Beer anyone?

As you can guess, my default drink is wine but I do like certain beers and I especially like the recent surge in craft brewing and all the variety that that brings. I also like all (seriously, ANY) "how to make xxxx alcohol" tours. I am fortunate to live in Cape Town where hundreds of wineries are easily accessible but I have also been to some breweries in England and a Whisky distillery in Scotland and I find the process really interesting. I promise it isn't just about the drink you invariably get at the end of the tour (especially when that drink is brandy or whisky - I have not acquired those tastes). 

This weekend we went on the SAB Brewery tour in Newlands. (I have been to the SAB tour in JHB and really enjoyed it but always thought it was a little silly that I live so close to the Newlands Brewery and have never done their tour - so, that's one tick on the CT bucket list!) The tour completely changed my perceptions on SAB and so I think I should tell you why. 

Right up front I am going to say, I am not a huge SAB beer fan. In my younger days I drank Black Label because I was trying to seem hardcore (this is difficult for me because I have chubby cheeks, a high-pitched voice and tiny fingers and even with ever increasing wrinkles I mostly just look young and on good days - I hate this - cute). Then I realised that there are much nicer things to drink and no one actually thinks you are hardcore for drinking beer anyway. And then I discovered (or my Brother-in-Law did) Goblins Bitter which was my introduction to the wonderful world of beer variety and, following that, craft beer in all its beautiful subtle varieties. 

Having said that, this tour, made me realise, that we should be drinking more SAB beer, and by the quart - because quart bottles are fully recyclable. In our world of increasing waste and overflowing landfills it is awesome to find a product that you can fully recycle. (They even give you a bottle deposit back - when did that stop with other types of bottles?) 

They also try reuse or sell on all of their by-products which is fabulous. Newlands Brewery uses clean coal burning technology, (yes, I know coal is evil, but they are keeping it clean as possible) and the excess ash goes to the cement industry. They use normal beer ingredients, of course, and try to source those ingredients locally. (Although due to regulations, they need Italian maize for Peroni - so stick with the local stuff). Once the hops and grains have been used they are sent to cattle farmers to supplement feed. Even the excess CO2 is used to make cooldrinks fizzy. 

The best thing is instead of the standard 5L water for every 1L of beer, they have adjusted their process to be 1.5L of water for every 1L of beer. (On the back of the bathroom doors at the Two Oceans Aquarium they have infographs of the amount of water that is used to make things, and the alcohol stats have always made me feel guilty because, let's face it, I am not going to stop drinking wine). The water is spring water - and actually the reason that the brewery (which was established, under a different name, shortly after Van Riebeek came to our shores) is where it is. (And you can go collect spring water from Newlands free of charge). 

Finally, after the tour and beer tasting, I was able to bring myself to ask a question about the filtering process. You see, on one brewery tour in the UK I found out that they use isinglas to filter their beers. Isinglas (I remember the name because it sounds like Isengard from Lord of the Rings) is a fish product - to be exact - the dried swim bladders of fish and given that I don't eat fish (any, ever) this horrified me. I had unwittingly been eating fish in my beer. Luckily, Newlands Brewery uses a totally fish-free filtering system (that didn't sound like a place in Lord of the Rings  so I forgot what it was called)! 

I failed to take photos of anything
other than the free drinks...
This was huge, a combination of
milk stout and
ginger and apple brutal fruit. YUM

While I was listening to the lovely and well-informed tour guide I was thinking about all the times that I have had people tell me that all the big fishing companies (insert the first name that comes to mind) are to blame for over-fishing, and how I have tried to explain that generally, the big fishing companies are the ones that stick to the rules (and work with management and science and fund research - mine included) because they have names they have to protect. They are the companies that are monitored and audited and they are the companies that can't afford a scandal. (Having said that, I am not saying what any fishing industry does is perfect, but usually I am having these conversations while trying to promote MSC, which puts the power into the consumers' hands - through peer-pressure which we all know is effective - ask the cigarette companies - but is mostly initiated by big fishing companies).  

I know that Newlands Brewery has to portray an image of responsible environmental practice (particularly given that it is in the middle of a middle-class suburban area), and I am aware that these practices help keep costs down for them so they make economic sense, but I am not judging motives, I am just glad it is happening. And I am sure someone will find ways to criticise any industry, but I think we should shout out loud about positive practices so that more and more industries start to feel the peer-pressure to do the same. 

PS Did you know, Brutal Fruit is actually BEER! They just add fruit juice - real fruit juice made from fruit they squeeze themselves - to the beer. Ditto Redds - totally beer - they add apple to the maize. 

Carpe Diem

Kolmanskop Ghost Town

In 2012 when I thought I would OBVIOUSLY be finished my thesis soon, an opportunity arose to do some volunteer work in Namibia. I applied, I met the awesome people I would be working with and they said yes. Simple as that - of course it wasn't because I didn't finish the thesis in time. There was some or other reason, or maybe there wasn't, but the thesis wasn't done and it was a big decision as to whether or not to still go to Namibia. 

Although, in a way, it wasn't. I had said I was going to go and had committed to two months up there and this was a chance to volunteer, in a place I have never been to before, on dolphins. (It also meant escaping Cape Town Winter for a bit) Rad! I love going to new places and doing new things so, of course I went. 

Namtib - our weekend camping spot

This wasn't a completely smooth process, it involved a very early flight on a very wet and cold morning and a forgotten-at-home passport and bad packing but once I got there it was obviously awesome (especially after I bought sunglasses). I loved Luderitz, the people I met and the work that the Namibian Dolphin Project was doing there. We had loads of fun at Barrels, on the boat and in the office (which used to be a mortuary - before it became part of the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources). 

It truly was two months that I will never forget and never regret. I wrote a blog about it even... (this was obviously before I had this blog) and my friends and family had to endure long gushing emails. I had a week off and got to explore parts of Namibia I had barely heard of thanks to a dear friend living up there. I was treated to a night in Etosha with all the magic that brings including a lion kill that I didn't quite capture on camera (I can be such a wolly, I only pressed the record button after it was finished - so I didn't record it and I spent the whole time diligently watching it through my lens because I thought I was recording).

Kolmanskop

Driving through the desert

Namibia is a country like no other (with the disclaimer that I haven't been to any other desert countries - unless you count the airports in Dubai and Doha which I suspect I am not allowed to). There is so much space. Luderitz is like an island of civilisation in the middle of the desert. I was thrilled to meet the northern contingent of the African Penguin population and the awesome lady that looks after them. I have never seen so many dolphins, or large seabirds for that matter. I had certainly never followed a whale at speed through thick offshore mist before. Visiting a ghost town with sand flooded rooms but perfectly-preserved wall paper (of questionable taste) and being dwarfed at sea by dunes of golden sand will change your perspective on the world.

Between Swakop and Walvis

Then... in 2013 I had the opportunity to go again for a month. Of course, this time I had finished the thesis (for the moment). In fact, I handed in the day before I was due to drive to Luderitz. (This meant I had a very subdued celebration of the handing in - which is probably a good thing, considering that I would have another chance to celebrate handing in in 2014). 

Adorable Lucas - the new
dolphinologist

That month was awesome too. It was great to see the Luderitz locals again and its seasonal visitors of course. The team was a little different and we had an adorable new member, although he wasn't much help with the data entry and a crazy manic new member that was very good at finding interesting bone samples. It was a great way to pretend to be human after finishing off the thesis. This is definitely something I would recommend - do something completely different after you finish your thesis so that you can get out of the thesis funk and realise the world is bigger than your PhD. I also recommend taking nice long drives through a desert with cool music (which in my case is music you can sing along to - even if very badly).

Near the border

Near the border

Last time I was in Walvis Bay -
a misty day trip from
Swakopmund in May 2009. 

When I was offered the opportunity to help out with dolphin field work this April, I had to say yes. This is not only because the dolphin work and the dolphinologists are so awesome, but also because I am trying very hard to get funding to do some dolphin population genetics research of my own and it will be great to see the northern half of the Namibian Dolphin Project. This time I will be based in Walvis Bay, and while I will miss the Luderitz-ites, Barrels and the mortuary I am excited about visiting a new place. I have, technically, been to Walvis Bay before, but only on a day trip when I was in Swakopmund for some PhD work. It was quite misty and cold on that day, but I am hoping for some more sunshine and happiness that I associate with Namibia. I think that I would call being able to take up this opportunity another perk of unemployment (although the job/funding hunt continues). I will, of course, keep you updated.

Winter Blues

Winter Sunshine on Kirstenbosch's Boomslang

So, if you know me even a tiny bit you will know that I am not a fan of Winter... not even a tiny bit. Friends of mine have been trying to convince me that there are good things about the change in season, and while I remain unconvinced, I have decided to embrace optimism and positive thinking in the hope that it will get me through the next couple of months. (This is largely to make me feel better about the fact that I am in Winter while so many of my friends are jetting North and missing part of this season while I have a temporary job OUTSIDE for the next two months!) 

Winter in Cape Town is cold, wet and windy so people are less likely to brave the out doors for eating out. This means, Winter specials! Some years are better than others, and some of my favourite specials don't seem to be running any more but a quick Google search did find some hope for the bank account of the PhD student...(You have to sift through the "classy" specials of course) (Check out GetAway site or Cape Town Magazine or Food24)

The best Winter days don't feel like Winter at all! 

There are pubs, with fire places and cozy spots to drink rich, complex red wines, or cheap red wines that have been jazzed up with spices and gently heated to make yummy mulled wine. You can also feel a little less guilty about the chocolate you snuck in on Friday afternoon because no one can tell what your body looks like under all those clothes (not a complete truth because, Summer will come...) It is the perfect season to curl up with a book under the blankets (although not while writing a PhD) or snuggle up with someone in front of a movie (although not helpful when you are single). OK, those weren't good ones. But, there is tea, Old Brown Sherry, fires, hot baths that make your toes tingle, boots, hot chocolate, unexpected sunshine and appreciating warm days so much more (and thinking 20 degrees C is warm!) and, once every four years, the Football World Cup! 

Best of all, the Winter solstice has come and gone, so now the days will get longer and SUMMER IS COMING.... 

crunching the numbers

Happy Day #3
In Simonstown
visiting my fabulous,
dolphin-friendly friend (who
doesn't read my blog so I won't
bother saying nice things about her :))

Earlier this year one of my friends posted something on their Facebook page about doing a 100 hundred happy day challenge. Given my personal PhD frustration and general 'meh' feeling I decided that looking for something to make you happy every day for a hundred days is a challenge I could do with in my life. (I mentioned it in January). So, I signed up at the official webpage and embarked on my 100 hundred happy days journey. This involved me taking a photo (a poor-quality, Blackberry photo) of something that made me happy every day (bar one when I was so happy I forgot to take a photo) and posting them to my Facebook page for 100 (or 99) days with the #100happydays tag.  And now it is over, well actually it has been over for a little while but now I thought I would talk about it a little more... because it is Winter and cold and I need to be reminded that I still need to look for happy thoughts every day! My blog post was one of my #100HD moments, and now my blog post is about #100HD experience.

Happy Day #16 wine tasting with L and the Italian navy...
OK not all of the navy, just a couple of couch surfers.

First off, it was actually quite difficult to find something, at least a little different, that made me happy everyday for 100 days. There were days when I wasn't happy, not even necessarily sad, just not happy either. There were days when there were so many awesome things happening I couldn't decide what to take a photo of. And there were things that made me happy that I couldn't take a photo of. And of course there were days when I didn't think of it until 11 pm at night when I was already safely tucked into bed. I also started to feel like I was spamming the world with random pictures of glasses of wine, but, then I sign up for a challenge I want to finish it!

Happy Day #31 in the lovely KZN
with the equally lovely L and my
amazing parentals! 

Now that it has been over for more than a month, I find myself missing the challenge a little. I have had friends repeatedly ask if what ever we were doing at the time would be my #100 happy day moment so maybe they miss it too, although those Blackberry photos are really annoying. I also found that because I was bored of trying so hard to find something to be happy about every day, during the challenge I made an effort to go do things so I didn't have to post another picture of a cup of tea. Of course, I did this challenge in Summer, if I were to do it now, my pictures would all be of my hot water bottle bear or my blanket or the cat curled up on my lap while I write this (I am not on campus) or fabulous 'S' who gave me a lift to my car so that I didn't get drenched by rain twice in a day... or tea... still.





During the challenge I tried to be real and genuine in my moments, I don't think the challenge is about bragging about how stunning your town is, but of course, my town is stunning so that snuck in a little with or without intention... So, below, the break down of what made me happy for 100 days earlier this year. The categories are fairly broad and (for instance) "Food" doesn't give justice to many awesome evenings, out or at home with some amazing people. "Music" refers specifically to live music events, "Sport" to pilates or watching live sport and "Art" refers mostly to various awesome works my very talented mom has created for me but also includes cheesy pictures of my TYPO calender, "Alcohol" pretty much means wine and I stopped using wine as my #100HD moments when I got embarrassed by how often it came up (and that is despite the fact that I wasn't drinking for the first ~20 days of the challenge)!

Uvongo Beach happy day hashtag

A frequent Happy Day theme... 

I have to admit that I found actively seeking happiness actually lead to a little increase in happiness in my life. And I appreciated the daily challenge. Of course for every couple of happy thoughts I could have substituted a sarcastic or snide moment, but I resisted and was happier for it. The official website suggests that people who have completed the challenge have reported being happier every day, being more optimistic and receiving more compliments (can't say I noticed that). It also says that people fell in love during the challenge... so maybe I should do it for another 100 days... They do say that you can get a 100 happy day book at the end, which I didn't (because I am cheap and they are poor quality photos), but it was worth it for all the happy memories that can keep me warm through the Winter months! Although I think tea will help too...

Are you up for the challenge???

Catching crabs in Sea Point

My favourite project so far.
I loved being so independent and
self sufficient. 

I did one of my BSc(Hons) projects on the invasive alien European green crab, Carcinus maenas, and you can imagine how I was teased about working on crabs... Feel free to snigger to yourself before you move on. Still, this was truly my favourite project in my post graduate career. I really loved that I could just get on and do it and that I knew what I was doing most of the time. (It also resulted in neat paper which I am quite proud of.) 

When I saw an advert looking for people to help a Stellenbosch University PhD student (who's supervisor is just lovely and someone I really respect and admire) with field work looking for these crabs, I was really quite excited to sign up. I have an almost compulsive need to sign up for things anyway, which has its pros and cons. 

So, last weekend in addition to helping my friend Z with her mussel field work I started doing crab work again. (Incidentally, my second BSc(Hons) project was on one the species of invasive mussels that Z is working on and while I loved that project too it was never published, but it did take me to some of the most beautiful places on the west coast of SA and, I think, one of the main reasons I can now count a truly awesome person among my genuinely fabulous friends). 

One of Z's field sites
and one of the locations used in TV series, Black Pearl

There are three reasons that I sign up to do these things: 1) Even though the pay isn't great, it is more than I would have without it, 2) I know how hard it is to find reliable people to with field work, so this is my way of earning "research karma" points and 3) most importantly the best thing about doing biology is the bit that happens outside so I like the excuse to step away from my PC and get into the field. 

I think it doesn't really matter what it is that you do, it is important to occasionally remind yourself why you do it. It is so easy to get bogged down in the detail that you forget about the big picture. I didn't study biology to learn how to use R (multivariate statistics in R are giving my a headache this week), although R is a useful tool for doing biology. I do biology to understand how tiny bits of the world work and because the world is a beautiful, fascinating place! (Actually, to be completely honest, I do biology to try understand the world in the hope of contributing to conservation and rational, knowledge-based bunny hugging). 

Silwerstroom 

So, for me anyway, I find it helps to step outside and be fascinated by the world I want so desperately to protect. On Saturday, at Blouberg Beach, in between looking for green crabs, I found a (different) crab the size of a R2 coin, still soft from moulting. On Sunday, at Sea Point, in the beds of sea lettuce (Ulva sp) I saw hundreds of cushion stars at densities I haven't seen in ages. Marvelling at these small treasures (chitons, brittle stars, starfish, anenomes, tube worms and there were many more) are what make working in the field, in biology so exciting. That renewed enthusiasm for all things marine has helped get me through my multivariate headaches - well, that and wine at the pub last night... 

I definitely recommend finding what it is that you love about what you do (your work, not what you do to avoid your work) and indulging in it from time to time... 

P.S. It helped that the weather this weekend was stunning and so it was actually quite nice being knee deep in Cape Town waters, I am not sure how much I will be oozing enthusiasm when I have to do this in winter... Although, there is something satisfying about feeling like a hardcore biologist...