Adaptability...

I haven't posted in a few days but it was more of a mushed together week

As far as work goes,

chhheck

Chema and myself have been cast into the abyss by our lonesome due to people being sick, delayed meetings, IT, etc. So we have took it upon ourselves to continue on. Despite our rather slow days piecing together what we can, it's interesting to see it come together through the interactions between all these things we've been syncing together through our server. I started to think of it as breaking down ESRI's software to the bare bones which I'm not used to but have started to see the inter-workings of what is going on.

Here's the breakdown...

We are using PostGIS as a database to store all our spatial information...We need pgAdmin to add data to that database such as shapefiles, DEMS etc. We can then use QuantumGIS to manipulate that information, and we are using Geonetwork to be able to search our database, add descriptions to information, and although we don't know how yet, be able to search all information within a certain spatial extent.

We have become masters of multi-tasking as we slowly download huge files on our slow connection (3hrs+ per installer), looking up tutorials, all while trying to link these separate things and connect to a server. We burnt out one laptop because the power from the outlet sporadically surges and it fried. We now have a surge protector...

Our work flow *hiccups (*i will use hiccups instead of frustrations) go beyond our office and we are slowly learning they are the same hiccups shared among many around here. We went to our programmers house the other day to try and use her un-restricted internet. Ana has been here for 4 years and gave us the low down on the history of this place. Not the Galapagos but the station itself. It was interesting to hear what it has gone through, what its currently experiencing, and the outlook for the future of the station. If you walk around you can slowly put the pieces together from the building that stopped getting built, to the staff, to the scale of volunteers roaming around. It goes without saying that an organization that is pretty much non-profit relies alot on external funds coming in.
When alot of economies throughout the globe, not just our own but throughout Europe as well, have significantly tanked, the funds coming to places such as this are no longer as much a priority for donators. The projected funds expecting to be donated at the beginning of the year, by the end of the year don't exist. Use that same concept; when you spend your savings on programs at the beginning of the year, expecting to get reimbursed at the end of the year, you slowly start to lose financial backing on projects that were going, yet can't continue.



escape...then backk to the office.

The financial situation is not just a nation wide issue within the United States. Chema has been filling me in on his issues within Spain lately and the recent past. Himself along with alot of citizens are even at risk of losing their life savings as of last weekend...He then gave me the low down that started in Ireland, then to Greece, then Spain, and now Italy is under pressure.
It's interesting to see what is happening at a global level with global organizations which I'm sure extends beyond our own. Clearly seeing objectives that need to be reached without the resources to do so. The situation here involves a history that extends beyond an economic perspective but it goes without saying that they are currently under a global economic bind.

Whether it be positive quotes on our whiteboard, sayings from Good Earth tea packets : ), or our Zen exercises we are making due with what resources we have and I have no doubt in my mind that we will come up with something great in the end.

Enough on that topic...
This week I've also started swimming on a daily basis during lunch. We have an hour and a half lunch which gives me time to walk to our station beach do some laps, make an omelet, and lay down for a bit watching geckos cruise around the ceiling.



Last night Joe and myself joined Rob and Josh who found out last week there is ultimate frisbee down by the docks in town on Wednesday nights. Not expecting to much it was alot more fun than I anticipated and involved alot more running than I thought. I also met some guys who play soccer and I told them to join us tomorrow for our weekly soccer match at the park. Last week there was a helicopter that BBC was using on our field so we couldn't play but pretty sure we have enough people this time to make a stand so onward to Friday night soccer matches.

Deb also returns with a biology class in a few days, with her she's bringing care packages from HOME! Super stoked for what Rachel sent as well as what my parents put together : )


can barely see them but far right pole to far left pole. lunch laps.