Not all studies...

Of course all these classes are 3 days a week and for 50 mins each and it helps to keep my week moving fast. The weekends come quickly and go away quickly too.

Weekends are usual parties, potlucks, outings...

The Prof who takes Plant Evolution also teaches a class on native Hawaiian plants. I didn't sign up for the class but asked his permission to go on the field trips. He agreed very graciously and as a result went for a good hike on Saturday. Went to Aiea ridge and walked for a good 4 hours one way. It was like walking through the sholas. A wet forest, invaded with all the invasives one could possible imagine, even a few Lantanas smiling at me. Exotics all of them, the Eucalyptus's were waving like they do over at Wilson's plantation off Gudalur. But as we moved higher Sandalwood, Ebony (Diopsyros), Elaeocarpus, Psychotrias, Syzygiums all natives of the island. Needless to say I felt totally at home. It is something to be able to recognise the plants many thousands of miles away. I kind of understand why the British wanted to plant some of the plants they remembered from home... No cycads and canarium.....
The only signs of animal life when we were on the hike, 2 butterflies!! The bird calls one or two were from the plantations below. It was a strange feeling to walk through forests that belong only to plants.

Today drove out to North Shore, where the international surfing championships are held. The ocean was too choppy for me to go deep into the water. I stayed close to the shore all the time. It was beautiful. The first wildlife I saw - Sea turtles, swimming in the water with the tourists and snorkellers.

More about classes

Tamara does a very interesting lab. She gives us each a book which we then have to read, present and choose two chapters to circulate amongst the group. I have Sacred Ecology by Firket Berkes. When I am done will post a few words on the book.
The Plant  Evolution class that i  take makes me a bit drowsy, i think its the powerpoint which is killing the spirit of the class.  Again  the Prof is a genius kind and is very enthusiastic about the topic. Brings in lot of good stuff and readings. Needed caffeine to keep me awake. The class is 10 mins apart from my Biometry class and I guess its not my fault, one can't stay awake between stats and genes..

Body piercing and Biometry

The Biometry class is taught by a very calm and solid kind of a teacher.Thankfully he doesn't use power points and has interesting discussion classes. The last discussion class was with data that the Prof had gleaned over the years from his students. Age, height, department and number of body piercings they had. I just noticed that the class came so alive in the discussions and wandered off many times into the art of body piercing to wanting to know the name of the female student who had nine piercings, but also applied all the lessons in the previous class to the data. It made box plots and histograms and probability curves more desirable. I too qualify as a student with two body piercings and most Indian women atleast 3 - earrings and nose ring..