So I've been in Lansing for over a week now and then I see this video ^ and this U.S. News article on Madcap and I start getting really homesick for some G-Rap (sorry Hamilton/Holland). Don't get me wrong, Lansing is a great city and not that different from Grand Rapids but I've come to think of GR as my home and I think its a really awesome place and I miss it!
I feel like an intruder in Lansing, especially considering that I'm only here for 10 weeks. But, so far, there are a few things I'm starting to appreciate: MSU's campus is big, beautiful, and bike friendly, there are a few good coffee shops (although nothing close to my house and nothing as good as Rowsters), and there are a TON of places to get food and drinks, even within walking distance. Also, I have yet to get out of work early enough to check out the farmer's market or go for an extended bike ride so hopefully I can get to that soon and it will improve my opinion of life in Lansing.
Working in the lab is just fine. There were a lot of really thick papers to read in order to orient myself to my project and I had to go to Wikipedia after every other word – that was frustrating – but now I'm doing more lab work, which, even though that can also be tedious, it's definitely more enjoyable. I still don't have a complete grasp on what I'm doing and I'm not sure I ever will. The other people in this lab have been working on this stuff for years, there's no way I'll get it all before I go!
But whether or not I understand it, I seem to be able to perform the lab procedures correctly anyway. All of my PCRs have worked very well and tomorrow, I start cloning DNA!
Cloning DNA! That's awesome Rach. These experiments, who checks results and how do you know if you are doing it right? I thought you were going to be doing something with plant energy.
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