It's All About the Trees

As my what-seems-to-be never-ending job search continues, I see that becoming a certified arborist is the way to go. There were at least two posts in the newspaper I just read and their salary is quite delightful.

Adding another family of species I need to get under my belt.

Just Have to Keep Going

As I learn more about flora fauna of Hong Kong, I am also realizing how much I don't know. Speciation and evolution has made identification of organisms into a task that requires much attention and dedication.

Last Saturday, I had the privilege to make a tour around the wetland park with a very experienced volunteer. His ability to identify species' common, and scientific names (both in Chinese and English) is fascinating. I stride to be at that level at some point in my career.

I do enjoy volunteering on the weekends. It's important that I am in touch with society here considering that I am still job searching. It's a great opportunity for me to learn and become familiar with all these new species without having to pay for classes. It also keeps me in check...always reminding me that there is so much out there that I still don't know.

I think I chose a rather difficult field as my career choice. The job is quite vulnerable geographically, all the plant species and most of the avian species I have learned in California is not much of use here since they do not exist here.

Patterns at its Best

Music.

I love music, there's just something about the combination of sounds and tones that is so pleasurable to our minds. We are attracted to patterns and order.

I can't get enough of it

Pygmy Seahorse, Will You Marry Me?

Monogamous throughout their entire lives. Cute and tiny little creatures. Male pymgy seahorse would make a great husband no only because they are monogamous, they even carry the eggs and the baby.

It Doesn't End There

When I graduated from college I was so relieved that it was over, I thought it meant: no more studying, not much stress, and all I needed to do was just find a job and work. One year post graduation, I see that this is not true. I finally understand that school was just a way to teach you how to excel yourself and be productive. I realize there is a lot more I need to to learn in order to pursue my career. Lately, I find myself hungry for knowledge. This week I started a Putonghua and jewelry making class, and damn it feels good to be in a class room again. It is truly amazing how much you can learn in just one to two hours. Reading is such a great way to educate yourself. The library is free, there are books on every topic imaginable, and you can read at your own pace. The newspaper is such a great resource that we have, nowadays there's just so much happening all over the world, we must keep up! I am just glad that the newspaper here is not so shallow and bias like the OC register...seriously, what the hell kind of news is in that newspaper?! Nothing that is useful to anyone that wants to be educated.

Recently, I saw for myself that we must continue educating ourselves from as long as we live. Change is always happening and in order to be successful we must keep it. So similar to evolution in a way.

A Spoon for its Mouth

Any wetland lover should know about the Ramsar Convention, visit www.ramsar.org.

Thanks to the amazing Black-faced spoonbill, the Mai Po nature Reserve falls under the Ramsar Convention. I am so pleased to know that such great conservation measures are being taken in such a dense and busy city. Because more than 10% of the total population of the black-faced spoonbill utilize the Mai Po reserve, it qualifies until Ramsar criteria to be protected! Keep in mind that the total population of the bird is only about 2300, so close to being extinct! The good news is that in recent years their population size seems to be increasing. Conservation measures still need to be careful because they are extremely dependent on coastal habitats in the Deep Inner Bay (Hong Kong and Shenzhen) and west Taiwan. If these wetlands were to be destroyed, it would cause great impact to their population size.

Be aware, get involved! Some things only nature can provide for us. I hope for sustainable development so future generations can see the rare birds I can see in my time.

From Disappointment to Inspiration

After a failed attempt at being hired at my dream job, I am slowly transitioning the feeling of great disappointment into my inspiration. I took the advice of a professional (the person who didn't hire me) on how to become successful and reunited with my volunteering roots at a local wetland park. Unfortunately (and I guess fortunately as well), one of the speaker at an event I was volunteering at was the director of the company which did not hire me. Reminding me once again how big of a loss it was to not get hired and also trying to transition that into something that will inspire me only to become more qualified to be a wetland restoration/conservationist. I promise this will be the last time I mope about not getting the assistant ecologist job, but honestly, I really would not be upset about it if that company was not the ONLY company in Hong Kong that does the types of work that I am truly passionate about!

Disappointment...evolving to...INSPIRATION