Basel

I arrived in Basel Switzerland at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon. Because our group wasn’t scheduled to meet up until 6:00pm, I located a city map, found the hotel on the map, figured out which tram to take, bought the appropriate ticket, and found my way to the hotel.


Novartis put us up in the Ramada Plaza in Basel. We each had our own excessively fancy room with blinds that raised and lowered automatically, bathroom floors that lit up, and free wi-fi. After relaxing for a bit, I went with Olaf to pick up the others from the train station.


Once everyone had checked in and settled, several of us decided to head out for dinner. We found a fantastic Italian restaurant near the hotel. After dinner, we finished off the evening in the bar on the 31st floor of the hotel. From there we could see the entire city while enjoying our drinks.

On Monday, we toured the Novartis headquarters in Basel, and then visited their research farm outside of the city. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the research; on the one hand, I understand that testing of products on animals is necessary in order to develop medications for pets. On the other hand, animal welfare is extremely important to me, and I found myself interested in their treatment of the animals.

Overall, the quality of life for the research animals is somewhat higher than I would have expected. The research dogs are all healthy happy beagles who participate in drug studies every few weeks. When we asked our tour guide how long the dogs stay in the lab, he told us, “too long;” he explained that all of the researchers get attached to the individual dogs, and many of the dogs have life long bonds with the researchers. When I asked how much human interaction the dogs get, he told us “not enough,” and he said that the dogs seem happiest when participating in a study because that is when they get the most attention. Sadly, they spend much of the rest of their time in kennels. Worse still are the cattle participating in the tick studies. The calves seemed well-fed but had very little room to move around.

However, the lab has found ways to reduce the number of animals needed for studies. A new device referred to as the "Artificial Cat" has replaced the need for animals in flea studies. The fleas are kept inside a metal container and are fed through a cellophane membrane that is similar to animal’s skin. Although I still do not believe I could ever work in animal research, I feel slightly better having seen the passion for animals in the Novartis employees.

After our visit with Novartis, we returned to the hotel for our first genuine free evening. I opted to stay in the hotel, have some dinner and drinks, and relax for a bit.


Tuesday morning, we took a tour of Basel which ended in the market square. We actually had a bit of free time, so I went to a few of the shops and then headed to the ancient art museum. The museum had three floors of Greek and Roman statuary, vases, weaponry, and armor. Additionally, the basement of the museum housed a fantastic collection of Egyptian relics, including the remains of mummified human on full display.

After the museum, I set out to find food. The food was wonderful, but my lunch was interrupted when a vagrant man entered the restaurant and began yelling at the waitress and customers. At one point, he actually chased the waitress through the restaurant yelling at her in German, “You will pay! You will pay!” He tried to yell at me as well, but I told him I did not understand, and he left me alone. The wait staff was about to call the police when the man ran out of the restaurant with a flask of wine not to be seen again.

After my scary but delicious lunch, I met back up with the group and we headed to the airport to travel to Berlin!

Long day

So, I'm a little behind on the blogging, but hopefully I'll be able to share some stuff about the past week or so.
Hannover was great! My host, Bianca, was so sweet! She was kind of like my mom for a couple of days. She always made sure I was fed and knew where I was going and was having a good time. :) Her apartment was super cute, and her cats, Tigger and Cleo, were very curious about the new person in their territory. We had lots of fun talking and laughing, and I was able to help her practice her English.
The first day at the clinic was going through the new pet clinic all decked out in white lab coats...very official. It was nice, but it was so "sterile". Usually I'm used to seeing pictures of dogs and cats and advertisements for pet product companies in the U.S., but there was nothing...I mean, nothing...on the walls. It might have been because it was so new, but it still felt unusual.
The tour of the cattle clinic was next. Dr. Meyer did a wonderful job of explaining how they taught their students. One thing that I really liked was that they had a cattle herd for students to practice things on. I don't think we have that at A&M, at least not outside of palpating with BP or EP. AND...we got to spend some time with a few adorable calves that were bred at the hospital. So cute!!! The hospital itself was quite a contrast to the pet clinic. Most of that is because of the age of the buildings, but it was nice to see how they made do with what they had. It was also kind of funny to see that the mentality of large animal vets compared to small animal is different, just like it is in the States. I wish I could explain it better in words, but they are just different. Of course, that probably has to do with the difference in the types of clients, but I guess it's not a similarity I was expecting between A&M and here.
Then, on to the the research farm. That was pretty incredible. I learned so much! As we went through, I almost wished I had a recorder with me, because there was so much. It was a good mixture of past, present, and future aspects of the farm animal industry. Dr. Surie also threw in a bit of humor as well, which I always appreciate. :) Of all the places we have been, this was the one that I think was most impacted by the Green Party here in Germany. To hear about the changes they've had to make, like housing for their chickens, made me better appreciate the influence of the people on the government. I think that's something I take for granted in the U.S.
Last, but not least, after a long, long day, the veterinary fraternity threw us a barbecue. It was delicious! I had a great time talking to Stephanie, one of the Hannover students. Their program is a bit different, but they all seem very happy with it. Once they find out that we really have 8 years of school to become a vet, they really like their program. ;) It was fun just to hang out and talk and laugh and all that. It was good end to the day. Luckily, Bianca didn't want to stay that long, so we went back to the apartment, toasted some Beck's, and went to sleep.

Advice for Next Years Group

June 2, 2010
Advice to Next Year’s Group:
(Hindsight is always 20/20)
“T-shirt weather” should imply bringing a parka for the just-in-case.
Don’t think this will be a time/place to catch up on sleep or reading that you would like to do.
Be ready to move and move fast.
Always finish your dinner because 1) you need the calories to keep moving at the fast-pace 2) you never know when the next meal is coming
Along the same lines, buy snacks!!
Don’t expect to follow the schedule to a T: be willing to go with the flow
Don’t expect to know the exact plans- Olaf stays rather aloof when it comes to the schedule…
Don’t expect much free time – the group often functions together: Be prepared for “group think”
Don’t expect to find a Deutsche Bank every time you need it (if you have Bank of America their ATM’s have no fees).
Wifi isn’t everywhere and it’s “spotty”/ GPS and 3G networks are AWESOME TO HAVE! You’ll never be lost :O).
Expect Switzerland to be the most expensive place.
Bring a clothes line, pins, and detergent – I had to do laundry in the hotel room.
On free weekends, plan your morning travels the night before…. Look at bus and tram routes and map it out – we spent some of the time lost and it’s valuable time.
Be prepared to experience things that you will only experience on the program- it’s priceless
Be prepared to LOVE your hosts- this is the best experience of the program! Bring them a little something from Texas, and be open towards them!
Hopefully, If you want to party there will be opportunity to do so- but if you don’t want to party, perhaps have Dr.Wasser say something about this to the host ahead of time so you are not obliged.
Bring a blow up neck pillow (if you want luxury) for the many bus rides, train rides, and airplane rides where you will be trying to catch up on sleep.
Pack light.
Olaf is awesome.

Trivia

I often remind myself that “all things in life are of value.” -- Meaning that all experiences rather good or bad results in invaluable life lessons-- that if you allow them-- better who you are. I believe this, for better or worse. Nonetheless, or in-spite of this belief, I sieve through tons of information thrown at us and decisively trash the unnecessary. In fact, in some circumstances, while I may physically be present, I am mentally in another realm. Veterinary school has only equipped me to do this much more efficiently and with ease. So I pose to you – when is information trivia?
Trivia: Of little worth or importance.
May I further draw out your thoughts: For instance, often history is presented as a matter-of-fact. – Note: this isn’t to say history is unimportant or trivial and if you read this and think such you’ve missed the point- But History in this manner – as a matter-of-fact- does not require one to draw any conclusions. Conclusions that if were made would have a substantial impact on ones point of view and perhaps, extend into how one carries out their own affairs. History given to us in a take-it or leave-it manner and as conglomerations of information without or with little connection or significance (such as: this man built this house in the 16th century… ) leaves a lot to be desired. Information as such falls through the sieve to never be retrieved again. The saddening part about such is that to the historian it is the interconnections between the mosaic pieces which are presented as trivial history that makes the beautiful historical masterpiece. However, the foreigner, who wants exposure to “it all,” in the overwhelming sea of information misses the depth and the meaning of trivia. Knowing such facts, to me will not better my life or increase my skills and abilities- not without deeper connections and thoughts that allow me to make conclusions and which result in truly learning from the past.
Perhaps a better approach to learn history is to grasp at fewer “significant trivias” and piece them together to explain a culture and a people today.

Veterinarians Conquer the World

June 1, 2010
Veterinarians Conquer the World
As we sat in a Novartis conference room in tall, reclining, ergonomic chairs, the Novartis Research and Development director reaffirmed me that I am joining one of the most rewarding professions in the world. The options for the career life of the veterinarian are unlimited and only we (the lion in the cage with the open door) are the limiting factor. I was convinced really of this before I began veterinary school and it was certainly part of my drive to get there. However, I certainly did not know of all the incredible options out there- especially for someone with a background in intercultural communications. I dream of having relationships with people all over the world – in a business fashion- as my family company has- but had no idea how that would that correspond with private veterinary practice. The talk at Novartis opened my mind up to the possibilities, especially innovative ones—where you are the creator and they are the buyer. It also made me shake a little in my boots- because my career path is unknown (I never envisioned myself in veterinary school 5 years ago- and some people even scoffed at the idea!); at the same time- it makes my future full of excitement. As we went through the day, the drive to “accomplish it all” surged within me. Not only do I want to know the medical side but I want to know the business side. I want to know the ins and outs --- and in this way I find my father as I look in the mirror - the man who wants to “do it all.” A gift and a flaw!!! Not to mention I am about to marry a man who is just like me!! Oh No! :O) None-the-less, at the same time, I find a deep respect for those who know fields that I have no interest in, and do them extremely well. So despite my desire to push and do it all- some things I am willing to give up for my own sanity!! I hope I remember this as I enter the working world.

Euthanasia.

May 31, 2010
Euthanasia.
They suspect that the veterinarian suicide rate is higher than that of other professions due to our constant exposure to euthanasia. Without a doubt- the profession makes you contemplate the quality of life and our duty to protect such more than the average person. For the American student, speaking about euthanasia as it applies in the animal world and the debate in the human health field is socially acceptable among peers and otherwise. However, to speak about Euthanasia in a country that is plagued with a history of the “ultimate human euthanasia experiment” results in a sincere and regretful silence. As an American, I instantly felt deep shame having brought up the subject. It makes me ponder how professional schools such as Veterinary or Human Health talk about such ethics. What is even more intriguing is the fact that Germany’s next door neighbors are pro Human-euthanasia. I spoke with my host in Hannover about the subject and found out that until the last decade taking people off life-support was considered murder rather they wanted it or not. It is a very “North American” view that says we have the right to choose to life and death – depending upon the “quality of life.” And perhaps, this “freedom” has been taken too far: For I am disturbed by pet owners who want to kill their healthy, happy animals- but it happens in animal clinics all over the U.S. - simply because the pets inconvenience of the life of the owner. What does this say about the North American’s view of life? Is life held as sacred when compared to those who have experienced extreme loss, such as those in Germany? For the veterinarian, I hope that we make decisions wisely out of the deep respect we hold for the animal’s quality of life- but also that we function with an even greater respect and value for the human life. There are certainly circumstances when it is time to let go, but may we never be hardened by the profession to make these decisions recklessly.

Munich and Basel

I can't believe we're already in the home stretch! It has been a whirlwind of a trip, but I will be ready to go home on Saturday. I realized yesterday just how homesick I really am when I talked to Dan and his family over Skype. Seeing all their faces and hearing him say how much he wishes I was back just made me realize that I would like to go home. I'm having an amazing time here, and I will right up until Saturday at 7AM when my plane leaves, but I won't be sorry to go home.

I left off in Munich, having a wonderful weekend to myself. On Sunday I did indeed get to the Deutches Museum of Science and Technology. I started the morning off by looking out the window to rain, which actually hasn't been as prevalent as I thought it might be since we've been in Europe. That being said, it was raining fairly heavily in the AM. I packed my day bag accordingly, then had the hotel hold my other luggage. I asked them about breakfast, though, and they just looked at me rather strangely and said that there basically wasn't anything open. It was 8AM, and even though it was Sunday I would have thought there would be some sort of breakfast place somewhere nearby. Apparently people in Munich do not eat before 10 or 11 on Sundays... I ended up at Burger King since it was literally the ONLY thing open nearby and I was starving. Sad day because they didn't even have a breakfast menu out, so I got a burger and fries. Breakfast of champions right there folks. After that I walked around the city center attempting to snap at least a couple pictures, since I had managed to get the battery charged overnight. Lesson #5321, pay attention to your camera warnings! As I wandered around, I came across a young boy. At first I thought he was just playing with the tree in the middle of the city center walkway... but I glanced again. ANNND he was actually peeing on the tree. In broad daylight, in the middle of one of the most historical public squares in the city. Granted it was early, but seriously! What topped it all off though, was that his dad was standing there with him helping. Very strange... After I took a few pictures I went in search of the correct subway train to take me to the museum. I searched... and searched... and I'm pretty sure I found every single subway line except the one I needed. Finally I realized I was wasting so much time that I wouldn't even have a chance to look at the museum. So I hailed a cab and sucked up the ridiculous fare. It was totally worth it though! I am pretty sure that everyone should go to the Deutches museum at least once. I could easily have spent days in there looking at everything. SIX FLOORS of exhibits on every topic imaginable, from astronomy to physics to ceramics to glassblowing to machinery. Sooo cool :) Unfortunately I was only able to visit two of the six floors, and even that was rushing things. I did get to see a guy blowing glass, and I was sorely tempted by a beautiful candle holder that he made, but it was so delicate I was positive it wouldn't make it back to the US in one piece. There was also an electricity show sort of like at the Boston museum of Science, which was suitably loud and impressive. I couldn't believe that such a diverse collection of things were all in one place, under one roof. Hands down the most interesting museum I've ever been to in my life.

After the museum I had to hurry back to the hotel to pick up my bags and catch my train to Basel. I actually managed the underground transportation on the way back, since the stop I needed was right outside the museum and it took me all the way to my hotel. The train ride was pretty standard from what I've been experiencing all along... which is to say much more complicated than expected. I managed to get a seat for the first leg of the journey, and had my suitcase in the seat next to me because I couldn't lift it into the overhead compartment (since it weighs over 50lbs). The train fills up, and a lady comes to sit in the seat where my luggage is. I wouldn't have minded her asking for the seat, except she was very rude and acted like I was the worst person in the world for not putting my luggage up top. I tried to explain that I physically couldn't lift it, so she pulls some poor random guy from halfway down the car to lift up my suitcase. He couldn't lift it either (which made me feel better about my failure to move it) so finally we found a little place at the back of the car. All the while she is glaring at me like I've mortally offended her. After all that fuss, she sits down in the newly vacated seat for a total of 1 stop. I wanted to throttle her. And I couldn't even ignore her with my iPod because it chose that exact moment to run out of batteries. AGAIN... CHARGE your electronic devices when you have a chance! The second leg of the train I didn't even have a seat because it was packed, so I stood for that hour and a half or so. At least the baby I was standing next to was laughing instead of screaming.

I did finally make it to Basel, and went to a cute little Italian restaurant with a couple other people. I must admit, I was pretty shocked about how expensive everything in Switzerland seems to be. My food cost me an arm and a leg! Kat and I went up to the bar on the 31st floor of the hotel to have a drink after dinner, which didn't help the hemorrhage of money either. The amaretto was worth it though, I needed to relax after that train ride! Besides, the view was spectacular from way up there! I crashed hard in my private hotel room, courtesy of Novartis!

Monday we spent the day with people from the Novartis Animal Health Division. In the morning we were in Basel looking at their labs there and getting an introduction to the company. I thought it was really interesting to see what an immensely complicated and frustrating process it is to bring even one drug to the market. I was also sort of surprised about how compartmentalized it was. The people we talked to basically said that they only deal with a very specific phase in development, and they may not even know whether or not it is successful later down the line because it isn't part of their particular job. I thought that was very strange, because I would want to know the outcome of all my hard work! My favorite part was looking at the shelf life testing rooms, and seeing how they keep drugs in there for YEARS to determine how long they last, etc. Very cool. In the afternoon we drove out to St. Aubin to look at the research facility there. It was kind of depressing seeing the testing animals. The poor cows were chained in such a small area that they could barely move, let alone turn around in their little stall. They looked pretty miserable, which made me want to cry. The dogs looked slightly better, but I still think it's a crappy life to be stuck in a kennel forever. The ride home was long and quiet, since mostly everyone was passed out from exhaustion. In the evening when we got back I did absolutely nothing except watch TV and talk to Dan. I couldn't sleep though, and ended up reading a book past midnight trying to become tired.

Today started out rather poorly. I woke up very early from nightmares, so I managed very little sleep last night in total. I also realized that I had lost the credit card Dan gave me... probably one of the worst feelings you can have on a trip. I searched every single pocket, crevice and bag I had to no avail. I finally had to give up and call Dan to tell him to cancel the card. SUCH a pain, and I felt sooo guilty about it. Lesson #3154: Keep track of your things at ALL TIMES! Otherwise you will regret it, because it will bite you in the butt. We did get a city tour of Basel from a very cute older lady. She knew her stuff though. We learned a LOT about Basel's history, but my favorite part was definitely the fountain outside the opera house. It was just so cool looking and fun, and I thought it was really neat that they had used pieces of the old opera house to build the fountain outside the new one. After that we spent some time shopping and looking around the market square of Basel. It was the first day we had free time in the middle of the day, and we basically didn't even know what to do with ourselves! We've been so focused on program activities and being busy busy busy all day that to have time without anything scheduled was disconcerting! We did well though, and found some shops to browse in and the best swiss chocolate ice cream I've ever eaten in my life, complete with little chocolate shavings IN the ice cream itself. After all that it was time to fly to Berlin, which was accomplished without incident. I also got to do some duty free chocolate shopping, which I'll enjoy later :) For now though, it's time to go to sleep. We have to leave the hotel at 6:30 tomorrow morning! Boo.