Prime Earth: Latest News

When I moved into my field house in Thailand to begin my dissertation research, I wasn’t exactly moving into 5-star lodging for a spectacular vacation. The previous resident had left in a rush and didn’t tidy up before leaving. And the current residents… the rats… hadn’t really kept the place up to pristine sanitation standards, nor were they intent on moving out anytime soon. Field stations are notorious for NOT being the ideal, most comfortable living quarters; oftentimes set up in remote, relatively inaccessible places with no electricity, and sometimes even without access to clean water. My house in Thailand by many standards, relative to other primate field stations my peers and colleagues reside in, actually DOES seem like extraordinary accommodation with 24hr electricity, an outdoor hose with running water (not drinkable, but safe enough to use for cleaning), an indoor toilet in the Thai-style bathroom, and the hot water shower (I installed the second day I arrived). But

Script from an actual conversation I recently had (inadvertently) with a few friends. Friend 1: "So, what are you going to do?" Friend 2: "I'll have to do something different... I want it to be.. be... more like... I have to start thinking out-of-the-box like Jackie" Jackie: "What box?" ;) Source: http://www.fromupnorth.com/2011/03/various-quotations-222/ Finishing your PhD is hard work; you spend a great deal of time swimming around in your head, trying not to drown in your thoughts. I’m not sure how successful I have been with this lately. But what’s for certain is that I’m not blogging about it, cause it's been a while since we last chatted, eh. :) I love what I do. I love gibbons. LOVE.THEM. But not every part of doing what you love is that wonderful. Sometimes it can be grueling getting from point A (blissful life in the forest) to point B (back to blissful life in the forest). As many of you know, I haven’t always been a fan o