08 December 2010

Farewells, mouse war, a slack line and yet another illness

Date: 12 November


Last week Sunday was a very sad day for me. My roommate Neasa and her husband Mike left us after having been here for nearly five weeks. I’ve missed them! I spent most of Sunday sleeping in the Nipa hut (insert pic of Nipa hut) and just being a little miserable because I had so grown used to having both of them around. Neasa was a great roommate to have too –we shared a bit of the same freakiness for cleanliness & hygiene (which by no means is at all freaky here at the base since the overall level of hygiene in this place is abysmally bad), shared a few brief bitching and moaning sessions 9out of which one got actually even noted down in writing since we felt the list was so long there surely must be something we volunteers can also do about) – and of course all those dives, surveys and moments on the boat waiting for the other survey team to finish. I think throwing lifevests into the sea and converting them into horses for a race from one end of the boat to the other ranks quite high on my list of silly things done with Neasa.  She also was a master of practrical jokes that always got blamed on other people - since everyone thought Neasa would be too nice and proper to pull such nasty jokes on others. Like the additional 2 kilos in Gareth’s BCD pocket – not to mention those underpants with a cock on the front of them that found their way in his other BCD pocket. Or painting Jon’s pointer – or “bumstick” as it’s known here as he uses it equally for poking innocent people in the bum as pointing out things – pink with white and baby blue dots. We also pained Jon’s emergency whistle pink and even decorated it adequately with marine life. Even Gareth the Frogfish made it on Jon’s whistle. Anyone, would you like blow Jon’s pink whistle? ;)

Roomies!
Trusty Rusty has had a new cover of (pink) paint and gets handed over to Gareth. handover ceremony was short but touching.
Jon's "pink whistle"
I’ve also declared a war on the mice – rather unsuccessfully though. At the moment the mouse is winning about 6-0. A few days before Mike and Neasa left I woke up one night having a mouse running over my face and my shoulder. A mouse in my bed. Charming. It had somehow gotten under my mosquito net. I jumped up rather fast and nearly screamed – but in the end did not because I felt embarrassed to wake up my roommates just because of one silly mouse. It took me a good while to chase the mouse off me and out of my bed. I’ve concluded that I must obviously look like a granola bar since the mouse is so keen on my company (so far the most popular item that has been eaten in the rooms by mice has been granola bars). 

Also Nigel and Gareth got woken up by a mouse in their bed the night after that happened. There’s no food in the rooms that is not kept in an airtight box – hence we were not really expecting a visit from the mouse. But they are everywhere, running up and down the bedposts almost every night. I asked if we could have mouse traps but it seem they only have glue traps at this part of the Philippines. I find the glue traps a little disgusting so I decided not to get any. Gareth bought some and so far has caught at least 4 mice in his room. Not bad. Maybe I should do the same. They do spread illnesses – and I really don’t need another one to share my bed with. Thanks - but no thanks. Death for the mice!

They are cute - but only as long as they are not in my bed.
 Dan and Nat arrived in the November arrivals group – Nat with dive trainees and Dan with qualified divers. Our plan with them was to start a fitness programme – which yet to date needs to be started although Dan’s already been here over a week. We’ve taken turns on being sick, having to prioritise Science Development Programme and Nat’s Advanced Open Water course. Yet. There’s been one item that has been superb (that great that I’ve even decided to forgive Jon for making me give the lilo to the evil children - Or as Jon likes to put it, giving the lilo that was not even mine to Tata’s sweet little children ). The superb item is the slack line. The awesome slack line. It’s better than a tight rope – but technically it’s the same. It’s a line in between two trees or poles that you first attempt to stand on, then try to walk on. Eventually you’re supposed to be able to do awesome tricks and throw amazing flips on it. That is, if you did not break your neck before getting there. So far we’re still just at the stage of trying to learn to walk on it, and then extend the length of it. But it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m loving every moment on that rope. I’m even loving every fall off it. It’s worth the few seconds of balance I’ve managed on it :)

A couple of days ago I caught a mystery virus that seems to have been going around at the base. Not that many people have had it though, just Nat, me, Gareth and Tracey. Fever and a stomach bug. Lovely. Not. Spent 2 days in bed feeling sorry for myself. Well, I actually spent that time in bed sleeping off the virus. AND feeling sorry for myself. Haha.

Tomorrow is Saturday and Saturdays are for fun dives! Hooray! We might do some pointy dives for the Science Development Programme in the morning, then going over to Phil&Ron’s scuba resort over on the other side of Sogod Bay. In the evening it will be party – and the last Saturday for Gareth and Jon. I shall miss them a LOT when they leave. I think everyone here will miss them.  I don’t think I’ve managed to keep a serious face in their company for longer than minute. Bloody nutters.

Gareth torturing an innocent child at Napantao school where we went one afternoon to do the "Fred the Fish" coral reef protection story for kids

10 surveys, 3 frogfish, 2 injuries, one inflatable crocodile and lots of stupid rules

Date: 01 November 2010
Status: In the mood for whining - and also reviewing the first 4 weeks
It’s been nearly four weeks now. It makes me feel like looking back a little and thinking about how has the reality (so far) matched the expectations. This will be more of a brain dump than a structured analysis. I’m on holiday :)

The best part has been the science, the surveys and the people. I’ve just really enjoyed learning about the corals, the sealife, doing surveys with my head down and feet up in the water. That’s good – because that’s why we are here.

My biggest surprise has been that I’m not bored yet.  I thought it would be too quiet here and I would get bored quickly. So far I’ve been bored only momentarily and found ways to entertain myself – like taking a lilo or a crocodile out in the sea. Boredom reduced instantaneously.

The worst is the silly rules. It’s like being on a kiddie summer camp. We did have kiddie summer camp rules in the military camp on the peacekeeping mission in Eritrea – but that was almost understandable since it was a crisis area. They seem to have a similar line of thinking here at coral cay as they have in the army. Rules that don’t really make complete sense but are imposed since they were put in place. I’ve taken the stand that I’m not going to argue with the rules but I don’t agree with them. One of our other volunteers, expressed it even better: “I’m not arguing with the rules I just think they are stupid.” Amen. You could not have selected better words, Jon.

Here’s a few examples on the rules. You can only leave the camp on Sundays and you are only allowed as far as the nearest village (about 40 minutes walking) and you have to be in the company of at least one other person (volunteer or staff). Even on Sundays you must be back by 5pm sharp. I know because I was once back at 5.45 and the project scientist and scuba instructor gave me a go for “reporting back late”.  (Am I 5 years old?)

The rule of not leaving camp also means I can’t go for a run –ever. On weekdays I can run up and down the hill to the nearest shop – and on Sundays it’s pretty much the same as I’ll never be able to find another volunteer here who wants to go for a run. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That's enough of whining for one blog post. Moving on.
We’ve seen some nice creatures on the surveys which makes up for a lot of the stupidity. Last week we did several surveys on a transect that had frogfish, midnight cowries, mantis shrimp and one big orangutang crab. Not bad at all! I’ve managed to do 10 surveys in total so far and am only looking forward to more. 

Froggie (Photo: Jakob Blom)

Midnight Cowrie (Photo: Jakob Blom)

Orangutang Crab (Photo: Jakob Blom)
 We did one of our Saturday fun dives at the survey site area too since the survey teams who have been there have kept raving about the site. I’ve been on almost every survey done at this site so I’ve been a happy bunny. The great thins is also how much more you see on a dive now that you know what the things that you see are called. Sponges have somehow turned from weird colourful lumps into really fascinating lumps (haha - they are still lumps!), feather dusters are really interesting, sea stars have now got names (weird latin ones though) and corals just look completely different. Even algae is almost exciting. I’m turning into a marine life geek here soon. But it’s ok – most people here are a lot worse than me so I pass for a normal person.

On a survey (Me, Mike - don't know who is in the background. Photo: Jakob Blom)

Looking less glam trying to find the shrimps while doing the Algae&Inverts role (Photo: Jakob Blom)

Jon & Gareth after finishing the survey. (Photo: Jakob Blom)

Gareth & Neasa. (Again Jakob's photo)
 Well, maybe not quite. I’ve also managed to get a reputation for being a little bit weird (“a proper potty” as Mike expressed it) for taking a lilo and an inflatable crocodile out for a little spin in the sea. According to the audience I gave the crocodile a good humping. It probably wasn’t very far from the truth of what I looked like on the crocodile paddling with my arms and kicking with both legs. But it’s ok because the crocodile really liked it. It said so.

The Croc
I’ve also managed to gather some injuries and they will keep me from diving for a few days. I got a small scratch on my leg from pole dancing on the flag pole. The flag pole surface was not nearly as smooth as a proper dancing pole and as a consequence I got a scratch on my leg. It was only a surface scratch but it did not like getting wet and seeing salt water twice a day during the dives. The wound was not healing, it only getting worse by day and eventually I had to decide not to get in the water for a few days. We had two public holidays when we did not dive and following that I’ve also stayed out of the water. It’s just not fun not being able to dive, boohoo…. 

Leg looks prettier when covered up
I’ve been boat marshalling for the survey teams. Since I can’t get my leg wet I’ve had to use some acrobacy to get on our boat. We don’t have a jetty and hence need to wade in. I’ve been piggybacked to the boat or hopped on one foot and climbed in on the side of the boat where the water is shallower than by the steps. A bit of a pain for the people who have been piggybacking me. I must have looked hilarious too having hanging from the side of the boat trying to pull myself up on the boat deck.

Boat Marshall slate
Today and yesterday have been just boat marshalling days. A little boring – but made myself useful with saving one fin that fell in the  sea. Probably the only useful thing I’ve done. Tomorrow still off diving but after that I’m hoping to get back in water.

Inside of a tunicate (Photo: Jakob Blom)

Christmas Tree Worm (Photo: Jakob Blom)

Synaptid Sea Cucumber (Photo: Jakob Blom)
Most photos on this blog post are from Jakob Blom, another volunteer. I can't take that good underwater pictures!