My musical of choice this week was Phantom of the Opera.
The most fun activity this week was traveling with my friends to the nearby outlet mall in Metzingen, which is having a “Black Friday Week” sale. It was interesting to see how an American tradition has influenced German culture as well!
I have been reading a science fiction novel called Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Set in a futuristic and technological world, the novel also delves into the meaning of culture, language, and religion. My lab also has a weekly journal club where one person selects a scientific paper of interest. Everyone will read the paper and meet to discuss the paper. This week, we discussed a paper about a recent technological development that could help future studies in P. pacificus.
On Wednesday and Sunday, I went to the climbing gym and went bouldering with my friends. On Sunday, I also went for a run to enjoy the warm and sunny weather.
One of my friends celebrated her birthday this week! Through celebrating my friend, I learned that it is customary in Germany for the birthday honoree to bring cake into work/class for everyone else. I also learned that it is considered bad luck to celebrate your birthday before the date. Therefore, birthday celebrations can only be held on or after your birthday.
