Day 11

HELLO! This week I started work at my new lab in the Carver Biomed. Research Building (below), Iowa City. Its pretty early days, of course, but my work-mates are really lovely and amusing (there is only seven of us in the lab so its quite small) and the lab atmosphere is really chilled and fun. I don’t have to be in work until 10 in the morning and my AP has given me lots of independence to learn things at my own pace. Not quite sure what I make of working as a scientist, but i guess thats what this year is all about discovering! By far the most exciting event of the week was receiving my very own set of pipettes and lab book, closely followed by running a successful restriction digest (after several attempts)!

Carver Biomedical Research Building    &   My Bench at the Lab...

On tuesday night, my workmates baptised my tastebuds with a trip to Barbeque Wild Wings for ‘Wings Tuesday’ followed by sharing ‘a bowl’ ice cream sundae at Dairy Queen. I may or may not have taken the celebrations too far....

I do love a good hat.  

Once again, the sun is shining here in Iowa. After low 30s all week, the temperature hit 36 degrees Celsius today! Needless to say, this is pretty toasty hot and I was quite pleased to see just a few spots of rain this morning as I walked to Kinnick Stadium (below) with my colleagues from the lab to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes play Missouri State Uni. American football is a BIG deal out here- the UIowa Stadium holds something like 80000 people (the entire population of the city!) and was packed full to the rafters for the game today, even though it was basically just a friendly!

Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City- Home of the Iowa Hawkeyes! The marching band, baton twirlers and cheerleaders at half time...

I’m still finding the US weird (Cups instead of grams, Fahrenheit instead of celsius, trash can instead of rubbish bin...) but i’ve pretty much figured out how to do all the things i need to live here (use the buses, find everything I need to buy in Walmart, to say ‘cookie’ instead of biscuit when trying to buy a snack with my morning coffee and to use 375 degrees instead of 200 on the oven when attempting to bake!) and am getting used to speaking to friends and family at odd times of the day and sometimes not being able to speak to anyone when I want to!

Tomorrow I plan to visit my accommodation’s Gym, do some reading on ‘click chemistry’ for the lab and figure out how to get a social security number- all (not) very exciting. 

Hope you’re all okay! 

Love Love, 

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