The other day after going into town with one of my field assistants to get bricks to build a new wall in my kitchen, we stopped to get lunch on the way home.
During lunch I asked him how often he had lunch with any of the other students that have worked here. But he said he'd never had lunch with anyone else before me. When I asked, why not? He replied: "No one else is like you, Jackie."
... that's right :)
All too often students begin fieldwork full of anticipation and high hopes for big adventure, only to end up burned out and on their way home within a month. This has inspired me to write a post about what it takes to survive primate behavioural research for people who may be considering taking this "road less traveled by" in the future. I won't water it down for you; primate research is not for everyone. Fieldwork is an uphill road, overloaded with obstacles that will test your personal strength every step of the way. (Perhaps there's a reason we opted to leave the forest and culture up our lives, oh so many years ago :). But if you've got what it takes to push yourself beyond the comforts of the average everyday world, and you're interested in finding out just how strong an individual you really are, then studying primates is one of the most inspirational and rewarding jobs available! Think you've got what it takes? Here are my tips for what it
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