DOUBLE POST: Party in Punta!

Party last night!

Doreen, one of the Max Planck Institute researchers, had a garden party to celebrate two years here in Punta. She invited all the researchers and staff, her boyfriend from the US Coast Guard based in San Juan, and some others. It was a lot of fun. Doreen has been here for long enough that she has a really nice little place with a fenced in back garden area, tents and umbrellas set up over big lawn chairs and recliners, and a barbeque. She made homemade burgers and veggies burgers, pina coladas and pasta salad. Everyone brought something to help out: beer, lemons, pies, chips, etc. Gisele made Monkey Bread (heh!), one of the best desserts ever, and Sasha made a chocolate walnut pie. It was a good time and delicious, lots of bonding, beer, and delicious food to go around. 

There was also a really cool performance by one of Doreen’s boyfriend’s friends. He apparently is Hawaiian or something and knows how to fire dance. This is essentially doing traditional dance with a baton that flames on both. So around 10PM, we all headed across the street to an empty lot, where the guy had set up. He was shirtless (to avoid necessary bits catching flame) and holding a flaming baton, and as soon as everyone arrived, he began twirling, tossing, hopping, and bending. It was really impressive for someone who is a reported amateur. It was very festive and tropical and added to the ambiance of the evening noticeably.  I didn’t have my camera or I would have taken photos, but I have a little video on my cellphone.

Unfortunately, we had to go out to the island this morning, so staying out any later than 11 PM was really out of the question. Most people began drooping eyelids around 10:15PM, and we had to be reminded of the time so that we would avoid operating on such a lame schedule. Not surprisingly, when we got out to the dock this morning, the usual crew of 15+ was cut down to 8 or 9 total, and our group ended up being the only group that stayed the whole day today. It was actually somewhat odd to be on the island with so few other researchers. I think even the monkeys could sense the lethargy.

On another happy note, I received my Amazon shipment! I have already cracked open Spanish for Dummies and now can say “¿Dónde estás las monas?” (“Where are the monkeys?”), but that’s about all so far. I am very excited about all the others, too. I got Water for Elephants, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, V for Vendetta, and a few memoirs. I needed some more brain fodder. J

Alrighty, I gave you all a very long post from two days ago, so I’ll keep this one short.

Much love,

B

DOUBLE POST: Mofongo and the Drizzles

*Written 6/4*

Hola dear readers!

Today, we got a day off! Not because we needed one or even because we wanted one, but because the lovely arm of the law stepped in to make our work impossible. Indeed, today was the dreaded visit from the USDA. 

It is somewhat beyond my scope of understanding why Cayo Santiago should fall under the regulations and jurisdiction of the USDA, but according to the staff here, the USDA manages and regulates all of the animal facilities in the US. I’m not certain that this is actually the case, but it is always possible. Either way, this meant we couldn’t be on the island today. I cannot reveal why here, but you can email for details. Nevertheless, this was a nice break for me, since I was starting to really feel the heat exhaustion, but not so much for Katie and Brian, whose time here is rapidly coming to a close.

Katie has especially been feeling the time crunch. She is to leave next Tuesday, but her pilot risk studies have not been going exactly as she planned. In particular, her study has been plagued by a long series of “aborts.” That is, she has relatively few completely successful trials because the monkeys approach her buckets before her presentation and baiting is complete. Not only this, but also she recently identified what may actually be a critical oversight in her methods. – By only testing subjects who do not approach her and her buckets right away, she is eliminating the least risk averse subjects from her sample right off the bat. Given that she is trying to look at risk aversion, she is worried this will skew her results, and rightfully so. Uh oh.

As a result of all of these things, she had a long chat with Marc (our boss-man-dude-prof) and spent this afternoon building a grape dispensing gadget to help her improve the methods. I tried to help her with the part of the mechanism that is to dispense the grapes. I use the term mechanism loosely, since it was made of rubber bands, plastic cutlery, and superglue. (We only had those materials that were available at the supermarket, which is affectionately dubbed by all “La Fav,” short for Supermercado La Favorita.) We struggled with it and ultimately gave up, though, so tomorrow’s trials should prove… interesting.

Yesterday was an interesting mix of the good and the bad. It was an exceedingly wet day. When we woke at 6:20, it was pouring rain and doing a wonderful, crashing, booming mix of thunder and lightening. When it rains like this, we cannot safely expect to get on a boat and be ferried to the island, so we had to wait it out.

When the rain finally did let up, it was around 7:10 or so, and we walked over toward the dock and stood under the awning of the post office until the island staff brought the dingy around to the dock.  It was a wet ride, and I assure you, it is a deeply felt cue as to your day’s trajectory, when the bum of your pants are soaked through before 7:30AM.

We arrived on the island and spent the day running damp trials and trekking up and down the island. The sun popped in and out all day, and occasionally it was difficult to determine whether it was the trees or the sky raining on our heads. The nice things about the rainy weather were the lower temperature and cool breeze, which kept our comfort level higher than normal. However, as soon as it truly began to pour, the cool breeze became more of a nuisance than a blessing. Furthermore, just in case you hadn’t figured this out yourselves, rain is bad for electronics. This meant the slightest drizzle had us running to the video camera with plastic supermarket bags to save it from any further damage. (The camera’s touch screen is already semi-busted, and with juvenile monkeys thinking that tripods are jungle-gyms, we are certain it is only a matter of time before something else breaks.)

Just before the end of the day, it began to really come down. We were literally chased by the storm from Small Cay to Big Cay. We were just finishing up our day on Small Cay and began walking across the isthmus, when we saw rain behind us on the water. Brian reassured us that we were just ahead of the rain. “You know it’s about to pour when you feel a gust of really cold air, and that hasn’t happened yet.” As if on cue, a cold wind blew us around.  We started walking faster. Drizzle. We began to book it. Rain.  Full out run to the lunch cage. We managed to get underneath the roof just as the skies truly opened up. Phew.

It was an epic downpour. We were stuck in the lunch cage waiting out the worst of it for at least a half hour. As soon as the rain gave way even slightly, though, we were ushered to the boat and began the cramped, wet ride back to Punta. Everyone was soaked through, and I was no exception. Unfortunately, my pants were lovely shade of light beige, or at least they were before the rain. At this point, water had made them see through. Terrific. I cracked a joke, pulled my black raincoat down as low as it would go, and made a beeline for our flat as soon as we docked. All I can say is thank goodness for baggy pants, or the next few weeks could have been really awkward…

Our night was far more pleasant. Katie and I have been craving seafood ever since we arrived and picked up our keys from our landlady at Daniel Seafood. So, upon recommendations from locals and other researchers, we arranged a dinner at a local place, Paradise Seafood Restaurant, which was said to have the best seafood in town. (This I imagine is not hard to do, given the fact that there are only two or three real restaurants in town…)

The meal was terrific. We were the only people in the entire place, and the company was lively and amusing. (Gisele and Monica joined us.) We had heard from other researchers about a local dish called Seafood Mofongo, which was apparently delicious, so we both decided to order it. Mofongo, it turns out, is a dish of mashed, spiced yuca or plantain combined with a protein of choice, which is used to flavor the mash. The dish was presented in carved wooden goblets. The chef layers the first level of the goblet with some of the mash, then ladles in stewed octopus, conch, lobster, and shrimp in its own broth. He then places another layer of the mash on top, which develops a light crust on top, so that it looks almost like cornbread, and then tops it with some more stewed seafood and a little broth. It was delicious. Honestly, this was the first time I liked octopus that much and certainly the first time I really enjoyed lobster. Apparently, the dish can also be made with chicken in the middle, so even if seafood is not your thing. I encourage anyone who visits Puerto Rico to give Mofongo a try. Yum!

Anyway, it is late now, so I’m going to conk out, yet again. Work begins bright and early tomorrow morning, and I need my beauty sleep….

Oh, and remember: If your pants are soaked before 8AM, be prepared for a long day ahead.

Much love,

B

Lesson 1: Monkey Identification

*Note: This post was written yesterday... Oh, and the photos are not always exactly representative of what I am describing. Sorry!*

Wow, today was our longest day, yet (on the island from 6:50am - 2:30pm). You have no idea how exhausting it can be to stay the extra three hours from 11:30 to 2:30, but man. Ouch. By 11:30 you are getting serious munchies, the sun is at its apogee, and the monkeys are few and far between, since they have all taken nature’s hint and hit the trees to nap. But, work is work, and if those hours mean a few more successful trials then away we go. I made up for the exertion by conking out instantly upon lying down, when we returned.

So, I think I will discuss some of the more amusing characteristics of a few of the monkeys today. This is mainly because I got some great photos of the standouts, but also because lately the only amusing tales to relate are ones of tangled ropes, falling into cameras, and being startled by curious juveniles, who pop out of trees right by your head. These tales will be forthcoming in the coming weeks, so I figure I’ll save these until a truly amazing one comes along.

There are a few notable characteristics that help us identify the monkeys: scars, spine problems, cuts, bruises, constant companions, coloring, missing appendages and facial features (lips, noses, ears, etc.). Sometimes, however, sheer ugliness is the defining feature. The most desirable Rhesus females are the fattest, saggiest females. This means that sometimes you will note an adorable Rhesus baby in a tree and watch as it scurries off to its mother, only to find your eyes settling on the most rotund, grumpy, and amusing looking mama-monkey you’ve ever seen. One female is so ugly, in fact, that our team has affectionately dubbed her Skeletor. She is monumentally large, has a very bony face, and is noseless. We have been trying to locate her for days on the island to run her for our experiments, but no such luck. She’ll resurface soon, though, and when she does, picture time. In all seriousness, though, she is really, truly, intensely ugly. (The monkey at left is a "cow," as they are called, but I call her Qian Po, à la Mulan.)

On a cuter note, some of the monkeys’ hair grows in such a way that some monkeys end up with mohawks. This can make for some seriously adorable juveniles and babies, since occasionally the babies have mini-hawks, and it makes them look very rebel-chic. Speaking of interesting and identifying hair characteristics, the island also have its “blonds.” In Rhesus monkeys, some individuals are actually born with golden hair. They stick out quite dramatically as babies, but as with human blonds, the hair appears to darken as they age. For those monkeys, who do not darken, it is very helpful to know that a monkey is a golden, if you luck into running one. Interestingly, though, most goldens appear to be more subordinate than other monkeys on the whole. I have not tested this, but according to all the researchers who have been here for a while, this is an observed trend. I have no clue why.

Lastly, some of the monkeys have freckles or at least what look like freckles. They appear like little brownish red spots all over some monkeys’ faces. These freckles, while not actually useful in identifying the monkeys, do give them some character. Unlike us, the monkeys do not receive their freckles from the sun. The freckles are actually remnants from Herpes B virus outbreaks, kind of like acne scars, so I suppose that in addition to character the freckles are also a great reminder to everyone to wash their hands and close their mouths.

Now I must head back to work, and by work I mean watching Ironman with my teammates. J So, for now do as we do on Cayo, and if you feel something dripping on your shoulder, keep your head down, your mouth shut, and just keep walking.

Much love, 

B

What Was Lost in the Flood and Other Tales

We are sincerely miffed. Our house is being a serious nuisance.

As I may have told some of you on the phone, when we first arrived in the house, the faucet in the bathroom was broken. We also had (and still don’t) have hot water, and the screens on the front door were sub-par. However, these were highly manageable evils, and the landlady was kind enough to promptly call in a plumber to fix the faucet. All seemed fine and dandy.

As of Saturday midday, however, the toilet began to leak…no, I understate. The toilet began to flow improperly and out of many more orifices than natural. The water then proceeded to flow out of the bathroom and into the living area, Brian’s bedroom, and inch toward Katie’s and my room. 

As soon as we returned and noticed this, we all began to point fingers. Who was the last to use the toilet? It smells like crap in here, is that you? Etc. But, blame was quickly forgotten, as soon as the extent of the problem was discovered. That is, when we attempted to flush, we ended up with….ahem…..backwash into the shower. Ew. We were completely unable to stop the flow or pinpoint its origin, though. First, we stopped using the toilet. Slow of water flow. Clean up mess. Bleach shower floor. All is well again. Katie then took a shower. Water won’t drain. Another massive flood. At this point we decide not to use any of the water spewing gadgetry in the bathroom vicinity.

Unfortunately for us, in Puerto Rico everything is closed Sunday, so this means we have had no toilet, bathroom sink, or shower in the house since mid-Saturday. We have had to walk down the street to the Office to use the facilities there. We have made other concessions, but I would rather not discuss them. Sigh. We still have a working kitchen sink, though, so not all bad. We did speak with the landlady, and she has promised us that a handyman will come to fix everything today. Fingers crossed.

In other frustrating house news, our stove also seems to be on the fritz. The stove, as you may or may not know, is not a self-igniting one. As a result, you have to turn on the gas and then light it up. Yesterday, as we were attempting to cook dinner, the burner kept randomly blowing/going out and would not sustain a flame larger than very low level. No clue why. This meant that instead of ten minutes, it took us nearly an hour to cook up some chicken in a pan. Arg! Luckily, I think this is fixed now. Brian seems to have fiddled with a knob outside and bumped up the gas, and tonight it took us no time at all to boil water for our pasta. Hmm…

We have had some interesting bug company, too. Centipede crawled through the living room last night. (We let it out.) Saw our first flying roach. (It let itself out.) And today we had a disabled cricket in our living room that kept jumping in these awful, round-about, flippy jumps because of broken back leg. It was actually kind of sad. He would try to go in one direction but end up 45 degrees away from where he started and aimed in the wrong direction. (Brian let him out, only to be eaten, though, I fear.)

On a more interesting note, I have had my first ocean swims down here in Punta. J The ocean is not so clear as one might hope, but Katie, Sasha and I managed to walk a ways down the beach on Saturday and take a surprisingly pleasant dip. The water is very warm and bathtub-like, and the beaches are not at all crowded. In a very me moment, I somehow managed to get stung by a jellyfish on my bum, even though I never saw the jelly. I am chalking it up to bad luck and a stray, clear tentacle, but either way, I got quite the little welt to show for it. I went for another swim today with better luck, so I’m thinking it was just a fluke.

On another fun side-note, we had a little group over for beers on Saturday night. It was basically just the Harvard group, the UChicago group, and one of the CPRC staff, but it was lively, fun, and relaxed. We didn’t have to work hard for ambiance either, since the house next door was having a big party with a live band, who began playing salsa and merengue music at more than full blast around 8pm and didn’t stop until well after midnight. This is normal for Punta, I gather. Everyone plays their music, and especially their bass, at full volume wherever and whenever they go. In fact, as I write this I can hear someone’s bass thumping loud and clear.

Ah well, I suppose there’s not much more to say. Oh! The people next door found a use for the little fenced in backyard behind our house. They are currently keeping a miniature horse and her brand new baby in it! Totally and disarmingly cute. I love it. I will definitely post photos. Also, we have a new tradition in the house. We watch an episode of Dexter ever night now. It is a great show but disturbing, fascinating, and creeeeepy. I am still getting over the creepy disturbing part, but everyone is right. You really cannot help but love Dexter.

Anyway, much love to all, and I’ll update you on everything again soon.

Please don’t fret too much about the house stuff either. I just wanted to whine a bit. ;) We’re getting on just fine, and although a pain in the arse, the bathroom and other things are really not that big of a deal. Just kind of gross. 

Much love!

B

*Note: I wrote this entry last night. Today the plumber guy came, but of course, the language barrier proved quite the obstacle. Luckily, Katie thought to use her iPhone and translate everything into Spanish. Although, he wasn't able to figure out what was wrong, at least he knew what was happening. For the time being though, we still have neither toilet nor shower, and the entire back end of the house smells like sewage, since it reflooded in a truly epic fashion this afternoon. Rank. Nasty. Humid. You see my dilemma. Sigh. As I write, the plumber and landlady are back at the house tinkering. I will have to continue showering and doing my business here at the office. 

On a more pleasant note, I found out that a friend from high school, Adrienne, is down in Punta! Coincidentally, she is on the Yale team and will be down here all summer as well! Huzzah for having someone I know already!!!