You do the math

I was reminded about the closing scenes of the film "The Martian" today. 

"You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home."

Today I was faced with something that I had never done before and it involved solving many problems, even though I knew what I wanted to achieve it, it seemed like an unsurmountable task to figure it all out. I have noticed that I often become extremely frustrated when I can't figure a task out, so much so that I can't think in a balanced way. 

You solve one problem, and you solve the next one and then the next.

I have been told that I am stubborn and I got to find out how stubborn today, as I would not leave the task until I was totally satisfied that the solution worked, and that I understood why. I also found a tremendous amount of joy in solving the last problem that allowed me to go home. Because hell was freezing over before I left without finishing the task.

I won't bore you with the details of what I was doing but it involved, Ordnance Survey data, GeoServer and a whole lot of data management. I had to "science the shit out of it".

I have taken this kind of approach to situations for a while now, it has taken me to new places and got me out of situations that I haven't wanted to be in. I think the hardest part is sometimes identifying what the problem is.

Punta Cruz Watchtower

One of the great things about touring the Philippines was the numerous historical stops that could be made. This was one of my favourite stops, even though the temperature was over 32 degrees that day! While I was walking about the beach @geraldineyoga at least had the sense to take some cover from the sun.

Officially known as the Fort of Saint Vincent Ferrer, the Punta Cruz Watchtower is an isosceles triangle shaped fort located in the western tip of the municipality of Maribojoc on the island of Bohol in The Philippines.

It was seriously damaged after the 2013 Bohol earthquake but has recently been renovated to its previous state and looks as good as it probably did when it was completed in 1796.

The Punta Cruz Watchtower was declared as a National Historical Landmark in February 2009. Its historical marker was unveiled by the municipality of Maribojoc and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in May 2009. Together with other watchtowers in the region the Punta Cruz Watchtower is being considered to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2006 under the collective group of Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines.

Dumfries House

I took the opportunity to have a quick visit to some of the gardens in the estate of Dumfries House. The house is of Palladian architecture, built in Ayrshire, Scotland. The large estate and house still contains much of its original 18th-century furniture, including specially commissioned Thomas Chippendale pieces. The house and gardens are listed as significant aspects of Scottish Heritage. I would encourage you to find out more at their website Dumfries House.

Unfortunately my visit coincided with rather unpleasant weather which made photography difficult, but it did whet my appetite for going back on a more pleasant day. I have posted some photographs below and one on instagram that I had a little fun with before posting.

Update: Click on the photo below to see more :-)

Jeepneys

One of my favourite things about the Philippines was the ubiquitous Jeepneys. Sometimes called Jeeps, they are the most popular mode of public transportation, they are known for crowded seating and kitsch decorations, they bring an amazing amount of colour to the Philippine roads. They are cheap to ride in, and not that expensive to rent for a day with the driver (I think we paid around ₱800 / £12  for a day in Siquijor). Jeepneys were originally made from US military jeeps left over from the Second World War. The word Jeepney has two possible origins:

  1. A combination  of "jeep" and "jitney", both words in common slang from the popular vernacular of the era: "jitney" being a popular term for an American taxicab, and a "jeep" a newly coined term to describe a type of military vehicle (origin from General Purpose, or GP, hence Jeep).
  2. It is a portmanteau of "jeep" and "knee", because the passengers sit in very close proximity to each other.

Whatever the origin I captured a few photos of them for your viewing pleasure

 

Chocolate Hills and furry creatures

One of the main attractions on the Island of Bohol is the Chocolate Hills. They are a group of unusually shaped hills located in the middle of the island and they are unique to Bohol. There are conflicting views on how many hills have been formed but the estimates are between 1250 - 1750. The highest hill reaches 120 meters in height but most are around 30-50 metres, scattered within a 50 square kilometer area.

Local legend says that long ago two giants fought for days, hurling earth and stones at one another, until they fell exhausted, leaving the mounds of earth and stones in place. The more romantic legend says that a handsome young giant, Arogo, fell in love with a mortal woman. When his love died, as all mortals must, the giant wept and his great teardrops fell to the earth and turned into the chocolate hills.

Of course, geologists came up with a theory; they are weathered formations of marine limestone lying on top of an impenetrable clay base. They get their name from the colour they turn at the end of the dry season as the grass turns from green to brown. I prefer the romantic legend, geology seems to take the fun out of them.

I literally couldn't wait to get there, up at 4am to get there for dawn.

We arrived at the chocolate hills just as dawn rose after spending a night at the Fox and the Firefly Cottages near Loboc River. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this experience was. Not only were the cottages amazing to stay in with amazing views but the food and service was also outstanding! The last two photographs was the view from the chair in the first photograph.

At this point you are probably wondering about the furry creatures that is mentioned in the title. On the way back from the Chocolate Hills we visited the Bohol Tarsier reserve. They are the world's smallest primate. They measure 10 - 15cm and belong to the primitive sub-order Prosimii or Prosimian that dates back 45 million years. They are known locally as mawmag and is a species endemic to the Philippines. There is some good information on Bohol-Philippines website about them. I have added a few of my own pictures underneath.