I got back recently from a fantastic 2 weeks in South Africa where I was doing a very exciting Ranger course and earning a rather swanky certificate in Game Farm Management ^^ I was a really busy 2 weeks but I learned so much and saw/participated in a lot of things that I never thought I would! Photos will appear slowly (when I have time between work and sleeping) but a taste of things to come include... leopards, lions, cheetah (^^) honey badgers, sunsets/rises and a whole host of other African animals!

In the meantime enjoy the 2 i've put up so far... enjoy Africa's pwittiness ^^

So I finally handed in my 3rd year dissertation project yesterday! I've quite forgotten what life without writing about badgers is like! I'm still kicking myself about things I could have added or tweaked but it's in now so nothing I can do about it and it feels good! Now I just have 2 exams and a 20min presentation to do and I can finally get back to zoo trips and drawing!

Lots to look forward to this year too! Going to see one of my favourite comedians in December, Eddie Izzard!!! <3 Africa in August *bounce* oh and job hunting joys! Still i don't care what kind of job I get atm I just want to save up for my travelling around the world plans in 2011!

I went to see the awe inspiring brilliance that is Derren Brown on Monday (tickets being booked for London too!) OMG I am so in love with that man! I knew what kind of stuff to expect from him but seeing it all live for the first time is just incredible. The ending was fantastic too, though I can't say anything cos spoilers are bad m'kay ^^ you'll just have to watch it when it's on tv later this year.

Anyway, I really should go dry my hair cos i'm going for a yummy meal and cake to celebrate dissertation free life!

*kitty glomps all round*


EDIT: Ok... so maybe i'm not as free as I thought... I was asked today if I would submit my work to a wildlife symposium in November *panic* It would mean that hundreds of influential wildlife and conservation people from around the world will be able to read and comment on my project AND i would have to present it to them in a lecture theatre! Now I'm fine with other people reading my stuff but I draw the line at public speaking *shudder* yet I would love to have my work published as it would open the door to a lot of work possibilities meh damn me and my fears

*grump* well I had some photos to update on here but all of them seem to be 'corrupt' according to DEVart anyway... they open fine on my computer meh. Oh well... I'll try again at another time I guess.

I've not really been doing much other than uni stuff since October Can't wait till I have all this over with and I can do more zoo stuff and more drawing again! I've had to start my entire final year project again with only 5months to go! I'm a tiny bit 'eeeep' about that but i'm sure it'll work out somehow - i've had loads of support from 2 of my lectures that I think feel sorry for me having to ditch the Malawi stuff after working on it for so long. Bit sorry to have to drop it too but it was fun whilst I was out there! Love to JD - RIP!

More exciting news! I'm going back to AFRICA!!!!! YAY! It was a bit of a rushed decision in that I found out the deposit had to be made the next day and thought oh what the hell! It's going to be back in Moholoholo - a game reserve that we stayed in on the first trip to SA. A 2 week ranger course! I'm SO excited! I'm going with a number of people that went to SA the first time, as well as some other friends that didn't and some people that I don't really know. We get to use firearms, do 4x4 driving, tracking, skinning (mmm not to sure about that one!) AND we get to go and sleep under the stars in big 5 country!!!!! OMG! AND they have CHEETAH there!!!! *bounce* I'm really really excited can you tell hehe. I'll get a qualification out of it if I pass as well so thats even better We're going to Kruger Park afterwards too in the hope of seeing more brilliant African animals <3 Hope we see wild dog this time.. i would kill to see them! Anyway i'll go bounce somewhere more quiet hehe

Wow an update... how very rare!

Just updated with some photos from the last few weeks. I've been pretty busy with lectures and procrastinating with computer games! I've got 5 assignments to do by Christmas plus my dissertation to write up.. FUN!

I received some sad news from Malawi yesterday. The genet that appears in the photos on here, JD, was missing on the 15th October. They tracked down his radio-collar 1km away from his known territory - it had been cut off and found inside a house. The owners claimed that their dogs attacked JD, but this is very unlikely given that the collar was cut not shredded. The centre is now reconsidering any future releases into the area. This is such a shame given all the hard work they've been doing out there to preserve a large area of natural land/wildlife for the cities people. I hope that National Parks can bring the investigation to a close and find out the truth behind it. He was doing so well for himself R.I.P JD <3

Some people really really get on my nerves... some of these people I can just about cope with to a point where I can get on with it but some I end up fuming about and work myself up over for weeks! Now... I went to Malawi with a "charming" person on my course (who for the sake of this story shall be named Poopyhead - sure i'm immature sometimes). Well towards the end of her stay she took copies of our photos which as you would assume would be for personal use and that would be the end of that... Imagine how I feel when I get home from Malawi to find that she has posted a load of MY photos online without giving me credit or asking me first. Sooo.... Our conversation has proceeded as such...

Me: Noticed you're using a few of my photos on here... would you mind giving me credit/asking if you're going to use them please...
Poopyhead: Omg how rude! We SHARED the photos and how dare you act as though you're a published photographer
Me: Errr well I DO kinda publish them online actually... and theyre my photos = my copyright...
Poopyhead: I think thats pretty arrogant considering I was just putting them up there for my friends to see. I wasnt able to photograh myself and was clearly not trying to claim them as my own (yet she didn't NOT claim them to be her own >< so WTF does that imply?! HUH?!)

Ok maybe i'm getting too wound up but I really dislike how selfish this person is anyway especially after she wanted me to move the world (even after spending ALL night out tracking JD) to help her in the day and then goes home and tells other people not to help me! FFS! Why are people such idiots?! So anyway... some of my Malawi photos that i've put up here are now online elsewhere too... no idea where else she's posted them but if anyone does spot them please let me know...

Other news... I'm back at uni now and just got my loan through sooo we all know what that means... ZOO TRIP TIME! ^^ Plans to go to Port Lympne and Colchester soon as well as Midland Safari Park (a first for me...). Its going to be a VERY busy few weeks coming up