I'm baaack!

I got back about 2 days ago, but for some reason could not bring myself to blog. I think it's because I'm really tired and a bit dejected about life at the moment (ignore the bad grammar, I'm exhausted!) and writing about it invariably ends up as a bitching session. I hate bitching on my blog because it always comes back to haunt you when it's written down!

The field-trip was fun. The student I was worried about was actually ok. I think she figured out pretty early on that I knew what I was talking about, so it was ok. She's also pretty insanely manipulative and the entire camp adored her pretty quickly so I got sucked into the 'we love her!' vibe. there were also others who were a lot more difficult. On the whole I pretty much spent the whole time running around like a maniac. I think the only time I went to bed beofre 1:30am was one night when I collapsed at about 11 or so. we were also up before 6, mainly to go swimming in the sea before breakfast which was AWESOME!

I also got into my first mud-flats mudfight, which was hilarious because there were 2 of us running around slinging mud at each other while all the students stood there looking confused while their 'authority figures' acted like kids. A few minutes later I fell into the mud (long story) which was even funnier!

On the downside I lost respect for a lot of the senior people there, some of whom I had already disliked but still respected and some that I had always liked and looked up to. That always sucks! I also spent a lot of time thinking which is very dangerous, so by the time I got home I was in a full blown panic about the whole PhD situation.

Fortunately, after much correspondence (about something entirely unrelated) with one of the PhD students that I really do like and respect, I mentioned it and got this as a reply:

'Think it is a good move...because although in general I don't agree with Hons going to Phd, you are getting so much experience with other projects that I don't think it will matter that you miss out on one more learning opportunity before you are let loose on the world with your phd. And, as we all know, you are more than clever and hard working enough to breeze through it! So, don't think it's insanity - just a well considered career plan. '

So now I'm feeling a lot better about life! Yay!

I also spent a lot of time at the zoo over the last 2 days, and I got to play with Josh, the baby chimp (he's ADORABLE! and he bit my shoes and stroked my face and held hands with me...) and help medicate some of the monkeys and then hold the baby lemur while Luke chopped up food for him. It was really cool!

Last night I went with Luke and Athena to see 'Blood Diamond" which was actually really good! I felt so sad at teh state of the world in general, which is what I love and hate about movies like that. I'm glad I decided to work on animals rather than people! It got me thinking, what is it about shiny stones that makes people want to kill each other for them? What are they actually good for? If you love somebody enough to marry them, why not get the engagement ring tattoed on? Or even a piece of string would be ok. It's the principle. I mean I understand oil in that we need it for transport, and gold can be used in circuit boards and so on. But what makes us care about stuff like diamonds? Is something that's pretty and shiny really all that important?

Right now I'm exhausted and not feeling too good. the little voice in my head is muttering about tick-bite fever which is extremely worrying. Some people got it after the field-trip last year and the blinding headaches and nausea are fitting just a little bit too well right now! I'm going to bed to pretend I'm ok!