Moff

Sorry for the slightly wayward nature of this post- there has been little time to write of late, but I felt like I should document the fact that I'm off for 2 months doing some work, sorry 'work' and having a holiday.

So after months of planning the Wednesday of the Brazil trip has very nearly arrived. Its been a hectic few weeks since JD did the deed on the sofa cushion, time which has seen me grow further apart from my housemates, and from which I am looking forward to the coming break. There have actually been a lot of interesting female interactions of late;

I had my first ex contact me through Facebook, and declare that we are 'friends', which is a bit rich seeing how we've had no contact for 6 years, and, had no more contact for about 2 weeks since we reestablished this 'friendship'.

A student in my office today seemed unnervingly attractive for a few minutes while we discussed her project, and the moment did its best not to pass.

Ive been having getting (and sending) a lot of texts and emails from my recently single friend, LEA, and have twice (though that's not including now, so three times really) considered what might have happened if my next trip was back to the homeland rather than to Manaus.

I have been finding my housemate, L-upstairs increasingly distant, annoying, and unjustifiably sexy in equal measure.

Nearly nine weeks away will hopefully be a multipurpose fire extinguisher for those flames, or at least stop them burning my mind while I'm away. The trip is 6 weeks in Brazil with work and then 3 weeks in Sumatra with my friend Barbie on holiday. I have left 5 hours between my return flight from Brazil gets in and my flight to Indonesia leaves.

That's plenty of time, right?

I hope so.

Ive been making a pile of stuff in my room to pack, and its quickly becoming a mountain with all the additional lab equipment I need to take. Things like 120 syringes in my bag might make a customs visit slightly interesting. That said, and already accepting a few more hassles and last minute problems tomorrow, there is going to be a point very soon when we board a boat to go on a research trip up the Amazon. I'm immensely looking forward to seeing the river and its wildlife up close. This is the type of trip that I got into science for, the type of trip that I dreamt of making as I watched fish swimming in the river Frome as a kid. There seems little doubt that it will be truly awesome- and that's before Ive even got on the plane to Sumatra. I just hope there's a pub in Manaus that will be showing England win the Rugby world cup on Saturday.

Until next time.