Koblenz, also known as the German Corner (Deutsch Ecke), is the confluence of two major rivers: Rhein and Mosel. The area along the Mosel is famous for its wine production and beautiful landscapes. One can find, on the steep hills along the river, many castle or tower ruins several hundred years old. If you stare at them long enough they seem to have the power to possess you, making you feel like going back in time. I think this place has a certain kind of magic to mesmerize visitors. I think it's probably because each one of us longed for something legendary and romantic, which hardly exists in real life. But at this place, both the views and the wines help to stimulate our imaginations.
Here one can taste and buy wines produced in local vineyards. Wines are cheap here. You can easily drink about a liter of wine (if you can) with just about 10 euros. And there are many wine bars (Weinstube) where you can taste a variety of wines. I think here wines are cheaper than any other drinks. So if you happen to be here, forget about coke, beer, or coffee. Somehow the wines here seem a bit too bitter to me. Maybe I'm just too used to sweeter wines.
The Mosel area is also close to France, so you can see a blend of French culture here, as manifested in cuisine and language. One regret was that I didn't have the chance to take a boat along the Mosel . Maybe for my next vacation.
By the way, today is so cold, around 10-15 degree Celsius. Feels like the winter is coming...
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Some thoughts about my internship when it's almost end
Today was the last day that I work with Gernot. In the next two weeks he's going on vacation, so that means I'll not see him until the 13th, when I'm going back to the States. I should say it's a happy ending. Although more has to be done, but we've got some initial positive results. Now we must think about how to reproduce the result in the most cost-effective manner. I think I will miss him quite a lot because we've had a lot of fun working together. I hope I can keep in touch with him. It's not easy, but I realize it's very important.
The concentration and stability of our product is still a huge concern. I wish I could have more time to figure out the solution. Right now we have many many routes we can take in the future, but to pick the best one is not very easy. One always need to consider the time involved, the money, and whether the method is the logical next step (based on really careful interpretation of the data). Somehow I think we should treat the data more carefully and analyze it more thoroughly, for there might be a lot of hidden information. Being able to go through these kind of things critically and independently is what I should really train myself and learn from a research experience.
My work has also inspired me to learn more about molecular biology. I'm really weak in this area, but the knowledge is so important that I cannot simply do research without having a solid foundation in molecular biology. Also, I need to learn how to confront my weaknesses, so maybe I'll take some courses in this area next year.
My Fulbright application has not been finished, and the time is running short. Nonetheless, I'm going to Koblenz tomorrow and forget about the application for two days. I heard it's beautiful and the region has a long tradition in making wines. I cannot wait to taste them!
The concentration and stability of our product is still a huge concern. I wish I could have more time to figure out the solution. Right now we have many many routes we can take in the future, but to pick the best one is not very easy. One always need to consider the time involved, the money, and whether the method is the logical next step (based on really careful interpretation of the data). Somehow I think we should treat the data more carefully and analyze it more thoroughly, for there might be a lot of hidden information. Being able to go through these kind of things critically and independently is what I should really train myself and learn from a research experience.
My work has also inspired me to learn more about molecular biology. I'm really weak in this area, but the knowledge is so important that I cannot simply do research without having a solid foundation in molecular biology. Also, I need to learn how to confront my weaknesses, so maybe I'll take some courses in this area next year.
My Fulbright application has not been finished, and the time is running short. Nonetheless, I'm going to Koblenz tomorrow and forget about the application for two days. I heard it's beautiful and the region has a long tradition in making wines. I cannot wait to taste them!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A dramatic day
Why did the German word for six (sechs) pronounced so similar to "sex" that I made myself looking so funny today. The lab technician approached me and asked me whether I had 6 spaces in the centrifuge. I answered, "sechs?...natuerlich" (six?...sure). Then everybody in the room started laughing. I didn't realize what was going on until she said to me in German, still laughing uncontrollably, "sorry Po-Han, I'm too old for you."
My PhD mentor, Gernot, is indeed a funny character. I've never seen a person who treasures needless things so much like him. Today Lena finally told him to throw away his garbage in the fridge. After he moved all the useless tubes out of the fridge, he took another box and put them in there, and then put the box back into the fridge. I asked him, "are we going to store them again?...I thought they can be thrown away." He answered me while still putting all those tubes inside the box, "well...we can store them for another few days...and then we can throw them away." At this point I was speechless but laugh. What's the difference a few days can make from those old tubes? New pure proteins? I don't think so.
I had 54 mg of pure proteins at around noon time. I told Gernot maybe we should use another method to concentrate these proteins because, according to previous experiences, these proteins are not stable with the old handling procedure. Then he said, "well...we can still try the old one...it's faster. If it doesn't work...then we can try the new one." At 7 o'clock, after realizing that only 15 mg has left from the original 54 mg, he told me, "wow...it's really a total destructive process." Yes, thank you Gernot, you finally realized that. I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry.
So, we spent the next two hours trying the new way, and that's why I came back today at 9:30pm. And thanks to Thomas, the postdoc in the lab, who bought a huge bag of delicious chocolate. While I was bored during those two hours, Gernot and I ate so many chocolates that I fear I must be so heavy now. Damn Thomas, why did you bring such an luring, horrible thing to the lab?
My PhD mentor, Gernot, is indeed a funny character. I've never seen a person who treasures needless things so much like him. Today Lena finally told him to throw away his garbage in the fridge. After he moved all the useless tubes out of the fridge, he took another box and put them in there, and then put the box back into the fridge. I asked him, "are we going to store them again?...I thought they can be thrown away." He answered me while still putting all those tubes inside the box, "well...we can store them for another few days...and then we can throw them away." At this point I was speechless but laugh. What's the difference a few days can make from those old tubes? New pure proteins? I don't think so.
I had 54 mg of pure proteins at around noon time. I told Gernot maybe we should use another method to concentrate these proteins because, according to previous experiences, these proteins are not stable with the old handling procedure. Then he said, "well...we can still try the old one...it's faster. If it doesn't work...then we can try the new one." At 7 o'clock, after realizing that only 15 mg has left from the original 54 mg, he told me, "wow...it's really a total destructive process." Yes, thank you Gernot, you finally realized that. I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry.
So, we spent the next two hours trying the new way, and that's why I came back today at 9:30pm. And thanks to Thomas, the postdoc in the lab, who bought a huge bag of delicious chocolate. While I was bored during those two hours, Gernot and I ate so many chocolates that I fear I must be so heavy now. Damn Thomas, why did you bring such an luring, horrible thing to the lab?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Like love and war, timing is important for protein purification (okay I didn't really come up with this analogy. It was actually from my biochemistry textbook when it talks about the expression of lambda phage genes). First you have to induce the cells at the right time so that it can express the proteins optimally. Then when you extract the protein you have to do it quick so to maintain the stability of the proteins. Then after protein purification you cannot let it sit for long otherwise strange things will happen. I think proteins are really capable of anything, both good and bad. Nothing is impossible for them. And they are like little kids. You have to treat them gently and make them happy, or they will do terrible things. This makes me love and hate them at the same time. Like my supervisor said, proteins are little bastards.
So this is probably the only weekend I'm not going anywhere. I kind of long for train-rides though, and the weather is pretty. I miss the bustling train stations filled with travelers. But I seriously need to get my Fulbright essays done this weekend. It's like now or never.
So this is probably the only weekend I'm not going anywhere. I kind of long for train-rides though, and the weather is pretty. I miss the bustling train stations filled with travelers. But I seriously need to get my Fulbright essays done this weekend. It's like now or never.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Things going down
Today is just a plain bad day. I made a stupid mistake by using the wrong antibiotics for my cell culture. As a result, at the end of the day there were no cells growing. It was such a waste of the precious time. And the mistake was kind of embarrassing. It's not a mistake that a person who has worked in a lab before should make. Maybe I was too eager for results that I kind of rushed my way without much thinking. After Lena pointed out the mistake I really intended to dig a hole for myself. Too bad the ground was so hard that I couldn't actually do it. In the future I probably need to give the right mindfulness.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Reflection on Travel Experience
This passage really fits what I've learned from so many travels.
"無論是英文、商業能力的基礎和人脈，都只有在迫於需要時才會發揮作用，唯有擁有怎麼樣都想實現的夢想，你才可能在追逐夢想的過程中學會這些事。
這樣「即知即行」的人生態度，同樣展現在旅行上，「千萬不要回來才發現這個沒做、那也沒做而拚命後悔」....要靠自己的眼睛觀察，積極跟當地人、陌生人交談，哪怕玩到身無分文...！"--大前研一
Sorry I don't really bother to translate into English, but the gist is: if you know something you want to do, do it immediately. Don't wait until the last minute and regret. Also, traveling is not just seeing those tourist attractions, but to really understand the local history and culture, to relax your mind, and to learn another way of life. Only actively talking to the local people and other travelers can you achieve this. And don't be afraid. We are all passers, so grasp the opportunity and do what you want to do and say what you want to say.
"無論是英文、商業能力的基礎和人脈，都只有在迫於需要時才會發揮作用，唯有擁有怎麼樣都想實現的夢想，你才可能在追逐夢想的過程中學會這些事。
這樣「即知即行」的人生態度，同樣展現在旅行上，「千萬不要回來才發現這個沒做、那也沒做而拚命後悔」....要靠自己的眼睛觀察，積極跟當地人、陌生人交談，哪怕玩到身無分文...！"--大前研一
Sorry I don't really bother to translate into English, but the gist is: if you know something you want to do, do it immediately. Don't wait until the last minute and regret. Also, traveling is not just seeing those tourist attractions, but to really understand the local history and culture, to relax your mind, and to learn another way of life. Only actively talking to the local people and other travelers can you achieve this. And don't be afraid. We are all passers, so grasp the opportunity and do what you want to do and say what you want to say.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
City of Science--Göttingen
This past weekend I went to Göttingen, a university town, with Lena, a PhD student in my lab. Lena's family lives in Göttingen, so I lived in her house. Therefore I had the chance to meet her parents, her boyfriend, and her good friend from high school. Her family showed me around the historical downtown area, and we also had a nice walk in the Harz mountain in Lower Saxony.
The air in the town is extremely "academic." Even though it's not as large and well-known as places like Cambrige (in England and in the US) and Oxford, the university town actually has a very long tradition that it can be proud of. The story can begin in the 18th century, when Gauss, nick-named the "prince of Mathematics," became a Professor at the University Göttingen. In the 19th century and the early 20th century, the town was called the Meca of mathematics because of those stars such as Hilbert and Landau. What's more is the number of Nobel prizes the university produced. Max Planck, Otto Hahn, Nernst and Max Born were all professors here. In fact, there was even a grave yard and a memorial for all these Nobel prize winners.
There was also a woman from Texas who lived in Lena's house. She was the host Mom for her brother when he was an exchange student in Texas. Therefore she has a good relationship with Lena's family. She invited me to visit her when I'm back in the States.
I think the trip this past weekend was very good because I got to interact with German people outside of working place and established some valuable contacts. They are all extremely friendly and hospitable.
The air in the town is extremely "academic." Even though it's not as large and well-known as places like Cambrige (in England and in the US) and Oxford, the university town actually has a very long tradition that it can be proud of. The story can begin in the 18th century, when Gauss, nick-named the "prince of Mathematics," became a Professor at the University Göttingen. In the 19th century and the early 20th century, the town was called the Meca of mathematics because of those stars such as Hilbert and Landau. What's more is the number of Nobel prizes the university produced. Max Planck, Otto Hahn, Nernst and Max Born were all professors here. In fact, there was even a grave yard and a memorial for all these Nobel prize winners.
There was also a woman from Texas who lived in Lena's house. She was the host Mom for her brother when he was an exchange student in Texas. Therefore she has a good relationship with Lena's family. She invited me to visit her when I'm back in the States.
I think the trip this past weekend was very good because I got to interact with German people outside of working place and established some valuable contacts. They are all extremely friendly and hospitable.
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