Back and hitting the ground running

Well hello, I am back in Glasgow after five days in Copenhagen. I arrived there on Sunday afternoon, made myself a home from home in the hotel right next to the conference centre, then I registered and attended the first session at 5 pm. This was followed by a reception at 7 pm but unfortunately not with much food, just a few nibbles. By that time I had been up since 3 am without a proper meal all day. I abandoned the reception in search of a supermarket to stock up on milk, rye bread, ham, olives and fruit. It was a bit of a walk to be honest, maybe 5 km but I didn't mind. I could have walked to a closer market but I felt like exploring the neighbourhood before my hotel picnic.

Monday and Wednesday were long days, talks from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, followed by a 2 h poster session. The science was great and covered all kinds of parasites, including those that parasitise jelly fish. Who knew? I enjoyed the luxury of just enjoying myself and attended sessions on creatures that were new to me and others where I have a solid research background. I found myself enjoying the fish parasitology sessions a lot. So important in the context of food security. There was also a session on archeoparasitology, it was fascinating to see mummies containing preserved hydatid cysts, I don't want to gross you out by linking to further information but you can search the internet if if you have a strong stomach. 

Catering at the conference was a bit underwhelming. There was not a single snack in sight for coffee breaks, just coffee and tea, nor water or juice. I didn't manage to secure a space at the conference dinner and there were no refreshments for the poster sessions in the evening either. If you have ever attended a scientific conference, you'll know how important refreshments are. Many collaborations are initiated, relationships formed and ideas brewed. Richard and I met at a poster session. It was not all bad though, lunches were very good, one tasty sandwich, a piece of fruit and a treat (lentil crisps or a muffin). It was quite amusing to see that the caterers made sure nobody took more than that!

As an introvert, I find networking really exhausting. Conferences are a bit cliquey and if you attend on your own, it can be difficult to find a pal to chat to. A good way to go is to approach a speaker, maybe asking questions about their talk but with over 1000 attendees, speakers get lost in the crowd. I chatted to a good number of people during the day though and I was glad Richard had introduced me by email to his publisher, who together with colleagues attended the conference as well. I ended up spending a lovely evening with this group, sampling chilled wine at a wine bar called Pompette and amazing fresh local produce in a trendy restaurant. Both company and food were wonderful and I am glad to have gone out of my comfort zone for fine dining with strangers.

Thursday was a shorter day, with late afternoon and evening to explore the city. By sheer coincidence, a favourite friend of mine was also visiting Copenhagen and we caught up in Nyhavn for drinks and chat, followed by dinner. 

Friday was the final day, a half day packed full of excellent presentations. Before making my way to the airport, I stretched my legs for a while, walking around the neighbourhood. I walked a lot despite the packed programme during the conference. I needed fresh air and exercise to give my brain a chance to digest all the science that I was absorbing all day long. There as a totally amazing wilderness area just around the corner from my hotel, miles and miles of paths to explore. 

I love Copenhagen, it is vibrant, friendly and cosmopolitan. The neighbourhoods are an interesting mix of old and new and I imagine living there would be rather pleasant. Public transport is well developed, cyclists have priority on the roads. Some interesting bikes on the roads, clearly a main form of transport in this city. 

Upon my return, I felt rather sad. It is only after visiting other European countries that I realise just how much the standard of living and quality of life have slipped in the UK, after years of not investing in services and infrastructure. But for now, our life is very much here in Scotland and we just have to keep going. 

Back at work, I felt enthused enough to go through my parasitology slide collection, checking each under the microscope and putting a list together of what I still need for my next practical teaching week. If you have a dusty parasite slide collection in your messy drawer, please let me know. Some specimens are hard to come by and I have been searching Ebay for those.

On that cheerful note, I am signing off for the evening. Have a really good second half of the week 😀