The Public Garden

In the summer when I walk through the Public Garden, I like to imagine I've gone back in time 100 or so years, and that I'm wearing a long elegant garden dress, accompanied by the Duke of something or other. Now, however, in winter time, the Public Garden is still pretty, but very cold! I went for a walk with friends the other night; we thought as seasoned New Englanders, the cold would not be an issue. But very soon we were running toward the exit and to Parish Cafe for drinks and little bites. (This was my first time at Parish Cafe and I really liked it. They are famous for their unique sandwiches--Parish is on Boylston very close to the Public Garden).

Winter Scenes

Newbury Street, Boston Common, The State House

Last Saturday night

Snowy Night in Cambridge

This weekend we had our first big snow of winter. Very cold but very pretty. I went for drinks with teachers after work on Friday, despite the accumulating snow (by the way, Tavern makes a surprisingly strong martini)--and on SundayI watched movies (Mad Men looks really good!) and read books (I highly recommend 'Davita's Harp' by Chaim Potok), and made tomato soup and eggplant and melted mazorella sandwiches. Other good things to do in Boston in winter: go iceskating on the Frog Pond in the Boston Common, take afternoon tea at one of the pretty hotels like Four Seasons, or enjoy a free concert or lecture at Harvard. Trinity Church in Copley Square also has free organ concerts during the week.

North End at Night

The North End in Boston is the 'Italian' section of town. There are many delicious Italian restaurants, bakeries, cafes, meat and cheese shops, and some charming independently owned boutiques. At night the streets buzz with action and the smell of garlic and tomatoes perfume the air. The North End is close to Quincy Market and the waterfront. If you go, make sure you are hungry and leave room for dessert!

Teacher Charlene has party

Last weekend teacher Charlene had a party at her place to celebrate the Obama win and view the famous Martin Luther King speech from 1963. Great party, great food, great discussion (Leah moderated a debate on race, politics, and love...nicely done Leah). Happy Birthday Makiko! (by the way, Charlene made a fabulous feast of mac and cheese, chicken, rice, and beans)

Potluck Party

This past weekend teacher Alex (in the blue dress holding the spoon) had a potluck party for Boston Lifers. The food was wonderful: Alex made a delicious macaroni and cheese, So Yeon made Korean pancakes which I am now addicted to, Miho (with baby Layla) brought a chicken with soy sauce that was to die for, Shaina brought a fancy vegan apple pie, and the list goes on (by the way, I made a warm apple cake with icecream--a recipe I found in the New York Times). Alex was the perfect host and it was so nice to get a chance to relax and hang out. Also, Katie's father is big and imposing so nobody mess with him.

More Halloween Pictures

Joy to the World! A New President for the USA!

Barack Obama wins and makes history as the first black president of the United States. What an amazing past couple of days. Teachers Leah, Charlene and I went to the Copley Plaza rally to listen to Obama's acceptance speech, and then on to Buwkowski's for drinks. People were singing, dancing, and cheering in the streets. It was a real celebration of hope and possiblity for the future. I also thinkmany Americans feel excitement that the rest of the world seems to be rejoicing over the result of the election--how nice for the United States to feel welcomed back into the world community after 8 difficult years. (by the way, the batteries in my camera stopped working after only taking a few pictures on Tuesday night--so I will post pictures of election night once I get my hands on Charlene or Leah's pictures)

Halloween Party for Staff and Students

On Saturday Boston Life held it's first annual Halloween party. Most everyone dressed in costumes (I loved Kassandra's fortune teller costume, and Makiko was a fabulous spider woman!) Food and drink were served and it was a very spooky night. Halloween is a fun holiday celebrated by both the dead, undead, and living. Children go trick or treating for candy, and adults attend parties. This is the one opportunity all year where you can be something completely different from your normal self. Debbie was a Moroccan princess, Joe was a bloody scientist, Alex was an elegant flapper, Aya was a beautiful witch, Joyce was a farmer, Katie was little red riding hood, Charlene was a pirate, Natsuyo was a dark angel, Takeshi was the guy from Scream, Erica was Audrey Hepburn, and I was a vampire. The party gossip includes: Takeshi scared little Jyouji with his scream mask, Joe handed out vials of sake (which Katie says tastes like a punch in the stomach), and Charlene and Harrison had a passionate debate about marriage. Now coming up on November 27 is my second favorite holiday, Thanksgiving!

The Mysteries of Whipped Cream

We recently said goodbye to our dear volunteer Minako (in black and white stripes) who went home to Japan. The party was girls only (with the exception of Minako's husband) and we had a lovely time playing games, talking and laughing. I made a chocolate mousse cake with chocolate ganache topping and a dark cookie crust bottom (and fresh whipped cream) and everyone brought delicious desserts and wines. Minako's rice cakes were yum! By the way, here in the United States we have a crazy invention called 'whipped cream in a can.' It's not so great but it reminds me of the Korean husband and wife couple who discovered whipped cream in a can when they came to Boston-- and they fell in love with this miracle of fake cream! They were amazed that a product of this type existed. One day the wife brought in the can of whipped cream--she was very frustrated. She couldn't figure out how to get the whipped cream out of the can. Being the whipped cream expert I am, I showed her how to squirt the cream out of the can by bending the top of the nozzle with your finger. This delighted her and for the rest of the day she proceeded to squirt whipped cream on slips of paper, her notebook, and other objects. (you can also find cheese in a can in the supermarkets--very disgusting--who is the person that thought it necessary to make cheese even more convenient by canning it?)

Halloween is Coming!

On Friday, October 31, Americans will be celebrating Halloween, a fun and spooky celebration with candy, ridiculous costumes, trick or treating, and parties. At 7pm this Friday there is a party at Boston Life. Everyone is welcome so do bring family and friends and wear a costume! (food, drinks, and good times will be served). Yes, I will be wearing my costume to work all day--many offices have holiday parties and costume contests and it is usually quite acceptable for adults to wear a costume to work on Halloween (and of course children wear their costumes to school). On Saturday night, teacher Charlene and I went to an early Halloween party at my friend Don's house. It was a nice time and Don made delicious treats. (Charlene is the pirate and I am the scary lady vampire).

Goodnight, Sleep Tight

Cambridge apartment building at night.

Teachers in Motion

Boston Life teachers, hard at work.

Apple Picking with the Teachers

Now is the perfect time to go apple picking in the Boston area. The weather is beautiful and the apples are perfectly in season. There are many nearby farms that offer apple and pumpkin picking, fresh farm fruits and baked goods, hay rides, games, and other attractions. Here we are (Apoorva, Debbie, Alex, and myself) last weekend on our apple picking adventure. (we had a very nice, relaxed afternoon and the apple cider donuts were amazing!)

Head of the Charles Regatta

Every year over 7,500 athletes from around the world compete in this 2-day rowing event along the Charles River. The weather for the Regatta this weekend was cool and crisp, a fine day for rowing (Boris the dog enjoyed the day immensely!)

Saturday Night Stroll in Harvard Square

Saturday early evening I went for a stroll in Harvard Square. Harvard Square is a mere 10 minute walk from Central Square where Boston Life is located, and has many bookstores, coffee shops, and bars. Don't forget to stop by Herrell's icecream on Dunster Street for their fabulous twinkies icecream (I know it sounds horribly tacky and the worst of America, but it's truly an insanely good pairing of cake and icecream). What a perfectly cool autumn evening. Now is the absolute best time to visit Boston! (before the weather turns too cold)

More Vacation Pictures (Bar Harbor, Maine)

We rented bikes in Bar Harbor and went biking along the carriage trails in Acadia National Park (there's a free shuttle bike bus that will drop you off at the carriage trails). There are 45 miles of gorgeous carriage trails in Acadia (thanks to Mr. Rockefeller) where you bike along the water, mountains, trees, etc. We biked for 6 hours (!), stopping once or twice for a picnic lunch and to take pictures. For days afterwards my thighs felt impressively muscled and defined. If only I could somehow incorporate the amount of physical activity I did everyday in Bar Harbor (into my life in Boston) I would be a specimen of physical perfection.

The Obama Rally on Saturday

The upcoming presidential election is a big one for the United States--historic and so very crucial (healthcare, the economy, national security and our relations with the rest of the world, education, the environment). I went with Angela on Saturday to the Obama rally in New Hampshire. I woke up at 4:30am (!) and Angela picked me up at 5:30 am so we could arrive in NH at 7am and line up for the rally which started at 10:30am. We had an awesome view of Barack Obama, right up front--he looked so young and he's so charismatic in person. He makes eye contact with everyone in the audience (I was certain he was looking directly at me during sections of his speech). The rally was a lot of fun and there was an interesting cross-section of people in attendance--there was one woman standing in front of us with a semi-mullet haircut, clapping her hands and singing and dancing and trying to excite the crowd with her Obama chants--She was an odd little bird--I wanted to like her but it was just too early in the morning. Her performance seemed manufactured. However, when Obama came on stage, the crowd went wild. He spoke for about an hour and touched upon many important topics. Ultimately what comes across is someone who cares about people, who has too much integrity to run a negative campaign. He's a real gentleman.

Public Speaking Class Starting Again

Here I am last month with my public speaking class (Minako, Akira, and Wakaba--Aki was also in the class but not in the picture). The students were awesome and I repaid their kindness by assigning numerous speeches and debates during the course. In the next public speaking class (probably starting in October) we will do more in-depth debates and focus on speeches to entertain and storytelling. The presentations will also be longer in length. But don't let this scare you! As someone who loves the subject of public speaking, I want to assure you that EVERYONE can benefit from a public speaking. It may be nerve wracking at first, but after the first few times the teacher throws you into the fire (with quick impromptu speeches and exercises) you begin to feel more confident and comfortable expressing your ideas and opinions. There is nothing more exciting than expressing your thoughts clearly and passionately! This class is for intermediate level non-native speakers.

Peggy's Cove

During my vacation, we drove to Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. Peggy's Cove is a small fishing village with a church (see picture), a school house, a general store, an icecream store, and of course a world famous lighthouse. It's a charming community, even with the masses of tourists. As I was exploring the village I stepped inside the tiny school house, thinking it would be a museum, a room that had gathered dust and hadn't been used in decades. But inside the schoolhouse the community band was practicing for an upcoming concert and the band leader looked up when I entered and said hello. I was surprised, I didn't realize the village is still a functioning community with actual fishermen and artists! I said hello and quickly made my exit.

Back from Vacation

Hello readers. I just returned from a fantastic vacation in Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, Maine. I loved loved loved Bar Harbor. It's a cutesy touristy town with tasty little restaurants and chocolate shops, and magnificent Acadia National Park at it's doorstep. Every day I went biking, hiking, or kayaking (and often took an evening swim in the hotel pool and whirlpool). In Nova Scotia we stayed at charming little Bed and Breakfasts (and one cheapie motel) and in Bar Harbor we stayed in a lovely hotel right in town on the water. People were very friendly in Bar Harbor and our kayaking guide Ted was mighty cute (we saw bald eagles, seals, star fish, and other wild life as we kayaked over to Rockefeller's private island in Bar Harbor). I highly recommend visiting Bar Harbor if you're looking for a fun time. The town has free shuttle buses that take you all over Acadia National Park. Make sure to pick up delicious sandwiches and cookies at Morning Glory Bakery on Rodick Street for a nice picnic in the park. Or stop at Jordan House in Acadia for traditional tea and popovers with homemade blueberry jam. (by the way, thank you lovely interns for filling in for me while I was gone!! much appreciated). P.S./the bearded sailor on the bottom of the page--my new boyfriend. He's handsome, right?

Interns Attack!!

Andrea is out of the office for a few days, so we, the loyal Boston Life interns, have taken over the blog.
Muah ha hahahahahaaaaaaa...

The picture on the left was actually a collaboration between a bunch of people at Boston Life. Leah received the flowers from one of her students, but she decided to let everyone in the office enjoy them. Andrea placed them in a mug on the desk. Takeshi trimmed and arranged the flowers because he was an apprentice florist in Japan for two years. Young Min, one of our volunteers, gave me some photography tips because he is an award-winning photographer in Korea. I (Shaina) took the picture with my camera and Katie gave me a cable so that I could put the picture on the computer.

So many people were involved in something so simple. What great teamwork!