Conversations from Down Under
Me climbing the Harbour Bridge on one of my last nights in Sydney!
When I first found out I would be spending my summer Down Under, I expected to return with stories about the research I conducted, the places I visited, and what I learned along the way. After twelve weeks at the University of New South Wales in the lab of Dr. Nathan Holmes, I certainly have plenty of those. But when I think back on my time in Sydney, many of the memories I return to most are much smaller. They happened over cups of coffee, during long waiting periods for experiments, and around dinner tables. Somewhere between talking about research, explaining American traditions, and learning Australian slang, I found conversations to be one of my favorite parts of Australia.
Over Coffee
Me and the Holmes and Westbrook lab!
One of my favorite routines became the walk from the lab on the sixth floor, pressing nine in the elevator, and heading to Nathan’s office for a coffee and a chat. These chats often had a set agenda that quickly veered into something of its own. What began as a check-in on my experiment might end with me learning about the cassowary (the world’s deadliest bird, btw).
Over the course of the winter and a couple dozen coffees, we talked about graduate school, my future in research, and our collective appreciation of LEGOs. Sometimes I listened as Nathan told me about projects happening around the university; other times, I told him about my interesting experiences interacting with Australians.
These conversations were some of the first times I got to know a professor as more than just the head of a lab. Instead, those coffee sit-downs introduced me to an Excel whiz, a father, a semi-professional basketball player, and a handball champion. Our conversations were rooted in research, but the tangents they allowed gave me the chance to learn about everything else.
Between Experiments
Me and Ashleigh getting frozen yogurt on my last night in Sydney!
One of the best gifts I received during my stay at UNSW was the opportunity to work under Dr. Belinda P. P. Lay. Days in the lab are filled with stretches when an experiment requires your full attention, quickly followed by periods when there is nothing to do but wait. I found myself filling much of that time by talking to Bel. Over twelve weeks, I told her just about everything about myself: my family, my friends, my life back home, and, of course, my ability to tie my shoes.
My conversations with Bel eventually found a bigger audience. As the only American in a lab full of Australians, I quickly discovered how many normal parts of American life sound strange when you have to explain them out loud. I remember wrapping up a day of experiments and casually asking some of the lab if they celebrated Groundhog Day. Having learned about the holiday at such a young age, I had never considered how strange it sounds to explain that we place the fate of our winter in the hands of an easily frightened groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil.
The cultural exchange went both ways. I learned, among many other things, that Australians prefer Love Island UK to the US version even though they premiere at the same time. The days in the lab were definitely long, but the people I spent them with made the weeks fly by.
Lost in Translation
Me and Angel overjoyed that we were able to do research at the #1 University in Australia!
One of the more interesting obstacles showed up almost every day. It reared its head when my neighbors told me to “rug up” before heading to Sydney Harbour at night, when people asked if I was keen on attending events, and when I realized that “How’re you going?” was, in fact, a complete sentence.
Living in another English-speaking country makes it very easy to assume there will not be much of a language barrier.
This was a lapse in judgment on my part.
Australia gave me an entirely new vocabulary. Conversations regularly stopped because either I or someone else had used a word the other had never heard before. I now use the word “devo” to describe things that are devastating. I also learned that a large amount of something can simply be “heaps.”
I am proud to say the exchange was bidirectional. As I learned Aussie slang like WAM, the lab learned equally important pieces of American vocabulary, like the term “buzzer beater.”
Over Dinner
Some of the best conversations I had happened entirely outside the lab. My first meal in Australia came about 45 minutes after I left Sydney Airport. I had a bowl of Weet-Bix and tea (6/10).
Fortunately, I had twelve weeks to improve from there. I spent them trying new foods and collecting everyone’s recommendations around the city, whether it was a roll from Baker’s Delight or a drink from Molly Tea.
Despite what certain members of my lab may claim, I thought I was quite adventurous with my food choices. Somehow, meals still allowed my lab mates to develop the completely false narrative that I am a picky eater.
For the record, I am not.
I tried Vegemite, lamingtons, schnitzel, and Käsespätzle (adventurous, huh?), but the food itself is not what I remember most. Meals gave us somewhere to sit long after experiments had ended and learn about each other outside of the lab. By the end of twelve weeks, some of the places I knew best in Sydney were places I knew because someone had taken me there, recommended something I had to try, or sat across the table from me while I tried it.
And That’s a Wrap, Mate!
My summer in Australia is one for the record books. I couldn't have asked for a better lab, a better supervisor, or a better institution (UNSW was recently voted the #1 school in Australia btw). I'm so grateful to Jennifer Cubeta and the BRAVO program, as well as Dr. Halladay, for her support both domestically and abroad. And one last round of thanks: Dr. Holmes and Dr. Westbrook for being so welcoming and keeping me updated on the World Cup's progress. I know I'll be back to Australia one day, but until then… G’DAY!