Today is a great day; at least that is what my optimistic self is telling me. Besides the fact that it is cloudy and rainy all day today is a good workday. It started off with me and my roommate sleeping in and not waking up to go run which of course would put a downer on anyone’s day but sleeping in was definitely the right thing to do. Luckily we slept in only a little so we were both on time to lab, actually I would have to say I was more than on time considering I was the first one in the lab! I basically sat at my desk reading some more scientific papers waiting for someone to show up. Apparently getting started early in the day is not a popular thing in China like it is back home, they spend most of their time working in the middle of the night, so I guess in a way that is understandable since they spend so much time not sleeping!
Later after everyone started showing up to the lab we went to a talk that a researcher from UCLA was giving on circadian rhythms and how they relate to aging. Even though it really did not relate to the research the lab was doing or the research I have done in the past it was really interesting and I definitely learned a lot about how important sleep is and finally understand why we experience jetlag and what exactly that entails. The talk pretty much went until lunch when a big storm hit and no one wanted to go out for lunch. It was literally nothing I have ever seen. It was 12 in the afternoon and it was completely dark out. I really think it was our best bet staying inside. Plus, I really did not mind skipping lunch because I still wanted to read up on the labs research so I could better understand everything. Now I feel a lot more comfortable talking about their research and asking questions because after yesterday I was so confused about what I was expected to do and know. After reading up on the literature and teaching myself the big scientific aspects relevant to my project I am a lot more comfortable and excited about the research and the lab I will be working in.
After the storm subsided we all went out to lunch to a noodle place on campus. One of the things that I really like about the university is the food system. Every one has meal card that has money on it. The program started us off with around 40 RMB and then after we refill the card as needed. Almost all of the food places on campus accept the food card. The best part are they do not even seem like they are cafeterias, at least foreign students would definitely not consider them to be “dorm food”. Each place has different food and they have smaller places on campus that offer specialty foods, like the one we went to today. Where we went for lunch was a rice noodle place. Some of the best Chinese food I have had in China has been from a university food place, it mind sound ridiculous and totally not true but I kid you not. They definitely give a whole new ring to the phrase “dorm food”! Although I do find it surprising that if you talk to a student here who has been eating the food for two years or more they will tell you that they are not to fond of the food and that it does get sickening to continue eating-funny because one of their favorite places to eat on campus happens to serve the food that Americans would call “typical dorm food”-I guess the phrase wanting what you can’t have holds true!
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