If you
join the Lamprou group, it's not only for its academic side and the
perspective of spending your next three years in the lab of the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS). Let's admit it, we love passing a spare couple
of hours in social activities. Winter has arrived once
again, and we could
not miss out a Christmas party with the rest of the group, even if this occurred
a little bit early in our calendar, at the very beginning of December.
Each of
us was asked to bring along a traditional cake, sweet or dessert to share.
Mince pies, sticky toffee pudding, chocolates, biscuits and cheesecake made
their winning apparition. If you have a Greek supervisor be prepared to
taste some Greek traditional dishes, like baklava, kourabiedes and dried
figs. And if you join a highly international group as ours, and you are
curious, be ready to learn quite a lot about other countries traditions
and try some delicacies like real churros and
authentic torrones from Spain. If you're diabetic, just
keep yourself afar, you will have serious problems to recover from such a
day.
To an
international student like me, Christmas in Great Britain is a wonder every
year. I have discovered the joy of cracking crackers, bursting their
useless plastic toy and being puzzled at the foolish joke hidden inside. We all
ended up wearing the paper crowns and flashing smiles around.
Such
treacly lunchtime had
its cherry on top with the Secret Santa. Each of us had previously picked
up a random name of one of our 20 lab mates from the hat and was supposed to
get a little present for him or her, all wrapped up in festive paper and
anonymity. It took a
while to think what a colleague might enjoy as a surprise, however it was rewarding
to receive an unexpected either pair of gloves, a gingerbread house or a
personalized mug from an anonymous and inventive colleague.
If
Christmas has a meaning, especially for who is away from home, is staying
together, have a
laugh, crack a
joke, smile and be merry and silly together. Well, I can say we made it.
Best
wishes of a cosy Merry Christmas from the Lamprou Group!
Davide Erbogasto is an EngD student in Biomedical Engineering, interested in biomaterials modification for shunt catheters.
Hey, Merry Christmas!! I like your idea of sharing gifts, chocolates, and desserts with your mates. I also share gifts and chocolates with my friends at Christmas Eve. Currently we are searching a space for Christmas party. Please suggest if anybody rent a space for an event.
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