Hello Gorgeous

This has been the most beautiful Spring in Boston I can remember. Everything is so fragrant, especially at night--the earthy aroma of the lake and the sweet perfume of the trees and flowers is intoxicating. For ESL students visiting Boston right now, you must know how lucky you are. Spring is not always so lovely. Sometimes it rains quite often, or even snows--the weather can be cold and miserable. But not this year (maybe due to global warming which is really a terrible problem and yet look how fabulous everything is!) Today's word is SUMPTUOUS. It means: splendidly and impressively lavish...gorgeously beautiful and enticing. A very fancy meal, or feast can be described as sumptous...and a beautiful Spring day like today can be described as sumptous. (This picture was taken down the street, opposite The People's Republic, a dive bar where they filmed a scene from the movie '21')

Bad Toilet!

Thankfully we have very nice interns from Northeastern who are willing (not eager but willing) to clean the overflowing toilet when no one else will (no one else being me). Interestingly, they set the world record for cleaning a bathroom in a total 30 seconds, so I'm guessing there is still a reasonable amount of bacteria and other harmful germs spread invisibly across the floor. Welcome to Boston Life! (Here's a secret few people know: there's a second bathroom in room D--if ever the hallway bathroom looks questionable, try the D bathroom for a more pleasant toilet going experience). Thaddeus is on the left and Chelsea is on the right.

Hallway and Classroom Images Continued

The picture on the bottom is of Kassandra and Minji in class. Kassandra is new with Boston Life. She taught English in Thailand for 2 years and has her Masters from the School of Education at New York University. Welcome Kassandra!

Images of Hallway Between Classes

Charlene (in green shirt and headband) is one of our new teachers. She's very funny--I really liked her dry sense of humor when I interviewed her. I think the students will love her sense of fun and enthusiasm.

Cafe Club Hanging Out

This picture was taken in front of The Middle East (a bar/coffee house/restuarant). Cafe Club meets every Wednesday and Friday at 4pm for conversation practice and tea (or coffee or soda or anything you like). At least 2 teachers attend the group, and approximately 4-8 students. It's a good time and a nice way to practice your conversational English skills. (Everyone is welcome!)

Why can't anybody take a break?!

The picture on the left is Hirozo and Minako (both from Japan) and below is Xuan (from China) and Young from Korea. These are some of our dedicated volunteers and staff members. Xuan started working with us last week. It took me several tries before I could pronounce her name. It's really a very challenging name, Xuan. Maybe I will call her Lady X! That sounds dramatic, no? Here's my problem: I deeply believe that every person should and must take a break during the day (leave the office, go for a walk or get lunch and talk to friends). I think people are more productive and happy when they recharge their battery and de-stress from sitting in front of a computer all day. But maybe only Americans believe in the right to happiness. It is in our constitution after all. Last Thursday I had to ask Xuan 5 times before she finally and very reluctantly agreed to take a break. It was really very funny. She looked so sad and heart broken as she walked slowly and mournfully out of the office, as if I had banished her. You know, it makes me feel like a slacker when I'm the only one in the office who takes a break. Is this an American thing? Why do my non-American co-workers feel angst over taking breaks? Why do they insist on being so pure and good and serious-minded? It is my dream that one day people from all countries and all walks of life will have the freedom and devil-may-care spirit to take a break!

Baby Shower

Miho, our Admissions/Scheduling Director will soon be leaving us to have a baby (how dare she). Sunday was her Baby Shower--delicious food and elegant strawberry cake, and many adorable gifts for the expectant parents. The hosts, Charlie and Jane, have a lovely home that I was tempted to never leave. Minako told me that in Japan there is no tradition of a party for the baby before the birth. But in the U.S. there seems to be a party for nearly every occasion: Welcome to new job, Goodbye from old job, bridal shower party, engagement party, bon voyage on your journey somewhere new, Happy divorce party, anniversary party, house warming party, marathon pasta party, congratulations on your promotion party, etc. Speaking of parties, I am very much looking forward to Leah's party in June (Leah will be leaving Boston in September). Leah is having a Margarita party...I expect it to be a glorious festival of drunken delights.

MIT in Cambridge

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a 5 minute walk from Boston Life. These pictures were taken over the weekend. I happen to love MIT-- it's very democratic and they allow anybody (even riff raff like me) to use their libraries and computers (you don't have to be a student or faculty member). They also have wonderful benefits for their employees, including sailing club memberships!

Group Fun

Look at these cutiepies. I think everyone looks adorable. Goodbye and best wishes to Yung Tak (wearing the blue shirt with writing) who goes home to Korea tomorrow. We will miss you Yung Tak and thank you for the donuts! Keep practicing your English--and please remember that janitor and genitalia have different pronunciations! From left to right: Soojin, Chelsea, Joyce, Kelsey, Leah, Yung Tak, Youn Jung, Sharon, and in front is Thaddeus.

Sunday Strolling in Boston

Sunday was Mother's Day. What a perfect day. I walked down Mass. Ave. in Cambridge and across the bridge into Boston and then turned left on Commonwealth Avenue. Commonwealth Ave. was designed to look similar to Paris boulevards and has statuary, memorials, and beautiful greenery (trees, flowers, park land). If you haven't taken a meandering walk along Commonwealth, now is the time to do it--it is absolutely lovely. Bring a book of poetry with you! (and maybe a picnic lunch-something French--a crusty baguette with cheese and grapes--wine--and fancy dark chocolate) By the way, Newbury Street is parallel to Commonwealth Ave., so when you finish on Commonwealth, you can easily walk to Newbury for boutique shopping and a hot stone massage or something equally decadent.

Monster Escapes Storage Room

Last night, a deadly monster escaped the storage closet and wreaked terror upon innocent Boston Life victims. Here, you see the reaction from Kelsey and Sung Won. Clearly, they were terrified. However, I am pleased to announce that no serious injuries occurred. In fact, I was able to grab the monster by his throat and hypnotize him with my dreamy violet-brown eyes so that he was incapable of violence. Many people cheered loudly and said I saved the day. It's so embarrassing--I guess everybody is calling me a hero. But really, I'm not a hero. I'm just a humble person who cares about her community and believes monsters belong in storybooks and not in schools.

Deep Thoughts

Thaddeus and Chelsea, our interns from Northeastern. (I asked them to look scholarly--indeed they do look impressively intellectual and important!)

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Today is a pretty spring day in Boston. I took this picture 5 minutes ago on my lunch break as I was walking to the library. (I'm super excited because I borrowed the movie 'Grey Gardens' from the library, a documentary about the reclusive cousins of first lady Jackie O...it's supposed to be really interesting and creepy!)

Cooking in English

Stasia is the Cooking in English teacher at Boston Life--below are pictures of her charming apartment in Beacon Hill. At one of her recent cooking classes, the group prepared pumpkin pie with chocolate crust. Doesn't it look amazing? Those are Stasia's hands cutting into the pie. Stasia has lovely antique pieces placed throughout her apartment--her place has a really zen feel to it, very unique and artistic and calm. By the way, it's Stasia's birthday this month--a few of us were going to go out dancing or listen to goth music at the Plough and Stars (a bar) to celebrate her big day--but she has suddenly disappeared. Hope you're having a wild b-day celebration Stasia!

Food and Politics

On the left is our fabulous teacher Angela and on the right is beautiful Yoona. Angela is an anthropologist and our resident southerner (from Tennessee)--she speaks with a charming southern accent (her voice is very soothing) and is an expert on all things southern, including coca cola cake and other unique southern specialties. The reason we like Angela so much is that she's incredibly nice but she's also funny and she's a strong southern woman--and she's a Hillary supporter! (I hope I can say that)--currently we Americans are enduring the election process for a new president and some of us (me included) would like to see a woman president. Now on a more important note, Angela just returned from a trip to Tennessee--she brought back Moon pies (chocolate marshmallow cakes) and Goo Goo bars (according to Angela, goo goo bars were the first combination candy bar in the United States)...I have to say the goo goo bars were out of this world--caramel, pecans, and marshmallow cream covered in chocolate. Fabulous. And then yesterday Angela brought in chocolate truffles...you can see the truffles in the picture (on the table). Thank you Angela for feeding us!

Today's Conversation Group

This is a picture of today's conversation group. From left to right: Yu-Hsuan (Taiwan), Mireya (Venezuela), Lily (China), Chelsea (USA), Kaoru (Japan), Marcella (Brazil), Nicole (Germany), and Janet (Germany).

I heard loud laughter coming from the room...of course I immediately ran into the room to see what all the fuss was about. If a good time is happening and I'm not around, no good can come of it.

Chelsea said the group talked about a variety of subjects, including mother-in-laws and pregnancy, and they learned two new idioms ('Absence makes the heart grow fonder' and 'Out of sight out of mind').

By the way, I plan to start a new conversation group soon. It will be free and will focus on Public Speaking--Fun Fun Fun! In this group we will practice speaking, debates, and short impromptu speeches with informal critiques. If anyone is interested, please call or email me.

Sharing a laugh

Here we have Jong Bae with Ian. Ian is a creative teacher and the students love his friendly, generous approach. It also doesn't hurt that Ian, in addition to his warm and enthusiastic manner, looks strikingly like the Australian actor Eric Bana. On the other hand, I've had students tell me that I look like Julia Roberts...now that is funny. I do not look like Julia Roberts. I do however look like a young Grace Kelly.

The Office and Prison Wall

This is the front office of Boston Life. On the left looking quite enthusiastic is Sharon and below looking very composed and elegant is Minako. If you notice, behind Sharon there are notes, a calendar, and cards taped to the wall. I call this my prison wall (much like prisoners who have nowhere else to compose their thoughts or write important ideas and reminders). At Boston Life I don't have as much office space as I could use, so I have taken the wall as my second desk. Perhaps the purchase of a bulletin board would be a better idea. And yet I have grown fond of my prison wall. I think I will have to tape a pretty poem to the wall, something by Keats or Shakespeare or Frost.