After meeting with Rony briefly to discuss some computer programming issues, I had to run over to the Feinberg graduate school offices and get myself a temporary student ID card. It's very official looking and even laminated! Perhaps I'll get a lanyard for it to where around my neck along with a note-card that reads "If lost, please return to…." It would be quite hip. The ID card will make it easier when guards on campus randomly stop me to verify that I'm supposed to be in the Institute—before now, I've had to drag out my passport so they could call and check with the administration offices.
My new ID--I look a little bit drunk in the pic
Around lunch-time, Leo, Autumn, and I went to hear a seminar about cocaine addiction and its influences on receptors in certain areas of the brain. Leo and Autumn are Rony's two graduate students. Although Autumn isn't an expert at English, she attempts make small talk once and a while. Leo, on the other hand, is quite a dynamic character. He has long curly hair and a beard and, except for his modern-day clothing, looks as though he could be living in Biblical times. Despite his authentic Jewish appearance (if that's not too Anti-Semitic to say), Leo prides himself in bashing the Israeli government. He says it is extremely militaristic and that everything that gets financed in Israel has to somehow benefit the military (even research grants). It's kind've funny to hear someone talk so cynically about his country, and then turn around and say that he couldn't imagine living anywhere else! Oh, Leo also writes a lot for the Hebrew version of Wikipedia—he jokes that he's got to help preserve the modern Jewish tradition because Israel's bound to get blown up in the near future. Not such a comforting thought. The talk on cocaine wasn't particularly interesting to me and was a bit difficult to follow given the presenters thick Israeli accent. Luckily, Leo was prepared and had given me a scientific paper to read in case I got bored. Glancing occasionally upwards at the power-point screen to feign interest, I surreptitiously read the fascinating article about how chimpanzees and children inspect their surroundings differently. In the experiment, the children and chimps were taught to stand some wooden blocks upright and were then unknowingly given a weighted block which was impossible to stand-up. The experimenters measured things like whether the children or apes looked for the source of the problem, etc. I was interrupted by the lecture coming to an end, so I haven't yet read the conclusions section. I'll let you know what they figured out!
For lunch, Leo and I went to Charlie's cafeteria and got some sandwiches. Yesterday, I tried egg-salad which was pretty good; I'm determined to taste all the various types of sandwiches that Charlie's offers before I leave. Then, when I come back to the United States I'll know all different ways to make a healthy lunch without using any meat! After eating, Leo looked at his watch, stood up, and frantically told me that we had to go. "Today's cookie day at the Math building," he explained. "They might be out of cookies if we don't get there soon!" Apparently, every Tuesday the math building sets out cookies for the students—kind of like feeding the birds. Between cookies and Israeli politics, I've already learned an incredible amount from my new pal Leo.
A "coookie"--more of a Danish or turnover
With the remainder of my afternoon, I continued to work on my programs and made some very colorful, though not so interesting, plots. After work, I did my laundry which was a remarkable success. I then spent the rest of the evening reading and talking to the lab back in Arizona via the computer. It was really cool to hear everyone's voices, since it seems as though it's been a very long time since I've spoken to someone back home without the confines of e-mail. Of course, it's been little more than a week!
2 comments:
Hey Clay enough with the food pix, how about pictures of PEOPLE? I know its easier to photograph food. (You don't have to worry about violating their space) If you want to ease into it - hand the camera to a third person and have them take your picture with someone.....holding a sandwich.
Good idea! I'll try and venture out and get some photos of people. food is so much easier though...
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