Intriguing title, yes? I'll get back to that.
Well, much to my relief, I got onto the blog today and discovered that I HAVE updated you guys at least once since I got to HW--I couldn't quite remember whether I had or not, so this means I won't have to dig nearly as far into my memory for updates as I thought I was going to.
First, an update regarding what the heck I'm doing this summer: I get to go back to St. Andrews! The meeting I mentioned with a professor back at St. A's two weeks ago went really well, and I asked him whether he'd be willing to advise me (aka let me work in his lab) for my dissertation project this summer, and he said yes! So I am officially returning to St. Andrews and doing research for my project. The professor (my advisor, I should say), Carlos, completely understood my sense that I want to "try" research in his field before pursuing a PhD, and we will be working this semester to set up a project for me to do in his lab. "His field," by the way, is single-molecule biophysics, and I'll likely be using a technique called "FRET" to study the structural changes in molecules like RNA when they bind/unbind to other molecules. It's really cool. (Trust me on this.) He also knows about the research being done in the States in the area (biophysics is a better-established field at home and most of the big groups are there), so he can help me direct my search for other schools and groups to investigate.
It's also cool because I get to go back to St. Andrews, which is still my favorite of the two places I've lived here. HW has been a bit better as I've gotten involved with the CU and visited some churches in Edinburgh and gotten more into the swing of classes. Unfortunately, I probably won't be doing any dance or martial arts classes like I'd hoped--there aren't any on campus, and the time commitment and expense (which isn't huge but does add up) of the commute by bus keep me from going into town except on weekends, really. However, I am going to try to travel (*fingers crossed*) to Europe this semester (a friend pointed out to me the ease of it if I can just get the time). And even staying in Edinburgh, weekends are really nice. I think I'm going to make spending Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons in town a weekly tradition--there are free walking tours of the city, and I'm enjoying finding little hole-in-the-wall places for lunch and reading or doing work in cafés rather than in my room.
Which brings me to the best bathroom graffiti ever. There's a café called The Elephant House that became minorly famous because it's where JK Rowling wrote the first few Harry Potter books. I found it (totally by accident, I swear) (and I actually am serious) and discovered that it has good coffee, cheap refills (which is unusual here), and good elephant-shaped shortbread cookies. Its bathroom is also completely covered in Harry Potter-themed graffiti. Quotes from the books, "Long live the Boy Who Lived," notes to JKR; it's fantastic. The doorframe has a 100-person list of names labeled "Dumbledore's Army." Yes, I did try to add myself. My pen didn't work, but next week I'm going back with a better pen.
I went to a new church today, St. Columba's, which is right on the Royal Mile, and was completely bewildered when the pastor of my church in St. Andrews walked up to the pulpit. The churches are the same denomination--Free Church of Scotland--and he was guest preaching today, so it was a good treat to see him and catch up. He preached a fantastic sermon on Luke 23 (the crucifixion), which illuminated a lot of what I've been reading on my own in Romans.
And I think that brings you pretty much up to speed. I realize I still have no pictures for you; in my defense, I did bring my camera to town today, but it was raining. And HW isn't that nice-looking, anyway, so you're not missing much.
Best wishes to all of you, and (unless I surprise myself and post again soon) Happy Valentine's Day!
