We took an early taxi to the Cambridge bus station, where we had to wait for quite some time as our bus was having trouble starting! We managed to eat some croissants, pain au chocolat and breakfast baguettes before finally boarding the bus to Heathrow. Security at the new Heathrow Terminal 5 was pretty tight, with numerous members of our group being searched.
We had lunch at Wagamamma and boarded an Airbus A321 (to Will’s delight, more legroom!) for our short 2.5 hour flight to Budapest, or Bucharest as the First Officer announced on landing… thankfully we were indeed in Hungary rather than Romania! We met the Japanese team at the airport and established that although neither knew much of the other’s language, everyone was excited about the upcoming competition. We went for dinner in a deserted tourist trap in Obuda where the food (and tipping the musicians!) was expensive, but at least the food was good!
Australian and Japanese teams mingle
Student discussions
Team Oz and Team Japan
posted by Trent at 6:55 am
Today marked the official start of proceedings. We all registered in the morning and we met the team guide for Australia, Marton. It turns out that his girlfriend is the guide for New Zealand, so we suspect the trans-Tasman rivals will be spending a bit of time together! Mid-morning the students and Marton left for their accommodation. We will see them tomorrow at the Opening Ceremony but after that, not until the competition is over. The mentors and I all miss our students terribly but we know that they will be having the time of their lives!
In the afternoon the mentors wandered around Buda, taking in the sights. The evening was spent networking, catching up with people that we hadn’t seen for a while, in my case since 2002 or 2003! There seems to be a large number of mentors who were participants in the 2002 Olympiad in the Netherlands, including our Head Mentor Alex.
Some more pictures and an Opening Ceremony update to come, but then no further news until the competition is over.
Team Oz ‘08 and Marton
posted by Trent at 6:56 am
Thunderbirds are officialy go! The 40th IChO was officially opened by IChO Steering Committee chairman Manfred Kerschbaumer after an Opening ceremony containing traditional Hungarian music and dance. We met the team again at the Welcome Reception soon after; they are in good spirits and are settling in well, meeting many other teams! The warm temperature inside the Chemistry building foyer where the reception was held meant that blazers were taken off quite early. This provided a wonderful moment when Will was looking through a bunch of blazers trying to find his, whilst wearing it!
After some final words of congratulations and encouragement, Team Oz ‘08 left for a sightseeing tour. This is the last time we will see them before the exams are over, but we are sure that they will do themselves, their families, their teachers and their country proud!
It’s down to business for the Mentors today, checking the labs and discussing the practical examination, with translation tomorrow. Thankfully the weather is due to give us some respite from the 35°C days, with cooler temperatures and rain due tomorrow.
Trent, for Team Oz ‘08.
Daren and Elaine examine liquid nitrogen-cooled apple juice.
Marton and Team Oz at the Welcome Reception
Alex and Dustin with the liquid nitrogen chefs
posted by Trent at 6:56 am
Both theoretical and practical examinations are now over and the communication ban is now lifted.
We met Team Oz ‘08 in the evening for the reunion party, cruising the Danube abord the ship Europa. It was great to see them all again and it is clear that they have made a heap of new friends from around the world and had a great time. They were generally in good spirits despite the experience of the two challenging examinations fresh in their minds and it is clear that they are going to have a bunch of fun in the coming days.
The mentors have been hard at work discussing and translating both the examinations (from English to English), and in the coming days face marking the examinations and arbitration.
Some photos of Team Oz featured on the Official IChO40 website:
Will in the lab, Alex and Dustin translating, more translating, LOLZ, dinner with Team Oz mentors, wine tasting, reunion cruise.
We have the best desktop! 
Translation room
Team Oz reunited
OMG mobile phones!
Team Oz and Team Iran
Team Oz in front of the Statue of Liberty
Australian and Dutch teams
Mercedes (NZ guide) and Marton (Aus guide)
Trent, for Team Oz ‘08.
posted by Trent at 6:57 am
With all examinations, marking, arbitration and jury sessions finished there is but one official commitment remaining: the closing ceremony and final banquet in a couple of hours. The medals have been allocated, we know how many of each type there are but not where our students fit in… we await this eagerly, confident that all their hard work will be rewarded!
Alex and Dustin performed supremely in arbitration, pitting their wits and arguments against those of the examiners. Here are some pictures of them in action:
Trent, for Team Oz ‘08.
posted by Trent at 6:59 am
The results are in!
Daren Tan: Silver medal
Mingyue (Elaine) Kardashinsky: Silver medal
Yufeng Shi: Silver medal
William Jackson: Bronze medal
A superb effort and just reward for the amount of work they have all put in! Thanks should also go to all of their parents, school teachers and friends who have supported them in their endeavours. Last but not least, thanks should go to their mentors Alex Wong and Dustin Stuart for their tireless work overseas, the rest of the ASO Chemistry program staff, the staff of Australian Science Innovations as well as the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and Merck Sharp and Dohme for their financial support.
Team Oz ‘08!
Mmm, medals!
We now await a gruelling flight back to Australia… see you at home!
Trent, for Team Oz ‘08.
posted by Trent at 6:59 am