back!!

As Wai would've put it, I "disappeared from the face of the earth!" Yes, indeed it's my honours and final year in NUS and doing a degree and project which is exactly my most passionate passion will take a lot more time than usual (not that I wanted to spend that much time anyway). But I digress.

Pris has been out of action for such a long time!! And today, when I finally began the third super low season, I was never happier. Sure, I've grown up, learnt new stuff, seen some sides of the nature/conservation game blah blah blah, but my heart still throbbed excitedly when I got off dad's car and unlatched base camp's gates. The ol' base camp, now with new rulers(LOL, the cats), but way neater, cleaner and now with added fondness and familiarity. Greeted by Ria and her hearty laughter and Chay Hoon's amicable smile, I felt a load off my back. The start of the super-lows always signified the end of exams, but this time, it signified the complete end of my degree course in NUS. This transition into the 'working world' will most likely affect the amount of time and opportunities i get to go on entire rounds of trips but I wished it were not so.

I speak of the throbbing in my heart when entering base camp, but the places we wild things go, are another level altogether. The anticipation I experienced ol' Mr Chua's bumboat, the way my heartbeat slowed and then erupted into a racing series of thuds.... you get the idea. I was nervous, having not handled Mama-cam for a while, shaky-handed and unsure if i'd be able to spot stuff like i used to.. but I still enjoyed every bit of it. I did spot some stuff, and hopefully captured some usable footage. Sekudu was, as always, teeming with wildlife. This time, besides the usual, there was a new find, an eight-armed Luidia. sp. It was the first time I observed a swimming anemone swim, too.

I love these trips. This includes the people too. Truly, I felt I belonged somewhere ever since I made this small step for my love of nature and wildlife.