Lab Goodbyes

I just returned from Switzerland however I'll talk about that trip in a separate post. My time at the lab and final thoughts about my lab experience deserves its own post...

The last day of lab was extremely emotional for me. I had become so close with everyone in the lab and they were all some of the most genuine and nicest people I had ever met. Every single one of them took the time to teach me things, help me, and be patient when the language barrier was an issue. From having lunch together everyday, to hanging out after work or doing things on the weekends I had formed true friendships with many in the lab. The hardest part was realizing "wow I live on a different continent, I may never see these people again in my life". I will definitely return to Madrid one day but who knows which of those people currently in the lab will still be there. But at least this day in age we have plenty of online things to all keep in touch.

As a way of saying thank you to all of them I made brownies for my last day. I had wanted to do something that represented the United States, but with limited materials here in Spain for something "American" I didn't really know what to do. Turns out that for them brownies were something they associated as being a purely U.S thing. When I gave them the brownies they all exclaimed "ah something American! This is such a typical American dessert". It was interesting to think of brownies as a states thing, but it accomplished my goal of providing them with something they don't typically have here in Madrid! They all also surprised me and got me Madrid gifts. It was extremely sad saying goodbye, but at the same time I was extremely grateful that I had such a great experience that made saying goodbye so hard to do.

The primary language I spoke at the lab was Spanish, so I feel as though my skills in communicating have improved tremendously. In terms of the skills I learned this summer research wise: I improved my immunohistochemistry skills, qRT-PCR, immunoblot, handling mice, stereotaxic surgery and behavioral testing (Rotarod, T-Maze, object recognition) skills. I also increased my general knowledge about the pharmacological and biochemical aspects of cannabinoid research with regard to neuroprotection, signaling pathways and cell viability. It was also such a neat experience being given my own project, however since so many of my mice had died in the beginning of my project my results aren't that significant. But since it was a pilot study it provided promising results to go ahead with a larger project, so that was exciting to be part of that!

While it was sad leaving the lab here in Spain, I am excited to return to my lab at Emory with the knowledge I have gained this summer! I am beyond grateful to not only my lab here in Spain, but also the Emory IRES program for providing me with the opportunity to come and work here. It truly was a summer I will never forget; every experience was invaluable.

Massive Update

Since my last blog, it has been difficult for me to upload another one because of my limited access to computers after having my laptop stolen. The library at my school follows a summer schedule, so it is not open as long as I want.

I met with my friend and her Sociology study abroad group from Emory here in London. We had Indian food- which is really common in London. It was a nice time catching up and talking with my friends from America. We also went to see the Tower Bridge at night, and it was marvelous.

Tower Bridge at night

On Saturday July 11th, I took the Eurostar train to go on a day trip to Paris! Eurostar tickets are expensive even if you book way ahead, but I found this awesome travel agency website that pre-purchases day tickets, which I got for a really low price. With the ticket, I took the first train of the day from London to Paris at 6am and the last train from Paris back to London at 8pm.

The start of this trip was already interesting- I went to the Eurostar train station (London St. Pancras) late at night on Friday, had a midnight snack at Burger King, and waited at the station until the check-in at 5am because the train from my home to the Eurostar station didn't run early enough for a 5am check-in. I got to talk to someone who was also waiting for an early train like me. She was a London-born Muslim girl who just came back from a protest- she had lots to say, and it was very eye-opening.

Paris was great- I think the pictures say it all. I started the day going to see the Eiffel Tower, walked in the city to see the National Assembly from the outside, and went to a famous cafe, Les Deux Magots. The weather was perfect, and I enjoyed sitting outside and reading at this cafe while drinking some really good coffee. I also went to the Louvre Museum, and I didn't even get to see half the museum because it was huge. I saw Moulin Rogue, went up the hills on Montmartre, and had some snails before heading back to London, This short and sweet trip was really worthwhile!

French Macaroons. SO GOOD.

The beautiful cafe near Louvre

Louvre Museum

Beautiful street up to Montmartre

Really good street musicians

Paris

Snails, snails, SNAILS!!

After working another week, I took a week of in the middle of my research to go to Zurich and Italy! My older sister was also flying in from Atlanta, and we planned to travel for nine days. This I will update on my next blog very soon, after I gather my pictures and reflections from it.

I only have two more weeks of research left before I head back to Atlanta on the 15th of August. Research is going a bit slower than what I had expected (machine problems, contamination etc), but I have been learning a lot of new things as well. While I'm excited to go back, it is already difficult to let go of my life here. Going to amazing museums and galleries, living and traveling alone, the people I've met here, and many things in between already makes me cherish my IRES experience!

Leaving a Trail

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last week, I was so reluctant to leave Germany. I felt at home in Berlin. I had grown accustomed to my setting and even had favorite running routes, favorite restaurants, and daily rituals. Taking this into account, I realized that perhaps this might be the best time for me to leave Germany and, once again, change my setting.

Over the past ten weeks, I attempted to lead my life following this motto. I came to Berlin because I wanted adventure. I wanted an experience that I would never forget, an experience that I could refer back to for the rest of my life. I believed I achieved what I was looking for.

I met some of the most memorable people at the hostels I stayed at, ranging from the Mormon man who lost his luggage containing his temple garments to the Australian girl who was stranded in Albania after maxing out her credit card. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the laid-back lakeside parties along the Plotzensee Lake or the most amazing bratwurst and beers at the Am Neuen See Biergarten.

In addition, to these unforgettable memories, I gained invaluable lab and life experience. I am incredibly grateful to Emory University and the DAAD RISE program for funding my trip. Without their support, I would have been never been able to work on projects, which include searching for reservoirs of anthrax in mammalian populations and assessing biodiversity using fly DNA, nor be included in a publication. Above all, this trip has given me a new sense of self and confidence.

 

Robert Koch Institut

Plotsenzee Lake

Museum Island

Some Pictures from Uganda

I've finally uploaded my photos onto my computer. Here are some pictures that span across my 10-week trip in Uganda. I have many many more, so if you'd like to see more just send me an email (lragazz@emory.edu) and I'd be happy to share them. Enjoy!

OHCEA Research Assistant Benjamin and I interviewing a woman from
the pastoral community of Hima about modern family planning methods

The OHCEA team of researchers, students, doctors, and professors,
including my Emory advisor Dr. Thomas Gillespie and my IRES
International advisor Dr. Innocent Rwego

Dissecting a Macmillian's thicket rat (Grammomys spp.)

Taking a quick break from dissecting for a photo-op

At the crater lake located at the top of Mt. Bisoke, Rwanda after
a 3.5 hour ascent 

Three topi (Damaliscus korrigum) watching us on our Queen Elizabeth
National Park, Uganda safari

The famous tree-climbing lions (Panthera leo) of Ishasha, Queen
Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

We waited 1.5 hours for this guy to finally move from the grass
plains to some shade - it was well worth the wait!

The equator running through Uganda about 30 minutes away from Kasese,
the town in which I was living for my ten weeks

A curious chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth
National Park, Uganda. This group of 27 chimps was cut off from the rest of
the national park's groups due to cultivation and human expansion  

A hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious) on the Kazinga Channel that

connects Lakes George and Edward in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

The people of the Kasenyi reserve community mining salt from Bunyampaka
salt lake located near Lake George in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

The sun setting on Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda as we head
home after a successful safari day

Saying My Good-byes…

After almost 10 weeks, my days in Uganda are coming to an end. I have had such an amazing time here. While I came in with little information and zero expectations, I feel like I’m leaving with an experience that’s complete.

These past few weeks I was staying in an agricultural community called Kataara. It is about 1.5 hours away from Kasese so Erick and I decided to stay in a lodge to reduce the daily commute costs. This area had no internet so I was completely cut off from the rest of the world for some time. It was great to get away. After two weeks, we finished the rodent collecting and my summer fieldwork was officially over! It’s amazing how time flies… At the beginning the days felt like weeks, and now the weeks feel like days.

Last weekend some Emory labmates who are doing research in Rwanda this summer (Gabriel Andrle, Jessica Deere, and former ENVS post-doc Winnie Eckardt) visited me in Kasese and we went on a safari of Queen Elizabeth National Park. A lot of my research focused on the outskirts and community-park boundaries, so it was great to see the heart of the park. The safari was AMAZING. The first day we left early to see the lions coming back from their evening hunts, then we drove to see the bigger mammals, then an afternoon boat ride along the Kazinga Channel to see elephants, hippopotamus, water buffalo, and some amazing birds, then ended with a visit to the Bunyampaka salt lake mines and a sunset-lit drive home back through the park. The next day we took the long trek down to Ishasha to see the famous tree-climbing lions, and then we went to the Kyambura Gorge to see the chimpanzees. It was even more amazing than it sounds.

After the safari I left Kasese and headed to Kampala where I’m currently staying for the rest of my time abroad. I leave for America on Monday. I will definitely need some time to process everything I experienced over the past two months. It will be hard going back to America for many reasons, but I’m also looking forward to it. I am excited about the school year – we will have a good soccer team this season, the J. Pollard Holmes Residence Life staff is amazing (including fellow IRES colleague, Oceana Hopkins!), and my classes are going to be really interesting. Even though I’ve had an incredible time in ‘go-with-the-flow’ Uganda, I think I’m ready to head back to the crazy American life.

Weeraba, Uganda!

Leo R.

Paris (or that time I ate lots of croissants)

I spent the past weekend in Paris! One of my friends from high school is studying abroad in Dublin so we met up with each other in Paris.  In the span of 3 days we walked over 35 miles… The first day she and I went to this area called Opera (their Academy of Music is located here and the building itself is very historic), Notre Dame,  Arc de Triumph, Montmarte, Moulin Rouge and Eiffel Tower. We spent the next day at Versailles and the following day at the Louvre. In all, Paris is a very pretty city, with lots of yummy food.  The croissants really did taste that much better as did the cheese. I am a huge fan of cheese so being in Paris with a cheese shop every couple of blocks was a dream. Sadly, Versailles was a little disappointing. At this point in my travels I have seen many palaces and Versailles was always the one hyped up as “the most extravagant" one.  However, to my surprise, many of the things there were fake or reproductions. Upon first glance of the palace you think “wow look at all that gold”, however when you look closer you see that it is gold paint not actual gold. A lot of the marble was also painted and was not actual marble. This was something that surprised me a lot. However the hall of mirrors did live up to the hype and was beautiful to walk down. The Louvre was also extremely neat because I was finally standing in front of the Mona Lisa in person. Yes it was much smaller and crowded by tons of tourists, but it was still amazing to see in person.

Me in front of Eiffel Tower

Hall of Mirrors at Versailles 

Moulin Rouge

Cheesey Croissants 

The Louvre Pyramid

View of Paris from the top of Arc de Triumph

Last week at lab I finished all my behavioral tests in the morning and then sacrificed my mice in the afternoon. While this was a little sad I was excited to finally be collecting the brains to analyze. This week in lab is my last so I am spending a lot of time staining all my tissue, running immunohistochemistry and analyzing it all. I have a lot to do and not much time to do it in but I am excited to see what the results will show. I still can’t believe that this is my tenth and final week here at the lab. While it will be sad to say goodbye to everyone, I am so grateful to have been able to spend time in this lab. After this workweek ends I will be taking an extended vacation to Switzerland to visit a family friend, so I am looking forward to more cheese (and finally cooler weather).

Time Flies

With long days at work and traveling on the weekends, it feels like my summer has been flying by. I keep meaning to write more posts and before I know it a week has just gone by. Two weeks ago I took a super short weekend trip to London. I saw the Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Camden town, St. James park, London Eye, Big Ben and the British Museum. I also had the legendary fish and chips, however I have had so many exotic and flavorful dishes this summer that the fish and chips just weren’t as great as I thought they would be. It’s a very pretty city (when it’s not raining…) and reminded me a lot of America in terms of culture.

 

In front of Big Ben and the London Eye

This past weekend I explored more of Spain and visited Granada and Seville in the South. This was possibly one of the best and worst decisions of my life. Best, because both places are absolutely beautiful and historic. Worst, because we have been having a never-ending heat wave of 102/104 degree weather here in Madrid every day. So imagine going 6 hours South of that weather…it was about 108/110 degree weather plus humidity (Madrid is very dry, no humidity).

The South is known for being Moorish (some of the street signs are written in Spanish and Arabic), so the architecture was unlike any I had ever seen before. It was as though I was in a different country or continent completely. The Alhambra in Granada is a fortress and palace from 899 that was owned by the Nasrid dynasty and has since been added to and remodeled many times. What amazes me is how all of these places have been able to withstand thousands of years. Seville lacked the Alhambra, however they had their own Moorish palace which was beautiful as well.

Plaza in Seville

The Alhambra 

Windows from top of Alhambra 

Moorish Palace in Seville

This weekend I will be staying in Madrid and exploring more of what is in this wonderful city. Madrid and my lab continue to be going great. The most difficult part about the lab would be the heat. We have no AC at work so there is never a break from the heat. Due to this, the lab is currently stacked with as many portable AC’s as possible. Aside from the AC issue, I'm really enjoying not only my work, but the people and the lab in general. It’s sad thinking I only have about two weeks left here.  I am also a little sad because I will be sacrificing my mice that I have been working with all summer next week in order to start analyzing the brains.  However, I am excited to finally see and analyze the data. With the behavioral tests that I have been doing there haven't been that many significant differences between different groups. It should be interesting to see if the histological analysis shows anything.