Back in the lab! :)

Felt like a bit like homecoming, back on familiar (so to speak) ground. Ah. that well-acquainted smell of rats. I am so glad to be back doing something practical and not just sitting in class and having to study all the time!

Today’s my 5th day in the lab. Had wanted to write on my very 1st day but for the past few days I’ve been busy observing and learning and finished rather late (7, 8pm). Plus, my body seemed to be treading on a cracked sheet of thin ice which was threatening to break any minute and succumb to the cold. Oh, that throbbing head, the lethargy and the body aches of an ancient one...

I’d hope I could leave earlier on Wed (5pm) as the experiments I’ve been helping out with have been completed early. But I’ve just been told by the other intern that there’s an hour-long lecture at 615pm and my supervisor’s giving it. So, here I am, at the (slow) computer (with, naturally, a German keyboard), stealing time to write. (As some of you know, free time is supposed to be spent diligently reading papers.) But with my head’s starting to act up, I’m finding it difficult to concentrate.

Anyhow, I meant to talk a bit about the lab I’ll be working in for the next 10 weeks. It’s in the HNO (Hals-Nasen-Ohren) clinic, hearing research centre. This is an area new to me, although the methods used are not all that different. I will be working on a rodent animal model for tinnitus and the auditory system (working title of my project) which involves an operant task, hearing measurements, surgery and some molecular aspects. On my 1st day, when the Prof was discussing my project with my supervisor, me and a couple other people who’ll be involved, I was really excited cos' it sounded very interesting (It’s a question they’ve always wanted answered but there was no one with time to do it.) though with it there’s a high risk of it not working at all. But well, I guess everything in science has that.

Honestly, I still wonder if research is really what I want in life. Last Friday, my classmates and I were invited to one of our soft skills (scientific writing) instructor's place for dinner (his girlfriend cooked German food for us). Because I offered to stay and help wash up, we sat around chatting after cleaning up. He is a very humorous (the British way) and highly talented person (he can write plays, rhymes for children, draw/paint, etc etc) who told me that at 27, he's only started to narrow down what he wants to do to 3 options. But me, I still have no clue. His advice to me was to list down things I enjoy and then try to do something about them (get some sort of experience). I've not as yet compiled my list. (I wonder if I will have anything to write down but I will try... soon...)

Can't wait for the weekend to start!!! My turkish friends are cooking Turkish for us tomorrow night and my classmate's having a hair-themed party at her place (not sure if I will go yet, cos' I don't know what hairstyle I can do...) and my German clique is planning a campfire (cum BBQ. Yes, in winter! hee. :D) in the forest on Sun. Great eh??? Life is good (for now, without classes! ha) And if I still have time, I shall try to bake something... with the (slightly soft) apples I have or my pumpkin. Ideas, people?
(But I think I heard one of my good friend's thinking of baking a chocolate cake this weekend. And if he does then I can be lazy and just eat and shelf my baking to next week. heehee.)
P.S. Since being freed from the exams, I've been watching slamdunk in the evenings. Feels fantastic not to have to worry about studying!!! So if any of u have any good movies or series to recommend, let me know! :p