Hey all!
So, day 1 was wonderful, as I already described in my last post. Day 2 and 3 were all about work (still wonderful though). We went out banding, I learned the bird calls and songs that are out here (species diversity is so low that I have almost all the main ones down now), got back into the rhythm of things as far as banding and extracting go, and visited the rest of our sites (all of which are STUNNING!). Differences from North American stations: our tools are rusted, we don’t have small band spreaders, the poles are breakdown poles that we hike in and out of every station, re-growth occurs seriously quickly, rain is not so scary when it’s hot out (normally it's scary in the cold because birds get cold-stressed so easily), we can catch chickens in our nets, there's lots of edible delicious fruits around and…drum roll please…the temperature is always 78 or above!
We took a day off after the first two days of banding to go to the DMV and get our CNMI civil and governmental driver’s licenses. This cost $40. Normally, they just hold onto your other state-side license if your CNMI license is going to be temporary (like mine), but they JUST changed their policy and they now destroy your other state-side license! DESTROY I SAY!! So I better get a new one as soon as I get back state-side! Another mini chunk of money I have to think about when I'm on such a tight budget! Goodness gracious, thanks DMV. Just goes to show that it doesn't matter where in the world you are, the DMV will always get you. We also met our Fish and Wildlife Department cohorts, which was fun. Didn’t really have a chance to get to know them, but we have plenty of time for that!
After our day off, we were back to work! I got up, as usual, sauntered downstairs to get my breakfast made and packed in my bag, then went outside to grab my hiking boots only to discover that one of them was missing!! It would appear that a little dog came and took my little boot in the little hours of the morning. So that leaves me with ONLY my rubber boots for work until I go buy another pair of hiking boots, which is a big expense for someone on a tight budget. Even more sad news: my orthodics were, yes, IN MY HIKING BOOTS. Sooooo, my feet are not happy and my rubber boots are now big on me, in addition to being heavy, which = yes, blisters! Top it all off with my getting horrible menstrual cramps at work, and ending the day with heat rash ON MY FACE and everywhere below the neck to boot. Yes. It’s been a mighty pleasant 24 hours.
Now, having only had heat rash once before in my life in Costa Rica where it dispersed with a change in elevation over the course of a week, I am concerned what my body will do here where there is no higher ground to take me to cooler temperatures. Everything I’ve read about getting rid of heat rash suggests not working outside in excessive heat, or not exercising outside in excessive heat, staying inside with air conditioning, drinking lots of water, taking frequent cold showers and even cooling yourself down with ice packs (I lay here with one under my belly and one on my shoulders). As for the first two recommendations, I don’t have a choice! I also WANT to work outside; it’s what I DO!! If I keep going outside though…in such weather…the heat rash may get worse…and heat exhaustion might become an issue for me, not to mention some serious heat rash lesions. This is not good. If my body is unable to adjust to the climate here, I’m going to have to leave : ( this @!$&ing sucks.
Now, things to keep in mind before jumping to such sad conclusions: I got here 5 days ago, have been out in the field for 3 days total and just got back from banding in Oregon where opening temp was -3 Celsius. Opening temp here today was 26 Celsius, closing temp was 33!! So, I'm going to be patient, and give my body a chance to figure out what latitude it's in now.
I checked out the little farmer's market here on Tuesday night and it was great :) I will definitely be returning and buying some $1 empinadas and coconut milk (yes, I know, I can get it for free, but it's ready to drink, with slivers of meat in it!! YUM!!) not to mention organic produce, great GREEN juicy tangerines, bananas, green beans and eggplant! Woo hoo!
One last piece of sad news (sorry, I don't mean to bring you down): my kitty....will not be staying here anymore : ( Her first mommy is far too allergic to her to keep her and I can't take her, knowing that I'll be leaving in 5 months. Sigh. It seems she knows...she was particularly cuddly with me today. BUT at least she'll be going to a good family. Yes yes.
 |
| Cuddle fest - and the scratches on my legs are not from her....they're from plants. |
Onto more serious things…UC Berkeley’s Campus! Dang, I wish I was there to Relive the Free Speech Movement!!! This is what we need!!! Show the country what democracy means! Show the country what free speech means! Show the country that corporations aren’t people, that WE ARE THE PEOPLE, and that we’re coming back to LIFE, right now, whether the 1% like it or not. “The days of apathy are over, folks!”
Indeed.
Erin
No comments:
Post a Comment