Well Rachel returned to Santiago on a beautiful smog-free evening. I returned only an hour before, to find her cheeky teddy raiding the snack cupboard!
DG: “What’s this timbo?! I’ll have to tell Rachel. You’ll be in a lot of trouble.” (cue angry face)
Timbo: “I’m going crackers without her.”
It’s my last day on the mountain! This evening (or early tomorrow morning if the plane is late) I’ll be back with my lovely husband, in a nice clean flat (hint hint). It’s been an interesting 8 days. A lot less tiring now than it was at the beginning, and I’m getting to know some people, although probably next time I come there will be a different set on duty. Each day/night there are about 30 different people around the control room, and they all do different shifts, so it will take quite some time to learn who everyone is.
Strangely, the first people I met at lunch on my first day were from Edinburgh! The project management for the VISTA telescope (the new Visible and Infra-red Survey Telescope, I’m not sure about the ‘A’) is from the Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh, so there are a couple of folk out here now supervising the construction of the dome. The telescope itself is being built in Texas, and will be here in a couple of months.
I have been carrying on learning about the calibration data and the different instruments. In 8 days I haven’t broken anything (yet - only 3 hrs to go). I’ve also managed to get a bit of science done, as it’s been quite quiet this week - various telescopes have been upgraded and tested so there has been less observing. There have been teething problems, but not much that I can do as a trainee. I have a feeling my next shift won’t be quite so straight forward.
It really is a round the clock operation this website management stuff. While you’re all tucked up in bed in the UK, I’m still up working on the site.
Have added a lot of plugins tonight. For some fun, you’ll find my ratings at the bottom of the sidebar on various cogent issues (EU summit, WTO trade talks, the weather).
Finally got to see my Skype Button tonight after re-installing Firefox. My previous version wasn’t showing images correctly and i couldn’t configure it otherwise.
And i’ve added a verse of the day from the Bible, in my favourite version, the CEV- also in the sidebar. It’ll update at 3am UK time I guess…
Huge firework display outside tonight. Beautiful. But, as usual, no reason! A concert perhaps? Probably some US import… like Bryan Adams or Bonjovi (Chris.. bet you’re sorry you missed it?!)
Wahey! I finally managed to collect our air freight this afternoon, with the help of our good friend, Carmen Gloria! Thank you Carmen. Although next time, bring your glasses for driving. Or don’t drive till you find them!
We seemed to go to the wrong place at every opportunity (we must have tried around 4 doors at the air freight warehouse!) but, unlike yesterday, everything today was taken in humour! So, altogether less frustrating and more fruitful. We now know Santiago airport and freight terminal better than most people!
Wierd, but for the last hour, i’m hearing bagpipes. They say that when you are tired, you hear the sound of the telephone ringing. But this is definately a set of bagpipes, I assure you! I’m hearing Flower of Scotland, Scotland the Brave and what sounds like a spanish national anthem. Although why are people honking their horns so much?
Does Chile have its own version of the pipes? Answers on a blog please.
Smells real bad…