It's been great Boston

When I realize it's my last full day in Boston

*originally an unpublished draft of my final post in Boston. I decided to upload it even though it was never finished.

Ciao and 你好

In a last-ditch effort to explore Boston before my departure I heeded one of the suggestions given to me on my Cap trip. In Boston there is an Italian equivalent to China Town in the North End, I guess christened unofficially "Little Italy?" Anyways my friends from the Cap suggested I go to this little café called Caffe Dello Sport. I must be getting good at finding my way around town because I successfully navigated to the North End without any problems. On this day, which is seems almost like everyday all of a sudden, there was a chance for rain. I hoped that if I moved quick enough I would be able to get in and get out before the downpour started.

Walking into the North End was really like going to another country! Finally I've made it to Europe!...

But it wasn't....

*A little note on the animated pictures (or .gifs). For some reason I am using them often now because I think they do a very good job of complimenting my writing. They show a visual dimension, and in many ways added humor to my descriptions. I hope they are enjoyable.

Anyways, after walking down this narrow street, surrounded by little shops and stores I made it to Dello Sport. At first I thought I was in the wrong place because well it didn't really look like a café. I thought it was a store, but after walking past then walking back I went in.

Picture of the street

Random picture from the street

As soon as I walked in Italian words filled the air. Wait, had I entered a different world? No, but it definitely felt like it. It was actually really awesome because I have never heard someone speak Italian in person. I have seen it on TV and in movies, but not up close and in person. I guess that is another really cool aspect of living in America or a large city, you get to see so much of other cultures. While I have been in Boston I have heard many different languages, seen many different ethnicities, and observed different cultures. All of this in one place. I guess there was no need to go outside of the United States to experience a different culture...right? Yes, that is what I am going to tell myself for now...until I cross the pond.

Anyways, so I walk in and like I said everyone is speaking Italian. I will be honest, I panicked a little bit. When it comes to languages I suck. Spanish is probably my strongest, by a tiny bit (it was useful in Puerto Rico though). My french is at a very beginners stage and my Italian vocabulary consists of pizza, mozzarella, and maybe some other words that are associated with food...oh and "ciao" maybe...though I doubt I am pronouncing it right.

Caffe Dello Sport

Nonetheless I walk up to the counter and explain to the young gentlemen that I am from a far off land and have heard that the cannolis here the best in Boston! Ok, so it was more like "Hey I heard you guys have really good cannolis, could I have one?" The dramatic description creates a more glamorous scene. He asked me what kind I wanted, I probably looked confused because I didn't realize there were different kinds, so I just said that I would take whichever was his favorite...I mean he must know which ones are the best, he looked Italian.

With that he grabbed a chocolate covered cannoli shell and pipped it with the filing. Then he dipped the ends in chocolate chips and sprinkled the top with powdered sugar. Then he wrapped it up and handed to me, then I had to give him money- damn so much for a freebie.

When the cannoli came into my grasp, it was like the world stopped and heavenly light shined down form the plaster ceiling above. Angels came pouring out from all around and a sweet melody started playing. As I walked out the door I took my first bite and BAM! The taste was incredible! It was delicious, it was magnifico!

After exploring the streets a little more I decided to head on over to China Town to get my last bubble tea. I couldn't help myself. If you have not had a bubble tea drink before then unfortunately you cannot emphasize with my need to get one more before I left. So off to China Town I went to get one. This time I felt a little more like an expert when it came to ordering. It always seems a little confusing because the menu isn't very clear and I'm nervous as hell because most of the people there do not speak very good English, and I don't speak their language (so I am just as bad)... But it was successful and I got my fill...

On my return back to Government Center to get the green line I got sidetracked...by a 26¢ (yes that is cents) sign for coffee...

26 CENTS?! 26?! Wait...so a little over a fourth of a dollar...1 quarter and 1 penny for a cup of coffee...COFFEE?!? Am I imagining this?!?!

Now with all that excitement, of course I had to investigate.

At first I was really confused, naturally anyone, anyone who has bought coffee almost anywhere knows that coffee does not cost 26 cents, unless there were some strings attached...would I have to sell my soul to the devil, sell my kidney, give up my first born son to the coffee gods...?! Which one was it?

As I was standing in line this man approached me and asked if I had any questions. Naturally, I asked why the coffee was so cheap. His response was interesting. You see I was expecting an answer like, "We are the coffee company of the future. We are hear to compete with Starbucks and DunkinDonuts. We are a small company that buys free-trade beans only, and we have a direct source to our growers...and we are organic and environmentally friendly..." Seriously though, I was expecting a California hippy-like response that was going to be epic....instead...well it couldn't have been further from what I had thought.

The little coffee truck in all its glory

Instead, and I will only paraphrase this because reliving the disappointing moment will only bring sadness upon me. The gentleman told me that it was a marketing tool...you see the company they were marketing for is Vanguard...some kind of finance company or something like that...and apparently this company only charges its customers, 1/5 of the market average...so as a way to help people understand this concept, they used something we were all familiar with- coffee. From a marketing perspective I think it's a great concept. It is attention grabbing and easy to understand, but as myself and the gentleman learned, I was far, far, far, far, from using a company like Vanguard. Hell I have one more year of undergraduate education left...I am more worry about loans and financial aid then stocks and bonds...but nonetheless he appreciated my question and I definitely appreciated his response.

Nonetheless I got in line and waited to get my 26 cent coffee. As I was standing there...and this is when things got well weird. I usually don't smile at people in the city because well I am scared to...I don't know how they will respond. But this older woman in front of my seemed so nice and polite that I had to. So I smiled and she says..."Honey...you don't look like a coffee drinker..."

Hold up...wait a minute. This woman is passing judgement on me... not a coffee drinker? Little does she know I am a gold card member at Starbucks and have been one since 2011...

So I asked..."I don't?" I'm thinking to myself...ok what is it...the mustache, the long hair, the college student attire...? The Nike shoes?

She simply responds..."You look more like a tea drinker...." What wait!? Let's back the conversation up a second...a what!?

Pardon the language...but just go with it....

Ok yes I do drink tea, but I would choose a cup of coffee over tea. How does one look like tea drinker...does she not see the 70s porn mustache on my face?! Where does one get the tea idea from...

Anyways after that weird experience her and I just chatted for awhile. The line was kind of long so we just talked. I explained my Magellan Project to her, and she was really expressed. She was kind of shocked that we plan and carry-out these projects on our own and independently. She also really liked my research topic and we had a nice conversation about Native Americans attending Dartmouth and also Harvard. It was really nice. She was from the area, and actually worked as a juvenile advocate at the court...or something like that. It was really nice. I forgive her for the tea comment since we had about a 15 minute conversation.   

And with that ended one of my last days exploring or going to different places in the city. From here on out it was library, library, library....

I also mailed out a few postcards today too...here they are:

Each had something to do with my experience here. For instance bottom right is Bates Hall, the place where I have spent many hours writing/researching, top right is the CITGO sign by Kenmore Square...

Lesson of the day: Sometimes just a simple conversation can be the highlight of your day.

Happy Birthday on the Cape

Today is my birthday! It's weird spending it here in Boston away from Pittsburgh. I guess when I was planning my Magellan I never really thought about what I was going to do on my birthday...ok so maybe I did a little...but I never expected spending it on Cape Cod!

My original plan for my birthday was to celebrate it with some friends who were going to come to Boston for a few days...unfortunately that didn't occur so I figured I was going to spend my birthday in the Boston Public Library with a stack of books and a raincloud above my head...get the metaphor? Thankfully that didn't happen and instead out of the blue a friend from W&J who is from the New England area asked if I wanted to get out of the city and see the Cape (yes, I am going to refer to Cape Cod as "The Cape" since apparently that's what Bostonians and Caponians (don't think this is a word, but oh well) do.   

This was my face when I found out I would be going to the Cape!

First and foremost, don't judge me for my excitement! Think about it for a minute...how many times a year do you hear references to the Cape...ok so I don't know the number but to someone from western Pennsylvania, Cape Cod is almost folklore. It's something you hear about, but never really get to see. Have you ever been to Cape Cod? If you answered yes, well good for you, but I am assuming most people are thinking to themselves..."Well...no..." so there...now you understand my extreme excitement. 

So after being invited to the Cape I needed to figure out a way to get there. First I thought about maybe taking a ferry from Boston, but there isn't service to Hyannis (the place I was going to). So next I thought well maybe I can take the red line (subway) down as far as I can go, but of course construction halted service this weekend. My friend suggested the CapeFlyer, which ended up working perfectly.

The CapeFlyer is a passenger rail service that goes between Boston and Hyannis, Cape Cod. Here's a look at its route:

Awesome, I have a direct route there and I don't have to worry about changing trains or having to take a bus, the trip seemed perfect......key word is seemed....until I looked at the schedule. The Flyer was departing from Boston South Station at 8AM...which means I would need to be at the station by at least 7:30AM...and because I could only buy my ticket at the station I should be there by at least 7AM so that I can get a ticket incase there is a line, or they sell out. 

So at 6:00AM this morning my alarm buzzed and I woke up...really easily. It's weird that sometimes you can wake up and be instantly ready for the day, and other times I feel like I have to coach myself out of bed. Perhaps it was my birthday, or maybe just the excitement of getting out of the city that made me wake up so easily.

An empty subway car early in the morning- why can't it be like this all day?!

Boston South Station

Getting to the South Station was an adventure itself. I knew the area that it was in, but I wasn't really sure where it was. Good thing I left early because as usual I got lost...again. I guess I haven't figured out how to use Google Maps yet. But needless to say after wandering in the wrong direction for about 5 minutes, my supposed 10 minute walk from Government Center to the South Station turned into a 20 minute walk. No big deal, I arrived at the station just in time to buy my ticket and get ready for the train.

The station was really crowded and for whatever reason they waited until about 5 minutes before departure to announce what track the train would be on. Once the board flashed with the track number people went crazy. All of a sudden people from all over the station started running to the train. Immediately I am thinking, I need to rush too. I've never been on a train before so I had no idea why these people were basically running. Was it because they wanted the good seats? Would there be a long line? Was there a security check-point? You honestly would have thought a race was occurring.

I walked down the track to the train and there's nothing. No lines, no security, just open doors to the train. I walked in and looked around. Why in the hell were people running? This train was certainly nothing to write home about. It looked like a slightly, and I use the word "slightly" very loosely, upgraded version of the subway. Perhaps I was in the wrong car I thought...maybe these are the cheap ticket seats and there are better ones somewhere else. So I asked this lady in the seat in front of me, "Excuse me, do I have to sit somewhere specific, or show someone my ticket?" She just stared blankly at me, like I asked her why do we need oxygen to live, and responds, "Umm honey...ya I don't think there are assigned seats..."

A view from my seat

Well...ok thanks. Nonetheless I moved away from her and took a single seat in the back of the car. The train had wifi, so I figured I would do a little work on the 3 hour ride. Of course it was my birthday but work is work. So I took out my laptop and connected...to...the...wifi....which.....was.....so....slow....I ended...up....just....turning....off....my.....laptop.

I guess that was a Happy Birthday to myself? No work! Yay... But it actually worked out really well because it gave me plenty of time to look at the scenery. I was on the lower level of the car, it was like a double decker, so I didn't get to see a whole lot but I did see a bunch of fields, which at first I wasn't sure what they were. And then it suddenly it dawned on me that they were cranberry bogs... Who would of thought that cranberries grew in Massachusetts?! Not me. And of course all the houses had that "New England" look to them. They were small and one story with the wood squares on the outside (see my pictures below for a better explanation).

Here are some pictures from the train:

Checking tickets

The 3 hour ride actually didn't seem to take that long because before I knew it the train was arriving in Hyannis.

The train

As part of my tour we went to this place in Sandwich (yes the town's name is Sandwich...hmm) where water comes from an underground spring and it is supposed to be magical? Fountain of youth in Massachusetts!? Apparently people filled up large containers of the water, and sure enough when we got there, this woman have a big class jar and was filling it up with water.

Of course I had to try it so we got out and filled up some water bottles. No joke, this water was really good and cold! Maybe it contained some magical writing powers? Probably not, but a kid can wish. Here's a few pictures of the fountain:

The town and surrounding area was really nice. It was small and had that little town feel to it...and it was QUIET! Finally some peace! I love the city, it's incredible, but it is never quiet. Even when you are in buildings it is loud. But on the Cape, it was quiet and cool. There was even a breeze!

For lunch we went to a little market/sandwich shop. I got the "Big Plymouth" since after riding through all those cranberry bogs, all I could think about was Thanksgiving. It was delicious! It contained turkey,  stuffing, cranberries, and I think some mayo? Whatever it was I was in heaven, and I definitely know what I am going to do with Thanksgiving leftovers!

After picking up the sandwiches we went back to their house for awhile and ate lunch. Then we went to the beach- which I was really looking forward to. Since being in Boston I haven't had the opportunity to see the water, with the exception of the harbor and Charles River...but that wasn't really the shoreline...it was more off a dock or from far away. Well this time I was actually going to a beach!

This beach was definitely different from the ones I was used to (Outerbanks, etc). It was a lot more rocky, and the waves were calm...but let me tell you...it was relaxing. An hour sitting on the beach with your feet in the sand/stones...catching a nice breeze off the water....who knew I was only 3 hours away from the chaotic city of Boston?! I loved it! Which is surprising since I'm not really the beach kind of person.

The train ride back seemed to take much longer than my trip to the Cape. Maybe it was because I was returning to the city, or because it started to get dark so I ran out of things to look at out the window. Whatever it was, the feeling returning home was bittersweet. What a great way to spend a birthday...on the Cape with a great group of people.

With that being said, a huge shout-out to my friend and her family for their wonder hospitality and for making me feel so welcomed. Having the opportunity to explore another part of New England, especially Cape Cod was something I have always wanted to do and I am very thankful that they allowed me the opportunity to do so.

Lesson of the day: When an opportunity presents itself- take it! You might not get the chance again!

I live in the library

How I imagine I look when I am researching.....

...Ok so I'm just kidding but for the past few days it definitely feels like it. I have been focusing a lot on my research, hence the lack of "tourist-like" activities. Granted in the past few weeks I have done a really good job of balancing the two, but since my time in Boston is waning I really needed to make the best of this library and its large amount of resources.

My research is really coming together now. I have been focusing mainly on primary documents, which includes the actual texts that Wheatley and Occom wrote. Next I will move onto secondary sources, which are books and monographs written by scholars about Wheatley and Occom's works.

It's interesting to see how through researching your thoughts on your research change. For instance, I thought, prior to really researching Wheatley and Occom that they assimilated into the "white" culture, but through my research I know believe the complete opposite. Both clearly identified with their race/ethnicity, so African and Indian, but were forced to, a times, take on "white" characteristics because of Euro-American colonization but both still saw themselves as an African and Indian.

I must share with you some thoughts I've had about the library. As a disclaimer before I proceed, by no means do I share these stories without feeling. Homelessness is a serious epidemic in this country and a very sad situation. I really hope that we can live in a society where this does not happen. But with that being said, onto the story.

One thing I have learned is that if you want to see a broad spectrum of people that live in the city, go to the library. While there I see scholars, students, middle-aged people, young people, children, homeless people, rich people...it's extremely diverse. The library has been more diverse and exposed me to more people than just walking around the city or even riding the subway (which I think is surprising).

With that being said, researching in the library has been difficult. Not from an academic standpoint, but more of a social standpoint. You see, I'm from rural Pennsylvania. I go to a "bubble" college. Essentially we, the college community, live in a bubble. Walk two blocks off campus and you're in a whole new world. I wouldn't call myself naive, or ignorant because I am aware of what is going on in the world, but I'd accept the term "inexperienced." My first exposure to people in rough economic times was probably when I went to the city for the first time with my grandmother when I was young. Sure I have passed them while walking but I've never sat at the same table with them.

The other day I was in the library looking for a table to sit at when I passed a few people that I would say were having some economic challenges. They are very nice, and never cause any problems but I must admit sometimes I get a little uncomfortable. One man had brought his cardboard sign with him that read, "Water and change please." There was another man that was just sleeping at a table. I like to work by himself anyways so I went to an empty table and sat down and started to do my work.

After a few minutes out of nowhere something caught my attention. Usually when I am in the library I have my headphones in so I don't hear people approach. I looked up and this guy sits down right in front of me. Now these tables are probably 8 to 10 feet long, with four chairs on both sides. The table was empty...and he sat down in front of me. It wasn't that big of a deal, but I'll be honest it made me feel a little uncomfortable. He was carrying what looked like several bags of things and a backpack. I briefly made eye contact and went back to reading. I couldn't help but keep checking on what he was doing. It was just weird...there was a whole table...why sit directly in front of me?!

How I imagine I looked when said story was occurring....(minus the uni-brow)

So after rebuking myself for being so judgmental I went back to reading. I told myself that I was being dramatic and that it wasn't that big of a deal, I was there to research. And then...I got a whiff of this smell, which caused me to look up. There on the table was a brown paper bag and a can of sardines... I have no idea what was going on... Was he making a lunch? Was he actually going to eat them? Would he offer one to me? Would he freak out and throw them?

With this running through my mind, he started to mumble and write things down. I couldn't really tell what he was writing, it looked like a bunch of numbers. And then that's when I had to relocate. I tried to sit it out as long as I could...but I just couldn't. The smell of sardines, and the bags, then the mumbling and numbers...I just couldn't. Needless to say I know read and write in Bates Hall (pictured below).

Every time I am in the library I seem to find new things to take pictures of, so without further ado, the pictures...

These are photos of the Map Room Café in the library:

The sandwiches and soups are amazing- and cheap!!

A few pictures of the court-yard:

*The reason why I was out in the court-yard was not to take pictures but because on this day the café was very crowded and I saw this older woman come in and she bought a lunch but she couldn't find anywhere to sit. I saw her go outside but it was rainy and cold, so she must have came back in, and then she walked around the café and then back out. I have been so moved lately by the chivalry that I have seen especially on the subway by younger people allowing older people to take their seat, that I felt compelled to do the same...so I chased her down and said that I was just leaving but wanted her to have my table. She was such a sweet heart and was so thankful. Now...who said that chivalry is dead?!

Here is a wall mural in the library staircase, it is of the nine muses (interestingly enough, Phillis Wheatley often referred to them in her poetry...is this a sign?!!?):

These are photos from the upper-levels of the library. The first few are of wall murals and decor, then there is one of a gallery, and the last few are of some of the other rooms. The ones right under this, actually the first four, are unbelievable! The pictures do not do them justice. 

And last but not least, it is Phillis Wheatley! Yes indeed, Wheatley is honored in a picture of Boston women in the entrance of the newer section of the library:

She is second from the left

Lesson of the day: Even if you have been somewhere a hundred times look for something new, you might just be surprised!