Lazy friday

Firstly, let me just blog my story of yesterdays glorious run in the rain. You see yesterday I got home circa 5:30pm so I had enough time to put in a quick jog before the sun set (6:30). Quickly I called up my new running buddy Steffen (a German paediatric doctor) and off we were. It was good to run ...I've been doing it rarely and sporadically since I came, but nothing like I do back home...usually I opt not to run as I realize most Malawian see it as a "odd azugu thing to do." Actually I have yet to see any Malawian women run. Generally speaking Malawian women are too busy rearing their 6+ offspring, cooking, cleaning, working the fields, worrying about the family's nutrition, processing food stuffs and washing clothes to even think of wasting energy on a pesky thing like running. So usually I don't go...unless I am in a group or its early on sat or sunday morning when people are in church. But when I run with Steffen I feel as if he is the canter of attention (big tall white guy) and I am less strange. Anyways, the run was great. It started with me greeting all the qausy familiar faces as we whisked past them, then a group of small kids started taunting us (azungu azungu) and chased us for about a minute before they decided that we werent worth the effort. This I think is because they are boma (city) kids, in the village when I'm spotted in a car often kids will chase the car for nearly a kilometre before they give up. Either way I think it was fun for Steffen, him being new and all. So then it started to rain 15min into our run and luckily we were nearing home so we kicked it into 5th and raced home. But our effort was futile as Malawian rains don’t doddle and within minutes it was pouring, the streets were flooded with spontaneous rivers and I was soaked. Despite the wretched flu Aunty (Mrs. J that I live with), warned about I had a great time and will miss running in monsoon like rains in Africa.

Secondly, on this lazy Friday I've been neglecting my duties, data analysis and the like, and surfing the web. I then stumbled on a network of Blogs blogged by Malawian ex-pat aid workers. It is neat reading about their experiences and whats more it was eye opening for me. I mean I've been experiencing the same /similar thing as they have only I never really realized the impact of those feelings. My problem I think is that I have been compartmentalizing and filing my feelings about things here instead of recognizing and thinking about them. So I will try and be more introspective in my next blogs.

Thirdly I am starting to feel those going home blues. Its hard to believe I only have 3 weeks left! Ahh wont think about it

Feeling the PRESSURE

So there are many of us "science kids" that in our undergrad sat in seat listening to the horror stories of scientists tampering with data to meet deadlines and please bosses. I remember a day when I was sitting in Nudds' lecture and he mentioned that many DFO researchers feel this pressure. I thought, as well as all my classmates at the time, that this was baloney and there should be no reason to tamper with data or produce statistical reports that don’t show the "real" discovered truth. I mean its about precision not accuracy right?
Well these past weeks, I've been feeling the "pressure." Our rather incompetent dysfunctional team had to present our research to our big Buena (boss) and there were many (in fact a plethora) of questions we failed to answer....not because we didn’t know the answer but bec in the end the answer had more to do with personal vendettas and agendas than it had to do with logical reason. That is to say many things were missed bec someone on the team decided that he/she knew more than the methods stated...or the method advocate (me) came off too natzi-ish, or because the method advocate (me still) went away on 2 weeks vacation to a beautiful island paradise! So in the end everyone was to blame...we all sat heads hung. I mean I really shouldn’t have vacated over x-mas (I'm Hindu, I don’t need to celebrate) but they (the team) and their pettiness really were getting to me. Communication was low, feelings were too often a factor in decision-making and I just didn’t/ couldn't deal with it as no one is confrontational, ergo NO one wanted to talk about the issues.
In the end we've synthesized the data...it looks very bleak to me...but we then cut samples (that had incomplete data sets) and we ran regressions to generate information on a sample size of 50 but really there was grouping there and arguably the sample size should be 10-ish. But after that huge budget was blown its not like we can hold out for next years spawning season and re-run trials. We just have to use what we have!

In the end the data isnt soo bad. Its not pristine by any means though....and the whole thing has taught me the need for multi-ple pre-study planning sessions so that the whole team can get on the same page....come hell or high water....

In other news, the whole aquaculture launch is bigger than I thought! The Director General of WorldFish is coming down from Penang, Malaysia and the Head of Fisheries Slones is around....as well as Bingu of course. The count down to Bingu is approx 10 days!

Tid-bits of News

Avian Flu Hits Nigeria,
-Maybe you've read but the bird flu has been spotted in Nigeria. Many here are nervous and scared...Chicken is a HUGE source of meat (protien) here. "We have AIDS, Malaria and Poverty ...I dont think we can handle the Bird Flu" said my co-worker Mr. Kalino

Hammas Govnt wins in Palestine
-I thought it was bad that Harper was voted in, in Canada. But the new Palestinian winning party leader makes Harper and the conservatives look like eels in a tank of crocks! Basically, Isreal and Palastine were nearing peace talks and had a cease fire but now this radical Hammas group, who doesnt recognize Isreal as a state has been voted in. Isreal has been fighting for a long time for thier rights, to little avail.

Leech Guide being made and conservation at hand!
- As some of you know I fancy leeches and think they are quite interesting little creatures. In recent news it looks like a Canadian working at a US museum has been conducting research on them and will soon put together their natural history as well as a linneage chart and species identification manual! Exciting! check out :
SCIENCE February 7, 2006 Scientist at Work Mark Siddall: His Subject: Highly Evolved and Exquisitely Thirsty

Aquaculture makes it BIG in malawi

So, in Malawi the president Bingu wa Mutharika has declared that there will be a new national aquaculture strategy launch in late Feb. This "strategy" is meant to use aquaculture as a tool to increase food security and incomes of small-holder families in rural areas.

Its a little ironic as aquaculture has been around in Africa (as a potential solution to poverty and mal-nutrition) since 1950's or so. I found documents that were printed in late 70's talking about aquaculture as an integrated approach to increasing nutrition in diets. But I guess it takes 50 or so years for the news to reach and affect policy makers.

So expectdly things are fairly busy around here. Deputy ministers have visited and many "degree holders" as they call the senior staff are off to meetings in Lilongwe, the captial, with the Minister of Fisheries and the head of the Department of Fishereies. In fact the Executive Director, if that is his title, but anyway World Fish International's head is flying in on Tuesday. So that will be exciting and an experience.

As for my catfish, they are doing well. Admittedly the research team has had its problems, mainly because of poor management and communication and one guy who more or less is a loose nut, but in data analysis we are still able to make some conclusions.

Additionally, we are doing an on-station experiment to re-test field results by perfecting data collection techniques (ie. no variation or screw ups).

One of my fellow researchers a women from Zambia is leaving tommorow and I will be sad to see her go as she has been a genuine hard-worker on this project.

But what I learned from her wasnt feild related but that as a women (or even man) working in Africa (or perhaps anywhere) its important to be diplomatic and look good in front of your bosses. I am not one to suck up and try to impress others, and I have found this approach not to work to my favour here. Wheres as in Canada mostly its a different story as genuine people that can intuitively read situations are around. Okay there is my "vent." But yeah maybe my office political side should develop and personal need to remain ethical and fair should not always rule. . .