The Deal

A field biologist generally doesn't like getting stuck in the office. (That's work.) We put up with it so as to get the chance to keep exploring the great outdoors, sleep in mosquito-infested tents, have stars as the only source of light, trek under pouring rain, and count the times we slip along the trail. We can't stay put in one place, we just need to keep going and going until we get too tired and just drop off to rest.

April 2007 at Gen. Nakar, Quezon

As with any other "Job Description", a field biologist has a myriad of other tasks some of which are: kargador, factory-line worker, secretary, writer, quak doctor, nurse, runner, conductor, graphic artist, accountant, events organizer, and major doma. We get scared witless from time to time as we go about our tasks but hey, I'm not filing a complaint. Getting paid to see the world is a sweet, sweet deal.

Sierra

June 18, 2007

Five Rufous Hornbills sighted across the campsite, drying their wings. There's a "possible nest tree" near the Bagtikan: it has lots of epiphytes (orchids and pitcher plants).

The weather is still cloudy, drizzling rains come and go. Cannot proceed to observation post (if only to get familiar with the area) for safety reasons-- the stream might flood and we will get stuck somewhere.

* * *

June 19, 2007

POST1

• 14o 56' 01.1" N
• 121o 28' 47.6" E
• 495 - 505 meters above sea level
• cloudy

1330 >> Phil. hawk eagle
1404 >> serpent eagle (with snake)
1411 >> UID

There's slight improvement on the weather today, meaning there's less rain. We decided to establish us a post. A trail had to be cleared, the terrain was difficult because of the wet forest floor (thick with leaf litter) makes for a very slippery footing. From the campsite, it takes about 50 minutes to get to the OP1.

The olympus was found defective this morning at breakfast (battery?) so that we couldn't take pictures of the site. Tomorrow, Manong Pecs and I will go to OP1 while Kuya Cito and Jean will trail blaze for OP2.

OP1 is a tricky post; it is situated on a ridge created by a landslide on both sides of the mountain. This gives a clear view of both sides of the mountain so it has been decided that one team can observe both sides simultaneously. On a fatal kind of note, I slipped while walking along the ridge (which was only about a foot in width) and would surely have fallen had not Mang Henry and Jean caught me... perfect timing!

The vegetation was thick, heterogenous, close canopy. Very interesting as i think i have never seen a forest like this back in Mindanao.

We are hopeful for a sunny day tomorrow. Maybe the eagles will soar.

* * *

When the going gets tough

The tough stays put, checks out what cakes are available at the shop and tries one.

It's raining. Again. For the 3rd time this week I'll be going out in the rain, hoping against hope I won't have to wait forever for a ride. This kind of weather's to be expected at this time of the year but it still sucks. My 100-peso umbrella's earned it's retirement, more worn out from being stuck in tight places more than from weather-related uses.

I've back and shoulder pains, ought to get a massage one of these days but nahhh... I doubt it'll solve the problem because I know for a fact it's a posture thing. Bad posture since childhood can't be wiped off with a single session at the masseur's (did I get the spelling right?).

Hungry.

Feels good to be back!

I've no other way to say it except I'm Back!

"Turning off" the creative juices that goes with being a writer (awww... I'm shy about using that term on myself) is like plugging up your digestive track or something like that. Poison and toxins build up and clog the system greater than the Big Five. (Let me see if my eight years in bio taught me anything-- there's the digestive, nervous, skeletal, reproductive, and uhh... i'll have to check my notes and get back to you on the last one! ah! muscular system!)

How'd that saying go in Philo? The one that goes something like the whole is greater than all the parts put together?

My head's a mess of jumbled words, images, and such. It's a mess alright, but it's good. It's good. I'll try and not get too carried away, I'll pretend to be an adult in dealing with these words and images but I'm afraid I'll get sucked up into the adult world and never find my way back to Neverland. Are you kidding?

It seems there are a lot of new things that were changed or can be done in Blogs eh? I missed a lot, need to catch up.

Anybody there? Well, see ya 'round!

botched blog

that's what this is... plus, i have to use the on-screen keyboard coz the hardware's gone bonkers so that i don't have letters S and W...

sing with me:

Kita ta za izkina kay bangkahan tika, dia pa ko'y gamayng kuarta. Lambanog ang tirada, inamaong iztorya. Wa'y magbuot kung magunza ta. Tungod za hayag na buwan, di ta mahadluk muuwan. Bahala'g bizan aza mangatulog kay kita hubog... magzinggit-zinggit ta'ng duha, magzinggit-zinggit ta'ng duha....

Sleep well!

late into the morning

uh, i don't get up this early for any reason except to go somplace else and i'm home so therefore i haven't slept a wink. thanks to my bad tummy.

tuesday, i was out with highschool friend who visited from manila. dinner at sunburst, strawberry drink at bo's. home at 11, up at 10 am with a bad tummy. was supposed to spend the day with her but instead i was in bed, pretending i wouldn't get dehydrated without drinking or eating. so, that night (wednesday), i forced myself to eat and drank about 1.5 liters of water cos hydrite is way more gross.

thursday, i wake up kinda fine. good, i thought, cos i've class at 1 pm. early to school so i could eat lunch and i wasn't late as a bonus. dropped the "picket fence" through the motion sensor about 80 times, give or take some 20 failed trials, i began feeling sick in the pit of my stomach: nausea. great... by 3pm, i would gladly have puked except that pangit sa porma yan. so, class at 4, out at 5, i had to keep back the stuff down my throat. 5:30 someone suggests coffee for the trouble. 6pm, i finally get the coffee.

friday one am, i was still up. 2 am, getting bored, so i enroll in unlimited text, foward messages and well enough, someone was up. text, text, text... 3 am, we say good morning and goodnight, mwah, mwah. 4 am, my head is bursting with thoughts, sleep still errant. i turn on the PC, put together a "photojourn folio", made up cute titles for the pictures, played big kahuna reef. 6 am, i couldn't take it anymore.

i cooked pasta, tomato cream sauce, ate, having coffee, just finished first stick of yosi. now i'm full. and sleepy. and i can't afford that right now.

sigh!

Terms and Conditions

The following need not apply:

1. Responsibilty - you signed up for something so you ought to follow through;
2. Obligations - you didn't sign up for it but you have to do it anyway (sigh...);
3. Tikle Tests - I'm hooked;
4. Caffein overload - avoid, especially if you've got lots to think about;
5. Zippo lighter - not as reliable as I thought;
6. Extension / MRR - do not, I repeat, do not mess around;
7. HH - ask the driver if he has enough fuel; also, ask the driver if he has necessary change;
8. Physics - no-sweat for some, tough for some (I might have to buy a book);
9. Migraine - bad karma? more like stress and such; can also be overcome with antihistamines (I've yet to try that);
10. ALL OF THE ABOVE - gets me ranting and raving, whining and (almost) crying.

All's good except that there are days when NOTHING ever goes right!


PS: to top off my day (Tues, July 11), I was off to catch a jeep but it was full and, of course, left me to the mercy of the notorious HH drivers; this one had enough gas to get me to Mintal but things wouldn't be right if he didn't have change for twenty pesos. yari ka!

=p