Day 8

Today at work I got to use a multi-channel pipettor and practice serial dilution using food colors. It was very pretty seeing how they went from dark to light. I brought my lab coat all the way from US to wear it here. Hanne showed me around a bit and I got to see the second smaller lab down the hall past the food chemistry and organics sections. I also checked out where they autoclave items. Basically it’s a process where they heat glassware and other things to a high temperature for a certain amount of time to ensure that they’re sanitized. There’s this special autoclave tape that you put on everything and afterwards there are stripes across the tape.

We had to change the media for the two containers of cells Hanne was growing. They need food too! So I got to do one in the hood in the PC2 lab. The process basically goes like this: put on this lab coat that buttons in the back, put on gloves and spray them with ethanol, clean out the hood using a paper towel and ethanol, and put everything you need in the hood after spraying it with ethanol. You have to be really careful not to contaminate anything. There are these labeled pipettes that you attached to a handheld machine that can suck up liquid or expel it so you remove the old media, throw away the pipette after putting it back in its wrapper, and then add fresh media.

We left early at three since Beate had another dentist appointment. I decided to walk down to South Bank along the river, a section I hadn’t seen before. The Griffith University’s College of Art was right there by the river! So is the music school too.

It’s so beautiful with the walkway, the Maritime Museum, artificial beach, cafes, and parks.

I would love to go to school there! It was getting close to dusk so the light was really pretty. The beach had gorgeous white, pure sand, and its waters reflected wonderfully with the river right there. The palm trees and birds added to the beautiful scene. They have wild turkeys that will fly and jump around in trees. It’s supposed to be warmer soon so maybe I’ll be able to dip my toes in at the beach!

Interesting fact: Since people drive on the left here, the way people walk on the sidewalks is different too. Usually in America if you’re heading a certain direction forwards (like a paved walking path with a divider or sidewalk) you walk on the right side so that people heading in the opposite direction walk on the left and can pass you. Same thing with standing on escalators, etc. Here, you walk on the left! I nearly ran into people on my first day walking through the city because it took me awhile to notice.