里约大冒险吧 关注：13,117贴子：1,263,475
April 11th, 2014
…
I’ll use this new notebook with a coded lock to record my diary since Jewel can always find the old one. Maybe you can’t believe it, I just finished my first page of the diary, but it fell off the notebook and was blown away by the wind outside. It seems that I can only write it again. Oh, I hope it won’t be picked up by anyone tomorrow…
…
We watched a splendid show in the forest named Amazon Untamed tonight. I quite enjoyed it. The kids were thriving, and Jewel’s dancing was still charming. Now they must be exhausted, and they’re sleeping soundly inside.
…
There’re so many things to record, but I think I’m going to bed now. Tomorrow I’ll have to take another “sightseeing,” or flight test. Then we need to discuss the solution to the Brazil nut supply problem. *sigh*
…
See you the next day, Amazon.
…
I’ll use this new notebook with a coded lock to record my diary since Jewel can always find the old one. Maybe you can’t believe it, I just finished my first page of the diary, but it fell off the notebook and was blown away by the wind outside. It seems that I can only write it again. Oh, I hope it won’t be picked up by anyone tomorrow…
…
We watched a splendid show in the forest named Amazon Untamed tonight. I quite enjoyed it. The kids were thriving, and Jewel’s dancing was still charming. Now they must be exhausted, and they’re sleeping soundly inside.
…
There’re so many things to record, but I think I’m going to bed now. Tomorrow I’ll have to take another “sightseeing,” or flight test. Then we need to discuss the solution to the Brazil nut supply problem. *sigh*
…
See you the next day, Amazon.
April 12th, 2014
…
I got up early this morning, even earlier than the sunrise. I’m so glad that it’s my clock that woke me up rather than Tiago’s spider… I appreciate that a lot.
…
I found that the flight test wasn’t as bad as I thought. It’s just some daily routine, much easier than the first day. After all, our main task was to find another area with Brazil nut trees that could feed our whole tribe. After a long distance of flying, I finally got that purpose from Eduardo. I asked him why we didn’t just use the human searching technology, absolutely not because I was so tired and could barely fly another minute.
…
Then as planned, we went straight southwest to Linda and Tulio’s temporary accommodation with the guide of GPS (I need to mention that this fellow worked unexpectedly pretty well today). With the power of the Internet, we discover… *cough* Dr. Tulio found a good place. That area is quite large, but it’s far away from our tribe’s territory.
…
In the afternoon, we went back home. Eduardo gathered the tribe members and set up a food delivery group, whose members were full of birds with a long-distance flight specialty. Their task is to bring more Brazil nuts than others for the old, babies, and reservations. There’s no doubt that I’m one of them. Ah… I hope that we can have another “war” with Felipe.
…
From tomorrow, nearly everyone will have a flight in the morning and bring back the Brazil nuts they need to eat for the rest of the day.
…
At dusk, I fell asleep in the hole of a tree, or, I should say, Roberto’s house, so I successfully missed the chance to watch the sunset with the whole tribe. I guess I’ll come on some other day.
…
That’s the end of today’s diary, and I’ll enjoy a fancy dinner now. Oh, what a lovely smell. I’m coming~
…
I got up early this morning, even earlier than the sunrise. I’m so glad that it’s my clock that woke me up rather than Tiago’s spider… I appreciate that a lot.
…
I found that the flight test wasn’t as bad as I thought. It’s just some daily routine, much easier than the first day. After all, our main task was to find another area with Brazil nut trees that could feed our whole tribe. After a long distance of flying, I finally got that purpose from Eduardo. I asked him why we didn’t just use the human searching technology, absolutely not because I was so tired and could barely fly another minute.
…
Then as planned, we went straight southwest to Linda and Tulio’s temporary accommodation with the guide of GPS (I need to mention that this fellow worked unexpectedly pretty well today). With the power of the Internet, we discover… *cough* Dr. Tulio found a good place. That area is quite large, but it’s far away from our tribe’s territory.
…
In the afternoon, we went back home. Eduardo gathered the tribe members and set up a food delivery group, whose members were full of birds with a long-distance flight specialty. Their task is to bring more Brazil nuts than others for the old, babies, and reservations. There’s no doubt that I’m one of them. Ah… I hope that we can have another “war” with Felipe.
…
From tomorrow, nearly everyone will have a flight in the morning and bring back the Brazil nuts they need to eat for the rest of the day.
…
At dusk, I fell asleep in the hole of a tree, or, I should say, Roberto’s house, so I successfully missed the chance to watch the sunset with the whole tribe. I guess I’ll come on some other day.
…
That’s the end of today’s diary, and I’ll enjoy a fancy dinner now. Oh, what a lovely smell. I’m coming~
April 13th, 2014
…
I woke up several times before the sun rose and then back to sleep again. I was very sleepy when the alarm clock stroke, but I quickly got sanity a few minutes later. I guess my body fits getting up early very well. However, it’s just my mind so lazy before.
…
We took a long flight to the West. I admit that flying with such a large scale of flocks gives me an extraordinary feeling. Our whole tribe showered in the sunshine, gathered into a congregation, and passed in the same direction high above those dark green trees. The only word I could use to describe that scene is spectacular. I’ve watched some bird migration, but this time the blue ones never happened before, not to mention I’m one of them.
…
Later we came back with several bags full of shelled Brazil nuts. I believe Eduardo has fully recognized the convenience of human facilities since you can see that on the fanny pack that he wore. Much human stuff has been brought to the tribe now, and I’m starting to worry about the pollution problem because maybe it’ll ruin the exotic (exotic just for me) tribe culture. I think I’ll talk about that later with him.
…
In the afternoon, I found that Tiago unexpectedly didn’t hang out with Roberto. When I asked him why, he just told me with a puzzling expression that Uncle Roberto was acting weird. I came to his lookout point, finding he was shocked by the human stuff shown everywhere in his panoramic view; his condition just looked like the day when those excavators showed up in front of us. I think I had to be the one to fix this. After all, I stayed with humans for the longest time.
…
I randomly grabbed an available member to replace his place briefly and invited him to a quiet and beautiful place to talk. He shared his experience with me, which made me feel sorry for him.
…====== Roberto's memory ======…
A long time ago, a fire disaster struck our tribe at dawn. A shot rang out when everyone sank into panic and abandoned our home for survival. I saw my peer’s chest popping up a big red hole and then fell to the ground directly with a depressing cry. Everyone was shocked and flew everywhere. Everyone’s body was covered in ominous red color, and so did the sky. You couldn’t tell if it was the ray of the setting sun or the firelight shining on our bodies, and there were cries and screams mixed up with the shot and the sound of flames everywhere. I hit a clap net and was caught by those hunters. Then I was sold to a human family as an exotic pet, where I spent so many sleepless nights in that cabined, ice-cold cage. They never let me out and fed me with machine-made bird food, and a kid always approached me and wanted to foist the cracker in my mouth. I was imprisoned. I was alone. I’d been stuck there for a year and could barely feel alive. What am I? I raised the question to myself repeatedly. I escaped once, but they lured me back with a mirror trap. When I saw it, I even felt saved because when I saw the image of a blue Spix’s Macaw, I thought someone was finally coming to save me. After all, the endless loneliness was nearly driving me crazy. Nevertheless, my mind was blown after being captured again, and my last hope was destroyed. Shortly afterward, my mind numbed, and I felt myself not a bird anymore. It seems that I didn’t eat anything after that, and I finally escaped and regained freedom when they brought me to a vet. An uncontrolled sick cat swooped down on the human holding my cage then. The cell fell off, and the door was opened. I asked the way from other birds and finally returned to the tribe. Because of Eduardo’s severe hate for humans, I always hide those shadows deep inside my mind without telling anyone. Later I often dreamed about it as nightmares even though it has passed several years.
…====== the end of Roberto's memory ======…
I wrapped my wing around him and told him it was gone and that you’re okay now. I told him that I admired his determination very much since I couldn’t believe anyone could have successfully recovered from such a miserable experience and built up such muscular strength and a healthy lifestyle. Later I shared some opinions about humans with him. After a few minutes of talk, I finally felt the knot in his heart open.
…
On today’s activity of watching the sunset, Roberto decided to open his mind to others, especially Eduardo. As expected, Eduardo didn’t criticize his experience of being a pet but instead hugged him tightly and offered comfort.
…
Now that’s like a tribe.
…
I woke up several times before the sun rose and then back to sleep again. I was very sleepy when the alarm clock stroke, but I quickly got sanity a few minutes later. I guess my body fits getting up early very well. However, it’s just my mind so lazy before.
…
We took a long flight to the West. I admit that flying with such a large scale of flocks gives me an extraordinary feeling. Our whole tribe showered in the sunshine, gathered into a congregation, and passed in the same direction high above those dark green trees. The only word I could use to describe that scene is spectacular. I’ve watched some bird migration, but this time the blue ones never happened before, not to mention I’m one of them.
…
Later we came back with several bags full of shelled Brazil nuts. I believe Eduardo has fully recognized the convenience of human facilities since you can see that on the fanny pack that he wore. Much human stuff has been brought to the tribe now, and I’m starting to worry about the pollution problem because maybe it’ll ruin the exotic (exotic just for me) tribe culture. I think I’ll talk about that later with him.
…
In the afternoon, I found that Tiago unexpectedly didn’t hang out with Roberto. When I asked him why, he just told me with a puzzling expression that Uncle Roberto was acting weird. I came to his lookout point, finding he was shocked by the human stuff shown everywhere in his panoramic view; his condition just looked like the day when those excavators showed up in front of us. I think I had to be the one to fix this. After all, I stayed with humans for the longest time.
…
I randomly grabbed an available member to replace his place briefly and invited him to a quiet and beautiful place to talk. He shared his experience with me, which made me feel sorry for him.
…====== Roberto's memory ======…
A long time ago, a fire disaster struck our tribe at dawn. A shot rang out when everyone sank into panic and abandoned our home for survival. I saw my peer’s chest popping up a big red hole and then fell to the ground directly with a depressing cry. Everyone was shocked and flew everywhere. Everyone’s body was covered in ominous red color, and so did the sky. You couldn’t tell if it was the ray of the setting sun or the firelight shining on our bodies, and there were cries and screams mixed up with the shot and the sound of flames everywhere. I hit a clap net and was caught by those hunters. Then I was sold to a human family as an exotic pet, where I spent so many sleepless nights in that cabined, ice-cold cage. They never let me out and fed me with machine-made bird food, and a kid always approached me and wanted to foist the cracker in my mouth. I was imprisoned. I was alone. I’d been stuck there for a year and could barely feel alive. What am I? I raised the question to myself repeatedly. I escaped once, but they lured me back with a mirror trap. When I saw it, I even felt saved because when I saw the image of a blue Spix’s Macaw, I thought someone was finally coming to save me. After all, the endless loneliness was nearly driving me crazy. Nevertheless, my mind was blown after being captured again, and my last hope was destroyed. Shortly afterward, my mind numbed, and I felt myself not a bird anymore. It seems that I didn’t eat anything after that, and I finally escaped and regained freedom when they brought me to a vet. An uncontrolled sick cat swooped down on the human holding my cage then. The cell fell off, and the door was opened. I asked the way from other birds and finally returned to the tribe. Because of Eduardo’s severe hate for humans, I always hide those shadows deep inside my mind without telling anyone. Later I often dreamed about it as nightmares even though it has passed several years.
…====== the end of Roberto's memory ======…
I wrapped my wing around him and told him it was gone and that you’re okay now. I told him that I admired his determination very much since I couldn’t believe anyone could have successfully recovered from such a miserable experience and built up such muscular strength and a healthy lifestyle. Later I shared some opinions about humans with him. After a few minutes of talk, I finally felt the knot in his heart open.
…
On today’s activity of watching the sunset, Roberto decided to open his mind to others, especially Eduardo. As expected, Eduardo didn’t criticize his experience of being a pet but instead hugged him tightly and offered comfort.
…
Now that’s like a tribe.
April 14th, 2014
…
Today’s flight test was a nightmare for me. I nearly got bitten off and swallowed by the crocodiles. This was the closest time I’ve ever come to death, except that time falling off the airplane with Jewel, technically. Later the piranha bit off many feathers of mine. My performance was nearly a catastrophe. Oh, I wish I could do better the next time.
…
In the forenoon, we had an important meeting. At the meeting, I proposed that maybe we should decrease the frequency of using human stuff in the tribe somehow. Although it didn’t sound like my style, the farewell at Linda and Tulio’s temporary accommodation three days before let me start to rethink this matter. After my explanation, they agreed with me somehow. After the discussion, we decided to reserve a radio station with sufficient batteries in the sentry high above our living area as the only remaining human stuff for connecting Linda and Tulio in case any emergency happens. All other stuff will be stored in the newly built building in a space area at the edge of the nature reserve. Those loggers and the excavators carved out that space initially. I think that's the utilization of waste in some ways. Since Linda and Tulio have gone back to Rio, Fernando and the other protectors will stay in this place. I heard Fernando loves the outdoors very much and couldn’t be more excited to have a job here.
…
The next topic, some members proposed that we shouldn’t fly high up to the sky with the members on such a large scale. They said there might be potential hunters since the reserve wasn’t completed yet. Most of the members agreed, but not me. However, this motion passed smoothly, but it meant I had to take more shelled Brazil nuts. I hate my mistake.
…
Today’s flight test was a nightmare for me. I nearly got bitten off and swallowed by the crocodiles. This was the closest time I’ve ever come to death, except that time falling off the airplane with Jewel, technically. Later the piranha bit off many feathers of mine. My performance was nearly a catastrophe. Oh, I wish I could do better the next time.
…
In the forenoon, we had an important meeting. At the meeting, I proposed that maybe we should decrease the frequency of using human stuff in the tribe somehow. Although it didn’t sound like my style, the farewell at Linda and Tulio’s temporary accommodation three days before let me start to rethink this matter. After my explanation, they agreed with me somehow. After the discussion, we decided to reserve a radio station with sufficient batteries in the sentry high above our living area as the only remaining human stuff for connecting Linda and Tulio in case any emergency happens. All other stuff will be stored in the newly built building in a space area at the edge of the nature reserve. Those loggers and the excavators carved out that space initially. I think that's the utilization of waste in some ways. Since Linda and Tulio have gone back to Rio, Fernando and the other protectors will stay in this place. I heard Fernando loves the outdoors very much and couldn’t be more excited to have a job here.
…
The next topic, some members proposed that we shouldn’t fly high up to the sky with the members on such a large scale. They said there might be potential hunters since the reserve wasn’t completed yet. Most of the members agreed, but not me. However, this motion passed smoothly, but it meant I had to take more shelled Brazil nuts. I hate my mistake.
April 15th, 2014
…
Jewel got up early and invited some ladies to sew ten leaf bags for us. It’s not hard to make but looks pretty delicate to me. They stabbed many holes around the veins of the giant leaf and then used many tough fibers to sew them up. I’m only worrying about how long we can use them before they go bad.
…
It’s pretty unbelievable that some members missed the human stuff very much, but they only started to touch those things for no more than three days, which my claw can even calculate! I admit that I miss them too. My fanny pack, my GPS, and my all-in-one adventurer’s knife… Then I told them they could go to the reserve center any time they wanted, and the people there would treat us nicely.
…
Nevertheless, not for me. I have so many things to do. When I got the chance, I asked Eduardo when we’ll hold that celebration dance again. He answered me that we’d do it any time we wanted, and Carla agreed with a proud smile (Speak based on fact, I appreciate her faculty of planning the activities and calling people). Later he invited a lady and said she could teach me how to dance. My kids even don’t want to play with Uncle Roberto. They stand nearby, watching and smiling! Aah, not in front of the kids! I asked Jewel whether she learned how to dance in childhood. She laughed, saying everyone doesn’t need to LEARN because this rhythm has been in their blood. They can finish the dance just with the guidance of their hearts (Actually, her words struck a chord in my mind because I’ve had a strong feeling like she said when we had the party named Hot Wings with Pedro and Nico in Rio). However, I felt awkward learning those because my unnatural movements always made kids laugh. I saw Jewel holding back his laughter as best as she could. What a nightmare.
…
Jewel got up early and invited some ladies to sew ten leaf bags for us. It’s not hard to make but looks pretty delicate to me. They stabbed many holes around the veins of the giant leaf and then used many tough fibers to sew them up. I’m only worrying about how long we can use them before they go bad.
…
It’s pretty unbelievable that some members missed the human stuff very much, but they only started to touch those things for no more than three days, which my claw can even calculate! I admit that I miss them too. My fanny pack, my GPS, and my all-in-one adventurer’s knife… Then I told them they could go to the reserve center any time they wanted, and the people there would treat us nicely.
…
Nevertheless, not for me. I have so many things to do. When I got the chance, I asked Eduardo when we’ll hold that celebration dance again. He answered me that we’d do it any time we wanted, and Carla agreed with a proud smile (Speak based on fact, I appreciate her faculty of planning the activities and calling people). Later he invited a lady and said she could teach me how to dance. My kids even don’t want to play with Uncle Roberto. They stand nearby, watching and smiling! Aah, not in front of the kids! I asked Jewel whether she learned how to dance in childhood. She laughed, saying everyone doesn’t need to LEARN because this rhythm has been in their blood. They can finish the dance just with the guidance of their hearts (Actually, her words struck a chord in my mind because I’ve had a strong feeling like she said when we had the party named Hot Wings with Pedro and Nico in Rio). However, I felt awkward learning those because my unnatural movements always made kids laugh. I saw Jewel holding back his laughter as best as she could. What a nightmare.
April 16th, 2014
...
Today we had a very leisurely time. I finished the daily routine with an excellent performance (at least, I think so). Then I sat under the shades with Jewel and watched our kids playing. That’s genuinely comfortable— no more nuts-picking, war, misunderstanding, and conflicts. And our naughty kids were in our sight. I was so exhausted these days working or worrying about various things. After all of this, I think I deserve a good rest now.
...
Oops, I wrote those things above when Jewel left my side for a while for, mmm… answering the call of nature, I guess? (Since it’s not so justifiable to let the droppings pollute the pound) When she came back, she just stood at my back quietly and watched me writing those stuff with smiling on her face! However, it’s a relief that the passages on the surface weren’t so… abnormal and private. More importantly, Jewel cannot read human English words as well as I do. After seeing the coded lock hung on the edge of my diary, “Double insurance, huh?” she said like that. I just answered with an awkward smile. “Just, in the case of personal thoughts and information guaranteeing, record the beautiful life filled with “unexpected” surprises with my lovely wife and three little cuties in Amazon daily. Yeah~” This was the best answer I could ever think of. She replied banteringly and guessed I wrote many complaints; otherwise, there would be no need to conceal them. With her irresistible strong request, it seemed that I only had only one choice — giving in.
...
All right, I compromised. I told her she could read my diary only if she figured out my coded lock’s password. She rolled her eyes as a result. Moreover, I told her I wouldn’t be in charge of the translation service~ What a brilliant idea. According to the method of exhaustivity, she’ll need ten to the fourth time trying to evaluate every combination. I think my diary could keep in secret for a long time in the future, huh?
...
Today we had a very leisurely time. I finished the daily routine with an excellent performance (at least, I think so). Then I sat under the shades with Jewel and watched our kids playing. That’s genuinely comfortable— no more nuts-picking, war, misunderstanding, and conflicts. And our naughty kids were in our sight. I was so exhausted these days working or worrying about various things. After all of this, I think I deserve a good rest now.
...
Oops, I wrote those things above when Jewel left my side for a while for, mmm… answering the call of nature, I guess? (Since it’s not so justifiable to let the droppings pollute the pound) When she came back, she just stood at my back quietly and watched me writing those stuff with smiling on her face! However, it’s a relief that the passages on the surface weren’t so… abnormal and private. More importantly, Jewel cannot read human English words as well as I do. After seeing the coded lock hung on the edge of my diary, “Double insurance, huh?” she said like that. I just answered with an awkward smile. “Just, in the case of personal thoughts and information guaranteeing, record the beautiful life filled with “unexpected” surprises with my lovely wife and three little cuties in Amazon daily. Yeah~” This was the best answer I could ever think of. She replied banteringly and guessed I wrote many complaints; otherwise, there would be no need to conceal them. With her irresistible strong request, it seemed that I only had only one choice — giving in.
...
All right, I compromised. I told her she could read my diary only if she figured out my coded lock’s password. She rolled her eyes as a result. Moreover, I told her I wouldn’t be in charge of the translation service~ What a brilliant idea. According to the method of exhaustivity, she’ll need ten to the fourth time trying to evaluate every combination. I think my diary could keep in secret for a long time in the future, huh?
April 17th, 2014
...
Let’s talk about the kids.I couldn’t believe that Bia has learned about more than 50 species in the jungle! She could talk about the various kinds of information off the reel! His strong ability to learn new stuff may make her life easier.As for Carla, I heard she was gathering a band in Amazon. Unlike the band in Amazon Untamed, this one will be more settled, and the band will travel to various places around the Amazon (I heard that maybe they’d perform outside the jungle one day). I emphasized the importance of safety insurance to them since they must stop eating each other or getting eaten by others as a settled band. However, it seemed that they didn’t need me to tell them those things, just like they had already known.Tiago learned many kinds of cool stuff from Roberto, and he was always eager to show them in front of me. Sometimes I confess that some of them had surprised me, like flying backward, hiding in the environment, setting traps instantly when being chased, and so forth.This afternoon we headed for the waterfall and enjoyed the cool. Roberto called Jewel for playing a game they did before in their childhood. Specifically, the participants need to fly across the water film and see if they have fewer feathers getting wet.Our kids got excited instantly and flew away with Roberto after hearing the rules. Standing beside calmly with eyes half opened, I wanted to take a sip of water with my folding cup; then I remembered that my cup was stored in the reserve center far away from the tribe. *cough*
...
I saw them play several times, but I could have done better if I had to judge because they were far from the best solution. I roughly measured the distance from where the water dropped to where they flew through, and then took a stick and started the physics calculation. This is more complicated than the rock dropping but still under my control. I need to consume a mass point falling such distance with no air friction and then calculate the velocity at the end. I tried several times to determine the speed my body needed to drop vertically and then flew confidently toward them.
...
I chose 3 meters beneath the top as the place I went through. I spread my wings, said thrust, lift, drag, and weight in mind, and adjusted my flying motion at 6.6 m/s vertically.
...
When I was crossing the water film with wings folded, I felt that the rate of time flow had slowed down, and everyone nearby stared at me with amazed expressions. I was the winner, without a doubt, with only a tiny area of my chest and the outer sides of my wings wet.
...
They gathered around me and were astonished by my dry back, stomach, and tail. Tiago touched my feathers all over and asked excitedly, “How did you do that on the first try?”
...
“Nano calculation *cough* The power of physics, son,” I replied.“We only need to guarantee that our body’s vertical velocity equals the part of the water we cross. After digging a hole in the film with our forward parts, the water will no longer have a chance to touch our body anymore.”
...
Well, then Bia started to watch my calculation progress seriously. She was pretty impressed. That’s my daughter.
...
Let’s talk about the kids.I couldn’t believe that Bia has learned about more than 50 species in the jungle! She could talk about the various kinds of information off the reel! His strong ability to learn new stuff may make her life easier.As for Carla, I heard she was gathering a band in Amazon. Unlike the band in Amazon Untamed, this one will be more settled, and the band will travel to various places around the Amazon (I heard that maybe they’d perform outside the jungle one day). I emphasized the importance of safety insurance to them since they must stop eating each other or getting eaten by others as a settled band. However, it seemed that they didn’t need me to tell them those things, just like they had already known.Tiago learned many kinds of cool stuff from Roberto, and he was always eager to show them in front of me. Sometimes I confess that some of them had surprised me, like flying backward, hiding in the environment, setting traps instantly when being chased, and so forth.This afternoon we headed for the waterfall and enjoyed the cool. Roberto called Jewel for playing a game they did before in their childhood. Specifically, the participants need to fly across the water film and see if they have fewer feathers getting wet.Our kids got excited instantly and flew away with Roberto after hearing the rules. Standing beside calmly with eyes half opened, I wanted to take a sip of water with my folding cup; then I remembered that my cup was stored in the reserve center far away from the tribe. *cough*
...
I saw them play several times, but I could have done better if I had to judge because they were far from the best solution. I roughly measured the distance from where the water dropped to where they flew through, and then took a stick and started the physics calculation. This is more complicated than the rock dropping but still under my control. I need to consume a mass point falling such distance with no air friction and then calculate the velocity at the end. I tried several times to determine the speed my body needed to drop vertically and then flew confidently toward them.
...
I chose 3 meters beneath the top as the place I went through. I spread my wings, said thrust, lift, drag, and weight in mind, and adjusted my flying motion at 6.6 m/s vertically.
...
When I was crossing the water film with wings folded, I felt that the rate of time flow had slowed down, and everyone nearby stared at me with amazed expressions. I was the winner, without a doubt, with only a tiny area of my chest and the outer sides of my wings wet.
...
They gathered around me and were astonished by my dry back, stomach, and tail. Tiago touched my feathers all over and asked excitedly, “How did you do that on the first try?”
...
“Nano calculation *cough* The power of physics, son,” I replied.“We only need to guarantee that our body’s vertical velocity equals the part of the water we cross. After digging a hole in the film with our forward parts, the water will no longer have a chance to touch our body anymore.”
...
Well, then Bia started to watch my calculation progress seriously. She was pretty impressed. That’s my daughter.
April 18th, 2014
...
Well, I found myself starting to like this place somehow. This was my first time flying around the jungle and doing “real sightseeing.” Not bad, actually; there’re many natural wonders I haven’t met before. Or even if I did, this was my first time appreciating them.
...
I'd like to know if I can make a fire and barbecue the seed of Golden Trumpet Tree some day later. By the way, Bia told me that its scientific name is Handoranthus Chrysanthus. What the hell is that? How could she remember such a weird name?
...
Well, I found myself starting to like this place somehow. This was my first time flying around the jungle and doing “real sightseeing.” Not bad, actually; there’re many natural wonders I haven’t met before. Or even if I did, this was my first time appreciating them.
...
I'd like to know if I can make a fire and barbecue the seed of Golden Trumpet Tree some day later. By the way, Bia told me that its scientific name is Handoranthus Chrysanthus. What the hell is that? How could she remember such a weird name?
April 19th, 2014
...
After getting the flexible stem, the stiff sharped branch, and the fiber prepared, I thought of the fire which ruined the tribe before. I decided to hold on and tell them what I would do first to prevent the panic.
...
Well, Eduardo’s expression changed suddenly after hearing my plan. I tried to persuade him that the fire would not get out of control if we isolated the combustible. Plus, I want to try to toast the Golden Trumpet seed and taste its flavor.
...
After hearing the noise from Eduardo, I found that Jewel, the kids, and many others were gathered around us. I teach them the three elementary conditions for burning and the convenience of controlling the fire.
...
After several minutes of argument, some members finally stood on my side and said it’d be no harm to give it a little try. Finally, I got permission, but I needed to do this far away from the jungle. To be more specific, the blank area was out of the reserve center. The ground there was only yellow sand, without any grass or leaf.
...
Many members came to watch the process. I place a flat rock on top of four rocks as sustaining structure. I attached the fiber on the ends of the stretchy branch to make a bow, set the string around the sharp branch, and quickly twitched the bow to make the branch twist.
...
*Cough* It seemed I needed more work out; fortunately, Jewel and Tiago came to help me. After minutes of work which we three took turns, the tinder was finally burning.
...
Then we tried to toast the seed by placing them on the flat rock and adjusting the heating degree to find the best way to cook them. We admitted that some tasted not bad, and Eduardo said this way too.
...
At last, our family taught them how to put out a fire. It’s a bit hard for a bird without an extinguisher, and we can only put out the fire before it expands, so we emphasized the importance of not using fire in the jungle. I don’t know whether they were listening since everyone nearby enjoyed the roasted seed… or they already knew?
...
After getting the flexible stem, the stiff sharped branch, and the fiber prepared, I thought of the fire which ruined the tribe before. I decided to hold on and tell them what I would do first to prevent the panic.
...
Well, Eduardo’s expression changed suddenly after hearing my plan. I tried to persuade him that the fire would not get out of control if we isolated the combustible. Plus, I want to try to toast the Golden Trumpet seed and taste its flavor.
...
After hearing the noise from Eduardo, I found that Jewel, the kids, and many others were gathered around us. I teach them the three elementary conditions for burning and the convenience of controlling the fire.
...
After several minutes of argument, some members finally stood on my side and said it’d be no harm to give it a little try. Finally, I got permission, but I needed to do this far away from the jungle. To be more specific, the blank area was out of the reserve center. The ground there was only yellow sand, without any grass or leaf.
...
Many members came to watch the process. I place a flat rock on top of four rocks as sustaining structure. I attached the fiber on the ends of the stretchy branch to make a bow, set the string around the sharp branch, and quickly twitched the bow to make the branch twist.
...
*Cough* It seemed I needed more work out; fortunately, Jewel and Tiago came to help me. After minutes of work which we three took turns, the tinder was finally burning.
...
Then we tried to toast the seed by placing them on the flat rock and adjusting the heating degree to find the best way to cook them. We admitted that some tasted not bad, and Eduardo said this way too.
...
At last, our family taught them how to put out a fire. It’s a bit hard for a bird without an extinguisher, and we can only put out the fire before it expands, so we emphasized the importance of not using fire in the jungle. I don’t know whether they were listening since everyone nearby enjoyed the roasted seed… or they already knew?
April 20th, 2014
...
So, today, Rafael, Eva, Luiz, Pedro, and Nico decided to go back. The couple said their vacation should end now, and they’re hoping the babysitter they employed in Rio would still be fine. How could that be?
...
Pedro, Nico, and Carla convinced our chief to take the band, including Spix’s Macaw members, to perform in Rio. Carla asked Jewel and me whether she could go with them. We were initially shocked by her unexpected request. After all, she is just two and a half months old. She should still stay with us for another two and a half months! (I read that on a Spix’s Macaw entry on the Internet before.)
...
Later, nearly everyone around was convincing us, emphasizing the safety of guards (Luiz? Oh, that’s pretty reassuring) and the advanced scheme.
...
Well, we were convinced at last expectedly. I’ll miss her a lot in the future, I think.
...
They’ll leave tomorrow morning, and we’ll have a farewell dance tomorrow before their departure. Considering it was the forenoon, I decided to try to convince my family to move to another house rather than Roberto’s.
...
That took much physical and mental energy, but it was worth it. Convincing them was a tough challenge, but I did it after all. Then we went to the new tree with a rare big hole, which I found and got permission from Eduardo, and then started the decorating process.
...
The space inside was quite sizable, which satisfied the kids very much. I made many simple tools with fibers, rocks, and sticks for the construction in the next step.
...
At dawn, the work was finally finished. Now we had an entrance with anti-slip and soft reed leaves, covered by the vines as a curtain. We had three expanded separate rooms with strengthened sustaining by branches for the kids (Although one of them will soon become empty, we may use it for storing instead). We had a big bed on the bottom of our house for Jewel and me, which was covered by a layer of soft fluff (Jewel said sleeping upon that may be too warm for our feather-covered body. She had a pause before saying the word warm in front of the kids, but I bet she was trying to say hot at first, huh). And most importantly, we had a bird bath, as Tiago firmly commanded. Gosh, I couldn’t believe I did it in such a brief time! I feel exhausted and weary now, but seeing the expressions on their face was the most relief.
...
When we watched the sunset together, Roberto was shocked that we were moving. Although he tried to retain us, I politely declined and symbolically listed some reasons that didn’t matter.
...
Tonight, I stood alone at the entry, staring at the moon, letting the thoughts roll over in my mind like a storm. The moon was so bright and clear, just like that night we moved into Roberto’s house, just like that night on the pavilion in Rio. Later, Jewel came to my side after singing the lullaby to our kids.
...
Last time her mind was filled with the excitement of the reunion with her family, technically the parts in the tribe. However, this time she seemed to find my worries in my eyes.
...
She rubbed her wings at my back, which signaled to let me sit down. Then she sat beside me.
...
“Fearing that I’ll leave you someday, don’t you?” She said in a soft voice. I was still staring at the moon, trying to avoid eye contact. However, it seemed that her eyes could indeed look through me. “I know you’re scared of Roberto replacing your place one day.” She continued, “You’ve read so many books; you should know that macaws only have one mate in their entire life, right?” I downed my head a little bit and looked at her. She wrapped her wings around me and leaned her head on my shoulder. “I won’t let that happen. Remember? We’re…” She looked up into my eyes.
...
”Chained to each other birds. Indeed.” I replied.
...
“But, even if this one doesn’t have the strength, the brawn, the superb flying skills, will….”
...
“He’ll still be my one and only.” She smiled. “I’ll deal with my relationship with Roberto carefully; after all, he and I were just good partners in playing in childhood.”
...
I expressed my appreciation for all these, and she replied, “Come on, there're many shining points on you, which others cannot replace.” She wanted to show that it wasn’t self-sacrifice to stay with me. That’s indeed a cure for my heart. We bumped our beaks together at the end of the talk.
...
So, today, Rafael, Eva, Luiz, Pedro, and Nico decided to go back. The couple said their vacation should end now, and they’re hoping the babysitter they employed in Rio would still be fine. How could that be?
...
Pedro, Nico, and Carla convinced our chief to take the band, including Spix’s Macaw members, to perform in Rio. Carla asked Jewel and me whether she could go with them. We were initially shocked by her unexpected request. After all, she is just two and a half months old. She should still stay with us for another two and a half months! (I read that on a Spix’s Macaw entry on the Internet before.)
...
Later, nearly everyone around was convincing us, emphasizing the safety of guards (Luiz? Oh, that’s pretty reassuring) and the advanced scheme.
...
Well, we were convinced at last expectedly. I’ll miss her a lot in the future, I think.
...
They’ll leave tomorrow morning, and we’ll have a farewell dance tomorrow before their departure. Considering it was the forenoon, I decided to try to convince my family to move to another house rather than Roberto’s.
...
That took much physical and mental energy, but it was worth it. Convincing them was a tough challenge, but I did it after all. Then we went to the new tree with a rare big hole, which I found and got permission from Eduardo, and then started the decorating process.
...
The space inside was quite sizable, which satisfied the kids very much. I made many simple tools with fibers, rocks, and sticks for the construction in the next step.
...
At dawn, the work was finally finished. Now we had an entrance with anti-slip and soft reed leaves, covered by the vines as a curtain. We had three expanded separate rooms with strengthened sustaining by branches for the kids (Although one of them will soon become empty, we may use it for storing instead). We had a big bed on the bottom of our house for Jewel and me, which was covered by a layer of soft fluff (Jewel said sleeping upon that may be too warm for our feather-covered body. She had a pause before saying the word warm in front of the kids, but I bet she was trying to say hot at first, huh). And most importantly, we had a bird bath, as Tiago firmly commanded. Gosh, I couldn’t believe I did it in such a brief time! I feel exhausted and weary now, but seeing the expressions on their face was the most relief.
...
When we watched the sunset together, Roberto was shocked that we were moving. Although he tried to retain us, I politely declined and symbolically listed some reasons that didn’t matter.
...
Tonight, I stood alone at the entry, staring at the moon, letting the thoughts roll over in my mind like a storm. The moon was so bright and clear, just like that night we moved into Roberto’s house, just like that night on the pavilion in Rio. Later, Jewel came to my side after singing the lullaby to our kids.
...
Last time her mind was filled with the excitement of the reunion with her family, technically the parts in the tribe. However, this time she seemed to find my worries in my eyes.
...
She rubbed her wings at my back, which signaled to let me sit down. Then she sat beside me.
...
“Fearing that I’ll leave you someday, don’t you?” She said in a soft voice. I was still staring at the moon, trying to avoid eye contact. However, it seemed that her eyes could indeed look through me. “I know you’re scared of Roberto replacing your place one day.” She continued, “You’ve read so many books; you should know that macaws only have one mate in their entire life, right?” I downed my head a little bit and looked at her. She wrapped her wings around me and leaned her head on my shoulder. “I won’t let that happen. Remember? We’re…” She looked up into my eyes.
...
”Chained to each other birds. Indeed.” I replied.
...
“But, even if this one doesn’t have the strength, the brawn, the superb flying skills, will….”
...
“He’ll still be my one and only.” She smiled. “I’ll deal with my relationship with Roberto carefully; after all, he and I were just good partners in playing in childhood.”
...
I expressed my appreciation for all these, and she replied, “Come on, there're many shining points on you, which others cannot replace.” She wanted to show that it wasn’t self-sacrifice to stay with me. That’s indeed a cure for my heart. We bumped our beaks together at the end of the talk.
April 21st, 2014
...
We woke up early this morning, even before daybreak, preparing for the farewell dance. Then we got together at a forest space, and so did the bank members. By the way, the hop topic today was “Home Forever.”
...
When the red color started climbing up the eastern skyline, the drum was struck, and the rhythm inside our hearts began to get hot. We shook our bodies and swung our wings to the rhythm of the magnificent music.
...
I found myself fitting in the tribe and concentrated on the dance this time.
...
As time passed, the golden sunshine mixed with a bit of red was spilled onto each of us, and everyone was immersed in pure joy.
...
With boundless feelings still, the dance was approaching the end. We conveyed our best wishes and followed them with our eyes until their figures faded in the blue sky.
...
Heading back to our house, we’ll begin the daily routine as usual.
...
We woke up early this morning, even before daybreak, preparing for the farewell dance. Then we got together at a forest space, and so did the bank members. By the way, the hop topic today was “Home Forever.”
...
When the red color started climbing up the eastern skyline, the drum was struck, and the rhythm inside our hearts began to get hot. We shook our bodies and swung our wings to the rhythm of the magnificent music.
...
I found myself fitting in the tribe and concentrated on the dance this time.
...
As time passed, the golden sunshine mixed with a bit of red was spilled onto each of us, and everyone was immersed in pure joy.
...
With boundless feelings still, the dance was approaching the end. We conveyed our best wishes and followed them with our eyes until their figures faded in the blue sky.
...
Heading back to our house, we’ll begin the daily routine as usual.
