So I'm going to Puerto Rico to serve as a research assistant to Maria Rahakovskaya, an enthusiastic and already well published PhD candidate at UPenn. The island is called Cayo Santiago(map searsh that, its so pretty) and I will be working, unpaid, everyday on the island from 7am til 1-2pm, collecting fecal samples for hormone analysis and collecting behavioral data on the males. AKA, I'll be in Puerto Rico for 6.5 months picking up monkey poo and watching monkeys! yaaay. I am .3 sarcastic.
What I do know about what I'm getting myself into:
I will be picked up from the airport by Maria
I'm staying in a house with other research assistants
My house has electricty and drinkable water
My house has no internet
Loren and Sarah are coming to visit me!
It will be very hot and it will rain on me
I will be exhausted everyday after working
All of the monkeys have Herpes B, so I have to wear long sleeved shirts and pants
Things I don't know yet:
What does this house look like?
Is it furnished?
Where will I buy food?
What will it be like?
Is there somewhere to hang a hammock?
What am I interested in studying in male rhesus macaques?
My questions are bigger in magnitude=eeek.
My flight leaves at 11pm tonight, with a layover in Chicago this morning, and I'll be in Puerto Rico at 2pm Monday!! I'll be learning individual monkeys by Tuesday.
Peace
3 comments:
good luck with the monkeys...
and welcome to the blogspot...thing...
muchos abrazos y que todo vaya bien
Hi Jenna!
I am enjoying reading "The Poo Chronicles" and vicariously experiencing the rigors of primate field work. Looks like you are definitely paying the dues of membership in your chosen profession. I hope you continue to enjoy it and stay well.
Look forward to reading the next chapter. I had no idea how much was involved in collecting these samples, of, well, poo!
Hugs,
Your Pseudo-Aunt Sandra
Hi Jenna,
Your blog just keeps getting better and better, and I can see that you are honing your powers of observation more and more with each passing day.
Some of these monkeys really sound like ass-holes though, but then that's such a major part of the perspective.
hugs,
PAS (Pseudo-Aunt Sandy)
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