This list of essential vocabulary might give you some idea of what I do during the week, or at least teach you something!
der Kittel...................White Lab Coat (awwww yea)
Mahlzeit....................Lunchtime Greeting
pipettieren................to pipette (by far the most important verb)
die Pipettenspitze......Pipette tips
die Platte...................(96 well) plate
das Assay..................test to determine properties of a substance
die Zellen...................Cells
adhärieren auf..........to adhere to
passagieren...............Process of moving cells from one...
das Gefäß..................Container to another, performed in a...
Die Sterilbank...........Sterile work bench with foot-activated(!)...
der Bunsenbrenner....Bunsen burner
der Überstand...........Supernatant (? I just smile and nod)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Pinch Me!
The first week of my internship here in Saarland has been phenomenal. I'm working at the Fraunhofer Institut near Saarbrücken, a biomedical research institution. (That's Fraunhofer, not to be confused with Frauenhof...although that would surely also be a great place to work...)
My supervisor had given me two options for the summer:
1) Develop a program to analyze impedance data for spherical cell models
2) Study the effect of nanoparticles on cells
I liked the first option because it had a definite goal and sounded very concrete. The second option, however, seemed like a really fun biotech project. It was tough to decide, and I wanted to get more information from my supervisor on the first day.
Ah, the first day. I kind of had this feeling they weren't really ready for me. Of course that could have been because I forgot to set up a time with my supervisor and ended up just coming really early. When I finally spoke with Herr Doktor Supervisor, he didn't stare deep into my eyes and gauge my biotechnological competence like I feared; he simply asked what I wanted to do, and I told him both, and he said a'ight.
Ok, I may remember the conversation being a tad more casual than how it really went down, but it's not far from the truth. In this research hotbed where lots of people are finishing up doctoral studies, the team is young and the official pants are blue jeans. This place gives me a loose, locker feeling. I have the freedom to do as much or as little as I want. Right now I'm choosing the former, but the topics really interest me and I enjoy the workload. Well, it's not so much a "workload" per say, but I sure am keeping myself busy trying to learn as much as I can.
More to Come, Jin Quei
My supervisor had given me two options for the summer:
1) Develop a program to analyze impedance data for spherical cell models
2) Study the effect of nanoparticles on cells
I liked the first option because it had a definite goal and sounded very concrete. The second option, however, seemed like a really fun biotech project. It was tough to decide, and I wanted to get more information from my supervisor on the first day.
Ah, the first day. I kind of had this feeling they weren't really ready for me. Of course that could have been because I forgot to set up a time with my supervisor and ended up just coming really early. When I finally spoke with Herr Doktor Supervisor, he didn't stare deep into my eyes and gauge my biotechnological competence like I feared; he simply asked what I wanted to do, and I told him both, and he said a'ight.
Ok, I may remember the conversation being a tad more casual than how it really went down, but it's not far from the truth. In this research hotbed where lots of people are finishing up doctoral studies, the team is young and the official pants are blue jeans. This place gives me a loose, locker feeling. I have the freedom to do as much or as little as I want. Right now I'm choosing the former, but the topics really interest me and I enjoy the workload. Well, it's not so much a "workload" per say, but I sure am keeping myself busy trying to learn as much as I can.
More to Come, Jin Quei
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
These Hips Don't Lie - Nor Translate
There are three important things everyone should know before going to Germany: Right is left, left is right, and you are wrong.
OK, maybe that's not entirely true. But it certainly is when it comes to ballroom dancing. When Germans line up to get on the dance floor, girls are on the left and guys on the right. Huh!? Also, when starting a waltz, guys step forward on their right foot and start going in a box counter-clockwise. WTF!?! This country has a knack for taking things that are familiar to me and turning them inside-out and upside-down. (Don't even get me started on recycling.)
So how did I get into this situation?
After 13 long years of school, Germans receive their Abitur (diploma) and are finally able to accomplish what they have strived to do for so long: Party it up! After taking their exit exams, they parade/go wild around the school, called Abistreich. Then there is the Abifahrt, a week-long class trip. And natürlich there are Abipartys galore. But the climax is the Abiball, the German version of Prom, complete with ballroom dancing!
Thankfully, the Germans are sensible enough to practice these dances as a grade beforehand. You can imagine my excitement as I entered the Tanzkurs with my friend Lena - after all, dancing and German girls are pretty much my two favorite hobbies. The music started, and the shock shortly thereafter. It was a strange hybrid of being in my element while experiencing something new.
When it was all said and done, dance practice was a great success. I danced with four German girls (cha-ching!) and learned a fun new dance called the Disco-fox (video to come?). During the cha-cha, I also managed to attract somewhat of a crowd with my hip-movements (Wa-wa-wee-wa). Alas, I was focusing on the rhythm and couldn't quite catch if they were gawking or laughing at me, but it's all good. After all I learned from them, it was the least I could to show them how we shake it in the States.
OK, maybe that's not entirely true. But it certainly is when it comes to ballroom dancing. When Germans line up to get on the dance floor, girls are on the left and guys on the right. Huh!? Also, when starting a waltz, guys step forward on their right foot and start going in a box counter-clockwise. WTF!?! This country has a knack for taking things that are familiar to me and turning them inside-out and upside-down. (Don't even get me started on recycling.)
So how did I get into this situation?
After 13 long years of school, Germans receive their Abitur (diploma) and are finally able to accomplish what they have strived to do for so long: Party it up! After taking their exit exams, they parade/go wild around the school, called Abistreich. Then there is the Abifahrt, a week-long class trip. And natürlich there are Abipartys galore. But the climax is the Abiball, the German version of Prom, complete with ballroom dancing!
Thankfully, the Germans are sensible enough to practice these dances as a grade beforehand. You can imagine my excitement as I entered the Tanzkurs with my friend Lena - after all, dancing and German girls are pretty much my two favorite hobbies. The music started, and the shock shortly thereafter. It was a strange hybrid of being in my element while experiencing something new.
When it was all said and done, dance practice was a great success. I danced with four German girls (cha-ching!) and learned a fun new dance called the Disco-fox (video to come?). During the cha-cha, I also managed to attract somewhat of a crowd with my hip-movements (Wa-wa-wee-wa). Alas, I was focusing on the rhythm and couldn't quite catch if they were gawking or laughing at me, but it's all good. After all I learned from them, it was the least I could to show them how we shake it in the States.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Ich bin doch Schwerbehindert
It wasn't my first time on the ICE, so as I strolled to find a seat on Germany's fastest train I felt like quite the Europameister. All of the cabins in the car had at least one occupant...so I unsheathed my most charming smile and approached an elderly woman, sitting alone, with one of my well-rehearsed German phrases:
"Entschuldigung, sind diese Plätze frei?" (Excuse me, may I sit down?)
The woman lifted her eyes from her Zeitung and stared at me. After a short pause,
"Ja, wenn Sie schwerbehindert sind." (Yes, if you are retarded.)
I wish a third person was in the cabin to flash the retarded "awkward turtle" this situation so desperately deserved. Sure enough, the outside of the cabin was clearly denoted with several schwerbehindert markings which I hadn't noticed.
Sure, mistakes are bound to happen when you're thrust into a new environment. Mistakes like locking yourself out of the cell phone your cousin gave you and finding yourself on the wrong side of the tracks when trying a catch the U-bahn. Everything seems to confuse me, so the message is crystal clear: You are not immune to culture shock no matter how experienced you think you are. I just wish I didn't have to learn these lessons as if I was severely handicapped.
Blunderings aside, my first week in Germany was pretty memorable. My cousin Anne picked me up from the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and I crashed at her apartment for a couple days. Notable undertakings included eating homemade Bavarian dumplings, swigging Apfelwein (made with happy apples :), and a 14-hour jet-coma, and my first ever foray into the German nightlife scene.
I also headed to the Lake of Constance, where I reunited with my old Gastfamilie, the Tillys. They are quite possibly the most hospitable people on Earth. Not only am I visiting them for a week, but also the appropriately-named foreign exchange student Germán from Mexico.
So far, I've played high level pick-up soccer (the average German's soccer skills are a notch higher than the average American's basketball skills), enjoyed my first Schnitzel, rode a bike alongside the beautiful Bodensee, and attended Gymnasium with Julius and Germán. Though I don't have any homework, the days still seem to pass at 100 mph because in this country, even the daily grind is exhilirating. Even the mundane "beer run" or making push-button coffee gets me excited.
Okay, you could argue that's because I normally don't drink coffee or go on beer runs...but that's the point! I have reassessed my stances on these topics since I'm in a different setting, and in this new cultural context, I've been letting myself go. (Don't laugh!...alright, fine, laugh.) I detect myself aligning with the German culture, though I stubbornly refuse to do the same back home. Buying some locally made wine and turning on the espresso machine are completely different than the fake ID alcohol purchases and $3 mochas you may find in the States.
Like the ringing in my ears from last Saturday's Diskothek, I suppose this novel sensation will too fade away given enough time. It will be interesting to see if this does occur, given that I am a true German addict (and a schwerbehindert one at that).
Myself, Julius, Maxi, Germán, and Sophie rocking out in the Tilly's sound-proof room.
"Entschuldigung, sind diese Plätze frei?" (Excuse me, may I sit down?)
The woman lifted her eyes from her Zeitung and stared at me. After a short pause,
"Ja, wenn Sie schwerbehindert sind." (Yes, if you are retarded.)
I wish a third person was in the cabin to flash the retarded "awkward turtle" this situation so desperately deserved. Sure enough, the outside of the cabin was clearly denoted with several schwerbehindert markings which I hadn't noticed.
Sure, mistakes are bound to happen when you're thrust into a new environment. Mistakes like locking yourself out of the cell phone your cousin gave you and finding yourself on the wrong side of the tracks when trying a catch the U-bahn. Everything seems to confuse me, so the message is crystal clear: You are not immune to culture shock no matter how experienced you think you are. I just wish I didn't have to learn these lessons as if I was severely handicapped.
Blunderings aside, my first week in Germany was pretty memorable. My cousin Anne picked me up from the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and I crashed at her apartment for a couple days. Notable undertakings included eating homemade Bavarian dumplings, swigging Apfelwein (made with happy apples :), and a 14-hour jet-coma, and my first ever foray into the German nightlife scene.I also headed to the Lake of Constance, where I reunited with my old Gastfamilie, the Tillys. They are quite possibly the most hospitable people on Earth. Not only am I visiting them for a week, but also the appropriately-named foreign exchange student Germán from Mexico.
So far, I've played high level pick-up soccer (the average German's soccer skills are a notch higher than the average American's basketball skills), enjoyed my first Schnitzel, rode a bike alongside the beautiful Bodensee, and attended Gymnasium with Julius and Germán. Though I don't have any homework, the days still seem to pass at 100 mph because in this country, even the daily grind is exhilirating. Even the mundane "beer run" or making push-button coffee gets me excited.
Okay, you could argue that's because I normally don't drink coffee or go on beer runs...but that's the point! I have reassessed my stances on these topics since I'm in a different setting, and in this new cultural context, I've been letting myself go. (Don't laugh!...alright, fine, laugh.) I detect myself aligning with the German culture, though I stubbornly refuse to do the same back home. Buying some locally made wine and turning on the espresso machine are completely different than the fake ID alcohol purchases and $3 mochas you may find in the States.
Like the ringing in my ears from last Saturday's Diskothek, I suppose this novel sensation will too fade away given enough time. It will be interesting to see if this does occur, given that I am a true German addict (and a schwerbehindert one at that).
Myself, Julius, Maxi, Germán, and Sophie rocking out in the Tilly's sound-proof room.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Märchenpräludium
Soccer cleats... check.
Laptop... check.
Deutsch skillz... check....NOT
Passport... check. (with new photo (wa wa wee wa))
Sure, I've got all the items on my checklist. But really, who am I kidding? What could possibly prepare me for this summer? March 8 through August 18. What is that, over three months? 103 days?
Nothing, I guess. I might as well dive into the summer and immerse myself in the sea of paradoxical ambiguity that is the German culture, and pray that it's not the shallow end.
But seriously, what do I expect from this experience? I'm fortunate enough to have visited the "Vaterland" before, and each time has made a novel impression on me. It's like I'm an original document and the country is a freshly-inked stamp. And as any German knows, there's nothing like a good stamp.
This time as I venture into the Land of Fairytales, I'll arrive with the familiar hopes of maturing, mastering a language, meeting new friends and reuniting with old ones. But for once, I'll also settle down and stay a while. Come August, I might just feel a deeper connection with the German culture. I have experienced it before, but this time, I'll have lived it.
Farewell, friends and neighbors of America! I wish you luck and great success in your summer endeavors, whether they be classes, jobs, dance steps, breakthroughs, workouts, peanut gift shops, Rubik's cubes, music gigs, or simply enjoying life. May we all grow from these experiences and collect a few new stamps to show one another next fall!
Auf Wiedersehen!
Laptop... check.
Deutsch skillz... check....NOT
Passport... check. (with new photo (wa wa wee wa))
Sure, I've got all the items on my checklist. But really, who am I kidding? What could possibly prepare me for this summer? March 8 through August 18. What is that, over three months? 103 days?
Nothing, I guess. I might as well dive into the summer and immerse myself in the sea of paradoxical ambiguity that is the German culture, and pray that it's not the shallow end.
But seriously, what do I expect from this experience? I'm fortunate enough to have visited the "Vaterland" before, and each time has made a novel impression on me. It's like I'm an original document and the country is a freshly-inked stamp. And as any German knows, there's nothing like a good stamp.
This time as I venture into the Land of Fairytales, I'll arrive with the familiar hopes of maturing, mastering a language, meeting new friends and reuniting with old ones. But for once, I'll also settle down and stay a while. Come August, I might just feel a deeper connection with the German culture. I have experienced it before, but this time, I'll have lived it.
Farewell, friends and neighbors of America! I wish you luck and great success in your summer endeavors, whether they be classes, jobs, dance steps, breakthroughs, workouts, peanut gift shops, Rubik's cubes, music gigs, or simply enjoying life. May we all grow from these experiences and collect a few new stamps to show one another next fall!
Auf Wiedersehen!
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