Charles Betz Blog

Link: http://www.kurzentrum.ch/soleuno.html

Following Simi's Advice, I left this morning to a 20 min trip to Rheinfelden this side of the Rhine to the Spa Sole Uno. Rheinfelden is an well known health resort and a beautiful small town as well in the vicinity of Basel. I had no problem finding the Spa and was astonished to find such a nice and quiet edifice. 25 CHF for 2 and a half hours seemed reasonable and proved to be. For a long time, I went often with friends to the Spa in Amnéville which is around 45 min from Luxembourg in France. Without any prejudices, I can definitely say that the water quality taken apart, everything here seems to be more hygienic, relaxing and confortable. Every 30 min there was someone cleaning the floor and looking for the order...In Amnéville, I can't remember ever seeing some cleaning team...In the Sole Uno, the outdoor brine bath is separated from the outdoor / indoor Sauna area that is a strict nude zone (in Amneville you can sit with your filthy bathing suits inside the 3 or 4 saunas...). There were no children fooling around unsupervised, and everyone was greating you when entering the different saunas... Yeah, that's Switzerland allright... Everbody even thanked the lady making the infusion in the Sauna every few minutes. Not that I would not do the same, but somehow I doubt that people would do the same in the France or Luxembourg for that matter.

Of course I had to test every single sauna / hamman available, among these were an outside finnish earth sauna, a fire sauna, a Turkish bath, hammam, hararet and the list goes on...Highly recommended! Thanks for everybody giving me the advice to pay a visit to this wonderful resort!

Blue
Strange colour blue
Sixteen tons on the moon
Blue
Strange colour blue
Coming back to you
Pushing through
Pouring rain
Nearly there
Nearly there
Oh, blue

Blue
Strange colour blue
Sixteen tons on the moon
Hey little mister driver man
Keep your head up
We are nearly there
I am racing
Outside and below myself
Nearly forgot myself there
Nearly there, yeah
Oh, everybody's sleeping now
An industrial silence singing
And the rain will keep hammering down from overhead
Now there's a blue, blue, strange colour blue
Let me dream of me and you
Oh, how the rain keeps coming down
Pour, oh, running down the window
Like a vein on my arm
Oh, running down the window
Like a vein on my arm, yeah

This is how we do it
This is how we do it
This is how we do it
Nearly there
This is how we do it
This is how we do it
This is how we do it
Nearly there
Oh, blue

Strange colour, a colour blue
Yeah, a colour blue
Oh, blue blue blue yeah
Strange colour, a colour blue
Yeah, a colour blue
Oh, blue blue blue, yeah
Strange colour, a colour blue
Oh, a colour blue
Hey little mister driver man
Keep your head up
We are nearly there
Nearly there

Ever since Jim and I had visited Japan, I long for one very special product that reminds me of that wonderful journey! I would not call me a big beer fan, as there are only a handful of beers that I really enjoy drinking once in a while. Among my hall of fame are certainly Luxembourgish Simon Dinkel, Irish Guinness and Leffe from Belgium...But since that holiday back in 2004, I inlcude Japanese Asahi Super Dry as well! Unlike the typical beers I like, this one has rather a very light aroma and is very refreshing. We particularily enjoyed it coming from a busy walk through Tokyo with temperatures being still around 30°C at 10 in the evening. But ever since, I also tryed getting hold at some bottles here in Europe... The problem being that the Asahi sold here is produced in the Czech Republic and has a very different taste that its Japanese counterpart (btw this has been confirmed by some aficionados...). But every now and then I get lucky and find some original import bottles in obscure stores, like the handy 2L cans I found in Luxembourg last year...If you ever encounter some bottles, feel free to contact me! 

Swiss academics know the name of the important celebration day tomorrow: Dies Acedmicus, or for the sub-zero Latin speakers: Academic Day. Meaning you don't have to go to your courses as there will be none... If you're a student... But as a Masters student in research, you may still have some obligations... For example I will still have to go there and look at my cell cultures or finish my Western Blots...

In other Lab news, 3 of my 6 shRNAs seem to have worked at least partially (therefor underlining the need to select at least 5 sequences), I repeated the Westerns and Loading controls and what's exciting is that there is a correlation between phenotype and protein knockdown level... But this was not so clear anymore when I repeated the experiments... Fact or artifact? Have the cells lost their plasmids? We'll see in the Stem Loop Northern Blots... maybe... Maybe the new cells experiments will outgrow nevertheless?

But our dream would be the use of a shRNA library. This would meen targeting all (or a big number) of genes either in an arrayed set or pooled... Arrayed will of course be more precise and the results will show more quickly, but we'd need a pipeting robot (Prof. Moroni suggested that I could take this job...) unless we (meaning me) wanted to spend the rest of the next year with pipeting 50'000 contructs... Oh yeah, another problem would of course be the cost of such a library... It will be probably around 500'000 Swiss Francs or more... Well we'll see what the future brings.

After waking up this morning, I wanted to take some curver box out of the dark spot below my sink to find a stunning surprise... I had found the source of that strange smell that had lurked through my room for the last couple of days. Before I had thought it to be a classical matter of sewer smelling through plughole. Under my sink, under the plastic boxes, under a bloc of paper, under a mouldy carpet that had been there since the dawn of existence I found my wooden floor to present an bulgy mountain like landscape that in my opinion had not been there before. The carpet was all melted to the floor and difficult to get out... After removing everything, the smell just got better and better and the pleasing odor was now definitely easy to localize. I alterted the caretaker Herr Keller who found no evidence of a seeping pipe, eventhough the carpet and bloc of paper had still been humid. So apparently no broken pipe anymore... Herr Keller concluded that maybe the pipe from the effluent had been been dropping then later been replaced by force majeure. Who knows? I hope I still find my room right where I left it when I'm back from work...

Last Saturday was the day! Finally, most of us came together in the Aula of the University of Basel to receive our Bachelor Degrees Diploma. I admit that I was a little nervous, but not too excited about this ceremony. Somehow it just felt different than a few years ago in the Conservatoire in Merl/Belair in Luxembourg where I got my Premières Diplom. Nevertheless, I say that I'm somewhat proud of my collegues and myself to stand where we are standing now. It has been a load of work and stress sometimes these last three years, and it somehow felt good to know that you were not walking alone...That in mind, I say thank you all, not only to my comilitones, but to the university in general for providing great opportunities and knowledge along high quality infrastructure, without forgetting my family and friends for support where needed. I am aware that not everybody can enjoy the luck of having such a coherent network. But then I try not to forget that this was only the beginning of my academic career and that may further steps are needed to fulfill my aims.
About the ceremony itself:
-music by some smooth groovin' jazz band (not my kind of jazz i have to admit)
-Intro by Prof. Hauri who's stuttering was very reassuring
-some politician making clear who cuts the research budgets
-Prof. Boller giving Dino a Masters Degree instead of the Bachelors
-Zen Master Prof. Seelig making sure that all of us Molecular Biologists receive their diploma in a smecmatic order
-some laughs while discovering that we had received a Bachelors Degree in Bology
-running through the mud with that nervous Biozentrum photographer women who must have had aching arms at the end of the day (she had a side-fixed brobdingnagian flash that could have lit the ISS, if she only had brought some batteries as well)
-a decent Apéro with white wine served in shot glasses
-the pleasent realisation that many of my friend's family already knew me by reading this same blog
So all in all a fun after-noon, especially seeing everybody again along with their families and loved-ones... A pity that so many were gone so quickly.
In the evening I went with my parents and Line to the Cheese-proof Restaurant Seegarten in Münchenstein. We were very satisfied, especially with the wonderful Margaux we had along the meal... Pictures will follow (hopefully)

(L)Moies um 15 op 9 sin de Charel an ech aus der Bretagne fortgefuer. Deck stolz mer seng Ofkierzung ze weisen, as de Charel mol spontan e riesen Emwee gefuer. Mir sin iwer Larochelle komm, an haten net geduecht datt dat guer net sou vill um Wee géif leien wéi et op der Landkaart ausgesin huet. Auserhengert si mer no enger lager Rees dann do am Haafen ukomm, an hu verzweifelt no engem Restaurant gesicht dee duerchgehen ophat. De Service war dunn och mega lues. Mir hun iwert eng Stonn insgesamt geward (Rechnung, Iesse, Menükaart...) fir dann 10 min lang schnell saat ze gin. Opallefall hu mer lo bessi Retard a mir hoffen net ze spéit ze kommen, well mer jo schliesslech mat der Madame Rendez-vous haaten.

Zu Larochelle war eng Hochzeit an déi wou bestued gi sin sin an engem städtesche Bus gefuer wou drop stung Vive les mariés. De Charel fënt dat sou wichteg datt mer et hu missen opschreiwen. (C)Jo well de Juju (37) ass schliesslech bestued gin. -ech man lo verleumdungen- Also fir aus Larochelle eraus ass et bessi méi schnell gang gottseidank. Et waren nawell vill Blëtzer an Police Kontrollen ënnerwee! Ech wollt nach puer Bopi'en vun der Stroos schéissen déi mat 30 gefuer sin an da spontan ouni Winker stoë bliwen sin, mee d'Line huet mech net geloos. Souvill Spass muss dach wuel nach erlabt sin! Mir hu verzweifelt probéiert der Madame unzeruffen, mee sin natiirlech hu mer d'Nummer net erem fonnt, déi loung hannen an der Mall am Gewulls... Mëttlerweil hate mer e Retard vun zirka 45 min. Zum Schluss zwëscht deene Dierfer war et bessi gerenns, mee abemol an der Pampa hu mer e Schëld mat Allée des Merles gesin. Naja Allée géif ech et jo net onbedengt nennen, éischter e Bëschwee oder nach besser en Déirenpued bei deem een bei bessi Reen net méi aus dem Schlamm kéim ouni Vitaro. Mir sin mol trotzdem duerchgerannt, an nodeems mer puer Waldwanderer um Kühler pechen haaten stounge mer endlech virum Schëld Chalet des Dunes. Alles war emzäunt, wéi een sech nun eemol sou en Haus matzen am Besch firstellt, an réischt no zweemol schellen, eemol de ganze Wee eropanerof laafen, bal beim falschen Monsieur schellen an ronnerem déi ganz Propirétéit rennen hu mer d'Madamm du schlussendlech dach nach fonnt. Mir waren glat eng Stonn ze spéit mee dat huet si net sou tragesch fonnt well si net op d'Auer gekuckt hat an iwerzeegt war mir wären eng Stonn méi fréi. D'Haus ass einfach den Hummer.

D'Madamm schengt och ganz an der Rei, zumindest op den éischten Bleck. Hei ronnerem laafen och nach e Pärd, en Hond an puer Katzen, ausserdem lieft d'Madamm an enger Haus verstoppt hannert dem verlountenen Chalet. Platz ass genial, d'Vue ass nach besser! Nom Rundgang hu mer eis Tonnen Kreppeng erageschleeft an eis ageriicht. Du si mer nach schnell op Meschers gedüst fir akaafen ze gon. De Super Marché hat bis 7 op... Um véirel fir 7 hu mer gemierkt datt mer zu St. Georges de Didonne waren an net zu Meschers... Also 180° Kéier an och wirklech op Meschers fueren... No puer Tier am Rond-Point hu mer et du fonnt an hun am Akkord zu 2 parallel nach mé Kreppeng kaaf. Nodeems mer deen dunn och aus dem Auto an am Haus haaten, hu mer ugefaang Spaghetti ze kachen. Wat ech mëttlerweil gemierkt hat: Mir hun hei Wifi! Kaum ze gleewen, matzen an der Pampa, no 14 Deeg an der Bretagne apparement an der Zivilisatioun wou keen WLAN hat, an hei eng tiptop Verbindung... Wat besseres kann et gin... D'Unzuel vun de Leit an der Gite ass proportionel mat der Dichte vun der Spaghetti Zoos gewuess. D'Fabienne war neemlech endlech do, nodeems hat puer telefonesch Uweisungen kritt hat well et geduecht hat et briecht keng Adress opzeschreiwen well Frankräich jo schliesslech net sou grouss ass. Nodeems och hat säi Kreppeng ausgepaak hat sin och de Max F an d'Lisa aus sengem Auto erausgetrollt.

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These are the lyrics of a wonderfully beautiful new unreleased song that Sufjan offered us last week in Cologne on his concert... Believe me, the crowd went wild! YouTUBE it here...Of course it wouldn't be Sufjan if the song didn't have a long prelude explaining its meaning. It is about a small sparrow-like bird called dark-eyed junco. Apperently it is not a very pretty bird, but people are going crazy if they see it as it's the first bird to appear after snow fall. Hence it's name snow bird. Thanks Sufjan for this early Christmas present!

Rain bird, laughing in the olive tree, la la dee dah
Colored shirt, with the alabaster altarpiece, you gave to me
Summer sweet, some forgiven
Your advice is all that seems to matter much to me
Call it sweet, call it something paradise

Is it the right word you designed for me?
Is it the broken word or good advice i need?
Is the half as sweet set aside for me?
Is it mysterious? is it something ripe and sweet?

Snowbird, your sister said she needed me, la la dee dah
Show them first, show them what you did for me, la la dee dah
Quiet sound, and little soldier sent beneath
And epaulets that covered every shoulder
Call it sweet come take
Forget the things I said, to please

Is it the right word you designed for me?
Is it the broken word or good advice i need?
Is the tapestry set beneath my wings?
Is it mysteroius, glorious? Indeed.

Don't stop, don't break
You can delight because you have a place
Quiet room, I need you now

Is it the right word?
Is it the broken word?
Is it the tapestry?
Is it the majesty?

Is it the right word?
Is it the broken word?
Is it the tapestry?
Is it the majesty?

Don't stop, don't break
You can delight because you have a place
(x5)

Quiet room, i need you now...

I'm always amazed to see how the contents of this humble blog affect so different people around the world. Some months ago, I was pleased with a daily visitor count of around 40 to 60 (RSS included). Now since a couple of days, numbers are skyrocketing! I can't find a complete answer to how this could be, but as I learned, it is partly due because of people looking for the apparently difficult to find Ray LaMontagne Lyrics. But this alone does not cause 300 visitors a day now does it? And it's not that these 300 are due to blacklisted visitors (such as the IPs the blog is edited from, a.k.a. me, or referer SPAM etc...), backlist percentage is around 10-15%. Well anyhow, I'm very pleased that I can reach so many (returning) visitors...
Thanks everyone!

Last weekend, I interrupted my visit to Luxembourg for a concert in Köln. As Julie's a big fan of him too, I had asked her to come along (it was her birthday too, way to celebrate!) and so we left on Friday at 16:00 for a 2 and a half hour journey. The GPS Navigator did, summum summarum, a decent job. Meaning we got where we wanted to go... He missed only on connection between two major roads, leading us right into the german outback onto a road that led...nowhere...but this just mentioned as side-note.

I was very happy that Max Reuter, an old friend from the Lycee in Luxembourg who is studying Sport Sciences in Cologne had offered me his apartment for a night, so that we did not have to return right after the concert. We found his apartment quite easy and quickly continued to the city to grab some dinner before the show... Near the Gloria Theater where the gig was going to be, we found some dinner where we had the best pasta of our lifetime... or something like that... Anyway, I was not hungry afterwards anymore. Standing in the queue before the theater, I was asked how to spell Sufjans name, as apparently it posed some problems to the German listeners... Although no Band was announced to play before Sufjan, there was one after all. Well by band I mean a one-man show, and by one-man I mean one girl. At first I did not get hold of her name, but she turned out to be St. Vincent, and her music was stunning... literally... I liked it a lot, and I think so did others, so give it a try at her MY SPACE Site.

Then, the stage started to get crowded, filled with 20 plastic life-size superman and Santas that were later on going to be thrown into the masses. Then entered the 10 band members the stage, aimed with their instruments and butterfly-like wings and masks... It was all very funny, because their wings at their backs were all over the place and nearly threw over the microphones and the other equipment on the stage. The concert itself was really great, even better than I had expected, as Sufjans voice sounded just as full and dynamic as always. He even offered us a new song from some project CD that will cover a collection of bird songs... And of course his explanations of some of his track names were hilarious, the predatory bird wasp one even lasted for some 10 minutes...

The only thing a bit annoying was some 40 year old fan standing right next to me, trying to sing along to every song... Not that he wouldn't have the right to do so, but at a concert where nobody else does not because of a lack of knowing the lyrics but because of the respect to the melancholic and sweet tunes of the music, I would recommend doing so... Some other guy standing to my other side tried to keep him from singing and nearly ended up with a fight, with me standing in between, thanks very much!

The next day was, we hadn't really thought about it, the 11.11 ! If you're not a German, this probably does not ring a bell, and if you're not in Cologne, it won't matter really... But alas, we were there to witness the annual start of the German Carnival. Meaning you run across the town at 11 in the morning with the city being covered in broken bottles, vomit and nearly-dead drunken people... Oh yeah and everybody is masked too. It was sort of funny, but I have to admit I'm not a big fan and probably won't ever be.

So this was my weekend!

Some moths ago, I did participate in the FOMA.LU contest... As Luxembourg (among others) will be cultural capital of Europe next year, and as the famous photographic exhibition from the even more famous Photographer Edward Steichen, who was from Luxembourgish descent, will celebrate its 52 birthday, the Luxembourg 2007 Commitee tried to get an exhibition worthy of Steichens heritage together. For this, they created the page http://www.foma.lu, where adolescents from 15 to 26 from all over europe could submit their pictures to different themes. This is thought to underline that some of Steichens themes are still uptodate today! I did participate with the maximum of 10 pictures, and yesterday I got the email from the commitee that 3 of my pictures had been selected! They will be part of an traveling exhibiton and of a book, which I'll receive for free. I'm proud that my pictures have been recognized as having such a high quality...I would have chosen other pictures that I had submitted, but that doesn't really matter now does it? Though I think the pictures are posted somewhere on the blog and on foma, I'll repost them someday in the future!