My week started on a very sad note. The English class here at the center left for a month to do field work about three hours away. These people provided me with company during meals, and they also taught me most of the Chinese words I know. I was getting so used to having them around; but thankfully I will be able to see them again before I leave. Now it is me and the French speaking class, I can’t speak French, but I am going to try to learn. For now, I am oblivious to all conversations. I sure hope I can pick up on French faster than Chinese!
Today Huang Jing the person who regularly comes with me to the institute I work at is taking exams so Tang Li took me instead. I have a little bit harder time understanding her. She is very kind, but I think we both struggle with getting our points across to each other. When we got to the institute she told me we did not have materials to do the project today, she could not answer my questions about why or when I could start again. Instead I was told join in the middle of a class at the institute. I was so looking forward to working on my project at first I was pretty blue about going to class instead. Even so I decided to make the best of it. I met rice specialists from countries such as Bangladesh and Argentina. The people in this class were masters in their field, they were only taking this course for three weeks as a refresher, as opposed to the 4 month course the student at the center I am staying at are in. It was really interesting because though they were all brilliant and well educated, most of them had never done and some had never even heard of PCR before! It was really weird being one of the experts, especially since I am so young and uneducated compared to them. I was asked if I worked at the institute, and what I got my masters in more than just a few times. I wish I could show you a picture of their reactions when I told them I am still in high school. They were all so welcoming, and willing to share about the food challenges they faced in their countries. It ended up being a very good experience.
Today Huang Jing the person who regularly comes with me to the institute I work at is taking exams so Tang Li took me instead. I have a little bit harder time understanding her. She is very kind, but I think we both struggle with getting our points across to each other. When we got to the institute she told me we did not have materials to do the project today, she could not answer my questions about why or when I could start again. Instead I was told join in the middle of a class at the institute. I was so looking forward to working on my project at first I was pretty blue about going to class instead. Even so I decided to make the best of it. I met rice specialists from countries such as Bangladesh and Argentina. The people in this class were masters in their field, they were only taking this course for three weeks as a refresher, as opposed to the 4 month course the student at the center I am staying at are in. It was really interesting because though they were all brilliant and well educated, most of them had never done and some had never even heard of PCR before! It was really weird being one of the experts, especially since I am so young and uneducated compared to them. I was asked if I worked at the institute, and what I got my masters in more than just a few times. I wish I could show you a picture of their reactions when I told them I am still in high school. They were all so welcoming, and willing to share about the food challenges they faced in their countries. It ended up being a very good experience.
Tuesday and Wednesday passed quietly by, it was not until Thursday that I got to back to work in the institute. Since I already preliminarily screened all the primers, with no really good result the problem could either be the primer, or the materials. On Thursday I started my experiment with brand new hybrid material that we freshly picked from the field that day. And brand new primers that the institute commonly uses. The last two days have been pretty encouraging experimentally. I got a couple of promising results (I think) and my mentor at the lab Mr. Chen has finally come to believe that I can do the work all by myself. He has been working at this lab for six years, and other people at the lab have told me they think he works like a machine instead of a man. I cannot even compare to his speed and accuracy. I either have a ton of one, or a ton of the other; and I choose accuracy. He is constantly joking about how quick I am. I always race him (but only when I have one row to fill and he has the entire 96 well plate), I only sometimes win.
Anyways, the procedure is very familiar to me thanks to my work at the University of Minnesota. It is really interesting to compare and contrast the two labs; though the procedure is basically identical they have totally different styles of doing things. The only thing that hasn’t changed at all is the friendly nature I found in both labs, which I am extremely grateful for.
Two days ago I got a call from Tang Li, she asked me if I want to go on a trip to visit mountains for a couple of days. I later found out from Jane that this is not just any mountain, it is the mountain that communism originated from in China. I find politics here extremely interesting, and anyone who speaks enough English loves to ask me about all my opinions. Communism and Chairman Mao in specific are hot topics here, most of the people I have met are either huge supporters or indifferent. Hearing people talking about communism here is like hearing the complete other side of the story. Jane told me that when she studied in America reading the textbook section on communism was totally different than in China. I think there are two sides to every story; I just want to hear more people’s perspectives. I am not here to judge only to understand.
Two days ago I got a call from Tang Li, she asked me if I want to go on a trip to visit mountains for a couple of days. I later found out from Jane that this is not just any mountain, it is the mountain that communism originated from in China. I find politics here extremely interesting, and anyone who speaks enough English loves to ask me about all my opinions. Communism and Chairman Mao in specific are hot topics here, most of the people I have met are either huge supporters or indifferent. Hearing people talking about communism here is like hearing the complete other side of the story. Jane told me that when she studied in America reading the textbook section on communism was totally different than in China. I think there are two sides to every story; I just want to hear more people’s perspectives. I am not here to judge only to understand.