Fun Fun Fun

I guess I will begin with class. We are now in the final week and have been doing lab work along side our ethics class. The lab part is really new and confusing material to me, but I am having a blast learning and making mistakes with really, really expensive equipment. I will explain the procedure to the best of my ability and in the simplest terms possible, mostly to not confuse myself. We are taking a circular plasmid DNA and extracting a specific gene sequence. After extraction we will attempt to reinsert the fragment (GFP) into E. coli DNA, and because this particular gene expresses luminescence under U.V. light, we will be able to tell if we completed the procedure properly by observing the specimen under U.V. light. Basically, we are cutting up DNA, putting a piece of it into a cell, and watching to see if the cell glows. Unfortunately we tried to begin the procedure on Monday, but we couldn't even get the GFP extracted from the plasmid, so we will start over in the morning. Good times.

On a lighter note we have had a LOT of fun outside the class as well. On the 4th of July we participated in a marathon and ran barefoot for 8km on a beach. Needless to say I didn't do much the next day due to muscle cramps and sun burn, but Tuesday was AMAZING. During the day we toured the DMZ, which is the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. The South Koreans are hilarious, because they found three tunnels dug by the North Koreans who planned to use them for invasion, and what did they do? They turn them into a tourist attraction!!!! We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the tunnels, but we actually walked about 70 km down a path dug underground by a hostile enemy nation. One of the best days of my life! The best part (aside from the dynamite lining all of the tunnels) was at the 70km mark. They put up three blockades, behind one of which is a giant water tank, so I would hate to be the first North Korean invader to break that wall. The picture above are from the entrance to the DMZ. The first one is of a South Korean guard tower and the second one is of the train that used to run between North and South Korea before the beginning of the war. It's hard to see but the train is covered with holes from years of being used as a bullet shield.

I saved the best for last. That night we went to the Break Dancing Boys Concert (B-Boys), and they were the absolute best dance team I have ever seen. My camera didn't take picture in the dark room, but Nadia got a lot of good ones on hers and I will post some on my facebook page from Professor Kim's camera. They incorporated great music, themes, and moves that looked almost impossible to pull off, but they did it flawlessly, and I would seriously fly back to Korea just to watch them perform again. After the show I managed to get a picture with the main actress, or B-girl, or whatever you want to call her, but the point is she was cute and a great dancer and I touched her shoulder! Until next time-Josh