Finale at Fenway

Gautam, me, Josh, Ian and Kim

A night game at Fenway capped off my final day of extreme sight-seeing, as well as my whole Boston experience. I coordinated tickets for a few of my favorite co-workers at the camp, and we all met up at Cask ‘n Flagon – a 35-year old fixture in the Fenway Park experience. It’s across Landsdown from the Green Monster, so you can sit there sipping brews while watching all the stadium hustle and bustle.

Not just to hightlight me, the night was also special for Jim Rice.  The 8-time All-Star slugging left fielder’s No. 14 was retired in a pregame ceremony, just two days after his induction into the hall of fame. Unfortunately, the place where they hung Rice’s retired number happened to be in the only three feet of the ball park that we couldn’t see.  But whatever.  We were still there!

We had great seats out in the right-field bleachers.  These seats are almost exactly opposite of the vantage point I had for the day game, so I feel like I got a full sense of Fenway.  A few more pics are here.

The game itself proved to be very exciting in that the score kept changing hands. Also, I felt like a veteran Red Sox fan when I started singing Sweet Caroline before some of my co-workers even knew what was going on! 

Monster in my palm

Boston led 7-4 in the ninth inning when management brought in their ace closer, Jon Papelbon. By the way, the stadium loses its collective mind when this happens. “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys blares at a thousand decibles, and everyone is screaming about how they “lost their leg climbing up the tall sails”. (It’s the same song used in The Departed if that helps.) It’s distinctively blue-collar Boston at its best. The only thing I’ve experienced that’s more exciting is when they play “Enter Sandman” for Mariano Rivera in Yankee Stadium – don’t tell anyone!

Anyway, the long and short of it is that Papelbon blew the lead and the Red Sox ended up losing 9-8 in 11 inings.  My friend Josh, a long-time Boston resident, turned to me and said, “Welcome to Red Sox Nation heartbreak.”

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – day 2

If you are ever in Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is one of the most eclectic, eccentric and unique museums I’ve seen in my lifetime. Actually, one doesn’t just see it, one really does experience it. I’m so glad it started off extreme day two.

Isabella Stewart Gardner, known also as “Mrs. Jack” in reference to her husband, John L. (“Jack”) Gardner, was one of the foremost female patrons of the arts. She was a patron and friend of leading artists and writers of her time, including John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler and Henry James. She was a supporter of community social services and cultural enrichment. She was an ardent fan of the Boston Symphony, the Red Sox and Harvard College football. Isabella Stewart Gardner was also the visionary creator of what remains one of the most remarkable and intimate collections of art in the world today and a dynamic supporter of artists of her time, encouraging music, literature, dance and creative thinking across artistic disciplines.
 
Over three decades, Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled the world … to amass a remarkable collection of master and decorative arts. In 1903, she completed the construction of Fenway Court in Boston to house her collection and provide a vital place for Americans to access and enjoy important works of art. Mrs. Gardner installed her collection of works in a way to evoke intimate responses to the art, mixing paintings, furniture, textiles and objects from different cultures and periods among well-known European paintings and sculpture. 

While all the traditional museum rules apply (there are no less than 3,000 “do not touch” signs throughout the museum), the experience is much less formal. You feel like you are on a private snooping tour through this woman’s home.

El Jaleo - John S. Sargent

The collection includes a Rembrandt, a Matisse, a Degas, a Whistler, etc. But I had one of the strongest reactions I’ve ever had to a painting when I saw El Jaleo by John S. Sargent.  This picture does nothing to evoke the light, shadow and raw energy captured in this painting.

When she died in 1924, Isabella stipulated in her will that the museum’s permanent collection not be significantly altered, ensuring that the art would be presented the way she had intended for as long as the museum remains open.  Also, anyone named Isabella gets in for free. Cool lady. Go to this museum.

Extreme sight-seeing – day 1

Me and Kim on the Harbor Island Ferry

Since I was leaving, I had to make some tough decisions about which sites and excursions would make the final cut. Part of the national park system, the Boston Harbor Islands are just a few minutes from the mainland via ferry, and I decided it would be a good start to my Extreme Sight-Seeing, P.R. (post resignation).

Kim and I headed out for a “multi-island adventure” on a ferry that leaves from Long Warf in the Boston Harbor.  It’s only 14 bucks round trip to two islands, and it felt great to be out on the water and away from the city. It’s amazing how different the environment can be just 15 minutes away.

Our first stop, Spectacle Island, is a nature preserve of sorts. There are over 5 miles of hiking trails, a lifeguarded beach for swimming, and a “green” visitors center.  There are a few dinky little exhibits, and a snack shack.  We were beat and kind of lame this day, and just sat perched in adirondack chairs admiring the incredible view of the harbor and the Boston skyline.  Some rest and relaxation was in order.

Boston skyline from Spectacle Island

After about two hours, we hopped back on the ferry to Georges Island, which is home to Fort Warren, a granite behemoth built in the 19th Century to defend Boston. Similar to the experience at The Eastern State Penitentiary here in Philly, visitors are free to wander around the fort, exploring the look out towers, various dungeons and walk the grounds. Also like Eastern State, the fort is simultaneously creepy and cool.

Row upon row of canons sat on the ramparts, some of which could shoot up to three miles out to sea. It never occurred to me that the Civil War would require coastal defense, but I guess it makes sense.  You can see more pictures of Spectacle and Fort Warren here.

After a long day of adventures at sea, I crashed with my gracious Cambridge hosts.  I had some local Boston brews at the Cambridge Brewing Co. as well as an unremarkable burger.  The real highlight came for desert though.  You guessed it, another hard-serve, homemade ice cream shop. This time Toscanini’s in Central Square offered up my hands-down favorite hand-made concoction for the entire Boston trip: burbon ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough. I could smell and see fumes coming off this double-scoop of deliciousness, it was SO bourbony. Now that’s an ice cream buzz!

The horror of Rocky Horror

After a long day at the aquarium, my boss had secured tickets for a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture show that included live actors. Yes, I said midnight screening. The whole idea behind these productions, which are apparently a cult phenomenon, is provocation of and interaction with the audience.

For those of you that know about my irrational phobia that I will be pulled on stage during any type of performance, you can imagine how I felt at the mere thought of attending this event. Not to mention the fact that the subject matter, in my apparently Puritanical opinion, is completely inappropriate for kids as young as thirteen.  Trani. Hot. Mess.

I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I was mortified by the behavior of the actors and felt completely, uncomfortably responsible for bringing kids there that were way to young for the subject matter. I dragged a few of the youngest kids out of the theater about 10 minutes into the “show”, which caused somewhat of a debacle. 

There was nudity, there was crying, there was fury.  Not the first time that I had been put in an exceedingly uncomfortable position during my tenure, this incident became the straw that broke the RA’s back. I haven’t written about any of these issues in the blog because, frankly, they aren’t fun and/or entertaining – and everyone already has enough of their own unfun/unentertaining stuff. 

However, as a result of this and quite a few other situations, I resigned my position on Sunday morning.  Now, with the wisdom of hindsight, I feel like i should have stuck it out for the final two weeks. But to use my new favorite phrase, “it is what it is.”

I’m chalking the whole thing up to yet another adventure in my year of forced self-exploration and random employment fantastica.  I had a lot of good times, gathered further insight about my strengths and weaknesses, and met a few really cool people (some of them wee people).

In fact, I enjoyed Boston so much that I moved all my stuff to a friend’s place in Cambridge and spent two days Extreme Sight-Seeing before returning home this Wednesday.

New England Aquarium

Last Saturday the other two RAs and I took 25 kids into downtown Boston on the subway. Half of the kids wanted to shop at Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, while the other half (and all 3 of the RAs) were going to the New England Aquarium.

The subways that day were extremely crowded and running behind schedule. We had to switch lines and make sure that all the kids were paying attention and getting off at the correct stops. Terrifying.  After standing with my back into the doors as they tried to shut, I thought that we had all made it on, only to see a handful of familiar faces whiz by as the train pulled away from the platform. I had several heart attacks. But then, at the very last second, I saw that Kim (another RA) was also there with them.

The shoppers were allowed to walk around for three hours unattended and we picked a meeting spot.  Terrifying. Then the rest of us, mostly the younger kids, set out for the aquarium.  Upon arrival it took approximately four seconds for all of us to become separated in the shear pandemonium. Bear in mind that I donned a day-glo yellow “Chaperone” sticker at the entrance and am now busting through fish tanks and penguin habitats yelling kids names and incessantly calling their cell phones like a strung-out maniac.

Poisonous fish tank - NEA

I didn’t see much of the aquarium myself, but I did manage to take in a great jellyfish exhibit. Also, the aquarium centers around a three- or four-story living reef and the tank is filled with all manner of ocean life, including a giant sea turtle – pretty awesome.  Otherwise, I’m sorry to say it New England, but the Camden Aquarium is so much better.

All in all, everyone made it home safely. I know this because we counted the kids no less than a thousand times throughout the course of the day. Get on the subway, count the kids. Get off on the platform, count the kids. Get on, count. Get off, count. Enter museum, count. Shop, count, etc.

Duty calls

I had brunch last Sunday with an Egyptian. She didn’t walk like one though, which was disappointing. Then I spent the next 5 hours at registration, convincing 100 kids’ parents that we would keep their precious babies safe and sound.  That night, I spent 2 hours, and then 6 hours of the next day (my day off) talking a very anxious little girl out of panic attacks.  I’m happy to report that she has decided to stay with us, and is out shooting her very first movie as I write this.  Spread your wings and fly, little bird …

So, in a nutshell, I’m exhausted.  But two more RA’s have arrived, and we now have a schedule of which days/nights we’re on and off, so that helps. I try to push myself to do sight-seeing activities when I do get some free time, although usually I just want to sleep!

This past Monday, I visited the JFK Presidential Library and Museum.  The first thing I realized is how little I actually knew about JFK beyond the assassination, conspiracy theories, and “Hap py Birth day, Mister Pres i dent…”

The soaring exit lobby

I didn’t know, for example, that he had been the commander of PT-109 (patrol torpedo boats) in World War II,that collided with a Japanese boat and sank off the Solomon Islands.  Kennedy swam many miles dragging an injured man by a strap on his life jacket.  Kennedy gripped the strap in his teeth while he swam.  The crew, and Kennedy, were rescued after a few tortuous days spent swimming into high-traffic enemy channels and searching deserted islands for food and water.

JFK also issued an executive order in 1961 creating the Peace Corp – to harness the enthusiasm and passionate idealism of young people. In a speech in Ann Arbor, he challenged a grew of college students to live and work in other developing countries, to work for peace and prosperity for all.  Sound like anyone else we know? 

As for the other exhibits at the library/museum, the usual artifacts were neat to see in person: his actual, hand-written report card from Harvard (where he was on the swim team – which obviously came in handy later!), many notes to his secretaries and other diginitaries in his own hand, faux newspaper boxes with old newspapers from all over the country pronouncing different developments in his campaign and presidency.

Other exhibits depicted the childhood and White House life of Jackie O.  Apparently, in addition to bringing fashion to the White House, she was the first First Lady to bring artists and cultural icons for elaborate dinners and performances.  Hence, The Kennedy Center and its Honors.

Apparently, she wanted people to see what the “people’s’” White House really looked like. She personally hosted a televised tour on CBS a few nights, showing different rooms and explaining the historical significance.  Several fan notes were displayed. My favorite:

“Dear, Mrs. Kennedy,
I enjoyed your program. It was exciting. My dad was going to watch Maverick.

Sincerely, Frank Fennerra”

The final exhibit is a long black hall with small TVs playing that horribly disturbing and grainy video of the fateful motorcade.  Walter Cronkite’s now famous broadcast delivering the news of Kennedy’s assasination follows, an experience made even more poignant coming so soon after Cronkite’s own death.  Even though I’ve seen it a million times, I haven’t been desensitized.  The video is so sobering and sad standing there. Truly tragic.

This hallway spits visitors out into a soaring glass and metal structure that overlooks Boston Harbor. The walls are white and blank except for a few of Kennedy’s more inspirational quotes.  The biggest American flag I’ve ever seen hangs from the ceiling (pictured). Somehow, your sense of the positive is restored in this room, and you leave inspired to change the world. Well, first you have to go through the gift shop.

I like the nightlife

Last night I met up with Mike at The druid, a bar I spied one night when we took the kids for ice cream at Christine’s.

Ice cream side bar:

“New Englanders [...] consume more ice cream per capita than people in any other region in the country: 22 pints a year, according to Bob Bryson, executive director of the New England Ice Cream Restaurant Association in Merrimack, N.H.”

You’d think this would be the case in a warmer climate, but there seems to be no explanation for it. Already I’ve been to four homemade hard serve ice cream joints here. There is also a locally owned tart frozen yogurt chain called BerryLine, one of which is directly across the street from our dorm.  I think the main ingredient is crack. I’m always going back, and it’s whack.

Ok, so The Druid. It turns out that this bar is only four blocks from Mike’s house, and it’s his “Cheers.”  Everyone knew his name. All the bar tenders and wait staff are right off the boat from Ireland. Some are taking the boat back at the end of the summer. Great little place, kind of like a Monks for those of you familiar with that watering hole. I had one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time. D, the burger contest is now officially on and Bartley’s is on my sight-seeing list.

After The Druid we turned up at … wait for it … The Thirsty Scholar. Great name for a Harvard bar. We ran into one of Mike’s co-workers and her hubby. Lauren, the co-worker, provided my best long-term exposure to the Bahstun accent yet. Born and raised.  To give you an idea, we were in an area called Somerville, which is “Somuva,” according to Lauren. There were several points in the conversation where I looked for the subtitles…

Harvard campus

Johnson Gate

You really can feel the weight of history on this campus. This is the main gate leading into Harvard Yard from the bustling Harvard Square. Just beyond the gate is what’s considered the “Old Yard” not to be confused with just the regular “Yard.”

On your left as you pass through the gate (you can just see it in the picture) is Massachusettes Hall, which was constructed in 1711 . It’s the oldest still-standing building on Harvard’s campus and one of the two oldest academic buildings in the country (Jess, I couldn’t find which one is THE oldest!).

A steady stream of tourists mills around in the Yard at pretty much any hour of the day.  They wait in line to get their picture taken with a big statue of the benefactor, John Harvard.

Whenever I get a few hours of free time, I just set out in a different direction of the campus. Nearly every building has been standing for over 300 years and has a significant past.

Me and the Widener Library

The Widener Library, which opened in 1915, illustrates perfectly the type of meaning that many of these buildings hold:

“The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library is Harvard University ’s flagship library. Built with a gift from Eleanor Elkins Widener, it is a memorial to her son, Harry, Class of 1907, an enthusiastic young bibliophile who perished aboard the Titanic. It had been Harry’s plan to donate his personal collection to the University once it provided a suitable alternative to the outdated and inadequate library then located in Gore Hall. Mrs. Widener fulfilled her son’s dream by building a facility of monumental proportions, with over 50 miles of shelves and the capacity to hold over three million volumes.”

Annenberg Hall aka the sanctuary

For me, the dining hall is the most impressive place I’ve been. It ain’t your average sit ‘n eat. The food isn’t mind-blowing, it is just a cafeteria afterall. But I’ve eaten there over 20 times now, and I still just sit and stare up at the ceiling, at the stained glass, at all the ‘brilliant’ people.

I can’t quite put my finger on why yet, but sitting in there makes you feel like anything is possible. Like so many incredibly intelligent people are together in one building, at one time, and that has happened so many times throughout history. Right there, again and again. I don’t know…  Then you look to your right,  and some kid is eating a pile of rice covered by 2 slices of wet turkey lunchmeat topped with grapenuts (True story.)

Anyway, here’s a link to a few more campus shots if anyone is interested. Sorry about all the self-portraits, but I’m usually alone on my walks!

Campus view from the Charles River

For the most part now, I go into the office around noon. So after I’m properly caffeinated, I get my seniorcising in along the Charles River before I go to work. The dorm is just about a mile from the banks, and the view is quite similar to running along Kelly Drive. There’s a path that follows the river, the Harvard boat house and the occasional crew team practicing. The main difference is that it doesn’t stink.

Camp

Technically, I AM at camp. So if anyone is interested in sending me treats or care packages of any kind, one could do so here:

Leslie Young
c/o NYFA Program
Holmes Mail Center
18 Everett St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Miss Hannigan

My home away from home

This is Miss Hannigan’s room on the fifth floor of North Hall. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s what’s beyond this sad little room that matters. See the Harvard posting to get an idea. The oldest university in the country, anyone?  Harvard factoid: established in 1636.  Huh?  This place has educated some of the greatest minds in history. To name a few, Ralph Waldo Emmerson, David Thoreau, John Updike, Henry Kissinger, John Adams, JFK, FDR, “Dubya” and Obama.  Robert Oppenheimer, educated here, created the atom bomb, which is impressive if you ignore the carnage. Also, Conan O’Brian, clearly a genius.

I’ve been telling all the kids that I’m staying in Obama’s old room. The international kids sometimes believe me, which is fun. All in all, the kids are pretty well-behaved. And rich. They have classes all day and are allowed to walk around in groups until 9 pm.  Then it’s my time. We usually show a movie from 9 – 11, but not all of them want to watch it. The ones that don’t usually try to get away with murder. A 14-year-old “playa” asked me if I wanted to cuddle during the movie the first night.

Last week I had a very rammy bunch with a ringleader whom I found taking a running jump onto a light pole and swinging around it until it nearly fell over. At 11 pm, I found them making “gravel angels” in the parking lot by the dorm.  They are like 16!

Another thing I spend a lot of time doing is unlocking doors. At least 5 kids lock themselves out of their rooms per day.

I found another kid, who is also a professional magician, pan frying a cheese burger in the kitcheonette at 2 am.  He didn’t clean up and I found, to put it delicately, fly larva in there a day later. This same kid has a full-fledged satellite dish set up in his room because he could not stomach the idea of a world without cable television for 3 weeks.

Last night 3 kids left campus at 10:30 pm w/o permission to get pizza and got caught. So tonight, I get to escort them from their class to the dining hall, eat with them, and then walk them back to the dorm where they must remain in their rooms while I stand guard. Jealous?

Right now it’s pretty light duty, as there are only 12 kids in the dorms.  Forty are coming on Sunday…