Alberta To Oregon: the last blog post of Fulbright

As is likely known by now, I have left Alberta due to the COVID-19 and its associated border restrictions. It was a stressful decision, requiring over ten days (Mar. 13th through Mar 24th, when I actually left) of hard energy. The following photos demonstrate to me how Spring has still come here in Oregon.

One fascinating note is how 0-3 degrees Celsius became the low temperature when it was in fact the high temperature on warmer days in Alberta.

But still the weather has not truly become spring, as we can see from the partial bloom of the below cherry blossom trees.

On March 19, the cases in Alberta climbed to 146, and by the 22nd the cases were around 246. On the 20th, I finally made my decision, with support from family, to return to Oregon. The flight was booked on Friday the 20th for Tuesday the 24th. Currently, there are over 400 cases, indicating the expected increase in spread. In the end, I had no practical choice to stay in Alberta, unless I were to spend months there alone, and without any formal structure.


Source: https://twitter.com/CBCCalgary/status/1241033130502434818

Source: https://twitter.com/ByMatthewBlack/status/1241123912324222976

Source: https://twitter.com/CBCCalgary/status/1241851286317924352

ALL of this change just within two weeks. On Friday the 13th, I received an email from the Fulbright advisor, checking in about the COVID-19 situation. As it turns out, Oregon started facing shutdowns sooner than Alberta, and that was the first major sign that I would likely have to leave. I called up the advisor and the reality began sinking in.

After that conversation, I was quite rattled. It was possible that all of my work would be wasted. But I still performed my cell passaging, which had become a standard task....Something was still wrong. Somehow, drops of cell medium splashed onto the top of one of the flasks, which is a rarity. Note that at this point, I had become rather proficient, so this obvious of a deviation stood out. Just on March 10th and 11th, I had successfully completed another Western blot. Though my passaging was still adequate, I felt disheartened and went home a couple hours early.


This prompted me to reach out to the professor and the postdoc -- to ask for their potential help with moving out. (My parents could not come to help me with this process, putting me in this position for the first time.) Thankfully, they clearly signaled support.

On Monday the 16th, I returned to seed my cells, with the understanding that the lab was likely to close in the next few days. Knowing the risks at hand, I took extra care, taking a full 2 hrs, to seed as well as possible, ensuring that cells were absolutely spread. I meticulously mixed the cells in the wells to make sure they were spread. But on Tuesday I was told to not come to the lab anymore, with the operations reducing to the core of the prof, postdoc, and two PhD students.

On Wednesday, I learned that 1) my cell seeding was done exceptionally well and 2) the cells still had to be thrown. This Wednesday was also supposed to be the day of my lab talk with results -- though I still have these results, the circumstances did not pan out for me to give my long-awaited talk. For me, this small accomplishment of doing cell seeding well became my last in-person triumph here in Alberta. It meant that I could indeed proficiently work with cells, which opened up even more opportunities for my future.

 As it turns out, we were directed to conclude all in-person research tasks, unless deemed essential, by Friday the 20th. So that day, my supervisor threw out my cells.


Though I started packing on the 13th, it was quite the ordeal. Besides the many calls from family, I also had to continue living in my apartment while emptying it. To give you an idea, on the 22nd I lay in a sleeping bag on the floor of my bathroom for a few minutes pondering my life. Staying in place and just letting the magnitude of everything wash over me. It had been that kind of week, with everything being thrown off by the coronavirus. I did not want to leave, but I had to leave.

Instead of a simple matter of packing 2-3 suitcases, I realized that perhaps all 4 suitcases with me had to be packed. One of the suitcases would not even shut, meaning that there were too many items to go back with me over air travel. Feeling overwhelmed, I called my parents and said that I did not want to go home if it involved this much work just in packing. To begin with, my heart was not set on leaving. So I absolutely needed help to get myself and my things to the airport.

Thankfully, after calling my family, we arranged for 1 suitcase, with some items, to be stored with a family friend -- who also helped distribute and donate frozen food. Donations were actually a giant part of my effort during this time, to the point that i had to leave a pile in my room on the day I moved out. Towels, some clothes, various kitchen utensils like a strainer and my pans, dish soap, and many other things were donated. I even donated some non-perishable food and items like bed sheets. This donation process was far more ongoing than I ever anticipated. Somehow, with the combination of the family friend's help and the donations, I was able to pack the 3 suitcases and my rollon.

On Monday  the 23rd, my professor and the postdoc picked up my 3 suitcases going to the airport as well as my sleeping bag, kettle, and a pillow. Because of their great offer of help, I gave a gift of almonds, almond roca, and edamame. They seemed rather happy to receive it! On Tuesday the 24th, I took the public transit of the city one last time, arriving at the airport. There, I met the prof and the postdoc with my items and we were expecting a simple time. However, we were directed to take the suitcases to a baggage drop. There we spent 20 minutes waiting for the machine to work. Unsurprisingly, the airport was rather empty, but the machine faced technical difficulties that they struggled with.

In the mean time, I brought up the possibility of returning to Alberta, which both of them seemed amenable to. That means: this may not be the last blog post after all. We also discussed other things that can be continued, like lab meetings and my work on literature reviews.

After this, with my suitcases on their way to the plane, I said "Kaerimasu!", which means "going home" in Japanese. The prof and the postdoc both smiled and we went our separate ways. Honestly, the rest of the 24th was me sanitizing my hands, wincing when they stung, and continuing on until I got home. The only notable event was that I ate Khan Kebabs food (which I got as take out on Monday) one last time and that I called several friends I'd made in Edmonton.

My time from Mar 5th through March 24th was perhaps my most interesting time here but also the most difficult.

Many things were cancelled:
- The Toastmasters 3/18 meeting AND the intended social event after were both cancelled due to Covid-19; this social event had been discussed  for weeks, making this loss more bitter.
-The Japanese Conversational Club was cancelled from March 13th onwards along with the Japanese cultural festival scheduled for March 28th; without the club, I am *still* trying to find the time to focus on Japanese
- The Feminists of Alberta's work on an event and a zine were both stalled, and we have not met since March 5th
- The equity, diversity, and inclusion meeting (Mar 24th) which would have allowed me to get involved with accessibility at the institutional level; funnily enough, the meeting was both cancelled AND my flight took its spot instead.
- Meeting with the head of Voices of Albertans with Disabilities again
- My April meeting with the Accessibility Advisory Committee
- Any ongoing meetings with the Mayor's Office or the Office of Advocacy for Persons With Disabilities or Federal politicians in Canada
- Most sad cancellation of all was my May 10th-16th planned trip to Halifax, where I would present for my professor's colleague, eat great seafood, and work with city and provincial officials on accessibility; beyond that, I was hoping to stay with an aunt and see a couple family friends.

However, some things still happened:
-Through Friday the 20th, I still was able to go to the Starbucks near my lab, helping me keep sanity
- The gym in my building was still open, even through the 23rd
- Just on the 23rd I also attended a Toastmasters meeting (held by my hometown group) via Zoom
- I participated in both the speech contest and the table topics contest on 3/11 for the Alberta group; surprisingly, I reached third place. For my speech, I spoke about the concepts of mentorship through the lens of my parents and my lab mates, especially my supervisor. It was a fitting note for my last speech in Alberta.
- On the 14th, I did board games with friends, which we had planned before COVID-19 had shown up; but by the 13th, the situation looked stuff, so I am really grateful we did it anyways. Of course, like my family insisted, I washed my hands when we entered the place, when we started our first game, before our second game, and after we left. Then we ate at IT Dog, which I termed a very Edmonton place -- because it is hot dogs done Korean-style and very local. This was a great highlight of my last two weeks in Alberta.

As you may observe, many of the things that were cancelled for me still are possible in some form. Perhaps I can do many more meetings virtually, including both Toastmasters groups and meetings with accessibility officials. A silver lining of this situation is that, even though my Fulbright is now over, I can connect the two places even during a pandemic. Because of this pandemic, I have a better chance. (Of course, I want this situation resolved as soon as possible regardless!) A lot of my work can continue, and that fills me with promise, even if we are all scared as well.

Thank you for reading all of these posts!

Elk Island Park: or, when you not see any elk on your daytrip

How did I get out to a park that is an hour drive away? (Yes that counts as a daytrip.) These are the questions that should keep you awake at night. Well, my dad's colleague, who lives in this city, was kind enough to drive me to the Elk Island park!

Along the way, I heard many fascinating stories about Alberta's history. For one, Edmonton started out as a fort with 40 people and over a human life time grew into a city with 150,000 people. One thing that impresses me about Canada is how relative city size can be compared to population density. Much of the drive did not feature much other than straight roads. Fortunately, as the snow is partially melting, the roads stayed clear. But we also got the benefits of Elk Island retaining much of the fresh snowfall from the previous day!

You *would* see a picture of the Elk Island Park sign but unfortunately it was extremely blurry. Instead, you'll see the photos I took during our driving tour. These are the better photos anyways!

 Though Alberta does not seem to have many evergreen trees, I took this beautiful shot early in. As I learned, beavers tend to use these kinds of trees to make their homes, which is why these trees tend to be less prevalent. So it was a great sight to see! Speaking as an Oregonian, the sight of evergreen trees fills me with life, and they are one slice of life I truly miss.

Elk Island featured an array of interesting angles, with all kinds of slight curves that lead to beautiful sights. As I was told, people like to come to Elk Island around this time of year to paint -- with all the wonderful shadows coating the snow, I can see why!

Elk Island featured some impressive panoramas.

 Some areas looked more like swamps but with snow instead of ice, with little tufts of plants sticking out. This park is surprisingly diverse in its geography. In addition to lakes, there are also many camping sites. And even hiking trails! Unfortunately, our driving tour did not take us to these trails, but it really does impress me how many different sights are in one park. This park, known for being relatively untouched over the past 150 years, really does earn its prestige!

Now, bear with me. The park is called Elk Island, but it's actually a worldwide-renowned buffalo conservation site! ARound a century ago, the Canadian government had the foresight to save a buffalo population and grow it. Now these creatures seem on the shyer side, so we did not get to go right up to them.

But it was really cool to see the buffalo! Despite their size, they are rather chill creatures, I must say. It was quite the shock for me actually -- somehow I imagined the buffalo as not really here anymore, so it was a welcome surprise to see them here!

An elk crossing sign but no elk....    :(

More cool photos!

Like I said, this *is* also a camping site as well!

 Below is....actually a lake! Surprise, surprise.

Before leaving the park, we did see more buffalo!

 Well, you might be wondering. So this *was* a daytrip, right? Well, technically, we were out from 9 am to 1 pm.

But as we drove back to the city, we got the chance to drive past various sites, including the Ukrainian traditional village. Below is an awe-inspiring egg that had to be carefully assembled from many metal pieces. As I hear it, this egg is an incredible engineering feat.

To be honest, much of the drive back was not *that* different. But one cool experience was seeing what a farming town looks like in Alberta. There are still many pickup trucks, and it does seem like the stores are either big brand names (yes including a Walmart) or small local shops. I got to see what the life of a rural Alberta town is like, which is very different from what I mostly see here.

My guide was very kind and took us back into the city from another entrance as well! Though the industrial areas just outside the city all look the same to me, we got the chance to see some outlying districts of the city that I have not been to before. Rather than being the end of my travels *within* the city -- this trip kickstarted my desire to understand this place even more.

However, I do hope to travel to places like Calgary and St Albert and take a proper day trip. Maybe by myself, or maybe with others, but I feel excited knowing I still have places to visit!

My time here is just below 4 months. I must make the best of it!

February 11-23rd: A Roundup of Albertan Stories

As research picks up, I find myself slower with these posts. So maybe it was only a matter of time before I returned to a "roundup".

Let's start with the most Albertan thing: a bird hopping around in the snow.

Feb 11th
The next Albertan thing is the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium! I came here on February 11th, and as you can see....it is quite massive! My perch was on the second balcony, which is unfortunately not accessible, far above everything else. From the outside, the building seems so straightforward, yet appearanes are clearly deceiving!

Everyone excited for my full, unfiltered review of Dear Evan Hansen, the musical I saw, should reach out to me separately! Because honestly, the musical resonated with me in ways that require further examination and thinking...and procrastination. Though certainly a messy narrative, I found myself engrossed by the production, especially with the digital backgrounds. It's certainly not a perfect work, especially with how discomforting it can be, but it stills amounts to a momentous occasion.

Feb 12th
The next day, on Feb 12th, someone gave their first lab presentation and brought cake! It was really kind of them, and the flavor of tiramisu was quite nice.

 They were not the ONLY one giving a presentation on this day. You see, I gave a Toastmasters speech on that day. For once, I decided to give a more personal effort, to try to connect with the audience more. On the flip side, I felt embarrassed, even when I practiced the speech in an empty classroom. But the effort paid off and people thanked me for giving the speech.


Valentine's DayI gave the two PhD students in my lab chocolates and silly cards for the big day! (There was a Feb 13th aka "Galentine's Day" event in my dorm the day before, allowing me to prepare this great surprise.)


I also had  some thoroughly alright poutine at the Room on the Top, which was itself an alright bar.

 The REAL highlight of Valentine's Day was the Lunar New Year/Valentine's Day party arranged by the Conversational Clubs here.

For food they had: 
Dumpling and mango green tea!

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the mango drink. Now you may think, "well isn't your friend recommending the drink a good sign?" But see what you do'nt know is....I used to believe mangos created blood, so I didn't like them. But somehow, I enjoyed the mango green tea -- perhaps it is the balance of flavors yet whatever happened marked the first time I actively enjoyed a mango-flavored item.

One fun part of the evening was filling out a bingo by talking to people. I really enjoyed the shock on people's faces when I said that I have been to Asia 10+ times (since before I turned 1!). Because of the diverse mix of peoples in the clubs, you get to hear a lot of interesting answers to these questions.

And I also won Japanese potato chips in a Kahoot match! (Many thanks to my friend who indirectly helped me correctly answer a question about Romeo and Juliet. That was ultimately the deciding factor, I imagine.) Clearly, quiz games need to play a much greater role in my life than they have.

Feb 15th
Believe it or not, but this was my first and only time doing work on a weekend. We were just harvesting the cells, and collecting their "guts" (proteins), in preparation for analysis. But it was quite difficult to even enter the building! My supervisor had to let me in even. The work itself was straightforward and gave me a concrete sense of "moving forward." With my research, this feeling is really validating!

 Feb 16th

I *meant* to go to a coffeeshop unfamiliar to me, but instead I returned to the Southgate Mall and had Tim Horton's and a crepe.

Feb 17th - Feb 21st was our reading week break! You'll notice it's actually still quite intense this time around. For me, it was DEFINITELY not a break, and in fact I had my most critical labwork thus far!  But the 17th I took off, at the least.

Feb 17th was a holiday (provincial holiday of Family Day), and a day with weather dropping close to -30 degrees celsius with wind chill (a very brief return to our deep freeze).

So with this cold weather, where else would I go but Nando's! Thanks to the help of a friend, I decided to get two sides (both mashed potatoes) and the soda with refills! Normally, I am wary of such expenses, but soda's fizziness goes well with spiciness somehow. It amplifies it! (Maybe I just enjoy the PAIN of the SPICES overpowering my throat.) Also, bottomless drinks really just means "three" to me, it turns out.

 Wed 19th
Today was the FIRST day of my western blot -- which we use to measure protein expression-- and it took up much of my time and energy. This western blot would actually be my first real result but first it would have to be successfully done across two days.

There were two hour long breaks today -- both times involved running electricity through the gel we were analyzing -- and you would think that would feel restful. But it really meant being on your toes throughout the preparation time!

I actually decided to purchase a cookie and some sushi during the first break. Unfortunately, this trip helped me realize just how short "70 minutes" really is. It's like you get only half an hour in practical time!

You would think that perhaps this was plenty for one day. But actually, the person I am mentoring for Toastmasters gave her first speech -- the "Icebreaker" -- and I evaluated her. She faced her nerves rather triumphantly and gave a great speech!

Given how long that day had been, I opted to buy some chocolate milk!

Another Albertan bird photo

Thurs 20th
The SECOND day of Western Blot -- but today there were several washing steps, each requiring repetitive motions and then waiting 10 minutes. Again, there was much waiting in anticipation of the final result, which would indicate how the day went.

Thankfully, for me, the result proved to be promising and worthy of further investigation! That meant that these past two days, filled with waiting and nervousness, were worthwhile.

Unfortunately....I cannot post it on my blog as it is a real scientific result...:(

Friday
An ALL-DAY class on R (the programming Language) -- it proved useful, but perhaps beyond my attention span. During the break, I bought what I like to call a "FREEDOM" donut. (The sprinkles were actually too much, but it was a fun break from my normal snack food. )

Sat Feb 22nd
Today I attended the Cinnaholic 1 yr anniversary -- where they had FOUR cinnamon rolls for just $4 which was an excellent deal. As you might imagine, there was a substantial line, but the rolls were incredibly worthwhile (as usual). I ate two cinnamon rolls there, and saved the other two for breakfast (on 23rd and 24th mornings respectively).

I ate a donair with a friend from Toastmasters! It was my first time, and surprisingly the donairs are kind of like gyros. Actually, because I got the impression these were pork items, I skipped out on them, despite their prevalence in Alberta. Glad I finally had the chance!

Sun Feb 23rd
Dungeons and Dragons was cancelled again, but there was a brunch AKA a pancake breakfast! It amazes me how much this simple concept still works so appealingly for me. We also played a spooookyyyy trivia game -- it was not Kahoot, which made it even more fun!

 In a bid to make my mom proud, I scored some free (for me) milk and eggs!

Lastly, I want to share my failed attempt at making grilled cheese...actually, the bread is not as burnt as it looks! And gouda is a good cheese for this kind of sandwich! My process could use...a lot of improvement...but now I have another simple dish under my belt (sort of).

Closing out this post now with -- thanks for reading these things! Hopefully everyone can see how busy my February has been. And we shall see, exactly, how March compares!