Another great day in Boston. I'm starting to learn where everything is in my surrounding area, as well as other parts of Boston (contributing to this is my greater understanding and knowledge about the T system). Today, before work, I went to the Post Office to mail a few things, which happens to be located (conveniently so) right near my house. On the T, I read the "Metro" newspaper... a little newspaper highlighting events going on in Boston, as well as political/religious/etc. debates going on in the city. At work, we eat lunch outside, or "al fresco" as most like to call it, which is really wonderful because it's so nice outside : )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_fresco_dining
I left work around 5:30 and despite my Tom Tom's estimate that I'd be arriving home at 6:05 p.m.... I pulled into the house parking lot at 6:35. Navigating your way through Boston rush hour traffic is like pulling teeth. Between stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper traffic and weird round-abouts, I decided that I'd rather utilize public transportation anytime. After I got home, I went to meet all the Manzi fellows (my internship this summer is through a Colgate fellowship program, made possible by the gracious Mr. Jim Manzi) who were having a picnic at 7 on the river. It was 7:35 when I was walking and realized I still had a ways to go to get to the picnic site... so I turned around to avoid having to walk home in the dark an hour later! Epic bust. Instead of eating dinner on the river, I had a nice Ravioli dinner with some friends in the Phi Delt dining room.
After dinner, I watched an episode of "Pretty Little Liars" with my friend, Katarina. We wanted to watch a show the other night online... but we couldn't think of any shows we needed to catch up on. So instead, we started watching a series neither of us had seen before! It's one of those over-done, "I can guess what's coming next" sort of shows... but addicting, nonetheless. Who doesn't like a show about four teenage girls, faced with the sorrows of a dead friend (who's actually seemingly not dead), all while hiding secrets of the past?
Again, this afternoon, I was faced with the on-rush of crazed Red Sox fans as they headed to Fenway Park. I realized about an hour ago that the Sox game only added to rush hour traffic... probably making traffic worse than usual. I had to move my car from the spot it was in earlier... and again, I saw hundreds of fans leaving Fenway. Third night game in a row! It's actually pretty cool though how close I live to Fenway Park; from the doorstep, you can clearly see the stadium lights of the baseball park. Not many people can say they've lived that close to Fenway Park : )
Off to Lake Winnie, NH again tomorrow for some fun family reunion time!
P.S. I forgot to talk about our camp motto's, which I mention in the title of this post. There are several, such as "fair is not always equal" and "lead by example." My personal favorite is "fake it 'til you make it." I think I'm going to try to fake my way through things more (things which I don't have much confidence in), to see if people believe me (i.e. like I know more about a subject than I really do, or that I know how to do something, or that I'm more confident than I really am in certain activities). We've all done it, right? I think being able to "fake it" is a good leader quality, as sad as that sounds, because the people following a leader need to have confidence in the person leading them. Or else all hope is lost. Because people need to know there's someone above them (or beside them) who knows what they're doing. But that doesn't necessarily mean that leaders need to KNOW what they're doing, merely ACT like they know what they're doing.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Exploring the City
Work was great today! One moment that stands out in my mine (oddly) is when I sneezed... and of the eight people sitting around me, five said "bless you." You forget this simple social norm exists when you go to Australia and never hear it spoken once. In that moment, I was exceptionally thankful to be back in the U.S.
On my way back from work, I was accompanied by several Red Sox fans on the T. Apparently, there was another game today! I think I might be converted to a Red Sox fan... well actually, I don't know if converted is the right word because I was never a fan of any baseball team to begin with! I think all my Bostonian relatives would be glad to hear that : ) Instead of going home right away, I took the T to the Museum of Fine Arts... a really, really large art museum right next to Northeastern University. I went with my friends Leo and Julio, and my roommate, Janice. Instead of studying each and every art piece, we mostly caught up with each other, exchanging stories about work and our weekends. Although, we did pay close attention to one of the exhibits there... "Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass." Within this exhibit, there were nine large pieces, each representing something different. The art in this exhibit was all glass that had been blown and shaped... there were intricate, twirly designs, glass shaped like different mosses on logs, and glass shaped like chandeliers. It was awesome!
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/chihuly
After going through the museum, well actually only the first floor of the museum, we went to Panera for dinner. Also another thing I love about America--our pickles. I had a delicious chicken ceasar sandwich and soup... but I really had a craving for a pickle after seeing one on another girl's plate. So, I went back up to the register and politely asked the man working if I could have a pickle...he graciously brought me to the back counter and prepared a plate of four pickles... haha. I would do that. I took the T and walked back to my house. And of course, Janice and I ran in to all the Red Sox fans as they were leaving the game, which had coincidentally just ended. Also coincidentally, after I walked up the stairs out of the subway, I walked by four older men wearing Colgate stickers on their shirts. It took me a few seconds too long to process what I had just seen in order to muster a "go Colgate!" as they walked by. I'm almost positive the Colgate Club of Boston had arranged an event at the Sox game tonight... so these are the things I can look forward to upon becoming a Colgate alum : )
And now here I am, writing on my blog at 11:30 at night. Gotta go to bed now.. that's the working life for you!
On my way back from work, I was accompanied by several Red Sox fans on the T. Apparently, there was another game today! I think I might be converted to a Red Sox fan... well actually, I don't know if converted is the right word because I was never a fan of any baseball team to begin with! I think all my Bostonian relatives would be glad to hear that : ) Instead of going home right away, I took the T to the Museum of Fine Arts... a really, really large art museum right next to Northeastern University. I went with my friends Leo and Julio, and my roommate, Janice. Instead of studying each and every art piece, we mostly caught up with each other, exchanging stories about work and our weekends. Although, we did pay close attention to one of the exhibits there... "Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass." Within this exhibit, there were nine large pieces, each representing something different. The art in this exhibit was all glass that had been blown and shaped... there were intricate, twirly designs, glass shaped like different mosses on logs, and glass shaped like chandeliers. It was awesome!
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/chihuly
After going through the museum, well actually only the first floor of the museum, we went to Panera for dinner. Also another thing I love about America--our pickles. I had a delicious chicken ceasar sandwich and soup... but I really had a craving for a pickle after seeing one on another girl's plate. So, I went back up to the register and politely asked the man working if I could have a pickle...he graciously brought me to the back counter and prepared a plate of four pickles... haha. I would do that. I took the T and walked back to my house. And of course, Janice and I ran in to all the Red Sox fans as they were leaving the game, which had coincidentally just ended. Also coincidentally, after I walked up the stairs out of the subway, I walked by four older men wearing Colgate stickers on their shirts. It took me a few seconds too long to process what I had just seen in order to muster a "go Colgate!" as they walked by. I'm almost positive the Colgate Club of Boston had arranged an event at the Sox game tonight... so these are the things I can look forward to upon becoming a Colgate alum : )
And now here I am, writing on my blog at 11:30 at night. Gotta go to bed now.. that's the working life for you!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
And This Raider Moves on to Boston
After arriving back in the United States, I drove to Boston, MA a mere seven hours later! Talk about a quick turn-around. Good family friends of ours, the Ecker's, were conveniently driving to Boston the day I needed to come here. So they helped me move in to my fourth story room on the edge of the Charles River. I live in a MIT fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, with about 35 other people. It's about half girls/half guys and everyone is so nice. Recently, we had a "southern soul food" night.... we all piled in to the huge dining room to eat fried chicken, waffles, and homemade macaroni and cheese. What college student doesn't love that combination of food? Move in day was pretty uneventful; I unpacked for a few hours and then slept for the rest of the day... jet lag's a (you know what).
The next day, I was determined to find out how I was going to get to work (in a town that's actually a suburb of Boston). So, like a rookie, I took a piece of paper with my work address and made my way down to the Kenmore Square T-Stop (the train line that runs through Boston). I was sitting at a large, somewhat confusing-looking map, when a woman walked up to me and asked me if I needed help. At first I put up my "No, it's okay, I can do this on my own...," I surrounded to her help after learning she used to work on the same street I was trying to get to. This kind woman showed me how to get to Waltham (the town where Drama Play Connection is, the non-profit I'm working for). After that, I walked around Kenmore Square (which is right near Cambridge, just across the Charles River); I saw Fenway Park and went to the grocery store. The following three days were nice... I went to work every day on "the T," like a regular working class woman. I had to figure out how to buy a ticket, how to know where to get off, how to catch the right train going in the right direction, and how to figure out when the trains arrived at the station. Thanks, studying abroad, for teaching me how to independently figure out all modes of transportation.
One night, I met up with a good friend, Leo, to go to Quincy Markets for ice cream. Another two afternoons I ran along the Charles River and strolled around the MIT campus. There are SO MANY things to do in Boston, so I plan on making a list tonight of things to do after I get out of work... because there's a solid three hours of daylight after work ends to enjoy the beautiful city!
Today, I drove back to MA from NH (huge family reunion in NH... always a blast!) at 6 a.m. in time to arrive at work by 9 a.m. I'm working at a summer theatre camp for kids with Asperger's Syndrome, Social Anxiety Disorder, etc. The past week, I've learned all about Asperger's, learned how camps runs, set up camp at Regis College, and today I read camper charts all day (to learn about the specific needs and impairments of each camper). Throughout the duration of the camp, campers learn about drama techniques, pragmatics... all in preparation to make their own full-length film, starring the campers themselves. So, during the week, campers attend workshops on drama pragmatics, attend field trips, and film scenes for the video. At the end of camp, there's a movie premiere showing the film they made... this year we'll be helping to produce "Ghostbusters"!
http://www.dramaplayconnection.com/
Because I only slept four hours last night, I think tonight is going to be an early night. But tomorrow I plan on taking advantage of the sunny afternoon in Boston!
Peace out Girl Scout.
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Oh, also! Today the Green Line on the T (that's the line I take... there's four different lines) was down, so I had to take the bus home. As I walked back to my house, I was greeted by hundreds of people in the streets, all milling about, eating, drinking, and taking pictures in preparation for the big Red Sox game tonight. Because there were so many people on the streets, I nearly hit a man next to me on the sidewalk with the luggage I was carrying. Instead of saying "Oh, you're fine," like an American, he said "You're alright"... a classic Australian phrase. Was he Australian? I'm not sure. But it sure made me feel like I was back in the land of kangaroos and boomerangs : )... a subtle reminder of the past five months of my life.
The next day, I was determined to find out how I was going to get to work (in a town that's actually a suburb of Boston). So, like a rookie, I took a piece of paper with my work address and made my way down to the Kenmore Square T-Stop (the train line that runs through Boston). I was sitting at a large, somewhat confusing-looking map, when a woman walked up to me and asked me if I needed help. At first I put up my "No, it's okay, I can do this on my own...," I surrounded to her help after learning she used to work on the same street I was trying to get to. This kind woman showed me how to get to Waltham (the town where Drama Play Connection is, the non-profit I'm working for). After that, I walked around Kenmore Square (which is right near Cambridge, just across the Charles River); I saw Fenway Park and went to the grocery store. The following three days were nice... I went to work every day on "the T," like a regular working class woman. I had to figure out how to buy a ticket, how to know where to get off, how to catch the right train going in the right direction, and how to figure out when the trains arrived at the station. Thanks, studying abroad, for teaching me how to independently figure out all modes of transportation.
One night, I met up with a good friend, Leo, to go to Quincy Markets for ice cream. Another two afternoons I ran along the Charles River and strolled around the MIT campus. There are SO MANY things to do in Boston, so I plan on making a list tonight of things to do after I get out of work... because there's a solid three hours of daylight after work ends to enjoy the beautiful city!
Today, I drove back to MA from NH (huge family reunion in NH... always a blast!) at 6 a.m. in time to arrive at work by 9 a.m. I'm working at a summer theatre camp for kids with Asperger's Syndrome, Social Anxiety Disorder, etc. The past week, I've learned all about Asperger's, learned how camps runs, set up camp at Regis College, and today I read camper charts all day (to learn about the specific needs and impairments of each camper). Throughout the duration of the camp, campers learn about drama techniques, pragmatics... all in preparation to make their own full-length film, starring the campers themselves. So, during the week, campers attend workshops on drama pragmatics, attend field trips, and film scenes for the video. At the end of camp, there's a movie premiere showing the film they made... this year we'll be helping to produce "Ghostbusters"!
http://www.dramaplayconnection.com/
Because I only slept four hours last night, I think tonight is going to be an early night. But tomorrow I plan on taking advantage of the sunny afternoon in Boston!
Peace out Girl Scout.
The T-line map.
"Raider Out"
I would like to apologize to everyone for not finishing out my Australia experience with one last post (before I write about my Boston experience)... so here goes : )
I can say with full confidence that the best decisions I've made regarding college are going to Colgate for my undergrad and leaving Colgate for a semester. I don't think I've grown so much as a person as I did these past five months. Traveling with 15 other wonderful students from Colgate, meeting and becoming friends with other Americans and Aussies alike, and experiencing all there is to experience in a foreign culture comprise one of the most influential experiences of my life. It all began with an unforgettable trip to New Zealand, where my friends and I were introduced to the in's and out's of international travel. From there, I experienced an "Orientation Week" worthy of any hardcore party-goer... complete with barbeque's, pub crawls, and other fun events. I spent many hours at my professor's house cooking and eating dinner with my fellow Colgater's, traveling to Jervis Bay and the capital, Canberra, driving up the east coast to Cairns, and down the coast to Melbourne. And within all this traveling I experienced the death of a close friend... an event that helped to define what I value most and how to make the most out of my life. This tragic event brought me closer to everyone I met in Australia... so even though you weren't there for my whole abroad experience, George, you were there in spirit : ) Running along the Pacific Ocean, standing and the Wollongong lighthouse looking out over the coast, skydiving over the beautiful beach, watching the sun rise on Fairy Meadow beach--these are things I will never forget. Not to mention the wonderful people I experienced all these things with : ) So, here's to lookin' at you Australia, for helping me to realize the importance of spontaneity, surrounding yourself with those you love, and challenging yourself... you'll always hold a special place in my heart <3
I can say with full confidence that the best decisions I've made regarding college are going to Colgate for my undergrad and leaving Colgate for a semester. I don't think I've grown so much as a person as I did these past five months. Traveling with 15 other wonderful students from Colgate, meeting and becoming friends with other Americans and Aussies alike, and experiencing all there is to experience in a foreign culture comprise one of the most influential experiences of my life. It all began with an unforgettable trip to New Zealand, where my friends and I were introduced to the in's and out's of international travel. From there, I experienced an "Orientation Week" worthy of any hardcore party-goer... complete with barbeque's, pub crawls, and other fun events. I spent many hours at my professor's house cooking and eating dinner with my fellow Colgater's, traveling to Jervis Bay and the capital, Canberra, driving up the east coast to Cairns, and down the coast to Melbourne. And within all this traveling I experienced the death of a close friend... an event that helped to define what I value most and how to make the most out of my life. This tragic event brought me closer to everyone I met in Australia... so even though you weren't there for my whole abroad experience, George, you were there in spirit : ) Running along the Pacific Ocean, standing and the Wollongong lighthouse looking out over the coast, skydiving over the beautiful beach, watching the sun rise on Fairy Meadow beach--these are things I will never forget. Not to mention the wonderful people I experienced all these things with : ) So, here's to lookin' at you Australia, for helping me to realize the importance of spontaneity, surrounding yourself with those you love, and challenging yourself... you'll always hold a special place in my heart <3
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