet right next to the place people were leaving their shoes. As the guider placed a head cover to my sister and me, he showed us around. The first place he guided us to was the kitchen. Their kitchen is organized with pans and ingredients to cook with. Second, we visited the place where they eat breakfast and lunch, but before entering we had to take our shoes off. I noticed two wooden tables and four long mats. As we sat to eat on a wooden table, men carried their conversations as if we were not there. This felt very uncomfortable. However, their voice level was normal. Last, we decided to walk out and look for the guider.
Before entering the temple we observe that the faithful had to wash their hands, the sink was located on the other side of the ramp. As we were walking to enter the temple, the guider strictly told me about three times to follow what he was going to do for respect. The way we entered the temple was not unusual. Until, I had to walk to the very front of the temple and bowed to the ground. Then, he explained that the faithful first bring a prayer request, then they deposit money in the rectangle brown box in front of me and then they bowed to the ground out of appreciation. I thought to myself, this is so unfair. As a guest I shouldn’t had to bowed down to the ground. As a Christian believer, we don’t make guests do uncomfortable things.
He then told me that I was able to take as many pictures and had to sit on the right side of the temple.
I noticed that they had live music; one man was singing and the other two playing an instrument. There was a man on the very front where money was deposited, who had a stick with feathers on it, swinging it to the right and to the left. As we sat on the women’s side we noticed everyone quietly hearing the music. The level of the music was perfect it wasn’t loud. The temple sides started to slowly full of men and women. Kids were hardly around. The few kids around were constantly distracted and not facing forward as the rest of the grown ups. I noticed that before dismissing themselves from the temple they have to bowed to the ground and walk
out.
As the music stopped, one of the singers started to give a long speech. I judge it as a reflection because he was not guiding himself from a book. After about an hour of hearing him speaking in his foreign language, prayer and one last song was heard. Then, everyone started to walk out. I observed how no one was giving each other hugs or hand shakes. This is very unlike in my culture and religion. We practice showing actions of love to those we meet for the first time, family, or church members by greeting them and then by wishing them a fare well after a hand shake or a goodbye hug. The guider encouraged us to eat lunch. During our lunch time the place was filled with women on one side and men on the other. As we were finishing up a Hindi man was generous to ask us if we wanted seconds or any refills. I noticed he was the only one to be attentive to us. After, tasting the food on our plates, he came the 3rd time around to pick after us. Through out my time there, I had finally felt recognized by someone other than the guider who then disappeared from the temple’s premises.
Although, I was unable to meet with the guider, we schedule a later time to do the interview. We decided to meet at the gas station at another day.