good vibrations

This is my last post before I leave tomorrow. I want to thank all of you who have followed along on this 2 week journey. Those of you at home, those of you here, those of you around the states and even the far reaches and corners of this wonderful planet we're lucky enough to call our own. Your encouragement and support have meant the world.

Now, I realize I'm double-dipping on posts today, but I thought it best, as tomorrow will be without an entry. I will post once I am back at the office to kind of sum up this adventure.

Kim gave a talk this afternoon and is really into some exciting things with her frogs. Her findings are a valuable addition to this continuing tungara project/team. She's approaching the whole of sexual selection with the tungara frog via the neural system: "Brain networks mediating reproductive decision making". Basically, what in tarnation is going on in the frog's brain when these mating calls are happening? And I don't know the answer to that quesiton, but she's getting pretty close. There is a protein being expressed when the calls are made. This is erg-1. The female frog hears the call and her wee-tiny synapses are firing and this this protein is being expressed and, as Mike summarized in his talk this evening at BCI ... there is "excitation". The second I heard that word I thought to myself: which one of the Beach Boys is a Ph.D.?! OMG! If you listen to the lyrics of "Good Vibrations", Brain Wilson is basically breaking down what happens to these frogs! Well, you have to switch the gender, but you can get the idea.
link to video

I, I love the colorful clothes she wears
And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair
I hear the sound of a gentle word
On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air

Im pickin up good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Im pickin up good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Good good good good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Good good good good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations

Close my eyes
Shes somehow closer now
Softly smile, I know she must be kind
When I look in her eyes
She goes with me to a blossom world

Im pickin up good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Im pickin up good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Good good good good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Good good good good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations


I dont know where but she sends me there

Gotta keep those lovin good vibrations
A happenin with her
Gotta keep those lovin good vibrations
A happenin with her
Gotta keep those lovin good vibrations
A happenin

Ahhhhhhhh
Good good good good vibrations
Shes giving me excitations
Good good good good vibrations
Shes na na...

After Kim's talk, Emma and I got caught in the rain and had the very amusing German's living in my building take this photo of us in our full rain regalia. It's the least flattering picture, but it's really quite funny. The other pic is of me at the Gamboa dock headed to BCI. I'm going to miss this place and everyone in it.

All my love.

international surf day

It's International Surf Day today! A big abrazo to all of the CenTex Surfrider members out there! Check out surfrider.org to see what's going in your community to help celebrate. And I mean that rather literally, as there will be river clean-ups going on for those who are away from the coast. I know there's one in Austin after work today. Volunteer, lend a hand and make a difference. Thanks to surfervillage.com for image from the Reef Classic Latin Pro Panama.

Had to share some images from the library. There is a row of "old-school" books that I love. And then there are the gorgeous coffee table style books that have mind-blowing images. Inevitably, there is one book that just stands out for some reason - usually because of the cover, which I will term "wine label appeal". Mine was a tome entitled "Apes, Men, and Language".


Before coming to Gamboa, I designed the plates to go in all of Stan's books. I based them on the molas from the Kuna.


The last day of library work for now. Well, it's the last day of any work (for me) for now. Jesus, that's depressing. I'm glad there is a big group of us off to BCI tonight. That means we'll all have dinner together, which is a lovely way close these last 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS! That is so hard to believe ... it's flown by!

Bus Stop

Another very early morning, but I am happy for the work, as I am able - AT LAST - to start and finish the drawings I needed to get done for Mike. Frog brains are an easy model! Mike is giving what is called a bambi talk at BCI tomorrow: "To BCI & Back: 30 years with the Tungara Frogs". I need to find out why they call it a BAMBI lecture (no one really seems to know, although there are plenty of amusing guesses). Anyway, the drawings will - hopefully - work nicely for his talk and I will then give those to the frog lab so the researchers can use them freely, as needed. The growing library was tended to after that and I'm slowly chipping away at the remaining boxes of books on the floor.

Emma from the BBC came today to stay through Friday. We're all so incredibly happy, but nothing happens in Panama without a few missteps. This time it was the infamous dependability on the public transportation system. Emma was taking a bus from Panama to Gamboa and, well ... it never came. Meanwhile, I was at the bus stop with Mike's youngest daughter, who is also named Emma. She was very interested to meet her namesake, so she was a patient and creative bus buddy. We did a few experimental things with our digital cameras, and i was able to capture a great portrait of her on the back of her camera (you point the camera at you and the other party takes a picture of the viewfinder).


On the way to and from the bus stop, there is a stairway you can use a short cut. It's in a clever spot and isn't broadly used. The only drawback is it smells of mangos that have gone bad. Rotten fruit is never good, but if you can hold off the onslaught to your olfactory senses, it's a gorgeous walk. There are some vistas that would be worth a king's ransome if Andy Goldsworthy was around.


I introduced Emma to some of the researchers that she did not meet on Yandup Island and we ended up having an impromptu dessert for dinner session in Ryan's apartment. I made crepes with mango and pineapple, which Emma brought. We had a ball! I made a huge mess, but everyone seemed really pleased with the choice of entree.

I'm starting to freak out that I go home in less than 2 days. I'm going to miss Gamboa and all of the people here. We're all going to BCI tomorrow for the Mike's talk, so that will be a nice group send off, but leaving will be incredibly hard.

2 for Tuesday

Loads to do today! Funny what a trip away can do to your productivity level. Doh! Last night was spent at the library, catching up (now we're down to boxes) and working on PowerPoint presentations. I was able to load my software: John, Allan, Marsha ... YOU ROCK!! Started my drawings with the tungara frog brain. I think it'll be useful. In bed around midnight. Up at 6:30am with the parrots and more PowerPoint. Now I'm in the computer lab checking email and making this short post.

We're off to Tupper this afternoon for a lecture given by Julia Velasquez Runk. The rivers for the trees: Wounaan cosmology and environmental conservation in Panama. Oooo, trippy.

For all of you in Austin this fall, the Austin City Limits music festival schedule is out. Get ready for a great three days of music & fun. Crowded House is reunited!
link to schedule

Yandup

We're back from San Blas. Hard to believe it's Monday (this isn't the typical kind of Monday I have in Austin). Islands, airstrips, prop-planes ... OH MY!


We had the great pleasure of staying on a tiny island by the name of Yandup. There were 7 in our group from STRI and then a reporter from the BBC as well as a faculty member from another university. The former, a wonderful, adventurous woman from London who was a journalist with the BBC. The latter, a gentleman in his late 60s(?)who must have felt like he was dropped into the middle of a James Bond movie - the only man admist a myriad of bikini clad members of the softer sex. He was very happy.

A shout-out to Alisha, Aeysha & Ryan for putting this heavenly trip together and making sure we got to the airport, respectively. Saturday morning came very quickly, as we left for the airport at 4am. A ghostly sloth was crossing the dark, mist-filled road on the way to Panama City - it surprized all of us and set the tone for the unexpected, albeit a little less somber and vulnerable.


Albrook Airport is a small airport around the corner from the grocery store where was all shop. AND it's around the corner from "El Llantero" of all things (we've a strange corner in Panama, reserved just for us it seems)! We boarded an Otter 300 plane, which we had to de-board and re-board due to a technical difficulty. Once in the air, it was a GORGEOUS 30 mintue flight to Playon Chico, where we were met by a Yandup Island cayuco (hand-carved boat). Our wee boat had wooden planks for seats and backs that we set ourselves, at which became far more proficient with practice. We were *SQUEELING* with delight. We quite literally landed on our own private island. It took maybe 1 minute to walk across it in one direction, 2 or 3 in the other. There were bungalows for all of us, some shared, some private and a main palapa - which was quite large - for cooking and dining.


We had 3 meals a day included in our stay and we could not have been happier: fresh fish or shrimp every day, coconuts off of trees. It was all quite surreal! Day 1 was snorkelling and day 2 was visiting the Kuna village, which was fascinating.



The Kuna are such beautiful people! I've included a few links so you can read more about them.
link to wikipedia
link to website

There were so many children following us around, especially one little boy who was absolutley besotted with Alisha. Speaking of Alisha (with her beautiful features, dark skin and sweet nature), we were informed after the excursion that the group of Kuna we visited thought Alisha to be a Kuna from another village! It was very touching. Alisha also became our island guru, as she taught a yoga class and did splendidly (she's been practicing since she was 10)! Her parents, who both teach yoga, would be very proud! I have only been praciting for 6 weeks, and although an enthusiastic beginner, I could only describe my proficiency as GUMBY YOGA!

My bad ...

For some unknown reason I had it in my head that Father's Day was June 14th. It's apparently this coming Sunday, but I thought was Christmas ... apparently that's later, too. Sorry, Dad and all of you other dads out there. :o)

"hable en voz baja"

This turn of phrase can be taken in a few ways, but two - in this case - are the literal and the figurative. "Hable en voz baja" literally means "speak with a low voice". "Hable en voz baja" figuratively means "speak softly". We'll get back to this in a sec.


Today was Stefanie's day in court and mine as her would-be translator/assistant. All I can say is thank goodness we had Luis (from the STRI I.D. desk) with us as not only the liason but as the driver. We left Gamboa at 6am, left STRI in Panama City about 8am, drove God knows where for who knows how long and got to the I don't know what the hell you call the place at 9:15am. Now, if you would have paid me 1 million dollars, ONE MILLION DOLLARS, I could not find the place. I'm not kidding. You want to make the Amazing Race really challenging? Send them to friggin' traffic court in Panama.

The photo above is what is posted outside the front door. It is prohibited to carry firearms, and you're apparently S-O-L if you are wearing shorts, flip-flops and a t-shirt, as well! I think the gun was the most intimidating of the icons they could have used (I wouldn't be as scared if that had a picture of chancletas). Anyway, we got there with 15 minutes to spare. Good thing, too ... because when we found the right desk to check in, we were informed we went to the wrong office.

Next thing you know we are hauling heiney down the highway and across town and AGAIN, I could not get to this place if my life depended on it. And we made it. On time. I have no idea how, but we did. And then we sit. We sit for a solid 2 hours. And we are finally called in to see the judge. A lady judge! "La juez" was stunning: elegant, calm, curious, fair and well-humoured. But in the end, Stefanie was culpable and STRI will have to cover the incurred expenses via insurance. I would like to interject that STRI does a very good job of taking care of it's people. Here's a shot of Stefanie after having her "audiencia" (audience) with the judge. The whole place was a very strange blue/green color. That's the judge on the left.


For me, the best part of ALL of this was the signage in the waiting/processing/accouting room. Everywhere you looked there were serious signs that said things like "do not enter unless authorized", along with random rules and laws posted on the walls with tape or thumb tacks. My favorite had to be "Habla En Voz Baja", hanging by one of the cashiers. Not only was she a little scary (I don't think she likes her job very much), but the sign itself was printed over a picture of Darth Vader. At first I couldn't really make it out, but after looking hard enough at it I just started to laugh. Did they use Darth Vader because he "has a low voice", or was is an intimidation tactic ala "if you don't keep it down, Darth Vader will take your ass out"?


MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.