17 October 2012 Siete Dias en Costa Rica - Technology is wonderful!

Journal

Siete Dias en Costa Rica

Isn’t technology wonderful? Isn’t it strange that we can communicate both verbally and visually from across the world?

Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last Just kickin' down the cobble-stones, lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy Feeling groovy

Thanks Simon and Garfunkel for the oldie, but goodie.

Slowing things down and preparing for take off. Today was mainly involved planning for the webinar. Thanks to those of you who were able to join in. We really had fun preparing and presenting it.

From the Poles to the Tropics of Costa Rica Webinar — A snapshot of Steve while he was presenting during the webinar, From the Poles to the Tropics of Costa Rica. Photo taken by Elizabeth Eubanks

The life around this place never ceases to amaze me. I had to walk a km (.67 miles) to the area where we set up my computer for the webinar. During that walk I saw three new to me species. Then this afternoon, I got to see an Aracari and a Tuocan, three different types of woodpeckers, two turtles, the Howler Monkeys and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a few more things that I have just gone blank on.

It is sort of fun and a little sad that people come and go around here. You really start to build a network and look forward to seeing people at meals, so you can catch up with them. Today a few of the “locals” (since I have been here) had ice cream on the bridge. Diego says it is a fun thing to do! As we stood there, realizing I am leaving tomorrow several others are off in a day or two, it will be a bit empty for Ping, Diego’s wife, and Diego. But then two more people joined our space, who had just arrived and two more at dinner had just come in. At first it felt like they were invasive species and in a way they were messing up the whole "eating together dynamics." In the end, It all worked out, because it had to :) But re-thinking things, I guess we are all sort of invasive species out here, so it is good to flexible, kind, wiling to accommodate people and friendly. This is how I see everyone at La Selva, so nice and hospitable.

I am grateful to have had the chance to come here and am most indebted to Dr. Oberbauer for inviting me. I truly appreciate the polarTREC team (Janet and Sarah) helping with the webinar and being willing to let me use the PolarTREC site as an alumni.

Dr. Steve Oberbauer y TRE participant Elizabeth Eubanks en Costa Rica

Time spent with Diego has been priceless. He is a wonderful person and so easy and fun to be around. The world and La Selva really excite him. He has a an innate desire to be curious and so willing to share anything he knows. It has been delightful to meet his wife Ping, who is from the Philippines. Ping was even nice enough to bring a homemade dish for us to try. Muchos Gracias Diego and Ping Dierick and of course Dr. Oberbauer.