Berlin

I think this may be the first post that I've actually made outside of Rome. I'm currently in Berlin at a European Ceramics Society Conference. Ok that sounds nerdy, but just remind yourself that I'm in Berlin. Conferences are always cool...I mean they usually provide you a fair share of free food and booze (ok not really free considering that the registration fee for this one was 250 euro...I don't even want to think of the conversion). Anyways, at this point of my "academic career" I'm starting to run into the same people at these conferences. One person I didn't realize would be here also until a few weeks ago is my friend Vasana. Vasana and I have both done our undergraduate and graduate studies in the Materials Department at UF. She's a few years older than me, but having known her so long she's kind of become my Material's big sister. So being at this conference has kind of helped us reminisce about conferences past (they are all starting to blend in together). Before I left Rome for Berlin, Vasana sent me this picture that she took of me at an American Ceramics Society Conference in Baltimore almost 3 years ago. One of the crazy things about these conferences is seeing how some people in the scientific world dress up. For some reason this kid from Alfred University wore a purple head band everywhere (even in his dress clothes). Weird. I was like "Vasana, we have to take a picture of this guy". Since Vasana told me to get in the picture I had to attempt to make it a little funny.


I wasn't expecting too many Americans to be here at this conference but they are actually plenty. One of my professors (Vasana's advisor) is also here. It's kind of reassuring to know that many professors that I know here kind of understand and already know how my progress in research can be vastly different here than in the States. On another note, I'm really looking forward to giving my talk because (beyond my dashing good looks) I have the advantage that I'm a native english speaker. That should make my presentation just that extra more dapper.