15.6.13
Date: 15.6.13
Time: 17:20
Location: Oxford, England
I stepped off the train from London today and found myself in a quaint college town packed with more bicycles than people, which is saying something considering the incredibly high population density (which I am convinced at times is greater than London). A £6.60 cab ride brought me to the door of St. Edmund Hall, which is about 1.52meters tall.
Once inside we ran into none other than Professor Keith Gull who I would be working with for the next two weeks. Besides being an incredibly successful research scientist and professor, did I mention he is the Principal of the Hall, and the only person at Oxford who is both a Principal and a Professor?
He took us on a tour of St. Edmund Hall, telling us interesting tidbits of information while we passed through the old dining hall, built in the 1600s, containing all the portraits of the Principals of SEH since the Hall's creation, an ancient graveyard containing a person who died on February 31st (according to the tombstone), a de-consecrated church built in medieval times containing an incredible Norman arch, converted into a beautiful library, and a crypt that was not from the medieval church above, but from before that time. We witnessed the Hall's chapel, bar, well, and spectacular rare book room that contained books so delicate they had to be handled with gloves.
The tour of the college continued with a walk around the town of Oxford that, while small, is filled with shops and restaurants. Oh, and tons of bikers. Walking down tiny side roads built in medieval times past ancient buildings with their original slate roofs, you can't help but think about the people that walked the same streets before and how what they created is still here.
At dinner, Professor Gull explained about what his lab was doing and while the parasite that caused African Sleeping Sickness could not be defeated by the immune system and why a vaccine could not be created (the parasite had a protein outer layer that, once the antibodies recognized and attacked it, would shed that coating and create an entirely new one, forcing the immune system to repeat the process). This caused the characteristic waves of fatigue of the illness, as the victim would feel okay when the antibodies were attacking the parasite, but tired when the coating was shed and the antibodies would have to recognize and attack the practically entirely new parasite.
After the incredibly intellectual dinner with the Professor, we parted ways and my father and I wandered Oxford, hoping to experience a real English Pub, however, let it be known that anyone under age is not allowed into a Pub after they stop serving food, even if it is just for a Diet Coke.
Time: 17:20
Location: Oxford, England
I stepped off the train from London today and found myself in a quaint college town packed with more bicycles than people, which is saying something considering the incredibly high population density (which I am convinced at times is greater than London). A £6.60 cab ride brought me to the door of St. Edmund Hall, which is about 1.52meters tall.
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| www.vaprints.co.uk St. Edmund Hall |
Once inside we ran into none other than Professor Keith Gull who I would be working with for the next two weeks. Besides being an incredibly successful research scientist and professor, did I mention he is the Principal of the Hall, and the only person at Oxford who is both a Principal and a Professor?
 |
| SEH Library |
 |
| High Street in Yee Olden Days |
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| High Street Yesterday! |
The tour of the college continued with a walk around the town of Oxford that, while small, is filled with shops and restaurants. Oh, and tons of bikers. Walking down tiny side roads built in medieval times past ancient buildings with their original slate roofs, you can't help but think about the people that walked the same streets before and how what they created is still here.
At dinner, Professor Gull explained about what his lab was doing and while the parasite that caused African Sleeping Sickness could not be defeated by the immune system and why a vaccine could not be created (the parasite had a protein outer layer that, once the antibodies recognized and attacked it, would shed that coating and create an entirely new one, forcing the immune system to repeat the process). This caused the characteristic waves of fatigue of the illness, as the victim would feel okay when the antibodies were attacking the parasite, but tired when the coating was shed and the antibodies would have to recognize and attack the practically entirely new parasite.
After the incredibly intellectual dinner with the Professor, we parted ways and my father and I wandered Oxford, hoping to experience a real English Pub, however, let it be known that anyone under age is not allowed into a Pub after they stop serving food, even if it is just for a Diet Coke.
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