Sciencing

That's a word - right? Last week was the Benguela Symposium and my wonderful PhD supervisor (who must be wondering if she is ever going to get rid of me), agreed to pay for me to attend. She really is awesome. 

I still feel approximately this old when I am at science
meetings - a little like I have snuck onto the adult
table.

It was, in equal measure, really inspiring and intimidating. The science being produced in southern Africa (and about southern Africa because there were a number of international speakers too) is really impressive and a little intimidating. The conference really made me miss science and feel inspired to do more (or some, I am not really doing science at all right now). I think that we can feel proud of how well southern Africans do science - with much smaller budgets and fewer people than developed countries. 

The only less than awesome aspect of the conference was that I was ridiculously nervous for my presentation - I guess because of the impressive audience and the fact that I haven't presented any of my own work for such a long time (the last time I presented was three years ago). I rushed and blundered through some of the explanations and made the normal mistakes one makes when nervous. I think this suggests that I am out of practice  and need to do presentations more often because I used to really enjoy them and didn't enjoy this one at all. If you see any (funded) opportunities - let me know! 

I know you can't really read it, but if you want
more info - shout.

Luckily, the audience was nice and, while the science was intimidating, the scientists weren't at all! (And the feedback I got was positive which is cool). It was a very friendly symposium and I didn't feel like anyone was off-limits for a chat (or to drag to the pub). It is lovely to find brilliant minds that are still completely approachable and fun.

And, the poster session went well (not least of all because there was wine, actually, wine was a pretty regular feature of the conference) and people were generally enthusiastic about my poster. (Although one person said "another 700 fish and you have a paper there" - so I will be looking for a student to do the lab work). I even have hope (hold thumbs) that the DEA will be banning microbeads in the future - I will be following up on that and letting you know. 

I completely failed to take pictures, sadly. This is from a
picnic at Sea Point with some of the conference people
after the conference was finished. 

By far the best part of the conference was seeing familiar friendly faces again. There were some people I hadn't seen in years, and it was fantastic to catch up with people I used to share an office with, shared awesome field trips in Luderitz, or gave me an excuse to look for sunshine and happiness when my PhD results came back. There are some really special people in science and even if I didn't love science already, they would be enough of a reason to want to stay in touch with the science world! 

Oh and the banquet was awesome too!

A punch to the gut

On Wednesday, I woke up with a migraine, I didn't know yet that there was a really good reason for one. Later, while I was following the world spiraling from rational to absurd from my office, I could hear people upstairs, at some meeting or conference, laughing and chatting - I wanted to storm upstairs and shake them. Didn't they realise what was happening? Didn't they understand that the world had changed?  

I felt a little self conscious about my physical reaction to the news. I felt ill, genuinely nauseous (although I had woken up feeling that way, so maybe it was just coincidence). I couldn't stop the lump in my throat and no amount of headache tablets were going to make me feel better. In my boss's words: "the world just took a collective punch in the gut..." (he let me work from home in the afternoon - at least he, as an American, had a vote).   

I though Brexit was bad, this is worse. I understand that there are people that feel disenfranchised by the "system" but to have voted for someone who is so blatantly awful, sexist, racist, stupid and dishonest seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. I hope that he surprises us all and actually does something good, but I am not placing bets on it. 

I am scared of the global political trends. I hope that these trends of racism and nationalism stop. You have to see that this is terrible idea. It isn't even a new terrible idea, we have already seen how this story ends. Please, Germany, France and Netherlands, when you vote next year, vote carefully - your face will look better with a nose even if it isn't perfect. I can't handle another 2016, so let's make 2017 better! 

It is hard not to feel anything other than despair, but I came across this quote by Judith February in an Eye Witness News opinion piece and I am trying to take it to heart, I hope you will too.  

"Given the political milieu, we may well feel as if we are in a very particular time of global and South African despair, yet now is a time for the very opposite of despair, for greater mobilisation and the true awakening of citizen activism for progressive values and corruption-free societies.

Toni Morrison is instructive:

‘This is precisely the time when artists go to work.

There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity,

No need for silence, no room for fear

We speak, we write, we do language.

That is how civilisations heal.’"

Let's loudly and actively reject racism and sexism. We have to continue to fight for the environment. We have to talk and DO SOMETHING about climate change. We have to science! We need to be proactive. We need to be loud so we are not drowned out by those that care more about power than truth. And we need to remember that people are more good than bad...   

Champagne and happiness

After my previous grumpy post, it is quite nice to be able to write that things are looking a little brighter again - although that might also be because of my recent wine-drinking opportunities (more on that later). 

The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay. What a setting!

The charges against poor Pravin have been withdrawn and Abrahams looks silly (and is now sad that people are judging him in social media - but my sympathy is limited given what he did, very publicly, to Pravin and our economy).  And while I am having a TRULY awesome week, Zuma isn't which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. (Unfortunately I rather suspect that he is indifferent to public opinion and can't even be bothered to feel sad). Thanks to the magnificent Thuli's State Capture Report, Zuma, van Rooyen, Eskom and the Guptas etc. are under scrutiny and even though it might just be the beginning of the process and Zuma might still pull some magic out of his corruption hat, it is a start.

And in international wins, Namibia reversed the decision about phosphate mining! Whoop whoop! We will be keeping an eye on you (and South Africa's marine phosphate mining decisions) though! A huge marine protected area was declared in the Antarctic... not just huge, the hugest and it is a pretty amazing achievement because it required collaboration from a bunch of counties (which gives me hope for other things that need inter-country collaboration, e.g. climate change mitigation and stopping fishing subsidies). And wonderful Leo is doing wonderful things (which totally justify teenage-Shannon thinking he was the best-ever.) Not only has he made #BeforetheFlood (which I haven't watched yet, sorry Leo) but he is putting his name behind other environmental initiatives too (I realise, he isn't a saint, just someone lucky enough to be famous, but there are MANY famous people doing nothing).  

Even the coffee was extra special!

Of course, there are still unresolved problems and so, dear rational and active citizenry, please don't get too relaxed yet (and looting isn't justified during marches no matter what the cause you are marching for) but it is important to celebrate occasionally too.  

I had a fabulous but slightly surreal mid-week. Firstly, I drank wine at the ridiculously beautiful Bay Hotel in Camps Bay at the Norway-South Africa Science Week. The Science Week was all about discussing future opportunities for research and collaboration between the two countries which is a wonderfully hopeful thing to be discussing (particularly in beautiful settings, first Camps Bay and then the Waterfront).

Cheese should always have glitter and come with
champagne. It was all so pretty!

And then, I got to start celebrating Christmas early... Completely out of the blue, I received an email from Pick n Pay inviting me to their "A Taste of Christmas" event. I didn't really know what to think or what it would be or whether it was real (it wasn't Google-able).  BUT, it was real and it was magnificent. I am happy anytime I arrive somewhere and they hand me champagne (which really doesn't happen often enough) but that was really just the tip of the ice berg. All the staff were so welcoming and friendly, I felt like I had mistakenly found myself in the VIP section. Judging from the bewildered but happy faces around me, I think I wasn't the only one. 

Pick n Pay outdid themselves, the setting was stunning, the food amazing, the atmosphere fantastic. I kept waiting for a catch, but the only catch I found was that I ran out of space in my stomach (and even then, we were sent on our way with Christmas cake, a personalised Lindt teddy bear, Ferrero Rocher balls and a chocolate mince pie - although I sort of stole that, wrapped in a serviette). Pick n Pay has a great range of Christmas gifts too, we chatted to one of the buyers and she said they have increased their Christmas range by ten fold (maybe, I had had champagne and am never good at remembering details). 

Champagne with a view

I was very sad to leave the elegantly glittery cheese platters and the ridiculously delicious stollen (not to mention the gin cocktails, champagne and wines that I couldn't drink too much of because of that whole driving thing), but I am so grateful to Pick n Pay for such a fantastic evening. I felt completely spoiled and loved every moment of it! I only wish that I had had more room in my belly.


P.S. Don't worry Mom, I didn't waste space on mince pies, I know yours are the only ones worth eating!