hard rubbish

I rescued my first piece of hard rubbish yesterday. It looked expensive so I was really surprised to discover it was from ikea and costs less than $30. It's called a Vargo chair and was designed by Swedish architect Thomas Sandell, who has designed quite a few nice (and expensive) furniture pieces for other manufacturers.

I must admit, when I found out the chiar was from ikea, I was tempted tosimply  toss mine back out onto the curb and buy a new one...but I've changed my mind. I've decided to turn the chair into my very own DYI project and spray paint it for my balcony.

a dog's life

It was all about the dog yesterday. We took Truffles on a walk to the South Melbourne Markets in the morning. We then decided to hire a flexi car and took her to a dog park in North Carlton, followed by a visit to the Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy for a run. She had a great time socialising with the other dogs (she even got face f*%ked by a small maltese poodle cross).

prawn feast

I was invited to a kid's birthday dinner last night at Crown. We went to a seafood buffet night at one of the restaurants where customers are each given a card for redeeming either 300 grams of prawns or a dozen oysters.

To my surprise, Nathan and I were the only people who ate seafood (which made the choice of dinner venue more than a little puzzling).

I took it as a personal challenge to try and use as many of the cards as possible. I gave up after four serves (or 1.2 kg of prawns later). I don't think I've ever eaten so many prawns in my life.

selfie in the library

I decided to work off campus today. I started the day with my laptop in the City Library before making my way to the State Library after lunch (yes, I had roast duck for lunch in Chinatown).

I have been busily tapping away on my computer oblivious to my surroundings until a few moments ago. Suddenly, I became aware of the majesty of the building and the furnishings around me – so I took a selfie.

tragedy

Our friend, K, lost his partner last year in a vehicle accident. At the funeral in Adelaide, both K and Nathan met the partner's brother and began a friendship. He was evidently a very nice guy, and I had been looking forward to meeting him.

Unfortunately, the brother went missing a few days ago and the police has just found the body in the Torrens. It seems he had been battling his own demons. So sad.

Saturday scones

Nathan and I had our seven year anniversary yesterday. We celebrated with a nice lunch on Southbank, followed by afternoon tea at the NGV.

Neither of us had been to NGV international since last year and we were surprised to see that the Gallery had renovated the tearoom on level 1. The old interior was warm, luxe and inviting.

The new interior is stark, white and clinical (it also looks unfinished). The old waiters seem to have been replaced by a younger, more trendy-looking bunch. The space was more crowded (I guess the space was renovated to fit more tables). The light sculptures were blindingly bright.

Fortunately the main reason for our visit, the scones, remain unchanged and were super tasty.

emoticon

My boss is not good with emails. There is often a mismatch between what he intends to say and how it is perceived by the recipient. His emails are often terse, negative and cold (even if he intended the words to be positive). He is so much better face to face.

I had a meeting with him last week and brought up the issue about the tone of his emails. He reckons it might be cultural as several senior colleagues have already been on his back about his email manner. I suggested he uses emoticons to make his intent clearer.

Sydney weekender

Nathan and I were in Sydney on the weekend for a friend's husband's 30th birthday dinner. [Sorry fellow Sydney-based bloggers, we didn't have time to catch up this time...it was a very short visit]

The friend is one of Nathan's oldest childhood friends. Her husband is absolutely wonderful. Super nice guy. Very thoughtful. In fact, we once told the friend that if she and her husband ever split, and if we had to choose, we'd happily be friends with just the husband (you can imagine it didn't go down too well).

Anyhow, it was a bit of a rush on saturday to get things in order. We dropped the dog off to the dog hotel on Saturday morning and flew out of Melbourne in the late afternoon.

We went to Crow's Nest for the birthday dinner...indian food. Delicious.

We stayed overnight at the Park Royal near Darling Harbour. Nathan and I had two separate beds...pure luxury.

On Sunday morning we met up again with our friend and her husband (birthday boy) for breakfast in Redfern. The restaurant is called St Jude's and was absolutely packed with people. There was a big bunch of people outside waiting for coffee. We were fortunate to get a table. The inside of the cafe was decorated with creepy old dolls (I managed to find a photo of the cafe on the web with one of the dolls).

After lunch we walked to one of my favourite interior design shops, where I bought a random piece of Staffordshire pottery that was so ugly that I actually felt compelled to own it. I later found out that this particular figurine (seen on the right of the photo) is called the 'faggot gatherer'. How appropriate.

All weekend long, I have been obsessively looking at the dog webcam installed at the dog hotel. I felt like an obsessive parent. Here you can see a picture of Truffs (she is the black fluffy one who is roughly in the middle of the shot). She has to spend one more day at the hotel because today is a public holiday in Melbourne (except for me...I have to work).

swoon

Every now and then, I see someone who is so gob-smackingly good looking that one cannot help but stare. Today was one of those days. Nathan and I were on our way to meet my family for lunch and this very handsome guy got onto our tram. I had seen him before...on the reality tv show, I will survive. Judge for yourself. 

eating dirt

I've heard a lot about edible soil. Yesterday I got to try it for myself. It was in celebration of my youngest sister's 30th. The restaurant was Maha. We went for the 6 course banquet. It was amazing. It's one of those places where each course is like a work of art. But unlike some fancy places, I actually felt satiated by the end of the evening.

backdrop

Nathan has been really getting into his photography. These two images capture the love of his life (oh, and me in the background).

keysborough and beyond

Nathan, the dog and I decided to go out for a drive yesterday.

We began our adventure out at collector's corner in keysborough where I bought an orchid with the tiniest flowers I had ever seen. Here is a photo I found on the web showing a close up of the flower (which is only ~ 3 mm across).  

We then decided to drive to Gippsland to let the dog run around on the farm. She loved it...until she got too close to an electric fence. Poor Truffles. Luckily, no major damage.

There is a very nice fig tree growing on the farm. Unfortunately the fruit weren't ready but I took a branch home and made a flower arrangement.

I also took some of these (Hawthorn, I think) to decorate the dining table.

I succumbed

About six months ago, a colleague gave me a bar of chocolate as a 'thank you' for giving her some work advice.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to. I'm not really a chocolate person but I appreciate the gesture. I'll bring it home for Nathan", I said.

It had been sitting on my office desk, next to the computer, untouched  – until yesterday.

It was late in the arvo. It was almost time to go home. Suddenly the chocolate beckoned.

Nom nom nom.

theft deterrent...

A few months ago, a colleague walked into the tea room – just in time to see a grad student chow into her lunch.

Today I came across a perfect solution...anti-theft lunch bags that will make your sandwiches look unappealing to all but the hungriest students.

new chairs

 After a very (very) long wait, I finally took delivery of our new dining chairs (designed by Ray and Charles Eames in 1946).

Here is one of the chairs still covered in plastic.

The chairs each came with their own certificate of authenticity!

The chairs in situ.

canine extravagance

Truffles is staying in a dog hotel while we are away. We opted for a room that costs as much as what a human can expect to pay in a 3 star motel. The room even has its own tv (so she can watch Andy Park on SBS). Have we gone bonkers?

Western Australia calling

Nathan and I are off to WA today to attend a friend's wedding. The actual ceremony is in a town located off the main highway heading south. I hope we can find it. Nathan can't read maps and gives terrible road directions. He probably disagrees (but its my blog and I can write what I want).

back in Melbourne

I'm back home. I've had a gluttonous time in Canberra celebrating chinese new year. I've gorged on every auspicious dish imaginable (auspicious for us that is; not so much for the animals that were consumed), from braised pig trotters and 'drunken' chicken to beef cheeks and sea cucumbers.

My time back in Melbourne will be brief. I'm off to the airport again tomorrow (it feels like I have spent all of 5 seconds in Melbourne so far this year). Details tomorrow...

I want one...

This gorgeous little plant is a miniature orchid called Dendrobium cuthbertsonii (try saying that ten times after a drunken binge). Isn't it pretty?

Native to the highlands of New Guinea, the flowers can last up to 9 months! And they come in an assortment of colours from red to purple to orange. Just the thing to brighten up the house for chinese new year.

I want one.

fat choy

One of my favourite chinese new year food items is 'black moss' (yes, in its dried form, it looks more like a piece of steel wool than a vegetable). It's better known by its auspicious chinese name, fat choy ('striking it rich').

Unfortunately, there are several reasons why I shouldn't be eating it, including the following:

1. it is a photosynthetic cyanobacteria (eew!);
2. overharvesting of the stuff in the Gobi desert is contributing to erosion and desertification;
3. it has no nutritional value; and
4. it contains a toxic amino acid linked to dementia.

happy year of the horse

I heart chicken

Those who know me know I love eating chicken, which is why one of my friends got me this...

gold

I went to see the Gold and the Incas exhibit at the NGA. The works on display were amazing. The little figurine above was probably my favourite piece in the exhibition.

the 'c' word

My friend has a brain tumour. She has to have surgery, followed by chemo. What sucks the most is that it's the second time she's had to have a brain tumour removed (and before that, she battled skin cancer). Its hard to make sense of why these things happen.

the heat

I am in Canberra to spend some time with my family for chinese new year. The heat seems to be following me around. It's going to be 38 degrees today.

I'm going to WA on the weekend for a wedding...hopefully it doesn't follow me out west.

contemporary dance

weekend

Nathan got back from Thailand on Friday to an apartment covered in baking soda. I had read that baking soda is a good carpet deodoriser so I liberally sprinkled a box worth all over the floor. Unfortunately, the vacuum bag filled up and the vacuum stopped working – and we didn't have any more vacuum bags left.

So...on Saturday we decided to take the dog for a walk to Port Melbourne to pick up some vacuum bags. We walked along the 109 tram route, stopping at some random place for breakfast along the way. After picking up the bags, we made our way towards South Melbourne Markets to pick up some groceries before heading back home.

We dropped the dog and the groceries back at home and then headed into the city for a late lunch at Il Solito Posti. We each ordered some zucchini flowers for starters (I had never had zucchini flowers before). I had a nice pasta for main course. Nathan had meatballs.

In the evening we caught up with some friends for dinner at Mesa Verde a Mexican place located on the sixth floor of Curtin House. Unfortunately the lifts were out of order (do they ever work?) so it was quite an effort to get up to the restaurant. The food was ok (though I admit I have very high expectations of Mexican cuisine after spending time travelling and eating my way across the country in 2004).

We slept in on Sunday. Well, actually, Nathan slept in. I was up with the dog watching breakfast TV.

When Nathan finally got ready, it was already lunch time so I suggested going across the Yarra to South Wharf to try Bang Pop (as if Nathan hadn't had enough Thai food this past week).

After lunch, we decided to go shopping on Chapel Street. I picked up a nice new (pink!) shirt at The Windsor Annex and then made our way back to South Wharf for more shopping at the DFO, where i bought a navy jumper (everyone needs a navy jumper).

We decided to have a quick 'light' dinner at the Hilton Hotel nearby, which has a decent tapas bar. Two hours – and quite a few plates of tapas and some dessert wine – later, we headed home to spend a couple of hours gawping at a broody Aaron Pedersen on Mystery Road.

 

sbs world news

I haven't been watching SBS late news for quite a while. I now realise what I have been missing....Andy Park. He is not only handsome but has an amazing newsreader's voice.

another outing

I went to work yesterday....a full day of meetings. It was otherwise extremely quiet. Most people are still away.

So...as I sat waiting for the train yesterday arvo to get back home, I decided I was going to take another day off today.

I started the day by venturing all the way out to Keysborough to visit Collector's Corner (I am such a plant nerd). Orchids get me hot and sweaty (especially as I am hanging out in the heated greenhouse).

By noon, I was back in the city and I decided to treat myself to an extremely decadent (and expensive) lunch at Shoya (mmm...sushi). I asked to sit at the sushi counter so I could watch the master sushi chef at work (doing so also allowed me to justify to myself that the price of the meal also included 'entertainment').

Satiated, I headed off to Bridge Road to pay the balance on our new dining chairs. They have finally arrived in Melbourne after a million years and I am looking forward to having guests over again without the worry they will tumble over on our old, broken chairs.

I had a couple of other things I need to buy so I headed back into the city. I went to Myer to pick up a power adapter for my Macbook Pro. I left the original one in the office but figured I needed a new one regardless because the cord on the old one had started to fray.

I then went on the hunt for a desk diary. Our work place nowadays uses google calander for everything but I am still a traditionalist, insisting on a physical diary (rather than a virtual one). This causes two problems. First, my colleagues get annoyed when they think I am free and book meetings with me on google calander. The second is actually finding a desk diary I like. This is a yearly chore but I actually managed to find one (I like the ones that open up to a week at a time).

Not long after getting home, Nathan skyped me from Phuket. I think the dog misses him because she got very excited when she heard his voice (Ok, I got excited too). He seems to be having a great time. He and his cousins have been to a Thai kick-boxing match, an elephant adventure ride, attended cooking classes, gone scuba diving and evidently will be going to see a ping pong show tonight (I told them to make sure to keep their mouths closed when the balls start flying).

day off

I woke up this morning and decided I wasn't quite ready to head back to the office so I took a day off work. It's nice to have a job that affords that kind of flexibility and it was easy to convince myself to take some personal time to recover from the trip having worked through the Christmas/new year 'break'.

I caught up with my sister and niece over a lovely lunch at the Town and Country Cafe in Balwyn. My sister discovered the cafe during one of her mothers' group outings. The food was lovely...I had an exceptionally tasty burger. it was stacked so high that I had to eat i with a knife and fork.

After lunch, I caught the tram back towards the city. Due to track works on Victoria Street, I had to take a bit of a detour to get to Fitzroy/Collingwood where I spent the afternoon wandering along Gertrude, Smith and Brunswick Streets visiting all my favourite shops and checking out some new ones like Happy Valley.

I stopped by Myers on my way home and picked up some flowers (well, actually, a bunch of interesting leaves) for home.

All round, I had a very nice start to the 'working' week ;-)

back in Oz

I slept pretty much the whole day after getting home from the airport (the dog kept me company).

I'm still trying to adjust to Melbourne time and have been waking up very early in the morning and feeling hungry at odd hours of the day.

I managed to lose 6kg on the trip (I guess eating beans and rice has some benefits on the waist line).

And after a month of cold showers, it was an absolute luxury to have access to hot water....The things we take for granted.

in transit

Transiting through the US sucks.

It sucks really, really bad.

Just when I thought I had seen the very worse of airports, today I experience the joy of transiting and re-checking baggage through Miami International. Ok, where to begin?

First, there were the enormous queues. Even longer than what I have experienced at LAX.

Next, the customs officials. They can be extremely mean. I heard a custom's official tell off a latin American guy for not being able to speak english ("You have a US passport so answer me in Spanish!"). Hmmm...let's not overlook the fact that everyone in Miami speaks spanish and most of the people working at the airport (including customs) seem to be of Spanish descent. Totally mean-spirited.

Then, after, making it past the surly officials, I then had to try to recheck my bag and get the boarding passes for my flights to LA and Melbourne.  You'd think this would be relatively straightforward. Apparently not. I was sent back and forth to no less than five different agents (all intent on getting me to do a self check-in) until I finally got to go to a service desk and get help from a real person.

On the plus side, the sushi place at the airport is A.W.E.S.O.M.E and immediately put me back in a relaxed mood (you can see the wave of calm sweeping through my body in this picture).

And, I got my business class upgrade from LA to Melbourne. Yay!

Nicaragua day 26-30 - the military incident and the frenchman

Following advice from a local researcher, we decided to drive to Lake Managua a few days ago to try to buy some fish from local fishermen. So, very early one morning, we made our way to the shores of Lake Managua (or at least, that's what where we thought we were heading).

At one point, there was a gate in the road. So...I got out of the car to open the gate. And that was about the time a soldier with a machine gun walked up to me and muttered something in Spanish (God, I wish I knew the language at that moment).

Fortunately, my colleague could speak enough Spanish to explain to the soldier that we were biologists on our way to the Lake to buy some fish. He gave us a puzzled look, asked for our identification, and disappeared into the darkness.

After what seemed like a very long time (enough time, at least, for it to be light enough to realise we had strayed into a military training zone), a more senior soldier came over. He was very friendly (uncomfortably so) and explained that the road actually leads to a restricted area and there are no fishermen near the area. Somehow, we had turned off the wrong road. Oops.

More pleasant run-ins today. A scantily dressed, extremely tanned, tattooed, handsome french guy (who looked like a model) was loitering near where we were doing our research. After casually looking at the bathers the guy was wearing, my student turns to me and says "Of course he is French".

We are back in Managua today. Flying out tomorrow.

driving in Nicaragua...

...is not for the faint hearted, which is why my student has been doing all the driving and not me. He has been very good at driving on the other (wrong) side of the road and dealing with the crazy drivers. Some interesting driving-related observations:

1. Passengers on motor bikes (usually a woman, small child or both) generally do not wear helmets.

2. If the traffic light changes, you can expect to be honked at within a ten of a millisecond if you do not start moving right away (a bit like in Sydney).

3. If travelling by taxi, don't be surprised if the driver pulls into a petrol station mid journey (it has happened to me 66.67% of my taxi rides so far).

4. At the traffic lights, don't be alarmed if a woman lies down at the intersection and starts throwing a child in the air in bizarre acrobatic manoeuvres. They are just performing for spare change.

5. A horse-drawn cart is a perfectly acceptable mode of transport – even in the capital city.

Nicaragua day 15-25 - fieldwork

I am back in Managua and have access to internet. Yay.

Since my last post, I have spent pretty much the entire time doing fieldwork on the shores of a crater lake outside of Managua. I love my job.

We (a colleague, my student and I) have been based in a highly fortified house only a few meters by the edge of the lake. The house is guarded by two American pitbulls – and an unknown crossbreed dog that would surely lick to death any thief who manages to scale the high concrete walls that surround the property.

We have a cook (the mother of the neighbor) who has been feeding us tropical fruits for breakfast, soupy things for lunch (usually delicious) and either left overs or gallo pinto for dinner.

Our daily routine involves getting to the water by 7am to collect data, followed by breakfast a few hours later, and then more fieldwork before lunch.

I tend to spend a lot of time trying to take in the beautiful surroundings (whilst trying not to take too much notice of all the rubbish that people leave behind on the shores of the lake).

There is a TV in the house but I quickly learnt that the evening news is not really meal-time viewing. It is far more graphic compared to Australian news. Basically, if there is a gory road accident, you can expect to see it all (unpixelated) on the evening news (hosted by an anchorwoman in a too short skirt). I am usually in bed by 8pm.

The birdlife has been amazing but fortunately I have been spared many of the other wild animals that manage to find their way (by either creeping or flying) into my colleague’s room (e.g. whip spiders, bats). The worst I have seen in my bedroom so far (touch wood) has been a ‘barking’ gecko. It was very cute.

We stayed in Managua last night. My colleague’s girlfriend is visiting with us for a few days. We will be heading back to the lake today. My trip is almost nearing an end. I’ll be back in Oz late next week.

10 observations

In anticipation of not having internet connection for a few days, here are 10 observations about Nicaragua...

1. You can expect to eat lots of gallo pinto and tostones.

2. Nicaraguans love their dodgy backyard fireworks.

3. Like the rest of Latin America, don’t try to flush too much toilet paper down the loo…you will cause a flood.

4. If you are driving and you happen to stop at the traffic lights at a major intersection in Managua, expect to have your car windscreen cleaned – even if it has already been cleaned at the same intersection by the same kid less than a day earlier.

5. While waiting to get your windscreen cleaned, don’t be surprised if three or four people walk up to your car and attempt to sell you something (e.g. sunglasses, drinks, fruit, steering wheel covers).

6. The concept of a street ‘address’ (as we know it) does not exist in Nicaragua [I have no idea how mail gets delivered here].

7. Don’t be surprised to see people carrying machine guns or machetes (Even their statues carry them – see above example). 

8. If you are dining out, save some food for the dogs and cats that will come to your table begging for scraps.

9. The smell of smoke is ubiquitous in rural areas (people love raking leaves into small piles and setting them alight).

10. A laid back attitude is the best way to enjoy this amazing country and its people. 

Nicaragua day 14 - shopping in Managua

We managed to get quite a bit done in Managua yesterday. We headed straight to the Metro Centro shopping mall, which looks a lot like an Australian shopping mall (minus the Myer or David Jones department stores). We took the opportunity to stock up on a range of essentials like toothpaste, insect repellent, sunscreen and potato chips (for my student; not for me).

After shopping, we stopped by at a café that seems to cater to rich Nicaraguans and foreigners (prices are in US dollars). I tried to order a tea but it somehow got very complicated in Spanish so I settled for a chai latte instead (which literally turned out to be a drink comprising a mix of chai and cafe latte).  

We ended up having an early dinner so that my colleague and student could make their concert. We went to a fast food place called Pollo Estrella.  It’s a bit like KFC – but with a Central American twist….You can choose to have refried beans, rice, or pickled onions as side dishes (rather than the chips or coleslaw that most of us would be familiar with at KFC).

This morning we had breakfast at the hotel (rice and beans) and are going to head back out to Metro Centro to grab a few more things that we forgot to get yesterday before heading back to Xiloa.

Nicaragua day 11-13 Lake Xiloa

We left Lake Apoyo the day after Christmas and have now arrived in Lake Xiloa (pronounced as ‘hiloa’). This will be my main base until I leave Nicaragua. We have several fish experiments planned here.

Like Lake Apoyo, Lake Xiloa is a crater lake and is teeming with fish. The surrounding scrub is a lot drier compared to the tropical forest of Apoyo. In fact, it looks a lot like parts of Australia (an illusion enhanced by the presence of Eucalypts).

We are staying at a privately run ‘research station’, several metres from the shore. There is a woodpecker living in a tree in the courtyard (will try to get some shots for a future post) and I saw my first scorpion on my way to the Lake (it may have fallen out of my colleague's diving gear...a good reminder to carefully check clothing and equipment beforehand).

We are back in Managua today (Saturday). My student and colleague are going to a concert after dinner. I will have a relaxing night catching up on internet.  

Nicaragua day 10 - Christmas

The festivities in the village started bright and early with fireworks and lots of people everywhere....such a contrast from yesterday when the place was practically deserted. There is now a very noisy reggaeton concert taknig place.

Some pictures from the trip so far...

Meeting fishermen on the shores of Lake Managua in the wee hours of the morning to buy our scientific samples. Yes, it's a volcano in the background.

An example of the fish we are after. Note the big lips. Reminds me of Lisa Renna from Melrose Place.

The place where we are currently staying, on the shores of Lake Apoyo. 

These are begonia, which are a popular house plant in Oz. I though it was interesting that these were growing on rocks rather than in the soil.

Nicaragua day 9 - toucan update

The toucan has sure been consistent with its calling…6am sharp ­­– every day. 

Well, as it turned out, today would be the last day we’d have to put up with his loud calls because the caretaker has taken him back into the forest to be released.

Nicaragua day 8 - choko

Not sure about the dinners at the place where we are staying. Tonight’s meal was boiled choko and rice. Might eat out tomorrow night.

Nicaragua day 7 - the toucan

I woke up at 6am to the call of a bird that sounds a lot like someone jumping on a squeaky spring mattress. It turned out to be the resident keel-blled toucan. 

We are preparing for our experiments today, with the goal of starting tomorrow. Otherwise, it’s been a relaxing day so far (except when the toucan decides to start calling).  

Nicaragua day 6 - Lake Apoyo

We said goodbye to our Spanish collaborator today who is returning to Madrid for Christmas. She has been great value and has managed to sweet-talk our way out of having to pay a penalty (i.e. bribe) for ‘scratches’ to the side of the hire car and negotiating taxi fares so we wouldn’t get ripped off.  We are now without a native Spanish speaker so will have to rely instead on what I have learnt from Dora the Explorer.

Today we arrived in Lake Apoyo, a beautiful lake formed inside the crater of an extinct volcano. The lake itself is surrounded by lush jungle. It is really beautiful.

In contrast to our beautiful surroundings, the accommodation we have organised is a bit on the ‘basic’ side (truth be told, I think some Australian prisons are probably more luxurious). 

I’m a bit concerned about the bugs that might be already in the room, and the ones that are thinking of creeping in during the night….my collaborator already discovered a big whip spider on his bed (imagine a cross between a huntsman and a scorpion). And ‘no’, my collaborator didn’t manage to catch it so it’s still in his room, which, I guess, is a blessing because it means it isn’t in mine.

Nicaragua day 5 - machine guns, bats and iguanas

We went to a fancy restaurant last night that specialised in local Nicaraguan cuisine (which, of course, involves, bananas, beans and rice). The restaurant (in contrast to our hotel) is in a nice part of town. It was quite some distance and, not feeling terribly confident about driving at night, we decided to go by taxi.

The taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant right next to a guy carrying a machine gun. I couldn’t quite figure out whether the guy was protecting the restaurant patrons or something/someone else but there were other people standing with machine guns at other street corners nearby.

The dinner was ok (I don’t think Nicaraguan food is in my top 10 of most global cuisine). I was more interested in the bats that were flying around our table. The bats were pollinating the banana plants flowering in the garden beds adjacent to where we were sitting. It was like seeing a David Attenborough documentary – but in real life.

Today we went to one of the major markets to look for some materials we needed for an experiment. Hmmm…how to describe the market experience? I guess it’s a bit like the Queen Victoria markets but more crowded and dirty and full of smells that make me want to gag. The worst part was definitely the section that sold meat…it almost made me want to become a vegetarian. The saddest part was seeing live iguanas (giant lizards) tied up for sale.  

Nicaragua day 4 - back to Managua

I haven't had access to the internet for the last three days, which is both a blessing and a curse. We are now back in Managua so it has been catch up on what's been going on in the rest of the world. Unfortunately, it's mostly work related stuff. My colleagues and I are sitting in a nice cafe being completely anti-social.

Nicaragua day 3 - fish!

We have fish. We started the day at 5.30am by going to the shores of the Lake to meet the fisherman as they were returning back with their catch. We basically went from boat to boat searching for the species that we wanted. The locals must have thought we were crazy.

The fisherman we specifically asked to go out for us the previous night wasn’t terribly successful but we still gave him money for his efforts. He felt really bad and offered to go out again to have another go.

It’s not an easy life, rowing back and forth out to the middle of the Lake under extremely choppy condition every night to fish.

I’d be keen to give our study species a try (they seem to be very a popular food fish among the locals) – but maybe at another, less polluted lake (my colleagues tell me that a factory had, some years before, released huge volumes of mercury into the Lake when it closed).

Nicaragua day 2 – pigs, dogs and cats

Today we headed to a village located on the shores of Lake Managua. We are staying at a nice hotel owned by a Nicaraguan woman and her American husband, a Vietnam veteran. Nice couple. The hotel property, with its lush tropical garden and crazy sculptures, is very different from the poor rural setting of the surrounding neighbourhood though. 

Soon after arriving, we headed to the shore of the Lake, which has a spectacular view of a smouldering volcano on the opposite side. We managed to find a fisherman who has agreed to set his nets in a particular location near a small island overnight to collect the fish that we are after.

In the evening we went for dinner at a nearby restaurant. We decided to go by foot, which turned out to be a mistake…Half way to the restaurant, I had a close encounter with a very large pig, who decided to come right up to me and then proceeded to rub its wet, smelly snout all over my legs (while my colleagues watched with amusement). Welcome to rural Nicaragua.

After the stand off with the pig (which lasted several minutes until it decided to trudge off into the night), we arrived at the restaurant…I think it was previously a public swimming pool judging by the fact that there was a large swimming pool in the middle of the restaurant.

For dinner, I ordered fried chicken, which was served with deep fried banana. Even though I have only been here less than 24 hours, I have noticed that it is quite common to have stray animals come sit next to your table while you are eating. Tonight, a cat and two dogs decided to join us for dinner while bats (did I mention that Central America is home to vampire bats?) circling around our heads.

After returning to the hotel after our delicious meal, I went straight to the shower to wash away the smell of swine. 

Nicaragua day 1 - first impressions

After a long journey, I have finally arrived in Nicaragua. First impressions: chaotic, colourful, noisy, exciting.

trip preparation

The foot is much better today. It looks a bit wrinkly but I guess that's a sign the swelling is going down.

Today I must start preparing for the trip. I have to pack my bag and write copious instructions for Nathan to follow while I'm away. I also need to back up all the stuff laptop onto my newly purchased Time Machine. I hope it will be straightforward because I am hopeless with technology. Oh, and the dog. I will need to brush the dog before I go because Nathan definitely wont be doing that when I'm away so I should at least try to get out all the existing knots in anticipation of the new ones the dog will accumulate when I'm away.

I haven't really thought much about the trip itself, other than having to write a very lengthy security and safety plan for work – because Nicaragua is a country that has a higher DFAT warning (even though it is the second safest in North America after Canada, and the fact that we are not going to any of the dodgy areas).

I'm really looking forward to the plane ride this time. Am flying the Qantas A380 from Melbourne to LA. I booked a seat in premium economy. I thought 'screw it'. I have the research funds, I might as well  go in comfort. I also put in a request yesterday for an upgrade to business on frequent flyer points (I figure I might as well try to go in even more comfort if I can get it). The flight attendants will be wearing their chic new uniforms. Should be a nicer experience to what I am usually accustomed back in economy.

bedridden

Stuck in bed today trying to get over a case of gout in my right foot.

The problem surfaced when I was in Queensland last week for a marine biology field course and I had no idea of the underlying cause. The foot swelled and it was difficult to walk.

I went to the doctor on thursday and after a bunch of tests (which included getting a needle stuck into my ankle to extract the fluid for analyses) I was diagnosed with gout.

I am desperately trying to get back to normal – especially as I am due to fly to Central America on Monday.

So far, the drugs are working a treat. I have also been drinking heaps of water to help flush out the toxins and eating cherries (which are suppose to be good).

Fingers crossed.

the birds

I am up on The Great Barrier Reef this week for a field course. One of the student has a bird phobia. I didn't realise people can developed bird phobias. It is known as ornithophobia.

Poor student. The island is full of birds. They are absolutely everywhere. You can hear them chattering all day and all night. Sometimes they even fly into you. It's the unpredictability of the birds that the student finds most scary...one minute they are sitting on the ground and the next they are flapping everywhere.

catching up with the boys

My 20 year high school reunion was last night. It was great. There was a huge turn out and I managed to talk to almost everyone who was there. I had great conversations with all the blokes I spoke to...even the ones who were not so nice at school.

I have to admit that I did have difficulties recognising a few of my fellow students. Some seemed to have aged a great deal while others were completely unrecognisable. Without the benefit of a name tag (and not wanting to sound rude for not reciprocating recognition), I left the night still unsure about who some of the people actually were.

Oh, and the most memorable moment of the night? Some drunk woman from another party tried to pick me up.

hanging about

I spent the day doing a major rehang of the art inside the apartment to accommodate some recent acquisitions. I've been saying it for a while now but I think I can now officially declare that I have no empty wall space left. And to think when I first moved in, I was hoping to achieve a more minimalist aesthetic.

blast from the past

I got an unexpected email this morning...from my grade 5 teacher. Admittedly, I didn't know who she was at first and it took a couple of email exchanges before I made the realisation.

Teacher (email 1): "This is just a query....did you attend [name of school] in Canberra?"

Me: "Hi Jennifer. Yes I did."

Teacher (email 2): "Think I taught you in year 5. Remember the feast your parents put on when you made communion." (everybody from year 5 remembers the feast).

Me: "Ahhh...yes...of course Miss [surname of teacher]."

What followed was a series of email exchanges where I learnt that she is still teaching, albeit at different school in NSW and that she has two boys aged in their 20s.

I remember my teacher being really skinny with big permed hair. She was a great teacher, very funny. I also remember learning about Australian history...I recall learning about Willem Jansz and New Holland and the gold rush and the Eureka stockade. She must have been a great teacher because I don't really remember much else from primary school.

reunion

I have my twenty-year (!!) high school reunion coming up in a few weeks. We didn't have a ten-year reunion. No one bothered to organise one. This time, however, one of the guys went to great lengths to contact people. There are about 50 signed up for the catch up drinks, which will take place on a Saturday night. The following day will be a family day and tour of the school. Although I signed up for the both events, I must admit to having some reservations. On the one hand, I'd like to think we were a pretty decent cohort so am looking forward to catching up with the boys. On the other, going to a reunion feels a bit like going backwards. I wonder if that is one reason why some folks choose not to go. Oh, and then there is the whole "I am gay " thing. Let's see how that goes down (I went to an all-boys catholic school where everyone, it seemed, was straight). I'm sure no one will give a shit but it might potentially crop up when conversations turn to marriage and kids.

Tea cup disaster

Our friend's daughter wanted a tea cup dog. I had not heard of tea cup dogs before but did some research. What I read was frightening and both Nathan and I tried to convince our friend that she shouldn't get one. She went ahead anyway. It did not end well. The dog died in transit. Very sad.