Sunday in the Middle of Nowhere

There was a market today in Dwingeloo. I went expecting a farmer's market or something like that. Instead, it was more of a giant garage sale or flea market. It was rather hysterical actually. There were boxes and boxes of wooden clogs, a table stacked high with sausages, knock-off purses, tons of books in Dutch, records/cd's (Michael Jackson, anyone?) and so much other junk. It was great and reminded me a lot of home. I wasn't interested in anything to actually buy, so I just walked around. I didn't say a word besides a muttered 'allo to some of the stall owners which made me realize that moving to a foreign country with a different language can be like taking a vow of silence.

Anyway, here's a picture of the market. I only took the one because I didn't want to be rude. I don't think the guy in the foreground of this one was pleased with my photo-taking as it was...The weather was rather cloudy, resulting in a hot, humid day. There was a warm, stale breeze which helped a little, but I was definitely pretty sweaty. Biking made it better though as I'd get to ride through regions of shade which were a lot cooler. Here's a picture of the road heading out of Dwingeloo. It was fairly populated today (mostly with older people. On a side note, I've noticed that the majority of people I see out and about on my rides are older. And I wonder, where are all the hot, bodacious babes? No, but seriously, where are the young people?)

Anyway, here's another expansive vista for you. I feel like I can actually see farther than what the camera can capture. For instance, there was a actually a tower or crane or something in the distance that was actually taller than the tree line!

I had to fight off the GIANT bumble bees to get close enough for this photo. Gorgeous though, huh?

Peek-a-boo!

Finally, here's a photo of a portion of the guess house. Those windows belong to some of the rooms (mine's on the opposite side of the building). There are rose bushes (or something like that) outside that smell amazing. The bees like them too, which I'm not so fond of.

Now I'm off to finish the reading Stephanie gave me to do. I'm lucking if I understand 30% of it (admittedly, most of it is highly specific jargon. At the very least I get the main science ideas and that's what's important, right? right?!)

Here's a bilbiography:
-Dense gas in nerby galaxies X. H_2CO and CH_3OH: molecular abundances and physical conditions
-Dense gas in nearby galaxies XV. ammonia in NGC253, Maffei 2 and IC 342
-Formaldehyde as a tracer of extragalactic molecular gas: para-H_2CO emission from M82
-Stellar mass spectrum in warm and dusty gas: deviations from Salpeter int he Galactic centre and in circumnuclear starburst regions
-Molecular Superbubbles in the starburst galaxy ngc 253

(If you actually want any of these articles, let me know...not that you ever would)