Tuesday

Here comes Tuesday...
Four more days working in the lab.
I really don't feel like leaving and hope I that can stay in the Finer's lab longer.
Actually, it's never been my first choice to do my internship here. I was hoping to do get a position in a more prestigious university, but somehow I was not qualified enough to be accepted. So, since I have no where to go, and I didn't wanna stay in Rutgers again this summer, and was desperately in need of an internship, I decided to come here, just for the sake of leaving Rutgers.

At the beginning, I imagined this place will be another boring lab where I would be stuck with PCR, gel, DNA, soybeans for 10 weeks. I came here with little notions what were coming up for me and completely unprepared for my project (I didn't even read the papers sent to me before I flew here :P). But, after a mere 10 weeks, I've gained more than I could ever imagine.

Now, I'm more confident in operating the devices like PCR machine, running gels, and performing other lab techniques, which I never got a chance to learn in my food science lab. The second thing I cherish is the people I met during the internship. Everyone in the lab is so nice. Carlos has been very helpful. A good mentor, he definitely is. Dr. Finer is so friendly. I've never met such a amicable professor. Not even Dr. Schaffner, whom I've worked with for 3 years can change the fact. It was so fun to work with funny, talkative Clay, who is my partner in my project, and Cristian, who invites me to party every weekend. Besides people in the lab, I also had a chance to meet people from other departments through the social events. There were people from all around the world and of different backgrounds. Hopefully, we can keep in touch after I leave.

Another person whom I'll never forget is Chun Xue, my housemate in ATI. Ever since I moved here, we cook and eat dinner together almost everyday. It's fun and comforting to actually have somebody eat with you. I wonder whether I can still do that once I go back to Rutgers... I'll also never forget the hours we spent together watching many many TVB, Taiwanese, and Korean dramas until way pass midnight. In these brief 7 weeks we stayed together, we have watched 2 HK, 4 Korean and 1 Taiwanese dramas. Huh! There were also evenings when we unwind at the swings in the playground nearby, talking about our past, our dreams (dream guys to be exact), and her love story. And also, the weekend when both of us turned into a complete shopaholic in the uptown after weeks of abstinence from shopping. Lastly, I'll always remember the 1-hour walk we take just to get the best pizza in Wooster (or the world)!! It's really sad of leaving.... coz I really have no idea when I'll come here again or if there are any chances I'll come back here at all and meet with them.... :'(

So, I came here with nothing and expecting nothing. But after these 10 weeks, I'm bringing home with research experience, $2K, a bag full of fond memories with wonderful people and place, and also a possibility of published paper.... It's really a rewardful experience that I'll never erase from my memories

p/s: I also bring home some deep regret for not studying enough for GRE .... which makes me really sad....