Summer decisions, balanced blood and empty eyes.

The summer is never too far away, not when you have to decide what to study... should I return to Canada to work in the arctic on seabirds, or stay in Sweden to work on shorebirds... For my future, I'm probably going to life the rest of my life in Canada, so, that makes sense, but it sort of feels like a failure, not building stronger connections here... the future is the sum of past, especially with projects like this, so I'm really agonizing over this.

Otherwise, life prattles on as usual. I dazzled my professor with a modelling project on Auks and Seals, he wants me to try to get it published, which is the highest honour for a project. My half brother Jeff is getting married, and will have a daughter in June! Amazing... though, for me, I'll probably never see this niece, as I never see Jeff, have never met his finance, and will likely live in very a different part of the globe. Too bad, Uncles are usually really cool.

And now, some more observations about swedes and north americans: Unlike in Canada, where the signs of a good listener are nodding, showing expressions of interest, and asking relevant questions, the swedes consider this all very excitable and somewhat rude. One should just sit very still and quiet until the speaker is finished. "Dead in the eyes" is how I might characterize them.

But thats okay. I love them anyway. I'm for the most part glad that I came, despite having perhaps the wrong reasons.

I can die a happy man because of 2007

A round of applause for 2007: I did good work at Environment Canada, went to the Haida Gwaii and fell in love with seabirds, worked for the USFWS in Alaska, and started a Masters in Sweden. I also ended a 2 year relationship, had a strange one in the summer, and am otherwise single. Other than the last bit, a great year of professional development and honing my interests.

What now for 2008? I hope to do exciting thesis work in the summer, and other than that, just interesting biology courses, and try to rectify that whole "being single" issue.

I can't seem to sleep.

Red Sea Diving 2007

Went to Hurghada Egypt to do my advanced open water diver certification, over christmas. Christmas hua ekbar!

Merry Solstice 2007!

The darkest days of the year, and the promise of light to come. Once again I am not at home in Ontario or frollicking in snow, but instead celebrating with the bounty of the red sea, a gorillia of dane dive buddy, a town of festive russian tourists, cordial egyptians and a santa on a camel. 

I've already 5 dives, and 2 more tomorrow. The peaceful chaos of mulling coral reef fish is quite different from jittery kelp forests of the pacific or kattegat; not better, just a different splendour. Otherwise, the whole scene is actually quite rediculously fun. In Canada, you might end a dive with a chummy "Nice dive, eh?" "Yes, quite nice", while here, the Egyptians bust out the vodka, dance and clap, and conclude with an immature game of tag ("you're it!")

Jacks, parrotfish, triggerfish, a giant 2m moray eel, a shark, flying eagle rays, an octopus, peaceful beaked sea turtle munching on encrusting algae... Wreck diving was also cool: following the slimy anchor line running into the blue abyss, until at 30m below, the ghostly mass of a sunken russian vessel slowly materializes, a derelict from the war when Israel stole the Sinai desert, now home to avaricious Jacks and many-tentacled lionfish. Night diving was also great... I panicked a bit, I must admit, when I was the first to entire, alone, and suddenly had to clear mask and maintain bouyancy in the dark, 2m underwater, the pressure building on my ears... Coral polyps actually come out at night, so you can really see how they've mostly died here.

Birding is poor, but I did see two Boobies (red sea species?), and lots of plovers of some sort.

Ahh. Awe. Jesus walked over the Red Sea; Moses parted the damn thing; now, at the end of the twenty-first century, we finally know where the divine of creation really resides.

Egypt Escape

I found a last minute week long cheap ticket to Hurdgada, Egypt, a bombed out resort town on the Red Sea, where I hope to do some diving. Yep, this will be my Jultid... I literally had 12 hours to pack from purchase to flight, lubricated with an unhealthy dose of corridor partying, a farewell to all the students as they go home for a couple weeks. Having not known if I'd have to scramble to find accomodations on the first of January, Hurdgada is a nice compromise, if a bit stress out.

Diving is grand! Though, I'm still thinking about the environmental and other ethics of such imperial-tourism... I'm not here to learn or "experience", just enjoy.

How to befriend the dark wet winter?

The darkness and my sprained arm is making me an anxious hopping ball of unspent energy. No nature, climbing, general exercise, ahhh! It happened last week during a head on collision with another cyclist. Yes, I was slightly inebriated. We were doing a "tura", ferrying back and forth several times between Helsingborg and nearby Danmark drinking, basically because the beer is cheaper than terrestrial bars, and who wouldn't prefer a bar that literally rocks back and forth (from wave action). I loved watching people trying both to look cool and maintain their balance. I imagine one could also "accidentally" bump into someone attractive and work it from there... Speaking of slimy, I'm a dancing machine in Sweden! Its neigh expected that guys go all out and be their own mock music video! Girls are more sedate and boring. So many opposites to Canada.

I can't stop whining about the darkness.... my plans for christmas consist of waiting for a last minute cheap ticket to egypt to do some diving. It might all get screwed if I actually lose my housing.

Banding Golden Plovers

Yet again, some observations about swedish culture: swedes absolutely never give "the look" ;-) to people they find attractive. They pretend they are not interested. Anything else is seen as being too desperate. The swedish word for desperate is "desperat", and may as well be synonymous with "kanadensisk".

Speaking of which, there are tons of canadians in Lund. Much more than Americans, which is significant, considering that there are 10 x as many yanks as canucks, so you'd expect a similar proportion of exchange students here. On the contrary, we outnumber them around 5 times. Why? Sweden is held in very high regards in Canada, a socialist beckon in a nightmarish capitalist world. Canada could be like Sweden, have its sort of economy and generous welfare state, if only the continent could split along the 49th parallel, and leave the USA Axis of Evil behind (and yes, screw you southern ontario).

Anyway, for the last couple of weekends, I've been going out banding European golden plovers just north of Lund. Its great to handle shorebirds again, reminds me of the similar species in Alaska that I worked with.

Tonight, I'm going indoor climbing.