so, where have I been? you ask.
Jul. 5th, 2004 01:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kodalaiI went up to visit Boston last week. I think I'll leave ijournal open for a while so I can write stuff down as it occurs to me.
I took the train up on Sunday, which was a new and somewhat nervous experience for me. My parents were on their way up to church, and agreed to drop me off at the local train station so I could catch the 9:25 train into the city to get to Amtrak, only -- you guessed it -- there were delays and latenesses, and I missed the train. O_O; Fortunately, we had planned for this sort of thing and I had a good hour before I had to be in 30th street. And it turned out that the train station had those neat print-your-ticket things just like the airport does, so I didn't have to waste any time in line. Is it silly that I find riding on planes and airports much more familiar and comforting than trains?
The train ride was... long, though not as long as it would have been had I not taken the express, and made me somewhat motionsick. But that was all right, because when I got into South Boston, my sister (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ayelle) and her boyfriend (monstrousform) were waiting for me on the platform. ^__^ Then there was MORE train rides as we took the subway/green line out to their apartment.
Boston is such a beautiful city! O_O Is it just that all the other cities I've seen have been incredibly ugly, or that I've just seen the bad parts of those and the nice parts of Boston, or what? Everywhere I looked was lovely old buildings and gorgeous greenery. It was unreal.
Anyway, we got to their apartment, which at first impressed me, but after I got more used to it I realized that it was really much too small for two people to live in. Much bigger than a dorm room, and a nice place for *one* person, but not really good for two who live together. They didn't have anything like a spare bedroom, and the couch was too short to sleep on. However, we pulled off the couch cushions and laid them out on the floor, then put sheets and blankets over them. It made a very comfortable bed, really. The problem was sleeping -- much too much light and noise. >_o When the sun came up at five-thirty the apartment lit up like a lantern, and they were right over a fairly busy city street.
All this has really depressed me about my own future housing prospects. I've always planned to stay out in California after I graduate from college, but all I ever hear about CA is how expensive it is to live there and how tiny the apartments and houses are and how high the prices. Will I ever have a nice place to live on my own?
Anyway, back to Boston. We had a whole stack of brochures for fun things to do -- the aquarium, whale watching, duck tours (very aquatic themed, I notice) and museums. Realistically, though, my sister had classes and her boyfriend works nine to five, so it wasn't easy getting out to do stuff. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun. I ended up going to the aquarium on Wednesday with my sister, and all three of us went on the duck tours (extremely fun!) on Thursday. Other than that I explored Boston a bit, got comfortable with the concept of public transportation (really a good idea) and went a few touristy places like Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (monday.) I also visited Simmons, the school my sister goes to -- she's studying child literature, which is awesome. Between the walk there, and the duck tour thing, I think I got a pretty good look at the city.
When not exploring, I pretty much stayed in the apartment and played on Ben's computer (they really should make Roller Coaster Tycoon for the Mac >_>) or his PS2 (more on that later) and with their cat Miles (very cute, if a bit wary of strangers) and did a lot of reading. Got to finish the Hornblower series, which I started last time they visited but hadn't ever completed. Whee.
So, on Friday we all got packed and came down here for the fourth. It was pretty stressful for them because my sister had class on Thursday and then again on Tuesday, so schedules were pretty tight. But thanks to an early start, we actually managed to avoid any terrible holiday traffic (on the BosWash, on the friday before the fourth? very impressive!) and got here in one piece. They left their cat in Boston because he would hate the drive, and more importantly, probably could not cope with the dog. The puppy was a big hit with both of them, as was the new kitten (although they did not get a kitten of their own to take back with them, alas.)
Saturday we went out to the mall, which was pretty fun, although I still have to go back sometime soon and get new jeans.
Now, Ben's PS2 has been very tempermental for a long time -- won't always work at all. But now that he is a responsible citizen who actually has a paying job, he can get a new one, and he gave me the old one! ^____^ Yay! I still need to pay him for it, of course, but as long as I don't have to do it until after my yearly round of cons, I'll be quite happy. So, when at the mall, I also bought a copy of Soul Calibur II. Rawk. *gnaws on cables*
Sunday, we went to see Spider-man 2, and although neither my sister nor I were terribly enthused about the movie itself we all had a lot of fun. It was a very silly movie, but very entertaining, and I think MJ was a real jerk to jilt that guy at the altar. She should have broken it off with him before he spent all that money and expense, even if it was more dramatic this way.
We also had grilled steaks, french fries and corn, and afterwards toasted marshmellows on the coals. Just for reference's sake, those new chocolate 'Swoops' things (chocolate pringles, basically) make excellent chocolate inserts for s'mores. No fireworks, alas, except for a couple we watched in the neighbor's back yard. Very pretty.
They went home today. Too bad. But it does mean now I can lock myself in my room and play StepMania and surf the web without feeling obligated to socialize. Or. You know. Do anything responsible.
In other news, I may have a new student for Japanese -- she's coming this Wednesday evening. Hope this one turns out better than the last...
I took the train up on Sunday, which was a new and somewhat nervous experience for me. My parents were on their way up to church, and agreed to drop me off at the local train station so I could catch the 9:25 train into the city to get to Amtrak, only -- you guessed it -- there were delays and latenesses, and I missed the train. O_O; Fortunately, we had planned for this sort of thing and I had a good hour before I had to be in 30th street. And it turned out that the train station had those neat print-your-ticket things just like the airport does, so I didn't have to waste any time in line. Is it silly that I find riding on planes and airports much more familiar and comforting than trains?
The train ride was... long, though not as long as it would have been had I not taken the express, and made me somewhat motionsick. But that was all right, because when I got into South Boston, my sister (
ayelle) and her boyfriend (monstrousform) were waiting for me on the platform. ^__^ Then there was MORE train rides as we took the subway/green line out to their apartment. Boston is such a beautiful city! O_O Is it just that all the other cities I've seen have been incredibly ugly, or that I've just seen the bad parts of those and the nice parts of Boston, or what? Everywhere I looked was lovely old buildings and gorgeous greenery. It was unreal.
Anyway, we got to their apartment, which at first impressed me, but after I got more used to it I realized that it was really much too small for two people to live in. Much bigger than a dorm room, and a nice place for *one* person, but not really good for two who live together. They didn't have anything like a spare bedroom, and the couch was too short to sleep on. However, we pulled off the couch cushions and laid them out on the floor, then put sheets and blankets over them. It made a very comfortable bed, really. The problem was sleeping -- much too much light and noise. >_o When the sun came up at five-thirty the apartment lit up like a lantern, and they were right over a fairly busy city street.
All this has really depressed me about my own future housing prospects. I've always planned to stay out in California after I graduate from college, but all I ever hear about CA is how expensive it is to live there and how tiny the apartments and houses are and how high the prices. Will I ever have a nice place to live on my own?
Anyway, back to Boston. We had a whole stack of brochures for fun things to do -- the aquarium, whale watching, duck tours (very aquatic themed, I notice) and museums. Realistically, though, my sister had classes and her boyfriend works nine to five, so it wasn't easy getting out to do stuff. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun. I ended up going to the aquarium on Wednesday with my sister, and all three of us went on the duck tours (extremely fun!) on Thursday. Other than that I explored Boston a bit, got comfortable with the concept of public transportation (really a good idea) and went a few touristy places like Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (monday.) I also visited Simmons, the school my sister goes to -- she's studying child literature, which is awesome. Between the walk there, and the duck tour thing, I think I got a pretty good look at the city.
When not exploring, I pretty much stayed in the apartment and played on Ben's computer (they really should make Roller Coaster Tycoon for the Mac >_>) or his PS2 (more on that later) and with their cat Miles (very cute, if a bit wary of strangers) and did a lot of reading. Got to finish the Hornblower series, which I started last time they visited but hadn't ever completed. Whee.
So, on Friday we all got packed and came down here for the fourth. It was pretty stressful for them because my sister had class on Thursday and then again on Tuesday, so schedules were pretty tight. But thanks to an early start, we actually managed to avoid any terrible holiday traffic (on the BosWash, on the friday before the fourth? very impressive!) and got here in one piece. They left their cat in Boston because he would hate the drive, and more importantly, probably could not cope with the dog. The puppy was a big hit with both of them, as was the new kitten (although they did not get a kitten of their own to take back with them, alas.)
Saturday we went out to the mall, which was pretty fun, although I still have to go back sometime soon and get new jeans.
Now, Ben's PS2 has been very tempermental for a long time -- won't always work at all. But now that he is a responsible citizen who actually has a paying job, he can get a new one, and he gave me the old one! ^____^ Yay! I still need to pay him for it, of course, but as long as I don't have to do it until after my yearly round of cons, I'll be quite happy. So, when at the mall, I also bought a copy of Soul Calibur II. Rawk. *gnaws on cables*
Sunday, we went to see Spider-man 2, and although neither my sister nor I were terribly enthused about the movie itself we all had a lot of fun. It was a very silly movie, but very entertaining, and I think MJ was a real jerk to jilt that guy at the altar. She should have broken it off with him before he spent all that money and expense, even if it was more dramatic this way.
We also had grilled steaks, french fries and corn, and afterwards toasted marshmellows on the coals. Just for reference's sake, those new chocolate 'Swoops' things (chocolate pringles, basically) make excellent chocolate inserts for s'mores. No fireworks, alas, except for a couple we watched in the neighbor's back yard. Very pretty.
They went home today. Too bad. But it does mean now I can lock myself in my room and play StepMania and surf the web without feeling obligated to socialize. Or. You know. Do anything responsible.
In other news, I may have a new student for Japanese -- she's coming this Wednesday evening. Hope this one turns out better than the last...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 11:52 am (UTC)say, *prod* did you take pictures of Boston? *^_^*
Soul Calibur II is so evil - whenever I manage to do a realy chic combination I forget how I did it till the next time I play. >_> Could be just a fight later as well *cough*
so I'm bad at 'press this, this, and this and you can sling their head through your legs and feed them their own toenails' button games. Which is why I hardly ever use Auron's second overdrive - I'm glad i mastered the Seisma :p
but anyway... on the housing situation - are the cities closer to the beach more expensive? Or does it vary more from... North to South? or... from city to city? >_>;
no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 12:37 pm (UTC)Good luck with the new student!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 03:06 pm (UTC)