Brains!

No, not my brains (although we all know that I have plenty) and not zombie gastronomy, either. Brains as in neurobiology. 

I visited a family friend's lab at Salk Institute yesterday. Soon Ok works in the peptide biology division at the institute. Her lab is currently examining the long-term effects of adolescent drinking. In short, you get the rats drunk repeatedly and then examine where certain products have built up in the brain. Not only did I get to learn about Salk and working in a research institute like it, I got the chance to actually try manipulating some of the cross-sections of brains that are mounted onto slides (an experienced lab technician makes this look deceptively simple) in order to stain and examine specific regions under a microscope. I also have an aptitude for putting together "the hardest puzzle no one ever wants to solve" (as described by one of the lab staff). On my very first try, I was able to correctly sort over 30 thin slices of a brain into the correct order. All the same, and as interesting as the results of the research are, I don't think I'll be switching my focus to neurobiology any time soon.

Two of the main lab buildings at Salk. The institute is perched up
on the bluffs of La Jolla near UCSD. Absolutely gorgeous location.

The results of my work sorting sections of a brain and
mounting eight slices onto a microscope slide.

Tea, a drink with jam and bread

According to the clock set for Cape Town still up on my computer, it's now around 0730 in South Africa. Funny to think, that means that just a week ago I would most likely be leaving or about to leave campus for work. Chum will have already been on the water for an hour (if not three), any fishing and dolphin survey will probably be loading into vehicles, and aqua people are probably just rolling out of bed and investigating the thought of breakfast before leaving at 0800. Even stranger to think it's been only a week since I got home. Despite telling people about what I was doing almost every day, it starts to seem farfetched in my own mind that just over a week ago I was standing on a boat with a Great White Shark not much more than a meter away. 

So what does an aspiring biologist do when no longer serving as a field researcher? Why, what other than attend an afternoon tea? And, of course, what better conversation between bites of mini scones with lemon curd than the recently conducted research on sharks? However, detailing the severed fish heads and chum is possibly ill-advised. (Just working on a hunch, though. I didn't actually give this a try. My apologies for the incomplete data on tea time conversation.) 

First time since starting school that I've been home
 for the church's annual Ladies' Christmas Tea.

Home for the Holidays

Home again and this time it's a little more permanent, at least as far as remaining within the U.S. is concerned. Now just adjusting to being back at the home with a timezone opposite South Africa and plunging into winter after about six months of more or less perpetual summer. Oh, and my Facebook account still seems to think it's in SA. Not quite sure what's up with that. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying things like Straight No Chaser concerts and listening to Sarah (sister Sarah, again) regale us with tales about her photo course adventures in New Zealand and Fiji. 


Now for your viewing pleasure, here is a little video I put together with photos and videos from the last two months. It's basically the quick version of everything you've been reading about here since October--a snapshot of life working at Oceans as an intern. Or course, that life is never in danger of having all work and no play. Just follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nton6flbGU. Enjoy!