September 15, 2009
Orlando, FL to Boston, MA
Sitting on the plane with ten minutes to spare before takeoff, everyone was nestled all snug in their seats when suddenly three people appeared out of nowhere racing into the aircraft yelling and screaming. Something about how the gate number had changed on them, someone had a broken foot, high blood pressure and they were “Going to sue the pants off of JetBlue!” By this point everyone had spaced out in the aircraft so when the 80 year old woman shouted “We have seats 2 E and F” everyone tried to inform her just to sit down so we could take off, but then her husband started yelling too and said “What’s the point of having assigned seats if you’re not gonna get them?” With everyone shuffling around and the old man still yelling that his daughters broken foot needed medical attention the poor JetBlue flight attendants looked like they needed one of their $6 cocktails. After we finally took off he still wouldn’t shut up, so I finally turned around and told him that I didn’t feel like listening to him for 2 ½ hours, and if he still needed to complain then send a letter to JetBlue corporate. Then he called me rude, but other people on the plane clapped and said “thanks.”
After landing at Logan I was met by a Couchsurfing friend who drove me into town near Fenway and together we went to see the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” cast kick off their six city theater tour at the Boston House of Blues. Across the street was Fenway park and I don’t know the last time I ever saw that many people at a Padres game. Winning or losing. It was quite neat how the Red Sox close off the whole street and there are hot dog vendors in the street catering to the crowd. Not a person headed into the game without something red or blue on without the logo “B” attached. Inside the HOB it was standing room only and although cameras weren’t allowed mine wasn’t confiscated, along with about 100 others so soon I was taking as many pics as possible in the dimly lit place. Opening for the cast was some shady band whose name I didn’t catch, but let me tell you I didn’t spend $10 on the CD they were hawking. Soon Danny DeVito and the gang were on singing and dancing and although there were a few glitches I’d give the performance an 8 out of 10; by the sixth city I’d say they’ll know all their lines. Plus, they showed an upcoming episode from this season and a clip from their Christmas DVD. Down the street I joined my actual CS host, named Dario. His condo is in the Brookline area, near Coolidge corners. When I got there, two other CS from NYC were spending two days as well. They were two students from Korea, studying English in Queens so I was excited to have someone to explore the city with!
September 16, 2009
Boston, MA
I headed over to Harvard and MIT with my two new CS friends first thing this morning. We grabbed the #66 bus straight down to Harvard Square where we asked the really old man in the information booth what time the student run tour would begin. He said 10:30 which meant we had 45 minutes to kill and we walked around watching kids go to and from class. Back at 10:30 the really old man informed us that the tour would start at 10:45…at 10:45 he informed us that “oh, yeah! The tours are actually canceled on Wednesday’s now.” WTF I thought Harvard was the SMART school! Buying a map of the joint, the three of us began our own self guided tour of the university with the first stop being to rub John Harvards foot. We are joined by 50 teenagers yelling and screaming, and I’m also assuming praying, to get into the Ivy Leaguer. Past that building we see the biggest library I have ever photographed, but you can only be admitted with a Harvard ID. Every building on campus is accompanied by a steeple and the law school has 10 buildings to itself. We sneak into one to use the restroom, but to my surprise there are more men’s RR than women’s. Obviously this place is REALLY, REALLY, old. For lunch we go to Mr. Bartley’s homemade burgers on Harvard Square which is world famous and even been featured on the Travel Channel’s show with that guy who has really scary blonde hair. I am a little disappointed though by the crappy service and the fact that my burger is burned to hell. Mr. Bartley, I won’t be returning.
After lunch the girls head over to MIT and I meet up with my old Resident Director, Josh, from when I was an RA at Appalachian. He’s an Associate Dean now at Harvard and when I tell him I rubbed John Harvards foot he tells me the students pee on the statue. AWESOME.
Closing out the afternoon I, too, find my way to MIT where a student gives me wrong directions and I end up in the industrial part of town as opposed to the industrial part of campus. I haven’t found too many welcoming people in Boston so far. They all pass you by without so much as a “hello” and everyone seems quite snobby. No one rushes to hold the door open for you and I’ve had more than one person step on my foot when walking on the sidewalk. Normally when traveling I don’t need a map, but this city seems lost on direction, so I found myself standing on a street corner today holding my map out large and wide. Not one single person stopped to ask if I needed assistance.
For dinner I met up with one of my oldest friends in the world, Laurie. We lived on the same hall in our Coltrane dorm at App and have been friends forever; now she lives up in MA. Laughing with her and Josh took the edge off of the Bostonians. But seriously people, they really need to be more welcoming.
September 17, 2009
Boston, MA
There’s no better way to start your day than a trip to the Samuel Adams Brewery! Tours start at 10:00 AM and we were there spot on. Located a few blocks off the end of the Orange line in a corner on Germania street, the brewery is small but welcoming. There are so many awards lining the walls that they’re probably going to have to build another room soon. A TV monitor with Jim Koch welcomes you and college students give the tours. Kale was our tour guide and holding a Sam Adams Boston Lager the whole time, he lead us into the back room where he showed us the four main ingredients used in their beer making process before telling us all the history we ever wanted to know. It was actually more like a winery tour than a beer factory tour, but they are a smaller brewery than others; however, I was at least expecting the bottling section! At the end they invite you into the tasting room where you receive a 7 ounce glass to keep and Kale started pouring away. Of course we got the Boston Lager, then the Octoberfest, followed by the nastiest Oatmeal Stout I’ve ever put in my mouth. It’s only served at Patriot’s games, which is just one more reason for me to never visit Gillette Stadium.
Saying goodbye to the girls, I headed downtown to Boston Commons where I began following the red bricks and the Freedom Trail. Although you are supposed to follow the red bricks, half of them are missing, so I kept getting lost all over the place. Asking directions was dumb because people were just walking past me when I tried to gain their attention. Attention Bostonians…YOU SUCK! Finally I found my way again and more cemeteries turned into Fanuel Hall and Quincy Market. I went inside to Quincy Market thinking I would find a Farmers Market type atmosphere but the first thing I see is a Starbuck’s and I wonder if the founders of America ever envisioned the green and white coffee shop there. I immediately U-turn out, but not before I walk through “Cheers” just to say I did it and then continue onwards to Paul Revere’s house and Copp’s cemetery. Inside the cemetery is a city worker fixing some bricks who begins talking to me and gives me the entire history of Boston and Paul Revere in five minutes. He asks me “What else do you want to know?” so I ask him “Where is Mr. Copps grave?” and he says “That I don’t know.” WE ARE IN MR. COPPS CEMETERY!!!
After walking across the Charlestown bridge I catch the T back to the house and get ready for that night’s boat cruise. My CS host, Dario, and his friend Sean told me about it before I came and it sounded fun. At 7:30 PM we sat sail from the Boston port and I see the city all lit up in beauty. We sail past Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution. There is a DJ on board and two live bands; someone is airbrushing tattoos. It is a fun way to spend my last night in Boston. I can’t really grasp the people on board. There is really no fashion sense in this town. And no one really knows how to dance at all. It’s like all the smart Ivy Leaguers who are trying to be cool…but failing. I see a dorky guy trying to dance and video him. Sean says he will be the next YouTube hit.
September 18, 2009
Boston, MA
Ben Affleck is here making a movie. I walked over to Fenway today to finally see the stadium and there were all these barricades up and movie trailers. It’s called ‘The Town,’ which I do hope they end up changing to something more unique before printing posters. When I asked the Boston PD what the name of the movie was he laughed as he told me. Anyway, it is apparently some FBI thriller because everyone was wearing guns and vests and they had a Boston FBI van set up. I saw the trailers and such, but I did not see Ben Affleck. Or Jennifer Garner. Or their kids. Or Matt Damon…
However, I once again did get some bad directions from the Boston police. He sent me to the wrong T station, with my luggage. Then when I got to the right T station the elevator was broken, so I lugged my now 47 pound bag down the stairs. I met my old Phi Mu sister, Erin, out at the Alewhite station and she drove us into Concord for lunch. We went into a quaint little place and I had my very first lobster roll ever, accompanied by some New England clam chowder. The lobster was delicious, although I still can’t figure out the roll concept. Erin did explain it to me, but I will keep eating them until I get it right. Back on the road I saw Minuteman National Park where Paul Revere began his journey and the leaves are starting to change. I am excited about the next few weeks when I continue up through Vermont and Maine. Fall is here and I am loving it!
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