Frogs

I came here with the intentions of taking Biology courses. As that was not possible, I sought out a professor in the Zoology Department here at the Uniwersytet Wroclawiu and asked if I could help out in her lab doing research for credit. She said yes and I met with the Graduate and PhD students in her lab right away. We exchanged emails and phone numbers and I was invited to help with amphibian relocation and rehabilitation. I was excited.
A month later one of the students finally got back to me. She is only two years older than I am and is working on her Master's degree. She invited me out to catch amphibians from this lake that is being destroyed due to a new stadium being built pretty much on top of it and move the lil guys to a lake within a park about a kilometer away.
It was a warm, sunny morning and we jumped trams and buses until we arrived at our destination. I asked a million questions about amphibians and learned that there are more than just toads, frogs, and salamanders. It is all very interesting. I had to admit that while I had done research in lake systems I knew nothing about amphibians and so she told me even more; fun stuff like coping mechanisms for such a cold environment :). After breaking the ice with science we turned into two girls around the same age interested in the same things and so talked about being who we are in two very different countries. Comes to find out we're not all that different in the end. We talked about boys, about friends, and music. Ok I'm getting too cheesy so you get the picture. Then I had to ask why it had taken so long for some one to get back to me about the research when I knew they all had mentioned needing help the week I met them. She gave a an uneasy "uhhh....well Danielle..." and told me that they were all nervous about being around me. Why? of course I asked. She said they didn't want me to laugh at them or think badly of them for not knowing more English while they're at almost professional levels of education. I couldn't believe it but of crouse I understood it. It's weird though to think that they would even assume I would laugh at them for something like that, I can't speak a lick of Polish past, "My name is Danielle and I have a question." Anyways I told her that I would never be so rude and I didn't know many that would and that I understood they were the ones doing me a favor. I haven't heard from any of them still but I am planning on going on a bat excursion with them this weekend in which we follow and record behaviors of local bats at nighttime for two nights. I hope to make amends or things clear through the experience as well as get some photos of cute flying rodents.