... as promised. I am missing a couple of important buildings because my photo tour was cut short, but here is a little taste of my surroundings.
(Click on the picture to start the tour)
Friday, September 29, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
You three-inch fool!
Thou loathsome scab in Greece!
You ruinous butt!
Poisonous, bunch-backed toad!
Diffus'd infection of a man!
These and other Shakespearean insults were screamed at each other in tonights acting class. It was all about vocal focus, energy, diaphragmatic breathing and all that technical stuff, but ultimately, the best part was givin' it to each other in Shakespearean English. "Your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great."
EAT THAT.
Anger management aside, time is flying by, and I realized today that it was exactly a month ago that I arrived on campus. In the past four weeks, I have met a mind-boggling amount of people, settled in to entirely new surroundings, and even turned my dark, smelly, damp room into a bearable living space.
Jo has been a regular visitor to our humble abode in the past weeks, making use of Julian's and Antonio's spare room and providing for a steady supply of beer, laughs, good music and high quality female company. She lives in New York, but just started her Doctoral degree in Jazz in Boston and, instead of finding a room for two nights a week, lightens up our rather dull business student routine with her spunky presence. Given that we only spent a month together in 2000 and haven't seen each other since, it's quite a miracle that I feel like I've had her around for ages.
Coming up at Babson: Homecoming weekend, boating on the Charles, and Salsa at Havana Club on Saturday.
Coming up on the blog: A virtual campus tour, and an e-introduction to the Babson gang.
And, now that we're at it, let me close with another of old Will's quotes:
I bear a charmed life.
You ruinous butt!
Poisonous, bunch-backed toad!
Diffus'd infection of a man!
These and other Shakespearean insults were screamed at each other in tonights acting class. It was all about vocal focus, energy, diaphragmatic breathing and all that technical stuff, but ultimately, the best part was givin' it to each other in Shakespearean English. "Your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great."
EAT THAT.
Anger management aside, time is flying by, and I realized today that it was exactly a month ago that I arrived on campus. In the past four weeks, I have met a mind-boggling amount of people, settled in to entirely new surroundings, and even turned my dark, smelly, damp room into a bearable living space.
Jo has been a regular visitor to our humble abode in the past weeks, making use of Julian's and Antonio's spare room and providing for a steady supply of beer, laughs, good music and high quality female company. She lives in New York, but just started her Doctoral degree in Jazz in Boston and, instead of finding a room for two nights a week, lightens up our rather dull business student routine with her spunky presence. Given that we only spent a month together in 2000 and haven't seen each other since, it's quite a miracle that I feel like I've had her around for ages.
Coming up at Babson: Homecoming weekend, boating on the Charles, and Salsa at Havana Club on Saturday.
Coming up on the blog: A virtual campus tour, and an e-introduction to the Babson gang.
And, now that we're at it, let me close with another of old Will's quotes:
I bear a charmed life.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Cultural pleasures
The play, I remember, pleased not the million; 't was caviare to the general.
Hamlet, 2. 2
Who ever said that Americans have no culture? On Saturday, Julian (Germany), Cameron (Australia), Aaron (Texas) and I decided to take Cameron's friend Kitt up on her invitation to come see "Hamlet" at Wellesley College, where she studies.
Wellesley is an all-girls college, quite prestigious, proudly boasting alumnae like old Hillary and Madeleine Albright. It is 130 years old, with a huge campus, a lake and a beautiful theater hall. Unfortunately we only caught a glimpse of it at night, but I am definitely going back. Since I seem to be hanging out mainly with guys around here, it is time to immerse myself into a world full of wonderful ladies.
Other highlights of the weekend:
Watching my first rugby match - boy, what a violent sport. Thirty men, covered in sweat and mud, tackling each other like there is no tomorrow. Black eyes, dislocated shoulders, and sprained ankles. Julian (Germany) and Cameron (Australia, affectionately referred to by the name of Gramps) did their thing, and I still haven't decided whether I am shocked or intrigued.
A visit to the Mall - while I am not a big fan of giant shopping centers, there are stores I just can't resist. Also, I finally got my running shoes, and went for an inaugural jog this morning.
Dinner in Chinatown - our new friends Reagan (yes, like the president), Brooke, Zach and Preston took a bunch of us exchange students out to Boston Chinatown for some do-it-yourself fondue-style Chinese dinner. We loved it, although some of us had tears streaming down our faces due to extreme soup spiciness.
Carol, Lysiane and Zach enjoying their meals
Pub Night at Rodger's on campus - it's a Thursday night regular, always nice to kick off the weekend with.
Top: Me, Montse and Tere (from Barcelona)
Bottom: Tere, Montse, Francesco (Palermo) and Carol (Barcelona)
Other than that, papers, prep reading and classes don't leave much room for laziness. I haven't watched TV since I came here, and have only read half a book (of my own choice, that is). Those who know me will realize how unusual that is. Still, I am enjoying both the challenges and fun of college life.
I am a bit short on words and imagination tonight.
I will let the photos do the talking.
Hamlet, 2. 2
Who ever said that Americans have no culture? On Saturday, Julian (Germany), Cameron (Australia), Aaron (Texas) and I decided to take Cameron's friend Kitt up on her invitation to come see "Hamlet" at Wellesley College, where she studies.
Wellesley is an all-girls college, quite prestigious, proudly boasting alumnae like old Hillary and Madeleine Albright. It is 130 years old, with a huge campus, a lake and a beautiful theater hall. Unfortunately we only caught a glimpse of it at night, but I am definitely going back. Since I seem to be hanging out mainly with guys around here, it is time to immerse myself into a world full of wonderful ladies.
Other highlights of the weekend:
Watching my first rugby match - boy, what a violent sport. Thirty men, covered in sweat and mud, tackling each other like there is no tomorrow. Black eyes, dislocated shoulders, and sprained ankles. Julian (Germany) and Cameron (Australia, affectionately referred to by the name of Gramps) did their thing, and I still haven't decided whether I am shocked or intrigued.
A visit to the Mall - while I am not a big fan of giant shopping centers, there are stores I just can't resist. Also, I finally got my running shoes, and went for an inaugural jog this morning.
Dinner in Chinatown - our new friends Reagan (yes, like the president), Brooke, Zach and Preston took a bunch of us exchange students out to Boston Chinatown for some do-it-yourself fondue-style Chinese dinner. We loved it, although some of us had tears streaming down our faces due to extreme soup spiciness.
Carol, Lysiane and Zach enjoying their meals
Top: Me, Montse and Tere (from Barcelona)Bottom: Tere, Montse, Francesco (Palermo) and Carol (Barcelona)
I am a bit short on words and imagination tonight.
I will let the photos do the talking.
Monday, September 18, 2006
From Beantown to the Big Apple
The good thing about living on your own somewhere is that you are free to do whatever you please. For me, this meant acting upon a random desire to go to New York over the weekend and hopping on an early-morning Chinatown bus on Friday.
For someone who always looked at $350 tickets to one of my favorite cities with a certain longing, spending fifteen bucks on a crummy old Fung-Wah felt like heaven.
For someone who always looked at $350 tickets to one of my favorite cities with a certain longing, spending fifteen bucks on a crummy old Fung-Wah felt like heaven.
I arrived in New York Chinatown roughly four hours later and made my way to the Subway in the pouring rain to stop over at Colin's "Skypad" (a beautiful hideout on the tenth floor of an Upper East Side apartment building) for lunch. Plans to wander around fell through due to the water pouring from the sky, but I caught up on homework instead and then met my Aussie friend Jo and her man James for some soup dumplings and a good chat in Chinatown before heading out to Yonkers, NY to spend the night at their funky basement studio.
The weather luckily cleared up and allowed for a boat ride, a hot "dawg" and some live music in Central Park the next day, followed by a 65-block walk through Manhattan with Sascha. I had the honor of being Sascha's first official visitor since his move to NYC a year ago, and got a tour of his Noho neighborhood and a peek at some of the work he did at art school last year.
We met up with Colin again for dinner at Perbacco in the Village before I crashed on a cozy mattress on the floor of Sascha's room.
Sunday we did 8 a.m. Mass at St. Vincent Ferrer and had a nice brunch at Pandora's before I headed back down to Chinatown with Sascha and caught the 12 o'clock bus back to Boston.
No Empire State Building, no Times Square, none of the usual touristy stuff - but I have the feeling that I drank in more New York spirit than during any of my previous visits.
That Apple, I just love it.
My picture-taking discipline was a bit on the weak side this time (for example, not a single graphic record of my reunion with Jo), but here is a selection.
Some NYC architecture
Colin on The Lake in Central Park (Can you believe this is New York City??)
Mag in the row boat (the only women workin' the oars on the entire lake!)
Sascha and his apartment on Bleecker Street
Friday, September 15, 2006
A Riddle for the Weekend
It's a piece of fruit.
It is large.
I am going there for the weekend.
Any guesses?
Excited ... see you on the flip side!
It is large.
I am going there for the weekend.
Any guesses?
Excited ... see you on the flip side!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Germ ridden
Last week, they put up hand sanitizers all over campus. I guess they were trying to prevent us from getting sick by making us rub a strange-smelling liquid onto our hands. Well, it didn't work ... I caught a cold.
My nose is runny, my eyes water, and I cough, but the nicest bit is my 1-800 number sex hotline voice that causes classmates to turn and stare whenever I make a comment in class. Which, being the chatterbox that I am, happens quite frequently.
Apart from that, college life is good. I am working away on my freshman 15, stuffing myself with carbs and fatty foods at the cafeteria every day. Don't get me wrong, I try to avoid them - but the choice of foods seems to diminish by the day. I hit my limits yesterday when I tried to have maccaroni & cheese for brunch. Don't try that.
My bold plans to join both the Women's Rugby team and the Jukido Jiujitsu self-defense class were postponed for the lack of energy and proper clothing. Once I feel better and buy running shoes, I"ll need to find a new excuse.
Classes never cease to surprise me. After having worked on a case involving 3M in my Corporate Entrepreneurship course, the prof pulled out a phone from underneath her desk today in the middle of class and actually called up one of the executives we had read about so we could ask him questions.
I have more homework than ever before and spend pretty much the entire day reading cases and articles, coming up with business ideas (wait till my new handbag organizer hits the market) and plowing through pages of Thomas Hobbes in old English.
Sound nerdy? I suppose so, but I love it.
Tomorrow my long-lost World Vision Youth Ambassador friend and talented jazz singer Jo Lawry will visit me on campus and spend the night. I haven't seen her since the summer of 2000, so I am very excited.
Alright, time for lunch. Burgers, burritos and chocolate muffins, here I come.
My nose is runny, my eyes water, and I cough, but the nicest bit is my 1-800 number sex hotline voice that causes classmates to turn and stare whenever I make a comment in class. Which, being the chatterbox that I am, happens quite frequently.
Apart from that, college life is good. I am working away on my freshman 15, stuffing myself with carbs and fatty foods at the cafeteria every day. Don't get me wrong, I try to avoid them - but the choice of foods seems to diminish by the day. I hit my limits yesterday when I tried to have maccaroni & cheese for brunch. Don't try that.
My bold plans to join both the Women's Rugby team and the Jukido Jiujitsu self-defense class were postponed for the lack of energy and proper clothing. Once I feel better and buy running shoes, I"ll need to find a new excuse.
Classes never cease to surprise me. After having worked on a case involving 3M in my Corporate Entrepreneurship course, the prof pulled out a phone from underneath her desk today in the middle of class and actually called up one of the executives we had read about so we could ask him questions.
I have more homework than ever before and spend pretty much the entire day reading cases and articles, coming up with business ideas (wait till my new handbag organizer hits the market) and plowing through pages of Thomas Hobbes in old English.
Sound nerdy? I suppose so, but I love it.
Tomorrow my long-lost World Vision Youth Ambassador friend and talented jazz singer Jo Lawry will visit me on campus and spend the night. I haven't seen her since the summer of 2000, so I am very excited.
Alright, time for lunch. Burgers, burritos and chocolate muffins, here I come.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Sights and sounds
The first week has been very eventful. Pub Night at Roger's (the campus pub), a Joshua Tree concert and one of the famous Knight Parties, named after the Knight Auditorium where it is held, demonstrated the reality of the American alcohol policy. Coming from a country where the consumption of wine and beer is legal at age sixteen, it really takes a while to get used to the procedures:
1) Show your passport to the scary-looking cop at the door
2) Receive a plastic bracelet indicating that you are of legal drinking age
3) Proceed to the designated drinking area, get a beer
4) Sip it quietly while watching the jealous faces of those who are denied entrance into the Halls of Glory, unable to decide whether to feel stupid or special
5) DO NOT (!!!) leave the designated area with your beer cup, or else you will be dragged back by your collar.
Hmm.
Apart from these college activities, we explored Boston despite the rainy and cold weather on Saturday, ate some lobster and fudge (not together, I must add) and walked part of the Freedom Trail.
1) Show your passport to the scary-looking cop at the door
2) Receive a plastic bracelet indicating that you are of legal drinking age
3) Proceed to the designated drinking area, get a beer
4) Sip it quietly while watching the jealous faces of those who are denied entrance into the Halls of Glory, unable to decide whether to feel stupid or special
5) DO NOT (!!!) leave the designated area with your beer cup, or else you will be dragged back by your collar.
Hmm.
Apart from these college activities, we explored Boston despite the rainy and cold weather on Saturday, ate some lobster and fudge (not together, I must add) and walked part of the Freedom Trail.
Fun on and around campus
Exploring Boston
The academically most impressive experience of the week was a meeting with Prof. Taylor, who specializes in entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship. Not only did she take time to talk to me for more than an hour, she was also genuinely interested in my thoughts and made a huge effort to go through ideas and options for my thesis with me. In Austria, no professor talks to you for such a long time, unless they have a personal interest. I am seeing the benefits of American education.
On the "downside", I think I've found out where our housing and tuition money is going. Last week's "What's up Wednesday" was advertised as "Make Your Own Fishtank Night". I didn't go, but a couple of hundred freshmen did. The college gave away free goldfish, tanks, and all the gadgets that go with them. Now that is what I call an efficient use of my money. It made a tank full of Nemos very happy this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
