Please help the Filipino people in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

Dear friends,

My heart is breaking.  I have had to stop watching the news in the wake of the recent disaster in the Philippines.  The scenes on the news are devastating.

As you may or may not know, I have recently returned from 14 months in the Philippines.  The devastating scenes remind me of the beautiful country I worked in, but more importantly, the amazing people I worked with while I was there.

It is hard to describe the spirit of the Filipino people but it is there in such abundance.  The news footage of people begging for water with tears streaming down their faces and pain in their eyes is so far removed from the smiling faces and kind eyes of the people and communities I worked with.

I worked in agriculture in rural parts of the Philippines, where people often lived in houses made of sticks and corrugated iron.  Where people had little but always had genuine smiles on their faces. The farmers I worked with were a pleasure to work with. Even the ones that didn't have any English would still try and converse with us in the paddy fields. Their resilience was beyond reproach.

Not only do the people of Tacloban and other affected areas have to suffer the immediate effects of the the typhoon but research from IRRI (Drs. Nyo Me Thwe and Grant Singleton) has shown that rodent outbreaks are closely linked to extreme climatic events. So the effects of this typhoon will also be potentially devastating in the future with severe rodent outbreaks causing lots of crop damage and disease.

I was hoping you could  help in any way you can? A little goes a long long way in South East Asia.  On the Philippines Red Cross website you can donate as little as 100 pesos (~€1.70) or 200 pesos (~€5.00) and I also heard that other Irish based charities like Oxfam and Concern are running their own campaigns. The cliche "every little helps" is especially true here as in the developing world €5 can buy a lot of clean water and rice to feed devastated families. Please help and share!

Regards

Niamh



  


Here are links two more places to donate to.

€ http://www.mycharity.ie/event/philippines_relief/ 
£ http://www.justgiving.com/PhilippinesRelief

Bags and bags of adventures

Mammy Quinn keeps suggesting that I throw my bag out as she has obviously seen better days. I am so attached to this bag though. It has been with me for holidays, college and several country relocation.  She has lived in three American states and visited a few more. She has been in four continents and crossed the equator at least 8 times.  In the forests, hills and fields of Galway and Mayo and in the orchards and fields of California, she has carried bait stations, traps and almost any other type of field equipment that I couldn't carry in my hands . 

After about 12 years of adventures she is definitely looking a bit worse for wear.  She is still hanging in there though and I am already looking forward to the next adventure.

See you all sooon

Reflections from the paddy in the paddy

It has been quite a journey over the last 14 months. The learning curve is one of the steepest I have ever come across and the challenges were some of the greatest also. I have less than a week left of this incredible journey. Where has the time gone?

When I decided to move from Liverpool to the Philippines I had no idea what was in store for me. I barely knew a thing about the Philippines and knew even less about rice. I used to think that the things I saw on a Saturday night out in Liverpool were some of the most bizarre I would ever see.......I was very wrong! The Philippines is such a wonderfully bizarre place. The weather is rough in the Central Valley in California but it isn't a patch on what we have faced here. Team Daga have struggled through temperatures over 40 °C and 90% humidity. It was extremely tough at times and we have almost all nearly fallen over because of dehydration but we have had some fun. On one of our last weeks in the field, over half the field crew had to lie down before they fell down. I had been seriously dehydrated before but the heat we experienced that week was unbelievable. Our whole bodies were pulsating trying to cool us down and we had spots in front of our eyes. I love a good challenge though and I think the weather and the difficulties that come with working in a paddy made this paddy relish the job that needed to be done even more.

Super Team Daga

Last day of field work for the dry season

Our farmer group with myself, Clare and Renee in front with our driver Igly and Mouth, the puppy.

Working with the Filipino farmers has been a pleasure. I think that farmers the world over all have their similarities. Despite their lack of english, the farmers in the Philippines have been as welcoming as the farmers that I have worked with in the hills in Connemara and the orchards and alfalfa fields of central and northern California. They were always happy to see us coming and very helpful and cooperative. Our last farmer group were particularly helpful and friendly and Renee is currently helping them to run their own TBS (trap barrier system) which should help the farmer to manage their rats effectively without the use of rodenticides. Clare and Renee will also return to the sites to collect rats for their next research projects. 

I had no idea how beautiful the Philippines was before I moved here. Considering the high level of spoken english among the Filipinos, it is difficult to understand why its profile as a tourist destination in Asia is so low. I have seen some amazing places since I came here and there are so many more that I may never get to see. I have been diving on ship wrecks from WWII, seen beautiful rice terraces and relaxed in some amazing island paradises. I am just back from a few days in Puerto Galera, Mindoro. The weather was amazing, the water was warm and crystal clear and the fresh mango daquiris were so delicious.  We managed to get two dives in too. The current during our first dive to a place called "Hole in the Wall" was really strong and we actually missed going ino the hole in the wall. Our guide was too slow to point out the entrance and Sara had floated off in the current. I managed to hook my heel into a lump of coral but I couldn't even turn round to see where my buddy had gone. In the end we moved on with the guide since the current was just so strong and explored the coral reefs.

Getting to travel to Sumatra was also a highlight of my time here. It truly was a very different experience that I don't think many people will ever have. Although many people will have trekked the jungles of
Sumatra as part of their travels, very few will have eaten strange birds caught by the farmer in the rice field or have the chance to release monitor lizards or snakes or be offered sauteed chicken hearts for breakfast!

My Indonesian family

I have struggled a lot here more than anywhere I have lived before. My health has not been good for over a year now. The weather is rough and the field work has been even rougher but boy have I enjoyed myself. I moved here to work with Grant Singleton and gain some more experience.  I got that and so much more.

Who knows when and where the next adventure will be. I am looking forward to spending some time at home with friends and family. I hope the sun will still be there when I return.



Adventures Down Under.

Diving at the Great Barrier Reef

This paddy left the paddy for a trip to the southern hemisphere. What a trip it turned out to be. I met up with the girls in Cairns and the Australian adventure began.

Cairns was beautiful.  The weather was just right and the town itself was lovely and parts of it reminded  me of the vibe in Galway. We rented a convertible and Maher and Byrnsey drove us up the coast where we saw crocs and excitedly watched out for kangaroos. We also went diving and snorkeling on the great barrier  reef. It certainly was eventful with Byrsney losing her mask and knocking her reg out of her mouth while we were under! There were four of us in our group and I turned around and suddenly all there was to see was Gal. I looked at her and looked around and saw no one. I looked again as it is easy to miss someone while diving as they could be under or over or beside you. However, Gal was the only one I could see. We finally saw two pairs of legs dangling above us. Byrnsey had swallowed too much water to continue but managed to swim back to the boat on her own while me and Gal hung out with Nemo. On the way back to the boat we saw a massive barramundi.  Gal was quickly reminded by our guide to keep her hands close by her side in case the fish bit them off!!

Next stop was Coolum beach and Fraser Island.  The bus to Fraser Island was so ridiculously bumpy I felt like I needed a sports bra! It was a nice trip though and we met some really cool people.

Proof that I managed to stay in the kayak !

Next we moved onto Byron Bay. The beach was spectacular and the town was nice and small. We went kayaking with the dolphins.  Our guide was a bit of a fruit loop and said things like "happy happy joy joy. Tra la la la la" and "peace and love, love and peace". Maher had the misfortune to be paired with me in the kayak. The brains were supposed to be in the front and the strength at the back. I was in the front so our brains and strength were well and truly in the back seat! The first big wave picked me up and unceremoniously dumped me out of the kayak. The unbalanced kayak then flipped over and dumped Maher out with the kayak landing on her head. Our happy happy guide Dougie pulled us back in and we were on our way again. Until the next big wave hit and dumped me out of the kayak again.  I tried to ask Dougie a question. His response was "There are no time for questions in nature! ". We finally made it past the breaking waves. It was quite the adventure even before we started!

We moved onto Surfer's Paradise then. It was a bit of a concrete jungle but the beach was lovely. We attempted to go surfing but ended up being kind of rescued by the lifeguards.  We didn't even realise we were in danger. We were just hanging out chatting. The waves were a bit rough but sure we felt like pros after our Byron bay shenanigans!

It was finally time for the first test so we headed to Brisbane. The city wasn't the nicest and the rugby was kind of pants to be honest but the craic was mighty.  

We headed to Melbourne then for the second test. Melbourne was a really nice city with buckets more culture to be found in comparison to Brisbane. The rugby was kind of crap again but I can't even begin to describe the atmosphere in the stadium. It was just electric! We visited the immigration museum since they had an exhibit called Leaving Dublin. It wasn't the best but they had a booth where you could record your own immigration story and listen to others. My favourite was the guy who had been in Australia for about a year. He put his head in his hands and start to stutter. I miss, I miss, I miss. He seemed a little distressed and paused and then looked at the camera and said so sincerely " I just miss Brennan's bread". Well I almost wet myself laughing! 

On the great ocean road

We picked up another UCG rugger here and rented a car and drove the great ocean road. The views from the twisty coastal road were spectacular and the craic in the car was unreal. Well until the spectacular ocean road went on and on and got twistier and twistier. We finally made it to the Twelve Apostles just before the sun set and the journey proved to be worth it. The views were breathtaking.

I was responsible for the return leg and so we headed for dinner. We headed for the nearest town as we were starving since we hadn't eaten since we left Melbourne over six hours ago. The town was smaller than any pokie village in Ireland. The town's only cafe slash shop slash hostel was open and so we went it. We all ordered something different and yet we all got the same thing. We got three versions of chicken schnitzel with different types of "gravy" on top. And by gravy I mean semi solid pile of goo! My stomach still turns slightly when I think of my chicken satay.  Gross! We had a good laugh about but I could taste it the whole way home! It only took about three hours to get home but since I am not used to driving anymore it seriously felt like forever.  All the kids were asleep in the back but my wonderful co-pilot Byrnsey kept me on the right road and entertained my moaning the whole way home!

Sydney was the next port of call and the craic continued there. We stayed with Maher's friend Sarah in Cronulla and went to Summer Bay and met some fine fella Heath who I had never heard of but not adverse to saying hello to. Sarah and her sister Tara and her friend Kirwan were also along for the ride. Sarah drove the new family around in a people carrier and it was like we were all old friends.  We all got on like a house on fire. We a spent the next day in Cronulla eating and drinking and listen to hilarious stories from Tara

The gang in Cronulla

We moved to Sasha and wills place in Bondi next and it seriously felt like Sasha had just moved out from the house in Rosan Glas yesterday and not four years ago. It was the first time I met Will and we all got on famously.  We walked the feet of ourselves in Sydney.  We went to the botanical gardens and Circular Quay, the rocks, the big observation tower and the paddy markets. The markets in Sydney weren't a patch on Victoria Market in Melbourne though.  

The view from Sasha and Willy's apartment

The final test was the icing on the cake. We moaned and moaned about the selection and the decision to leave BOD out of the squad and other selections that that eejit Gatland made but it seemed to work on  the day and players that hadn't really shown up all tour gave very good performances.  I didn't want to leave the stadium.  I stayed until almost the majority had left and soaked it all in!

It was an amazing experience that I would love to repeat. I had some much craic with the girls and all the people we met along the way.

New Zealand 2017 anyone?

The shenanigans!

Rat whacking continues.....

I randomly came across this video during the week. It made me laugh so much. It reminds me so much of the rats in the Philippines. They are such hardly little things. I can't believe how resilient they are sometimes.

It's also very apt given Team Daga's special relationship with The Carpenters :)

On another rat whacking note, I forgot my paddy boots so it was Clare's turn to go swimming in the channel. She also had the new "cooling system" built into her boots. I laughed at her almost the entire time she was in the channel. I didn't know it was possible to have worse balance than me. Then I met Clare!

Rat whacking-Clare from Niamh Quinn on Vimeo.

Rat Whacking

Oh the life of a rat whacker!!

 I wish myself and Clare could constantly record ourselves on field work.  Too many funny things happen every day....too many to write about!

Today I had a new cooling system built into my paddy boots.

Oh science!!!



20130415 101643 from Niamh Quinn on Vimeo.

Sunshine and City Lights

Sunshine and City Lights Hong Kong from Niamh Quinn on Vimeo.

How you feelin? HOT! HOT! HOT!

I thought the weather in Fresno was bad but I really think the weather here might kill me.

Today we lost our driver briefly.  He had our phones, money and most importantly, he had our liquids.

As Clare, my intern pointed out, you know you are really thirsty when you are sticking your tongue inside the bottle to get the last drop of water!


Maybe the relentless rain on the side of that mountain in Connemara wasn't so bad after all?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Telang Rejo, Sumatra

I love my job.  Most people think I am crazy.  I love the challenge of the hot weather, the long days, the language barriers and everything else that comes with being an ecologist in the mucky paddy. I was in Indonesia recently for ten days and reminded once again that being away from home isn’t that bad.

The journey to Telang Rejo in South Sumatra is quite a trip; cars, trains, planes, more cars, boats and motorbikes. I am usually wrecked by the time I get there and since I don’t sleep while I am there, my time there is rough enough.  However, there are so many good things in Telang too.

Adventures in telangvimeo from Niamh Quinn on Vimeo.



 A short video of some of trips to Telang

The Good.....

Rachma and Team Tikus (rat in Bahasa, Indonesia)

Rachma

Rachma is my colleague from ICRR (Indonesian Centre for Rice Research).  Even though we have only met four times, we have spent quite a considerable amount of time in each other’s company. On top of that we communicate regularly about work through email and Facebook.  The problem this time was that Team Tikus was minus Rachma for the first few days.  No one else spoke any English, apart from Arie, the intern, who spoke a few words.  My arms were tired after the first two days from waving furiously to try and get my point across in the field.  I felt so sorry for poor Arie.  I was roaring at him all the time.  In my head, the louder I said it, the easier it would be to understand.  Turns out Arie hadn’t a clue of 95% of the stuff that was coming out of my mouth.  Everything I said was returned with a “Yes, ma’am”.

Me: Arie! Your mother’s a pineapple.

Arie: Yes ma’am

Arie and Pa Enjanhg

Field work with Team Tikus involves just as much laughing as with Team Daga (rat in Tagalog).  When Rachma finally got her stuff sorted in Java, she joined the field crew in Sumatra.  We got ourselves in some situations!  I decided a short cut would be a good idea and took the lead.  I was half ways there when I started sinking but it was too late to turn back.  Rachma was following me and I had tried to warn her but she continued anyways.  I sunk just to my knees. Rachma suck to half ways up her thighs!  Her wellys were completely filled with water by the time she got to me on the bank. Then we faced our next challenge…..trying to cross the channel between the short cut and the next field site!  I found a really heavy and long piece of wood that I managed to pick up and make a bridge out of. It was very narrow though and when I tried to cross it I chickened out every time I got further from the safety of the bank. Rachma was the first brave one to chance it.  She sat on the plank and tried to scoot over it.  She got stuck half way and we had to get a passing farmer to save her and then help assist me across.

A similar thing happen later and I decided to put the plank between my legs and scoot across.  Funny thing was I got stranded in the middle.  Pa Enjang had to pull me across with a long piece of bamboo.

 

Pa Wasikin and his family

 

Pa Wasikin and his family are so welcoming and happy to see us all come and take over their house.  This was my fourth visit to Telang, but Team Tikus had been there another two times at least. I always want to give Ebu Wasikin a big hug when I see her but I don’t see much hugging in the Muslim culture there so I refrain. Rachma gets a big hug when I see her (she doesn’t get a chance).  Even without Rachma and her translator skills, we still manage to communicate and they make me feel so welcome.  I brought some Lyons tea for Ebu Wasikin this time and they all loved it.  Towards the end of the week I was so tired and I was lying on the rug on the floor of the living room and we were all chatting in Bahasa and English.  Ebu Wasikin came and sat next to me and started to give me an Indonesian foot massage.  I don’t usually like people touching my feet cause they are very ticklish but this was amazing!

Pa Wasikin’s grandson lives next door .  This visit, Feddy really warmed to me and I had great craic playing with him in the evenings.  Neither of us understood what was going on but the kids in Telang have few toys and we had fun with paper planes and silly games that I made up for him.

 

 

Ebu Wasikin’s cooking

 

A delicious meal prepared by Ebu Wasikin

 

Most of you that know me well enough will know that to say my insides are struggling with the Philippines is a bit of an understatement. Well, I have no such problems in Telang, despite Ebu Wasiking gutting the chickens on the same step I wash my boots/teeth on! The food is amazing and so varied.  We are in Asia though so we do eat rice three times a day. Everything is so fresh though.  Ebu Wasikin even makes special not-so-spicy white lady food for me.  The only thing I am not mad about is the sautéed chicken hearts for breakfast.  That is one dish I refuse to partake in!

The bad….

Trains, planes and automobiles

 

The journey is horrendous.  It starts when I wake up at 3.30am in IRRI and then ends in a hotel in Palembang approximately 18 hours later.  The next phase is the trip to the boat. Then the boat journey itself and then depending on where we arrive there are motorbikes and  terrible roads involved. I use the term”roads” here very loosely.  The boat journey back this time was amazing though. We saw so many monkeys, a sea eagle and the usual other wildlife that we normally see.

The Bathroom

The bathroom situation in Pa Wasikin’s house is far from what I am used to. We wash ourselves with the same pot that we flush the toilet with.  I don’t think I will ever get used to the cold showers. Again the term “shower” is used loosely here too.  Last time I was there, I noticed a fish on the bathroom floor when I was using the toilet and used the pale to flush it out the drain/hole in the side of the house.  When I came back later there was a dead fish on the floor.  I wasn’t sure what had happened but flushed it out again as I did not want to share my washing space with a dead fish.  This time I found out where the fish were coming from.  I saw one in the tank where we get our water to shower.  My life!  It really is so bizarre sometimes!

Sleeping, or lack there of!

I can’t sleep in Telang Rejo.  Most of you that live, or have travelled in Asia, will know that it can be exteremely loud.  Well even in ballybackarseofnowhere Sumatra it is also loud.  Firstly there is the call to prayer. It wakes me up every morning at 4.30. I think it is a bit like trains.  You eventually get used to it but I haven’t gotten the chance.

The frogs sound like crosses between demented Chihuahuas and screaming children.  They only stop when it rains very heavily!

There is always a light on somewhere, a loud TV, or a neighbour playing random Arabian music from a loudspeaker attached to their house.

The ugly….

Ebu Wasikin prepares the chicken at the same place I wash my boots/teeth

I caught my first bug in Telang.  Traveling home with a bug through four airports and the journey from Manila to IRRI was beyond awful.  I pretty much slept last weekend away. Thankfully I am recovered now.

I am not sure if this is my last trip to Indonesia.  My contract is supposed to be ending at the end of May and things are very hectic in the Philippines with our current season. I am trying to analyse and write and manage the next season in Telang also.  I would love to go back and see the team and Pa Wasikin’s family but I don’t know if it will be possible.  It has been one hell of an experience. My eyes have been opened to rural living in Asia and to the people, cultures and religious beliefs of the people of Indonesia. I am too much of a princess to live there, but despite the lack of sleeping, I really do enjoy the good and even the bad.  I can leave the ugly!

 

Random ramblings in the Philippines

My Movie from Niamh Quinn on Vimeo.

Hobo Scientist

My new Filipino visa arrived today.  I never thought I would see the day when I had this many pages of my passport filled up.  I am sure that there will be many more visas in the years to come as the struggle to find jobs in Ireland seems to be getting harder. Even if the economy picks up, I am not sure that Ireland will ever be an easy place to be a mammal ecologist.

So many friends are scattered to the four corners of the world.  In fact, I am struggling to think of any NUI, Galway Zoology Dept. PhD graduates that are currently working in their chosen field in Ireland. I am sure there are a lucky few but the majority are scattered across the world.   What a waste of investment from the Irish government. Brain drain indeed!

Being part of "Generation Emigration" isn't so bad though.  I have seen some great places and worked with wonderful people in America, Britain, the Philippines and Indonesia. I have made some great friends and had many unforgettable experiences. Even thought I miss everyone back home, and the new friends that I have made and have also had to leave behind, it is great to travel the world and experience amazing things.

Who knows where is next?  Wherever it is though, ye better come visit!