Archive for October, 2007
Sam: There’s hardly anyone in the sea today… odd for a Sunday.
Shawn: I wonder what the red flags mean?
Becks: Why are those lifeguard guys running towards us?
Turns out the beach was closed because a saltwater croc was sighted just off the Strand this morning. Oh, and some idiots have been chumming off the jetty and caught a 3m tiger shark last night. Oopsy.
A few photography-related links that are well worth checking out:
Raul Gutierrez’s portfolio ‘Travels Without Maps’ are amazing collections of photographs from Tibet and remote areas of China. And isn’t that the best name for an exhibition ever?
Jon Huck’s Breakfasts Photos of people with what they eat for breakfast. Culinary and photographic inspiration for the price of one, and an interesting social commentary.
Ben Roberts Photography Some interesting collections. I like the portraits in higher lands and weekenders and there’s some great shots in superpit (which I first saw in JPG Magazine) and a sense of place.
Last weekend we went to the last of the infamous Mundingburra goat parties. A couple of years ago these guys had a load of friends round for a party and roasted a goat. Next time round it was a pig, then a cow… you get the picture. This time round there were 300 people (not roasted, obviously) a goat, a pig, a couple of roos and rumours of a crocodile, although I never saw one. There was a DJ and people spinning fire pois in the garden, a band playing upstairs, some curiously alcoholic punch and lots of beer. These guys know how to throw a party!
S woke up in the morning to see a half-roasted roo floating around the pool on an inflatable lilo. That’s when you know it’s time to go home.
Sunday was mostly spent sleeping, eating and floating in the sea.
Another great thing about being a marine biologist: the toys. This week I bought a new camera with a fancy ikelite underwater housing, a portable hard drive for backing stuff up in the field, a GPS and a bright yellow Pelican case to keep everything safe and dry. Hurrah for research budgets!
Booked some more flights today. I’m going to be flying back to Manila on November 8th. Which isn’t very long away at all! Apart from a couple of weeks in the UK over Christmas and New Years, I’m going to be living in Dumaguete for the next six months or so. Exciting!
Listening: Manu Chao - Clandestino
Reading: Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Collected Stories
I’m obviously feelin’ the Latin vibe!
Ol’ bloggy has been abandoned of late, but I thought a resurrection was due, given that I’m going to be off travelling to exciting climes again soon. I shall make a concerted effort to post something at least as often as I redesign the thing! I might try and fill in some of the gaps (there are many) between June and now… so don’t think you’re going crazy if posts start appearing in wierd places!
So here, as promised, is a quick, coffee-break update on me:
After a brief period of being homeless nomadic, I’m now living in a ‘half-way house for marine biologists’ (not my words!). Actually, it’s fab. The house is big and lovely and right on the Strand (by the sea) so I can go swimming after work. After a while living in ‘quiet’ houses I’m really enjoying living somewhere busy again - there’s anywhere between three and seven people (depending on fieldwork), an eclectic mix of aussies, poms, french and sometime peruvian! Oh, and a couple of possums.
Last month I flew down to Melbourne for a few days to meet up with Rich, who was doing some silly diving stuff in a cave somewhere. I loved Melbourne. Lots of good food, nice and easy to get around, an interesting mix of old and new architecture, and well, just fab. Melbourne has a much more European vibe than Sydney, I think I miss that. We hired a Toyota Prius (hybrid-eco-fun-new-favourite-car) and went on a brief road trip along the Great Ocean Road, which is just stunning. All dramatic and windswept and lighthouses!
I’m making the most of having housemates with 4WDs. Have had a great time the last couple of weekends neglecting my work to go on jolly jaunts fishing (unsuccessfully), driving along beaches, swimming in creeks and spotting ‘roos in the bush. I’m kicking myself for not taking some photos.
Finally, a bit of news - I’ve just booked flights to come home over Christmas! I’ll be in the UK from 23rd December to 3rd January. I am very excited about finding come culture in London, diving in Scotland over New Year, good clothes shops, meeting up with friends in London and Sheffield and Waitrose. I am less excited about how horrifically cold it is going to be, flying in from the Philippines! Donations of jumpers, hats and shoes will be gratefully received.
Becks is a marine ecology PhD student, living in Queensland (Australia), Dumaguete (Philippines) and London (UK). Marinegirl is her online alter-ego. She dreamt her up as as super-gorgeous superhero saving the underwater world (if you've seen Captain Planet, you get the idea). She is not, and never will be, in the marines.