The gang finished off Chenrezig (the Buddhist retreat) on a high note. Most of us liked a lot of what was being taught and had a good time.. Meredith enjoyed the week so much that she decided to stay there as a volunteer and take her studies further. The rest of the gang is very excited for her but we will all miss her company. After Chenrezig, we embarked on a 24 hour train ride to Cairns. It would have been a terrible experience; if not for the vast, magnificent selection of hot new movies and plush reclining seats. Do any of you reading this know how it feels to lay gently on a soft, pillowy cloud? We all do now. Both of these luxuries were only possible because we were in Economy PLUS. There were rumors that the level below us had rickety plastic seats and only had access to Adam Sandler movies made after 2005.
We spent one quick night in Cairns and then began our trek to the Daintree Rainforest. We were welcomed graciously to “The Bat House” by a man named Hugh who has an uncanny resemblance to Doc from Back to the Future. During our stay we have helped to control invasive species by pulling weeds such as Guinea Grass, Singapore Daisy, and vines. There were times where boredom would begin to set in, but Bennett kept us entertained with beautiful vocals throughout the day. In addition to leading us in the work project, Hugh has also been quick to share his passionate opinions regarding climate change and overpopulation through anything from emotional monologues to spontaneous mealtime lectures. Talking to him is always interesting, because he is very intelligent, excentric, and opinionated. Next, the gang will go back to Cairns where we will Scuba dive in the Great Corral Reef. There once was a man who was a scientist. He specialized in chemistry and was trying to create the strongest glue that has ever been created. After years of labouring over his invention he decided the glue was finished. Once introduced to the scientific community, it was cast off as a joke. The glue was weak! It was weaker than any sort of glue that was currently on the market. He was considered a failure. After returning to his lab, depressed and exhausted, he began to throw away pieces of paper that contained calculations regarding the glue. In fact, some glue had been left between two sheets and when he pulled the top sheet off, it came undone without any effort and didn’t damage either piece of paper like glue usually does. This is when he came up with the idea for sticky notes. There are days where you may feel like a failure because you don’t achieve your goals, but remember, shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you will land among the stars.
Love,
Bennett and Blake