OK.

So here's what's up:

In the past couple months we've had a flood of visitors to our little field site.  Two professors looking into starting a project involving Berber/Macaque interactions stopped by a couple weeks ago, Els van Lavieren (whose blog I mentioned here a while ago) came by to check out our project and offered some very interesting insights into Macaque conservation, we showed some BBC producers interested in making a documentary Ain Kalla and the Green home range, and oh yes, MY DAD CAME TO VISIT! (whoa.)

Two more long-term visitors have also arrived recently.  My replacement, Maria (from Sweden) arrived just tonight, and a new PhD student, Sandra (French -- thank goodness -- having someone around who speaks it well is wonderful), has moved into the flat downstairs and will also be doing work with the Greens.

I've just started picking up the pace with Arabic again.  I can finally read almost everything I see, as long as it uses the standard alphabet (which signs and such do), and while I have no idea what 99% of the words mean, at least I can sound them out.  The other day I wrote a word (in Arabic) that I had never seen before in front of some members of the family that lives upstairs.  There were handshakes and slaps on the back all around.  If I may be so bold:  It was awesome.  Unfortunately there is no English <-> Darija (the dialect of Arabic I'm attempting to learn) dictionary, but knowing the alphabet could still come in handy if I want to keep studying it back in the states.  I know I'll be trying to learn as much as possible up until the day I leave, though why I really can't tell -- it's not exactly a common language back home. 

Came home from work early today ready to catch up on some R&R, but instead ended up in a wrestling match with blogger.  I wanted more space for bigger pictures and was just tired of staring at that same motif.  Hope you guys like the result.  I'll probably pick at it for a while before I'm satisfied...

Afraid that's all for now, but I'll try to write again soon.

Oh yes!  I almost forgot:  here's a nice little article in the New York Times which talks about male behavior in our dearly beloved Macaca sylvanus.  Lots of thanks to my mom for sending me the link!