1) Today was the big send off for two of our seniors in the lab. They have graduated with their PhDs and will be pursuing research as post docs in America. It was with this in mind that they invited Prof. Long, along with all of us (thanks so much for the invitation!) to a sumptuous buffet dinner at the luxurious five-star Kempinski Hotel. I may have failed to mention this earlier, but the research I am undertaking here is under Prof. Yaqiu Long - who, as well as a Distinguished Professor, is also Vice Dean of the Medical College.
2) I was first introduced to Prof. Long a few weeks after I came to Suzhou. She would always be present for the morning seminars, where she would ask questions and comment on the presentation in general. Today, we would meet up again with her, as my lab mates and I took the "Didi" taxi service (it's Western counterpart being Uber) to the venue. We arrived early, and were treated to a fantastic view of "Jinji Lake" (lit. Golden Rooster Lake - 金雞湖) from our seats.
3) Soon Prof. Long arrived with the others. This is the first buffet I've had since coming here, and it was noticeably different to the ones I have had in Ireland. Loads more seafood (including crawfish - a specialty here in Suzhou) and freshly made sushi and sashimi; a truly satisfying meal! And the beautifully crafted deserts were just the thing to cap off a perfect night out (and fitting send off) for our senior friends. We had a toast with everyone (as well as some group pics, as you can see below haha), before taking a leisurely stroll along the pier.
4) It was chit-chat and small talk with my friends, and we talked about how fast time flies, as well as our future. It was really warm outside, so were glad to return to the air-conditioned building. Prof. Long brought the girls home in her car, while us men (haha) took the taxi back to the campus. From there, it was a slow walk back at night for me - after a hugely memorable evening. I've made loads of friends in my time here in Suzhou, and it will not be easy when it is my turn to leave. For now, I can only hope to preserve these precious memories in both my words and in the photos you see below.
5) That has been my day today, and thank you very much as usual for tuning in. Have a lovely week, and see you all in the next post. Cheerios! :D
Group pic with everyone! <3<3<3
(Seniors Qin and Song will be leaving for USA very soon)
(Top l-r: Chris, Dr. Hu Wei, Zhou Jujun, Zhou Tan, Me)
(Bottom l-r: Qin Li Huai, Song, Prof. Long, Kong Jiao, Han Yu Qing)
Wefie ^^
With Prof. Yaqiu Long :)
That's Jinji Lake if I'm not mistaken XD
Buffet here I come :))
Not sure where to begin...
Smorgasbord of seafood
Freshly prepared sashimi
My platter
Rows of sushi
(the first pot contains "nattou" - or fermented soybean, truly an acquired taste!)
Very tempting if you ask me XD
Look at all the crawfish! :)
The desserts were de-lightful!
Pistachio and mango gelato - YES please!!!
Night tour of the hotel pier ^^
The light-reflected water looks beautiful in my opinion
Kempinski Hotel at night <3
Yes - it is a five-star hotel all right :)
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