Dear Pippi and Parasites...

This week I started my lab research project. The first thing my supervisor, Benedict, said to me was "You better not be Australian. And from the University of Sydney? They're the worst sort." It's been all fun and jokes since then. We spend the day pipetting and singing along to classic hits in the lab, and on Friday he let me leave early so I could go buy socks to dress as Pippi Longstocking for the Paxparty that night. Before I left he warned me that I better not get pregnant at this party, because then I'd have to leave the research group as the parasite that we're working with can be fatal to foetuses. Toxoplasma gondii is serious stuff, guys. Nah, not really. If you've ever had a cat or been to France, you're probably positive for it. I can say yes to both these things, so hello parasites!

The research group that I'm working in is studying the interaction between NK (natural killer) cells and Toxoplasma gondii, so it's my two favourite areas- immunology and medical microbiology. I've only been in the lab since Thursday, but I already think it's going to be a really useful experience. The project is fare less structured than I imagined it to be, and it seems I'm expected to help out with the overall research like a Masters or PhD student would, which is pretty crazy. The most independent experiment I've ever done was in micro when we had to isolate a certain bacteria over a number of weeks. The idea was that we did it all ourselves, but when you're provided with the materials required for tests you "might" need to do, and instructions for experiments which you "might" want to conduct, it's far from actually being a self designed and performed experiment. This research project, on the other hand, seems like it will be an amazing opportunity to do proper research, but at the same time I feel completely overwhelmed by what I think is expected of me. Hopefully I rise to the challenge and don't make (more of) a complete idiot of myself. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, this is the closest I've come to actually writing a proper blog post, so I feel like I should deviate into some random nonsense and menial chatter... Like that apart from buying colourful socks on Friday, I also bought a super lovely dress from a store called Beyond Retro, in Södermalm. It's hard to see the pattern in the picture, but it's of roses and hydrangeas and other nice flowers. It's a particularly grandma-looking pattern, but in the words of my Swedish friend, Carol: "I am old people". (She was saying that she was like an old person because she liked things like gerberas, old people chocolate, and old clothes. I agreed. Being old people when you're young is the best.)

Oh and my Pippi costume last night was amazing, if I do say so myself. Check out that hair!