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26 June 2006

Double Dragon

I’m trying not to fall off the end of the earth, but I have been horrible at keeping people in the loop. I am finally taking some time to write because I’m not up to much else. Sick again. One of my friends here referred to my symptoms as “Double Dragon” (that would be fire out of both ends…just what you didn’t want to know). Ate some bad fruit or something and just downing Imodium and hoping it will pass in a few days.

Thailand is slow and frustrating as expected. I just can’t get back into the groove and way of life this time. I look at a bowl of rice and lose my appetite, which means I’m relying more and more on eating junk food. This trip I’ve been craving pizza and chocolate and Western food. That isn’t like me. I’m not even enjoying being barefoot like I usually do. I am tired of bugs and rice and dirt sticking on my feet. I am tired of cold bucket showers. I am tired of everyone watching me when I go to buy food. But, I do try to remind myself I am in Thailand!!

I am very close to buying a motorcycle for transportation to my field sites, but don’t want to do so until I know I can research in the park and have grant money. Our project has no vehicle right now and also our carnivore team rangers have been recruited to other areas to work with the park vet (plus, one ranger is out with a broken leg from a motorcycle accident and another with Malaria). Kanda, my Thai colleague, has been spending long weekends in Bangkok taking a TOEFL course. That leaves me solo walking to limited areas.

I guess I get most angry with myself for lowering my expectations and not accomplishing as much field work as I think I should. I haven’t seen dholes yet this time around and have been here about a month now. I am trying to lure them in with various scent baits (doused cotton ball hanging in a perforated film cartridge with pigeon wings). But, we get strong downpours of rain, so I doubt the scent lasts long. I also brought a hunting call “whistle” with me that came with a “Calling All Coyotes” DVD. It looked promising and I thought the DVD would instruct how to produce various prey distress calls. Instead, the DVD shows an experienced caller making a few coyote howls and then 3hrs! of shot after shot of blowing different animals to bits and pieces. Anyway, I tried the hunt call a couple of times in the field, no results. Just waiting for grant money now so I can actually buy equipment and start something….

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03 June 2006

Thai Rains and Zen Funk

Sat. morning and I am alone after a night of harsh rains. All of the laundry I washed yesterday is soaked and I fear it will take all week to dry. No place to hang for drying inside. The only dry clothes I have are what I am wearing. Woke up this morning to our entire rice pot strewn across the table, on the floor, and out the door. Overturned garbage and plants. Macaque monkeys got into the rice again. Those little grains are cooked and sticky. This is not easy sweep up with the broom. Excedrin anyone? 

It is all about prior expectations. I’m learning to keep myself sane working in this double frustrating environment (fieldwork plus slow-paced Thai culture) by 1) lowering my expectations and 2) adding 3 times the amount of time to what I think a task should require. Example. Setup of 5 camera traps today. Not counting preparation time, I think I could do the job alone in 1-2 hours x 3 plus the ½ hour I know people would be late = 3-6 hours. Yup, it took us 5 hours. All frantic and unorganized. BUT, we setup cameras and scent for dholes and a video camera to catch the clouded leopards. Now I’m just in a sort of Zen funk—not quite a bad mood, just letting things wash over…
 

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