March
March started with an unexpected pleasant surprise as I got
invited to help out on the Butterfly monitoring project. This was something I
have been looking forward to since during my time at University I have
developed a keen interest for insects including Lepidoptera. This so far has
been a great experience; firstly I learnt how to set up the 16 traps using an
attractant made up of ripe bananas and Sugar cane, over the same 1400m transect
line used for my own personal project. I really enjoyed learning how to set the
nets up as it’s a skill that will benefit me in future and would like to try
this out at home and see that British species I find. From this we had 3 days
in which we would check the traps, mark and release the butterflies whilst
collecting vital data. I loved this as
obviously Lepidoptera in Brazil are
big beautiful and impressive. I also learnt how to handle alive ones without
damaging there delicate wings. Luckily being interested Entomology I have
experience in spreading the wings and pinning dead specimens, so I had a
greater understanding how much pressure I can apply without harming them.
My bad luck with everything breaking is continuing and the
next thing to break was both the washing machine and drier, as a result I truly
am now living in the rainforest, as I now have to use a bucket to hand wash all
my clothes and my homemade line when its not raining :’( ! getting domesticated
#Firstworldproblems. More bad luck includes getting slight food poisoning or a bug this
month from treating myself to Mexican, not great when you share a room with
someone else, have no Netflix and no lounge pants :’(.
When I wrote my first blog entry here, I said I would be
completely honest and tell the both the good and bad aspects to living in
another country. This month has been the most emotionally challenging month so
far. Its no secret that I am prone to being
homesick but now is hitting me more than ever. For those who don’t know, my 6.5
year relationship at home has hit a wall, and that’s all I will share about it
so far. But coping is difficult as I don’t
speak to many people here; when I say that I mean I have my housemate and
occasionally my language teacher. The
need for human contact is suppressing me like a ton of bricks. The routine this
month is also the getting tedious, and the field doesn’t quite satisfy my
thirst for adventure anymore. And even
now I am struggling to put this into words. I must be starting become a complete bore. But
being amazing friend’s they continue to be supportive even if it means sitting with
me on skype almost every day this week, listening to me whine and get upset. My housemate parents are also visiting today
so that put it even further into light how much I miss my own and everyone at
home. So ill end this month’s entry by
thanking and apologising to the people who has had to deal with my continued negativity. Thank You and Sorry too: both Joe’s , James,
Hannah, Laura, Sarah, Damien, Ben D, Ben W and Skye. Whom have had to deal with me consistent
moaning. I Love you all.
I’ve had enough of March. I expect April will have its moments,
but now since I am half way down a bottle of Bacardi gold it’s time to pull
myself up again.
