Plants, lab and Deutsch

In lieu of becoming a crazy lady with lots of cats, I have recently purchased a bunch of herbs to keep me company. You can see my new friends below: Thyme #1, Lemon Thingy, Chives, Furry Oregano, Thyme #2, and all on his own is Slightly-Dead Parsley.





I mentioned to Manuela that I was thinking of getting some herbs, because I kept seeing really cheap little pots at the supermarket, and it turned out that she's a keen gardener. So we went to a nursery to get some plants and a long pot with a pro water-drainage system to put them in, then we planted them at her place because she had special herb dirt (it's technical, I know), and voila! Thyme #2 is from her garden, as is Slightly-Dead Parsley. I'm going to revive him for her, because she will be inheriting my plants when I leave. It ended up not being at all cheaper than buying packets, but still, it's surely healthier and it gives me something to do (for five minutes a day).

In other news, both Katherine and Michael have asked me about the lab in the last couple of days so I will now tell you about it. So you know, Michael interpreted from its lack of mention that things must be going well in the lab, whilst Kath decided I mustn't have entered the lab at all since I arrived! Rude ;) For those in the know, the lab here is more Bancroft than CBCRC, and unfortunately, the Germans do not seem to be overflowing with funding like I had hoped. BUT they do freeze cells in 90% FCS, so they can't be that badly off, right? As an aside, Helen Leonard would have a heart attack over here.

Below you can see Dani (my teacher) at the hood, and I usually sit where the pink rack is. The incubator is to the right, and the microscope behind Dani, so I don’t ever really have to move from my chair. The centrifuge is under the desk a bit further back – also an easy rolling distance away. The corridors are always cold, but the lab is always hot because it gets full sun on the windows, and a few of the blinds are broken, so it shines on through! To prevent us from getting melanoma whilst trying to cure it, I stuck some large sheets of paper to the windows yesterday afternoon, which helps the tiniest amount. They do have air-con apparently, but to minimise the risk of contamination, it’s hardly ever used. This shot was taken in the morning, before it got warm, which is why Dani is still wearing her scarf.





In this photo, you can see the rest of the lab, including the windows where the blinds don’t work (on the right). This end of the lab is home to Sandra, Serena and Martina.





Another view of the other end of the lab, including Sandra’s hood. Sandra and I have long discussions about the differences between German and English, and she finds great joy in remembering the correct English word to use in a sentence. Highly amusing.





This is the -80 room, which also contains some liquid nitrogen tanks (although our tank is across the hall). I hacked away at all the ice in our -80 the other day, because there was powder snow and ice taking up 70% of the space. Something to do with being close to the windows, they tell me.





Lastly, this is the new office, which they managed to get because of me (yay, useful), but which they will probably lose when I leave. In front of that computer is where I am sitting right now, typing this entry. Again, no blinds, so it’s safest in here in the afternoon.





For those who are interested (probably nobody), I am currently growing melanoma cell lines and LCLs, testing them for mycoplasma and freezing them down in large quantities. Apart from that, I’m “assisting” with minipreps, maxipreps, ELISPOTs and lab maintenance (ie. cleaning, building makeshift blinds, defrosting freezers).

On the language front, I finally made contact with people from Evolanguage, a language school, and I attended a German lesson last night. Unfortunately, the class (5 other people) already spoke German, and the teacher mostly spoke in German. We had a sheet with sentences like ‘Someone who wants to drink is ___’, and we wrote in ‘thirsty’ – all in German, obviously – and then we changed the adjectives to nouns eg. Thirsty --> thirst (durstig --> der Durst). I think the course is aimed at people who have lived in Germany for a few years, and need to improve their grammar and broaden their vocabulary. (Haha, someone should tell the QIMR powers-that-be that I am finally taking some grammar lessons!)

The highlight of the class for me was trying to communicate with a guy from Croatia, Tommo, whom I had to work with to fill in the sheet. I would point at words in the sentences and make a ‘?’ sound, then he would use hand gestures and grunts to explain what the word meant. Good times. Anyhoo, I have found another place, which might have more suitable German lessons – the Volkhochschule (kind of like TAFE, methinks). I am taking a test next week to determine my level of German knowledge, then hopefully I can start an evening class in the next round, which will run from May to August.

I'll keep you updated!

Music

No photos this time, cos the weather was crap this week so I didn't do much - snow in some of the surrounding areas, but not in Mainz cos we're too low here. The sun is out now though, and I don't have to wear my big jacket anymore!

The highlights of my week were all from the weekend really. On Friday it was the 30th birthday of one of the Sandras in the lab, so we all went out to this Mexican restaurant / cocktail bar to celebrate (Sausolitos: http://www.sausalitos.de/Filiale_11_20_9.html). I ate before, which was probably good because the dishes were HUGE and my "standing-only" pants wouldn't have allowed me to finish a meal ;) So I had a coupla cocktails and tried to dodge the smokers, and it was nice cos I met a few more people with very good English. I avoided the 'flying kangaroo' cocktail too, even though patriotically, I shoud have tried it. It had rum in it though (blah).

At midnight, we went to a nightclub called 'Kuz', where a couple of girls had pre-paid for our tickets, which was great because the lines were MASSIVE. It was an Über 30 party (over-thirty's party), which they seem to have a lot of around here, so it was a bit of an older crowd than back in Vegas. The club was like a massive old hall, but there were two rooms and it was absolutely chokkas. We walked past the first room (where I wanted to go, because there was a good song playing) to the second room, where there was 80s music. Due to the size of the crowd, a couple of girls and I went back to the first room where there was some pretty decent house music. After a few minutes though, it changed to Linkin Park, then Limp Bizkit, then it rapidly deteriorated into a lot of very angry people wearing black jumping around in a violent manner. So we went back to the safer, happy 80s music and the overwhelming crowds. I heard some German hip-hop and some pretty decent German pop-rock, then the fumes started to get to me. Sadly, smoking inside is not banned here, and it was like there was a fire in that room (actually, if there was a fire, we would have died because there was no way of getting out fast). My clothes absolutely reek of smoke now, but it was a good night.

Today I went to "Jugend Musiziert" with Thomas Wölfel (the labhead) and his wife, Catherine (pronounced Catrine - another labhead). It was the regional finals of a young people's music comp, and their daughter (violin) and son (cello) were both playing. I was told 10:30 to see their daughter play in a trio (apparently they're very good), so I rocked up and had to wait outside the door for ages, because someone was playing. After 10 mins or so, the doors opened and I realised I'd missed the whole damn thing. I was so confused, but later I found out that daylight savings started last night, unbeknownst to me. So frustrating. But at least now the Wölfels know I'm not just rude! The most annoying thing is that one of the girls in the lab told me about it, and she said 'between 2 and 3 tomorrow, the clocks change', and I thought she meant in the afternoon, but she meant 2 and 3am :( A side-effect of the frequent use of 24-hr time in Germany.

Anyway, then I went and saw the results of the trios comp (Thomas's daughter's group won, and will now go to the whole of Germany comp in Nurenburg), then I had lunch with the Wölfels at their place. Eventually I saw some music, when I watched their son play in the afternoon, after which we all went out for icecream! I wish I'd had my camera there, cos this thing was like a work of art. Hazelnut (Haselnuss) icecream with cream and caramel sauce and sugared hazelnuts and wafers. They have these Eiscafes everywhere around here - kind of like Freestyle in Rosalie, but with heaps more options. Apparently they're often run by Italians, who come in the Summer for a season, then they leave during Winter and the cafes are used for other things. Kristy, we'll have to go there when you come over!!

Catherine has kindly invited me to the ballet on Friday night, which should be interesting. I find the standing-on-toes thing kind of disturbing, but hopefully it'll be one of those nice happy dances, rather than the slow depressing ones. Maybe I'll be cultured by the time I come home (jk)! Maybe the arts can be my new hobby, because I hear the Lions are injury-ridden already and the season has barely started!

Ciao!

History, history, history...

First up, for most of these photos, you can click on them to see the full-sized pic.

The other day, I decided to finally go for a wander up to the university, which is not too far from the Uniklinik where I am. I decided that going by the main roads was boring, so I took the scenic route instead – I found a nice green strip behind all the buildings, which led me to the field of sheep and geese you can see below (I’m looking backwards here – I had come from the tall building in the background):





After walking for about an hour, I realised I probably should have paid much more attention to the map, as it appeared my usual “walk in the general direction of the place” method had failed (I blame the large hill, from which it was difficult to find a way down to street level). At least I got to see some of the Mainz suburbia, including this tram-in-a-field:





My map is extremely detailed and very hard to read, so luckily a nice man on a bike pulled over and pointed out where we were. My artist’s impression below should illustrate just how far out of the way I had gotten.



Finally, I reached the uni, which is on quite a large campus, and is a combination of nice old buildings like this:



And QUT-esque monstrosities like this:



I made it home just before dark, then went to the shops because I realised I hadn’t eaten any chocolate for over a week. I found a brand which had about 6 different sticks of chocolate, all with different percentages of cocoa, which I feel it is my duty to learn the difference between. I also decided I should gain an appreciation for wine, being in a wine-making region, so I got a couple of €1.99 bottles of bubbly to go with my cheese and chocolate. It’s all about immersing yourself in the culture.



The next morning (Sat), I went to the markets, which are held 3 times a week, in front of the giant church you saw in the last post. It was bloody freezing – maybe 10°C, with a biting wind – but I managed to decipher the German names of the products and in the end came home with some fresh fruits and veges. I also bought a mystery meat, which luckily turned out to be turkey. They had cheese there too, but it all looked a bit hard to decipher, so I didn’t bother.





Soon after returning home, Manuela (Prof. Wölfel’s secretary) and her husband picked me up for the trip to Trier, which is about 200 km from Mainz, in the WSW direction. It claims to be the oldest city in Germany, being settled in the 1st century BC by Julius Caesar, and it was home to numerous Roman emperors, archbishops and princes elector (according to my guide book). This is the beautiful Hauptmarkt (main marketplace), with the baroque St Gangolf’s church in the background:





Trier is packed with monuments, the most famous of which is the imposing Porta Nigra, the “Black Gate”, built in the 2nd century. It is the oldest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps – it was the northern gate through the city walls, which were originally 6.4 km long, and of which only remnants remain today.





Just off the Hauptmarkt is the Dom (Cathedral), which is absolutely massive (for size, see the small ppl walking past the front door), and was first built in the 4th century. It has been reconstructed and altered numerous times, due to fires and storming by angry Franks and Normans, but it is essentially Romanesque.





Right next to it is the French Gothic Church of our Lady, which, along with the Dom and Porta Nigra, is protected by UNESCO.





Not far from these churches is the Konstantin Basilika, which I took a photo of and then moved on because I thought it was ugly…





…but then I read about it in my book and learned that it was the palace audience hall, so I had to go back to find the Electoral Palace, built in 300 AD by Emperor Constantinus Chlorus.





Apparently there were originally extensive imperial structures around the Palace, but only the Basilika remains, thanks to some “restructuring” in the 17th century, and also WWII bombs.

Heading south, I found the Imperial Baths, which were built under Emperor Constantine and were originally 250 × 145 m in size. They were never used for their intended purpose, instead being used for things such as a military campsite, government lodgings, and a corner bastion of the city walls.





A little further on from the Baths is the Amphitheater, which was used for animal fights, gladiator contests and prisoner executions from 160 AD. It sat 20 000 spectators, and the arena measures 71 × 47 m. There were 13 vaulted cages within the walls, which probably housed animals and prisoners. It was closed off by the time I got there, but I managed to get this picture through the gates:





Trier is in the middle of a famous wine-making region, and sits on the Mosel River:





On the left side of the photo, you can see the word “Weinkellar” – obviously, one of the many wine cellars of the area.

Aside from these things, Trier is the birthplace of Karl Marx, whose house still stands (but I couldn’t find it, and there were wayward youths hanging around, so I left). It also has good shopping – I found so many shirts for €1.50-€5, and even got a jumper for €2. I might go back with Manuela in May, when it will hopefully be sunny, and I can go back to some of the churches and monuments and go inside, because many are open to the public and have very impressive furnishings and artworks.

Anyhoo, that was a very long entry, so I hope you haven’t all fallen asleep.

Till next time,

Michelle

First Impressions

Helloooooo!!

I’m going to pack a lot of info into this entry, which is being pre-typed in my room on my laptop so I don’t have to spend too long at an internet cafe. I’ve compiled a short list of things that are good and bad about Germany:

Gut:
• There is plenty of water = long showers
• I have found a frûche equivalent that is not only tastier, but costs a mere 29 cents
• Alcohol is cheaper (which is good, because duty free shops were closed when I arrived)
• Almost everyone speaks English
• Old buildings, cobblestones, and much cooler shops than Brisbane, even though the city has a population equivalent to Toowoomba’s
• There’s really interesting bread here, which must be such low-GI that I’m eating less than normal yet am never hungry (could be an idea, Kath :P)
• I might be going to Luxemburg on Saturday (that’s right, a different country is as close as Byron Bay!)

Nicht so gut:
• Fruit and vegies cost more
• The plentiful water tastes pretty ordinary
• I’m not sure if I’m meant to eat the beef (feel free to advise me)
• My bankcard is completely useless here – THANKS VERY MUCH CIRRUS MAESTRO!! So currently I’m waiting for my scholarship money so I can pay my rent :\
• The foreigners’ registration office workers don’t speak English (wtf?)
• I feel that my English is worsening, and my German isn’t improving nearly enough to compensate
• I don’t know if it’s representative of all German beds, but my mattress is pretty “sturdy”
• There are no Asian people here, and therefore no Asian food :(


And now for some photos! They’re not uploaded in the best format, cos I accidentally set my camera on high res, and so they take too long to upload properly.

This is what I chose to purchase as refreshments in Singapore – chocolate soy milk and chocolate spread-filled rolled-up pancakes packaged as sushi (couldn’t finish it all, btw). Not sure why I selected those things, but in my defence, it was 1 am Brisvegas time by this point.



My hall, complete with sensor-lights and multi-coloured walls (I’m on the right in the yellow section)



My room (with sturdy mattress)



My kitchen (note the coffee machine in the box on the counter – don’t know how to use it, but they seem to be big here)



This was the first view from my balcony (which incidentally, I’m not meant to stand on cos there was a storm and it might not be safe… I had already stood on it several times prior to finding that out)



The view from the 3rd floor of my apartment block (I’m on the 1st) – the shiny building is where my lab is. If you squint, you can see Marc standing on the balcony on the third floor, which is just outside our tea room. On the right of the courtyard is a supermarket, straight ahead is a pharmacy, and on the left is a hairdresser and massage/manicure place. Ah, convenience!



While making my way into town, I turned a corner and found this – impressive, ja?



This church was so big I couldn’t fit it in one frame



The mighty Rhine



The longest boat I’ve ever seen – split between two frames





Mainz skyline at sunset



Pretty street



Just can’t escape those old buildings



Amusing street name (for footy fans only)



These are no ordinary tomatoes… they’re PARTY tomatoes!! I think the words underneath mean “the small ones with the big taste”.




People in my lab are very nice – some are excited to be able to improve their English by listening to me. I’m being looked after by a girl called Dani, who I would’ve called an RA, but the titles are different over here – she did our equivalent of med science. I pester Volker about the more important matters (he’s kind of like our SRO), and I finally met the lab head, Thomas, today – he’s been in Bonn reviewing grants or something.

People generally speak German around the lab, and then occasionally someone translates important stuff into English for me. Thanks to my German course, I tend to know the subject of discussion, but that’s about it. With my limited German, I’ve managed to order a coffee, a pretzel, say I can’t speak German, and ask several people if they speak English. As I told my mother yesterday, a girl in the lab apologised for her ‘bad’ English (which is still pretty decent), and she learnt it for 5 years, so I don’t know what hope I have of learning German to any respectable standard during my stay here!

As an aside, for Chris and Nathan – Catherine Wölfel asked me the other day if Frisbee was big in Australia – I think she was confused when I laughed!

Anyhoo, I’ll aim to update this again soon – on Saturday, I’m going to a town called Trier with Manuela, the lady who organised my apartment and a lot of the stuff in it (and is getting me a TV from her husband’s work). So I should have some photos from that outing next time!

Hope you are all well :)