Hello Cambridge! July 2nd 2012

On July 2nd I said goodbye to Jocelyn and took the Cambridge express from King's Cross station (stopping by Platform 9 3/4!).  About 45 minutes later, I caught a taxi from the station to go to Babraham, a hamlet about a 10 minute drive south of Cambridge (it still has a Cambridge post code), where I would be doing an internship for the next 6 weeks. 

The first thing I saw was the incredible 19th century manor house ("The Hall") that houses the Babraham Institute administration.  Near the institute are a few blocks of houses built for employees and students, where I rented a room for the summer.  It looks a bit like Privet Drive but the surrounding area is charmingly rural and it was about a 5 minute walk to work.  There were even sheep in the field behind the lab!

The Babraham Institute.

My internship involved immunology lab work, researching the differing roles of PI3K isoforms, under the supervision of Dr. Klaus Okkenhaug in the Laboratory of Lymophocyte Signalling and Development.  The Babraham Institute is an independent life sciences research facility, although the PhD students studying at the institute are registered as graduate students at the University of Cambridge.

I was really looking forward to learning new laboratory techniques this summer and getting back into the lab, having done lab research the two previous summers in Calgary.  I was also looking forward to exploring Cambridge and hitting up the London Olympics!  Stay tuned for photos and adventures.

Hello England! June 27th 2012

June 27th: exams are done, my bags are packed, I'm ready to head to England to start my summer internship!

With all my luggage, the best way to get across the English channel was to take the Eurostar (no luggage charges!).  This was about as fast as flying, as well.  I had a train ticket booked from Lyon to Lille, in northern France, then from Lille to London St. Pancras on the Eurostar.

Almost missed my train because the cleaning lady inspecting my room showed up 30 minutes late and was taking forever!  I just made it on my train, but didn't have time to print my ticket at the station.  I had a confirmation showing I had paid and the date and seat and everything, but the conductor told me I'd have to buy a new ticket and get it refunded at my transfer in Lille. When I got to Lille the ticket lady told me they couldn't refund my ticket, and I would have to mail it in to get my money back.  I sent in my tickets and receipts but they didn't refund me 50$ of the ticket!

The Eurostar was a really cool way to travel.  You show up about 20 minutes early to do a passport check, and it's just like a normal train, if a bit comfier.  The journey through the Chunnel takes about 20 minutes. 

Carrying all of my luggage (I was also bringing my sheet and pillow etc. with me, so quite a lot of stuff) on the tube to my hostel was a bit of a challenge, but Londoners of all ages were so kind as to offer to help me carry them a ways. 

I wasn't starting my internship for a week, so my friend Jocelyn (who I'd traveled central / eastern Europe with) and I were going to spend a week in London.  We stayed at the St. Christopher's in Hammersmith, which was nice in general, over a fun pub, but was a bit far from the city centre and we spotted some termites in the shower and dorm areas! At about 12$ a night though it was a steal for London, and the St. Christopher hostels are generally pretty nice. 

More London stories and photos to come!

Au revoir Lyon - June 27 2012

Well, after an incredible year in Lyon, it's time to say au revoir and move on to new adventures.  It's been an amazing year, and I've really enjoyed getting to know people from all over the world.  There have been some ups and downs (the French university system is much different than what I'm used to back home, for example), but this has truly been the experience of a lifetime.  I've learned so much about living in another country, working with people from different backgrounds, overcoming language and cultural barriers, how to travel with only a tiny backpack for two weeks, trying new things, and of course chemical engineering.  Educational experiences abroad can really provide another dimension to an engineering education, especially considering the ever-increasing international nature of engineering.

I'm especially grateful for all of the opportunities to travel and explore many other cultures.  A big thank you to Queen's University Chemical Engineering, the Emil Nenniger International Exchange Scholarship in Chemical Engineering, and the Centennial International Exchange Endowment Fund that helped make it possible. 

I will definitely miss 3€ wines, the amazing selection of cheeses, medieval downtowns, (usually) efficient public transit,  French (a beautiful language, despite the intricacies of proper grammar), amazing museums, warm weather, and especially the friends who made it so special. 

I'm still working on sorting out my thousands and thousands of photos and putting together new blog articles, which I'll be posting over the next few months as they are ready.  I'm hoping to have it all done my Christmas (fingers crossed).  Stay tuned for updates about adventures in Italy, the Netherlands during Queen's Day, France with the family, Geneva, Ireland, Scotland, The Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London and the London Olympics, and my summer internship in England! 

-Christina