Chickens and Caves

Two weeks gone since vacation! Only a few weeks left, and I am taking at least one, maybe two off!

Week after vacation I spent some time writing a paper on sustainable development and environmental impact assessment (EIA). Not particularly exciting, mostly synthesizing arguments made in the late 90’s by the UN and Canada for a more integrated approach to environmental management, but I think that’s what the prof wanted.

Also wrote a paper on water quality of some nearby river.

I don’t think I have commented on the mosquito situation in my room yet. My old room, the one with a view, never had mosquito problems. I had ants, but still have ants. They crawl over my screen, keyboard, bed, sheets, face, arms, clothes- all in search of food and without ever biting. I like the ants. Mosquitoes are not welcome. The first few nights in my room I suffered through constant buzzing in the ears and waking up with welts all over my body. Then I got smart and before going to bed went on a mosquito search. Found about 10 of the little bastards and killed them, only leaving behind a few bug/blood marks on the walls. I continued sleeping and killing just before bed for about a week. I was still tormented by buzzing in the years, and although the number of welts incurred per night decreased, each morning I still was finding new welts. One night I got smarter and went on a rampage. I clapped, squished and smashed every mosquito I could find in my room. I shook every item, curtain, book, shirt, sheet in order to flush out the little buggers, then went back around the room and flushed again to get the ones that had re-hid. I totaled over 50 for the night, and with bloody hands and even bloodier walls I slept soundly. Since that night it has now been nearly 3 months. Before bed every night I still go about my ritual killing. It is quite an efficient process now, I know the best hiding places- just flush and clap. I average 3 per night.

Went to a rugby game this weekend. That was good, but short, and the stadium was too big to see much. Also went spelunking, cave exploring. Checked out three sandstone caves, no limestone here. Managed to scrap up my knees in some tight squeezes, and get in some really good stealth hide-and-scare operations complete with growling noises or unexpected hair touches. There were also cave crickets.

I saw an awesome movie about food production this week. We Feed the World, half was on soya in Brazil and half was on chickens in Austria. The chicken footage was unbelievable, especially the shots of the young chicks and the slaughterhouse. Aesthetically great, full of repetition, texture, and shape. The movie was actually an informative piece, to bring the reality of mass or commercial farming/ poultry into focus. The birds were raised like crops and slaughtered.

In the next two weeks, I might actually get to go catch some dassies, believe it or not. The naming competition may yet happen. Next thurs I leave for Lesotho for a week.