Monday, June 20, 2005
oh so many things
hi all
So there are so many things to write about, where to begin
I am in Costa Rica right now visiting some researchers from Windsor College, Canada who work on wrens here. (Hi sybil, sorry I missed you ). I have now learned a new method for taking hatchlings out of nests, and have also learned of many things I have done wrong and/or can do better. I think I will need two more years here, not one more, but hopefully the third year, I wil only stay for a little bit and pay other people to collect the data.
We still have no bus ad its a pain in the ass. I have been going to twon a lot mainly to do with assistants. Ray and Julie arrived, and since there was no bus, I went down to scome up with them. We were ditched by the lechera, even though we had made arrangements with the UCA gerente. So we were up at 4am for no reason, and ended up taking the Puertas Azules bus two hours and then a two hour walk ( Annie will remember this). Only now, because I know Lesbias parents better and they live in PA, we borrowed a horse from them to carry the really heavy backpacks. Poor horse
Julie has been constantly sick since she has been here in Nica, and Ray somewhat as well, so although they have only been working for a week, she has not worked very much at all. Intestinal issues. I think they are over purifying their water, since most likely they get sick from all the flies, or food preparation. They stay in a really nice clean house, but ehre is only so much you can do about flies...
We though Rowan had dengue fever, so I took him to town, to see a doctor, but it was not, just ameobic dysentery. I found out the symptoms for a mild case of Ghiarrdia (a type of parasite) are bloating stomach cramps and farting a lot. I think I must have had Ghiarrdia for the past three months! I didnt get a blood test though for parasites, but maybe I will later.
I went out with jane (Yeah, Jane got back on May 30th!!! but sad, because Anna left, and she alsways agve me chocolates from care packages from home) and Sadie, another English teacher who just came back on Saturday. I stayed up all night dancing, so it was great fun, since I havent gone out in two months. all the English teachers will be in town shortyl for the July intensive course. There is also an American volunteer named Kristy who will be coming shortly and who is interested in conservation. We plan on meeting up and talking
Work is going well, I just found out that my nest monitoring has been not as efficient or productive as it could be, so hopefully I can change the protocol in time to get the information that I need. Hopefully. Also, i found out that I was doing more work than I needed to on the netting. bummer.....
We still do not have a bus, and the bus to Terero, which was the shorter walk down is also not running due to bad roads and so we only have the option of the long two hour walk to PA or the slightly shorter but worse walk to the Pan AMerican highway. It sucks
On top of that I need to buy a ladder to check nests, so Lord knows how I will get that up to Miraflor...
Other than that, things are good, I am sure I have had adventures but I cant really think of them
Oh wait heres one
Chico Javier told me a month ago he might quit because he was in love with me and it was too hard working with me. SO two weeks later he decied to quit, and then came and talked to me on his last day and asked if he could stay. I was kind of making anjoke about if and was like `oh, so your not in love with me anymore´and he looked all serious and said `thats not funny, this is really difficult for me, but even though its difficult to work with you, I dont feel its the right thing to quit and leave you having to train someone else. Its not fair and I just want to do whatever is best for you and your project. I just know that I cant be with you, and I am deling with that, but I do really honestly love you´
so that whole thing made me uncomfortable, but he stills works with me, but sxometimes he like wants to hug me, but I wont let him, because it is weird, and the other day he picked some leaves or something out of my hair, but lingered on the touching. So we dont work together hardly at all anymore. Its just better that way, because I dont really want to have to train someone else, and he is a hard worker
Anyway, when I am in Managua tomorrow or the next day I will try and write more as I remember.
We had a Mothers day party ( May 30th) at our house, and it was nice, I bought a cake and we made popcorn, and they made dinner. There was also a Mother´s Day event that the womens cooerative put on, and it was fun, and Jane and I made a big picture or a curvy woman and cut out a big paper afro to play pin the hair on the mom instead of pin the tail on the donkey. They play this game all loud and screaming here, much more fun than your standard boring gringo game.
thats all for now
love
melissa
">Link
So there are so many things to write about, where to begin
I am in Costa Rica right now visiting some researchers from Windsor College, Canada who work on wrens here. (Hi sybil, sorry I missed you ). I have now learned a new method for taking hatchlings out of nests, and have also learned of many things I have done wrong and/or can do better. I think I will need two more years here, not one more, but hopefully the third year, I wil only stay for a little bit and pay other people to collect the data.
We still have no bus ad its a pain in the ass. I have been going to twon a lot mainly to do with assistants. Ray and Julie arrived, and since there was no bus, I went down to scome up with them. We were ditched by the lechera, even though we had made arrangements with the UCA gerente. So we were up at 4am for no reason, and ended up taking the Puertas Azules bus two hours and then a two hour walk ( Annie will remember this). Only now, because I know Lesbias parents better and they live in PA, we borrowed a horse from them to carry the really heavy backpacks. Poor horse
Julie has been constantly sick since she has been here in Nica, and Ray somewhat as well, so although they have only been working for a week, she has not worked very much at all. Intestinal issues. I think they are over purifying their water, since most likely they get sick from all the flies, or food preparation. They stay in a really nice clean house, but ehre is only so much you can do about flies...
We though Rowan had dengue fever, so I took him to town, to see a doctor, but it was not, just ameobic dysentery. I found out the symptoms for a mild case of Ghiarrdia (a type of parasite) are bloating stomach cramps and farting a lot. I think I must have had Ghiarrdia for the past three months! I didnt get a blood test though for parasites, but maybe I will later.
I went out with jane (Yeah, Jane got back on May 30th!!! but sad, because Anna left, and she alsways agve me chocolates from care packages from home) and Sadie, another English teacher who just came back on Saturday. I stayed up all night dancing, so it was great fun, since I havent gone out in two months. all the English teachers will be in town shortyl for the July intensive course. There is also an American volunteer named Kristy who will be coming shortly and who is interested in conservation. We plan on meeting up and talking
Work is going well, I just found out that my nest monitoring has been not as efficient or productive as it could be, so hopefully I can change the protocol in time to get the information that I need. Hopefully. Also, i found out that I was doing more work than I needed to on the netting. bummer.....
We still do not have a bus, and the bus to Terero, which was the shorter walk down is also not running due to bad roads and so we only have the option of the long two hour walk to PA or the slightly shorter but worse walk to the Pan AMerican highway. It sucks
On top of that I need to buy a ladder to check nests, so Lord knows how I will get that up to Miraflor...
Other than that, things are good, I am sure I have had adventures but I cant really think of them
Oh wait heres one
Chico Javier told me a month ago he might quit because he was in love with me and it was too hard working with me. SO two weeks later he decied to quit, and then came and talked to me on his last day and asked if he could stay. I was kind of making anjoke about if and was like `oh, so your not in love with me anymore´and he looked all serious and said `thats not funny, this is really difficult for me, but even though its difficult to work with you, I dont feel its the right thing to quit and leave you having to train someone else. Its not fair and I just want to do whatever is best for you and your project. I just know that I cant be with you, and I am deling with that, but I do really honestly love you´
so that whole thing made me uncomfortable, but he stills works with me, but sxometimes he like wants to hug me, but I wont let him, because it is weird, and the other day he picked some leaves or something out of my hair, but lingered on the touching. So we dont work together hardly at all anymore. Its just better that way, because I dont really want to have to train someone else, and he is a hard worker
Anyway, when I am in Managua tomorrow or the next day I will try and write more as I remember.
We had a Mothers day party ( May 30th) at our house, and it was nice, I bought a cake and we made popcorn, and they made dinner. There was also a Mother´s Day event that the womens cooerative put on, and it was fun, and Jane and I made a big picture or a curvy woman and cut out a big paper afro to play pin the hair on the mom instead of pin the tail on the donkey. They play this game all loud and screaming here, much more fun than your standard boring gringo game.
thats all for now
love
melissa
">Link
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
bus troubles
Hi
sorry I dont write, but I am working really hard right now and have so little time whenI come to Esteli. I freask out a lot and am starting to act like a professor I dont like who talks really stern to everyone and takes it out on people when she stresses. I am trying not to do that. My team of people has now grown to nine. I manmage nine people in spanish and English, and the two Americans just got here. They have shown me cool new stuff for birds, especially bird clinic stuff for when they are stressed, but I get the idea that they, especially julie, think I am stressing the birds out too much. We will try and work it out. We talked once already, and willporbably do so again.
We though Rowan migth have Dengue fever, so I brought him to Esteli to get tested just incase it was hemorhagic Dengue, but its not Dengue, just some other viral infection.
I am trying to decide whether just to go to Managua to extend my VISA, or to go to COsta Rica and learn a new fiel method. I might pick option number two...
The river Estlei has now gotten too high for the bus to cross, and has been so for the past two weeks, and look like it might continute to be so for awhile. This makes life difficult as it is a 1-2 hour walk to another bus which is another 2 hours, but then the return journey is ALL UPHILL; so that means I cannot really bring back any food or equipment that is heavy. And it means you cant rally go to town in back in just one day.
Anyhow, the internet guy obviously wnats to close, so I am going to go now
I love you all and stuff
Love
melissa
">Link
sorry I dont write, but I am working really hard right now and have so little time whenI come to Esteli. I freask out a lot and am starting to act like a professor I dont like who talks really stern to everyone and takes it out on people when she stresses. I am trying not to do that. My team of people has now grown to nine. I manmage nine people in spanish and English, and the two Americans just got here. They have shown me cool new stuff for birds, especially bird clinic stuff for when they are stressed, but I get the idea that they, especially julie, think I am stressing the birds out too much. We will try and work it out. We talked once already, and willporbably do so again.
We though Rowan migth have Dengue fever, so I brought him to Esteli to get tested just incase it was hemorhagic Dengue, but its not Dengue, just some other viral infection.
I am trying to decide whether just to go to Managua to extend my VISA, or to go to COsta Rica and learn a new fiel method. I might pick option number two...
The river Estlei has now gotten too high for the bus to cross, and has been so for the past two weeks, and look like it might continute to be so for awhile. This makes life difficult as it is a 1-2 hour walk to another bus which is another 2 hours, but then the return journey is ALL UPHILL; so that means I cannot really bring back any food or equipment that is heavy. And it means you cant rally go to town in back in just one day.
Anyhow, the internet guy obviously wnats to close, so I am going to go now
I love you all and stuff
Love
melissa
">Link
