NL
DE
9 April 2020
My first months working in the lab of Prof. Plückthun were exciting and busy, I met a lot of new people and learned quite some new things. I was doing a lot of cloning experiments as a preparation for some work we were planning to do with my new colleagues, when the coronavirus crisis started to evolve. Every day the situation was escalating, and we didn’t know what to expect. Probably, no one expected that one by one, cities would go on a lockdown. In my final week of cloning experiments, our campus was closed as well… I still can’t believe I put the last samples in the sequencing collection box on the day the building was about to close! So that chapter is over. And from now on, just like my Dutch and Swiss colleagues, I am working from home.
Those of you who are used to benchwork probably understand very well the feeling of “so now what?”. I summoned some thoughts and ideas and realized that, first of all, I finally have the opportunity to catch up on all reading, administration and writing work I was postponing for my experiments. It’s easy to prioritize experiments when you are on a work visit abroad, and every day in the lab is precious… Well, careful planning and doing a Statistics course can be equally important!
Just like all my colleagues and friends, I found the way to live in self-isolation and (try to) be productive.I must admit, I’m not a morning person, so my home office hours have shifted an hour or two:) My new workflow largely relies on Skype and Zoom, and thanks to the technological achievements we have in the 21st century, I attend meetings now with both of my research groups, and have two coffee breaks – with the guys from the RIMLS and from the University of Zürich. Situations like this show us how important communication is!
Aside from the home office situation, staying at home the whole day was not easy for me emotionally. I miss my family and friends who are far away. I wish I could explore Switzerland, meet new people or just walk in the city. In times like this, the best thing is to keep yourself busy and find things which make you passionate. People around here are experimenting with cooking/baking (no wonder all flour was gone from supermarkets!), someone dives in reading or online yoga... And I finally found time for drawing! I love art, and in my free time I paint landscapes or draw anything involving architecture. So now I am finishing the view on the Grossmünster, a famous Zürich landmark. My home office is now a part-time home art studio, and scientific papers are sharing the desk space with pencils. Drawing for me is something almost meditative, and I probably need this now more than ever.
And of course, staying healthy and active is important! I love jogging, and being rather flexible with time allows me going for a run (to get a daily portion of sun and fresh air) every day. Switzerland, despite being quite heavily hit with the coronavirus, hasn’t implemented as severe movement restrictions as the neighbouring France or Italy have. So we can still go outside for an exercise or a walk. And I also found a new workout and stretching routine – it’s probably the best time to start it, isn’t it?
In the times like this, it’s not easy to adapt for a quick change in a workflow, lifestyle and social life, and we should do our best to use the means we have to stay on track. People asked me several times: “what do you miss the most now?”. I miss a casual chat with colleagues in the lab. I miss going out for a quick dinner with friends. Strolling along the beautiful lake of Zürich with a coffee. Strangely, I even miss seeing and hearing the planes flying above my house (yup, I live next to the airport). But these moments let us appreciate these little things. Let’s all stay on track, keep ourselves and others safe, and hope we can enjoy the sun together soon!
My first months working in the lab of Prof. Plückthun were exciting and busy, I met a lot of new people and learned quite some new things. I was doing a lot of cloning experiments as a preparation for some work we were planning to do with my new colleagues, when the coronavirus crisis started to evolve. Every day the situation was escalating, and we didn’t know what to expect. Probably, no one expected that one by one, cities would go on a lockdown. In my final week of cloning experiments, our campus was closed as well… I still can’t believe I put the last samples in the sequencing collection box on the day the building was about to close! So that chapter is over. And from now on, just like my Dutch and Swiss colleagues, I am working from home.
Those of you who are used to benchwork probably understand very well the feeling of “so now what?”. I summoned some thoughts and ideas and realized that, first of all, I finally have the opportunity to catch up on all reading, administration and writing work I was postponing for my experiments. It’s easy to prioritize experiments when you are on a work visit abroad, and every day in the lab is precious… Well, careful planning and doing a Statistics course can be equally important!
Just like all my colleagues and friends, I found the way to live in self-isolation and (try to) be productive.I must admit, I’m not a morning person, so my home office hours have shifted an hour or two:) My new workflow largely relies on Skype and Zoom, and thanks to the technological achievements we have in the 21st century, I attend meetings now with both of my research groups, and have two coffee breaks – with the guys from the RIMLS and from the University of Zürich. Situations like this show us how important communication is!
Aside from the home office situation, staying at home the whole day was not easy for me emotionally. I miss my family and friends who are far away. I wish I could explore Switzerland, meet new people or just walk in the city. In times like this, the best thing is to keep yourself busy and find things which make you passionate. People around here are experimenting with cooking/baking (no wonder all flour was gone from supermarkets!), someone dives in reading or online yoga... And I finally found time for drawing! I love art, and in my free time I paint landscapes or draw anything involving architecture. So now I am finishing the view on the Grossmünster, a famous Zürich landmark. My home office is now a part-time home art studio, and scientific papers are sharing the desk space with pencils. Drawing for me is something almost meditative, and I probably need this now more than ever.
And of course, staying healthy and active is important! I love jogging, and being rather flexible with time allows me going for a run (to get a daily portion of sun and fresh air) every day. Switzerland, despite being quite heavily hit with the coronavirus, hasn’t implemented as severe movement restrictions as the neighbouring France or Italy have. So we can still go outside for an exercise or a walk. And I also found a new workout and stretching routine – it’s probably the best time to start it, isn’t it?
In the times like this, it’s not easy to adapt for a quick change in a workflow, lifestyle and social life, and we should do our best to use the means we have to stay on track. People asked me several times: “what do you miss the most now?”. I miss a casual chat with colleagues in the lab. I miss going out for a quick dinner with friends. Strolling along the beautiful lake of Zürich with a coffee. Strangely, I even miss seeing and hearing the planes flying above my house (yup, I live next to the airport). But these moments let us appreciate these little things. Let’s all stay on track, keep ourselves and others safe, and hope we can enjoy the sun together soon!
