Summer 2002 was definitely a time to remember! As an IAESTE exchange student, I took a ten-week internship at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in the United Kingdom.

1. WORK

It was a real job! As part of a project, which aims at understanding the role of Jasmonic Acid in wounding and plant-pathogen interactions, my work involved the preparation of antisense constructs controlled by inducible and constitutive promoters and plant transformation. Through the training, I have gained confidence in my own practical skills while expanding my knowledge in my specialty.

My colleagues were always very helpful and attentive. Paul H. explained each of my questions in great detail; Dot helped me to prepare the elements for experiments; Bob offered me aid on official issues; Luis, Gemma, Carla, Nick ... there is a long list and I'm afraid I wouldn't finish it in one day.

It was research! Research is great fun but I also learned that research can be frustrating at times. My supervisor Dr. Paul Kenton taught me to take my time in experiments, and more importantly to ENJOY RESEARCH.

2. LIVING

I loved my life in Aberystwyth. Aberystwyth is a lovely historical town on the West Coast of the British Isles, with a beautiful beach. It preserves an old castle that dates back to the 13th century, and there is a high proportion of people who speak Welsh - the original language of Wales. Unfortunately, after spending ten months there, my knowledge of Welsh language is still limited to "Noswaith dda", which means good evening, because most of the people there speak English.

I enjoyed wandering around the streets, visiting the weekend market on a sunny Saturday afternoon, experiencing the pace of life. There is a pet shop, two organic food shops, a number of small bakeries, several small bookshops and so on. In addition, there is a second-hand bookshop, lead to by narrow wooden stairs. The large collection of old books in arts and history, the small chairs, the window that reached down to the floor lead me to a period years ago. I was excited by every new thing I encountered. As almost everything was fresh for me, I was excited all
afternoon long.

Why not on Sunday? Because almost all the shops, including the bookshops are closed on Sundays. On Sundays, it was fantastic to enjoy the sunshine and the sound of the waves by the beach. Sometimes I stayed there late until eight in the evening to watch the beautiful sunset. The golden sea, the golden sky is the fortune of everyone in Aberystwyth!

3. TRAVELING

I went to Liverpool, where the busy streets were full of young children in the famous red team colours of Liverpool Football Club; Llangollen, a typical Welsh town, crowded with visitors from all over the world; Chirk Castle, where I wore a Victorian helmet and experienced a recreation of the vivid Victorian way of life; Cambridge, where I had a taste of the famous university on a rainy day. In addition, I greatly enjoyed the bank holiday at the end of August, when my neighbour Paul took me to his brother's farm near Newtown. I visited the pigs, ducks, geese, horses, goats and hens living on the farm and I learned to get along well with Patch, the large and friendly sheep dog, whose warm welcome frightened me at the beginning.

Any place missed? London! I met most of my IAESTE friends there, in the IAESTE reception in the Empire College. I never expected to have friends from Spain, Kazakhstan, Yugoslavia, Poland, Denmark, and Japan. It offered me an opportunity to serve others as an example of my country and educational system and to compare life experiences with people who probably have had substantially different life experiences; and it offered in addition the opportunity to experience how other nationalities view the Chinese, and perhaps to modify those views favourably.

4. MORE TO APPRECIATE

It is clear in my mind. On the day I arrived in London, late in the evening, Bob, an IAESTE officer, picked me up at the tube station. The next day when I arrived at Aberystwyth, Paul, my supervisor, Jacqui, his wife and Aillen, who's in charge of the laboratory, gave me a warm welcome at the railway station.

It is fresh in my nose, the scent of the hot dumplings I had with Dr. Huang Wei and his wife Zeng Yu; of the cold noodles, Dr. Song Hongling taught me to cook from spaghetti and peanut Sauce; and of the delicious chocolate cakes, Ren Menghua and Zhu Zhiwen baked for me on the day before my departure.

Thanks to IAESTE, thanks to all the friends who gave me such a wonderful summer.

PS: It is quite difficult to summarize the trip in a page. If you would like to know more about Aberystwyth, about my IAESTE trip to UK. Please feel free to contact me at jessie_wangqi@yahoo.com.cn. I would be more than happy to help.