A whale of a tale
canada and back again...
funny, add a "by: Elizabeth Maloy" and that would unintentionally be a Lord of the Ring's reference.
HI GUYS!!!! I missed ...you.
so I know you're going to read this, right?
or at least skim. maybe look at the pictures...
the navy is what I wrote then.
take a deep breathe. just go with it, okay? YAY Livejournal!!
I always hate filling up a real journal... especially when it's a book like this with its thick pages and beautiful cover. I hate to fill it up, yes, but love for it to be full. It is inevitable then. I have to start. ...and so I am. July 1, 2006.
Canada Day!! I did not know such a day existed... though I guess that was silly. It's only logical that it would. ...and would not have known if I had not overheard the girls talking. The girls! The wonderful girls. I'm so glad they don't suck.
Each of them were completely different from the other. and we all fit together surprisingly well. it was pretty amazing, actually.
They are all so sweet and friendly. Everyone has such as positive attitude! (at least so far)
Let me introduce you:
Mary. ...she's going to Notre Dame in the fall. Mary had the wit.
Courtney. She was my favorite. She lives on a farm with lots of cows and chickens. ha, and she's in the poultry club at her school.
Steph. from Florida. The mom of the group for sure.
Vanessa. onceupontheend ...from Jersey. Loves sushi.
Annie. from California. Always stylish and well put-together.
Madi. such a strange girl. a world traveler with a very interesting personality.
Hannah. omg. so cute. and from New York
and then the German grad students who we got awfully close to:
Svenja
and Kim
Right now I'm on a boat traveling from Port Hardy
(where we arrived)
to Scull Cove
where the CERF base camp is located. Cerf= Coastal Ecological Research Foundation.
It is fairly cold. and by fairly I mean "fucking freezing". I am wrapped up in Adam's much too expensive North Face fleece, though... and I'm also wearing his striped hat. It's comforting, I think. I left home pretty confused.
British Columbia is a beautiful place. We stayed right off the water last night in a backpackers' hostel, and you could see the mountains in the distance.
I've always wanted to live in a place like this. at least for a little while. Mom would love it here. Adam would love it. JJ would, too. Billy would hate it.
It's a beautiful day, and I'm sincerely glad I'm here.
July 2, 2006. 11:45 am
And we're off! We were supposed to leave Scull Cove this morning at 10:30, but it seems everything goes pretty slowly around here. There is just so much to do! We arrived here yesterday and discovered our little ...oasis? It was pretty sweet. The kitchen area was nestled in the woods overlooking the water.
The bank was surrounded by these large beautiful rocks, and Courtney and my cabin, the "Minke Mansion" was a little less than glamorous... but still a mansion in our hearts.
We got to know William, our project director a little better. He is very very opinionated and to be honest... I'm not sure we are going to get along too well. My enthusiasm seems to bother him a bit. Courtney, my roommate for the evening is fabulous.
We get along wonderfully. She is from Philadelphia and lives with lots of animals.
It was interesting to be roughin' it... no running water. pit toilets... a foam mattress on a wood bunk. but it was lots of fun! I was pumped.
I keep slipping on everything. I think I've fallen on the boat at least three times so far.
We are eating surprisingly well! Though there is absolutely no meat in our diet (trouble storing it, you know). Had a dinner of rice w/ vegetables ...and a breakfast of bread (like adam in germany) and bagels.
Yesterday I had a cucumber/tomato/cheese/mustard sandwich. Mom would have been proud. Sean would have been grossed out.
This boat ride is going to take 10 hours! gag. ...so I'll probably write more when I get bored. I'm getting sick (not surprisingly. this damn climate is fucked) and am not feeling too well.
midnight
Oh. My. God.
What a long day! and we didn't even do anything! I don't care who says they don't get seasick... a 10 hour boat ride will make anyone's stomach turn. We saw our first whale!! (and I even got a picture)
but by the time we got to Dawson's Landing
everyone was ready to get off that damn boat.
I tried to sleep as much as possible... (probably about 5 hours), but the rocky water kept waking me. We were in dire need of a hot shower and warm bed. I cannot believe we've only been here for four days!
The girls and I are getting much closer.
It's fun when we talk about food. or insult William =)...or just have moments when we enjoy each others' company.
Madi, from New York, is surprisingly good at spotting whales. So is Courtney. I don't think I would be a very good whale-watcher. I'm much too impatient.
but I love. love. love. my new camera!
when we docked at Port Hardy, Crystal (the general store's daughter) showed us our house. It is right on top of the water... floating. The bottom floor has a kitchen, living room (with a broken tv), bathroom, and a bedroom with two beds.
The upstairs has six more beds. That is where the other girls and I are now.
We played Spoons and Bullshit after our dinner of Pesto (and after we had all showered). Kim and Svenja even came to play! They are helping William run this- grad students, I imagine. Playing cards was lots of fun. It was the first time I feel like we really connected with the people running this thing. Lots of laughs and smiles.
Tomorrow we are hopefully going to start actual work. though I can't even imagine how tired I'm going to be then, if this is how I feel now. I love being here though. and I love getting to know everyone.
I don't love my awful cold, though. Thank god for Courtney's Sudafed!...until tomorrow.
4th of July
The Fourth of July was greatly needed. We ate cake!! It was awesome!! The girls and I all chipped in together and the total cost of the cake mix, eggs, and frosting was around $26.00. Crazy, right? but it was totally worth it.
And we had CRABS!!! good crabs. surprisingly good crabs. Crystal and her dad tore off the bodies, though... before they cooked them? so it was just the claws. weird.
Nobody knew how to eat them.
Hilarious.
It was definitely a memorable Fourth of July!
and yesterday was July 5th.
Kim, Mary, Hannah, and I went out on the speed boat to find whales.
They were amazing!! Lots of humpbacks jumping all over the place. It was very difficult to take pictures (the boat was so shaky)
Highlights:
Mary had to pee over the side of the boat. Kim broke it. the boat. It was spinning around in circles. haha.
Crystal's mom made pot roast for us. MEEAAAT!
and we started making whale songs. kind of like Mrs. Spayde. well... exactly like Mrs. Spayde. =)
to: "I love you, you love me"
I love whales
whales love me
we're a mammal family
with a great big fluke and a spout for me to see
won't you come and breach for me
to: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Humpback, Humpback, great big whale
on the ocean we will sail
down below the sea so blue
spout for us so we can follow you
Humpback, Humpback, great big whale
on the ocean we will sail
It started getting rough when we would come up with some to the tune of Tiny Dancer or Piano Man. but still lots of fun.
July 6, 2006
Whale-watching on the Stardust. We saw two greys and a humpback.
Courtney and Steph had to be separated from us again =( and went to do sonar stuff. More awful but amazing whale songs. we have about 12 now. Still missing people I shouldn't miss. and mom & dad. and meat.
July 9, 2006 3:15
Back at Scull Cove. After another 10-hour boat ride in which we all wanted to kill ourselves, we are all settled in. It was a midnight arrival, and let me just say... it was an experience. We were tired. and hungry. and cold. and wet. It was FREEZING! and Kim
wasn't there (we had to leave her at Dawson's to do more research)so in all.. it was pretty much awful. If waves hadn't been so tall... it might not have been so bad. but they were. and it was.
Courtney and I are roommates again =).
They let us sleep until noon today. Thank god.
Yesterday, when we stopped for dinner. a grey came up to our boat, and then promptly swam away. so William started getting the dinghy ready to follow it to catch the picture. Not knowing he'd actually say yes, I asked him... "Can I come?"
Funny, because I was not actually dressed to go... and Svenja was in the middle of making me some hot chocolate. so there we were.
William and I.
in a small dinghy.
on the very wavy. and cold. ...Pacific Ocean.
It was well... hmm... scary. but very exciting. Whales look much bigger when you are on their level. the waves seem much higher when you are on a raft. William said they were only about eight or nine feet... but I thought they were much higher.
We only have tomorrow at Scull Cove, and then we are heading back to Port Hardy the next day. Then home the next morning.
I can't believe it. This trip has gone by so fast. I'm actually really glad I went before college. It brings out your personality again, you know?
I really really really like Svenja. I think before I leave I"m going to write her a letter...a note, if you will. Telling her how awesome she is. She truly is wonderful. Crazy German. She acts so silly with us, and then in a split second she can be serious if necessary.
Today we helped Jen with her hydrophone experiment. Three of us pattled out into the cove and took turns making sounds into PVC pipes placed in the water. Then two of us on shore tested to see if we could tell which direction the sounds were coming from. One of us closed our eyes and Jen pointed to the girls out in the water (who made whale sounds =) ) and we guessed who made them by pointing a finger. The sounds were very faint. but it was pretty cool. especially if two groups were making them at once.
I'm sitting on the rocks now in the back of camp. Courtney is next to me with her journal, too. I called mom earlier. Italy won the World Cup! and she said she bought me the steaks I requested in a short email the day before. Talked to Adam for a split second, too. I think I'm going to lay on this rock for a bit. The weather is gorgeous today.
and that's all I wrote.
It sure is good to be home.
funny, add a "by: Elizabeth Maloy" and that would unintentionally be a Lord of the Ring's reference.
HI GUYS!!!! I missed ...you.
so I know you're going to read this, right?
or at least skim. maybe look at the pictures...
the navy is what I wrote then.
take a deep breathe. just go with it, okay? YAY Livejournal!!
I always hate filling up a real journal... especially when it's a book like this with its thick pages and beautiful cover. I hate to fill it up, yes, but love for it to be full. It is inevitable then. I have to start. ...and so I am. July 1, 2006.
Canada Day!! I did not know such a day existed... though I guess that was silly. It's only logical that it would. ...and would not have known if I had not overheard the girls talking. The girls! The wonderful girls. I'm so glad they don't suck.
Each of them were completely different from the other. and we all fit together surprisingly well. it was pretty amazing, actually.
They are all so sweet and friendly. Everyone has such as positive attitude! (at least so far)
Let me introduce you:
Mary. ...she's going to Notre Dame in the fall. Mary had the wit.
Courtney. She was my favorite. She lives on a farm with lots of cows and chickens. ha, and she's in the poultry club at her school.
Steph. from Florida. The mom of the group for sure.
Vanessa. onceupontheend ...from Jersey. Loves sushi.
Annie. from California. Always stylish and well put-together.
Madi. such a strange girl. a world traveler with a very interesting personality.
Hannah. omg. so cute. and from New York
and then the German grad students who we got awfully close to:
Svenja
and Kim
Right now I'm on a boat traveling from Port Hardy
(where we arrived)
to Scull Cove
where the CERF base camp is located. Cerf= Coastal Ecological Research Foundation.
It is fairly cold. and by fairly I mean "fucking freezing". I am wrapped up in Adam's much too expensive North Face fleece, though... and I'm also wearing his striped hat. It's comforting, I think. I left home pretty confused.
British Columbia is a beautiful place. We stayed right off the water last night in a backpackers' hostel, and you could see the mountains in the distance.
I've always wanted to live in a place like this. at least for a little while. Mom would love it here. Adam would love it. JJ would, too. Billy would hate it.
It's a beautiful day, and I'm sincerely glad I'm here.
July 2, 2006. 11:45 am
And we're off! We were supposed to leave Scull Cove this morning at 10:30, but it seems everything goes pretty slowly around here. There is just so much to do! We arrived here yesterday and discovered our little ...oasis? It was pretty sweet. The kitchen area was nestled in the woods overlooking the water.
The bank was surrounded by these large beautiful rocks, and Courtney and my cabin, the "Minke Mansion" was a little less than glamorous... but still a mansion in our hearts.
We got to know William, our project director a little better. He is very very opinionated and to be honest... I'm not sure we are going to get along too well. My enthusiasm seems to bother him a bit. Courtney, my roommate for the evening is fabulous.
We get along wonderfully. She is from Philadelphia and lives with lots of animals.
It was interesting to be roughin' it... no running water. pit toilets... a foam mattress on a wood bunk. but it was lots of fun! I was pumped.
I keep slipping on everything. I think I've fallen on the boat at least three times so far.
We are eating surprisingly well! Though there is absolutely no meat in our diet (trouble storing it, you know). Had a dinner of rice w/ vegetables ...and a breakfast of bread (like adam in germany) and bagels.
Yesterday I had a cucumber/tomato/cheese/mustard sandwich. Mom would have been proud. Sean would have been grossed out.
This boat ride is going to take 10 hours! gag. ...so I'll probably write more when I get bored. I'm getting sick (not surprisingly. this damn climate is fucked) and am not feeling too well.
midnight
Oh. My. God.
What a long day! and we didn't even do anything! I don't care who says they don't get seasick... a 10 hour boat ride will make anyone's stomach turn. We saw our first whale!! (and I even got a picture)
but by the time we got to Dawson's Landing
everyone was ready to get off that damn boat.
I tried to sleep as much as possible... (probably about 5 hours), but the rocky water kept waking me. We were in dire need of a hot shower and warm bed. I cannot believe we've only been here for four days!
The girls and I are getting much closer.
It's fun when we talk about food. or insult William =)...or just have moments when we enjoy each others' company.
Madi, from New York, is surprisingly good at spotting whales. So is Courtney. I don't think I would be a very good whale-watcher. I'm much too impatient.
but I love. love. love. my new camera!
when we docked at Port Hardy, Crystal (the general store's daughter) showed us our house. It is right on top of the water... floating. The bottom floor has a kitchen, living room (with a broken tv), bathroom, and a bedroom with two beds.
The upstairs has six more beds. That is where the other girls and I are now.
We played Spoons and Bullshit after our dinner of Pesto (and after we had all showered). Kim and Svenja even came to play! They are helping William run this- grad students, I imagine. Playing cards was lots of fun. It was the first time I feel like we really connected with the people running this thing. Lots of laughs and smiles.
Tomorrow we are hopefully going to start actual work. though I can't even imagine how tired I'm going to be then, if this is how I feel now. I love being here though. and I love getting to know everyone.
I don't love my awful cold, though. Thank god for Courtney's Sudafed!...until tomorrow.
4th of July
The Fourth of July was greatly needed. We ate cake!! It was awesome!! The girls and I all chipped in together and the total cost of the cake mix, eggs, and frosting was around $26.00. Crazy, right? but it was totally worth it.
And we had CRABS!!! good crabs. surprisingly good crabs. Crystal and her dad tore off the bodies, though... before they cooked them? so it was just the claws. weird.
Nobody knew how to eat them.
Hilarious.
It was definitely a memorable Fourth of July!
and yesterday was July 5th.
Kim, Mary, Hannah, and I went out on the speed boat to find whales.
They were amazing!! Lots of humpbacks jumping all over the place. It was very difficult to take pictures (the boat was so shaky)
Highlights:
Mary had to pee over the side of the boat. Kim broke it. the boat. It was spinning around in circles. haha.
Crystal's mom made pot roast for us. MEEAAAT!
and we started making whale songs. kind of like Mrs. Spayde. well... exactly like Mrs. Spayde. =)
to: "I love you, you love me"
I love whales
whales love me
we're a mammal family
with a great big fluke and a spout for me to see
won't you come and breach for me
to: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Humpback, Humpback, great big whale
on the ocean we will sail
down below the sea so blue
spout for us so we can follow you
Humpback, Humpback, great big whale
on the ocean we will sail
It started getting rough when we would come up with some to the tune of Tiny Dancer or Piano Man. but still lots of fun.
July 6, 2006
Whale-watching on the Stardust. We saw two greys and a humpback.
Courtney and Steph had to be separated from us again =( and went to do sonar stuff. More awful but amazing whale songs. we have about 12 now. Still missing people I shouldn't miss. and mom & dad. and meat.
July 9, 2006 3:15
Back at Scull Cove. After another 10-hour boat ride in which we all wanted to kill ourselves, we are all settled in. It was a midnight arrival, and let me just say... it was an experience. We were tired. and hungry. and cold. and wet. It was FREEZING! and Kim
wasn't there (we had to leave her at Dawson's to do more research)so in all.. it was pretty much awful. If waves hadn't been so tall... it might not have been so bad. but they were. and it was.
Courtney and I are roommates again =).
They let us sleep until noon today. Thank god.
Yesterday, when we stopped for dinner. a grey came up to our boat, and then promptly swam away. so William started getting the dinghy ready to follow it to catch the picture. Not knowing he'd actually say yes, I asked him... "Can I come?"
Funny, because I was not actually dressed to go... and Svenja was in the middle of making me some hot chocolate. so there we were.
William and I.
in a small dinghy.
on the very wavy. and cold. ...Pacific Ocean.
It was well... hmm... scary. but very exciting. Whales look much bigger when you are on their level. the waves seem much higher when you are on a raft. William said they were only about eight or nine feet... but I thought they were much higher.
We only have tomorrow at Scull Cove, and then we are heading back to Port Hardy the next day. Then home the next morning.
I can't believe it. This trip has gone by so fast. I'm actually really glad I went before college. It brings out your personality again, you know?
I really really really like Svenja. I think before I leave I"m going to write her a letter...a note, if you will. Telling her how awesome she is. She truly is wonderful. Crazy German. She acts so silly with us, and then in a split second she can be serious if necessary.
Today we helped Jen with her hydrophone experiment. Three of us pattled out into the cove and took turns making sounds into PVC pipes placed in the water. Then two of us on shore tested to see if we could tell which direction the sounds were coming from. One of us closed our eyes and Jen pointed to the girls out in the water (who made whale sounds =) ) and we guessed who made them by pointing a finger. The sounds were very faint. but it was pretty cool. especially if two groups were making them at once.
I'm sitting on the rocks now in the back of camp. Courtney is next to me with her journal, too. I called mom earlier. Italy won the World Cup! and she said she bought me the steaks I requested in a short email the day before. Talked to Adam for a split second, too. I think I'm going to lay on this rock for a bit. The weather is gorgeous today.
and that's all I wrote.
It sure is good to be home.