Bratislava, Slovakia (03/13/2009)

I figured a nice way to spend a Friday the 13th would be in a place that still retains a very post-communist feel - Bratislava. I was surprised at how pretty and quaint this small central European city was ... in some ways I much preferred it to Vienna. The old palaces and buildings were juxtaposed with futuristic yet slightly dilapidated sights that remind me of the Soviet-like dream (or propaganda) of a grandiose technological society while revering past culture. While I was walking around, I met an accordion-playing busker from Romania and had a talk about politics and current economics. He confirmed that Romania (and much of Eastern Europe) was really suffering due to the global downturn due to migrant workers returning East after being laid off only to find no jobs domestically. He then proceeded to ask about the job situation in Canada (hoping it would be better). Unfortunately, he had no formal education, and could not even read music, despite being able to play nearly anything he listened to with great detail and skill (since age 7). It's too bad for him, and once again reaffirms the fact that education is really a qualifier, rather than a desired attribute.

Vienna, Austria (03/12/2009-03/15/2009)

I needed a nice cultural break from 10 months of business school and several inspirational yet content-heavy days in Lyon.

I came to Vienna for three things:
1) Eating pastries and drinking melanges at numerous cafes
2) Music
3) Museums

I accomplished all three, and probably gained 5 lbs for my troubles. Highlights of my trip were seeing the Moscow Symphony Orchestra play Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony (rarely performed) and Myaskovsky's incredibly technical Cello Concerto in C minor, watching Lucia Di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti (the aria was featured in the Fifth Element) , and meeting a great number of wonderfully interesting people. Just in my hostel alone, I roomed with 2 concert pianists and 1 orchestra conductor! I also had the great fortune to meet a cellist, a sopprano, a modern classical composer, and a violinist. Being in Vienna made me wish I had pursued music more seriously, even if I could never be a start performer due to my short stubby fingers (I could at least compose). This is one city I definitely plan on returning to in the future.

Lyon, France (03/07/2009-03/11/2009)

This was an extremely lucky March break for me. I was selected as a sponsored participant for BioVision 2009, a world life sciences forum that brings together scientists, policy makers, industry leaders, and even Nobel laureates into a common forum to identify and speak on the major problems facing the world. The conference can really almost be described as the Davos of Life Science. The theme of this year's event was the growing challenges surrounding the urbanization of the planet.

I was one of 75 selected young scientists and clinicians given the honour of meeting amazingly accomplished people, and the young attendees themselves were quite impressive in their own right. It was certainly a great place to exchange ideas and learn about some issues that we take for granted here in the West. I look forward to keeping in touch with the new people I've met and hope to read about them and their work in the not-so-distant future!

I was also quite impressed with Lyon itself - it seemed a lot nicer than I remembered. It was a very clean vibrant city with a friendly and polite populace. The food was great, and the scenery lovely. I actually hope to return one day (which if you know my traditional stance on Western Europe is quite an unusual statement for me to say!)