Clichés Must Be Clichés for a Reason

To me, the clichéd catchphrase, "Everyone makes mistakes," is roughly the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.  I don't know what it is about the expression that really gets to me, but regardless, what is supposed to be an encouraging and consoling lesson about life usually turns out to be a clichéd jumble of words that I believe falls short of its goal.  In case it's unclear thus far, I typically shy away from clichés, but this week, I can honestly say I have learned to accept that this lesson has become a universal expression for a reason, equalizing both kindergarteners bringing home failed spelling tests and biochemists dedicated to finding the cure for cancer.

We're all human (yes, even the biochemists).  This seemingly obvious fact made it a bit easier to walk into L'Institut Curie Monday morning and dive headfirst into the world of Structural Motility, knowing that even when the standards and expectations are set as high as they are at this world-renowned research lab, nobody can truly achieve perfection.  I was assigned to shadow a scientist named Wika, who explained each step of the week-long processes of protein production and purification as we went along.  My mind was reeling after the first day, having been introduced into an underworld whose existence I hadn't previously acknowledged.  Frankly, it was overwhelming.  But still, I showed up each morning with a smile on my face and my mind open (which means more than it may read; I will admit, I am not often pleasant in the hours prior to noon), eager to learn and to achieve our goal of consolidating our 2 liters of E. Coli culture into only 25 milligrams of our protein, YSP-GluR1, over the course of 5 days (I can assure you that sounds exponentially simpler than it truly is).

I was determined to gain familiarity with words, concepts, and processes that might as well have been in a foreign language: Histidine, sonification, Nanodrop, elution, lysis, wash buffer, etc.  Finally, by day 5, I was fully immersed in my internship and much more confident in my place in the lab, thanks to Wika's knowledge and patience, as well as the fact that, to go with yet another cliché, practice makes perfect.  But as I soon learned, the ideal of perfection is a bit elusive.

Unfortunately, due to one small memory lapse of an otherwise brilliant scientist, the 5 milliliters of protein that we injected into a 120 milliliter column meant for gel filtration ended up in the "trash flask" instead of the 45 desired fractioning tubes.  In short, our week's work was down the drain (pun shamelessly intended).  I felt my stomach drop, nervous to hear Wika's reaction to someone's accidental interference with our experiment. Deliberate or not, I would have been mad if it were me.  Because of this, I was surprised to hear what came next: "Ce n'est pas grave. Il arrive" (rough translation: "It's not a big deal. 
It happens").


I initially saw this mishap as a week wasted, our product unobtainable, and an unavoidable guilty conscience in this nameless scientist.  Something that had seemed so significant and unfortunate to me was instantly boiled down to a small, innocent human error and quickly, and admirably, moved past.  Over the course of this week, I may have learned about GSTraps and how to crystallize and analyze protein structures, but I have also learned that we really never stop learning.  Scientists who have been working on similar projects in that same lab for over two years still make mistakes here and there, but with the practice and experience that comes with each experiment, they are able to tweak this and alter that, making next time around even more successful.  Experiments, by definition, are supposed to prove a hypothesis or support a known fact, but I have come to believe that it is not the end result that matters so much as the understanding one obtains throughout the process, be it technical, like how myosin V is still a total mystery, or more internal - that everyone errs from time to time; that mistakes subsequently bring with them some of the best lessons; and that keeping things in perspective is more often than not the most important part of all (how are those for clichés?).
   
Yours until the protein is purified (aka Friday, fingers crossed),
Ali 

Hard at work ... and loving it!

Ziye Hu with Hôtel de Banville Manager, Emmanuelle Le Gall

Ali Ballato in the Structural Motility Lab

Bettina Redway in the Notch Signalling, Proliferation

and Oncogenesis Lab

Joanna Xu in the Organometallic Chemistry, Heterocycles

and Biological Targets Lab

Megan Everett in the Genetics and Biology of Cancers Lab

Sophie Layton in the Developmental Biology and Genetics Lab

Sophie Layton and Bettina Redway

I'm pretty sure I was right.

We’re nearing the end. Only four more days in Paris means only four more days with my host family, four more days of endless second-hand smoke, and four more days of eating baguette to my heart’s content. I’m not Parisian, but over the past two weeks, I have felt more and more like I have grown into the city, like I blend in with the city, and like I belong in the city, except for the times I am at a café, order a cup of water, and still get “Pardon?” as a reply. But besides this, I am beginning to experience that sense of routine only citizens of Paris should feel. When I squeeze onto a metro train at the very last second before the doors shut during the morning rush hour, I feel it. When I return from work and have my own keys to enter an apartment, I feel it. When I walk along the Seine River, see Notre Dame on the other side, and perceive it not as a world famous icon but simply as an element of my surroundings, I feel it. It’s mundane, but at the same time, it’s not something I have a lot more days of. And with all the things I know I am going to miss in mind – the ice cream, the parks, the sound of midnight café chatter hushing me to bed every night – I can’t wait to be back here sometime down the road.

But that’s enough melancholy for now. After another Tuesday at the Hotel de Banville, I am, per usual, exhausted and in dire need of respite, which is strange because of none of what I do at the hotel is particularly strenuous or demanding. Today, I helped do a final brush-up of the hotel’s new room service menu, to be introduced this week. There were quite a few things that needed to be altered before any guest laid their eyes on it. The English version, for instance, claimed that one could order a “Chocolate Cake with Melting Heart”, a result of the lack of a direct translation of “Moelleux au chocolat”. I didn’t really know what it was either, but after five minutes of me entering different types of cakes as guesses into Google Images until Emmanuelle, the director of the hotel, nodded yes, we were able to conclude that the item was simply a French variation of lava cake. I felt a sense of excitement as “Moelleux au chocolat” was typed into the English version as “Lava Cake” after being agreed upon by everybody in the room, which was only three including me, but it was an accomplishment nonetheless.

And then I got ran over by a bus; a big intimidating boss came over an hour or so later and made the executive decision that it would be simpler to just use “Chocolate Cake” instead of the more accurate “Lava Cake”. It was like the president had vetoed the legislation, and this time, there was no way to override it. I could tell he didn’t trust putting “Lava Cake” into the menu. It sounded obscure to him, as if I had haphazardly made up the name on the spot, right then and there. And so “Lava Cake” was erased in favor of the big man’s proposition, and the sense of complacency I had gained was lost.

But that’s not to say none of my fixes made the final cut. I noticed that at the bottom of the menu, Emmanuelle had bunched together “Ice Cream” and “Sorbet” as one entry, followed by “Choose 3 scoops” and a list of thirteen or so different flavors. Originally, the two desserts were listed separately. I was confused as to why they got bunched together. I also knew that different flavors were offered for ice cream than for sorbets, and in fact, there was no overlap, so it seemed silly to me that they were all listed in one go. All I could imagine in my head at that point was a customer trying to order a strawberry sorbet, and then being told that that flavor was only offered for ice cream. Tragic. And so, I recommended that the ice cream and sorbets be detached from each other and listed separately, with their own individual flavors, and that is the way it is going to be. Hooray! All my years of French had culminated in a customer now happily able to order ice cream or sorbet without confusion as to which flavors are offered with what. It was a life-changing moment for me.

Sarcasm doesn’t work on the Internet, I guess. Neither does writing about something as trivial as a room service menu. If you’ve made it this far, I don’t what to say, but you have a long attention span.

I had a really good tiramisu at lunch today.

Baguette is my only friend.

It was half past noon. My stomach called out for food. Lunch break had finally arrived after an hour of sorting through invoices and relocating them to their respective folders. I was famished. I walked out the hotel door, and turned right. It was hot outside, for Paris at least; nothing extreme, but enough for me to overhear many Parisians comment on how “chaud” it was.  My knees became weaker and weaker with each step. I glanced forward and saw, in the distance, an establishment where I then hesitantly chose to be a consumer. I started sweating, a confirmation of my inappropriately monstrous desire for food. Soon, I found myself at a busy intersection, the only thing that stood between me and food, glorious food. A green light appeared, I scurried upstream against the flow of pedestrians, and there before my eyes stood my gates of heaven. I ogled inside the building, knowing that I could enter into this comfortably air-conditioned paradise with ten euros and be able to walk out again, replenished, restored, and renewed. Nirvana awaited me. And so, with a rush of confidence, I took one good look at what I was getting into, and did the unthinkable, what any person with even the slightest of common sense trying to cover ground as a tourist in France would not do. I walked into McDonald’s.

I don’t know what’s worse – my relentless craving for Big Macs, or my confession of this fact to you all. But I brought this all up for a reason. I am an observer, and because of this, I constantly feel as if it’s my royal duty to broadcast anything that amuses me or is interesting to me. Having been in Paris for almost two weeks now, I have begun to pick up on the little nuances and details that make up Parisian life – starting with McDonald’s. For one, the portions are noticeably smaller. I ordered a Big Mac with large fries and a large coke, and was presented with food that, in my mind, did not deserve to be branded as “large.” Perhaps America has ruined me. From my perspective, the items on my tray were McDonald’s in miniature. In addition, the fries seemed to be less salted than those I had grown accustomed to. I am not a food critic by any means, but even at a mega-fast food chain like McDonald's that prides its consistency, there are discrepancies.

There are, of course, many other nuances of Parisian life that I have observed. For example, on escalators, people do stand on the right, and walk on the left. It’s an unwritten rule that has been quietly ignored by many. In addition, if Mother Nature is calling, it is not possible to walk into any café or restaurant and expect the restroom to be available. Instead, many places opt to install doors with locks that are only accessible using a code printed on one’s receipt. You have to pay to relieve yourself. And if you decide to have a coffee, be wary that simply ordering a “café” at a café involves you receiving a cup within which the gustatory sense of bitterness has morphed itself into liquid form, ready to attack your taste buds. I have heard that French coffee is supposed to be some of the best in the world, but once again, America has ruined me. So if, like me, this said blend of coffee is too much for you, leave the café; go ahead and wander the streets. Get an ice cream while you're at it. And prepare yourself to inhale a lot of second-hand smoke. Regardless, there's so much to discover. Paris itself is so animated, and the atmosphere is so vibrant - I could be here forever. You just never know what you’ll see.

It's past midnight, and here I am, sitting in the living room of my host family's apartment, two stories above a busy street-side café and bar as the Euro 2012 game of Portugal versus Spain continues to spur loud shouts of I’m-not-sure-what every few minutes or so. Someone must’ve scored just now, for all I heard was an enormous burst of cheering and  subsequently, glasses smashing on the ground. I love it.


And you on the other end, sitting in front of your screen. You probably opened up this blog in hopes of reading a travelogue or a post about all the new things we have learned, and instead, a whole bunch of crazy came at you. Nevertheless, we have indeed learned a lot, and that it's been a fantastic experience thus far.

Ciao.


.

Photo of the Day - Joanna

Joanna in the lab with Philippe Belmont, Unit Director

of Organometallic chemistry, heterocycles

and biological targets.

Living with a French Family

During my stay here in Paris I am living with my host Nadia, who is an English teacher, and her adorable 14-year-old daughter Clara. Her apartment is in the 13th arrondissement (district), not centrally located but near by the Institut Curie where I work. The apartment is medium size but is decorated nicely and with my first glance at it I could feel the coziness. Nadia became close to both me and Sophie in a fairly short time and I find that I am incredibly comfortable spending time at her place. It’s such a pleasure to hear her talking about her life experience, random anecdotes, or just daily news. For several nights she had guests coming over to her house for dinner. Most of them spoke very little English, but throughout the entire time Nadia was so energetic and engaging as she spoke that there has never been a single awkward situation for me due to the language barrier.

Besides being a fabulous storyteller, she is an amazing cook. Neither Sophie nor I are allergic to any particular food, so we were just so prepared to try as many new kinds of food as possible. Even though our meals are casual (or more of a family style), Nadia has always maintained the delicacy of typical French dinners. She organizes the dinnerware neatly on the table and she would also do some decorations if it is a special occasion. Normally the dinner starts with an “entrée” (appetizer), which can be some sort of vegetable salad with a home-made, unique “vinaigrette” (dressing). Then she would serve us “le plat principal” (main dish) which varies every day. All her foods are freshly cooked. The best part for me is the dessert that comes after. Yesterday we had apple compote (applesauce) which I found to be delicious. As for Clara, Sophie and Tory (another student from Yale who stays here), their favorite is definitely the “les fromages” when Nadia brings out a plate of different cheeses (Camembert, Roquefort, blue cheese, etc.) with a baguette.  Below are some photos to give you an idea of our typical "dîners français".


I’m very thankful for this opportunity and to have the experience of living with a local French family. My stay here with Nadia has been far more amazing than I ever expected. And I’m excited to discover more things to come.


- Joanna Xu

Photo of the day -- Ziye looking sharp!

Ziye snappily dressed and busy at work at the Hôtel de Banville!

Overcoming the fear of a new culture

Before coming to Paris, I was very anxious about the experience. I was excited for the trip but a few things made me a little apprehensive. I had never been to Europe, and I speak very little French. I was nervous that it would be uncomfortable staying in someone else's home for so long, especially since I did not the family. I was scared to navigate the city when I could barely say a word of French. I was also worried that I would not understand the procedures in the lab at the Curie Institute. When I woke up on the tarmac in Paris, still groggy and partially asleep, I did not know what to expect; however, I knew that the best way to take on Paris and all of my worries would be to jump right into the experience without as much as a blink.

After a little over a week in Paris, I have discovered that I was silly to worry. To start, I feel perfectly at home here with Nadia, my host mother. I do no feel uncomfortable getting myself a glass of apple juice or taking my book to read on the couch. In fact, I started calling this "home" around the third day here. And I truly do feel at home! In terms of transportation, I started to figure out the métro and bus system immediately. I can now navigate many areas of Paris without looking at my handy map. And if I do need help, I am learning to ask. My French vocabulary is expanding rapidly every day. Earlier this week, I was even able to as someone (using horribly incorrect grammar, I'm sure) which stop I needed to get off at. He understood me, and I made it to my destination extremely easily!

So, as you can see, most of my concerns about the Paris experience have actually worked out perfectly! With my internship about to begin, I have faith that everything will go well. I am sure that it will just become another worry that I should never have worried about at all!


- Sophie Layton

Une Semaine Chargée !

Week One in Paris has just come to a close and judging by the enormous blister on my foot, we covered a lot of territory!  Our days were long (8-10 hours everyday!) and filled with visits to museums (Beaubourg/Centre Pompidou et Musée d'Orsay), churches (Notre Dame, St. Gervais, Saint Sulpice, Sacré Coeur), various quartiers (le Marais, le Quartier Latin, St. Germain des Près, Montmartre), a visit to Versailles where we rented bikes to go through the famous gardens and to visit the charming "hameau" of Marie Antoinette!  We visited the Panthéon and also visited the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation -- a memorial tucked away behind Notre Dame that honors the deported French Jews who never returned -- each one (nearly 200,000) represented by a crystal.  We strolled by Shakespeare and Company, the famous bookstore on the rive gauche near Notre Dame -- all students received copies of Hemingway's A MOVEABLE FEAST as a souvenir!  We also went to the Curie Institute and the Hôtel de Banville to see where everyone will be working next week.

While we explored Paris, we walked (and walked and walked!), took the métro and the bus.  All the walking and exploring included taking time to eat and experience French cuisine and pastries.  We made special trips to Fauchon for macarons, le Bon Marché to provision for a picnic lunch and La Durée for their celebrated macarons (yes, they are better than the macarons from Fauchon!). 

We are seeing that in the words of Hemingway, Paris is indeed a "moveable feast" -- a feast for the eyes as we walk around and see the beauty of the architecture and vistas from up high overlooking the rooftops of Paris, the daily rhythm of the Parisians ... and the gastronomic delicacies that never disappoint, whether it be a simple croissant or a more sophisticated meal.

I'm lucky to be with yet another group of six students who are curious and want to make the most of every moment of their trip!  I'm also struck by how many times each day someone relates something we see or do to a class or a teacher -- we could have used Dr. Wein at the Panthéon to understand the physics of the clock; Mr. Mackay's APME class is everywhere we turn; we thought Mr. Hansel's sculptures would look great in the reflecting pools of Versailles (currently a collection of larger-than-life whimsical sculptures by Portugese artist Joana Vesconselos are on display throughout the palace and in the gardens).  I love it when they connect their experience to their academics showing that the learning continues beyond the classroom in a myriad of ways!

After such a full week of Paris, the students are happily and confidantly navigating the city and are eager to start their internships on Monday morning!

Versailles

On the grounds of Marie-Antoinette's Hameau

Near the sculptures at Beaubourg (Centre Pompidou)

Parisian Immersion

Paris has been an entirely new and wonderful experience for me. Although I have visited the city before, I was traveling with my family then and relied on my parents’ navigation and communication skills. So when I first met my host, Chantal, who speaks minimal English, I became very nervous for the language barrier I would encounter all over Paris. Fortunately, I’m living with Bettina, who has a stellar French accent and charades is one of my family’s favorite games, so elaborate gestures have been mildly successful in my communicating. The years I spent studying Spanish have proved helpful because many of the roots of French words are shared with Spanish words. I use my Spanish background every few hours to decode the many menus of the many cafés that we have visited, (I have found favorites in ‘framboise’ flavored gelato and sweets such as macarons and éclairs). Even without all of this my anxiety about communication faded away very soon after my arrival because everyone has been so kind.


However, I do not see myself twenty pounds heavier at the end of this trip because we do more than our fair share of walking. Today we walked up to the top of Notre Dame, which is 317 steps, and then we took the Métro to Sacré Coeur and walked up to the top of dome, which is 300 steps. Despite Notre Dame’s fame, I was more enamored with Sacré Coeur’s architecture, mosaics, and grandeur. Ali and I spent much of our time in Sacré Coeur marveling over such a perfectly put together building, which was constructed in a time of much less technology.

It ís incredible how much we have fit in from the time we arrived. We have visited the Centre Pompidou where we saw the Matisse and Gerhard Richter exhibits, and the Musée D’Orsay, where we saw works from Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gough, Sisley and more. But some of the more memorable things we have seen and done have been outside of the museums. We walked around during the Fête de la Musique, which was a memorable experience because the streets of Paris were filled with many eccentric people but not that much or that good of music. The very first day, when Sophie, Joanna, Bettina and I were walking along the Seine, we stopped and participated in a free dance lesson. It is small things like this that have made this trip unique. I certainly look forward to beginning my work in the Curie Institute, but for now, I’m enjoying being a tourist.

- Megan Everett

Not Quite Déjà Vu

Upon hearing that Kris Jenner and Jennifer Aniston's vacations in Paris overlapped with my first weekend abroad, I expected to find myself peering around street corners and glancing into café windows in an effort to spot them, however insignificant such a star sighting may be.  Instead, I was fortunately, and quickly, overcome by the energy and vibrance of Parisian life and have not so much as thought about the States, let alone American celebrities.  The only way I can describe my engrossment in my new degree of longitude is with a feeling that many describe as déjà vu, with just a few important tweaks.  When literally translated from French, the phrase means "already seen," adequately explaining the odd feeling of repetition that washes over me at very unpredictable times.  Having been to Paris twice before, it's obvious that I will at some point, if not frequently, pass by a store or visit a monument that I have seen before:

La tour Eiffel

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

La Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre

(Although I had, in fact, never seen a double wedding there...)

While we have already had an unbelievable time covering a large portion of the city, there is, as I mentioned, a twist to this feeling of paramnésie.  I may physically be in the same place as I was just a few years ago when I last visited, but I am a much different person than I was then.  The city has not changed on a large scale by any means, but my perspective has, and it has made all the difference on my trip thus far. For fear of sounding contrived, I'll attempt to show and not tell (which I will gladly do since this, thankfully, isn't a college essay).

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to take classes at La Sorbonne.  My French class was housed in a building in the Latin Quarter, right down the street from Le Panthéon.  I passed it every day that I walked to class from the métro stop, lingering once in a while to admire its grandeur and beauty, but never really asking what the heck it was built for.  This time around, I had the sense to ask.  I was amazed to learn that great figures such as Voltaire, Braille, Hugo, Rosseau, Zola, and many more are in its crypt.  Suddenly, what was once simply a huge, seemingly arbitrary, neo-classical structure became a much more significant symbol of the French Revolution and a resting place for the nation's heroes. 

To my eight year-old self, Le Centre Pompidou seemed to be a combination of a silly fountain filled with colorful sculptures; a stage for entertaining street performers, artists, and musicians; and a large building comprised of colorful tubes that you simply cannot miss.  I will admit up-front that I know next to nothing about art, and, perhaps even more of a confession, I do not find contemporary art particularly aesthetically pleasing.  Still, Le Centre Pompidou deserves more than I gave it credit for a decade ago.  Standing right in the center of the city, the museum itself is quite a contrast from its environs.  I think that in itself is something to admire; Renzo Piano's vision has changed the 4th arrondissement and made Le Centre Pompidou a destination for all.  We visited on the last day of the Matisse exhibit, one that I would normally have passed on, but am thankful for having had the chance to see. This is not because I am now a fan of Matisse's work, but more because of the fact that the exhibit was presented in a way that displayed the artist's progression, from the conception of his idea to the different progressive stages until its completion in its final version.  I found this to be representative of more than just art, but I'll move on before this turns into a shameful cliché.

I could go on and on about how I've come to view Paris in a new light, but I'll be merciful and end now with one of my favorite elements of Paris that is absolutely indispensable: its architecture.  I am not claiming to be an architectural protégée nor particularly well-versed in its history, but after taking a semester-long course in this department last fall, I do know quite a bit more than before, and this knowledge has led to an appreciate I have never before held.  There are extraordinarily intricate details on some of the most unassuming buildings, which has taught me to never watch my feet as I walk because I run the risk of missing some of the most breathtaking parts of the city (it's worth the risk of tripping, I swear).  With the knowledge that I have barely scratched the surface of this amazing place, I am anxiously looking forward to overcoming these feelings of déjà vu with another few weeks of discovery. 

Coming to you from an undisclosed bell tower on Rue Dante,

Alexandra Ballato

Hi.

We're alive.

Blogs coming soon to a computer near you.

GCIP-Madrid: June 10 - July 1

GCIP is expanding to Madrid! Spanish teacher Amy Dorrien-Traisci leaves with four students on Sunday June 10th where they'll immerse themselves in the Spanish culture and the city of Madrid. Students will follow the GCIP model of "living and learning while doing." They'll live with host families and will also work at internships while there. GCIP-Madrid participants are : Sophie DenUyl ('13), Hannah McCormack ('13), Andy Moreau ('13) and Julia Rayhill ('12). Andy will work in the lab at the Instituto de Ciencias de Materiales de Madrid while Sophie, Hannah and Julia will be interning at AC Hotels Marriott.


You can follow their blog at : http://gcipmadrid.blogspot.com/. They'll start posting once they get settled with their families and start to explore their new surroundings. Good luck GCIP-Madrid!

GCIP-Paris 2012: June 15 - July 7

GCIP-Paris is about to embark upon its third Parisian immersion-internship experience!  We have a great group of students who are busy packing and preparing for their upcoming three week adventure.  This year's students are :  Ali Ballato ('12), Megan Everett ('12), Ziye Hu ('13), Sophie Layton ('12), Bettina Redway ('12) and Joanna Xu ('13).  Ali, Megan, Sophie, Bettina and Joanna will be working in the lab at the Curie Institute and Ziye will be working at the Hôtel de Banville.  We are excited to continue our collaboration with both the Curie Institute and the Hôtel de Banville.  Stay tuned for posts from students once they settle in with their host families, we begin exploring Paris and they begin working at their respective internships.  I'm looking forward to another great program and can't wait to see this group of students flourish in such an exciting city and where they'll get to put their academics into practice and follow the GCIP motto of "living and learning by doing."