Friday, February 26, 2010
2/26/2010
So, I normally write these at night before I go to bed (or early the next morning if I forgot the night before), but since this is the last time I’ll have internet for a few weeks (most likely until the 20th of March, we’ll see if that’s accurate or not), I decided to write one in the afternoon. Today was a day off, and it’s been pretty hectic. I tried to do laundry before we left for a game drive, but apparently a working washer just wasn’t an easy enough task. Anywho, we drove to a little tourist area in the very south of the park, and we had “pancakes”, or as I like to call them, “pancrepes”, because they are basically crepes. It was really nice, and it was a fun drive. We saw an entire herd of buffalo (there were probably about 150), as well as a lot of birds and some bull elephants. Then we came back, and I ran errands. We met to talk about getting out of here tomorrow, as we aren’t going to be back until April, and we can only have 20 kg of luggage on the plane. That brings us to now. This is why I write them at night :P I’ll see you all in March!
2/25/2010
We started out the day with a very relaxing morning of studying for stats. The exam was at 10, but people all got up at 7 ish for breakfast. Then people napped, studied, did laundry, or just played peggle until it was time for the exam. We were able to take it in pairs, with all of our notes, and able to ask questions. They weren’t trying to hurt us. It was a good exam, but very long. Melissa thought it was only going to take us an hour and a half or so to do it; the first people finished at around 12:15, maybe 12:30. Rachael and I finally turned ours in at 1. Then lunch, and Dax had bought us juice things
After lunch, we all relaxed and did what we needed to in preparation for a day off and leaving on Saturday. I organized my stuff, as we are flying to Cape Town, and there is a 20 kg (45 lb) weight limit on all of your checked luggage. So, I’m leaving a lot of stuff behind. I brought too much anyways, and I don’t think I’ll miss it. Then I used the internet (got to video with Chris, oh boy!), and off to sundowners. Our shoes made a miraculous reappearance today in Dax’s room, but I think he was framed. We also had a get together at the train pub (a pub constructed from a train parked at the station, with platforms and open air sections) tonight in honor of our day off tomorrow.
After lunch, we all relaxed and did what we needed to in preparation for a day off and leaving on Saturday. I organized my stuff, as we are flying to Cape Town, and there is a 20 kg (45 lb) weight limit on all of your checked luggage. So, I’m leaving a lot of stuff behind. I brought too much anyways, and I don’t think I’ll miss it. Then I used the internet (got to video with Chris, oh boy!), and off to sundowners. Our shoes made a miraculous reappearance today in Dax’s room, but I think he was framed. We also had a get together at the train pub (a pub constructed from a train parked at the station, with platforms and open air sections) tonight in honor of our day off tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
2/24/2010
Again with the stats lectures. We started at 8 with an assessment of data we had already done for our IP’s, and used it as an exercise to better understand diversity indices. Then we talked a little more about such tests as chi-square and goodness-of-fit, and why we use them. After that, we had a little break in which to talk about our debates, and divide into teams. I am debating the ethics of zoos, and I am for them. In real life, I wouldn’t go as far as that, but that is another story. After that, we went to the store for a t-shirt and ice cream run. Too much money spent. Plus, it always feels like a lot more than it actually is, as the rand is so much “lower” than the dollar. Refresher: R7.6 = $1.
After lunch we went right back at stats again. It’s getting rough to keep plugging away with what seems like a fruitless proposition, but it’s almost over; we have an exam tomorrow. Oh boy! We did an experiment comparing leg length and jump distance. The data were screwy, but it’s ok. Life goes on. After that was over, I worked on my applications a little bit more. If someone knows someone who needs a research intern for the summer, who do you tell them to call? THIS GUY. I would love a research job this summer, and I’m getting less and less hopeful as time goes on. It’s rough. We then played soccer (barefoot. Someone stole one shoe from each pair we weren’t wearing yesterday during lecture), and it was really fun. I’m getting better, and more in shape. Hurray! Dinner, meeting, post! Word of the day: good-bye = salakacha.
After lunch we went right back at stats again. It’s getting rough to keep plugging away with what seems like a fruitless proposition, but it’s almost over; we have an exam tomorrow. Oh boy! We did an experiment comparing leg length and jump distance. The data were screwy, but it’s ok. Life goes on. After that was over, I worked on my applications a little bit more. If someone knows someone who needs a research intern for the summer, who do you tell them to call? THIS GUY. I would love a research job this summer, and I’m getting less and less hopeful as time goes on. It’s rough. We then played soccer (barefoot. Someone stole one shoe from each pair we weren’t wearing yesterday during lecture), and it was really fun. I’m getting better, and more in shape. Hurray! Dinner, meeting, post! Word of the day: good-bye = salakacha.
2/23/2010
Another day of excruciatingly long lectures. We started out with a lecture on the theories behing managing the park. I think that a lot of it went over my head, mostly because I am not big on philosophy. Then we had a lecture on research in the park, as well as the joining of the Kruger park and the Limpopo park in Mozambique, and if this could spread into Zimbabwe as well. These lectures were long and hard to pay attention to, mostly because the speaker had an extremely quiet voice and a thick Afrikaans accent. Last lecture of the morning was Melissa talking about stats. THAT was a disaster, not to any fault of hers. We just were not getting it (me included), and we spent a half an hour trying to get all on the same page. Finally we just decided to go to lunch and try again later. I had ice cream for dessert
After lunch, we had a returning lecturer come and talk to us about the different resources of the park, such as antelope and water relocation. She is a very interesting and engaging speaker, but she has SUCH a thick accent. Then it was back to stats. Hooray. We worked more with normal distributions, then moved onto the different types of tests. Alan talked a little about the differences between certain tests, and then released us for the day. We came back to camp, and then a bunch of us went to use the internet. It was there that I first found out about Gunnar. He’s going to be OK, and I won’t talk about it here, but to make a long story short, I know now how to rally people towards a sad person’s cause. I am now going to watch chicken run to make myself feel good. Word of the day: my friend = monamoamina.
After lunch, we had a returning lecturer come and talk to us about the different resources of the park, such as antelope and water relocation. She is a very interesting and engaging speaker, but she has SUCH a thick accent. Then it was back to stats. Hooray. We worked more with normal distributions, then moved onto the different types of tests. Alan talked a little about the differences between certain tests, and then released us for the day. We came back to camp, and then a bunch of us went to use the internet. It was there that I first found out about Gunnar. He’s going to be OK, and I won’t talk about it here, but to make a long story short, I know now how to rally people towards a sad person’s cause. I am now going to watch chicken run to make myself feel good. Word of the day: my friend = monamoamina.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
2/22/2010
We had lectures up the wazoo today. To make it easier on the people lecturing us, we relocated to a more central location in the park. The room was so air conditioned it felt like it was snowing. Just like home. We first had a lecture on the veterinary life in Kruger, which doesn’t really have anything to do with treating animals. Most of what they do is relocate animals to other areas of the country or private buyers. This lecture was interesting, but something about the methods just didn’t sit well with me. After that, we had a lecture on GIS and its practical application. Almost this entire lecture went completely over my head, as well as everyone else’s. The graphs were pretty, though.
In the afternoon, we had a lecture on plant defenses given by Laurence. We talked about the research that had been done on herbivory as a negative influence on plant communities, and how almost all of it has been based in the tropics, such as costa rica. Then the FFP’s were presented by the groups who were doing the analysis, though they didn’t really have anything yet to talk about. That evening was spent mostly just relaxing and trying to sort out everything we had left to do, like our insect collections (due in April). Words of the day: banana = banana, grapes = grapis.
In the afternoon, we had a lecture on plant defenses given by Laurence. We talked about the research that had been done on herbivory as a negative influence on plant communities, and how almost all of it has been based in the tropics, such as costa rica. Then the FFP’s were presented by the groups who were doing the analysis, though they didn’t really have anything yet to talk about. That evening was spent mostly just relaxing and trying to sort out everything we had left to do, like our insect collections (due in April). Words of the day: banana = banana, grapes = grapis.
2/21/2010
In the morning, we had our final FFP lecture on plant defenses. It was very interesting; basically the entire time, the lecturer was trying to convince us that no one can study ecology anywhere else but Africa. Hmm. I saw his point, but still. After lecture, a bunch of us went down to the student office to use internet, and I submitted an application. Fingers crossed, this one will go through. Or just one of them, it doesn’t really matter which. I’d like to do any of these that I’m applying for. After lunch, we all relaxed for a while, as well as working on our Goldsworthy photo project. Mine is purty .
Tonight was my night to go out on bats. We left at 5, and by 545 we had found a herd. This was frustrating, as the whole point of the project was to find bats around elephants, as the theory is that the elephants “flush,” or disturb insects, which attracts bats. 545 is way too early for bats to be outside. We waited around the herd for as long as we could. During this time, Jeremy, our instructor found an acacia tree. Acacias have thorns. He decided we should all pierce our ears with acacia thorns. WTF. A couple of people did (not me, thanks). Very weird. Finally, when it got to be time to record for bats, the elephants got to be too far away. So, we moved on. After driving for about a half hour, we would stop and take a reading, whether or not there was an elephant. This happened more often than not; elephants are hard to find at night. While driving, we almost ran over a bird, which made a daring escape into the GDV, hitting Hannah in the face with its wing. Finally we found an elephant, took recordings, and then drove around for a while to wait for the elephant to leave, to record again for a control. We were driving when suddenly we drove through a massive spider web. We all laughed, until we realized the spider (about the size of a small toad) was still in the GDV. Then we laughed harder, except for Hannah, who had to get it out. Then we went back, took more recordings, and went home. Words of the day: Apple = apula; orange = lamula.
Tonight was my night to go out on bats. We left at 5, and by 545 we had found a herd. This was frustrating, as the whole point of the project was to find bats around elephants, as the theory is that the elephants “flush,” or disturb insects, which attracts bats. 545 is way too early for bats to be outside. We waited around the herd for as long as we could. During this time, Jeremy, our instructor found an acacia tree. Acacias have thorns. He decided we should all pierce our ears with acacia thorns. WTF. A couple of people did (not me, thanks). Very weird. Finally, when it got to be time to record for bats, the elephants got to be too far away. So, we moved on. After driving for about a half hour, we would stop and take a reading, whether or not there was an elephant. This happened more often than not; elephants are hard to find at night. While driving, we almost ran over a bird, which made a daring escape into the GDV, hitting Hannah in the face with its wing. Finally we found an elephant, took recordings, and then drove around for a while to wait for the elephant to leave, to record again for a control. We were driving when suddenly we drove through a massive spider web. We all laughed, until we realized the spider (about the size of a small toad) was still in the GDV. Then we laughed harder, except for Hannah, who had to get it out. Then we went back, took more recordings, and went home. Words of the day: Apple = apula; orange = lamula.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
2/20/2010
Today it was my day to go out into the bush for the plants FFP. We started out the day with a lecture on bats, talking about the various projects that can be done with the population dynamics. After that, we prepared and jumped into the GDV to go to the next two plant sites. It was a really long drive (1 ½ hours either way), and I was glad for my iPod. On the way, we stopped to pick up some elephant dung (I’m not sure what the purpose was, but there’s always a reason), and we also got some dung beetles for our collection. When we got to the site, we walked around taking branches from the trees, identifying them as we went. We also were collecting any millipedes we saw for a dung beetle trap (in the Cape, dung beetles are carnivorous. Kind of a misnomer). After we were done, we drove to the next site. We didn’t get out, however, as the plant crew already had too much data to deal with. We then went back to camp, and analyzed the branches we had collected. Afterwards, I worked with my group on our cartoon analysis. We are taking a political cartoon about south African politics and discussing the history behind it. This evening, we didn’t really have a lot planned, so Evan performed a magic show for the instructors. Hilarity ensued.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
2/19/2010
Today we started our first FFPs. It started off with two lectures introducing us to bats and plant defenses, as well as what the projects would actually be. Everyone has been assigned a project, and everyone else doesn’t have to participate the whole time because of this. I am not on either of these, and didn’t have to go into the field at all today. As you already know, I posted ALL my blogs up to today, as well as a ton of other internet stuff, like internship applications. I then tried to do laundry. Bad choice. I had to get coins, which was an ordeal. Then, when I went to use the machines, one worked, then the other one didn’t. I had already put detergent in. Awesome. I went and used the other set of machines, which worked. It was a lot of extra walking. Then I mailed stuff, and started work on my cartoon project. After lunch, I collected my laundry and took a nap. Then it was soccer, dinner, and helping the plant FFP with their collections. Word of the day: excuse me = sorry/nikarelle.
Friday, February 19, 2010
2/18/2010
We were all so tired this morning. But, we got up early to go whitewater rafting on the Sabie River. It was amazing; we paddled down the river in inflatable rafts through rapids, as well as body boarding down a few. Lots of fun, lots of great pictures. After, we went to lunch at a pizza place. It was wonderful to have pizza, although it wasn’t terribly good. I also had a milkshake. Very American. When we came back, it was our day off, so lots of people just slept or did random things. I read and ran errands. Around 6, people were setting up bat nets by the pool, as we are starting our first and second FFPs tomorrow (Faculty Field projects, bats and plant defenses). We hung around the pool and chatted, then had dinner and watched the lion king. On a wall. TIA. Word of the day: tired = garella.
2/17/2010
Last day of IP! We started off the day with a game drive, on which we saw a black rhino (EXTREMELY RARE TO SEE) as well as ungodly amounts of baboons. It was so amazing. Then, we sat down to work, thinking that we could finish up in the morning and have the afternoon to just relax. Boy were we wrong. It took us the entire morning (9-12) to edit our introduction. It was a long, grueling process of disagreement and misunderstandings, and by the end, we were all very frustrated. After lunch, we got right down to it, working hard to crank out the methods, results and discussion, as well as acknowledgements, literature cited and an abstract. We finished just in time, turning in a full draft at 4:45, 15 minutes shy of the deadline. That night we had a party, of which the theme was “dress your friend.” I dressed colin as a pervasaurus rex (story if you ask), and I got dressed as an 80’s tramp, complete with gawdy make-up and humongous hair.
2/16/2010
More data analysis this morning. We got up for breakfast at 7, as we had a lecture at 8. It was from a woman who works closely with the national park, although I’m not exactly sure what she does. She had a lot of information, but I didn’t know exactly what her focus was. We talked about the park as a whole, including recent changes and things that don’t work. After that, it was back to the old grind. We worked on getting a good analysis of our data for a while, and then divided the introduction and discussion between the four of us to get it done more quickly. Lunch was mac n cheese, although they put peppers in it. Not sure I agree.
After lunch, we continued to work on our introduction (Colin and me). It was a slow process, as working with two people can be. Around 330, we finally got to a good stopping point, and took a nice long swim. Before soccer, we tried to get a start on our results section, but didn’t get very far. Soccer was not as impressive on my part today, but it was still really fun. It feels good to just get really worked up and tired…clears your mind. I came back and worked a little more on the methods section before dinner. We then got together and pieced together some of the last pieces of the results, then set up a preliminary draft. To reward ourselves, we all walked down to the river to just lie out under the stars. And now I have to go to sleep, because I have to be up by 5:10 to go on a 5:25 game drive.
After lunch, we continued to work on our introduction (Colin and me). It was a slow process, as working with two people can be. Around 330, we finally got to a good stopping point, and took a nice long swim. Before soccer, we tried to get a start on our results section, but didn’t get very far. Soccer was not as impressive on my part today, but it was still really fun. It feels good to just get really worked up and tired…clears your mind. I came back and worked a little more on the methods section before dinner. We then got together and pieced together some of the last pieces of the results, then set up a preliminary draft. To reward ourselves, we all walked down to the river to just lie out under the stars. And now I have to go to sleep, because I have to be up by 5:10 to go on a 5:25 game drive.
2/15/10
We started data analysis this morning, after sleeping in til 730. Ha. Sleeping in. Breakfast was delicious (eggs, toast, bacon for those who eat it). We had a major clean up session, where everyone helped us put traps back together, as we had over 90. Then it was time to get down to business. It was a really long day of data crunching and dirt smushing. In the end, we didn’t really get anywhere, and have to keep working on it tomorrow. Ugh. In the afternoon, we played a game of soccer, which was really fun. I scored a goal! Yay me! Then we had dinner and a meeting, and worked more on our assignment. Today’s post is so not exciting. Neither was today. Word of the day: Soccer = Bolo
2/14/10
Valentines Day!
Today started out rough. We all woke up this morning in a dripping sweat, as the AC had turned off with the power outage. There was a major storm going on, and the air was just 100% saturated. The birders couldn’t even go out until it stopped raining. We ended up leaving late (630), and heading to our sites to see if we could even walk around. Right when we were arriving on site, a huge buffalo crossed the road. Buffalo are dangerous, but not if properly watched. So we quickly took down our site and moved on. All of the sites needed to come down today, as it was our last day of data collection. We took down the 8 we were supposed to, and then had to go out and take down one of the other sites as well, as they had gotten run off by elephants. TIA (this is Africa. I’ll use this a lot). It was a long morning, but on the bright side, we’re done with field work for a little bit.
Upon returning, we started taking apart the traps and cleaning them. There were 150 traps in all, and each had to be de-wired, opened, soaked, scrubbed, dried, and then put back together. We are currently at the drying phase. It took us most of the afternoon to do this, but it wasn’t hard work. Just time consuming. We also had a fair bit of time to relax, as we needed to wait for the traps to soak. At around 530, I decided to go to the main camp to call chris, as it was valentines day and I miss him terribly. However, upon returning, I realized everyone had gone to sundowners. Today we were reading the valentines that everyone had written for each other. I was very sad, as I had written a song that I wanted to sing, and I was going to miss all of the fun. Luckily, Laurence was nice enough to come back to get me. I am currently thinking of a way to pay him back. Chocolate is my current plan of action.
The valentines gig was very cute and funny. Everyone had drawn a name at random, and then written them a valentine. I had Lindsay, and I had written her a song. She read the “poem,” and then I announced myself and that it was a song, and sang it for her while also playing guitar. Some of the valentines were very clever, some were cute, some were totally obscure—all were fun. We did it in chunks, one at the lake, one in the dining room. After dinner, we finished the valentines and everyone just relaxed for the rest of the night. Word of the day (an appropriate addition): I love you = Zakooranza
Today started out rough. We all woke up this morning in a dripping sweat, as the AC had turned off with the power outage. There was a major storm going on, and the air was just 100% saturated. The birders couldn’t even go out until it stopped raining. We ended up leaving late (630), and heading to our sites to see if we could even walk around. Right when we were arriving on site, a huge buffalo crossed the road. Buffalo are dangerous, but not if properly watched. So we quickly took down our site and moved on. All of the sites needed to come down today, as it was our last day of data collection. We took down the 8 we were supposed to, and then had to go out and take down one of the other sites as well, as they had gotten run off by elephants. TIA (this is Africa. I’ll use this a lot). It was a long morning, but on the bright side, we’re done with field work for a little bit.
Upon returning, we started taking apart the traps and cleaning them. There were 150 traps in all, and each had to be de-wired, opened, soaked, scrubbed, dried, and then put back together. We are currently at the drying phase. It took us most of the afternoon to do this, but it wasn’t hard work. Just time consuming. We also had a fair bit of time to relax, as we needed to wait for the traps to soak. At around 530, I decided to go to the main camp to call chris, as it was valentines day and I miss him terribly. However, upon returning, I realized everyone had gone to sundowners. Today we were reading the valentines that everyone had written for each other. I was very sad, as I had written a song that I wanted to sing, and I was going to miss all of the fun. Luckily, Laurence was nice enough to come back to get me. I am currently thinking of a way to pay him back. Chocolate is my current plan of action.
The valentines gig was very cute and funny. Everyone had drawn a name at random, and then written them a valentine. I had Lindsay, and I had written her a song. She read the “poem,” and then I announced myself and that it was a song, and sang it for her while also playing guitar. Some of the valentines were very clever, some were cute, some were totally obscure—all were fun. We did it in chunks, one at the lake, one in the dining room. After dinner, we finished the valentines and everyone just relaxed for the rest of the night. Word of the day (an appropriate addition): I love you = Zakooranza
2/13/10
Finished the big 5 today.
It was another 530 morning. I cannot wait to be able to sleep in until 7, as awful as that sounds. We were getting ready to go when Colin notices that his shoes weren’t fitting well. Turns out the bite on his ankle had swelled up so much that his foot was almost twice its normal size. Because we need to be able to run when told, they told him to stay behind today. So I did the collections by myself, which wasn’t so bad. We caught 3 pygmy mice (one was a recapture), and a fat mouse. We came back to camp, and identified the fat mouse. Then it was hang out time until 1130, when we had a lecture on insect orders. It was so stuffy in that room, all I wanted to do was go to sleep. It was bad. After that, I took a quick half hour nap before lunch.
After lunch, I worked on my valentine (more to come). Since Colin was still gimpy, he asked Nick to accompany my to the field for the afternoon, as rebaiting and taking foliage percentages is much more of a two person thing. On the way to the field, we were driving and talking to alan’s son when Stevie yelled “RHINO!” Me, thinking that it would be far away, turned to the side and yelled “where?” Nick then pointed straight in front of the car. It was literally a meter and a half away. A humongous male white rhino. Holy god. It was gigantic. I luckily got a really good shot of it, and have one picture to document the event. Then we rebaited the sites, and came back.
The rest of the night was a little eventful. In the morning, we had caught a puff adder and a Mozambican spitting cobra (a baby). We released the adder, but we had kept the cobra in a terrarium for people to look at. Then, during dinner, Elizabeth TA announced that this snake was now loose. These snakes are ungodly poisonous. Luckily (again), the snake had just hidden right below the terrarium, and Dax put it in a sealed bucket. Phew. Now I am off to a small party, for god knows why. Word of the day: tihuway = wood
It was another 530 morning. I cannot wait to be able to sleep in until 7, as awful as that sounds. We were getting ready to go when Colin notices that his shoes weren’t fitting well. Turns out the bite on his ankle had swelled up so much that his foot was almost twice its normal size. Because we need to be able to run when told, they told him to stay behind today. So I did the collections by myself, which wasn’t so bad. We caught 3 pygmy mice (one was a recapture), and a fat mouse. We came back to camp, and identified the fat mouse. Then it was hang out time until 1130, when we had a lecture on insect orders. It was so stuffy in that room, all I wanted to do was go to sleep. It was bad. After that, I took a quick half hour nap before lunch.
After lunch, I worked on my valentine (more to come). Since Colin was still gimpy, he asked Nick to accompany my to the field for the afternoon, as rebaiting and taking foliage percentages is much more of a two person thing. On the way to the field, we were driving and talking to alan’s son when Stevie yelled “RHINO!” Me, thinking that it would be far away, turned to the side and yelled “where?” Nick then pointed straight in front of the car. It was literally a meter and a half away. A humongous male white rhino. Holy god. It was gigantic. I luckily got a really good shot of it, and have one picture to document the event. Then we rebaited the sites, and came back.
The rest of the night was a little eventful. In the morning, we had caught a puff adder and a Mozambican spitting cobra (a baby). We released the adder, but we had kept the cobra in a terrarium for people to look at. Then, during dinner, Elizabeth TA announced that this snake was now loose. These snakes are ungodly poisonous. Luckily (again), the snake had just hidden right below the terrarium, and Dax put it in a sealed bucket. Phew. Now I am off to a small party, for god knows why. Word of the day: tihuway = wood
2/12/10
Today I saw a lion.
We started out by getting up at 530 again to be in the field by 6. This morning, however, we caught a couple of animals in the traps. At site 15, we caught a gerbil, and at site 12 we caught a mouse. There were some shrews in the herp traps at site 13 as well. We also saw a herd of elephants (I have lived up to the name of this blog many times over, hoorah!), as well as many many baboons, impala and hippos. Upon coming back, we ID’d the mouse, and started working on organizing our data. We briskly swam in the pool, and then had an excellent lunch of sammiches. I napped after lunch, because I was not feeling well at all.
When I got up, we had to go back out into the field. So hot. It was about 104oF today, and about 95% humidity. Blurgh. On our way to the first site, there were a bunch of tourists pulled over on the side of the road. When we asked them what they were looking at, they said a male lion was lying under one of the bushes. Lions have been my favorite animal since I was about 6 years old. Just ask my mother. I He was beautiful. He was older, as his mane was very broad and dark. I tried so hard to get a picture, but there was a stupid bush in the way. So, I have a few pictures of a pretty bush with a lion shaped shadow in the background. Grr. The first few sites were miserable, they were so hot. We had to return a shrew and a mouse, but the shrew got loose through a 3 mm hole in the bag, and the mouse died from the heat. So sad. We were very upset. We had named him Willard. A memorial was held.
After dinner, we had a lecture on the burning of the savanna. Fire here is actually a very useful tool in the regulation and germination of the plants, as there are so many fires a year just naturally. It has been decided that humans are a natural fire starter, although I’m not sure how much I agree with that sentiment. Another time, I guess. After that, we talked about our projects, and then I played a little guitar (remembered 2 songs!), and finally bed. Words of the day: hand = voko; hands = mavoko
We started out by getting up at 530 again to be in the field by 6. This morning, however, we caught a couple of animals in the traps. At site 15, we caught a gerbil, and at site 12 we caught a mouse. There were some shrews in the herp traps at site 13 as well. We also saw a herd of elephants (I have lived up to the name of this blog many times over, hoorah!), as well as many many baboons, impala and hippos. Upon coming back, we ID’d the mouse, and started working on organizing our data. We briskly swam in the pool, and then had an excellent lunch of sammiches. I napped after lunch, because I was not feeling well at all.
When I got up, we had to go back out into the field. So hot. It was about 104oF today, and about 95% humidity. Blurgh. On our way to the first site, there were a bunch of tourists pulled over on the side of the road. When we asked them what they were looking at, they said a male lion was lying under one of the bushes. Lions have been my favorite animal since I was about 6 years old. Just ask my mother. I He was beautiful. He was older, as his mane was very broad and dark. I tried so hard to get a picture, but there was a stupid bush in the way. So, I have a few pictures of a pretty bush with a lion shaped shadow in the background. Grr. The first few sites were miserable, they were so hot. We had to return a shrew and a mouse, but the shrew got loose through a 3 mm hole in the bag, and the mouse died from the heat. So sad. We were very upset. We had named him Willard. A memorial was held.
After dinner, we had a lecture on the burning of the savanna. Fire here is actually a very useful tool in the regulation and germination of the plants, as there are so many fires a year just naturally. It has been decided that humans are a natural fire starter, although I’m not sure how much I agree with that sentiment. Another time, I guess. After that, we talked about our projects, and then I played a little guitar (remembered 2 songs!), and finally bed. Words of the day: hand = voko; hands = mavoko
2/11/2010
It was a very long day today, and only the first of many. I got up at 530 to start checking traps by 6. We went through 8 of the 15 sites, and none of the traps had anything. There were a few shrews in the herp traps, but those aren’t rodents. So, empty handed, we returned to camp. Well, not exactly empty handed—we saw a leopard on the way back. It was very hidden in the bush, but we saw it nonetheless. We ID’d the shrews that we brought back, although even Graeme said he didn’t know what one of them was. So, we might be sending it in for identification. People hung around until about 1230, when lunch was served. After lunch we had an introduction to our insect collection, which is to be done only at Skukuza. My group is in charge of collecting many Neuroptera, which is the family antlions are in. Antlions are very hard to distinguish from dragonflies/damselflies once in flight, but when they land it’s easier. So woo. There are about 20 billion dragon/damselflies around. Not as many Neuroptera.
After the lecture, I FINALLY checked my email, after 2 weeks. Only 100 emails, which isn’t bad, and really none of them were pertinent. I may put up an announcement saying that I’ll be out of email contact when I go to the next two sites, but for now I’m fine. We don’t have internet here yet; due to unforeseen circumstances, the internet is down for the next few days. Grr. There is an internet café in “town” though, so I can do basic things. Nothing major yet, so by the time you read this post, I will have the other internet up and running :P
In the afternoon, we went back out to rebait the traps. I went to the other 7 sites this time, and I’m glad I did. This area is GORGEOUS. There sites were so much prettier than the ones I’ve been going to. While out, we saw baboons, kudu, a herd of hippos and ANOTHER leopard. This time we saw its head (last time it was only a back shot). I have pictures. After we were done, we went to sundowners at the lake. It was Dax’s birthday, and a couple of people had picked up a gift (rum shots in a bag and a wind up snake). We sang, and then came back for dinner, meeting, and bed. Word of the day: Head = Hloko
After the lecture, I FINALLY checked my email, after 2 weeks. Only 100 emails, which isn’t bad, and really none of them were pertinent. I may put up an announcement saying that I’ll be out of email contact when I go to the next two sites, but for now I’m fine. We don’t have internet here yet; due to unforeseen circumstances, the internet is down for the next few days. Grr. There is an internet café in “town” though, so I can do basic things. Nothing major yet, so by the time you read this post, I will have the other internet up and running :P
In the afternoon, we went back out to rebait the traps. I went to the other 7 sites this time, and I’m glad I did. This area is GORGEOUS. There sites were so much prettier than the ones I’ve been going to. While out, we saw baboons, kudu, a herd of hippos and ANOTHER leopard. This time we saw its head (last time it was only a back shot). I have pictures. After we were done, we went to sundowners at the lake. It was Dax’s birthday, and a couple of people had picked up a gift (rum shots in a bag and a wind up snake). We sang, and then came back for dinner, meeting, and bed. Word of the day: Head = Hloko
2/10/2010
This morning we started our work on our first independent project. It started at 630 with breakfast, then into the field to set up our research sites. Graeme had already set up 11 sites, so between the 26 of us, we only had four left to do. It was early in the morning, and already it was getting so hot. We were all sweating buckets before 10 AM. Blugh. We each set up two sites, and then came back to camp. I was in Graeme’s truck, so we got to check out one more site before coming back. When we did come back, a bunch of us went into “town”, where we checked out the store. Lots of goodies. Then we looked at the river, where we watched a hippo bobbing up and down in the water. Just a normal day here at Kruger.
After lunch, I went off by myself (don’t worry, it is totally safe in the tourist camp during the day) so that I could mail a postcard and exchange some money. I ran into a nice couple from the states, and we chatted about why we were all here in the park. After money getting, I went back to town, running into Lindsay and Colin getting some sweet icey things. I of course got one as well. We were waiting for them to melt when some Afrikaner comes up to us and tells Colin to sit on the ice “for fertility.” Totally seriously. We all just died laughing.
That afternoon, we went back into the field to set up the rest of the traps and put bait in them. The rodent bait was a mixture of peanut butter and oats (although we are going to add honey to it tomorrow), and we stuck it up in the corner of the traps. We had to keep it away from the other students though, because it was delicious and we only had so much. The afternoon was much longer than the morning, as we had to set up a lot of traps, and we were baiting 8 sites (setting up 4). Once done, we had sun-downers at lake panic, and talked about our miserably hot days. It was Alan’s son’s birthday today, so we all stood up in the middle of dinner and sang happy birthday. After dinner, we talked about the next day, and had a good laugh at the silly things we are going to have to do to the mice to document their capture. Bed early-ish tonight, as we have to be leaving for the field by 6 tomorrow morning. Good lord. Words of the day: Yes = Ina; No = Uh-uh
After lunch, I went off by myself (don’t worry, it is totally safe in the tourist camp during the day) so that I could mail a postcard and exchange some money. I ran into a nice couple from the states, and we chatted about why we were all here in the park. After money getting, I went back to town, running into Lindsay and Colin getting some sweet icey things. I of course got one as well. We were waiting for them to melt when some Afrikaner comes up to us and tells Colin to sit on the ice “for fertility.” Totally seriously. We all just died laughing.
That afternoon, we went back into the field to set up the rest of the traps and put bait in them. The rodent bait was a mixture of peanut butter and oats (although we are going to add honey to it tomorrow), and we stuck it up in the corner of the traps. We had to keep it away from the other students though, because it was delicious and we only had so much. The afternoon was much longer than the morning, as we had to set up a lot of traps, and we were baiting 8 sites (setting up 4). Once done, we had sun-downers at lake panic, and talked about our miserably hot days. It was Alan’s son’s birthday today, so we all stood up in the middle of dinner and sang happy birthday. After dinner, we talked about the next day, and had a good laugh at the silly things we are going to have to do to the mice to document their capture. Bed early-ish tonight, as we have to be leaving for the field by 6 tomorrow morning. Good lord. Words of the day: Yes = Ina; No = Uh-uh
2/9/2010
Today was moving day! We got up at 5 to be ready at 530, and then grabbed a quick breakfast so we could be on the road by 7. Once on the road, it was a beautiful drive to our next stop, Kruger National Park. Along the way, we saw some beautiful scenery, including amazing roads winding through the mountains (along which driving was a little scary, but mostly exciting ), but also very shocking images of desolate areas and impoverished towns. I saw people living in lean-tos, a shoddily made church surrounded by huts, and very malnourished children running around. Mostly it was fine, and the villages looked stable and happy, but it was very unnerving, as I am not used to anything of this nature, and feel very 1st world.
After driving for about 5 hours, we stopped for lunch. We had stopped earlier, gotten snacks, and also eaten our sandwiches that we had made. By this time it was noon, and we were stopping for a tourist/pancake break. We walked around the area, looking at the various trinkets and shawls, and also enjoying the wonderful weather. After a while, we decided to stop and get the pancakes that encompassed the second half of the stop. Laura and I shared a Amarula Chocolate Mousse “pancake,” which actually turned out to be crepes. Delicious. Then it was back to the vans, and off to Kruger!
This park is just gorgeous. We saw, within the first hour, an elephant, about 30 impala, about 6 warthogs, and a group of vervet monkeys. The warthogs and impala walk through the staff camp as they please, and the monkeys were in the tourist camp where we are staying. We are allowed in the staff area any time we want, as we are technically staff, but we have to walk in threes if we are leaving the tourist area. It’s just less safe. We first went through a safety lecture, as it is much more dangerous in this park than the reserve. Among the dangerous animals are lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos (white and black), buffalo and hippos. There are also cheetahs and hyenas, but those are not animals we really have to worry about. Cool, huh?
After the lecture, we set up in the bunks. The dorms are 2 rooms, each with a ton of beds, but enough for each person to have two. So, one bed for sleeping, one for stuff. Which is good, because I NEED A STUFF BED. Or at least a place to store stuff. It got bad last time. Once set up, almost everyone went over to the soccer field for an intense first game of soccer. It was so fun. I even bested Graeme, who is a machine, to get the ball, take it up, pass outside to someone who then scored. My life is complete. I almost died after that one though; I am completely out of shape. During the whole game, there were two warthogs just munching on the grass around the field. They were funny, because their necks aren’t long enough to reach the ground, so they have to get on their elbows to eat the grass. They looked so funny. There were also two kids just running through the pitch, riding their bikes around. The entire game included all the students minus eric, evan g, Stevie and lily, and then all the TAs and lecturers (minus Alan who was reuniting with his family, who lives in Skukuza year round).
Ok, I know this one is long, but bear with me. The last thing that happened tonight was a nice dinner (although I forgot to get my word! I’ll make up for it tomorrow), followed by some personal time to get organized and shower, as well as to call home and let people know we were alive. Some people haven’t called since we got here, which is almost 2 weeks ago. We then had a meeting about tomorrow’s field work and the schedule, and then drew names for our valentine’s day shindig. Should be fun . We are separated into early bed room and late bed room. I smartly chose the early bed room so that if I want to go to bed early, I can, and then if I don’t want to go to bed until X o’clock, I can just come in quietly later. I don’t have to worry about people being up until all hours of the night, thank GOD. We have some girls and some boys, which is kind of nice. People aren’t sharing beds, but it’s just nice to have that sort of small community. We’re all still getting along fine, which is great since we have to live together for the next 3 months :P. Thanks for reading!
After driving for about 5 hours, we stopped for lunch. We had stopped earlier, gotten snacks, and also eaten our sandwiches that we had made. By this time it was noon, and we were stopping for a tourist/pancake break. We walked around the area, looking at the various trinkets and shawls, and also enjoying the wonderful weather. After a while, we decided to stop and get the pancakes that encompassed the second half of the stop. Laura and I shared a Amarula Chocolate Mousse “pancake,” which actually turned out to be crepes. Delicious. Then it was back to the vans, and off to Kruger!
This park is just gorgeous. We saw, within the first hour, an elephant, about 30 impala, about 6 warthogs, and a group of vervet monkeys. The warthogs and impala walk through the staff camp as they please, and the monkeys were in the tourist camp where we are staying. We are allowed in the staff area any time we want, as we are technically staff, but we have to walk in threes if we are leaving the tourist area. It’s just less safe. We first went through a safety lecture, as it is much more dangerous in this park than the reserve. Among the dangerous animals are lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos (white and black), buffalo and hippos. There are also cheetahs and hyenas, but those are not animals we really have to worry about. Cool, huh?
After the lecture, we set up in the bunks. The dorms are 2 rooms, each with a ton of beds, but enough for each person to have two. So, one bed for sleeping, one for stuff. Which is good, because I NEED A STUFF BED. Or at least a place to store stuff. It got bad last time. Once set up, almost everyone went over to the soccer field for an intense first game of soccer. It was so fun. I even bested Graeme, who is a machine, to get the ball, take it up, pass outside to someone who then scored. My life is complete. I almost died after that one though; I am completely out of shape. During the whole game, there were two warthogs just munching on the grass around the field. They were funny, because their necks aren’t long enough to reach the ground, so they have to get on their elbows to eat the grass. They looked so funny. There were also two kids just running through the pitch, riding their bikes around. The entire game included all the students minus eric, evan g, Stevie and lily, and then all the TAs and lecturers (minus Alan who was reuniting with his family, who lives in Skukuza year round).
Ok, I know this one is long, but bear with me. The last thing that happened tonight was a nice dinner (although I forgot to get my word! I’ll make up for it tomorrow), followed by some personal time to get organized and shower, as well as to call home and let people know we were alive. Some people haven’t called since we got here, which is almost 2 weeks ago. We then had a meeting about tomorrow’s field work and the schedule, and then drew names for our valentine’s day shindig. Should be fun . We are separated into early bed room and late bed room. I smartly chose the early bed room so that if I want to go to bed early, I can, and then if I don’t want to go to bed until X o’clock, I can just come in quietly later. I don’t have to worry about people being up until all hours of the night, thank GOD. We have some girls and some boys, which is kind of nice. People aren’t sharing beds, but it’s just nice to have that sort of small community. We’re all still getting along fine, which is great since we have to live together for the next 3 months :P. Thanks for reading!
2/8/2010
It was a long day in the lecture hall today. It started with trying to install Statistica on all of our computers, which was complete chaos, followed by a statistics lecture on the ANOVA test. That lasted from 8 until 1045. At 1115, we had a lecture on the management and ethics of elephant populations, and where we are now. That lasted until 1. At 2, we had a lecture on parametric versus nonparametric tests, though I still don’t really know the difference. After that, we went on a quick walk to look at herbs, then came back for an introduction to our first independent projects, which lasted until 5. I got my first choice (small mammals), which was nice after getting my fourth choice for our faculty field project (insect communities).
After lectures, we had to pack up books (I’m one of the “librarians,” and that’s one of my duties). Unfortunately there were some missing, but it shouldn’t be a big deal. When we were done, we ran to the buckies so that we could go on our last game drive in Nylsvley. We got in Alan’s, and were off! He drove through the puddles fast again and no one started bleeding! Yay! We just drove around for a while, looking for things, when we saw a giraffe. Alan then pulled over the bucky, and suggested that we get out and see if we could get closer to it. We walked slowly up to it, and saw another one on our way over. We followed them for a while (as we got too close, they would run away), and then we veered off to look for other things. While we were out there, we saw the giraffes, a warthog, a jackal, about 30 birds all in one area, and 4 zebras with a colt. Amazing. I have now been 100 feet away from two giraffes in the wild. I can’t even explain the feeling. Then we came back and packed. Tomorrow we leave at 630 in the morning. Woo for internet so you can actually read these! (You guys are probably going to think I’m crazy for writing like I’m talking to you day by day when I post these all at once, but I have been writing this every night just for your reading pleasure) Word of the day: The food is nice = Shakooja kananzayga.
After lectures, we had to pack up books (I’m one of the “librarians,” and that’s one of my duties). Unfortunately there were some missing, but it shouldn’t be a big deal. When we were done, we ran to the buckies so that we could go on our last game drive in Nylsvley. We got in Alan’s, and were off! He drove through the puddles fast again and no one started bleeding! Yay! We just drove around for a while, looking for things, when we saw a giraffe. Alan then pulled over the bucky, and suggested that we get out and see if we could get closer to it. We walked slowly up to it, and saw another one on our way over. We followed them for a while (as we got too close, they would run away), and then we veered off to look for other things. While we were out there, we saw the giraffes, a warthog, a jackal, about 30 birds all in one area, and 4 zebras with a colt. Amazing. I have now been 100 feet away from two giraffes in the wild. I can’t even explain the feeling. Then we came back and packed. Tomorrow we leave at 630 in the morning. Woo for internet so you can actually read these! (You guys are probably going to think I’m crazy for writing like I’m talking to you day by day when I post these all at once, but I have been writing this every night just for your reading pleasure) Word of the day: The food is nice = Shakooja kananzayga.
2/7/2010
Today was another day of lectures. We started outside, discussing the theories behind ecosystems biology and why there is so much confusion behind anything we try to do to conserve. It was an interesting discussion, but it really shows that no subject is free from philosophy. Damn. After that, we had a statistics workshop, going over both basic and advanced biostatistics. We then did a project with Smarties, which if anyone has had European candy, knows that these are crappy M&Ms. Well, not crappy, just different. After this, we had lunch, and then a nice long break until 3. We had a writing workshop, talking both about the mechanics and the philosophy of writing, and then we were done. It was so hot and sticky out, everyone was falling asleep. Even the lecturers :P
That afternoon, we just relaxed in the hut. I brought out my guitar, and a bunch of people just plunked around on it while the rest of us just read. We then went to dinner, and got ready for our walks. Some of us went hunting for chameleons, and the others went frogging. While on our chameleon walk, we saw a pregnant female, and took TONS of pictures. We also saw a few spiders, and a type of tree frog. Then it was time to clean my room. Blah. 2 days til Skukuza!
That afternoon, we just relaxed in the hut. I brought out my guitar, and a bunch of people just plunked around on it while the rest of us just read. We then went to dinner, and got ready for our walks. Some of us went hunting for chameleons, and the others went frogging. While on our chameleon walk, we saw a pregnant female, and took TONS of pictures. We also saw a few spiders, and a type of tree frog. Then it was time to clean my room. Blah. 2 days til Skukuza!
2/6/2010
Last day of history and culture. An entire class in 3 days. Beat that, Tufts. We started out by talking about the short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” a Hemingway short story taking place in Africa. After that, we did a workshop on District 9, and I learned so many of the linkages between apartheid and this movie. There was a whole problem with the Nigerian references as well that I had no idea of, which I will talk to you about in person if you’re ever curious. After that was our last history lesson, dealing with the pop culture (called Y Kulture), we were done with the class…pretty much forever.
After the class, we tried to do some surgery on Bryant’s foot. He had gotten a thorn stuck in it, and then the tip broke off. Me being the person I am, I found it fascinating. A bunch of us tried to get the thorn out, but none of us were successful. In the end, we bandaged it back up in hopes that we could get a salve that would suck the thorn closer to the surface. After lunch, we came back to talk about our cartoon presentations, and then we turned in our excel projects and got to work reading the crazy amounts of papers we have due for tomorrow.
At 4, a few of us went down the road to this little store, not knowing what to expect. I had not experienced true rural Africa until this point. There was a rusted ford truck in the grass, a mule-drawn cart in the road, and the building was smaller than my bedroom. Inside was an assortment of candies and sodas, as well as toiletries and beer. I got two little chocolate bars and a bag of chips, and it was delicious. The whole thing cost me R9,50, which translates into about $1.25. Weeeeeeee. It was delicious. Then as we were sitting, one of the guys sitting on the porch came up and asked if we would pay him to take a picture of us. No one but Kirst and I understood what he was asking, so we had to be the bad guys and say no thanks. Then we went back to camp, and meditated (I love it here). Dinner was my first SA barbeque, which they call a bry (not sure how its spelled), and dessert was ice cream. Bed!
After the class, we tried to do some surgery on Bryant’s foot. He had gotten a thorn stuck in it, and then the tip broke off. Me being the person I am, I found it fascinating. A bunch of us tried to get the thorn out, but none of us were successful. In the end, we bandaged it back up in hopes that we could get a salve that would suck the thorn closer to the surface. After lunch, we came back to talk about our cartoon presentations, and then we turned in our excel projects and got to work reading the crazy amounts of papers we have due for tomorrow.
At 4, a few of us went down the road to this little store, not knowing what to expect. I had not experienced true rural Africa until this point. There was a rusted ford truck in the grass, a mule-drawn cart in the road, and the building was smaller than my bedroom. Inside was an assortment of candies and sodas, as well as toiletries and beer. I got two little chocolate bars and a bag of chips, and it was delicious. The whole thing cost me R9,50, which translates into about $1.25. Weeeeeeee. It was delicious. Then as we were sitting, one of the guys sitting on the porch came up and asked if we would pay him to take a picture of us. No one but Kirst and I understood what he was asking, so we had to be the bad guys and say no thanks. Then we went back to camp, and meditated (I love it here). Dinner was my first SA barbeque, which they call a bry (not sure how its spelled), and dessert was ice cream. Bed!
2/5/2010
Day two of monstrously large amounts of history lectures. We started out by talking about the time period between the “end of apartheid” up until the 1990s, which was a very depressing time for South Africa. I don’t want to go into it, but look it up if you feel like being horrified and depressed. We then talked about media and protest, mostly through the methods of music. Protest songs, national anthems, the like. After the morning lectures, we spent a couple hours taking a plant identifying walk, looking at trees and talking about the different characteristics of each. Then we put our knowledge to use, as we had a pile of branches and we had 20 minutes to separate them into what we deemed to be correct groupings. Not as fun as it sounds.
After lunch, we went back into the classroom to talk about more history. It was still a rough time for the area, and it made it even harder to know that while this all was going on, the man who was lecturing us, David, was a very strong activist. He knew many of the men who were tortured and killed, yet was able to talk about them like they were pieces of history. He met the man who killed Steve Biko. Don’t be fooled, David was an activist against apartheid, and is very much an open minded, wonderful man. It’s just very hard to have that much emotion and connection to something that devastating and recent. It makes it that much harder to learn about the tragedies.
The last lecture of the day was a photograph workshop, looking at and analyzing the works of South African photographers. It was a nice light way to end the afternoon, although I didn’t feel too uplifted for the rest of the evening. I cheered myself up with some singing, and then Hannah and I worked on our excel project for the night. Wish us good luck on a good grade! For the next couple of days, we are minus a few lecturers, as one of the cooks who used to work for OTS passed a week ago, and they are at his funeral. The cooks are gone too, so I had to get all of my shangaan in before they left. 3 days till Skukuza and you can actually read this! Words of the next few days: How are you? = ponjahne; I’m fine = neekohne/nefookeeley;
After lunch, we went back into the classroom to talk about more history. It was still a rough time for the area, and it made it even harder to know that while this all was going on, the man who was lecturing us, David, was a very strong activist. He knew many of the men who were tortured and killed, yet was able to talk about them like they were pieces of history. He met the man who killed Steve Biko. Don’t be fooled, David was an activist against apartheid, and is very much an open minded, wonderful man. It’s just very hard to have that much emotion and connection to something that devastating and recent. It makes it that much harder to learn about the tragedies.
The last lecture of the day was a photograph workshop, looking at and analyzing the works of South African photographers. It was a nice light way to end the afternoon, although I didn’t feel too uplifted for the rest of the evening. I cheered myself up with some singing, and then Hannah and I worked on our excel project for the night. Wish us good luck on a good grade! For the next couple of days, we are minus a few lecturers, as one of the cooks who used to work for OTS passed a week ago, and they are at his funeral. The cooks are gone too, so I had to get all of my shangaan in before they left. 3 days till Skukuza and you can actually read this! Words of the next few days: How are you? = ponjahne; I’m fine = neekohne/nefookeeley;
2/4/2010
Well, last night was bad sleep, for those who were wondering. My legs are red, and look like I took some sort of torture device to them. And they itch. Guess who wore pants all day. This guy.
Today started the three day long adventure of the History of South Africa. We started out with a lecture from Dax, which as it sounds was highly entertaining. Then we met our two new lecturers, David and Lara, both south African. They talked about the beginnings of Apartheid and what built up to it. We were in the classroom from 8 until 1220, and then from 2 until 520. It was long. Afterwards, a lot of people went back down to the hide, but I wanted to stay back and relax. As it turns out, an hour and a half goes by much faster than you think it would. Sooner than I knew it, all the buckys were pouring back in, and I had no more time for work or to relax. Hannah and I worked a little on our excel write up, and then went to dinner.
After dinner, we watched District 9, as the theme of the movie is very much an echo of the apartheid movement, though with aliens. Later, I realized I had a new text from chris, and spent the next 20 minutes agonizing over the fact that I had no way to contact him, as I can’t text out, I have no minutes, and neither does anyone else. Rargh. So, I know that this is a little late, but I wrote it as soon as I got the text: I’m sorry I didn’t message you back, it was nothing malicious, just a lack of capability. I love you! Word of the day: The food smells delicious = Shakooja shaynooella kachoozayja.
Today started the three day long adventure of the History of South Africa. We started out with a lecture from Dax, which as it sounds was highly entertaining. Then we met our two new lecturers, David and Lara, both south African. They talked about the beginnings of Apartheid and what built up to it. We were in the classroom from 8 until 1220, and then from 2 until 520. It was long. Afterwards, a lot of people went back down to the hide, but I wanted to stay back and relax. As it turns out, an hour and a half goes by much faster than you think it would. Sooner than I knew it, all the buckys were pouring back in, and I had no more time for work or to relax. Hannah and I worked a little on our excel write up, and then went to dinner.
After dinner, we watched District 9, as the theme of the movie is very much an echo of the apartheid movement, though with aliens. Later, I realized I had a new text from chris, and spent the next 20 minutes agonizing over the fact that I had no way to contact him, as I can’t text out, I have no minutes, and neither does anyone else. Rargh. So, I know that this is a little late, but I wrote it as soon as I got the text: I’m sorry I didn’t message you back, it was nothing malicious, just a lack of capability. I love you! Word of the day: The food smells delicious = Shakooja shaynooella kachoozayja.
2/3/2010
We had a “day off” today! It started at 8, when people who were up for breakfast were talking too loud and woke me up. We had a really good breakfast (although they had no turkey bacon, and I was sad), and then just sat around chatting about the party the night before. At 10 we did yoga, and oh my god was it hard. Lots of core muscles I don’t have being put to use in ways I never would have even thought of. It felt good and awful at the same time.
After lunch, we went on a walk with Graeme, who is crazy. We knew that we would be walking through water, and that it would possibly be higher than our waists. What we didn’t know is that the water would also contain grass blades that would destroy our legs worse than if we took knives to them. Ok, not really, but they hut a lot. Everyone was just covered in slices. After the razor blade water, we walked from 2 until 630, trekking through areas of the vley that we had never seen, and were really off the beaten path. While there, we saw many birds, lots of dung beetles, a brown water snake (yes, I saw the first snake of the trip, all hail me), and a cloud of giraffe. Who were mating. Lawl. We also saw a hamerkop nest, which are interesting because they have two parts—one for their eggs, and one for a snake. I’m not exactly sure why.
At the end of the walk, we met up with everyone who didn’t go, and did “sundowners,” which is where people gather, drink beer, and watch the sun go down. Pretty self explanatory. It was nice, but those of us who had gone on the walk just wanted to go lie down and soak our legs. We finally went back to camp, and all over could be heard the screams of people washing their sore, cut legs. After dinner, I was lucky enough to take part in a euchre game, and even more so, as we won. Then I watched some magic tricks performed by Evan G, and then we watched V for Vendetta. I am going to sleep either SO well or SO poorly tonight. Words of the day: Eggs = Madanza, Good food = Shakooja Sakacha (ch = glottal)
After lunch, we went on a walk with Graeme, who is crazy. We knew that we would be walking through water, and that it would possibly be higher than our waists. What we didn’t know is that the water would also contain grass blades that would destroy our legs worse than if we took knives to them. Ok, not really, but they hut a lot. Everyone was just covered in slices. After the razor blade water, we walked from 2 until 630, trekking through areas of the vley that we had never seen, and were really off the beaten path. While there, we saw many birds, lots of dung beetles, a brown water snake (yes, I saw the first snake of the trip, all hail me), and a cloud of giraffe. Who were mating. Lawl. We also saw a hamerkop nest, which are interesting because they have two parts—one for their eggs, and one for a snake. I’m not exactly sure why.
At the end of the walk, we met up with everyone who didn’t go, and did “sundowners,” which is where people gather, drink beer, and watch the sun go down. Pretty self explanatory. It was nice, but those of us who had gone on the walk just wanted to go lie down and soak our legs. We finally went back to camp, and all over could be heard the screams of people washing their sore, cut legs. After dinner, I was lucky enough to take part in a euchre game, and even more so, as we won. Then I watched some magic tricks performed by Evan G, and then we watched V for Vendetta. I am going to sleep either SO well or SO poorly tonight. Words of the day: Eggs = Madanza, Good food = Shakooja Sakacha (ch = glottal)
2/2/2010
Today was a massive day. It started with a little bit of classroom work, then we went into the reserve to catch insects and to talk about the biodiversity of the area. As it turns out, the most diverse group of animals in any area is always the insects. For every one large animal, there are at least 1000 insects. We used nets and sheets and ran around the park like maniacs for a half hour, grabbing every insect we could find. After we had collected for a while, we identified the insects up to their order. For those not in the know, the scientific naming of animals goes from domain to kingdom to phylum to class to order to family to genus to species. We are Homo sapiens, which is our genus and species names. After identifying the insects (not bugs, bugs is a much more specific term), we took samples from a new area of the reserve, and repeated the process. On the way, our teacher decided to be a rough rider and drove the bucky super fast through a bunch of puddles. It would have been really fun and awesome if in the process, Kevin hadn’t hit his head on the roof of the bucky, causing his head to split open and bleed profusely. He got stitches. We all laughed.
After we got back, we had a bit of a break before lunch. Then we spent the entire afternoon working on our first assignment—an assessment of the sustainable harvesting rate of rhinos in the Hluhluwe Umfolozi reserve. My homework is awesome. We worked on developing a way to assess the growth rate of these rhino populations, and then to see how many rhinos can be safely harvested before the population has the possibility of going extinct. So, for all of you students who are turning in math assignments and writing boring papers, neener neener neener. It was hard, but Hannah and I mastered it. Plus, it didn’t hurt that when things got rough, Laurence cheered us up with “sweeties,” or south african candy
That night, we had our first party, and it was a shit show. I won’t go into details, save to say that I was happy that I was not really drinking, as there were way too many people to take care of as it was. Lots of beer pong, lots of lady gaga, and lots of fun. Words of the day: Me=Mina, food = Shakooja
After we got back, we had a bit of a break before lunch. Then we spent the entire afternoon working on our first assignment—an assessment of the sustainable harvesting rate of rhinos in the Hluhluwe Umfolozi reserve. My homework is awesome. We worked on developing a way to assess the growth rate of these rhino populations, and then to see how many rhinos can be safely harvested before the population has the possibility of going extinct. So, for all of you students who are turning in math assignments and writing boring papers, neener neener neener. It was hard, but Hannah and I mastered it. Plus, it didn’t hurt that when things got rough, Laurence cheered us up with “sweeties,” or south african candy
That night, we had our first party, and it was a shit show. I won’t go into details, save to say that I was happy that I was not really drinking, as there were way too many people to take care of as it was. Lots of beer pong, lots of lady gaga, and lots of fun. Words of the day: Me=Mina, food = Shakooja
2/1/2010
Ran again this morning. Almost died. Fun. We had a lecture packed day today, and really didn’t have any field work at all. In the morning, it was a conservation lecture, and the first time we heard from Melissa. Then we had a short lecture from Laurence about savanna ecology, and what to look for in terms of differences. The rest of our time in the classroom was devoted to learning tricks and tips on excel. The beginning was silly, as I know a lot of short cuts already, but the end was very helpful in terms of biostatistics. The weather, however, was NOT conducive to being outside, as it was ungodly hot. Even the south Africans thought it was hot, and Laurence offered to postpone our lecture to a cooler part of the day. We declined, being the hearty people that we are, and then finished the class in agony.
After class, we were hanging out, when we realized everyone was going to go swimming. I rushed to put on my swimsuit, and jumped in the bucky. We went back to the same bird hide and just mucked about in the overflow from the river. An epic mud fight broke out, as can be proven by a shot to the face and one in the ear that I received. Tonight, we elected our student committee, and showered all the mud off. Word of the day (and yesterday): Day = Seeku, Night = Vuseeku.
After class, we were hanging out, when we realized everyone was going to go swimming. I rushed to put on my swimsuit, and jumped in the bucky. We went back to the same bird hide and just mucked about in the overflow from the river. An epic mud fight broke out, as can be proven by a shot to the face and one in the ear that I received. Tonight, we elected our student committee, and showered all the mud off. Word of the day (and yesterday): Day = Seeku, Night = Vuseeku.
1/31/2010
This morning was not easy. There was a 5:30 bird drive, and I decided to go on that. We saw a wildebeest on our way out, as well as many beautiful birds. Upon coming back, we had breakfast and a 5-minute lecture before going out into the field to create hypotheses for fake experiments. While out in the field, we saw orb web spiders, kite spiders, massive termite hills and the bone of some animal yet to be determined. After we came back from the field, we presented our hypotheses, as well as a proposition for an experiment that will never be run. We then had two more short lectures, as well as a long break after lunch. Around 530, Hannah and I decided to go for a walk through the park, meeting up with Kevin on the way. We walked almost all the way to the bird hide we had been going to for the past 3 days, seeing along the way: a water buck, a steenbok, a lilac-breasted roller, and a scorpion, as well as a beautiful sunset. That night, we heard the story of how Alan, our ecology lecturer, came to be in south Africa from Zimbabwe. It was a very interesting story, and it really told me a lot about the conflict there that I had never thought about.
1/30/2010
This morning started my run cycle. I am trying to do a run as often as I can, every day if I can get up the motivation. It was brutal. After, we had a guest lecturer, who happened to be Laurence’s dad. We talked a lot about science and what it meant to us, as well as the scientific method. After, we went into the field to take observations on the area. It’s been getting hotter and hotter, as it is summer here, and there is a lot of humidity. Coming back, we reported on what we observed, and listened to what others had seen. That night, a bird hide drive was organized, but I had seen the hide yesterday, and decided to take a personal day. I played some guitar with Derek, who is very very good. Then I reorganized my suitcase, and went to dinner. Word of the day: Hello = Avooshayn
1/29/2010
Today started out with breakfast at 8, followed by a lecture at 9. Well, not so much a lecture as an introduction to what we would be doing for the next few months. Yes, months. It’s starting to hit me as well. I have 5 lecturers and 3 TA’s. I haven’t met two of the lecturers, which means that out of the 6 I do know, 4 are south African, and the other two are American, and just happen to be girls. There’s Laurence, who is the program director; Alan, who is a field biologist and entomologist, teaching our ecology class (and also isn’t truly south African, as he is from Zimbabwe); Melissa, who teaches our conservation course and is from new jersey; Jenneca, who went on this trip a few years back, and is very interested in primates; Graeme, who has spent his whole life in the savanna and never wears shoes; and Dax, who is a herpetologist and also went on this program a few years back.
This afternoon we went on our first game drive/bird hide. A game drive is when you jump in the back of a pickup, or “bucky” as the south Africans call it. We then drive around the park, looking for birds and big game. A bird hide is a little hut in the wild where you can go look for rare (or common) birds. We spent a few hours out driving around, stopping whenever we saw something cool. Since it’s the rainy season here, there are tons of puddles everywhere, and the river by the reserve is flooded. So far I have seen giraffe, zebra, roan, duiker, and ostrich, as well as numerous birds. After the drive, we came back for dinner. I have decided that I want to learn a new word or phrase every day in Shangaan (our cooks speak it, and are very friendly), and I started today. Today my word was Thank you, which is N’kome.
This afternoon we went on our first game drive/bird hide. A game drive is when you jump in the back of a pickup, or “bucky” as the south Africans call it. We then drive around the park, looking for birds and big game. A bird hide is a little hut in the wild where you can go look for rare (or common) birds. We spent a few hours out driving around, stopping whenever we saw something cool. Since it’s the rainy season here, there are tons of puddles everywhere, and the river by the reserve is flooded. So far I have seen giraffe, zebra, roan, duiker, and ostrich, as well as numerous birds. After the drive, we came back for dinner. I have decided that I want to learn a new word or phrase every day in Shangaan (our cooks speak it, and are very friendly), and I started today. Today my word was Thank you, which is N’kome.
1/28/2010
Today, we just bummed around the hotel for a few hours while we waited for the stragglers to show up. While there, I got a chance to meet everyone else who was already there, and we chatted about who brought what and forgot what. Turns out almost everyone played rugby. Who knew. Maybe I’ll get a chance to learn about it, and be a rag doll on the field. Lunch was delicious, but slow. The exchange rate on Rand is about 7.6 Rand to $1, so everything looks super expensive. My sandwich was 42 Rand, and my drink was 10 Rand. Around 1 PM, the last group from the airport showed up, and we finally hit the road. It was a 3 hour drive to the first nature reserve, and we were all pretty jet lagged, but it didn’t seem to slow down the friend-making process.
After a few hours in a very cramped van, we finally made it to our first living space: Nylsvley Nature reserve. The area looks like camp. There are 4 buildings, as well as a small hut/gazebo. Our “dorm” is a longish building with about 10 rooms for 26 people. There is a staff dorm as well, which is the same size (bitches). The kitchen is a little bit down the way, which is a large room for eating, and a smaller room for cooking, still a good size. The last building is a classroom, which is just one big room with multiple rows of tables and a projector. Looking at where we are living, you wouldn’t expect that we are going to college classes here.
The first night was fairly relaxed, as we just got there. We had an introduction day, going around the room and saying our names and such. Dinner was AMAZING. The food is delicious, and always interesting. The cooking staff are Shangaan, and they are all really nice. The rest of the night was spent just hanging out and getting to know my classmates better, and then I went to bed.
After a few hours in a very cramped van, we finally made it to our first living space: Nylsvley Nature reserve. The area looks like camp. There are 4 buildings, as well as a small hut/gazebo. Our “dorm” is a longish building with about 10 rooms for 26 people. There is a staff dorm as well, which is the same size (bitches). The kitchen is a little bit down the way, which is a large room for eating, and a smaller room for cooking, still a good size. The last building is a classroom, which is just one big room with multiple rows of tables and a projector. Looking at where we are living, you wouldn’t expect that we are going to college classes here.
The first night was fairly relaxed, as we just got there. We had an introduction day, going around the room and saying our names and such. Dinner was AMAZING. The food is delicious, and always interesting. The cooking staff are Shangaan, and they are all really nice. The rest of the night was spent just hanging out and getting to know my classmates better, and then I went to bed.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
I'm alive!
Hi all! Just to let you know, yes, I am still alive! I have been keeping documents of all my days, but unfortunately, I don't have internet I can access from my computer yet, so I can't post them. Likely, they will be up by Tuesday. Pictures too. Exciting things happening in Africa!! Miss you all!
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The Joke
It's a frickin' elephant
A class of five-year old students are learning to read.
One of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said,
"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"
The teacher took a deep breath, then asked... "What did you call it?"
"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"
And so it does...
