29. Moonflowers

I just came in from an evening expedition to the rows of dragon fruit (also known as Pitaya or Hylocereus (Latin name)) plants that are grown on the farm (belonging to the academy). The reason the expedition was taking place at this time of day (9 PM), when it is dark, is that the flowers of this plant only bloom at night. The plant is a kind of cactus that grows like a vine, and its flower also bear the names 'moonflower' and 'Queen of the Night'. The flowers are large, white, and smell nice. They only bloom for one night, so you could call them one night wonders. They really are wonders of nature.

Because there are very few pollinating insects about during the night, the pollination has to be done by hand. So we had a tiny biology lesson about how flowers have sex, out there among the big, beautiful flowers. The teacher in charge of the flowers had brought a small plastic container and a paintbrush. He explained what were the male and the female parts of the flower, and how you had to take pollen from different flowers into one flower to cross-pollinate them. He went around putting pollen on all the flowers' female parts so that the flowers would be able to turn into fruits with seeds.

It was strange and slightly magical seeing these wonderful, huge flowers, where during the day there had only been a closed bud. Instead of opening to the warmth of the sun, they had opened to the enveloping darkness. The moon wasn't even up, so the flowers weren't highlighted by the moonlight either. It was a strange and wonderful adventure, visiting this world of darkness where the Queen of the Night reigns.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4886

28. Life and death

As you know, I am always surrounded by life here. Plants growing, creatures being born and having a great time being alive, things moving behind every blade of grass, under ground, on tree trunks and in the air.

But in nature there is always balance. With so much life going on, there must also be a lot of death. And in certain areas, almost all you can see is death. When I go to the bathroom in the morning, there is death everywhere (not the perfect way to wake up). Lots of dead or dying creatures lying on the floor and in the sinks (and some falling from the ceiling). And it's not because it's not clean. It's because there are actually a lot of bugs who die in the bathroom during the night!

So when I'm inside the house, I am almost constantly seeing creatures that are dead or dying. Outside, almost all I can see is life. But really, in nature, there is an equal weight of life and death. We humans don't usually like to think about or talk about death. But without death, there would be no life. Just think about it. If there is no alternative, there is nothing that defines the concept of living. If everything lived forever, there would be no life, just an eternal state of  being. We would not be able to be grateful for being alive, because there would be no alternative.

Creatures all around exude happiness at being alive. They rejoice in their possibilities and fight to stay alive to enjoy it further. People, on the other hand, often forget to be happy that they are alive. We plod through life thinking that it is something horrible to be carried heavily along on our backs while we try to do the things that should be done. We often take life for granted and notice only the things that go wrong or that are bad. Just look at the news if you need an example. What do people want to know and hear about? Suffering, death, and money. That will certainly make you happy, and you'll just love your life, won't you?*

What about going out of your door and realising that life is wonderful? Just the idea of being alive as opposed to being dead is great! Revel in all the impressions you can get from your senses! Be amazed by the human body and nature that you are able to experience! Dance around just because you are so very happy you're alive! (No one is watching**)

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4858

*Heavy sarcasm in that last sentence for you. (In case you didn't get it...)

**Just believe this is true. Everyone loves happiness, anyway.

27. The truth resists simplicity

That is a quote from vlogbrother John Green. I think it is very appropriate at this time (or any time, for that matter). The truth of how I am feeling right now, and how my life is, is difficult to explain. It's even difficult to fathom for me, peering into the depths of myself. There is always a mixture of happiness and sadness, joy and pain, depression and elatedness, craziness and sanity, and all the things in between. Sometimes I feel like my inner self is a pair of scales which are fluctuating all the time. One moment the 'happy' side is the heaviest, the next the 'sad/depressed' side is the heaviest. I'm not saying I'm always having these huge shifts, but they occur every once in a while.

I think it is difficult to understand others completely because all people are immensely complex. The truth about a person resists simplicity. Even for the person itself. We can never know exactly how a person experiences something - we can only know our own story. As Aslan says to Shasta in The Horse and His Boy (by C. S. Lewis): "I tell no one any story but their own." That is the only story we have the right to know, even though some pieces in the puzzle may be hidden well.

When talking of quotes, I want to share a site with you that you might want to keep an eye on: 52 quotes. It posts visualisations of great quotes. The most recent one is from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" (said by Albus Dumbledore) Just ponder that one for a moment.

In parting, I have a recently discovered quote from a goodbye. It's from Nation by Terry Pratchett: "No more words. We know them all, all the words that should not be said. But you have made my world more perfect."

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4852

26. Rain

Rain, wind, rain, clouds, rain, and more rain. It's raining today. Not constantly, but in showers where some showers are light while others come pounding down. The wind also comes in squalls. One moment there isn't even a breeze, and the next the palm trees are bending to the wind. The clouds sometimes keep us enveloped so that it feels as if we are on an island in a white expanse of nothingness. Other times, they just press down on us like they are made of lead.

I haven't really been feeling well the last couple of days (since the volcano trail hike), so today I stayed inside, watching the rain. At one point during the morning, however, Kristina knocked on my door and needed help in moving a couple of the horses. She said the horses were quite desperate, so I quickly changed my shirt and went outside. Then I realised it was raining buckets. We tried to be quick moving the horses, but I still ended up completely wet through. When the horses were moved, I rushed inside to dry off and change. I felt so chilled from the rain and wind that I put on my warmest clothes. I had been feeling a cold coming on, and now I was coughing. So I put on my woolly clothes and sat inside, looking out at the rain.

So I spent my day on the internet. And I've discovered a funny thing. On YouTube, most of the advertisements are: "Find your foreign husband." So that's what every girl in the Caribbean wants - a foreign husband. Oh well...it makes sense. But still, I find it funny, because I am a foreigner here. I'm not looking for dating sites to connect with Europeans or people from the United States or Canada. I don't know if this is just me, but when an ad pops up beside the video I'm watching with a picture of a beautiful woman from the Caribbean, and text saying: "Find Your Foreign Husband!", first I think it's funny. Then I think it's sad. Are there really that few possibilities for young women here? Do you have to marry someone and move away from here to make your dreams come true?

I know this isn't something I can do anything about, but it's good for me to see that not everyone has the same possibilities in life as I have. Not everyone can travel and see the world if they want to. Or choose their job and get an education of their choosing. I'm really lucky to have been born in Norway, with the privileges that has to offer. I think we should all take some moments now and then to reflect on this and be thankful, and then try to think of ways to get the privileges you treasure to everyone who wants them.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4852

25. Music keeps me going

Today I was not feeling very well. To keep me going in the tasks I had to do, I used music. I was listening to music on my iPod and singing (very off key) to keep me going through sweeping and manure shovelling. It definitely works. When I listen to music, I focus on the music, not on discomfort or the dreariness of the task at hand. It's like the beat in the music tells my body to keep going and not lie down on the ground and sleep. It pushes me forward and keeps me going.

Making music is also rejuvenating. Usually, playing the flute or the drums makes me more happy and harmonious. It's like there is something inside me that is fighting to get out. It can take different forms when it finally gets out of me. I could improvise on the flute, write a melody or a song, paint a picture, write a poem, write a story (though that hardly ever happens), or take photographs. I am sure there are many other creative outlets I could use, but these were the ones that sprang to mind.

I reflected over it today: what would I do if I was stranded on a desert island? No music, no books, no internet. Of course, first I would make it a priority to make or get the things that would keep me alive. Then I think I would eventually find the music of the nature around me. The waves beating the shore with an unsteady rhythm. The sound of the wind in the trees. The sounds of the living creatures, singing me to sleep and waking me up. Then I would discover the stories the island had to tell. I would probably flesh them out in my imagination, but I would discover signs, like small notes passed in a classroom. An old notch in a tree, a broken branch, patterns in the sand, signs of creatures going about their business. I would begin to piece it all together, in a great tapestry of life where everything has its place and order. I would eventually fit myself into the big artwork the island would be, and live in relative harmony with nature there.

At least this is what I hope would happen. I know I am not as open to the music of life and nature as I should be, but I hope I will be someday. I wish I could greet every creature as my brother, and live with nature instead of battling nature was much as I do now. My dream is to feel at peace and one with nature. I hope I will continue on that journey my whole life. It's the journey that matters. Not the final destination.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4852

24. Church and humming birds

I went to a local church today. It lies in Chateau (which is what we call Chateaubelair), and I went together with one of my friends from here. It was raining heavily when we left, so I was happy that we were driven to the church. The service was nice, but it dragged out a bit. We were singing for an hour, and it was nice, but it was a bit loud, with people shouting (or singing really loud) into the microphones. I knew only a few of the songs, so it was a bit hard to follow, but the drummer was really good.

When we were finished singing, the pastor took over to preach about how this day (Easter Day) we celebrate that Jesus was resurrected, but this also means that we have been resurrected from our old life. A sentence that was repeated a lot was: "You are ALIVE!" (in different forms, the personal pronoun varying between 'he', 'we', and 'you'). It made me think of Shrek 2 (where they create a huge gingerbread man and makes it come alive) which again is a reference to the Frankenstein monster (I think, even though I almost don't know anything about it). This I did after a while, when it became hard to follow what the preacher was saying because I was tired and it takes some concentration for me to understand every word in the local English accent.

After the service was finished, we visited some friends of my companion, and they gave us food and water. The food was very nice, and we talked a lot. By this time it had stopped raining, and the sun was shining. After a long while talking and eating, the lady we were visiting fixed a ride for us back home. That was nice, after all I was quite tired (and I didn't really fancy a forty minute walk in the sun).

Later, Kristina asked me if I wanted to go and pick some wax apples with her. I was up for a snack, so I joined her. The wax apple field is where the sheep have recently been moved. We didn't see much to the sheep, but we found a lot of wax apples. Wax apples are fruits that are crunchy like apples, have a thin but wax-like skin, are pink when ripe, are pear-formed, have no core, and are delicious. I like them very much.

Flitting to and fro between the wax-apple trees were hummingbirds that looked black. At first I couldn't find out where the loud, deep buzzing was coming from, but then I saw them. They are beautiful, mesmerising creatures: tiny birds with long, thin beaks who drink nectar from flowers. They beat their wings really fast, and can stand still in the air. I am amazed once again at the wonders of nature.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4816

23. Volcano

Today we (most of the students at the academy, and the horse team) walked to the volcano, the highest peak in St. Vincent. It is called La Soufrière, and the highest point is at 1234 metres elevation. We can see the peak from the academy, but we left at 5.30 AM to drive to the other side of the island (and mountain). The drive took 3 hours, around the island to Georgetown, which is almost directly opposite to where we came from. We drove the long way around (via Kingstown) because that way, the roads are better. Of course, it ended up being me who told the driver to stop because I was carsick. So I ended up starting the trail on an empty stomach. There are very winding roads here, and we were sitting in a van without seat belts, really packed together (but not wanting to squish the other people).

When we arrived at the trail and started walking, the time was 8.45. I ended up almost at the back, with a group of 4 people (me included) who kept a very slow, but steady pace. I liked it very much, although it was hot, and I was sweating so that my T-shirt was wet through. The nature was beautiful, and I was not feeling sick at all. It was a bit heavy, especially when there were steps to climb that were taller than up to my knees. We took enough good breaks. When we came to above the tree line, the trail became much steeper. I took my time, and arrived at the rim at approximately 12.30 PM, having spent nearly 4 hours on the walk up.

The crater of the volcano.
The hot spot is the white area with the steam,
 and behind the hill in the middle, you can see the lake.

We took a good break at the top, then walked around the rim to where there was a place to go down into the crater. Seven people went down into the crater to go to the 'hot spot' of the volcano. This volcano is active, and the last time it erupted was in 1979. The name 'Soufrière' is French for sulfur outlet, and that was exactly what it was. We could smell the sulfur in the air when we were walking the rim.

After a good break, we headed down on the other side, towards Richmond Vale Academy, or, as I refer to it now: home. I took it really slow, as I have a history of knee problems. My knees started protesting early on, so I had to press on through pain to get home, down from the volcano. I finally made it home at about 5.30 PM (after wading through two rivers and walking a deep dried-up gorge a river had made), and I could hardly stand. My knees were aching and protesting even when I was sitting down.

I took some painkillers, and then it was time for dinner, which was pizza! Lovely, home made pizza! When I finished eating, I could hardly keep my eyes open, but I had to share this experience with you (and I can't fail at BEDA when I have come this far).

Even though there was a lot of pain involved in the end, I enjoyed the hike very much. I suspect I will feel it in my muscles tomorrow and on Monday, but it was a very nice day. The nature (jungle) and the view was fascinating and breath-taking (when I had any to spare, that is). A big thank you goes out to the people who kept an even, slow tempo that I could follow, and who walked with me when I was really slow.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4816

22. Mosquitoes suck

Yesterday night I got into bed within reasonable time to get enough sleep. But as soon as I lay down, I heard a mosquito. And when you have a mosquito inside your mosquito net, it is almost impossible to go to sleep. I couldn't see it, so I decided to try to ignore it, and let it bite me. It just kept on making that irritating sound. I tried listening to music, but when I listen to music, I can't sleep. And even my in-ears didn't keep the buzzing out. In the end I turned off the music and finally (after approx. 45 minutes) managed to go to sleep.

I slept fretfully, having confusing and stressful almost-nightmares. I woke up a full hour before I had to. I thought the mosquito was gone, but I thought wrong. Almost as soon as I woke up I heard the irritating buzzing. I decided it would be no use trying to go to sleep again, and I didn't want to try to hunt the mosquito down to kill it (I was too tired). So my attempt at getting enough good sleep failed miserably.

I decided to go outside, as I knew the sun would soon rise. I watched the sunrise for a while, but the sun was rising behind clouds. It was beautiful nonetheless. I sat there listening to music, trying to forget that I was tired, while the sun illuminated the world more and more. The sun made the edges of the clouds turn to gold, and I could also see rain coming over the mountains. I love having a view so that you can see the weather coming.

I also saw a big sailboat with three sails up, one after the other. I don't know what kind of boat it was, since it was too far away. There are always lots of sailboats passing here. They sail from Grenada to St. Lucia (as far as I can remember being told) on the leeward side of the islands. It is really nice to see all those sailboats pass every day, and I imagine it would be wonderful going on that trip on board a sailboat.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4792

PS: If you want to listen to a funny song with the same title as this blog post, click here.

21. Ants in my computer

In writing this blog post, I am joined by a number of tiny ants. Let me try to explain how this happened.

Yesterday, I was going to my room before lunch, and I realised I didn't have the key to my room. I usually have my key tucked into my trousers when I don't have any pockets in my trousers, and the key wasn't there. It hadn't fallen down into my trousers either, so I was sure it must have slipped out when I ran after the donkeys (who had run around like mad earlier). I tried to look for it in the places I knew I had been running, but finding a key in grass taller than three centimetres is nearly impossible without a metal detector. I gave up and went to tell Stina about it, for my room was locked. She referred me to someone who had spare keys, but the spare key for my room couldn't be found. I was getting desperate and I was beating myself up about losing the key. After lunch, I was told to try all the spare keys in my door, but none of them fit. Then, miraculously, the spare key to my room was found! I don't know where it was found, but my room was open, and I had the key that fit! I was told to return it in the morning again so that they could make a copy of it.

So I did, leaving my room open the whole day. I didn't want to leave my valuables (computer, camera etc.) in my room, so I left it in Kristina's room, which she locked. I left my computer sitting on her bed, and this was where the big mistake was made. Apparently, there were attractive things in that bed for ants, and, of course, they discovered my computer. So they literally infiltrated the computer, and I didn't see them until I turned my computer on. The ants were running to and fro across my keyboard (and screen). Needless to say, I didn't like this one bit. I took my computer out in the hall, shook it and blew on it till I nearly fainted. Then I went inside and started writing this blog post, but all along I've been squishing ants and flicking them away. It makes for some interesting spellings, with 56 in the middle of a  word because an an6t (see there, an ant on the key for 6, just as I was writing the word 'ant') had just walked over those two keys.

Now I think most of them are either dead from the heat from my computer, or killed by me. I hope I don't get an infestation like this again. Who knows what this might do to my computer... Let's hope it pulls through.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4792

20. Little Tree

I recently finished the book The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter. It is about a little boy and the life lessons he learns from his Cherokee grandparents. The style is delightfully naive, but the book brings up all the important lessons of life. It deals with living and dying, morals, and where humans fit in the world, to mention some. This book also talks about nature and the connection humans have with nature. How we should treat it, how it speaks if you only listen, and how wonderful and magical it is.

This book joins in as one of the really good books that have changed my perception of nature, given me a new appreciation of life, and helped me put goodbyes and death into words. It is really magical when that happens. You go outside, and suddenly you feel like you can hear the trees talking, and you feel that everything about life has just become so much clearer. You see everything in a new light, and for a moment, you are not afraid of dying. This often gives you a beautiful peace inside. In this space of peace, you can live in the moment and rejoice in the life in you and around you, and feel how you are connected with the whole universe, and where you belong in the big picture.

The other books I have read recently that have taken me on such a journey and given me new insight are Nation by Terry Pratchett and Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick (which I am currently rereading). But my journey started earlier than these books. From I was a small child I have been drawn to tales of indigenous people and in general of people who live in harmony with nature. For me, who grew up in a town, living in and of nature seems like a magical thing. I love watching things grow, and maybe now more than ever, I am very curious about nature. How it works, how it is all interconnected, and just general childlike wonder and joy at nature's miracles.

These feelings are renewed and strengthened when I read books that describe them. Suddenly I have some words to relate my feelings to. I hope I can continue my journey towards having a real sense of joy just from being alive and seeing life all around me. I also hope that I might have inspired you to begin or continue on that journey yourself.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4792

19. Portal

One of the things that are very good about this place, is that when you think of how remote it is, there is wonderful internet here. I will get back to the internet later, but first, let me explain how remote the place I am staying is. The nearest town (or rather, village) is ten or fifteen minutes by car. But we don't have access to cars, so you have to walk there, which takes more than half an hour I think. The village is  called Chateaubelair if you want to try to find it on a map (you will need a detailed one, or google maps). I haven't been there yet. In that village you can buy food and snacks, and there is at least one church there. You can also take a public bus from there to the capital, Kingstown. That ride takes over an hour. You have to go to the capital to buy other necessities like toiletries (I think), sun screen, bug repellent, pharmaceuticals, and clothes. You also have to go there to go to the bank (which you need to do in order to get cash) or to buy notebooks and pens. The closest shop to here is what we in Norway would call a small kiosk. It's five minutes from here, and you can buy soda and some other things there. I haven't been there either... I will admit that I'm a bit weary of the locals, and I don't carry money. I hope I have now explained how remote it is here.

Now, over to the internet. It is wonderful that the internet is so stable and fast here (I think they have a direct connection with the central or something). That means that I can check facebook, chat with people, call home on skype, and also post blogs. But it also means that I can spend time on YouTube. I like watching YouTube videos, and in November last year I discovered a new genre of YouTube videos: let's plays. These are videos in which a person plays a video game and talks/comments at the same time. You hear and see the things they get from the game (so you're experiencing the game), but you're watching someone else play the game and comment on what is happening. I'm not a gamer myself, but I like watching other people play video games. So this is a good form of entertainment for me, especially when the comments become hilariously funny (as they frequently do in the ones I watch).

The let's plays I am watching are from hankgames on YouTube, which is Hank Green (from the vlogbrothers) playing different video games. Recently he has been playing Portal 1 (also known as just Portal). Portal is a puzzle-solving game that becomes more of an adventure/action game with puzzle-solving later. There is no way to explain it adequately, it's just a really cool game. I have been watching the let's plays of this game, and I really like it. I especially like the fact that there is no killing (except if you count shutting down robots that are trying to kill you). I also like the graphics: it's a nicely visualised game. I hope I can try playing it myself one day.

So that is what I've been doing lately (when I'm not working): waiting for these videos to appear on my YouTube subscriptions page. And now, there will be even more Portal, because Portal 2 was just released (as far as I know)! Portal is a really fun game to watch let's plays of, and from what I've seen of trailers for Portal 2, there is some humour and funny dialogue in the game too. So I join many gamers in being excited about this release, and I hope I didn't bore you to death with this ramble.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4762

18. The Horrors

With good things there are always some bad things, isn't that right? Just to help you remember how good the good things are. It's the same here in St. Vincent. With these wonderful surroundings and magical times, there is also a very real aspect that brings you back to the real world: physical discomfort (to put it mildly) caused by nature.

What my leg looked like after 4 days here.

For one thing, you have the normal things like sunburn and mosquitoes. But then you have all the other things that give you bites that itch, like sand flies, bush flies, ants, and also spiders! The mosquito bites are quite large, but they don't itch like crazy like the tiny sand fly bites do. The spider bites (or at least what I think are spider bites) are in between in size and the amount of itching they cause too. Sometimes I feel like almost all tiny living things here want a tiny part of my body. I would like to tell them that this is my body, and they can bite the cows instead, but I don't speak Bug (or any insect language, except for the one where my sweat is saying: 'Come here! This is delicious, healthy human!').

Those are all the mobile things that make you hurt and itch. But then in addition you have the plants with defence mechanisms that hurt, sting, stab, itch, and burn. You have nestles that sting worse than the European ones, and spikes on the palm trees that I bet can be used as weapons. The spikes are tough, hard, and have a sharp point, and they are up to three inches long (that is approximately 7.5 cm). They often lie on the ground in the pasture, and the other day I could feel something stabbing my toe. I checked and saw that one of them had gone straight through the sole of one of my crocs. Scary! Other than that, many of the plants we clear from the pasture have thorns and small spikes. But I have saved the worst for last: the Monkey beans.

The Monkey beans are beans that grow on creeper vines. They look like hairy dead brown beans (and they probably are), but if you touch them, the hairs will go into your skin and make it itch, sting, burn, and hurt like crazy. The only thing that helps is to rinse yourself in a lot of water. I had my first close encounter with them today. It was horrible. I didn't see the Monkey beans before I had touched them, and it hurt like crazy. I went in and rinsed my arm, but when I came out again and my other arm touched the side of my T-shirt, I realised the hairs were also in my T-shirt. After that, I gave up trying to clear that patch of land. The worst thing is that they also grow on the guava trees. So when you are picking guava to have a sweet snack, you could end up hurting a lot instead.

My method for coping with all this itching without scratching too much is a mindset I have worked on for a long time. Before I get bitten the first time, I am really afraid of being bitten. But when the inevitability really hits me, and I have a number of bites, I stop caring too much about new bites, and I focus on forgetting that it itches. I have practised this for many summers, and it works to a certain degree.  At least I am satisfied with how little damage I have done to my legs by scratching.

Now you know that not everything is heaven here, and every magical moment is accompanied by either bugs trying to eat me or the after effect of their bites trying to get my body's attention. But still, when I look at the wonderful sunset, orange and pink, and play the flute outside while watching the sky change colour, I realise that the discomfort is only a minor side effect of this beautiful place, and it has very small significance in my overall experience of this place.

Books read: 18
Pages read: 4756

17. Rhythm of life

The drums take you and lift you.
You soar through the sky
on wings light as air.
You feel the air support your weight
as you feel the pull
and heed it.

You land smoothly,
feel your feet beat against the ground, running.
The rhythm
lives in you,
is you.
You breathe.
Your feet are fast, stronger than you had imagined.
You are not tired.
The beat drives you on.

You dive, and enter a new world.
Brilliant colours float by as you head onwards,
the rhythm living in your limbs, propelling you.
Colours wash around you
in a beautiful melody,
swaying you gently and lifting you.
You dance,
laugh,
cry.

Your feet feel the earth again,
a heart beating.
The light flows in you,
moves you.
Breathes in you,
through you.
You dance.
You play.
You sing.
You live the music.



Books read: 18
Pages read: 4756

16. Horses in the moonlight

Yesterday, I stayed up far too late (reasons: distractions and reading), and just as I was going to bed, I decided I wanted to look at the moon. So I put my toothbrush in my pocket and went outside to gaze at the moon. It was hanging yellow and large almost directly overhead. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that the trees had really clear moon shadows. It was like it was really midday, but someone had turned down the intensity of the sun. I looked towards the horses, and I could see some movement there, so I decided to go to them.

They were standing there peacefully, watching me approach. Horses have great night vision (at least better than humans), and I was also making quite a racket, snapping lots of twigs and stepping on other noisy things as I approached, so the horses were well warned of me coming. When I reached them, my eyes were totally adapted to the amount light the moon gave. I could pick out the different horses and see quite well what they were doing, but I couldn't see their faces very well, and therefore decided to stay cautious.

I ducked under the fence (a single wire electric fence), and stayed well outside the horses' space, except when some of them offered to say hello to me. Most of them were standing resting and snoozing, as they would normally do during the day, and really, nothing had changed in their behaviour as a result of nightfall. This is completely normal for horses, in case some of you thought that they lie down and sleep for eight hours straight like we humans do.

I just stayed there with them and experienced nature in the moonlight. I saw the moonlight highlight the white socks on some of the horses, I studied the bushes, and realised I could see every single leaf. Everything looked different, but also just the same, bathed in moonlight. I saw the horses relax, and relaxed and breathed with them. I felt the magic of the night all around me, in the fireflies that would light up occasionally over a bush, in the song of the crickets, and in the horses standing there so quietly in the moonlight. I let the small amount of stress that was still in me trickle out and disappear into the night.

I left the horses with a clear and relaxed body and mind. I had spent my first midnight with the herd, and it was beautiful.


Books read: 17
Pages read: 4726

PS: Total side note: Today's biggest laugh (for me at least), was this video. As a bonus, it is also informative.

15. Car bugs and the wonders of nature

Yesterday evening, I came back to my room, and in the darkness of the corridor outside my door, I saw two tiny green lights. It looked very much like a miniature car with green headlights, but I realised the light must come from some sort of bug, and I wanted to see what it looked like, curious as I am. So I opened the door to my room and turned on the light inside. I could see the faint outline of an approximately two centimetres (close to one inch) long bug. But when the light hit it, the green lights faded. I shut the door again to see the green lights, and they brightened up again, right before the bug flew off through the window. It flew off smooth and steady, and it reminded me very much of the flying Ford Anglia in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, only in miniature version. It made my evening a bit brighter (in more than one sense), and put a smile of wonder and enjoyment on my face.

I love how everything is alive here, everywhere you look. The other day, I was lying in the hammock, and what the locals call a maniku (I think that is how it is spelled) came out beside me, in the grass, and started searching for food (bugs, I presume). It looks like a weasel or a Norwegian 'mår' (according to google translate, this is a 'marten' in English). It is quite small, and very cute and furry, with a bushy tail. I watched it foraging for food for a while, taking care to stay quiet, and then it disappeared into the bushes.

I am very fascinated by nature. Its complexity, harmony, balance, and diversity are just a few things which draw me to it. I am also naturally curious, and I love asking questions about the world surrounding me. I am always wondering what different animals eat, how they live, and how they survive predators (if there are any). It is also very fascinating to see how different living organisms face and create solutions to the problems they might have in surviving and thriving in any given environment. Examples include camouflage, lights, poison, and lots of other things that animals and plants use to stay alive.

Also, everything in nature has its reason and consequence. The flies and mosquitoes that bite humans (like me) and make them itch (a lot), are doing it to feed their young or to survive. These bugs are then prey to birds or bats or lizards, who again are prey to eagles and other predators. And when they die, it all comes full circle, and small bugs and flies eat the carcass. It's the circle of life, as they would say in The Lion King. And really understanding that you are a part of that circle, gives a feeling of peace and certainty that is very deep and good to rest in.

This evening, I watched the horses in the moonlight, and saw the stars twinkling above. The fireflies were lighting up, and the crickets were singing. How lucky I am to be here now, I thought. How lucky I am to live on this green and blue planet, so full of life!

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4726

14. Scratch me!

Today, we took the two lead horses, Jack and Darling, to the fruit garden. It's guava season now, so there were plenty of ripe guavas lying on the ground. The horses are crazy about fruit. We let them eat quite a lot of guavas, and then we took them to a bunch of yellow bananas we had discovered earlier. All the yellow ones were gone,  sadly, but the horses also love the green ones. They eat the whole banana, including the peel. And they love it. Many horse people (like some of the people in the clinic) think this is quite strange, since horses normally don't like bananas, and definitely not the peel (according to others...I have no idea...I have never tried feeding a horse a banana before). But Darling couldn't get enough of those bananas. She was ten metres away from them on a short rope, but still she would turn and head for the bananas. It was very nice giving the horses such a treat, especially since they enjoy it so much.

After having been back for a while, I got out of the hammock I had been resting in to see where Kristina (which is the name of my fellow working student, and also my friend from Norway) was. When I came around the corner, she was scratching Moonlight, the youngest and most trusting horse in the herd. Before this, we had hardly touched the horses at all. Then Gaia, another trusting horse, came up to me. I guessed she wanted to be scratched as well, so after saying hello, I tried to scratch her on the part of her body closest to me. She liked it very much (and showed it by scrunching up her nose in pleasure), so now the game was started.

She would show me where to scratch her, and I would scratch her. When I stopped, she would signal for me to continue by turning her head towards me, as if she was saying: "More, please. Right there." When I decided I had had enough, Moonlight claimed my attention, and the game was on again. Moonlight wanted to be scratched on her tail and the inside of her hind thigh, and I thought these were risky areas (in case of kicks), but I tried. It went very well, and I could thoroughly understand why she wanted to be scratched. She had lots and lots of insect bites, and I can definitely relate to how that feels, as my legs are polka dotted with them as well.

It was a really nice bonding experience with the horses, and it is so nice to see and be able to interpret their telling me where to be scratched. It is a kind of grooming, which is what horse friends do to each other, and it is a kind of friendship ritual. It is very nice to feel that the horses feel they can trust me enough to let me scratch relatively intimate areas. This scratching episode just made my day.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4694

13. Knife!

Today, we started the day by checking the fence around the large banana field. Yesterday, we discovered that after the heavy rain and wind during the night, a huge clump of tree creepers and vines had fallen down right on top of the fence, and stretched it. Yesterday, we didn't have good tools for attacking this clump of entangled green mess, but we at least got it off the fence. So today, we had exchanged one of the clippers (the worst one) for a machete. That is the solution in most tropical areas (or areas prone to jungles, if you will) for clearing and cutting things. No garden shears here! Instead you have this huge, heavy, dangerous-looking knife. I felt a bit dangerous and really cool swinging a knife which was as long as my arm. So we attacked the green clump, and managed to get it out of the way. It was a lot of fun (but I am sure I will feel it in my arms tomorrow).

We then proceeded to continue clearing the main pasture of tree creepers, bushes and other green things the horses don't eat. I was swinging my machete, clearing some vines and creepers from an old rotting tree stump (or something like that). I had just removed a curtain of green stuff, and I saw a white shell. You know, the kind you find on the sea shore (the big versions). Then I realised that it was alive! The shell was the home of a hermit crab! And this is a ten minute walk UP quite a steep hill from the beach! How in the world did that get there? And how did it survive? Yes, it was a moist spot under a wet, rotting tree, protected by a curtain of tree creepers. But all the same, I found it incredible. And the crab wasn't very small, either, as you can see from the picture. I was just baffled, and after watching it for a while, ran to get my camera. I had to save this moment forever, and create proof that I actually did experience this (impossible though it may seem).

That concludes this 'strange and really cool things that happened to me today' blog post. And for those of you wondering, I sort of saved the poor crab. I put it under a similar curtain by the same tree which I did not cut away. But I still wonder how much longer it could have survived. Oh, the absurdities of nature (and oh, how incurably curious I am).

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4680

Edit: I found out the crab was actually a land crab, but I still don't really know how it lives. It presumably eats bugs and other things it finds. In Norwegian, 'landkrabbe' (directly translated: 'land crab') is the name of a non-seafaring person, a 'landlubber' according to google translate. I find that name for this crab quite fitting, so I have now named my first crab (or type of crab, if you are being picky).

12. Minor shock and tiredness

As I have told you before, I have to sign up to make one or wash up after two meals a week. This week I had to sign up for washing up after two meals, and the first I chose was dinner today. It turns out I was really unlucky for my first time. We had soup. Which means that everyone used both a bowl and a plate (and a glass, and sometimes a cup). There was also more cutlery than normal (with all the spoons). And to top it off, I'm not very fast at washing dishes. I ended up washing up non stop for one hour and forty five minutes. So now, naturally, I am very tired.

Yesterday, I had an interesting encounter which I forgot to tell you about. We were in the pasture with the horses, just moving them across from the huge banana field where they had eaten all day (this was in the afternoon), when we saw a man walking across the banana field. It is fenced in, so you would think people got the idea that it was private, but 'trespassing' is not a well known concept here. I approached him and informed him that we would rather he didn't cross the field, as he could scare the horses. He said he was just going to get some marijuana, and pointed down the hill. For a second, my head stopped and just went: "Wait...WHAT did he just say?!?" Then I remembered that drugs are really prevalent here, and I calmly went on to explain that this one time would be okay, but not to trespass again. It was really interesting that he made no effort to hide the nature of his errand. It was apparently nothing unusual and he was not afraid of being caught or anything like that. I think it is quite strange that drugs are so usual here. It makes people a bit (or usually quite a lot) strange, and vacant (don't do drugs!).

Today, some people left the academy since they were done with their programmes. The previous working student here also left, and it was a bit strange. Suddenly we, the new ones, were the only ones. We are the ones people will talk about now when referring to 'the horse team'. And we haven't even figured out a good way to do all our chores yet! I guess I will get used to it all after a while. To think that we have already been here for two weeks is quite incredible. My friend remarked today that we are not very tan, when you look at how long we've been here. It will all come in due time, I hope.

That's all for this tired-blog-thing. I have to go to bed now.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4649

11. Walking poop

Today, as I was shovelling manure from the wheelbarrow onto the pile of compost, I discovered something that was so funny I laughed out loud (even though I was alone). One of the pieces of poop was slowly but surely moving towards my shovel! It was as if it wanted to be thrown into the compost pile as quickly as possible! It looked very strange, but I soon realised what it really was. When I pick the manure up from the ground, I often see these small holes in the soil underneath. I have realised that these were from small black beetles who lived in the manure. So underneath the moving poop there were one or two of these beetles. All the same, the sight of this piece moving towards my shovel made my day. I still smile when I think of it.

When we (me and my friend who is also a working student here) were done with shovelling the manure, we decided to take a walk with the two lead horses, Darling and Jack, because they had been out eating on the lawn all day and needed variety (and we had been told to do it). As we were loosening their ropes and had got their attention, they both stopped and stared really hard inland. That was when we saw it. Two solid sheets of rain coming towards us. It was as if the horses were saying: "Do you really want to take us for a walk in that?"

We decided we wanted to, and agreed that rain was really quite refreshing here (as it is almost never cold), and it doesn't hurt getting wet. So we headed out. After about two minutes, the rain started pouring. It doesn't rain as heavily here as it does on pacific islands or in the rainforest, where the sun makes the water evaporate and then it rains down heavily later. Here, the weather comes in from the Atlantic Ocean, crosses the mountains and falls down on us, on the leeward side of the island. So it rains like it does in Norway, nice and easy, not raining cats and dogs so that you can't keep your eyes open. But even so, the rain was quite heavy on our walk. I got lots of water in my eyes, and it was dripping from my nose. After a short while, my T-shirt was soaked through and had started dripping too. The water flowed down my legs into my sandals, which were still wet from Saturday's hike. So I squelched on, blinking furiously, trying to get the fresh water out of my eyes so that my contact lenses would be all right.

It rained on and off our whole walk, and when we finally made it back, I was soaked to the skin (at least in the front). It had also stopped raining. When we had tied the horses again, suddenly my friend cried out: "Rainbow!" There it was: a beautiful and clear rainbow behind the house. We could make out an extra colour below purple, and it was yellowish. It was also double (but not all the way, for those of you who appreciate the reference). The rainbow was a wonderful ending to our not too pleasant walk, and it brightened my mood considerably.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4649

10. Donkey in the kitchen!

Today is Sunday, and you know what that means: a day off! At least from all the normal duties. Also, the clinic is finished, and it is very quiet around here. Today I washed clothes, which came out about as stained as they went in, except that they seemed clean (from the smell and the fact that they had been through a wash cycle).

Later, I went to the kitchen to make lunch, because I had signed up for that meal. We are required to lay the tables and clear up after at least one meal a week, and I had to sign up on Sunday, according to the list. Sunday is the day the students also cook the food, not only clear up afterwards. Here, lunch is a hot meal, somewhat like dinner in Norway. It was quite tiring to cook, as I spent two hours in the kitchen before lunch and 45 minutes after lunch. We were lucky though: there were a lot of leftovers, so we didn't have to cook so much from the bottom up.

After most of the food was made, I was washing up some of the things we had used. Then suddenly the girl I was working with exclaimed: Donkey! I turned around and saw one of the donkeys just walking through the kitchen! She wanted to eat the food we were making, and I suppose she felt that it was all right to just come in the house when she had broken out of her enclosure and wanted to have a poke around. Seeing the donkey in the kitchen just made me crack up. It was so absurd! And so very far from what I could have experienced at home, especially with all the hygienic regulations and germ hysteria in big kitchens. It still makes me smile, thinking of those big ears swivelling around right by the oven. We managed to get the donkey out of the kitchen by luring it with some fruit, and continued making lunch. Lunch was a success, and I was happy but tired when I finally headed back to my room.

So now I am just going to relax and read my book while lying in the hammock in the horses' pasture. And after dinner I hope I will be able to get myself to bed at a reasonable time. I am so tired, and tomorrow I start doing all my chores. That is going to be hard work, so I really want to gather some strength today.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4582

9. Jungle and restaurant adventures

Today was the last day of the clinic 'Yoga and Rituals for Riding' with Farah DeJohnette and Stina Herberg which has been going on this week. It finished with two great adventures in one day.

The first adventure was a jungle walk to a ruin of an old sugar mill together with all the horses. We had to cross quite a wide river to get there and then go through the jungle on paths that were so faint you could hardly see them. It was just so green! Lots and lots of different shades of green, and it was really beautiful. When we had bushwhacked (not literally) for a while, we came to the old and crumbing ruins of the sugar mill.

We found out from reading the inscription on an old piece of machinery that that part had been made in Glasgow in 1855. So we figured that a bit over 100 years was approximately how long it took for nature to take over. Because nature really had taken over this mill. There were tree creepers everywhere, and even a big tree. Everything made of wood was gone, together with a lot of the iron and steel parts, so the only things standing were the crumbling stone foundations. The hill behind it was covered in huge leaves the size of umbrellas, and it created a nice backdrop for this example of nature taking back its own.

Then we walked through the jungle a little bit more, and came out on the beach. It was a beautiful bay, and I spent some time just sitting there enjoying the view and listening to the waves breaking. I thought it reminded me of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, especially the rock outcropping which was almost an island (see picture). We walked back mostly along the beach, and came back home in time to see another wonderful sunset.

That evening Stina and Farah had decided that a good way to end the clinic was to take all the participants (luckily including me) out to dinner. We drove for approximately an hour towards Kingstown, and parked by what looked like a shut down restaurant. Then Stina said that we had to cross the river to get to the restaurant we were going to. So everyone rolled their trousers up and waded into the water. It was a bit chilly, the river had a rocky bottom, and we were wading in the dark. As you can imagine, it was quite a challenge.

We got safely across to the opposite bank, and arrived, after a short beach walk, at the Black Baron. It was a pirate themed restaurant run by a French couple. The food was absolutely delicious, and the setting was just wonderful. The restaurant mainly had guests from sailing boats who stop there to eat (that was why it was hard to get to from land). It was nice and rustic, and it had posters from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films. What a coincidence! I hadn't known we were going to a pirate restaurant earlier today when I thought of the films! So the restaurant adventure was a success, even though one of the others fell in the river on the way back. It was so nice in the restaurant, and I felt a bit like a child in there, especially when the participants of the clinic started dressing up in pirate things.

Overall, this day has been wonderful. Two great adventures in one day! Wow!

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4582

8. Waterfall

I had two showers today. In one, I was accompanied by a huge bug which I thought was going to eat my toe if I closed my eyes (that was scary, but nothing happened), and in the other, I was pounded by the water so hard I nearly lost my balance. The first shower was in the shower at home, in Richmond Vale Academy. I was accompanied by a 3 centimetres long bug with huge jaws and pincers it kept opening and closing. It was a bit unnerving, and I was afraid of shutting my eyes. It kept walking around, opening and shutting its pincers, but I think it was really looking for a way out. The water here has only one temperature, and that is lukewarm, but well below body temperature. There is only one knob on everything, like the shower and the sinks. Since the water is a bit chilly, it makes me shower quickly, but it's really not that bad. It's not like it's not easy to get warmed up again.

The second waterfall

The other shower was in a wonderful waterfall I walked to after lunch with the participants of the clinic. It was very nice and relaxing. I showered under one of the two waterfalls (one above the other). To get there we had to cross a suspension bridge made of thick bamboo sticks. It was a bit scary, and when I was in the middle it rocked a bit. Then we got to this beautiful waterfall, and I decided I had to get underneath that (especially after seeing the others do it). It was really relaxing to feel the water pounding down on me, and it sort of cleansed both my body and my mind. I felt really refreshed (and a bit chilly, and also very wet).

Afterwards, we climbed some steep stairs to the second waterfall, above the first one. It was beautiful and wild, and had a permanent rainbow in it. I mean, what's not to love? We took pictures and relaxed for a bit, and then we headed back down and home. On the way home we saw the beautiful sunset. It is different every night here, but it is almost always breathtakingly beautiful. It was a very good conclusion to a wonderful waterfall adventure.


Books read: 17
Pages read: 4572

7. Drums!

Before dinner today, there was a drumming lesson for everyone at the clinic, and I was allowed to participate. There were three teachers, or rather two teachers and one other man beating the bass drum to keep us all in time. We carried chairs and drums into the horses' pasture, and sat down in half a circle. Then we learnt the basics of the African drum, like where to drum to get the different sounds: bass (flat hand in the middle), tone (midway to the edge), and tips (tips of the fingers on the edge of the drum).

We then started learning different patterns and rhythms, while watching the setting sun. While we learnt how to drum and our teachers led us in singing different songs, Stina and Farah were dancing with the horses behind us. It was magical, with the rhythm, the sunset, and the horses running. But the magic was just beginning. As we progressed to harder combinations and faster rhythms, the sun sank into the ocean, and the dusk started gathering.

We sang, drummed and watched the view and nature around us, and after a while, Stina and Farah started dancing by us. The horses had apparently had enough, so the horse dancers and movers started dancing around the perimeter of our drumming circle, and invited those of us who wanted to join. They danced around till they couldn't any more, and we continued drumming, the beat taking us and guiding us through the dusk and into the dark of the night.

Then, just as the stars were twinkling to life, I started noticing other stars joining them. The fireflies had awakened with the stars. So now they took over the dancing, and they danced about in the air while we beat the rhythm to this great cosmic dance of the earth-stars. The drumming ended in a flourish, and then the dinner bell sounded. We were drawn back to reality from this magical land of rhythm and natural dance.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4572

6. Splash!

Today was the third day of the clinic. I had to get up really early again (before 6 o'clock...*yawn*) to help turn the horses into a completely new pasture (a banana field). Stina let all the horses go in at once, and they got very excited. One horse even jumped the fence, and the horses here don't often jump at all. The horse who jumped the fence also pulled it down (it's just a single electric wire), so we had to fix that. Then, after having sorted that out and eaten breakfast, we went on a trail walk with the horses.

We were all leading one horse each, and I was leading the last horse. In the beginning, she was really pushy, but after an eating break, she was moved to the second place in the line. After that, she relaxed a lot and the rest of the walk was really enjoyable and harmonious.

We took lots of eating breaks (for the horses, that is, not the humans). One of the breaks was a long one, and Farah, the guest teacher on the clinic, rode a little on one of the horses. The horses here have not been ridden much; most have never been ridden at all, and those who have been have not been ridden a lot. So Farah was just starting the horse (the lead mare, by the way) on riding with cues. It was very nice and harmonious to watch, no bucking or protesting at all.

After that break, we continued on our way down the trail to the beach. When we arrived at the beach, we were told to just let the horses choose what they wanted to do. The horse I was leading, decided it would be a good idea to splash a lot in the river. She would stand there, and then beat the water with her foot over and over again. Of course she splashed water all over me, but it was refreshing after the hot sun had been beating down on me the whole walk. But then she decided to wade through the river to get to the other side, so I waded in after her, and got my shorts and my sandals soaking wet. Then she decided to splash some more. It looked like she was having fun, though, and that made it worth it for me. When we finally headed home, I felt thoroughly splashed, and I was wet to the skin.

Overall, it was a very good trail walk. I liked being out with the whole herd, and I felt that I had a connection with 'my' horse, and that I could ask and demand reactions from her. This was the first time I have felt I could do that with the horses here. I am looking forward to expanding and growing when it comes to my connection and communication with the horses.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4567

5. Food

This was the second day of the clinic I told you about yesterday, and there were not many new things. We progressed to the next couple of rituals, and practised those. What I didn't mention yesterday is that morning during the clinic we have a yoga session with meditation. It is very interesting, and also a bit eye-opening. It is a good way to start the day, as it makes you relaxed and aware of your body and your surroundings. Today we had an especially good session, and we all started the day refreshed and relaxed.

I thought I would tell you a bit more about the everyday routines here, and that involves food (because that is the only time we assemble, so the times are fixed). So first, the daily routine for meals: breakfast at 7 AM, lunch at 1 PM, and dinner at 7 PM. So there is a long time between the meals (which means I get frustratingly hungry before it's time for the next meal). Breakfast is usually a cold meal, and consists of cornflakes with milk, sometimes porridge, sometimes scrambled eggs or something like that, and bread with a choice of jam or peanut butter (or both).

Lunch and dinner are usually mostly vegetarian, with lentil or soy stews, salad (which is spicy, because it is mustard salad or something), and sometimes my favourite so far: deep fried slices of pumpkin. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and oily, but not too fatty, and I just love it. The food here is always well spiced, and I like it very much. It is nice that the food actually tastes something, and most of the time, I really enjoy the new tastes and new types of food. It is also very nice that it is easy to be a vegetarian here, and I find I often choose the vegetarian alternative above the meat. Today, for dinner, we had this amazingly good banana jam, made by one of the students at the academy. I loved it, and would have eaten loads, had it not been for my need to have it on bread. We also had a spicy pumpkin soup, and the normal spicy salad. I am always looking forward to the meals here, because the food is always so good.

That was a glimpse into my life here. If I get too hungry between meals, I can go and pick fruit (like guavas, which are in season now), or, when I know my way around a little better, get some fruit or something else in the kitchen. But usually I just try not to think about it, drink some water, and just wait for the next meal. It's the same method I use for my insect bites, a mental exercise to shut certain things out, and not think about them. And it's working pretty well, at least with the itching.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4567

4. Rituals

Today was the first day of a clinic Stina is holding together with Farah DeJohnette. As a working student, I am an assistant at this clinic, so I get to participate in most of the programme (when I don't have to shovel poop or make tea). It is very interesting. Stina is a certified trainer of the Carolyn Resnick Method, which operates with something called the 'Waterhole Rituals'. This is essentiallly just a breaking down of how horses treat each other in a normal, wild herd.

Humans also have rituals. We have rituals for hygiene, for mornings, for evenings, for meals, and also for social life (in fact in most areas of life). For example we shake hands when we meet each other the first time, and we respect other people's personal space. Especially in cities, where lots of humans live very close to each other, we have lots of rituals (or norms) which we use and follow to feel safe. For example avoiding eye-contact with others while you're taking public transport, and staying at least one metre away from other people while shopping for groceries. Since humans naturally form and rely on habits, habits and rituals that are constant create a structured and reliable life and environment, and we feel safe when they are in place.

It is the same with horses. They are very social animals who live in herds, and have to function in a unit with others quite often. To make this work, there has to be a structure and a way of communicating that is universal for all horses (since horses change herds all the time in the wild). Carolyn Resnick studied wild horses and found the most important and covering rituals or set ways to interact that horses have and use actively.

The first two are quite intuitive: sharing territory and saying hello. I think I have mentioned this earlier, but these are very important basics when you deal with horses. Sharing territory is just being in the same space, and allowing the horse to come and go as it wants, while not paying much attention to the horse. Saying hello is analogous to the human ritual of shaking hands (except you do it quite often with the same horse). It involves holding your hand out to the horse (if the horse is close to you) with the back of your hand up. You then allow the horse to smell your hand or blow on it and then you go away. When two horses meet for the first time or are reunited, they blow in each other's noses, so this ritual is an imitation of that. You don't want to invade the horse's space for too long, therefore you move away afterwards.

I hope this wasn't too much horse talk for you, and if there is anything else (or more of the same) you would like to hear about, just leave a comment.

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4548

3. I almost died!

Just kidding. But I did just come back from the beach, where I jumped off a cliff into the very salt water. I think it is about the highest I have ever jumped into the water, approximately 4-5 metres. It was scary and it  hurt (at least the body part that took most of the blow...). But it was exhilarating and I think I will do it again, this time probably with a better technique, so that it doesn't hurt that much. But yeah, I could have died...but it's not that likely it would have happened (and then it would have been called a freak accident).

The water here is really nice, although it is really salty. So salty, in fact, that if you jump, or just go under water, you get a sore throat for some time afterwards. Also, the high salt concentration gives you more buoyancy, so that if you want to float on your back, it is really easy. The first time I went swimming, I didn't realise this, because I'm (not to brag or anything) quite good at floating. That is also one of the very few things I can do in water that I'm above average at doing... I know, I'm lazy, good at just lying around. Anyway, many of the people who were out in the water swimming with me today, commented on how well they could float. Also, my lips still taste salty, over an hour after I got out of the water.

Yesterday evening we had a costume party. It was really fun. We had people dressed up as a shower, a smurf, a superhero, a Native American, a Norwegian troll, Cleopatra, Che Guevara, and many more. I dressed up as an African (Kenyan) woman, complete with a scarf on my head, because I brought my Kenyan clothes with me. We played some games (funny as well as awkward ones), and danced. Wow! The people from South America are really good at dancing! And generally, the students here are not shy, they volunteer for games really easily, and they go out on the dance floor really quickly. It is nice being in such a relaxed social setting, where everything is okay, as long as you are yourself.

That is all for today. If you are thinking about copying me (jumping off a cliff), make sure there is WATER underneath (if not, it would be called suicide, and please don't kill yourself, you are needed alive), make sure the water is sufficiently warm (approx. 18 degrees or more) and deep (at least 6 metres or something like that), and watch other people jump before you jump (both to pick up hints and to be sure it is safe).

Books read: 17
Pages read: 4536

2. Donkeys

I went on a walk with the donkeys today. I hope you can believe me when I say that donkeys aren't only stubborn, they're also really smart! With donkeys, you only have to convey the message (for example 'don't eat while walking') a few times, and then they get it. And they remember it the whole walk! With other animals, you have to constantly keep watch and remind them, but the donkeys just understood it really quickly. But then, since they are so smart, they also have a lot of opinions. That is why they are so stubborn, I think. Once they have decided something, they stand by it, and nothing you can do can change it (except use far too much force for it to be called humane or even normal).

Today I shovelled more poop. But that is what I will do every day, so there is no use repeating it. It's hard to clear the area we were working on today, because along the ground there are these long root-like things, and they make everything you try to put on your shovel fall off. We are currently clearing an out of use banana field, so there are also all the dead banana leaves on the ground. It makes a simple but disgusting job just that much more frustrating.

I realise I am complaining, and I shouldn't, because it is so wonderful here. I thought I would just give you some facts about the place I am living so that you can imagine it somehow. There are 7 horses here: one gelding and 6 mares. They have a relatively large pasture, which consists of two relatively flat parts with a hilly part between. On one of the flat parts is the shelter where you can find the hammock and the water for the horses. They also have 3 donkeys, 2 chickens, 1 rooster, 14 pigs (6 of them only days old...soooo cute!), some (I don't know how many...maybe 15 - 20) sheep. Five of the sheep are constantly breaking out of the enclosure, they just walk straight through the electric fence (at least that is what it is generally thought they do). There is also a vegetable/fruit garden, fields of banana trees, and also other fruit trees (like guava, which is soo good). The building complex is quite large, but we are only approximately 30 people living here at the moment.

That is all for now, in this abnormally long blog post (for it to be part of BEDA...now I probably won't have anything to write tomorrow) about (at least) three different themes.

Books read: 16
Pages read: 4504

1. Pictures and poop

The beginning of BEDA! I really hope I will manage this. Today I feel that I am slowly but surely adapting to the climate and the tasks here. The day has consisted mainly of shovelling poop, pushing a wheelbarrow full of poop and shovelling more poop. Of course, the poop is really manure, but it's still a shitty job. When I wasn't shovelling poop, I was taking a break in the hammock and enjoying the view of the sea.

When we were finished for the day, I took some photographs. I captured the closing of the tiny green growths, and I hope to make a tiny video (a GIF) out of it soon. I also photographed my new blog backgound, and I met this guy.

There are lots of these small lizards around, and I find them really cute, even though they are not geckos. This one sat very quietly. It's like it was born to be a model!




These pictures (and more) were just taken in the garden and the pastures of the horses. I strongly suspect that more will come your way.

Books read: 16
Pages read: 4494

Birthday and BEDA

Today is my birthday (yes, because of the time zone, it is still my birthday here), and at dinner tonight, one of my new friends here started a birthday song. That was really nice. Today I have been working on clearing and cleaning up in the horses' pasture. And also relaxing in the shade (and in my room because I was so tired) and reading my book. And also itching and scratching...my legs are super spotty... I also had a lesson with Stina (the horse trainer I am learning from). She showed us the difference between the horses she has and how they react to body language, and how one should adjust the training to the horse's personality and mood. It's really interesting to see how the horses have so different personalities and behaviour.

Tonight I took my computer out into the garden and played the song Fireflies by Owl City while watching the fireflies. It seemed fitting. They are really wonderful creatures, fireflies. They look like sparks from a dying camp fire, because they have a tendency to light up and then die out again really quickly. I love the nature here - there is something that is alive everywhere you look. In comparison to winter-dead Norway, where nothing stirs and all you see is snow and dead-looking trees. It is pretty amazing and wonderful to be in a place that is so very much alive.

I have decided to do what is known in some circles as BEDA - Blog Every Day in April. Kristina Horner is doing it, and I thought it sounded like a good idea for me too. That way I can document my first month here and share my experience with you. So you can expect daily blog posts, and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave me feedback on what you want to hear more about or maybe what you want to see in pictures.

Books read: 16
Pages read: 4448