Thus I become... a Scientist!

A tired Scientist at that. Having been used to getting up at 6 or 7 am for the duration of exams, I was pleasantly surprised to be told "the scientists won't come in until 9, or maybe later...", although I failed to ask when work was until. I left just before 6pm leaving the proper scientists to their work, which might not seem so bad but it was physics all day long! Real, new-imformation Physics! Ah, and I have encountered a little dreaded mathematics. So, almost reaching information-overload today but everyone is very nice. I am only slightly disgruntled that I can speak French or Polish but not German. I was wilting through the day due to the heat, the information, everything.. and I wondered how on earth people stay there so long! We had lunch of course, there are "warm lunches" or a sandwich bar. I opted for the sandwich bar where I had a quite delicious salad. Warm lunches are bigger, and I wondered why anyone might want a large lunch (I thought it would make me tired), but I guess they need the energy because they stay at work quite late. I do remeber working harder in Poland than in the UK, or feeling like people generally worked harder (I mean academically)... so maybe Britain's just soft. I think I still choose to be British.

I haven't got any pictures to show you, but I have been in the SLS and it was a "wow" moment, considering the closest I have ever been to a synchrotron before is a picture in my Solid State lectures (which, by the way I am glad of because we covered diffraction, and I'll be working on a specific bit of diffraction, sort of...). So, practical work with the SLS will be carried out beginning Friday. This afternoon I was helping to set up the experiment, and I have to say it made Advanced Practical Physics seem infantile. You should see the size of the equipment they're using.

The temperature has been at least 25'C all day I think, and inside the SLS it was pretty much 25'C also. Needless to say I had a shower as soon as I got back. Oh, and I removed my "comfortable shoes", which were comfy for all of 30 minutes. Wondering if they just need worn in...?

Villigen itself is small, very small. There's one fairly well stocked shop. I managed to find some English Breakfast amongst all the silly continental teas. I think veganism may have to take a back seat (in fact it already has) but whatever. The ethics never quite got to me yet anyway. I did buy Organic milk... I hope there are no vegans reading this.

I probably won't get out of Villigen until the weekend, I am not sure if I will go on any expeditions this weekend or just take it easy and check out Brügg. As a final note for today, Lindt IS cheaper here and the scenery is stunning. All in all good then!