Week 1 of research

This week was all practice for the formal experiment. Being my first biology research project I've ever done, I had some mice that I could practice handling, catching, and injecting (ip, iv, po). I always eat lunch and dinner with my lab members. And we the culture is really cool!! I love the communal eating!! I don't know if I stressed this enough previously lol. And everyone seems really kind and extremely polite. Everyone has really good manners! :D

Also I finally unlocked my old phone since the cheap phones we bought here suck lol -- mine broke the second day...it cost under $20 though -- so not a big loss lol...

Also the labs are very...hmmm...how do i say this...lacking in safety procedures and animal ethics. I can go more in detail in this in private -- but for right now, that should keep you wondering what happens in the lab lol....For instance, gloves are supposed to last for one week. Hardly anyone changes gloves and sometimes they don't wear gloves. I've been really thankful though that ALL my lab members are very nice, friendly, and funny. We discussed movies together – American and Chinese films…prison break is really popular here although I've never seen a single episode of it. The food at Tsinghua is awesome!!!! Not only that but it's so cheap too!!! – lunch and dinner is around 7-10 yuan for each meal.

Day 16 -- First Day on the Job

Finally started on my research!! Today I planned what I would do for the next few weeks for my project. I got to practice different types of drug administration on mice. I practiced IP/IV injection and PO administration. I also got to chat with my professor for a little bit. He’s a really fun guy. I am really glad I’m working in his lab for the next 8 weeks. I feel pretty close to a few of the members already. They're all pretty open about everything haha =)

Day 15 -- The Sexy Pizza Hut/ New bike!

Our small group that didn’t go to Xi’an split up today. Half of the group –the three girls (Amanda, Wendy, Mira) – went to the amusement park with Hong. I was exhausted that morning and had to read another 60 pages that my professor sent me via email for the following day (when I would start working in his lab). So, Brad, John, and I went to Pizza Hut for lunch and it was amazing!! Pizza hut is a pretty high-end place in China! It's nothing compared to the pizza hut's in America!! They have unique pizza toppings and the restaurant itself is really stylish, and sort of pricey.. :P

I chilled for a little bit after lunch, when my graduate mentor called me up and said he found a bike for me! I quickly ran to meet him and got a decent bike to rent for 45 yuan per month at Tsinghua University!! W00t w00t!! Then he and another grad student invited me out to dinner. We ate at one of the 10 cafeteria’s on Tsinghua’s giant campus. It was fun! My mentor was really funny haha. We kept asking each other how to say words in our different languages lol.

Day 14 - Temple of Heaven/Peking Duck/.........Kungfu?

Temple of heaven. I danced as much as possible with all those old retired people that were there. One old lady had a crush on me haha. YanYan (AKA sunflower lady) recorded Brad and I on video when we were dancing on stage haha..And then Wendy joined us in one dance. And then our whole group went in the middle of the entire dance party and danced away. We were sweet. Then we had PEKING DUCK – it was the greatest dinner EVER. =) I LOVE DUCK! After that we went to the KungFu Show which sounded awesome, but was really lame. It was just a bunch of guys jumping around, doing ballet, overacting, and smashing sticks on their heads…Even some of the natives were becoming restless and wanted the show to end so they could leave hahaha…

Day 13 - Beijing Zoo

aaaahhh :). I got 12 hours of sleep last night!! I’m ready to do anything today!!! W00t w00t!! The JI lunch was great this time -- I wasn't stopped by any guards again haha!! Then later, we all went to the Beijing Zoo with our language instructor, Liu Nian! Brad and I went to about 85% of the zoo!! We saw PANDAS, bears, lions, tigers, giraffes, gazelles, wildebeests, monkeys, rhinos, and various birds…including a chicken! I want to post pics here. I need to figure out how to do it though...

Day 12

I woke up early today and dressed up to meet my professor at 10AM! So I had to miss language class to catch a cab to Tsinghua =(…It was a journey to find the Life Sciences building…Tsinghua is HUGE! I took a 40 minute walk inside to get to the Life Science Building, and it wasn't because I was lost -- I actually guessed the right direction haha. So I met my professor and we were both surprised as he swung open the door to invite me in his office lol -- He was kind of short and I am…kind of tall haha. We talked and exchanged some laughs. He was really cool. He introduced me to all the students and doctors in the lab. After that they all gave me a welcome lunch at a pretty nice restaurant on campus!! I love the lab members. They all seem very intelligent, but fun at the same time. My mentor and a couple other grad students also helped me look for a bike after lunch -- we failed to find a decent priced bike -- but the search will continue! It was also funny when one of the girls in the lab thought I was a grad student haha and my professor responded “Nooooo…he is only a BOY…a big boy.” Hahaha…the look on her face was priceless. =D!

Day 11

Today I just relaxed…we’ve been to so many places in the last week and a half!! A day’s rest is so awesome right now!! All the students who are part of the PKU program have lunch together with their mentors today. I get to meet my professor tomorrow!! He has actually asked me to prepare something to discuss – like my interests in the research and my plans in Beijing. I heard he’s a nice guy though from one of the biology students at Tsinghua. So I’m EXTREMELY excited right now!!! W00t w00t!!

So I wanted to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting with my professor. He had given me like 4 articles to read. I wanted to print them somewhere, but I don’t know any printing places around here. So, I called up the front desk and this is what happened:

Front Desk Girl (FDG): Ni hao.
Me: “Ni hao. Hello. Ummm…hmmm..Do you speak English?
FDG: Uhh…oh…..ya.
Me: Oh okay. Great! I was wondering where I can print paper?
FDG: Print paper?
Me: Yeah, I want to print paper from my computer. Do you know where I can find a printer or if you have one?
FDG: Yes, you can only one.
Me: What? Wait. Only one page?
FDG: uhhh…only one.
Me (very confused): okayyy.. nevermind…thank you! Xie xie! I don’t need it anymore. Thank you! Bye.
FDG: bye.
2 minutes later – someone rings our doorbell. I see it’s someone working. So I think he’s going to come and ask me if I want to print one page of paper, which I don’t! I need to print like 50 pages! Haha… So I don’t let him in, because I already told the lady that I didn’t want one page.
I go back to my room and read my articles…..KNOCK KNOCK….what??! he’s upstairs now now knocking on my door……uggghhh..I just went to answer it to tell him I don’t need the one piece of paper….and I swing open the door to see this guy in a hotel uniform with a one roll of toilet paper in his hand! He hands it to me and walks to the elevator. I’m stunned lolool and I follow him and tell him I don’t need it and then he thinks I’m asking him “how much it is” and he starts smiling and turns red and says “no no no” and waves his arms at me…LOL….that made my day –

In conclusion, I don’t think the girl at the front desk spoke English…. =)