To the mitten and back again

I just slept for 12 hours.

So much was packed in the last week I hardly know where to begin. I traveled all over Michigan - from Detroit to Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor to East Lansing and back to Detroit. In just six days.

It was great to be home and see so many familiar faces. The whole "coming home" experience was a bundle of emotions. I was able to see a lot of friends and family, which was wonderful. But being home was also a reminder that my previous home is not really home anymore. It will never be quite like it used to - and that's ok - it is just confirmation that I am, in fact, growing up and moving on.

At certain points during my trip, I did find myself missing my roommates and my routine in Boston. (I'm actually not dreading going back to work tomorrow! It will be a shortened week for the new year - we close two hours early tomorrow and we're closed on Tuesday.)

But I definitely felt sad saying goodbye to Michigan. For some reason, leaving felt more permanent. The first three months I was in Boston, I always knew I'd be back to Michigan for Christmas. And now, there's more uncertainty - I have no idea when I'll be back in Michigan again.

Fortunately, I had a beautiful flight home. It was something I'd never experienced before: we flew just above endless fluffy, white clouds and they covered the entire sky so that it was a white horizon all around me. It looked like snow as far as the eye can see - without a single other element to disturb the vastness. The scene was so pure and infinite that it gave me feelings of hope and possibility.

Well, it was great seeing those of you who I was able to see and I'm sorry to anyone that I wasn't able to visit this time.

And thanks to those of you who are still reading this blog! Sometimes I wonder if I'm talking to myself, so it was a surprise to hear so many of you keep up with the entries. Now I have to unpack...

Happy New Year!

The holidaze are here

With all my car drama, I forgot to say anything about what I did over the weekend. The short version is that when I wasn't making car-related phone calls, I spent most of Sunday and Monday walking around downtown Boston and Cambridge. I also saw the movie "Atonement." It was good - very beautiful cinematography.

On Monday night, my roommates and I exchanged gifts. It was so cute. I really really enjoy them and will miss their company while we're scattered for the holidays. Tiffiney left for Montana yesterday and Vanessa will be going home (she's from Massachusetts) but not till after I leave.

Last night was our work holiday party. It was fun hanging out with EEers and their families. What a nutty bunch.

It's supposed to be rainy here on Sunday... but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my flight won't be too delayed or canceled. See you soon, I hope!

P.S. I still like cities

It has been an interesting few days. Let me start from the beginning.

As you know, we got a foot of snow on Thursday. As I left my house Friday morning, I glanced to make sure my car was still where I had left it parked on my street. I saw it - or I'm pretty sure that was my car - covered in a layer of snow. When I got home from work, there was no car there. I learned that parking was banned on my street all day due to the "snow emergency." I figured it had been towed so that the streets could be plowed.

I began calling area tow companies, the city of Boston, the police and the tow lots. No one had any record of my car being towed. They told me to report it stolen; however, this idea seemed ridiculous so I continued making my calls the next day. Again I was told to report it stolen. I took a break from the search on Sunday and then did one final call attempt on Monday morning before finally giving in and going to the police station to file my report. The police seem to think my car will be found. I am not so hopeful. I think it probably got stolen for its parts - Toyotas are good cars. Although I'm still not sure why someone would steal a 1996 Toyota Tercel. It was the opposite of luxury. It didn't even have mirrors on the overhead visors.

I am in surprisingly good spirits about the whole thing. It's obviously a bummer since the car was still worth a few thousand dollars. But it really doesn't inconvenience me - I take the van to work and I take the subway around Boston. And I have learned some valuable lessons: always know your license plate number; don't keep all your car records in the glove compartment; and insurance doesn't necessarily cover you after moving to another state.

At least now I don't have to worry about where to park when it snows.

It's a little snowfall, not the apocalypse

Yesterday, I got to experience my first heavy snowfall in New England. It started snowing around 12pm and didn't stop until 9 pm. I think we have about a foot of snow, and apparently New Englanders aren't used to this because everyone was in a frenzy. (In true news-hype fashion, the Boston Herald is calling the storm the "NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.") Our work holiday party was postponed until next week. Equal Exchange closed at 2 pm so that everyone could get home. It still took the van 2 hours (it normally takes 40 min.) to get to JP. During the ride, we played "20 Questions." We lasted about an hour and a half before we got sick of the game.

Six of us decided to go straight to the bar to celebrate our partial snow day. We only had to walk a few blocks to get to our destination, but it was quite the walk with so much snow on the ground and at that point, none of the sidewalks were cleared. We went to this really cute and cozy pub in JP that has a fireplace. We had a few rounds of drinks and then I headed back outside to face the snow. I'm not sure how long it took me to walk home (maybe 30 minutes), but I actually quite enjoyed it. I almost fell a few times when I walked over some icy spots but I managed to stay balanced.

Apparently Boston declared a "snow emergency" yesterday. It's just funny that a foot of snow is an emergency. But in a city, it is a lot harder to keep everything functioning with that much snow - and there just isn't really anyplace for the snow to go.

We're supposed to get a rain/sleet mix on Sunday, so that's going to make things even more interesting.

Hope you're all staying warm in Michigan (or wherever you are)...I hear the Midwest has gotten quite the snow/ice storm as well.

I feel like I have a lot of errands to run this weekend... and I think I'm going to take Monday off as my compensation day, so yay for a three-day weekend :)

<3

It's a slushy Christmas so far

I had a busy weekend indeed. Tapas with the Equal Exchange women was fun on Thursday night. There were about 11 of us, ranging in age from 22 to 50ish.


On Saturday, I worked at the bazaar and then went out for dinner and drinks with the other two Equal Exchangers who were working the event. I enjoy hanging out with them, so it was a good time.


After that, I met up with a larger group of EEers for Summer's goodbye celebration in JP. (Summer is the redhead - she's moving to Italy.) I couldn't stay out too late, though, because I had to get up early and work again on Sunday morning. I got done with the event around 4pm and spent a while walking around downtown.


I did a little Christmas shopping and just enjoyed the holiday hustle and bustle in the city. It is seriously so cute with all the decorations. I love it.


We have our holiday work party this week (on Thursday), so that should be fun - the EErs like to party! I'm hoping to take Friday (or Monday) off as a compensation day for working over the weekend. I haven't been able to just relax over a weekend in a long time, so I am looking forward to that! I just bought the first book in The Golden Compass series - I want to try and finish it in time to catch the movie while it is still in the theater.


I've been spending more time hanging out with my roommates because they've been home more often lately. I really love them - they are hilarious.


Welllll, I think that's it for now!
x

The bells be ringin'

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I had a busy weekend showing my friend Jessica around Boston. I had Friday off (a compensation day for working the previous weekend), so we spent three days walking around various parts of the city. Boston is so cute at Christmastime - I love it!! There are a lot of decorations, from lit trees in the park to huge lit stars that stretch from one side of the street to the other.

We went to the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) and they had a cool exhibit with some of the nation's most innovative designs in things like furniture, technology, science and fashion.

The weather here has been cooold. It snowed on Sunday and we still have a couple inches of snow/ice on the ground. On Sunday, my roommate got a Christmas tree for our apartment. We decorated it as a "family" on Sunday night. The tree is decorated very simply but it is so pretty! We didn't have a star or angel so we topped the tree with a fake flower we found in the house.

I am looking forward to coming home for Christmas. Only about 2.5 weeks! It will be here before I know it.

Work is going well - it's a busy time of year. I am working at the Cultural Survival Bazaar again this weekend. I actually really enjoy doing events. Plus, I'm becoming a pro at brewing coffee.

I have another busy weekend coming up... on Thursday, I'm going out with a bunch of women from work for tapas. On Saturday, we're going out for drinks because it's a co-worker's last day. I will miss her - she's been like a big sister since I moved here.

Well, that's it for now.

Hope you're all finding the magic of Christmas... :)

It's Thanksgiving 2007

Luke, Rachel and I had a lovely Thanksgiving.

The meal turned out really really tasty. We had: tofurky, stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffed sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It was ALL vegan. I was primarily responsible for the sweet potatoes and they were voted the favorite dish!

With only three of us eating, we have lots of leftovers (which we ate for lunch the next day and it was maybe even better the second day). While cooking, we had fun listening to music and watching the "Friends" Thanksgiving episodes.

The theme of the day was doing whatever we wanted. For example, we spent half the day in our pajamas. We watched TV while we ate our dinner. We didn't leave the house. A common phrase was, "Do what you want - it's Thanksgiving 2007!"

It kinda felt like we were kids pretending to be adults. But I'm very proud of us because the meal really was good and we did it all on our own.

On Friday, the three of us lounged around and then finally got dressed and ran a few errands in JP. Then we went into Allston (another neighborhood of Boston) and ate at this really great vegan Asian restaurant. We ordered way too much food so we had more leftovers to add to the already packed fridge.

Luke and Rachel left today. I worked at a Cultural Bazaar in Cambridge all afternoon. Equal Exchange is one of the sponsors, so we were selling coffee, tea, chocolate and snacks. It was fun but tiring. I'm doing it again tomorrow. It's basically this big fair with handmade crafts from all over the world. I got a scarf, mittens and two bracelets.

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be celebrating w/ Luke and Rachel. We're making lots of (hopefully) delicious vegan dishes. (They are vegan. I'm not but I am vegan-friendly.) They get in tonight and stay through Saturday.

I'm going to have a busy next couple of days. After work, I have to shop for the meal, then I'm going to a Tegan & Sara concert downtown. I'm really excited for that. By the time I get home, L&R will be at my apartment waiting for me.

Then cooking/eating/chillaxing all day Thursday and Friday. Then I'm working an Equal Exchange event in Cambridge on Saturday and Sunday (four hours each day).

Sending a Thanksgiving hug to everyone! I'm thankful for you!
<3
aks

Ashley and Molly do Boston

Well, Molly has come and gone. It was so great to see her and be silly and laugh a lot.

I picked up Molly at the airport on Thursday night. Her flight was late and there was some construction on the subway so we didn't get back to my apartment until after midnight. I had to work all day Friday so Mols did the Freedom Trail while I was working. Then we met back up and got dinner and drinks at a pub in JP with some of my co-workers. It was a fun time - Equal Exchangers are funny.

On Saturday, Mols and I got up and headed into downtown Boston and I showed her some of my favorite Boston spots. We then went to the Isabella Gardner Museum. Isabella was an extremely wealthy art collector who left it in her will that her house had to stay exactly as it was when she died. So now it's a museum and the place is gorgeous! There's a huge courtyard in the middle of the house and art and antiques everywhere. Sadly, we weren't allowed to take photos. Our final stop was Cambridge/Harvard Square before we went back to my apartment. We made a quick wardrobe change and then went to a co-worker's house for a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner. It was all vegetarian and soooo good. I haven't eaten so much food since I got to Boston! We had a great time chatting with Equal Exchangers again.

We were pretty tired from the day's walking so we went home after a few hours. Then I had to take Molly back to the airport first thing this morning. I was so exhausted that I took a 2.5 nap this afternoon.

I've officially been in Boston for two months now, although it feels like I've been here longer! I am so glad I am here.

Of course, I miss you all!

I'm famous! (Not really.)

Check this out (scroll down to the second item): http://eeretail.stores.yahoo.net/specials.html
To see a larger version, click on the photo.

Saturday in the City

So apparently it's winter now. The weather has been cold and after daylight saving time (and on top of that, being farther east in the time zone), it is completely dark by 5pm. It makes me sleepy. It's also officially Christmastime. Stores are pulling out the annual holiday decorations and I heard my first holiday jingle on a TV commercial last night. Most of you know my soft spot for Christmas music (most likely thanks to my father), but I try to hold out until after Thanksgiving.

Anyway, this morning I enjoyed sleeping in - I allowed myself some extra time to just lay in my warm bed. When I finally got up and dressed, I walked to the subway station. I hadn't eaten yet, so I decided to stop at the Dunkin' Donuts along the way and see what all the fuss is about. I have to admit, my egg and cheese toasted bagel was tasty. And my pumpkin latte was really good as well. But the whole time I was drinking it, I kept thinking about how it was consumerism in a cup. It felt like I was cheating on Equal Exchange. I drank my latte and ate my breakfast sandwich on the train as I rode downtown. It was the kind of Saturday morning that one expects to have in the city.

I decided to go to the library and open a membership. I didn't have any proof of local residency on hand, so I wasn't able to borrow anything yet. But I had a book with me so I just read for a while in one of the reading rooms. The library is enormous - and so beautiful. I think I could spend all day there.

I ran a few other errands and then came back home. I just finished watching "The Hours," which never fails to move me (it is one of my favorite films). Now I think I'll drink some hot tea and read before eventually going to bed. To think I used to go to the bar on Saturday nights!

I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know - that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself, 'So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more.' It never occurred to me it wasn't the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then.
-"The Hours"

I Love Turtles

The weekend flew by! Luke and Rachel got here on Thursday night and spent the night at my house. They stayed the next night at Rachel's brother's house, but came back here Saturday evening. We went out to dinner in JP and then hung around at my apartment - playing board games and chatting and stuff. Nate (a friend from MSU) also met up with us for a bit, so that was nice. It was a little mini-reunion!

Today we got up and went to the aquarium on the North End. We saw many fish, sharks, turtles and penguins. We also went to an IMAX show about prehistoric sea monsters.

It's been fun hanging out with them and having a familiar face around. Hopefully I'll be seeing them again at Thanksgiving!

I didn't know Devil's Night was a Detroit thang - did you?

I don't have much to say. Work is busy since I was out of the office last week. This weekend I have friends coming to stay with me, which will kick off a month of visitors. Yay! Luke and Rachel are driving down from Maine and we're also hoping to meet up with Nate, a friend from MSU. It'll be a mini-Ruberdus reunion. (Sorry, Chris.) They are both familiar with Boston, but I am excited to show them around JP. And we're planning on going to the aquarium on Sunday, and who doesn't enjoy penguins??

Sending my love!

Todos en espanol, por favor

Hola amigos! I had a great time in Philly. It was a very busy, very fast, very wonderful trip. I got in to Philadelphia around 10 a.m. and met up with the EE group at a cafe (they had already been in Philly for a few days). Then we (me, two other EE employees, the two Peruvians, and a Philly cafe owner) went to the zoo. It was so much fun! The zoo was quite large and it was so cool walking around with Eulalia and Beltran (the Peruvians). We didn't have a translator with us at the zoo, but between the four of us Americans, we were able to communicate...sorta. My favorite animals were the big cats (like the lions, tigers and pumas) and this orangutan. He was so cute - he was playing hide and seek with us under a blanket and then he stuck his head out at us and smiled, showing his teeth. Then he stuck his tongue out. It was like playing with a little kid. I wanted to take him home with me.

After the zoo, we went to another cafe, where the Peruvians did a presentation for the customers, and then we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and finally the last event was at another cafe. This was a wrap-up panel discussion with the Peruvians, one EE employee and a cafe owner. It was a Q&A format and it was very inspiring, emotional and a perfect way to end the trip to Philly. People (including me) were moved to tears when they heard Eulalia and Beltran's stories and about how much this trip in the U.S. has meant to them.

After that, I went to a dive bar with the other two EE employees and that was fun getting to know them. Then the three of us drove to our hotel, where I had my own room, yay! (The Peruvians stayed with cafe owners during their time in Philly.) We got up early the next morning and went to a big indoor market (Reading Market), met up with the Peruvians and cafe owners and had breakfast.

Then we got on the road for the seven hour drive home. On the drive, it was me, the two EE folks, and the two Peruvians. No translator. We actually did pretty well and by the end of the car ride, I was feeling better about my Spanish. I still have a long way to go, though. There was so much I wanted to tell and ask the Peruvians. They gave me a winter hat as a gift and I love it. It looks like something I would have bought and knowing it was made in a Peruvian village is very special. The whole experience made me appreciate my job even more. It was sad to say goodbye to the Peruvians (we left them in Providence, where they are staying this weekend before going back to Peru on Sunday). We were all teary-eyed and gave each other many hugs. I will try to add photos from the trip - they're on my work camera.

Philly seemed cool and was quite pretty. I loved all the old buildings and sculptures. I would like to go back.

Today I went to Brookline (a Boston neighborhood, like JP) and walked around a bit. It's a cute area but the weather was rainy so I didn't stay that long.

Now I'm watching scary movies with Tiff and her boyfriend.

I feel like a grown-up

Today was day one of the copywriter's conference I'm attending. The conference is being held right downtown at a fancy hotel, so I had to take the subway into town. It was kind of fun commuting that way, although I actually missed seeing my vanpool friends. I got there pretty early so I walked around for a while before going to the hotel. Downtown had quite a different feel on a Tuesday morning than it has had on the weekends when I'm usually exploring. Instead of confused tourists, there were suits everywhere, walking quickly to their destinations. Ann (my supervisor at EE, who is also attending the conference) and I had lunch in the Common (park), and that was nice, too. It was very windy today. I saw a cardboard house blow away in the park and it made me sad for the homeless person who had been inhabiting it.

After the conference (around 4 p.m.), since I was right there, I decided to go to a movie at the theater. I saw "Darjeeling Limited," which is Wes Anderson's latest. I didn't think it was as good as "The Life Aquatic" or "The Royal Tenenbaums," but it was decent. I left feeling warm and fuzzy, so I can't complain too much. I don't think twice about doing stuff like this by myself anymore. It is kind of empowering. But don't get me wrong - I would love to have some friends here, haha.

Tomorrow I have day two of the conference, then I have to get ready for Philly. The taxi is picking me up at 5 a.m. on Thursday morning. Eek! I probably won't write again until Saturday, so goodbye until then!

xox
a/k/s

Walk This Way

On Saturday, I headed downtown Boston for some more exploring. I walked around a Pumpkin Festival for a bit, but it was mostly kids' activities. Then I headed to Quincy Market, which was really bustling on a Saturday afternoon. I think it was especially busy because a lot of people are in town for the Red Sox games.




Then I walked to the harbor. I found this spot (see the photo to the right) that my dad had photographed a few years before on a work trip to Boston. The photo he took is framed in my parents' bathroom. It was weird to think that my dad had stood right where I was standing. It was kind of comforting.






I sat down right near the water and read, listened to music, and people watched. It was really beautiful weather - mid 70s and sunny. Then I headed back home, watched the start of the Sox game, and eventually went out with Vanessa and some of her friends for a drink.

Today I decided to go downtown again. It was another gorgeous day outside. I walked around a lot and between yesterday and today, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on getting around Boston by foot. The bad part about taking the subway places is that you lose a sense of context when you just come up from underground. So I'm still piecing together parts of the city, like a puzzle. Again, I read in a park for awhile today, this time by Copley Square.

There's another Sox game tonight. It's the big tie-breaker to determine who goes to the World Series. I can't believe I'm writing about sports. I don't really care about sports. But this city is Sox-crazy, so I figure I might as well join the mania.

I'm pretty exhausted from all the walking. So to sum up, Boston = pretty.

Habla espanol?

Today was quite the eventful day at work. We had two visitors from Peru. One is a rural coffee farmer/co-op member and the other is an employee at a larger co-op that we buy coffee beans from. They gave a presentation for us about their farms and co-ops and I took photos throughout the day. Then I got to interview them. Keep in mind that they speak Spanish (which is actually their second language, their first is a local Incan language). I took 4 years worth of Spanish in high school and one semester my freshman year in college, but most of that has escaped me. I could listen and pick up words better than I could speak it. Luckily, we have employees at EE who are fluent in Spanish (b/c we have so many Spanish-speaking partners), so I usually had a translator with me. Meeting them and hearing their stories made everything come together for me. Our fair trade prices are making a difference in the farmers' lives, but they still face many challenges, including poverty and a lack of health care. It was both sad and inspiring to hear their stories. These two folks are on a weeklong tour with EE people to bring consumers and producers together. I'll be meeting up with them in Philadelphia next Thursday and Friday to do more interviews and photos. It will be my first work trip. I get a hotel room!

On Tuesday, I went out with a co-worker for his birthday. It was at a place in JP and it was "Live Band Karaoke" night, which I had never seen before. Basically it's regular karaoke but instead of a DJ, there's a live band backing you up. Pretty cool.

This week has flown by. I'm looking forward to the weekend, and then next week I'm only in the office on Monday. I'm attending a conference in Boston Tuesday-Wednesday, and then I'm in Philly Thursday-Friday.

Adios amigos!
a/k/s

Dunkin' Donuts, anyone?

So I sort of have internet and I sort of don't - it comes and goes.

I've been thinking about how this is the first time in my life that I am living somewhere for an indefinite amount of time. It's a strange feeling and in some ways, quite surreal. It's also the only time in my life where I have my evenings and weekends almost entirely to myself. I feel like I need to take advantage of this by joining a club or taking a community class ... essentially, do all the things I want to do while I am young and unattached. I have been doing yoga about five times a week for the last three weeks, which has been great. I can already notice a difference in my body and it is a wonderful stress release. I want to keep it up.

I've now been in Boston for a month (yesterday was the official anniversary). It has gone by really fast and yet it feels like I've been here much longer, too. Some things I've learned in my first month:

1. Always carry an iPod and a book. They are necessary for walking to the T, riding the T, riding on the vanpool, etc. Commuting can get boring and it also decreases the chances of people asking you for money.
2. Bostonians LOVE the Red Sox.
3. People in New England think Michigan is in the West.
4. Parallel parking isn't that hard once you get the hang of it.
5. Dunkin' Donuts is the new Starbucks. They are everywhere (one on every block).
6. If you hesitate at all while driving, you will get honked at.
7. Buying alcohol on Sundays can be challenging, especially after 8pm. Until a few years ago, you couldn't buy alcohol at all on Sundays. Blame the Puritans.
8. Driving to another state is like going to another city in Michigan. I've heard people say they were going to New Hampshire for dinner.
9. Alleys are named with numbers, i.e. "Public Alley 324."
10. It isn't unusual to see people dressed in Colonial clothing walking around Boston.

Well, I better go. The Red Sox are on.

Lazy Weekend

Hola. I spent the weekend recovering from my cold, which meant I did not go out with my co-workers. I was disappointed but I think it helped me, as I'm feeling much better today. On Friday night, I watched the Red Sox championship game with Tiff and her boyfriend (we won). I spent all day Saturday on the couch. Watched the second Sox game (we lost). Today I had more energy so I went downtown and walked around for a bit before seeing "Across the Universe" at a theater. It cost $8 for a matinee. The weather was beautiful for walking around downtown: a sunny, brisk autumn day. I took these photos in Boston Common, the Central Park of Boston. The movie was quite magical - I enjoyed it very much. It's a Beatles musical (all the songs are Beatles' songs and the characters/plot are loosely based on Beatles' lyrics). I have a soft spot for musicals, and, well, obviously the Beatles are awesome. Plus, I met the lead actor, Jim Sturgess, in London last summer. Molly and I spent some time chatting with him and his friends at the bar across from the dorms we were staying in during our study abroad. He told us he had just made the movie and we thought he was lying. Turns out he wasn't.
Tomorrow is another work day... can't believe how fast the weekend went. Happy Birthday, Dad! Thanks for being born. -a/k/s
P.S. I added a few photos from my excursion last weekend to Cambridge/Harvard - scroll down a few entries back.

Hooray!

I have internet at my apartment!!!!!!!

Yet another plug for EE...Reverse Trick-or-Treating

This is a pretty cool idea and it just launched this week. It's called Reverse Trick-or-Treating, and the hope is that kids will hand out an informational card (with a free Equal Exchange chocolate mini attached) to the homes they visit on Halloween night. The goal is to educate the public on the child slave labor in the cocoa industry.

If you or your children are involved with any kids groups (like Brownies, Boy Scouts, Sunday school, etc.), it would be a great activity to participate in! Learn more here: http://www.equalexchange.com/reverse-sign-up/

Nothing else much to update on... I definitely have a cold. I am most likely hanging out with work people this weekend. There's a birthday get-together on Friday and a house warming party on Saturday.

Miss you!

Christmas Vay-cay

Greetings! I just purchased my flight home for the holidays. I will be in Michigan Sunday, Dec. 23 thru Saturday, Dec. 29. Plan accordingly. :)

So yesterday was quite eventful. It was a day of firsts. For example, it was the first time I:
-Drove to the food co-op. Really easy.
-Drove to Target. Not so easy. I got lost and ended up in downtown Boston. That realization was quite a shock. I had a momentary freak out when I realized I was in Chinatown with no map of Boston. But luckily I paid attention on a recent cab ride home from the same area, and I have a pretty good sense of direction, so I managed to get home. I was determined to get to Target, so I just started over going a different route. This one turned out to be much easier. In the end, it probably took me an hour and a half to get there.
-Went to the laundromat. It was not like the movies. I did not meet the love of my life there. My goal is to only do laundry once a month. I bought some new underwear so hopefully this will help me achieve that goal.

We got a hand-me-down big screen TV (well, compared to our other tiny one) and a hand-me-down table with chairs for our dining room. Our apartment is feeling more complete.

My throat feels a little scratchy. I hope this isn't the beginning of a cold... bring on the green tea and vitamins!

Cambridge and Harvard and Davis Square, Oh My!

Yesterday I took the subway into Cambridge. To get to Cambridge, the subway train comes above ground to go over a bridge and you can see the Boston skyline and harbor. It's a great view of the city. I walked around Harvard Yard (a grassy courtyard with trees and a lot of students laying around on blankets, studying and reading) and Harvard Square, which has street musicians and stores and is very lively. I was expecting more intellectuals sitting around playing chess and discussing philosophy or something. But really, everyone looked like they could go to MSU. Except they dress more trendy. I got a chai latte and just sat in Harvard Square and people-watched for a bit. Cities are so great for people watching, especially on the subway. Yesterday there was a man on the T who was yelling at his wife? girlfriend? on the phone but she obviously couldn't hear him because we were underground and cell phones don't work underground but he kept yelling anyway, while getting more and more upset, while doing leg crunches and other weird exercises from his seat. But I digress...in Cambridge, there were a couple stationery stores that I went into, which I was very excited about because I love stationery and note cards.

I was getting tired from walking around but felt like I should see more while I was out so I got back on the subway and took it to Davis Square. As soon as I got off the subway and saw mobs of people listening to live music, I knew I had stumbled upon a festival of some sort. Then I realized I had heard about the festival. It's called "HONK!" and it's an annual festival for street musician activists. Like the goal is to get people out in the streets playing instruments and singing and dancing and marching. It was basically eccentric people on horns and drums and more eccentric people watching them - all over town. Some people wore costumes. The whole thing was quite a sight and I will try to add a few photos soon so you can get a better idea of what I'm talking about. I got a burrito from a place where the workers were convinced that I spoke Spanish fluently (so apparently I look both Latina and Asian...I've been asked several times in the last few years if I'm at all Asian. Must be the almond eyes.) and even though they spoke English, we stumbled through an ordering in my broken Spanish. I took my burrito outside and observed everything for a bit while I ate. One of my favorite titled bands was the "Leftist Marching Band." I love this city!

The Story on The Magic Position

The last two days have been quite eventful! On Thursday, I went to see Patrick Wolf at Paradise Club in Boston. He was quite adorable! British. Humble. Glamorous. Definitely a great musician and entertainer. The show was general admission, and since I was by myself, it was easy for me to get right up front. I was standing in the second row and could see everything. When Patrick was playing piano, he was pretty much staring straight into my eyes. Or so I told myself.

Last night I went to see Brandi Carlile (pictured, right) and she was amazing! She put on a really good show with high energy and audience participation. The girl knows how to rock. I had a great seat, despite buying my ticket just a few days earlier. It was in the first section of seats, about 12 rows back. A Fine Frenzy (Alison Sudol - pictured, left) opened for her, and she was great as well. I met Alison after her set and she signed a CD for me. The show was at the Orpheum Theater, this really old place right downtown. It was a very beautiful theater.

I had never been to a concert by myself before, but I'm so glad I went to these shows. The experiences were confirmation that I can do pretty much anything alone and still enjoy myself. I clapped, I sang, I danced; and it was wonderful. Next I want to go see Neko Case - she's touring with her band, The New Pornographers. They're coming in a few weeks. So many shows, so little money.

Now it's the weekend - yay! It's about 80 degrees and sunny right now. So hot. I'm actually starting to crave sweater weather, especially since the leaves are turning. The commute to work has been really beautiful (about 20 minutes of the drive is through the Blue Hills, which is very scenic).

I think I'm going to take the subway into Cambridge today ... walk around there and see Harvard University. Cambridge is supposed to be pretty cool. There is so much to explore not only in downtown Boston, but also the neighborhoods just outside of Boston (like Cambridge or Brookline).

I'm starting to feel comfortable getting around town by foot, subway and bus. I'm learning valuable tricks, like if you get off one subway stop and walk a block, you can more easily get to another subway line. These things can save a lot of time.

Tomorrow is my productive day. I need to do laundry (which will require going to a laundromat for the first time in my life) grocery shop, and run some errands. We're also acquiring a dining room table and chairs from one of my co-workers.

Work is still going well. I like it a lot. Our new slogan is "Small Farmers. Big Change." I think I might be addicted to coffee now.

Overall, I'm feeling very adjusted and content. No, happy.


(Here are a couple of photos from things I wrote about previously.)






Tiffiney (my roommate)'s karaoke birthday event. Tiffiney is on the left, and Vanessa (other roommate) is on the right. I can't remember what they're singing but they look very concentrated.








Equal Exchange's booth at the Harvest Festival last weekend. The woman from EE talking to customers is the Marketing Director (A.K.A. my boss).









The Museum of Fine Arts.

Co-op Love

Here is a story published in the September issue of Boston Magazine. It profiles Equal Exchange and several other worker co-ops. It's pretty long, but interesting. You can skip to the parts on EE to learn more about my work environment (it is pretty different from the average workplace.)

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/meet_the_new_boss_es/page1

I am going to two concerts this week- yay! More updates to come.

I survived the Boston highways (barely)

I have a feeling this will be a long entry. I forgot to mention previously that last Sunday I walked around the Arnold Arboretum, which is a huge arboretum (I think the world’s largest or something), and is really close to my apartment. It’s nice to have something like that so close for when I need a bit of nature in my life. It will be great for walking or jogging and I anticipate it being quite beautiful once the leaves change (which they are starting to).

I love this time of year! This weekend was beautiful. High 60s/Low 70s and sunny – perfect for walking around Boston. I guess I spoke too soon about having my weekends to myself, because on Sunday I ended up working, haha. I offered to do it and it was actually pretty fun, although exhausting. I sold coffee at this fall arts/crafts/music festival near where I work. We were consistently busy selling coffee and a lot of people seemed to know about EE. I got to walk around the festival a bit, too. Oh, but it was my first driving experience in Boston. For anyone who knows my driving style (generally nervous and only about five over the speed limit), driving around here is SCARY to me. First of all, the roads don't make sense. They come at all angles and circles and half the time the street signs aren't visible in a way that I'm used to. Also, during rush hour you can drive in the "breakdown lane," a.k.a. the SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. I had a string of problems on my way to the festival but somehow I made it. The way back went much smoother although I'm not really sure why, since I was half following Mapquest, half intuition. I almost cried when I pulled up to an intersection and realized it was my street. I made it! That being said, I don't plan on driving very much at all around here.

On Satuday, I walked to downtown JP and went to the bank (got my first paycheck on Friday, yay!). There was an "Open Studio" day where you could visit different art studios or something. I'm not really sure what it was actually. Then I got my week's groceries at the food co-op and took the bus back home. It was my first solo bus trip and I felt quite proud. But I didn't take it far enough and ending up walking a few blocks with my grocery bags. I'm telling you, my arms are getting strong from carrying groceries.

Saturday wasn't actually National Free Museum Day - somehow I made that up. Smithsonian Magazine was just sponsoring a free museum day but you had to acquire a pass (which I did) and it was only good for one museum visit. I decided to go to the Museum of Fine Arts. It was very big and really cool. I only spent about an hour and a half there, but I saw plenty. They had one room that was modeled after a Buddhist Temple, which was one of my favorite parts. I also enjoyed the 19th Century European paintings, which included some Van Gogh, Renoir and Monet. They had a Monet painting of the Rouen Cathedral, which Molly and I saw in France last year. (Some of you might remember me talking about seeing a special light show that projected Monet's paintings onto the actual cathedral.)

Then, I walked around downtown Boston for a bit. I went to Border's and got a few CDs. They had a great selection of music. I was exhausted by then and went back home for the evening. I watched a few episodes of the British version of "The Office." It's hilarious. It reminds me of Christopher Guest's humor, which I love.

So, here's the part most of you probably don't want to hear. Since I've lived in JP, there has been a shooting and a stabbing. I know the stabbing was fatal; I'm not sure about the shooting. I am going to start taking the bus more (now that I know how), especially at night. Quite a change from Richland, where the biggest crime was probably bored teenagers TPing their friends/enemies. But really, I do feel safe in JP, so mother, please don't worry too much. :)

And now I'm going to get preachy ... I just want to remind everyone of your power as consumers. How you choose to spend your money does make a difference. I encourage you to buy local and fair trade products as much as possible. In other words, Wal-Mart = Bad. Starbucks = Bad. OK, that's all.

Happy Monday!

Medium? Full City? Vienna? French? Pick a roast!

I don't have much time, but I thought I would do a quick update.

-Equal Exchange is great! I'm still learning a lot; I like my co-workers; and I'm getting into the meat of my work. Basically, I edit and write various content for our newsletter, website and other promotional items (such as a school curriculum on fair trade practices). And then there's random stuff that I do as well, such as attend meetings and manage the inventory of promotional items (shirts, mugs, hats, etc.)

-Tiffiney's karaoke birthday party was fun. I have a ton of great photos, so I'll upload a few soon.

-I ate at a really good Thai/Cambodian place in JP the other night. By myself, thank you! I had a seafood/curry paste dish. It was spicy and delicious. I will be back.

-We still don't have internet at our apartment. We have to get a new wireless router - the one we had didn't work with our setup. But this is good - it's forcing me to not spend time online.

-I am excited for visitors! Luke may come in the near future; Nikki is visiting in late October; and Molly is coming late November/early December. Anyone else is welcome to visit! I'll be a good tour guide, I promise ... even for those on a tight budget!

-This weekend? I plan to hit up a few museums on Saturday, because it's National Free Museum Day. Yay! I also hope to eat at some good JP restaurants, including an Indian buffet. If you haven't noticed, I like food. A lot. But you probably knew that already.

One Week!

Some photos...

the north end:















me and vanessa (roommate) out in JP:














the library:
















the south end:














I survived my first week in Boston! It has actually been quite wonderful - no complaints really. I have had pretty romantic views about living in a big city (especially after my trip to Europe last summer), and I was a little worried that once I got here, I might be disappointed. But it has been everything I hoped for and more! So far I still feel like a tourist in many ways, since I'm trying to see all the Boston sites, but I'm doing my best to look like I know where I'm going when exploring. Then I just sneak a quick photo and join the other locals in getting annoyed with all the tourists.

It feels weird to have my weekends completely to myself - no studying, meetings, papers... it's nice! On Saturday, I walked to downtown JP and took care of some business (bank, post office, grocery store). JP is really cool. Lots of shops, restaurants and boutiques. Since it was Saturday, it was quite bustling. I definitely will enjoy spending time around there. Then I took the T to the South End of Boston. I walked around the Copley Square area, which is now my favorite part of Boston. It reminds me a lot of Europe, with old churches and upscale shops and outdoor seating at restaurants.

Last night about 10 of us from work got together for a co-worker's birthday. It was my first trip out on the Boston bar scene. First we went to this new place called The Beehive in the South End. It's supposed to be modeled after a '20s speak easy. The building itself was really cool and they renovated it really well, but the whole thing was a little too posh for our taste so we decided to head back to JP and go to a local bar there. It was much less crowded and we could actually sit and chat. Vanessa (my roomie) joined us, so that was nice. The walk back home in heels was not. I'm definitely nursing some blistered skin today. (By the way, the T stops running at 12:30 a.m., but bars are open till 2 a.m., which means you either have to walk or get a cab ... or go home early.)

Today is my roommate Tiffiney's birthday so we're going out to a karaoke bar tonight with her friends to celebrate. Should be fun. I've never actually karaoked before.

Then it's back to work tomorrow! This week I start doing some writing and content developing. Have a good week, ya'lls!
a/k/s

Learn about Equal Exchange!

If you're interested in learning about EE, check out this 8-minute video put together by an outside organization:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5nj-LG7OM

I've Been Exchanged

An update is in order. On Tuesday afternoon, I ventured into Jamaica Plain, trying to find the "downtown area." Apparently I didn't walk far enough, but I did stumble upon a food co-op so I was able to get some groceries for the week. The store carried Equal Exchange products - it was the first time I've seen them in a store - so that was exciting. I then trekked back home with my groceries in hand. It was probably 10 blocks. I was exhausted by the time I made it back. I rested up for an hour and then walked to the T stop near my house. I took the subway into the North End of Boston, which I had never been to before. I wandered around for a bit and realized I was walking along the Freedom Trail, so I decided to follow it. I saw the Copp's Hill Burying Ground, the second oldest burying ground in Boston, and then walked along the shore for a bit. I also walked past Paul Revere's house. I will add photos of all this soon.

Wednesday was my first day at work. Everyone has been so nice and welcoming here at Equal Exchange. There are a lot of 20-somethings and a couple other recent-ish college grads. I think I will fit in well. I take a van pool to and from work with some of the other employees who live in JP (Jamaica Plain). It's about a 30-35 minute commute each way. Luckily, I'm the last to get on and the first to get off. Tonight EE is having "Band Night" after work - with food, drinks and music - so it will be a nice way to get to know my co-workers in a relaxed environment. (Actually it is always pretty relaxed around here. No dress code!)

I've mostly been going through orientations and trainings. I have a lot of materials to read through to get myself familiarized with co-op business models, EE policies and ideologies, fair trade, coffee/chocolate/tea markets, etc. Next week I will start doing actual writing.

I am invited to two birthday parties this weekend - one for a coworker and one for my roommate. Should be a fun first weekend in Beantown!

Much love,
a/k/s

Bahh-ston

OK, here are the details on everything:

the drive
It took us even longer than we expected and so we decided to stay overnight Saturday near Albany, New York. I drove 10 hours that day and my mom drove about three (we were in my car together and then my uncle Joe and Dad were in the van). We finally got into Jamaica Plain around noon, after getting sufficiently lost. Thank goodness my roommate Tiffiney was around to guide us to the apartment via cellphone. Boston has a lot of roundabouts and u-turns, streets aren't marked and people drive like maniacs. Which means I will be driving as little as possible from now on. Yay public transportation!

the apartment
The apartment is really cute. Vanessa and Tiffiney have decorated it well, with a lot of their artwork on display (they are both artists). My room is right off the kitchen and I think it might be the largest bedroom.







We live on the first floor.











My room:

















Living room, Dining Room and Kitchen (walk-in pantry to the left)




















the roommates
I love them already! They are both really sweet, interesting and fun. I think this arrangement will work out well for all of us. Tiffiney is 26 and finishing up her art education degree. Vanessa is 23 and is doing her student teaching for art education.

jamaica plain
I have yet to really explore the area. There is a high Latino population so there seem to be a lot of Mexican restaurants. More on JP to come.

today
I finally finished putting my room together around 2 p.m., took a much-needed shower and then headed out into Boston. I decided to be adventurous and left without a map or guidebook. I walked down to the T stop near my house (about a 10 minute walk) and took the subway to a downtown station. It only took about 15 minutes to get downtown. What I failed to realize/remember was that the closer you get to the ocean, the colder it is. So a t-shirt is a bit chilly today. Lesson learned. I walked around in an area I didn't see when I came for my interview and after just a few blocks I already started to recognize the area. Boston really isn't that big - compared to, say, NYC, so I already feel pretty well oriented. I was starving (no food in the house yet) so I was looking for a local hole-in-the-wall type place. But then I got overwhelmed and saw a Qdoba, which is like my comfort food. So I totally sold out and got a chicken burrito there. It was just what I needed. Now I am sitting in a Starbucks because I wanted to use the internet. I naively thought it would be free, but nothing is free here so I had to pay $6 to use it for an hour. Hopefully we'll soon have our wireless internet hooked up in our apartment.

I start work on Wednesday so I will probably do some more exploring in the city tomorrow.

Miss you all!
a/k/s