Four years ago, WHOI (Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution), National Geographic, and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- part of the US Dept of Commerce) began trying to coordinate a trip to Indonesia. Needless to say, it did not work out. I think the Indonesian government thought the people from WHOI were spies. It may have been because of the federal funding (from NOAA)? But I don't really know. They tried for two years to work with the Indonesian government to get the trip to happen to no avail. They switched their focus to Malaysia, but that did not work either. So far, this Philippines proposal seems the most likely to work. However, I don't think any of us will believe it until we are all on the ship with all the proper equipment and we are leaving port!
So the reason I get to go is basically that they need help. The scientists onboard need help with their projects while we are underway. My boss (and formerly my Masters thesis adviser) and his wife (my other, more immediate boss) had been trying to go on this trip for four years it has been in planning. The reason that I get to go is sort of a "right place, right time" scenario. In the past years, they have had students (graduate and undergraduate) that they could have taken along. But since my boss is technically retired and his graduate students have all finished (including myself) and gone away (excluding myself), he does not have any more students. Since I'm around working for them, they asked me to go. I've known my bosses for 10 years now and have worked for them on and off during that time doing K-12 teacher education, so it's more of a "right place, right timing" scenario. :)
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