Well, I don't exactly have much exciting to report this time, but I figured an update was due anyway or you might all get worried. Since the end of break and midterms, we've all been pretty much hanging out around the center and watching movies pretty frequently. We've actually had a fair amount of work to do too, even though our classes are done with. Due to poor planning, we had 2 reports due today that were accumulated from field exercises we did over 3 weeks ago. And on top of that, we had presentations and another paper due from our new all-consuming class, the directed research.
For that, we've been divided into 4 groups and we're doing some cool research with our professors. My group has 5 other people and we're measuring the effect of road noise on bird distribution in Carara National Park. So basically, starting tomorrow I'll be living in a house in the park and birdwatching for a week. Preeeety exciting! Part of it is also catching birds with giant nets, so we'll get to hold cool tropical birds and put bands on them.
What else can I think of to tell you? The current controversy at the center right now is that they're practically starving us. This is a slight exaggeration, but here's the situation: even though the group of students this semester is smaller than those they've had in the past, we somehow consume such a larger amount of food that they've had to double or triple the food budget. This is putting quite a strain on the center, and they've cut back both the amount of food and the quality to save money. As you can imagine, this hasn't gone over very well. We basically had a riot today when they told us they can't buy more cereal.
Oh, I also had my birthday! I had a pretty good day, especially because it was a Sunday so we had the whole day free. I got some nice flowers from Sander, and mom had stowed a small present into my suitcase before I left that I had to save for this very occasion. On top of that, my friends made me a delicious cake with mocha icing that everyone shared for dinner. A 21st birthday is not quite so exciting here as it is in the US, since I've been drinking legally for 3 months. Still, I won't be complaining when I get back! Watch out San Anselmo.
Other than the normal schedule, we've had a few community events. We spent one afternoon at a center for disabled people in Atenas, where we hung out, danced, and sat with them while we made clothespins. The center doesn't get much funding from the government, so they have two enterprises that earn them money: sorting recycling (they're one of the only recycling groups in the area) and assembling clothespins for a manufacturer. If you've ever wondered how clothespins are made, it's kind of fun! You set up the two plastic parts in a little mold, set the spring in place, and then whack it with a metal bar to get everything set in place so it'll stay. I myself made probably about 100 and felt very accomplished. We also went and played more soccer, which is always fun. We've been playing the same neighborhood team all semester, and we've only improved since our first game. They still win most of the time, but it's a lot more fun and sometimes we score.
Well, I guess that's all! No pictures this time, since there wasn't anything very exciting to take pictures of. You'll have to use your imaginations to visualize me making clothespins and losing weight.
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