Its been a while since i've posted anything. No particular reason, maybe because I've had no internet at home since being back in Reino Unido.
Its been 8 days since we've come back from Matienzo. A 9 week adventure for me. Its proven to be the best summer yet, not the best summer ever I swear to myself.
The number of pictures taken are pale in comparison with my other trips with considerably shorter spans, but hey! I wasn't really holidaying.. but spending time collecting data for my dissertation, and in the last 3 weeks, caving!
I love caving. I really do. Before that, lets talk about Oliana.
I spent 6 weeks in Oliana in Catalunya, just 2 hours north of Girona, and 40 mins from the Andorran border. We stayed in a small village campsite called La Valldan, not very far from the town Oliana.
Life in Oliana in a nutshell, is basically work work work work work, getting pissed off at annoying people, work work work and walk walk walk walk walk. Its not that all bad when you're doing something interesting, and rocks are interesting! The scenery was fantastic, the people were almightily embracing and lovely, and it was an awesome experience.
Will possibly post pictures later when I get the internet at home.
It takes a certain kind of a geologist to cope with 6 weeks of non-stop camping, and very hard terrain work, and I can very certainly say that there were some in our group who were very obviously not cut out for this kind of field work.
Field work in general can range from the very hardcore (living in tents) to very softcore (living in nice villas). Choosing to work from a hardcore point of view was the right choice in my opinion, though the grudges I had with flies and having to put up with very grumpy people weren't something I'd neccessarily put on the optionals.
In Matienzo, we were as well living in tents. Conditions were slightly more hardgoing then living in Valldan, in that the showers were less "developed" and there was no covered sitting area as we had set up in Oliana, the pros were that we had a fridge, which was new, and it was indoors.. but the power went off very very frequently as it rains quite alot in Cantabria. And it gets a little toasty in day if it doesn't rain.
But, we had Pablo's to go to. Everyone loves Bar German, the pub whose land we live on. Every night after tea, without fail, we would troop down to the bar and have a couple, and drinks were cheap as well! €1.50 for a bottle of San Miguel, and Pablo is generous as hell with the spirits when you order one. Not to mention the horrible spanish stuff (oruputo or something).
And another massive difference in experience in Matienzo was that we were ALL cavers, well, at least the ones who spoke english, and we were all bound by that same hobby and passion. Everyone got on with everyone, and everybody, was as hardy as a caver can be. Seriously, comparing both camp sites. Whining in Valldan is just basically being a fucking wuss.
Back to the point about getting back into the whole caving jig.
Having not caved for almost 3 months, suddenly popping back into a 8 by 2m hole to dig for a cave that COULD POSSIBLY exist wasn't really exciting, but it was an easy trip, and it got me rearing. In the end, we popped into a pot I aptly named Blackberry Pot for its abundance of blackberries at the entrance path.
The 2nd trip was possibly a mistake going down Giant Panda to Uzueka. That broke me. Having not caved in so long, a 12 hour trip basically broke me into a billion pieces.
Verily, and slowly, my caving fitness came back to me, bit by bit. Getting to know more people in the group, and going out to various other caves and learning new skills was exciting and very much what I really wanted to do. Towards the end of the trip, I was rearing to go and excited about the possible intentions to return in easter.
Truly, it was a bloody awesome trip, and in easter, We will be back. In apartments this time though.. its too wet in easter.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
paraulau de dieu
i´m in spain, and the shift key is wank.
if you didn´t already know, i have been here for the past 6 weeks, living in a little fucking awesome village called la valldan, just off the town of oliana in alt urgell, which is in catalunya, 2 hours away from the fucking awesome city of barcelona. perdone the expletives. its just great to have time on the internet.
i have been in barca for 2 days now, and i´m basically transitting to get to bilbao, which is the final leg (if you call 3 weeks a finale) of my adventure, which is to go caving with them lot in matienzo. its ace.
this whole experience has been nothing short of bloody fantasgormastic. stopped by the local police twice for doing naughty things, but got let off when told we were from manchester.. and they went.. boo manchester!! go barca!! and that just tells you how bloody awesome the spanish people, especially those in the rural areas, have been to us naughty drunken british lot (i have been told countless of times that i should probably start refering myself to the british lot now, i don´t know why).
the churches here are awesome, and i was just at the catedral de barcelona, and was treated to a free concert by the hampshire county youth orchestra.. and i was well excited.. cus it was quite nice..
yesterday was spent bimbling around barcelona with this croatian guy, damir, whom i met through my couchsurf host, vic.. and it was also awesome.. walking by the beach and being all city like with my rolled up shirts, hollister shorts, sandles, and shiny raybans are just what i need after 6 weeks in rural spain.
the pang for the mountains came back in the morning when i awoke to find myself in a bed, under a roof, and no mountains. its become like a heroin addiction this whole geology and incessant walking hiking thing.
my bag is half full of rock samples, and ´my handcarry luggage is stuffed full of geological books, and maps and work stuff.
me and frosty went down to the turistic informacion near the port today, and we asked, donde es la cartografia institut de catalunya? (where is the cartographic institute of catalunya?) and the ladies behind the desk were well shocked and there was about 30 seconds of pandemonium behind the counter before they decided to use the internet to find us our stupidly demanding request. hell, we weren´t even going to go there.. but we thought we could if it was near enough, and buy ourselves some pretty comarcal geological maps, which i managed to get from the generalitat llibreria.
i´m sorry the post is peppered with catalonian or spanish terms, but its so hard when no one hable ingles to you when you´´re out and about, cept when you´re with the british lot. but we´re so used to it now.
yesterday, in macs, when me and damir went for a wee, there was this tanned gentleman behind me waiting in the queue, when i came out, i told him before he entered the loo, arriba muchos colchar (very hot in there), the loo was sweltering hot for some weird reason. he stared at me.. and went.. what?! in an american accent.. followed by a sheepish and slow response of.. i don´t know spanish!! i roared with laughter like a madman for my stupidity, and apologised and i said i thought he was spanish and i just wanted to tell him that it was very hot inside.. and we had a good laugh about it.
life here is pretty good and slow. and the heat is doing my brain some good. going to beach to have my ensalada dinner now. poo.
if you didn´t already know, i have been here for the past 6 weeks, living in a little fucking awesome village called la valldan, just off the town of oliana in alt urgell, which is in catalunya, 2 hours away from the fucking awesome city of barcelona. perdone the expletives. its just great to have time on the internet.
i have been in barca for 2 days now, and i´m basically transitting to get to bilbao, which is the final leg (if you call 3 weeks a finale) of my adventure, which is to go caving with them lot in matienzo. its ace.
this whole experience has been nothing short of bloody fantasgormastic. stopped by the local police twice for doing naughty things, but got let off when told we were from manchester.. and they went.. boo manchester!! go barca!! and that just tells you how bloody awesome the spanish people, especially those in the rural areas, have been to us naughty drunken british lot (i have been told countless of times that i should probably start refering myself to the british lot now, i don´t know why).
the churches here are awesome, and i was just at the catedral de barcelona, and was treated to a free concert by the hampshire county youth orchestra.. and i was well excited.. cus it was quite nice..
yesterday was spent bimbling around barcelona with this croatian guy, damir, whom i met through my couchsurf host, vic.. and it was also awesome.. walking by the beach and being all city like with my rolled up shirts, hollister shorts, sandles, and shiny raybans are just what i need after 6 weeks in rural spain.
the pang for the mountains came back in the morning when i awoke to find myself in a bed, under a roof, and no mountains. its become like a heroin addiction this whole geology and incessant walking hiking thing.
my bag is half full of rock samples, and ´my handcarry luggage is stuffed full of geological books, and maps and work stuff.
me and frosty went down to the turistic informacion near the port today, and we asked, donde es la cartografia institut de catalunya? (where is the cartographic institute of catalunya?) and the ladies behind the desk were well shocked and there was about 30 seconds of pandemonium behind the counter before they decided to use the internet to find us our stupidly demanding request. hell, we weren´t even going to go there.. but we thought we could if it was near enough, and buy ourselves some pretty comarcal geological maps, which i managed to get from the generalitat llibreria.
i´m sorry the post is peppered with catalonian or spanish terms, but its so hard when no one hable ingles to you when you´´re out and about, cept when you´re with the british lot. but we´re so used to it now.
yesterday, in macs, when me and damir went for a wee, there was this tanned gentleman behind me waiting in the queue, when i came out, i told him before he entered the loo, arriba muchos colchar (very hot in there), the loo was sweltering hot for some weird reason. he stared at me.. and went.. what?! in an american accent.. followed by a sheepish and slow response of.. i don´t know spanish!! i roared with laughter like a madman for my stupidity, and apologised and i said i thought he was spanish and i just wanted to tell him that it was very hot inside.. and we had a good laugh about it.
life here is pretty good and slow. and the heat is doing my brain some good. going to beach to have my ensalada dinner now. poo.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
What it all meant to me...
Its officially the end of the 2nd year for us Geologists today, and we all hugged and wished each other the best of luck as we all split up to go for our independent mapping over the next couple of weeks. It wasn't nice biding adieu to people you see everyday for 9 months, and over weeks live together, and go on trips together and stuff.
Wales, our last trip of the year was quite awesome. Just 3 days.. we had much lesser work to do as compared to Scotland(i feel), and the weather was pretty mint. Other then the last day.. which was rather miserable... until we finished our work and started running around on the beach like idiots.
I don't think i quite laughed as hard and as continuously long as i did in aaaaaages.
This school year's been pretty tough. Living in my own 'house' for the first time, having to cope with bills, money, house stuff, living stuff, was pretty insane. It such a far cry from living in halls, but I think its my first big step to being a real adult. its weird.
It was also tremendously tough working lesser then I did last year, and ending up with really very little, or no money at all. In fact, i think I am in the red at the end of the school year, and thats not good at all. : (
Things are pretty sketchy at the mo.. money is really bad. : (
Wales, our last trip of the year was quite awesome. Just 3 days.. we had much lesser work to do as compared to Scotland(i feel), and the weather was pretty mint. Other then the last day.. which was rather miserable... until we finished our work and started running around on the beach like idiots.
I don't think i quite laughed as hard and as continuously long as i did in aaaaaages.
This school year's been pretty tough. Living in my own 'house' for the first time, having to cope with bills, money, house stuff, living stuff, was pretty insane. It such a far cry from living in halls, but I think its my first big step to being a real adult. its weird.
It was also tremendously tough working lesser then I did last year, and ending up with really very little, or no money at all. In fact, i think I am in the red at the end of the school year, and thats not good at all. : (
Things are pretty sketchy at the mo.. money is really bad. : (
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Singapore: Axis of Evil?
I haven't blogged properly in ages, and people probably don't read this page anymore. gar.
I jsut read this on Channel News Asia's website: George Yeo says NKorea interested in further cooperation with S'pore.
The nicely worded headlines shocked me, despite its diplomatic and peaceful undertone.
Having North Korea interested in Singapore, is not a good thing at all. The perceived friendliness that our government has towards the reclusive dictatorship has more negative implications then the simple article put forth.
Another country interested in the economy and growth of ours has not been a bad thing, yet.
With the American free trade agreement signed a couple of years back, and a large number of business deals with the emerging market of China, and its recent crowning as the Switzerland of Asia, Singapore is much laudable for the competitiveness and edge that our society and economy has put a grip over Asia.
Yet, with such a tentalizing relationship between our Government and N.Korea, does it not serve to discredit the sense of neutrality and peaceful development that our people have built up in the past 43 years?
First of all, an positive or encouraging response from our government to the N.korean incumbent(s) will only serve to jeopardise our relations with our other ally countries who take a tougher stance on issues within the said country. Most importantly, the USA, whom much of our foreign investment comes from, and also lies.
Secondly, is it not imperative to NOT trade or have engagements with a country who has a track record of quite horrific human-rights offenses? Not to mention, an unjustifiable nuclear programme that constantly threatens the stability of the region!
Our country has already been constantly plagued by bad images of a state-controlled media, lacking of an credible opposition, and most of all, the almost demonic and class-defining meritocratic instituition so inherent in our ministries.
Do we need another blow by changing our stance to both be America's friend, and N.korea's bank?
Sometimes, or rather, many times, it frightens me to even think about the future in Singapore. Having lived here for a grand total of 21 months, I am beginning to struggle to see the rationale in the decisions that our country leaders have made. A debacle has been made of so many issues, and public trust has been consistently dropping.
With the exception of the economy, which most of us common Singaporeans entrust the government solely with, the running of the country in terms of international relations, relations with the population, and more importantly, general-citizen happiness is appaling.
Despite the ultra-clean streets, extreme-efficiency, superb-food, and incorruptible-image, I fear that Singapore might no longer be the place that I know or had understood it to be.
We have so quickly changed into an extremely large multi-national company where the interests of the company outweigh the interests, and benefits of its workers, whic represents our citizens.
Many may find my criticisms intangible, and shallow at best. But I don't think the issues that our country faces can be so easily discussed and debated in an essay or 2.
I jsut read this on Channel News Asia's website: George Yeo says NKorea interested in further cooperation with S'pore.
The nicely worded headlines shocked me, despite its diplomatic and peaceful undertone.
Having North Korea interested in Singapore, is not a good thing at all. The perceived friendliness that our government has towards the reclusive dictatorship has more negative implications then the simple article put forth.
Another country interested in the economy and growth of ours has not been a bad thing, yet.
With the American free trade agreement signed a couple of years back, and a large number of business deals with the emerging market of China, and its recent crowning as the Switzerland of Asia, Singapore is much laudable for the competitiveness and edge that our society and economy has put a grip over Asia.
Yet, with such a tentalizing relationship between our Government and N.Korea, does it not serve to discredit the sense of neutrality and peaceful development that our people have built up in the past 43 years?
First of all, an positive or encouraging response from our government to the N.korean incumbent(s) will only serve to jeopardise our relations with our other ally countries who take a tougher stance on issues within the said country. Most importantly, the USA, whom much of our foreign investment comes from, and also lies.
Secondly, is it not imperative to NOT trade or have engagements with a country who has a track record of quite horrific human-rights offenses? Not to mention, an unjustifiable nuclear programme that constantly threatens the stability of the region!
Our country has already been constantly plagued by bad images of a state-controlled media, lacking of an credible opposition, and most of all, the almost demonic and class-defining meritocratic instituition so inherent in our ministries.
Do we need another blow by changing our stance to both be America's friend, and N.korea's bank?
Sometimes, or rather, many times, it frightens me to even think about the future in Singapore. Having lived here for a grand total of 21 months, I am beginning to struggle to see the rationale in the decisions that our country leaders have made. A debacle has been made of so many issues, and public trust has been consistently dropping.
With the exception of the economy, which most of us common Singaporeans entrust the government solely with, the running of the country in terms of international relations, relations with the population, and more importantly, general-citizen happiness is appaling.
Despite the ultra-clean streets, extreme-efficiency, superb-food, and incorruptible-image, I fear that Singapore might no longer be the place that I know or had understood it to be.
We have so quickly changed into an extremely large multi-national company where the interests of the company outweigh the interests, and benefits of its workers, whic represents our citizens.
Many may find my criticisms intangible, and shallow at best. But I don't think the issues that our country faces can be so easily discussed and debated in an essay or 2.
Monday, May 12, 2008
A long hiatus..
A quick update:
Life has been horrendously busy with uni work this semester.
Hianyi is visiting.. and is now snoring away on my floor while i am...
revising for my exams. : (
Spain is in less then a month. everything necessary has been bought, and now we only need to book a car hire, and a hostel for the first night.
life is so tough as a second year. i can only imagine 3rd year.
Scotland.. about 3 weeks ago.. was fucking ace. Had oodles of fun though we had soo much work to do.
Summer's going to be mint.
Life has been horrendously busy with uni work this semester.
Hianyi is visiting.. and is now snoring away on my floor while i am...
revising for my exams. : (
Spain is in less then a month. everything necessary has been bought, and now we only need to book a car hire, and a hostel for the first night.
life is so tough as a second year. i can only imagine 3rd year.
Scotland.. about 3 weeks ago.. was fucking ace. Had oodles of fun though we had soo much work to do.
Summer's going to be mint.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
bike bike bike! go as fast you can!
What a strangely pleasant day.
Its been a long time since i've had a pleasant day.. of course.. discounting the days my mom was here to make sure a meal was ready after work, and also.. that very day exactly 2 weeks ago.
The first mighty surprise was when Barbara from Plymouth came to visit me at work! It was such a joy to see her after so long. There are just some kinds of people who just make you feel so good about everything and everybody, and they are the same kind of people who make this world feel great to live in, and yes, Barbara is one of them. Having her to visit at the beginning of the shift just made it all worthwhile.
And having 3 full hours to chat with Claudia about life, work, jobs, money, people, mountains, snowdonia, and peak district was great as well. I haven't had a real heart felt human to human conversation in bloody ages (maybe just days. but oh well.. keep it coming).
I'm just greatful of where I am, how I'm feeling, absolutely tired from work, but its all good tiredness.
Now.. dinner.
Its been a long time since i've had a pleasant day.. of course.. discounting the days my mom was here to make sure a meal was ready after work, and also.. that very day exactly 2 weeks ago.
The first mighty surprise was when Barbara from Plymouth came to visit me at work! It was such a joy to see her after so long. There are just some kinds of people who just make you feel so good about everything and everybody, and they are the same kind of people who make this world feel great to live in, and yes, Barbara is one of them. Having her to visit at the beginning of the shift just made it all worthwhile.
And having 3 full hours to chat with Claudia about life, work, jobs, money, people, mountains, snowdonia, and peak district was great as well. I haven't had a real heart felt human to human conversation in bloody ages (maybe just days. but oh well.. keep it coming).
I'm just greatful of where I am, how I'm feeling, absolutely tired from work, but its all good tiredness.
Now.. dinner.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
extreme lame-ology
Been trying to write up my Paleontology essay.
Everyone thinks its cool, except the geologists of course. Who in their bloody right mind wants to stay up till 3 everyday for the past week or so, to read and write so far, bloody 2 pages!? i don't know what to do really. I'm so damned about this essay, and also the bloody gold project. : (
Anyhoo. As soon as we're done with assignments, i'm going to relax for 2 weeks before starting the whole damned cycle again. We only have 3 assignments (if i'm not wrong) next term, compared to the 9 we had to do this term. It was a blooming 8 week term, and we had 9 assignments. It really doesn't make sense at all, and it really isn't fun at all.
Things haven't been going well lately.. and i've been poorly as well. Having to worry about school work, money and family all at the same time really makes things very bad. Having to additionally worry about other things in my own private life makes it even more unbearable.
Ah.. whats the matter anyway. It doesn't affect anyone else except me. so sod it!
There is just an amazing number of facets to a single persons life. To be honest, through all the whinging and moaning about life, and its torrential worries, I can't see myself living in a bubble without any worries. Life would be too plain and boring. There are people like that, but i can't imagine being them.
Like what JT said.. life is about solutions isn't it?
have a candy, have a chocolate, and go to bed. i'll sleep when i feel like it. Probably cry myself to sleep over dead camarasaurids.
Everyone thinks its cool, except the geologists of course. Who in their bloody right mind wants to stay up till 3 everyday for the past week or so, to read and write so far, bloody 2 pages!? i don't know what to do really. I'm so damned about this essay, and also the bloody gold project. : (
Anyhoo. As soon as we're done with assignments, i'm going to relax for 2 weeks before starting the whole damned cycle again. We only have 3 assignments (if i'm not wrong) next term, compared to the 9 we had to do this term. It was a blooming 8 week term, and we had 9 assignments. It really doesn't make sense at all, and it really isn't fun at all.
Things haven't been going well lately.. and i've been poorly as well. Having to worry about school work, money and family all at the same time really makes things very bad. Having to additionally worry about other things in my own private life makes it even more unbearable.
Ah.. whats the matter anyway. It doesn't affect anyone else except me. so sod it!
There is just an amazing number of facets to a single persons life. To be honest, through all the whinging and moaning about life, and its torrential worries, I can't see myself living in a bubble without any worries. Life would be too plain and boring. There are people like that, but i can't imagine being them.
Like what JT said.. life is about solutions isn't it?
have a candy, have a chocolate, and go to bed. i'll sleep when i feel like it. Probably cry myself to sleep over dead camarasaurids.
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