Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 - Day 11

14:30 Hrs. Forest Trails, BNP, Karnataka, India.

I could really go for a burger right now. Maybe some cheesecake. Chocolate; something cold. As each day presses on, I start to wonder if I'll have the energy for two more months of this. Still we walk on. I'm shocked to go through each day and find there's still so much more to experience in India.

When we returned to the campsite after a long day of data research and work, our musical guests were preparing. The owner of the campground facility's daughter and son-in-law were a dancer and flautist respectively and had kindly agreed to a cultural performance for us. An incredible experience I couldn't possibly put on this page, the instrumental and dance concert was mystifying. A double-sided drum, flutes, and traditional south Indian dancing, and authentic dress and style made for an evening I will never forget. After purchasing some CDs and bidding goodnight to all, we turned in ready to sleep in.

Yesterday began with the return of Ramu during breakfast. June 1st, as it was, was the first day of classes in much of India. We briefly returned to the field station to reunite with Skanda and Kavitha, and made our way to the school where Kavitha frequently worked. The small primary school (approximately grades pre-5) was a major beneficiary of ATREE's outreach activities. ATREE was helping them and numerous other schools develop sustainable practices. A group of about twenty-five or so school children, all clad in uniform sat patiently while the education system in India and ATREE's role were explained to us. Finally the kids were asked to sing a song for us. A small song and dance ensued, performed by three girls that I'm sure is replicated throughout schools in Karnataka. We took turns singing and dancing to small songs from our respective countries including Old MacDonald, a pretty awful rendition of Lean on Me, and a phrase and half of Day-O. We ended with a joint round of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and bid them farewell. For a group that sings together all the time on our bus rides, we sure weren't prepared for that.

We arrived back at the campsite where our next guest expert, a Dr. Gururaja (herpetologist) was waiting for us. We had a pretty eventful outing to the nearby lake where we caught, indentified, and re-released a few different frogs and returned to Vishnu, an owner of Forest Trails, who had generously provided us with a Unviersity of Kansas-size amount of Kingfisher beer. I think I shall end my description of the ensuing evening here. It is better off forgotten.

More field work the next day, and discussion of research, including a trip to Rock Hill. I haven't seen Scout in a few days...

Gururaj has left us and an entomologist arrives tonight. As my endurance wears thin, so notably too do these journal entries. My sincerest apologies to the reader.

~Why am I here?

- David