Excitement of Research

One of the things I’ve been especially anxious about has been how in the world I will be able to tackle some of the components of my research.

I mean, saying “I’ll be collecting fecal samples from these people” is one thing to theorize... but practically?

Many people are superstitious. I have hair the color of fire. I am an unmarried woman. Also, if you weigh me down in the Salem Lake I won’t drown.

(WITCH!!!!! WIIIIIIIIITTTCCHHHH!!!)

So you can imagine me coming up to some people and asking them for their poop? Agh! So I’ve been at odds, contemplating how exactly I’m going to accomplish doing what I need to get for my analysis?

Anyway, I was discussing over email (and one hilarious Skype phonecall) with Cleve about the samples I’d need to obtain and how. And he filled me with such confidence!

“AMAZINGLY, AT MBANGE WE FOUND A CHIMP NEST DIRECTLY OVER A SEVERAL YEAR OLD MINE, AND SEVERAL MORE NESTS WITHIN 300 OF A LARGE CURRENTLY WORKED MINE (COMPLETELE WITH 2 GRUBBY BEE-COVERED MINERS WHO LOOKED LIKE THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME VERY INTERESTING STUFF IN THEIR FAECES!! YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GO TO MBANGE.”

So that’s excellent! And, somewhat controversially, “THEY ARE PRETTY EASILY BOUGHT... A SMALL PRIME AND I IMAGINE YOUR CUP WILL BE FLOWING OVER.”

It does reassure me that, at the very least, I won’t have trouble *getting* the samples. Now I just need to get IRB approval so that no one thinks I am abusing people when I take their poop.

Having Cleve there is incredibly comforting. His knowledge, his existing relationships with the local people... his presence there will be a boon to my possibilities.



Cleve and the gang.