Experiencing Bostonian Life

Winter 2012

As usual, the winter break passed by extremely quickly. We did not get much snow this winter season and on top of that, the weather was mild. Some of us went to the ice skating rink at Kendall/MIT, but some of the days the rink was closed due to the warm weather.  However, the rink is very nice and quiet. Since the majority of the people go to Frog Pond, the Kendall/MIT is much better in terms of less crowd.

The other week I went snowboarding at Mount Sunopee for the first time. The drive was easy and the ski lodge and area was beautiful! I had decided to try snowboarding. Snowboarding is not a joke because within the first 20 mins I was sweating! The entire day felt like an intense workout, which led me to sleep very well that night and not able to walk the next day. Everyone should try either skiing or snowboarding atleast once!

Black Friday

Every year I participate in the Black Friday Craziness Shopping. I have been doing this since I was younger and I have continued the tradition every year. Our first stop was Walmart. I arrived at Walmart at 4am and the lines were all around the parking lot. Pretty much I had to wait at least half an hour outside, thank god for coffee. By the time I got in, it was a madhouse, especially the electronics section. Thankfully I just had to purchase a few smaller items and because of that, I was in and out within an hour. Then my next stop by the mall! By the time we arrived at the mall, it must have been around 5ish. It was busy but not crazy. There were many employees helping customers navigate through the store and getting items for you. Then I ended up going home.

This Black Friday was not a crazy shopping year for me, but I enjoyed participating in the craziness. I personally think some of the electronics are worth waiting in line for, but others can be purchased anytime.

Now at Suffolk, we have finals coming up. We pretty much have two weeks left. Two weeks of getting less sleep. Two weeks of hitting up the gym more. And two more weeks to live in the library.

Macy's Day Parade

Thanksgiving is officially next week, which means that finals are slowly starting to creep up. There is so much to do and I have no idea where to start. Anyways, every year in New York, Macy’s hold their Macy’s Day Parade. Some of my roommates and I went last year and we made it into an all day event. We took the Greyhound to New York City. The weather was a little cold, however, when the parade started, we forgot everything. The parade was done very nicely. The crowd was very lively and all in all, it was very fun. I would definitely recommend for friends to go down to New York City and experience both the parade that we always see on television and what the city has to offer.

In spite of the cold, there were many vendors outside selling their goodies. In my opinion, the shopping is the best part. The streets were filled with families, friends, and couples trying to finish up some last minute shopping. The city itself is very beautiful with all the different types of buildings and parks. New York is always a great city to go to.

Davis Square

The redline that heads towards Alewife takes you to Davis Square, an area filled with restuarants, shops, and bars. No matter what time you go to Davis Square, something is always happening. This weekend, I was coming from Arlington and trying to get to Davis. Because of the construction on the redline every weekend,  it took forever riding the shuttle that was provided. Besides that, after arriving to a lively Davis Square, all the frustration went away.

My mission was so have some Turkish food and I was recommended to go to Instanbul'ul, a restuarant right near Davis. The place was tiny but the food was simply amazing. It was very different because of the spices or seasonings that they used, but worth the long wait! Their menu had tons of meat involved, so all you vegetarians beware! They did have a limited number of vegetarians dishes. However, the food and the service was excellent and I would recommened this place to everyone!

After having some Turkish food, I walked around the area and slowly headed back home.

Experiencing the Bruins Game

This week, I was able to go to the Bruins game on Tuesday night. I went to their game last semester and unfortunately, I did not see any fights. This time, I was very lucky because there was a fight right in the beginning of the game. It is so weird that the referees do not get involved, but at the same time, it was really cool. There were some serious punches thrown between us and the opponent. There was also another fight somewhere in the middle, which was not too bad. We ended up winning the game, 5 to 3 and Boston was very happy. The best part of the game is the support and cheers from the fans. The fans were going wild! TD Garden is a great place filled with many seats and vendors. They also host many concerts there along with many of the sports. I would recommend anyone who is from Mass or outside of Mass to check out the place. There is so much to see outside TD Garden as well, such as the North End and Faneuil Hall.

Falling for Fall

During this time of the year, the leaves slowly start to change color to red, yellow, orange, and anything in between. As I started to head out to a local park in the South End, I noticed how different the atmosphere felt. The air was crisp, clean, and cool.  Near the Mass Ave Orange Line, there is park that you can walk and it ends at Back Bay Station. The park is for everyone including dogs. The scenario was simply breathtaking. Many of the trees looked very nice. As I continued to walk around the park, I noticed that there were many people taking photos and playing around the area. This is the perfect season where its not too cold or not too hot. A light jacket will do and off you go.

Activites around Suffolk University

Mid-terms has really taken a good amount of my time. So, I was not able to go and explore a different area this week. However, Suffolk University is selling tickets to the Bruins Game for sometime in November. Also, there are many other activities going around such as Spooky World at Fenway Park and other Halloween activities that take place at the University. My plan is to be able to attend at least one of them.  Are you guys ready for Halloween???

Mid-Terms

This week I wasn’t able to explore any new places because of mid-terms. It’s crazy how fast the weeks go by. The first couple of weeks of school are usually pretty steady, and then papers after papers start to pile on. Before you know it, mid-terms are approaching and I know for a fact that thanksgiving will come soon and before we know it, we will be done.

Tonight there is a Style Fixx event at the Boston Center of Arts where independent designers come to showcase their work. This is perfect for a rainy day and a girl’s night out. I may plan on going tonight but we will see. Also, Salem, MA is another hot spot I would like to try to visit especially since Halloween is coming. Perhaps that will be my next trip.

Cambridge Galleria Mall

A few weeks ago, couple of the girls in my class was talking about the Cambridgeside Galleria Mall. I am always looking for a nice mall to go to because I love shopping. I took the green line to Lechmere Station but because of construction, all the passengers had to get off at North Station and then take a shuttle to Lechmere. I got off Lechmere and headed to the mall! Right behind the mall, there is a small lake that people can take a boat cruise or walk around and have a small picnic. It was very pretty and peaceful.

As soon as I entered the mall, which has three floors, I had no idea where to start. I also noticed there are many restaurants around the area such as the Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Changs, and California Pizza Kitchen. Also, if you walk around more around the area, the Museum of Science is walking distance. Perhaps, that will be my next trip.

Haymarket

This weekend I was able to experience a Farmers Market called Haymarket. I have heard of Haymarket before and how the prices are very reasonable and the quality is pretty decent. Many of the students around the Beacon Hill area always go there for fresh fruits and vegetables. The market is open Friday and Saturday from 8:30 to around 4ish. With that being said, I headed for an adventure.

Both of the green and orange line takes you to Haymarket. As I arrived, I saw many vendors screaming out deals such as “A dollar a box” for 6 green peppers. The prices were very low and most of the quality was good. When buying any items, it is important to examine each piece to ensure good quality and freshness. After shopping around for an hour, I ended up buying spinach, broccoli, scallions, cilantro, eggplant, strawberries, green beans, bananas, Asian pears and apples for less than $20. I was extremely amazed and I would recommend Haymarket to anyone and everyone that live in Boston.

After haymarket, I headed off to the North End for some dessert since its within walking distance. There is so much to do around haymarket so I really recommend everyone to experience the area.