moonwatching.

11 thirty-something: there's supposed to be a total lunar eclipse. it's supposed to be the longest and darkest lunar eclipse of the last century. it'll be visible in africa and asia, and it's supposed to begin at about 12:52 and i'll end about an hour and a half later. i was working on the minutes from the MILES staff meeting, but i think i can take a few minutes and see the "celestial phenomenon of the century" (well, that's what the news called it).
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i went outside at half past 12, rather, i stood on the little outside bit between the gate and the hostel. the guard wouldn't let me go outside (i wasn't trying to sneak out), so i sat with her and waited (she seemed interested in what i was watching when i told her that the moon would "disappear" in minutes. and surely enough, the moon bright part of the moon became smaller and smaller until finally there was only a slightly orange planetary body where the moon used to be. it was really quite cool to watch.

now unfortunately, the mosquitoes took it upon themselves to assualt me: i literally have new mosquito bites, most of which are on my left "flank" (the side of my left thigh). there are a couple on my lower left leg near my angle, one on my lower back. i'm a little baffled because i was wearing long sleeves and pants. honestly, though, it was worth it. i've now seen three eclipses (two lunar, and one solar) on three different continents (the lunar ones in maryville and here, and a solar eclipse in london when i was young). that's kind of a wild though, isn't it? :)