Okay, so remember when I told you I was the lone snorkeler? I'm a turncoat, I did a resort diving course and BOOM! I can dive! Wow, you have no idea what a completely different world it is down there. Looking up and just seeing a massive wall of coral that stands above you by about 40 feet, or being on the same level as a school of lutjanidae (snappers)! It's really spectacular to come into a marine program with absolutely no background in marine science and to just see it and fall in love with a subject so completely and so quickly!
Alas, my time in Little Cayman isn't going to last forever. The whole group flies out on Wednesday and we all still have to finish our authentic symposium style science posters of our projects! Yikes! I still have a whole analysis to come up with! Actually, I haven't really said much about my project have I? Briefly, I'm measuring the spalling and growth rates of green algae, specifically halimeda sp., because it is a major producer of sand and helps prevent erosion on island beaches. What I am really trying to answer with my project is how much sand is the result of calcified halimeda? How quickly does it generate, spall and form, and also what amount is being calcified and not eaten. That's a lot to answer in only a few weeks of research....
Tonight our little research group, or the "students" as we are collectively referred to by the "scientists" that are also staying here, went out to eat! It was a productive night, during which many of our party were reunited with the love of their lives, which is PIZZA! So if anyone is on Little Cayman on a Saturday night, go to the Hungry Iguana and eat some pizza!
One last thing before I go camp out in my bed till tomorrow, I can't believe how many new friends I have made during this trip. Everyone is just right, and we all know how to have a good time, enjoy the ocean and get work done. That's it! I just thought that they deserved a little shout out on this blog. :)
G'Night!
Thirteen Science Undergraduate Students Around the World.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
TT and Tea
I slipped into my co-workers’ conversation midway during lunch. They are a hilarious group of people-I believe most of them are from India or from Indian descent. When they get really involved in discussion their voices get much louder and their accents come through a bit more. Sometimes they will jump to Tamil for a few seconds and then come back to English-their banter is very dynamic it reminds me of hanging out with my friends back home.
Then I was invited to play TT (Table Tennis) by one of my co-workers. I was a little intimidated at first because I heard he was the best in the lab, and his title is rightfully claimed. He gave me a run for my money and then some, beat me 15-7 and 15-3 but both times I think the points I one were more so for his mistakes rather than me winning the point. I think my brother Colton could have given him a fair match, but alas I am not my brother-one time when my co-worker slammed/spiked the ball at me I put my arms up to defend myself-my mentor saw this and laughed. So, I’ll try to play a bit every day at work and maybe at the end of the summer I’ll get a few more points or at least not flinch when a fast ball comes my way.
Afterwards I went to get tea with the group. I had ginger tea, it is very aromatic and sweat (made with milk). My mentor also told me that it should help me digest my lunch (most of the spices here have a purpose besides flavor). However, tea time was not as relaxing as I expected because the repartee switched to have America and therefore me as the center of attention.
FYI trying to be the authority figure on everything that is American and America is exhausting-I should have done more research on America before I came here. What I have learned is that any bit of news that catches American national headlines has probably also hit global headlines as well (or at least Singapore’s news). When my mentor handed me my tea, he told me to be careful because I can’t sue if I spill some on myself (reference to the law case where someone at McDonalds sued for the hot coffee that burned them). Then conversation bounced to why 60% of Americans are obese. All I could say is that I am not obese and that I don’t know many obese people, but that doesn’t do much to fight that statistic.
Conversation then deviated from America for a moment to Chinese versus Malay and Indian food in Singapore. One person said how Malay and Indian food is regarded by more people as unhealthy, when in actuality Chinese people have higher cholesterol levels and heart disease than any group in Singapore. There was some acrimony in his tone and it struck me to consider if there is a bias from an unofficial racial hierarchy in Singapore. In my head, I briefly related this to a play I saw last weekend.
The play was called “Pariah”. The setting was in Malaysia and the entire dialogue spoken in Malay with English subtitles for us to read. While the plot was fictional, it related to true events. A group of four college friends, two Malay, one Indian, and one Chinese had to read a book in class which presented Indians and Chinese people in a negative light whereas uplifted the Malaysian people. The book, which was a required reading by order of the Malaysian Ministry of Education (I believe), stirred a group of Indian students to take action and fractionated the group of friends. Eventually their bonds of friendship are restored, but this was after we journeyed through each person’s life and uncovered complex and unsettling emotions of cultural displacement, isolation, sexism, and racism. The story was familiar, it was as if you could use the same plot line but substitute the characters for people of European and African descent. If that happened it would be like the story of the Civil Rights Movement in America. If you substituted in other ethnicities and populations, it would represent the daily dynamics and churning that occurs in the American melting pot this day and age as it continues to strive for equality for all. Maybe our own problems are others as well…
What was awakening for me was that the word pariah was very taboo in the story. I learned the word pariah in ninth grade as a description for the lowest class in the caste system that previously existed (and maybe remnants of it still do remain) in India. However, the sensitivity of the word as presented in this play was equivalent to using the N word in the United States. It is amazing to me that the stigma of the word pariah lost its significance as it traveled over seas and into my textbooks. It makes me wonder if all deeply rooted traditions, words, and ideas, both glorious and horrific, dull as they travel from their origin.
Of course, the past two paragraphs are a bit of a tangent, I didn’t have all this time to consider these thoughts during my tea time conversation because after this moment we bounced back to America.
Gun control policy.
I was asked, “why are Americans allowed to own guns?”
My response, “so they can protect themselves and it is not like anyone can own one, they have to be registered.”
“But it can’t be that difficult to get one. Plus why is there the need for this gun culture. It is the job of the police department to protect the people, if people have guns why have a police department.”
Gun culture? When did America get a gun culture? I thought. But I know that in Texas you can carry a gun in public (it is almost like a pride thing), that in some city areas people conceal guns (for threat and power), and others hide them in their homes and stores (for protection). Does America have a gun culture? My thought for response is that you can’t generalize America like that, but wouldn’t that mean we have different gun cultures across the US? Maybe we do, but from where I am from no we don’t. I think that is the most difficult part of playing the role as expert American-the story of my life only holds true to a small group of people. I feel like for most of the questions I am asked my response is that it is not that simple and that you cannot generalize.
The fair response I’ve learned for these pressing questions is to make a distressed, but comical sigh and for the most part listen to what everyone has to say. It is amazing how well informed the Singaporeans (which I have spoken with, to avoid generalization) are about American issues. One person was citing a documentary he saw about Columbine and Food Inc. When we got back to Immunos I mentioned how the conversation was mind opening and then we returned to the banter the conversation started at. One person said to me come to lunch more often; 30 minutes of TT a day and 30 minutes of mind opening.
Sounds like a plan to me.
=]
Then I was invited to play TT (Table Tennis) by one of my co-workers. I was a little intimidated at first because I heard he was the best in the lab, and his title is rightfully claimed. He gave me a run for my money and then some, beat me 15-7 and 15-3 but both times I think the points I one were more so for his mistakes rather than me winning the point. I think my brother Colton could have given him a fair match, but alas I am not my brother-one time when my co-worker slammed/spiked the ball at me I put my arms up to defend myself-my mentor saw this and laughed. So, I’ll try to play a bit every day at work and maybe at the end of the summer I’ll get a few more points or at least not flinch when a fast ball comes my way.
Afterwards I went to get tea with the group. I had ginger tea, it is very aromatic and sweat (made with milk). My mentor also told me that it should help me digest my lunch (most of the spices here have a purpose besides flavor). However, tea time was not as relaxing as I expected because the repartee switched to have America and therefore me as the center of attention.
FYI trying to be the authority figure on everything that is American and America is exhausting-I should have done more research on America before I came here. What I have learned is that any bit of news that catches American national headlines has probably also hit global headlines as well (or at least Singapore’s news). When my mentor handed me my tea, he told me to be careful because I can’t sue if I spill some on myself (reference to the law case where someone at McDonalds sued for the hot coffee that burned them). Then conversation bounced to why 60% of Americans are obese. All I could say is that I am not obese and that I don’t know many obese people, but that doesn’t do much to fight that statistic.
Conversation then deviated from America for a moment to Chinese versus Malay and Indian food in Singapore. One person said how Malay and Indian food is regarded by more people as unhealthy, when in actuality Chinese people have higher cholesterol levels and heart disease than any group in Singapore. There was some acrimony in his tone and it struck me to consider if there is a bias from an unofficial racial hierarchy in Singapore. In my head, I briefly related this to a play I saw last weekend.
The play was called “Pariah”. The setting was in Malaysia and the entire dialogue spoken in Malay with English subtitles for us to read. While the plot was fictional, it related to true events. A group of four college friends, two Malay, one Indian, and one Chinese had to read a book in class which presented Indians and Chinese people in a negative light whereas uplifted the Malaysian people. The book, which was a required reading by order of the Malaysian Ministry of Education (I believe), stirred a group of Indian students to take action and fractionated the group of friends. Eventually their bonds of friendship are restored, but this was after we journeyed through each person’s life and uncovered complex and unsettling emotions of cultural displacement, isolation, sexism, and racism. The story was familiar, it was as if you could use the same plot line but substitute the characters for people of European and African descent. If that happened it would be like the story of the Civil Rights Movement in America. If you substituted in other ethnicities and populations, it would represent the daily dynamics and churning that occurs in the American melting pot this day and age as it continues to strive for equality for all. Maybe our own problems are others as well…
What was awakening for me was that the word pariah was very taboo in the story. I learned the word pariah in ninth grade as a description for the lowest class in the caste system that previously existed (and maybe remnants of it still do remain) in India. However, the sensitivity of the word as presented in this play was equivalent to using the N word in the United States. It is amazing to me that the stigma of the word pariah lost its significance as it traveled over seas and into my textbooks. It makes me wonder if all deeply rooted traditions, words, and ideas, both glorious and horrific, dull as they travel from their origin.
Of course, the past two paragraphs are a bit of a tangent, I didn’t have all this time to consider these thoughts during my tea time conversation because after this moment we bounced back to America.
Gun control policy.
I was asked, “why are Americans allowed to own guns?”
My response, “so they can protect themselves and it is not like anyone can own one, they have to be registered.”
“But it can’t be that difficult to get one. Plus why is there the need for this gun culture. It is the job of the police department to protect the people, if people have guns why have a police department.”
Gun culture? When did America get a gun culture? I thought. But I know that in Texas you can carry a gun in public (it is almost like a pride thing), that in some city areas people conceal guns (for threat and power), and others hide them in their homes and stores (for protection). Does America have a gun culture? My thought for response is that you can’t generalize America like that, but wouldn’t that mean we have different gun cultures across the US? Maybe we do, but from where I am from no we don’t. I think that is the most difficult part of playing the role as expert American-the story of my life only holds true to a small group of people. I feel like for most of the questions I am asked my response is that it is not that simple and that you cannot generalize.
The fair response I’ve learned for these pressing questions is to make a distressed, but comical sigh and for the most part listen to what everyone has to say. It is amazing how well informed the Singaporeans (which I have spoken with, to avoid generalization) are about American issues. One person was citing a documentary he saw about Columbine and Food Inc. When we got back to Immunos I mentioned how the conversation was mind opening and then we returned to the banter the conversation started at. One person said to me come to lunch more often; 30 minutes of TT a day and 30 minutes of mind opening.
Sounds like a plan to me.
=]
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Steps to Little Cayman
My trip is winding down, so I thought I would take this time to think about all the things that have happened on this trip and what’s important.
One. Always put on sunscreen, and reapply, even if you’ve already done it 4 times.
I was out for my research project for the 5th time one day and was constantly faced down snorkeling in the water. I finally get out and one of my professor’s daughters sees me and asks, “Do you need aloe? That looks like it hurts.” I went upstairs and looked in the mirror. My back was incredibly red, AND even worse I decided to wear a one piece that day. I’m still trying to get rid of the terrible tan lines.
Two. Always put on bug spray. Get over the nasty sticky feeling, the gross smell, the stinging on previous bug bites.
And always apply on your ankles...Even though some nights aren’t bad, they still find a way. Some mosquitoes are large and obvious, others small and annoying. I currently have open wounds all over my legs….
Three: Your hair never looks good and your feet always have sand on them.
You’re on a beach, get over it?
Four: Think about your project. I’ve been working on my project, alone, and to complete it in only about the week time we have left of the course, it’s somewhat overwhelming.
Five: You’re going to have to open up some fish, get used to the smell. Lionfish to be exact. The invasive species. Here on Little Cayman, CCMI goes on a spear fishing day every week to spear them. As one of our classes we got to dissect them, take out their stomachs, and see what they ate. It was pretty entertaining.
Six: Don’t ask about the sea urchins.
One of my project sites is in a huge patch where sea urchins love to chill. They are bio eroders, which means they erode the sediment around them and stay there during the day and come out during the night to feed. I have to walk over all of these caverns and I’m terrified of stepping on one (even in think soled booties).
So I asked my professor, “What do I do if I step on a sea urchin?” His response was “You don’t”…helpful right?...it gets better
I asked one of the other students, Ally (also a blogger) and she replied “I think you have to sit and wait until the spines dissolve”.
I ask my one professors daughter and she says “you get sent to the nurse”. (there is no dr. on Little Cayman).
I still had no idea of what to do if I stepped on one, so I goggled it. :D
My professor was right, you just don’t step on one…haha
Seven: Stay in touch with reality. After a few days here, it starts to feel like a month. You get used to the heat, the sunburn, the bug bites, the lack of air condition, etc so on. But you start to go crazy. This isn’t something you can be prepared for, it just kind of happens. Nor can I explain it.
Eight: Fight your fears. During our dives I usually never end up seeing much until someone points it out to me. On our 5th or so dive I was looking out to the large ocean, while I was supposed to be doing a point fish count (oops), and see a shark. Instead of being freaked out, I got excited.
A few days later, I was out in the shallow area behind CCMI (the research center I’m staying at) alone, and started to panic that I was going to be attacked by a shark. I suggest you don’t panic, and just get over it. Fear is annoying like that.
Nine: Be ready for anything. Literally. On the town, in the water, during research. I almost lost my entire project due to the excessive waviness of the ocean (it hadn’t been wavy previous days). Quick thinking and calmness is essential.
Ten: Realize everything is a lot smaller than you. This island is so small, and although I knew it was only 150so residents, it’s smaller than I thought. The resorts don’t even look like resorts, and there are only like 2 houses per few miles. Although it’s gorgeous and different, I don’t know how long I could stay here for. The plane is also very claustrophobic. Haha.
Eleven: Don’t play with fire.
One of the grad students that had been here for a few months was going home, and there was a party thrown for her. The party was very low key although the whole island was literally invited. At about 10 or 11 someone just walks out to an opening outside and lights these batons on fire and starts to twirl them around like crazy. It was awesome and I wasn’t expecting it. He wasn’t burned, but he did drop it a few times.
Twelve: The best form of transportation is probably bike. Although we have a van for all ten students, sometimes it sounds like it’s not going to start, and there is no air conditioning. When riding in the back of a truck for a shore dive, you get wacked in the head with a big tree branch. When riding bikes you get to save hermit crabs crossing the road, stop wherever you want, drive on the right side of the road, (even though here the proper side is the left), and exercise.
Thirteen: Diving is amazing. Although the water is amazing from the top, with all the different color blues, and the water spraying your face, the dive is even better. It’s where you get to see those blues come to life. Pictures can’t even describe how small and insignificant you feel when you are already 50 ft down, but the coral reef wall just plummets beneath you. It’s a completely different world; it’s scary sometimes, but well worth it.
Fourteen: You can party hard
Fifteen: but not too hard.
I just turned 21, and although the drinking age is 18 here, it is still awesome to drink legally. But by the end of a long week and a long night sometimes you’re just exhausted. I’ve had more fun here than in NJ and the best part is the culture and what they expect and how the people here treat you. Its fun, exciting, not quite new, but different.
And at the end of the day, we can’t forget all the work we have to do.
And well….Sixteen: It is gorgeous here, and even though every day is simple (I looked at a TV the other day and was so confused), the simplicity is what makes this trip special. Well, we are always busy, always wait for the lunch and dinner bell, and get excited to go to bed, but for the most part life is simple here. Just crazy. I am learning more than I thought I would and I’ll probably take more out of this 2 and half week course than I would from a whole semester sitting in a classroom.
Piecein’ out, its time for some project powerpoint work.
Well…I do have 6 more days….maybe it can wait? You’ll never know.
Heather
ps. i had pictures...but internet in little cayman is apparently not to excited about this endevour. Apologies. I'll update it another time!
F***
This week I attended the 1st South East Asian Course on “F-techniques: FCS, FCCS, FLCS, FRET, FLIM, and FRAP.” The course was dedicated to a variety of fluorescent microscopy techniques and their applications in the life sciences. The organizers for the workshop were the Institute of Medical Biology Microscopy Unit, EINST Technology Pte Ltd. (both from Singapore) and PicoQuant GmbH (Germany).
The first day of the course was dedicated to an in depth introduction to the techniques. I began the course with a ground level understanding of fluorescent microscopy so I felt completely exhausted after the first day of introduction! Then again, the fact that I was listening to presentations from 9:00 to 6:00 may have also had something to do with that (the course provided ample amounts of coffee). Many of the following days were applications of these techniques in scientific research (all days were equally as exhausting).
To give myself some credit, I believe that the first day was more so mentally taxing because it served as a double introduction for me. The obvious introduction was the description of the different techniques: Fluorescent Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Fluorescent Cross Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS), Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging (FLIM), and Fluorescent Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP). The second introduction, which now I recognize as equally apparent is the biophysics behind all of these imaging techniques.
Accompanying every picture or description of technique there was some type of formula. Sometimes they were simple ratios that promoted a correlation in data, other times they were multivariable functions sporting integrals with sprinkles of sine, cosine, and tangent-clearly the demonic offspring of geometry and calculus. Really though-once I became familiar with what the different variables meant, they were not as intimidating.
Before this course my experience with microscopy has been that you use the images you obtain to verify the presence of a structure or event; you use microscopes to provide qualitative data. While this is still true (and an excellent use of microscopy), I have also learned that these techniques and many others that I have yet to encounter can be utilized to quantify processes in biological systems.
In this regard, these fluorescent techniques help to address a personal issue of mine with biology-generally speaking the underrepresentation of quantitative data as compared to the other hard sciences. Chemisty, physicist, engineers, and obviously mathematicians all take extensive courses in math, whereas biologists typically do not. Why?
At first, I thought the answer was simply that the other areas of science we more complicated and therefore inherently relied on mathematics for explanation. Conversely, biology is a simpler subject and could be evaluated effectively through qualitative observation.
However, now I prefer to think that biology is too complicated to be easily explained by mathematics. A living system has many variables whose effects all compound on one another to create the whole, therefore mathematics has shied away from the subject. Models and in vitro experiments simplify the system for experimental evaluation, but after everything I just said is biology really just the sum of its parts?
This week I learned that F-techniques can be used to quantify in vivo experiments and therefore can glean more accurate depictions of what is occurring in a living organism. For example, FRET (my personal favorite out of the bunch) and FCCS can be used to determine the dissociation constants, diffusion rates, and concentrations of proteins in biological pathways (this is an area of research interest for my PI- Dr. Sohail Ahmed).
On most days after the course, I would review my notes and create mini PowerPoints to further interact with the material. I will share them with you (once I have our microscope guru review it) so you can get a glimpse of what I have learned this week-enjoy!
I have also learned about Superresolution microscopy which can identify the location and movement of single molecules (proteins, lipids) in a system. One of the people who spoke on this topic is Dr. Boris Lukiyanchuck, whose research publication “Optical virtual imaging at 50 nm lateral resolution with a white-light nanoscope,” captured global attention. I found his personal website and am amazed by how many Nobel laureates he has worked with (he gives them thanks-honor thy mentors) and am impressed with how many places he has worked abroad (can I count him as an example for how working abroad makes you a successful person?). Here is his website if you are interested: http://www.lukiyanchuk.ru/
I am very thankful that Dr. Sohail Ahmed invited me to attend this course, even though it was meant for graduate students and Post-docs. It has opened my eyes to new research techniques and shown me how they can be applied to address the complexity of the life sciences.
The first day of the course was dedicated to an in depth introduction to the techniques. I began the course with a ground level understanding of fluorescent microscopy so I felt completely exhausted after the first day of introduction! Then again, the fact that I was listening to presentations from 9:00 to 6:00 may have also had something to do with that (the course provided ample amounts of coffee). Many of the following days were applications of these techniques in scientific research (all days were equally as exhausting).
To give myself some credit, I believe that the first day was more so mentally taxing because it served as a double introduction for me. The obvious introduction was the description of the different techniques: Fluorescent Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Fluorescent Cross Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS), Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging (FLIM), and Fluorescent Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP). The second introduction, which now I recognize as equally apparent is the biophysics behind all of these imaging techniques.
Accompanying every picture or description of technique there was some type of formula. Sometimes they were simple ratios that promoted a correlation in data, other times they were multivariable functions sporting integrals with sprinkles of sine, cosine, and tangent-clearly the demonic offspring of geometry and calculus. Really though-once I became familiar with what the different variables meant, they were not as intimidating.
Before this course my experience with microscopy has been that you use the images you obtain to verify the presence of a structure or event; you use microscopes to provide qualitative data. While this is still true (and an excellent use of microscopy), I have also learned that these techniques and many others that I have yet to encounter can be utilized to quantify processes in biological systems.
In this regard, these fluorescent techniques help to address a personal issue of mine with biology-generally speaking the underrepresentation of quantitative data as compared to the other hard sciences. Chemisty, physicist, engineers, and obviously mathematicians all take extensive courses in math, whereas biologists typically do not. Why?
At first, I thought the answer was simply that the other areas of science we more complicated and therefore inherently relied on mathematics for explanation. Conversely, biology is a simpler subject and could be evaluated effectively through qualitative observation.
However, now I prefer to think that biology is too complicated to be easily explained by mathematics. A living system has many variables whose effects all compound on one another to create the whole, therefore mathematics has shied away from the subject. Models and in vitro experiments simplify the system for experimental evaluation, but after everything I just said is biology really just the sum of its parts?
This week I learned that F-techniques can be used to quantify in vivo experiments and therefore can glean more accurate depictions of what is occurring in a living organism. For example, FRET (my personal favorite out of the bunch) and FCCS can be used to determine the dissociation constants, diffusion rates, and concentrations of proteins in biological pathways (this is an area of research interest for my PI- Dr. Sohail Ahmed).
On most days after the course, I would review my notes and create mini PowerPoints to further interact with the material. I will share them with you (once I have our microscope guru review it) so you can get a glimpse of what I have learned this week-enjoy!
I have also learned about Superresolution microscopy which can identify the location and movement of single molecules (proteins, lipids) in a system. One of the people who spoke on this topic is Dr. Boris Lukiyanchuck, whose research publication “Optical virtual imaging at 50 nm lateral resolution with a white-light nanoscope,” captured global attention. I found his personal website and am amazed by how many Nobel laureates he has worked with (he gives them thanks-honor thy mentors) and am impressed with how many places he has worked abroad (can I count him as an example for how working abroad makes you a successful person?). Here is his website if you are interested: http://www.lukiyanchuk.ru/
I am very thankful that Dr. Sohail Ahmed invited me to attend this course, even though it was meant for graduate students and Post-docs. It has opened my eyes to new research techniques and shown me how they can be applied to address the complexity of the life sciences.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Swadini, Game Capture June 27-29
"Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all.” -Brian Jackman (2004 Travel Writer of Year)
Once the fence was repaired we were on our way to a game ranch to remove some giraffes. A trap (called a boma) made out of tarp was already set up. It was shaped like an ice cream cone with the skinny end at the truck door and the fat end
instructions to pull the rope when commanded. The ropes, depending on what side you were on, either opened the doors or shut them. I was on the door closest to the truck, which was also next to a barbed wire fence. We were warned that an organized chaos would ensue once the giraffes reached the boma, but we were not prepared for what actually happened. A 
helicopter flew around the area and rounded up the giraffes until they were in the opening of the boma. It started to use sirens and whistles to warn the crew that they were coming. As the animals drew nearer the curtains furthest away were being closed and it started to get loud with voices. We heard a bunch of yelling in Afrikaans and some indistinguishable English and weren’t sure if that meant to pull or not. We turned to the other rope and saw that there were no longer only two people on it, but five or six. The yelling got louder and Andre’s workers started to climb the sides of the metal walls and tied 
ropes to the posts to pull them closer together. The giraffes were kicking the sides with little mercy. My partner and I weren’t sure if that was what they meant by “organized chaos” or if this was just as out of control as we thought. Unfortunately, the sides of the boma were not high enough, so the giraffes were able to see which direction freedom was. After a particularly loud kick against the metal we heard “Girls RUN!”. My partner and I dropped the rope and started to run toward the trees. Next to the barbed wire fence we found one of Andre’s boys trying to climb out, so we grabbed him and took him with u
s. The giraffes had torn the side of the boma and had their shoulders over the metal wall. With enough force they would be freed and running blindly into a crowd of people. Our guide told us to get on the other side of the fence which required crossing a small path of obstacles right next to the metal wall. I ran with the boy in my arms and while stepping over a log the fence caught my pants and we fell. Before I knew what was happening we were being picked up and brought out of the way. They allowed one of the doors to be opened to save the side of the boma and since they couldn’t get past the curtains. When it started to calm down and reinforcements were placed against the walls we were allowed to go back to our stations on the rope. After some more threatening kicks from the giraffes we successfully moved them into the truck. Game capture was most certainly my favorite part of the trip!
The next few days were spent with Andre Pienaar learning about game capture. We had a brief 
lecture on the importance of conservation and how game capture is a part of that. He mentions the drugs that he uses on the animals and the 
general dangers of the business. That evening we went to relocate a white rhino that had broken out of is his enclosure fighting with another male rhino. We tried to entice the rhino, Jangles, closer to the fence with alfalfa. We had little success and resorted to darting him. The drug would have 6-8 minutes before causing the rhino to fall over and making it more difficult for us to relocate him. When shot, he ran fast (rhinos can run up to 30 km/h) and Andre had to track him down. Unfortunately, the dart did not administer the drugs 
and the rhino was still awake and alert 20 minutes later. We would have to try again the next morning. This time they darted him from a helicopter which made it easy to keep track of where he ran to. Soon after the rhino slowed down and started to wobble. We ran out to him, blind folded him with a towel and tied a rope around this head and back leg. Our plan was to walk him across the fence line. The rope on his back leg was to be used as a brake and the one on his head extended out to his left and right to steer him. All 6,000 lbs of rhino were pulling against us as he stumbled forward. When we had him acr
oss the fence, we walked him in circles until his balance was lost and he fell over. Jangles had many wounds that needed cleaning so while half of us held him so he didn’t completely roll over, the others scrubbed him down. We ministered a bottle and a half of penicillin to prevent infection and double checked every inch of his skin. It was time for us to stand him up and let him go. It took 11 girls on one side and 4 large men on the other to rock the rhino until we managed enough momentum to stand him up. When standing the rhino almost retreated back across the fence line and it took expert steering to prevent it.Andre began to untie him, gave the antidote and told us to run in the other direction in case he turned back at us.
Once the fence was repaired we were on our way to a game ranch to remove some giraffes. A trap (called a boma) made out of tarp was already set up. It was shaped like an ice cream cone with the skinny end at the truck door and the fat end
instructions to pull the rope when commanded. The ropes, depending on what side you were on, either opened the doors or shut them. I was on the door closest to the truck, which was also next to a barbed wire fence. We were warned that an organized chaos would ensue once the giraffes reached the boma, but we were not prepared for what actually happened. A 
helicopter flew around the area and rounded up the giraffes until they were in the opening of the boma. It started to use sirens and whistles to warn the crew that they were coming. As the animals drew nearer the curtains furthest away were being closed and it started to get loud with voices. We heard a bunch of yelling in Afrikaans and some indistinguishable English and weren’t sure if that meant to pull or not. We turned to the other rope and saw that there were no longer only two people on it, but five or six. The yelling got louder and Andre’s workers started to climb the sides of the metal walls and tied 
ropes to the posts to pull them closer together. The giraffes were kicking the sides with little mercy. My partner and I weren’t sure if that was what they meant by “organized chaos” or if this was just as out of control as we thought. Unfortunately, the sides of the boma were not high enough, so the giraffes were able to see which direction freedom was. After a particularly loud kick against the metal we heard “Girls RUN!”. My partner and I dropped the rope and started to run toward the trees. Next to the barbed wire fence we found one of Andre’s boys trying to climb out, so we grabbed him and took him with u
s. The giraffes had torn the side of the boma and had their shoulders over the metal wall. With enough force they would be freed and running blindly into a crowd of people. Our guide told us to get on the other side of the fence which required crossing a small path of obstacles right next to the metal wall. I ran with the boy in my arms and while stepping over a log the fence caught my pants and we fell. Before I knew what was happening we were being picked up and brought out of the way. They allowed one of the doors to be opened to save the side of the boma and since they couldn’t get past the curtains. When it started to calm down and reinforcements were placed against the walls we were allowed to go back to our stations on the rope. After some more threatening kicks from the giraffes we successfully moved them into the truck. Game capture was most certainly my favorite part of the trip! 1st Time Swimming the Pacific Ocean
This past weekend we took an excursion down to Puerto Escondido which is located on the southwest side of Oaxaca. It was a 7 and a half hour bus ride through winding roads in the mountains. Getting of Oaxaca City and driving to Puerto Escondido made me appreciate the natural beauty of the country. The mountains we were driving through were so high up that we went straight through clouds. We arrived to our hotel the evening of Friday the 24th. Since this excursion was solely organized by us students, the ten of us became very close. The first place I went to upon arrival was the beach; the biggest waves I have ever seen in my life (15ft+) were slamming against the sand. We ate dinner at one of the many restaurants on the edge of the shore.
On Saturday morning we went for a boat ride about 15km off the shore. We spotted young dolphins swimming together in groups. I learned that when dolphins are in the area, there is a good chance that there are no sharks. Because of this, we stopped the boat and jumped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean for a quick dip. On the way back to shore we encountered some sea turtles. The driver scooped one up right out the water and into our boat. Getting up close and personal with the creatures of the sea was pretty cool.
The serenity and scenery of Puerto Escondido was enough to have me and my classmates planning to return here in the future. It’s a great place for surfing, fishing, relaxing, culture, shopping, and practicing Spanish.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Week One in Oaxaca!
One official week has gone by in Oaxaca and I have already experienced so many things. This past week has had a major focus on helping the community through hands on activities. After getting settled into our new homes, all of us began working in our community placements. I was happy to find out that I was placed in Clinica San Antonio; this small clinic consists of about four doctor rooms, one dental room, one birthing area, and the main waiting area. Although the clinic itself is small, it services the large community in the surrounding area. This past week has been their community vaccinations campaign. This means that a couple of the nurses from the clinic go out into the community and hand out vaccines and medication.
On my first day at the clinic I was able to go out with the nurses and distribute medication. The work was far from glamorous. Most of the “houses” that people lived in were built out of sheets of metal nailed together. Often there would be five or more children living in a small shack. But the lack of material possessions was balanced out by the love and happiness you could see in the families. Most of the families were eager to learn about the vaccines that we were passing out to the community. As I have learned in class and in the community, people are open western forms of medication. Even though the culture that they grow up in offers many options for treatment, such as spiritual, herbal, and even mystical healing. Most people often avoid western treatment because of economic reasons. This is why it is extremely important for the clinic to reach out to the community and offer free medications to prevent the spread of diseases.
Later in the week I was able to participate in another community service oriented project. There is a school located in the same community as my clinic that has a large playing area for the kids at recess, but there is no shelter from the hot Mexican sun. (Most schools have metal roof over their playing area to create some shade.) So everyone from Proworld went out to the school on Friday and we worked with the entire school to plant trees all around the property. All of the kids were extremely excited to work and talk with us. Even though I was only able to speak a little bit of Spanish I was able to connect with the kids through the digging, planting, and heavy lifting. It was an amazing experience to be able to help out the same community in two very different ways.
When the week first started I was leery about the community service because I thought that Oaxacans would be reluctant of an outsider helping. But so far, everyone has accepted me with open arms and appreciates the fact that I am in Oaxaca trying to learn more about the culture. Every day that I am able to give something to the community I get lessons that I will carry with me for life. Simple things like sunscreen, shade, and band-aids are luxuries; the things that are really important in life are family and community.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Swadini June 24-26
Ngatiende tiende mberi- Lets move moving forward
We took a long bus ride to our next destination: Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Swadini Forever Resorts. This matched Imbambala as far as beauty goes. We had the afternoon to ourselves and we took advantage of it. There was
an hour 
long trail that went along a branch of the river. The entrance sign warned us to be aware of hippo and crocodiles while we walked through the fence. It was the greenest place we’ve seen so far (due to the river) and the trees acted as a canopy over us. The water was clear so you could see the bottom as we crossed the bridges with broken boards. The trail had termite mounds that were way taller than me (I’m 5’3” by the way) and evidence of wildlife everywhere. We spotted monkey tracks that matched the screeches above our heads and tracked a family of kudu.
The next day was spent at a rehabilitation center called Moholoholo and at a reptile park called Khamai. The rehab center showed us the animals they currently are caring for 
and showed us some of the cats that could never be released. A cheetah that was captured in a snare for killing sheep was trained and used for demonstration. They had him run to get his food so we could watch his speed then sat him on a table so we could pet him. He vibrated because he was purring so much and licked (out of affection or hunger, I’m not s
ure) our hands. In the same area was a baby rhino that had been saved from being stuck in mud. They told us that if he was walking toward you, move out of his way. He approached me and when I moved to the right, so did he. I backtracked and started left, he followed. I asked the little guy where he wanted me to go and looked at me like I was nuts. He may have been one of my favorite animals so far. We were also 
showed wild dogs and hyenas along with many vultures and eagles.
Later on at the reptile center we had a lecture on reptiles and eventually got to dissect a snake. We played with some chameleons by feeding them worms and got to hold scorpions and tarantulas. Our guide brought out both the most dangerous and most venomous snakes, the puff adder and boomslang. We were told why this was the case and then we were 
showed how to actually lift them. The puff adder is most dangerous because it doesn’t move fast so when people 
try to kill it it cannot run away and must defend itself. It can strike within .25 of a second both forward and to the side. The boomslang’s venom is hemotoxic which alters the blood’s ability to clot, meaning without antidote, you will simply bleed to death. It was fun to be sitting on the ground next to them.
Our next adventure at Swadini was to see the baobab tree, also known as the “tree of life” (Rafiki’s tree!). Even our entire group grasping hands could not wrap around this massive tree.
Don't Play With Millepora...
So we always hear, don't play with fire, but really it should be don't play with FIRE CORAL (millepora sp)! Or rather don't pick a research site that requires your to swim over shallow water full of fire coral in rough tides.
When we last left off bloggers, it was my first day. I was still writing about the woes of traveling abroad and jet lag. Since then it has been unbelievable the amount of things I have done and learned, like the 20 algae, 33 fish and 31 corals I have a quiz on tomorrow. Its still miraculous though that I have managed to cram 84 new things in my head in the matter of a week in the middle of a tropical paradise.
We have started our independent research too (see second sentence)! Honestly, I never would have thought that getting a zip tie around a halimeda sp. (that's an algae) would be so challenging. But when the tides are ripping you back and forth putting that zip tie on a stationary piece of algae is super difficult. Which brings me to the biggest event of my day today... FIRE CORAL. So I was swimming over the reef in some nasty tides with my research partner and a huge wave comes along and WHAM! the back of my calf goes right into a fire coral and to make matters worse, it turns out I'm allergic and there was some localized swelling. Then the island treatment began, and poring vinegar onto a fire coral sting is NOT the best feeling.
What is the best feeling? Taking all of your previous ecology classes on land, being fairly confident with your terrestrial plants and then discovering that there is a whole underwater world down there under the waves! Since I'm the only snorkeller (not dive certified) I'm a little left out of the dive experience, but just floating on top of the water and looking down is like being a bird in the ocean. I can see almost everything and even some things that the divers don't ;).
So tomorrow is more research and I'm definitely rested enough, so 'Night!
When we last left off bloggers, it was my first day. I was still writing about the woes of traveling abroad and jet lag. Since then it has been unbelievable the amount of things I have done and learned, like the 20 algae, 33 fish and 31 corals I have a quiz on tomorrow. Its still miraculous though that I have managed to cram 84 new things in my head in the matter of a week in the middle of a tropical paradise.
We have started our independent research too (see second sentence)! Honestly, I never would have thought that getting a zip tie around a halimeda sp. (that's an algae) would be so challenging. But when the tides are ripping you back and forth putting that zip tie on a stationary piece of algae is super difficult. Which brings me to the biggest event of my day today... FIRE CORAL. So I was swimming over the reef in some nasty tides with my research partner and a huge wave comes along and WHAM! the back of my calf goes right into a fire coral and to make matters worse, it turns out I'm allergic and there was some localized swelling. Then the island treatment began, and poring vinegar onto a fire coral sting is NOT the best feeling.
What is the best feeling? Taking all of your previous ecology classes on land, being fairly confident with your terrestrial plants and then discovering that there is a whole underwater world down there under the waves! Since I'm the only snorkeller (not dive certified) I'm a little left out of the dive experience, but just floating on top of the water and looking down is like being a bird in the ocean. I can see almost everything and even some things that the divers don't ;).
So tomorrow is more research and I'm definitely rested enough, so 'Night!
The Final day in Cluny
Our last full day in Cluny was occupied by the presentations that we had been preparing during the last two weeks on a specific wine and a specific cheese. We all sat together during our last day of class and presented our choice of wine and cheese along with samples of each, and as far as final exams go, this was probably the most fun I've ever had. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely, and after we celebrated the end of our class together at a restaurant in Cluny with some wine tasting and escargot.
The experiences that I had during this program were some of the most valuable of my lifetime, and to think that five months ago I was convinced that I wasn't going to take this class. Well, I'm very glad that I did. I learned quite a lot about wine and cheese and the part that microbiology plays in their production, I experienced Europe for the first time, and I had an incredible amount of fun. Thank you to the Rutgers Summer Study Abroad Scholarship Committee, and everyone who made the scholarship possible. Without your help, I would have never been able to have this wonderful experience and share it with you all.
Can I move here?--Last Day in France (June 26th, 2011)
None of us ever wanted to leave Cluny. This has been a great experience and we've all learned so much. None of this would have been possible if I didn't have the SEBS scholarship funding a part of my studyabroad. I hope to come back to France one day.
On our last day, we boarded a bus to the TGV train station to go back to Paris. As a group (minus Dr. Max), we decided to spend our last day in Paris before we went our separate ways. Below are some pictures from Paris. I'm going to miss France so much!
Scott, Myself, and Dan (SEBS bloggers)
We missed Cluny in Paris, so Scott points out a Cluny sign!
Dinner
Walking across the Seine (we walked the whole day to see everything!)
Inside of the Louvre
Sailboat races (Toy of course)
Us and the Louvre
Oh Paris!
Special thanks to Dr. Young and Monica Emery for the support! This has been one of the best experiences of my life! Dr. Haggblom, Dr. Healy, and Dr. Reinert were some of the best professors I've had. And the company of the students that I had over these past weeks was fantastic! And finally, thank you Mom and Dad for dealing with my pre-departure dilemmas.
On our last day, we boarded a bus to the TGV train station to go back to Paris. As a group (minus Dr. Max), we decided to spend our last day in Paris before we went our separate ways. Below are some pictures from Paris. I'm going to miss France so much!
Scott, Myself, and Dan (SEBS bloggers)
We missed Cluny in Paris, so Scott points out a Cluny sign!
Dinner
Walking across the Seine (we walked the whole day to see everything!)
Inside of the Louvre
Sailboat races (Toy of course)
Us and the Louvre
Oh Paris!
Special thanks to Dr. Young and Monica Emery for the support! This has been one of the best experiences of my life! Dr. Haggblom, Dr. Healy, and Dr. Reinert were some of the best professors I've had. And the company of the students that I had over these past weeks was fantastic! And finally, thank you Mom and Dad for dealing with my pre-departure dilemmas.
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