Nights in the Woods

Then came a brilliant idea, when parts of the weather station equipment delivery was delayed. To take 'soil carbon dioxide (CO2) respiration' readings both in the hottest time (day, about 9 am - 1 pm) and when the sun goes down (coolest). If I was honest, it'd be about 3-5am daily, but I am also human. So.. the itinerary:

7.30 am : Cook, eat, prepare for trip, boil water and store in thermos for bath after trip (because electricity would be cut off at about 12, I can't boil water when I'm back)

8.30/9 am: Set out for 1 h 15 minute hike to site (after signing in at booth)

~10 am : Start CO2 readings, maintain reading site/trail

~1145 am : head back

~1230 pm: Back in Mesilau

IN BETWEEN: Try to rest, read, unwind, dry stuff and prepare for night trip, which consists of about the same itinerary, except that it starts about 6 pm and ends at ~10 pm. Going into the jungle at night alone.. Meh.

Why day time and night time readings? Because when it's hot, the soil may release significantly more CO2 than when it's cool. AND BECAUSE THE JOURNAL ARTICLE SAYS SO. Whew.

Thank God for Jesus, or I'd have freaked out in the jungle from the first time on.

Tomorrow's the beginning of a break - not really, but, yeah. To KK for a night, Miri for a night, then Mulu for 4 nights. Alright world, goodnight. Sheesh, I haven't packed.

Missing home? You bet.

Mesilau, A Different Time Zone

Really?

Nahhhh

Here I am, 5.47 AM and still awake, typing this post to commemorate the oddities of working alone here in Mesilau, Mt. Kinabalu. Why so early? Because I never slept last night. Why? Because of a malfunctioning generator ('gen-set') that cuts power off from 12-5 PM daily, blanketing the entire Nature Resort with darkness and disability. Rather than working in the dark, I now sleep during those wretched hours so that I may in some way maximize daylight 'power-ful' hours, very much like how countries adjust their clocks for 'daylight saving' during winter. I've traveled much this year; probably flied more frequently than I ever have, albeit often to the same place.

Next, I shall compile a list of my travelogues for 2011 thus far (complete with dates) to examine the frequency and intensity of it all. Okay, back to making extra (to make up for mysteriously missing) litter bags.

Oh, and I hit the bridge of my nose with a metal chair frame. It's swollen. I can still disguise it as a mosquito bite for now... maybe until it turns purple. There will be visitors possibly sharing my lodge today. Man, what timing.

Come on guys, Hari Raya's over. Can someone fix the generator now so I could live back on Malaysian time? Please?

My Mesilau 'House'

Till now, I've yet to give a formal introduction of the place I've been staying in for every trip I've made here. This is my 18th day here, my longest trip thus far. Meet my Mesilau 'House', Rhododendron lowii (furthest unit left in picture above):

THE VERANDA

This is what I see when I look out my front door (above)

Look left

Look right

Beyond my veranda

WELCOME INSIDE

Nope, not very neat

Meet my many bags of sorted litter samples (includes leaves, pine needles, twigs, branches, fruit etc etc)

Just a sneak peek of how work goes. Sorting leaves by morphospecies (morph = form; species.... = species, basically sorting into different types). The big black bag on the left contains whatever was caught within 2 weeks by a net (2.5 x 2 m) I placed in the forest. I have >60 of such bags to sort. Life ain't a bed of dead leaves roses.

Sketches of different species in my sketch book (really, my drawing is quite bad, but I just gotta do it or I'll forget which species is which)

The Tour Continues to THE KITCHEN

Old school and messy

Notice the little yellow stove? That runs on butane gas cartridges (those the size of canned spray paint)

Supplies!

Now what's this doing in the kitchen, on the egg crate?

That's why. Cutting onions and shallots is an endeavor that's way too sorrowful for me to face without sunnies *sob*

That jar of peanut butter n' jelly's long-over. Got a new jar =D Bananas are a staple here for me, awesome stuff. They're the mini type. Tastes much better than any banana I can get in Peninsular Malaysia, in my opinion. Very important for.. bowels.

Moving on! UPSTAIRS
Or at least, the landing that's halfway upstairs. A place I keep my stuff/samples when I'm not occupying the house (other researchers may use the house when I'm away).

And facing that landing would be...

The Toilet. No water heater here, so I boil water with a kettle and mix it to the right temperature in that red bucket and bathe with that. It was fun in the beginning.

Presenting: 1st Floor (Assuming that it was Ground floor earlier)

A few more steps up from the landing and you'll be greeted by 3 doors down

"To the left, to the left": THE DRYING ROOM

Yup, this is where all the samples (and laundry) I've been sorting gets dried, with the help of that mini-heater. Ironic how the heater is used only for leaves and not for the shivering researcher downstairs.

More unsorted litter samples.... ah God help me.

Presenting the door on the Right: MY ROOM

Ya la, what'd you expect?

Best friend lying on my bed

And the Middle door: THE MASTURBATE MASTER BEDROOM

Unused. I prefer the room I'm using. Tse Yuen slept here when he was around. I've shared this room with two girls before *whewit*. Of course, I took the single bed and they took shared the Queen-sized one.

It does have a cabinet.. which I daren't put my clothes in. I'll introduce my housemates later.

THE BALCONY (which is joined both to my room and the master bedroom)

Now, the housemates and occasional friends that come with the litter samples. I found a trail of slime in a hollowed branch. SLIME FILES.

Lightning snail!

Didn't realize my camera lens was all fogged-up. Common problem here since it's always cold and humid.

Meet my Furry Friends

Greeny was just hanging out by the door-hinge when I snuck up on him for this scandalous photo of her rear.

Fogged up because I didn't realize for sense of mystery.

My Bull Moth friend (Not actual name)

Moo
Orange (who died before the photo was taken. Hung out too long in front the heater). R.I.P.
And the shy guy who won't stay still for a picture
The cool corner-loving dude.
And lil miss gorgeous. Whew.

The cool moth. Reminds me of Eagles.
Another dead but cool dude.
"Butterfly kisses.." Bluek, like you'll actually kiss it. No offense, love the song.

Now, if you're below 18, I strongly suggest you avoid scrolling down for some really scandalous pictures I caught of my housemates. NSFW.

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Still wanna see em huh?

Through the glass windows I peek,

your naked underneaths, I seek,

as they turn a blind cheek,

my little camera, I tweak (haha)

*click*

How Great Thou Art

I made an early trip down to KK today to return the Celcom Broadband modem to get my refund (which by the way, will only be returned to me after 4 months, whee -_-) and had a long walk around the city. When I finally got back to Padang Merdeka to get back up to the mountain *sigh*, I noticed that the usual bus/cab area was blocked out and there were loads of police.. Only until I was in my van and talking to the local in front of me who mentioned "Tak tahu jam berapa Najib datang" ("don't know what time Najib comes") did I realize that our not so dear Prime Minister was to visit the place.

"Whot?"

My first impression of Mr. Najib was not a pleasant one, during his pre-Prime Minister days (chewah talk like I know him). It relates to one Abdul Razak Baginda, who was a talk show host for one of those videos I watched for my Biotech subjects in class once. I remembered the face and name because the name "Baginda" sounded rather catchy.

Abdul Razak Baginda: Yeap, that's me

This all pieced together when I came across this case:

"In an earlier case, a company the opposition claimed was linked to Razak Baginda, an adviser to Mr Najib, was paid juicy fees for services provided over a contract for the purchase of French submarines. A Mongolian woman, said to have worked as a translator in the negotiations, was shot dead and her corpse destroyed with explosives in 2006. Mr Razak was put on trial over her killing, along with two policemen. The case has dragged on for months and seen various odd goings-on, including changes of judge, prosecutors and defence lawyers at the start of the trial. A private detective signed a statutory declaration implicating Mr Najib, retracted it the next day, saying it had been made under duress. Calls by the victim’s family for Mr Najib to testify were rejected. On October 31st the judge ruled that the prosecution had failed to make a prima facie case against Mr Razak."

(November 6th 2008, The Economist)

This was the "Mongolian woman"

Pretty huh? I decided to use a different picture than the usual plane frontal-passport-style photo that just looks depressing. I'm sure she'd appreciate it, since she was quite a fashionable young lady.

"As Najib has repeatedly declared his innocence of any involvement in the Altantuya C4 murder case, he must act decisively to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to lay all the swirling allegations about his involvement in the murder case which are haunting and hounding him, his administration and the nation’s good name, to rest once and for all – whether about the accessibility of C4 explosives, the disappearance of Altantuya immigration records, the exchange of SMS messages or the disappearance of private investigator Bala Subramaniam after making public a very damaging statutory declaration about Najib."

(Malaysia Today, 9th April 2009)

The late Shaariibuugiin Altantuyaa, who was murdered and blown up with a C4 and until now, never avenged. But, vengeance is the Lord's, and I believe someday what is hidden will be made known. I'm listening to a version of "How Great Thou Art" by Carrie Underwood, and it's splendid. It assures me that God is in control.

As the man who made known to me Najib's coming spoke those words, I sense an undertone of condemnation, very much contrary to the respect due toward a Prime Minister. I don't blame him.

New Toy

As it is immensely cold here (as long as you don't move), I often resort to working out to keep warm when my jacket no longer does the trick.

Meet my new Punching bag bed.

Every time the place gets too cold/work too stressful, punchapunchpunch.

Movies to inspire punching workouts: Undisputed 1-3

For warmth,

Furry Turtle