Cambridge!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

CaMbRidGE!

And so a long overdue post. Just an update… Been in Cambridge for almost 2 weeks now. Did everything there is to do around here – went to Corpus’ formal last Friday (thanks to Shireen),


sure looks like one of those harry potter dinners, doesn't it?

punting on Saturday,

and that is expert punter Hong King, together with Yao Feng (left) who brought us around Cambridge on Saturday.

and more sightseeing on Sunday.

Corpus Christi College

Everything but what I had set out to do in Cambridge from the start – research! Ahh! I am frustrated but yet, I can’t do any bench work until my work permit gets approved. I have been reading paper after paper, attending seminar after seminar, and I am bored stiff. My mentor, Al, has been showing me the protocols, and has even started my project for me, just because time is an issue. 2 weeks gone, 6 weeks left. I am worried because I may not be able to complete the project in time. I am really annoyed because these delays were completely avoidable. Enough said. And the sporadic showers don’t help at all.

On a lighter note, Sean, the group leader of the lab I work in, was really nice about these delays. He kept apologizing about all the red tape and told me that if I got too frustrated, I could take a day off and head down to London. Sounds like a plan to me! Initially I planned to do just that tomorrow, but apparently not already, because I have quite a bit to learn tomorrow.

Cambridge is a really nice place and I am settling down well. Thanks to Xiao Yang, who has been showing us around the place, and came to pick us up from Parker’s Piece on Sunday when we first arrived. Khian Hong and I would have never found our way to Sonali’s house if he hadn’t. And Sonali is the landlady of the house the three of us are staying in. She is a really nice woman, and she is 7 months pregnant with a baby girl.

13 Tenby Close

the living room

my room!

our first attempt at cooking dinner

And her 16 month old son Virem, is such a dear! Unfortunately, she stays over a lot at her mom’s, so we rarely get to play with the boy…

Aww... look at Virem!

and khian hong was trying to buy Virem over with chocolate

As of now, we are getting place to place by walking. It’s a one hour’s walk to the city centre, and when you walk enough, you just get used to it… But I should learn how to bike.
So yesterday whilst I was walking home, a 4 year old boy on a mini bicycle, passed me by. His dad was pedaling at a deliberate pace so that the boy can keep up. In a desperate attempt to comfort myself, I scanned the bike for trainer wheels. Sadly, there were none…

all pictures courtesy of khian hong:)