Disappointment

I still can't believe the Netherlands lost last night! I had faith in them to go all the way. Plus this seriously diminishes the chance of me winning the office pool. Oh well, now at least I can focus my energy on cheering for Germany.

GO DEUTSCHLAND!!!

Pottery

As some of you already know, I have taken up ceramics as a hobby. I absolutely love it! It is the most relaxing thing I have ever done. When I am making something I can completely clear my mind of all the days worries. Here are some examples of things I have made so far.

Germany Celebrates!

The streets echoed with shouts of joy as the German soccer team secured a place in the European Cup semifinals last night.

GO DEUTSCHLAND!

I have a confession to make... I like football (soccer)! I have been taken in by the European Cup. Germany plays tonight in the quarter finals against Portugal. There is a lot of excitement here. I will be rooting for Germany of course. Although, in the office pool I have chosen the Netherlands as the overall winner, so I hope they win the whole thing.

http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/

Learning the European Ways

OK, I always knew Americans were a bit repressed when it comes to the human body, and I had no problem accepting that every time I pass a photography studio here I am going to see breasts, however I must say I was completely surprised when I went to a public swimming area and people changed into their swimsuits in broad daylight! I don't want to sound prudish...I really don't mind that they do this, I am just surprised that they are so comfortable taking their clothes off in public. I now feel that it is necessary to warn my European friends that if they do this in America they can be arrested for indecent exposure! They can't believe it.

So consider this a

Public Service Announcement

Americans: be aware that in Europe you might see naked people.

Europeans: be aware that we have laws against public nudity in America

What in the world am I doing in Germany?

Some of you may have no idea why I am in Germany or what I am doing here. This blog is for you. I am here working on my PhD in chemical ecology. I am at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. (The university is celebrating its 450th anniversary this year!) I am also part of the International Leibniz Research School (http://www.ilrs.hki-jena.de) I am studying the chemically mediated interactions between green algae and their associated microbial community.

That's my algae (Dictyosphaeria ocellata).

I am using a molecular technique called denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to profile the microbial community associated with the algae and comparing that to the microbial community in the surrounding seawater.

This is a DGGE image. Each band represents one species of bacteria.

I am also looking for chemicals that regulate the interactions between the algae and the microbes.


Basically, I left Florida to go to Germany to study algae that live in Florida!

Even More Pics

March 2008 (Easter)

A mill near Bielefeld

Osterfeuer

My bed on the train

April 2008
Back to Holland

Keukenhoff Tulip Park

More Pics

February 2008
Field Work in the Florida Keys
























March 2008
Seminar in Siegmundsburg
(that's my boss with the snowball!)














Me and the "Burgermeister" at an Osterfeuer
(a bonfire held Easter weekend to tell winter to go away)

The Beginning of a Blog

So, this is for everyone who might like to know what I am up to here in this faraway land. Now you can keep track of me and share some of my experiences. I am going to start with a quick photo run down of my German experience from September to now.


October, 2007

(Left: Amsterdam, Right: Castle on the Rhein)



















December 2007
Erfurter Weihnachtsmarkt

(Every town in Germany has its own Christmas market)














January 2008

My 30th Birthday!!

(This is my friend Sebastian)