Gatsby: Day 2

Similar layout to yesterday. Lecture and tutorial in the morning about chloroplasts. The practical was on cell biology and we used GFP to track vesicles within cells as well as different confocal microscopes to form a 3Dish picture of cell organelles. During the short amount of free time I went out to tak pictures of the fields around. Didn't feel particularly inspired. Before dinner Jeremy and I watched TV and then went towards the lcture theatre. On the way, we met Ddr. Robert Scotland from Oxford who was giving the next talk on the corolla of daffodils. After dinner was a lecture about the BBSRC and involving the public in the scientific world. This was then followed by live music by the duo "Turning Knots into Bows".

Gatsby: Day 1

Woke up nice and early in the double bed of my super-amazing room. This place is BRILLIANT! Theres an ensuite bathroom (with underfloor heating), TV, coffe and tea and a state-of-the-art gym downstairs!
Breakfast was followed by a lecture on, "What determines the form of plants", by professor Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz from Canada. This was then followed by our tutorial groups planning and asking questions about the lecture. Lunch was amazing as it was three courses including the best desserts in the world. I sat with some people from Cambridge who were very friendly. This was followed by a practical session on plant pathology which involved collecting diseased samples of rhododendrum bushes - fun! During the free time I decided to go for a run in the woods. I honestly don't think I'm very good at running. However, I did manage to surprise myself. I didn't come across many other people in the woods but there was a creepy abandoned shed/house (I spinted on passing this). It was really relaxing to speed through the woods but then slow down and listen to the wind brushing lightly through the canopy above my head.
Dinner was followed by another elcture on plants being used as weapons of mass destruction. However, I'm not sure that the lecture really was what it said on the tin. Went to sleep pretty early after a long day.

The most stressful train journey so far..

It feels strange to be leaving home after just having arrived but I am really looking forward to the Gatsby Plant Summer School. Left early this morning to get the 12:00am train from King's Cross. However, the piccadilly line was down so mum had to give me a lift to Ealing Broadway with my green wheelie suitcase. I took the fast train to Paddington and rushed to find the circle line (later realised that it would've been better to take the Hammersmith and City..). It was only a few stops to King's cross and I was running just on time. At the stop before King's the driver announced that the station had been closed due to someone jumping on the tracks so everyone would have to get off at Euston! I rushed off the train and, using all my strength, ran up the stairs out of the station to find King's Cross station. I had no idea where I was. After asking a couple of people, someone pointed me in the direction of the station. I SPRINTED, dragging my suitcase behind me. I heard something fall while I ran but didn't pay any attention to it. A man later came up to me and handed me my book, "For Whom the Bell Tolls", and told me that my rucksack was wide open. Shocked, I checked and luckily it still had my camera, wallet and passport inside. phew.
After another sprint I got to a HUGE crowd of people blocking the pavement and road to the station in the distance. An air ambulance had landed in the middle of the road to collect the person who'd jumped on the tracks. Getting past all the tourists was a nightmare but I did manage to have time to whip out my camera and take a quick shot of the moment.
Sprinted into the station and couldn't find the right platform. After going to the Info point I had 2mins before the train left. Of course I had the cheapest ticket which was in the second to last carriage. Got on the train seconds before the doors closed. very lucky indeed.
Once at Gatsby I told Jeremy and Liz my AWFUL story (and may have exaggerated a little too..). It felt so good to finaly arrive and swap my suitcase for a super-cool badge and bag filled with plant related stuff!
We had an ice-breaker tutorial where we were all split into groups and had to do a presentation on a plant we think should be prioritised when it comes to storing the seeds in seed banks. My group chose to do a play on Jack and the Hashstalk. It was awful. At dinner I got to meet other people from different universities; they all seemed a bit taken aback when I told them I was from Oxford. Honestly, its not like it makes me a super-genius! Fpr pudding I had oht chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce. It was DIVINE! Later on in the evening we had a Pub Quiz which was also entertaining. Went to sleep very exhausted.

Sky Blue

Today was the day that I went with mum and dad to the Bristol Cancer Help Center. We drove up the motorway at top speed (running late as always). Before arriving to the outskirts of Bristol I noticed a small plane doing flips in the sky above the motoway. The pilot would fly verticaly above our heads before spiralling downwards so close to the ground that you'd think he was going to crash. Just watching him against the backdrop of the bright blue sky gave me the sensation of soaring higher and higher with him.

There really is no place just like this

Finally home. Sleeping in my bed felt wonderful. Started to unpack.

Last day

The second open day was more relaxed as there was less people to show around. By the end we were all exhausted and the Pimm's given out by the IT staff was thoroughly appreciated! Nabs, Christina and I sat talking to Gabrielle (History tutor) talking about the summer and how lovely Oxford is in the sunshine. I then went back to my room to pack as mum and dad were on the way. Managed to do this surprisingly and rushed to the library to return the books I'd been hoarding throughout the year. Saw Alex Whithead on the way who tried to encourage me to look up me exam results online as they were already out. I only looked at the results once back in my room whilst talking to Jeremy on the phone. They were awful. My heart felt like it was screwing itself up in my chest. I needed to go for a walk. Sat on the bridge in the soft evening sunlight.
Mum and dad came later to pick my stuff up with Chesca. We went to eat at Wagamama's and I have never felt to happy to be going home.

Hertford Open Day

Yay! The weather was amazingly hot today so Chandni and I put on loads of sunscreen. We spent the day showing people around the college, handing out bags and leaflets, talking to prospective students and lazing about in the sunshine. After lunch (which was free, of course)I took a few students to meet the biology tutor, Martin. Sitting there with them listening to him talk reminded me of when I'd been in the exact same room two years ago with mum and dad. We'd chosen to look at Hertford completely by accident as non of the other collges would let us in as we "hadn't booked beforehand". However, by chance, we came across Hertford after walking up New College lane and they were so friendly that I immediatly fell in love with the college. I hope that the students who came today will feel the same.
After a hard days work we all went to the park where I met Nabs who was staying in another college on a summer course. We ate dried mango in the Uni Parks and I took this shot while Chris and Oli played frisbee.