sunrise to sunset

This past week has been quite a busy week for me. I was in my room for a great majority of the time, writing a lab report on all our findings in the first 6 weeks of my experiments. For the most part, we believe that we have reached all the conclusions we can address for now. My time this week was something reminiscent of finals week, except without any deadlines other than the ones I imposed on myself to get the paper done. It really is a different kind of experience when the greatest kind of ultimatum is yourself in getting something done!

Other than a few trips to the nearest grocery store, I did not step outside my apartment much this week. One thing that kept me going was, of course, the food. I think the greatest highlight of my week was finally getting to try Argentina's famous "carne asada." It is literally translated as grilled meat, but in Argentina it is a dry-roasted beef, marinated in special salts.

carne asada tapas; rice and chicken with a tomato-based sauce; fish-fillet, ham, and spinach rolled up california roll-style (I forgot the actual name)

Argentina, which is known for the beef its constituents produce and consume in great quantities, certainly has perfected the way to cook a truly fine piece of meat. The beef was succulent and juicy while the outer skin was deliciously crispy. My sides were great compliments to the meat's bold flavor and brought me extreme satisfaction. Now I honestly say that I've had the authentic Argentinian culinary experience. 

On other nights, I ate less marvelous dishes; however, would you believe that this pizza came from the freezer? It was definitely better than any frozen pizzas I've had in the U.S. Strangely, there was no tomato sauce to be found, but the strange mix of cheese and onions added an almost creamy-quality to the pizza, pardoning the absence of former. My roommate, who seems to be a very talented cook, actually grows basil in the apartment, and when she saw my pizza in the oven, she offered me some basil leaves to go along with the dish. I would say that the shredded basil on top really brought the dish together.

One of my most favorite sights: my dissection tools laid out neatly before me.

After finishing the first draft of my report, I was able to get back to the experimenting bench on our new project. This time we will be investigating the responsiveness of T(touch)-cells in the leech ganglion and their responsiveness to tension application. It's not very different from the set of experiments I just completed, but now we will work with an entirely different cell with new properties to ascertain. I can honestly say that basic research brings this type of thrill for me.

ensaïmada, a traditional rarity

My host P.I., who went on a small weekend trip to the nearby town of San Pedro, brought this delectable pastry dish for her busy worker bees in the lab. It is a pastry made only by recipes passed down by long traditions. It reminds me of a very large, puffy cinnamon bun (without the cinnamon). It is a rather light pastry, and after some research, I believe the secret ingredient is reduced pork lard. There was a custard-like filling that blended in with the light texture of the pastry and glazed with powdered sugar on top.

The origins of this pastry come from Majorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands in Spain. A group of people from the island community immigrated to San Pedro and brought their recipes with them long ago. Apparently, it is the type of traditional cuisine that does not have an exact recipe. So really, the only places where one could taste this authentic cultural gem would be in Majorca, San Pedro, or any of the handful of places in the world inhabited by Majorcan descendants. I'm glad I was able to sample some of this delight!

This past week was definitely more tiring than the rest thus far because of the paper, but I was able to enjoy some great sunsets and sunrises. I developed a kind of sleep cycle that depended on the progress of my report, so I was able to see multiple such occasions throughout the week. And since my room gives such a great view of the city, I was able to take some nice pictures.

Here's to another great week of new discoveries!!