Arts, Culture, and Exploration

I've been a very busy bee lately... I'm trying to fit in as many sites/attractions before my time in Rhode Island is up. We have had gorgeous weather the past two weekends, so I was able to do some exploring. I'll start with telling you about my Saturday in Providence and Boston (two weekends ago).

After a breakfast of fresh orange juice and Mini Spooners (the generic version of Frosted Mini Wheats... I actually think they are better than the brand... the cereal is much crunchier and has more frosting), I headed down to Providence to do some exploring. Both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are in downtown Providence in the College Hill district. Thanks to Rhode Island Monthly's weekly communication about upcoming events in the area, I learned that RISD was having several free activities on Saturday to compliment a new exhibit in the RISD Museum.

The Carrie Tower on Brown's campus reminds me of the clock tower at Purdue (When I was an RA on the eighth floor at Shreve, I had an amazing view of the tower... so many great memories from Purdue!). On the bottom of the tower is an inscription that reads, "Love is strong as death." (Kind of creepy if you ask me!)

The Van Winkle gates mark the entrance to Brown University. According to Mitchell in the Brown Encyclopedia, "They are opened inward to admit students at the beginning of the college year and at the beginning of the second semester and on Commencement Day are opened outward to allow the procession to pass through, at which time the graduates traditionally doff their caps."

The students frequently have art fairs to showcase and/or sell their work... I bought a pair of dangly, gold earrings that are made from aluminum cans.

This is a picture of the featured exhibit at the museum. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it. I drew things like this in kindergarten, and no one called it art, framed it, or paid money for it. (If you can't tell, the drawing is made up of cross-hatches and scribbles. There was another piece of "art" where the artist had drawn a square and filled it repeatedly with the alphabet. (It's a good thing I waited until the museum was free to attend; otherwise I think I might have felt ripped off.)

How about this for an admissions building?

I climbed the fire escape (don't worry... it had stairs and was somewhat sturdy) and took this picture of the city skyline. (Okay, so the trees are blocking most of the buildings, but I thought it was an interesting point of view.)

A church sits at the bottom of College Hill- doesn't this look like it belongs on a postcard?

I thought this was a charming old building... I love the name--"What Cheer Garage"

After RISD experience, I headed into Boston for another cultural experience. A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and purchased a GPS (tax return + amazing deal at Target = can't miss opportunity), which made it MUCH easier to a) navigate through the city and b) find parking. I can't believe I didn't own one of these earlier this year, but there are two sides to every story. I did get lost quite a bit, but without a GPS, you really get to know your way around an area. After a quick dinner (and changing in Uno's bathroom), I went to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. About a month ago I received a notice (I am on so many list serves- you wouldn't believe it) that they were having a sale on tickets this spring. If you were under 40 years old, you could buy 2 tickets for $20 each (that tells you what the crowd is like), as long as you could show identification when you picked up the tickets. I didn't find out my seat location until I picked them up (they don't tell you), but I was in the fifth row!!! I loved being at the symphony... the music was beautiful and the backdrop was breathtaking (plus, who doesn't love to get dressed up?). The original featured violinist was unable to make the performance (he was stuck in Europe because of the ash cloud), but I was delighted to learn that there was a French horn soloist instead. For those of you who don't know, I played the French horn for 5 years (middle and high school). Learning to play a musical instrument is something I believe every child should have the opportunity to try- it teaches discipline, hard work, responsibility, teamwork, and an appreciation of the arts.

Here is a picture of the inside of the symphony hall... I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but I'm not sure my camera would even have the capacity or I would have had the angle for you to appreciate it. (Photo from the BSO website)

I did manage to sneak a picture of the light fixtures on the ceiling....

...And another one of my view of the stage (no zoom involved!)

I'm going to do my best to make a Boston Pops concert before I move back home, too--I'm just going to miss their July 4 show (I leave the day before), but I'm sure they are just as good any other weekend (and probably less expensive!).

Adventures in Beantown

Wow! So much to catch up on! I'd start from the beginning but that would take much to get you up to speed. Instead, I'll start with my Mom's visit to Rhode Island.

Over her spring break, my Mom came to visit me for a long weekend at the beginning of April. I was a little concerned that I wasn't going to be able to pick her up at the airport because of the flooding in Southern Rhode Island, but none of the roads (no pun intended) were blocked. My mom's plane was right time (wasn't expecting that), so we had to stall a little before our reservations. I thought we should eat at an authentic Italian restaurant in Federal Hill, so we had a lovely dinner at Pane e Vino. Besides the fact that we were right next to the waiters' station (Mom has always had some bad restaurant luck), it was a wonderful, relaxing meal.

Since I took my Mom down to Newport when she visited before, we decided to head up to Boston for the day. I had been wanting to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum since a) I read about it in my '1,000 Places to See Before You Die' book and b) my friend Courtney said it was one of the most beautiful places in Boston (she goes to school in the city, so I trust her as an accurate resource). Ms. Gardner was an avid collector of art from around the world. Within several years, both her husband and father died, leaving her with almost $3 million dollars (this is back in the late 1800's- who knows how much money that equals now!). She used her money to build the museum and buy additional pieces to add to her collection. The only stipulation of the museum was that everything had to be left where she put it, even after her death. The second part of the "contract" was that there was to be a celebration on her birthday every year. (This woman was very particular. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure she and I would get along.)

My favorite part of the ISG museum by far is the courtyard. It opens up to all three floors of the museum. It is just as much a piece of art as the rest of the building- fresh flowers, marble statues, and a fountain, to name a few highlights. Above the courtyard is a ceiling made of glass.

The museum doesn't look like much from the outside... you probably wouldn't even notice that it was there if you weren't looking for it.

Here is a picture of the courtyard, although it is not my favorite. They won't let you take pictures inside (it was torture!), so this is the best one I could find online. Wouldn't this be a gorgeous place for a wedding?

There were paintings by many famous artists- this picture was done by Michelangelo.

"El Jaleo" This is a very interesting piece by Stewart. The painting itself takes up an entire wall- a small recess was built just to highlight this painting. It is much more beautiful in person- the fabric looks so fluid, and full that it almost reminds me of a wedding dress.

After several hours at the museum, we had a quick lunch after checking into the Park Plaza Hotel. When I was talking to my Mom before her trip, she realized two things 1) I had not spent the night in Boston and 2) I had never experienced room service in a hotel! If you haven't ever had a chance to use it before, I highly recommend using Priceline.com to find a last-minute deal on a hotel or flight. We were able to book a room for less than half of what we would normally pay if we booked through the hotel's website. Priceline allows you to select where you'd like to be (it even goes down to the neighborhood level in bigger cities like Boston, New York, etc), the number of stars of the accommodations, and the price you'd like to pay. If you have gone too low, it will come back and tell you to change some of your options. Otherwise, if all parameters can be met, the hotel is booked right away and it tells you where you will be staying. You have to be a little bit flexible, but it's definitely worth a try.

The Park Plaza Hotel- it was a perfect location... close to a T stop, Boston Common, and Paper Source (I swear I did not even know that it was less than two blocks away!)

Isn't it nice to know that there will always be someone to open the door for you?

On Saturday night, we stayed in to watch the final game of the NCAA tournament. I asked my Mom if she wanted to go to a sports bar or restaurant to watch the game, but she preferred to stay in and relax (fine by me!). When she was growing up, one of her favorite memories was ordering room service with her Mom. My Grandpa did quite a bit of traveling, and my Grandma would go with him from time to time. She was able to sleep in, read all day, take a nap, and, her favorite, order room service. :) It felt special to share something with my Mom that she shared with my Grandma.

On Sunday morning, we went to Easter service at the Park Street Church on the other side of Boston Common. I had done some research ahead of time (imagine that!), and it looked like a place that we would enjoy. It was a fairly traditional service, but it had one of my favorite ceremonies in the church- baptisms. There was a girl from China who was baptized- her story was very beautiful.

The church is actually a part of the Freedom Trail- it was founded in 1809!

After church was over, we took the T to get breakfast in Cambridge. I know, not exactly the closest place to eat, but there was a place that I didn't want to miss after I did my research (ha!) on the best places to catch brunch in Boston. There were a lot of fancy (and therefore, $$$$) places that were on the list, but another one caught my eye when I read that it was voted both "Best New Restaurant" and "Best Brunch" by several Boston area magazines. The Friendly Toast is not a chain (there are only two of them total- the other is in New Hampshire) and is kind of in a weird location (not easy to find by any means). Thank goodness they had an extra sign to guide you to the back of the building, or we never may have found it.

The Friendly Toast has a relaxed atmosphere, filled with 50's and 60's memorabilia. My chair had a green, metallic plastic covering the seat, and there was a small ceramic cow holding our salt, sugar, and pepper on the table. I had butterscotch hot chocolate with marshmallows (to die for!) and "Hansel and Gretel waffles"-- gingerbread waffles with pomegranate molasses and whipped cream! Mom had the "Drunkard's French Toast"-- French toast topped with a Grand Marnier and raspberry sauce. Click here to see more of the menu.

A picture of the inside of The Friendly Toast- it would have been a blast hunting for the decorations!

It doesn't look like it in this picture, but it was packed! Thank goodness we got there before 10:00 AM.

A picture of a magnolia tree in bloom in Cambridge

We drove back to RI on Sunday afternoon and took a long nap- all that running around made us exhausted. I had to work on Monday, but we did get to make dinner together on both Sunday and Monday nights. On Sunday, we had homemade pepperoni and banana pepper pizza, and dinner on Monday night was tacos with fresh salsa and guacamole and margaritas.

We got to the airport on Tuesday when I realized that we hadn't taken a picture of the two of us on my camera the whole weekend! (We had one taken of us in front of Park St. Church, but it is on Mom's camera.) To make up for it, we took the picture below while waiting for our flights.

Thanks for a great weekend, Mom!

Walk the Line

Happy Easter! Hope you were able to celebrate with friends and family.

On Friday afternoon, my Mom flew into Providence to visit for a few days. After I picked her up, we headed to Federal Hill, an Italian neighborhood in Providence. I wanted to take her somewhere nice to eat, but there are an innate number of restaurants, which left me cluelessly as to where to start. Enter Open Table.

Open Table is a website that allows you to look at restaurant reviews, make and cancel reservations online, and earn reward points towards dining at restaurants (not sure how this works yet, but I'll figure it out). Mike, a co-worker of mine who does quite a bit of traveling, swears by Open Table. He uses it whenever he's traveling to find the best spots without doing a bunch of legwork. I guess it's similar to Trip Advisor but focuses merely on food.

After looking at the options, I chose Pane e Vino, which was also recommended by a friend. We were a little early, and it looked a little empty... I get nervous if a restaurant isn't busy on a Friday night because that usually means it isn't very good! Turns out other people just got out to eat later. We had a lovely dinner- I had Caesar salad and Mom had halibut with olive oil, garlic, and cherry tomatoes, accompanied by the Italian version of a giant tater tot. Dessert was a warm apple tart with a small (it looked like they scooped it out with a melon baller... I mean, I know our portions in America are too big, but give me a break!) bit of vanilla ice cream.

We spent all day Saturday and part of Sunday in Boston- more to come on that later. (I know, I still owe you details of my trip with my Dad to Newport.) Tonight we made homemade pepperoni pizza Roth-style (friends of mine that first introduced me to pepperoni pizza with banana peppers- yum!) and watched "Walk the Line," the movie with Reees Witherspoon and Joaquin Phonenix about Johnny Cash. I didn't really know his story, so it was pretty interesting but it was too long- 135 minutes without anything blowing up seems like forever.

Hope you have a great week! Cheers!

Soul With a Capital S

After our grand food tour of the North End, my Dad and I took up Jim's recommendation on the best pizza place in the area- Regina Pizzeria. (This restaurant also came recommended by my brother who lived just outside of Boston for a summer.) We followed the directions and almost missed the place- the North End isn't that big but neither is Regina's.

It was a little chaotic and definitely noisy when we walked in- it reminded me of a cross between a small Italian diner and a mild version of an Ed Debevic's in Chicago. There wasn't a whole lot of order in the place- lot of shouts from waitress to kitchen to waitress across the room, people shuffling by each other through the narrow aisles. It was a good thing we were looking for pizza because that was the only thing on the menu. No salads, no breadsticks, no calzones. Just pizza. But I guess the best way to get good at something is to just make that one thing. The pizza was delicious... nothing you'd eat if you were on a diet, but they had the crust thickness to edge ratio down just right (thinner bottom of the pizza with a little more lip on the outside).

We got to Regina's just in time- when 6:00 PM rolled around, the line was already out the door.

After dinner, we headed off to Wilbur Theater in the Theater District of Boston to see Tower of Power. Originally from Oakland, California, Tower of Power is a funk and soul group that has been around for over 40 years. Not very many people know about them, but the ones that do tend to follow them around (I hate to say cult, so we'll call them "groupies," even though I don't think that is the right word, either). Tower of Power (of ToP, as they are often abbreviated) rarely come to the Midwest, so when my Mom saw that they would be in Boston, she jumped on the chance to get tickets for my Dad as a special present.

Here is a bit of the history on the theater from their website:

The Wilbur Theatre was built in 1914 by the Shubert brothers who named it for their friend and theatre manager A.L. Wilbur. It was built on the site of the former Winthrop School for Girls. The Wilbur was the first Boston theatre to draw its inspiration from American Colonial architecture rather than from European sources. It was designed by architect Clarence H. Blackall. To ensure authenticity, the porticos on the front of the theatre were copied directly from the 1837 Thomas Bailey Midrich House at 59 Mt. Vernon Street on Beacon Hill. This Federal Revival style is characterized by a quiet simplicity and intimate, almost home-like atmosphere. Architectural historian Douglas Tucci said of the Wilbur, "The auditorium is in its chaste way the handsomest of any Boston playhouse."

They didn't allow any photographs to be taken inside the theater (I hate this- can totally kill a blog post), which is shame because it is so beautiful. All of the original architecture is still intact. The building has lavish details such as filigree molding (is that a real thing?), a crystal chandelier, and a crest emblem with a gold "W" that I coveted the entire show. (FYI- for those of you that don't know, I am obsessed with monograms!)

There are three levels inside the theater- the top two had stadium seating that you would see in a movie theater today. We had seats on the first floor and were only about 30 feet away from the stage. It is a small venue (probably holds about 500 people), but they definitely pack you in like sardines. They had tables and chairs for seats on the first floor- bigger tables of 12 in front, and rows of chairs on the sides. The numbers of the seats were a little confusing, even to the staff. (I swear they had no idea what they were doing.) Not only did we get seated incorrectly (well, we actually sat ourselves), three other groups around us were put in the wrong seats by the ushers. Right up until the show started there was always some kind of commotion going on in our section about whose seats were where, what seats were extras, blah blah blah- it was hilarious.

Even if you wouldn't choose a funk and soul band to see in concert as your number one pick, Tower of Power is a great show if you love live music. You don't see a 10+ member band with a 5-horn section very often these days, and let me tell you, these guys can cook! I brushed up on some of the best of ToP the week before the concert- I mean, who doesn't love to sing along at a concert?

A picture of the sign outside Wilbur Theater

An old photo showcasing the interior

I probably took about 30 (illegal) pictures during the concert, none of which turned out. On top of that I didn't remember that I had a video function on my camera until the last minute of the concert when I saw a woman taping the show on her phone. I mean, I probably wouldn't make any money from selling it, but it would have been fun to have, especially since they were playing my dad's favorite song, You're Still a Young Man.

The best picture I got all night! Just a reminder that there's nothing like the real thing...

Click on the following links to experience a little ToP from your own home...

-Soul with a Capital S (my favorite)

-You're Still a Young Man (Dad's favorite)

-What is Hip (I love this video- it is from 1977! There are still 3 original band members playing today- isn't that amazing?)

-Diggin' on James Brown (Another crowd pleaser)

We definitely had a blast at the concert- thanks for the tickets, Mom!

More to come tomorrow about Dad and I in Newport...

La Bella Vita

Last Tuesday my Dad came for a short visit to Rhode Island. He had two tickets to see Tower of Power in Boston on Wednesday night, so I took half of a vacation day so that we would have time to explore the city. I've been to Boston more than half a dozen times since I've lived on the East Coast, but I knew that I probably wasn't the best tour guide.

If I ever need suggestions for places to see and things (and I am lacking access to a local authority), I turn to Trip Advisor. While searching for various to-do's in Boston, I came across Michelle Topor's Food Tours of Boston. After reading reviews and looking at her website (and a phone call to my Mom to be sure my Dad would like something like this- non-refundable tickets!), I decided that we'd give it a try.

On Wednesday afternoon, we met at the location described on the instructions. There weren't very many other people around, so I began to wonder if we might be the only people on the tour. Just then, our tour guide walked up and introduced himself. I recognized Jim from the pictures and descriptions of the tour guides on Michelle's website but thought that it might be creepy if I told him I already knew who he was. As it turned out, there were only 2 other people on our tour- a mother and daughter (maybe in-law?) from Virginia.

Jim started our tour by giving us a high-level overview of the history of the area. Before the North End was inhabited by Italians, a number of different immigrant groups lived there. As the immigrants became more affluent and prosperous, they left the area.

Our first stop was at Maria's Pastry Shop. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but appearances can be deceiving. Maria's is a family business that has been open for 25 years, yet still remains largely unknown. Jim showed us the different types of Italian pastries that are made and what, if any, affiliation they had with religious holidays. Colomba, for example, is bread shaped like a dove that is made at Easter. This sweet cake is eaten for either breakfast or dessert and is topped with almonds and powdered sugar. After Jim explained all of the goods, we were able to taste biscotti (bis means "two" and cotti means "cooked"), marzapan, white torrone, lobster tail, sfogliatelle ("clam shell"), and amaretti. The amaretti is what Americans would refer to as a macaroon--this was definitely my favorite. (Note: I felt badly for the rest of the day for taking my Dad to Mike's Pastries an hour before the tour, since our tour guide pretty much said it was a commercial cop-out. Sorry, Dad!)

A picture of the amaretti cookies- yum!

Jim explaining the significance of the marzipan lambs that are made during Easter. Maria and her sister hand make the ears, legs, etc. of the lambs by hand- only the body comes from a mold.

Our next stop was Mercato del Mare, a relatively new (only 2 years old) seafood specialty shop that resembles a European market. They buy and sell local products whenever possible (i.e. sea scallops from Nantucket). You can regularly find halibut, salmon, tuna, calamari, swordfish, red snapper, haddock, and other varieties depending on the season. The owners are known for their home-prepared "heat and eat" meals for young professionals on-the-go.. lobster rolls, clam chowder, lobster bisque, and ready to grill tuna teriyaki.

A view of the case with the freshest seafood on the block

After the seafood market, we went to Polcari's Coffee, a general store specializing in coffee, dried legumes, spices, nuts, and hard to find items, including rose water, pomegranate molasses, and preserved lemons. Walking into this store was like taking a step back in time- even the scale that they use to measure your purchases is over a hundred years old. It is owned and operated by the 3rd generation of the family that started it in 1932. I learned some interesting facts- the difference between real and American cinnamon and how to roast your own coffee beans. I bought some Italian candy, dried kiwi, and dried lavender (it was only $1.99!!).

Sunlight can make even a barrel of nuts look lovely

Love these spice jars- so charming!

Because we had a smaller group, we had the advantage of being able to visit several of the smaller shops that larger tours can't fit inside. The next two stores are great examples.

Monica's Mercato is a small shop that carries all sorts of pastas, meats, cheeses, and other products imported from Italy. Across the street is a sister restaurant, Monica's Trattoria, which is owned by the same family. Fresh pasta is made daily and can be bought from the merchant shop. I'm not one for pasta, but even the lobster ravioli sounded delicious. The owners weren't expecting us, but they made prosciutto and cheese (don't remember what type) sandwiches on the spot. I also learned about the designation "D.O.P." D.O.P. stands for "Denominazione di Origine Protetta" and is literally translated as "Protected Designation of Origin." It is a certificate of authenticity from the Italian government that prevents "impostors" from selling their products, along with the promotion of quality and originality. For example, all Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses must come from a specific region of Italy.

A picture from Monica's- now you know what I mean when I say small!

Having a local guide you around town definitely provides opportunities that you otherwise would never have known about. Our next stop after Monica's would have been difficult to find, considering it does not have a sign or even a phone number. Albie's is a produce shop that visits the local markets every day and brings back the freshest fruits and vegetables to the North End. Unlike American supermarkets, you are not allowed to handle the produce yourself. When you walk into the store, you simply tell Albie what you would like, and he picks out what he thinks is best. In the spring, look for baby dandelion, fava beans, artichokes, and spring onions.

I just love that there isn't even a sign!

While we were outside of Albie's, Jim brought out some of the more interesting ingredients for us to learn about and try. We tried both fennel root and prickly pear. The prickly pear was my favorite- it tastes like a cross of a watermelon and a raspberry. The seeds are smaller than those found in a watermelon, so you actually eat them instead of spitting them out. If you like raspberry jam with seeds, than this fruit is up your ally.

A prickly pear! Try this 3 times fast: Peter Prangle, the prickly pear picker, picked three perfectly prickly pears.

Here is Jim explaining the difference between a boy and girl eggplant. Unfortunately, the male eggplant is preferred because it has fewer seeds. If you turn an eggplant upside down, you can tell the sex of the fruit by its belly button. Male eggplants have indents, while the females are flat.

The North End neighborhood has some gorgeous architectural details. Some of the town homes you see pictured below held up to 12 families. And if you think about it, a family in the early 20th century wasn't just one or two children. Jim pointed out unique details as we strolled from shop to shop.

The copper contrast is gorgeous- I can't imagine what some of these places are selling for now!

An eagle perched atop a windowsill

Our next stop was at The Wine Bottega. According to Jim, who has traveled and lived all over the globe, this is one of the most beautiful wine shops he's ever been in. This place was huge! Its focus is on discovering and sharing small production, hand-crafted wines. We were able to taste a sip of limoncello, an Italian liquor that is chilled and served in summer months. It is made from simple syrup, lemons, and high-proof vodka that is steeped for 80 days. Not exactly my thing...

This doesn't do the place justice- even the floors were beautiful! You weren't supposed to take pictures, so this one had to be done in secret without a flash.

Our last stop was at Salumeria Italiana, a fabulous little find that has been around for over 40 years. They import the cream of the crop from Italy- commercial and artisan pasta, polenta, rice, olive oils, capers, San Marzano DOP tomatoes, and a number of meats and cheeses. Jim also gave us a short lesson in this store. I had no idea that there were different types of balsamic vinegar. You have to read the label to find real balsamic vinegar- the first listed ingredient will always be "grape must." Americans apparently get fooled by marketing ploys that companies use- they simply color/flavor regular vinegar, which is definitely different than the real thing. We also got to taste and learn how to pick out olive oil. If you are a true foodie, you could have spent hours (and lots of money!) in this store alone.

This pasta was colored naturally- I wanted to get some to take to my Mom, but I know that it would not end up intact by the time I got it back to my apartment.

Dad and I in Salumeria Italiana at the end of our tour. You don't actually go that far, but by the end of the tour, we were worn out!

Again, I highly recommend this tour to anyone who's visiting Boston. It was the best way for us to learn about the hidden secrets of Boston's North End (without having lived there for ten years). Thanks for a great tour, Jim!

More to come on Dad's visit to Boston...

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Did you remember to wear green today? I can't believe I subconsiously wore a green sweater (I'm usually still half asleep when I'm getting ready for work!)- why can't I train my internal alarm clock the same way I remember holidays?

When I called Nick today, he gave me a pop quiz on the history of St. Patrick. Don't worry, I failed miserably, too. Here is the "This Day In History" for March 17, 2010 from the History Channel:

"On this day in 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, dies at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland.

Much of what is known about Patrick's legendary life comes from the Confessio, a book he wrote during his last years. Born in Great Britain, probably in Scotland, to a well-to-do Christian family of Roman citizenship, Patrick was captured and enslaved at age 16 by Irish marauders. For the next six years, he worked as a herder in Ireland, turning to a deepening religious faith for comfort. Following the counsel of a voice he heard in a dream one night, he escaped and found passage on a ship to Britain, where he was eventually reunited with his family.
According to the Confessio, in Britain Patrick had another dream, in which an individual named Victoricus gave him a letter, entitled "The Voice of the Irish." As he read it, Patrick seemed to hear the voices of Irishmen pleading him to return to their country and walk among them once more. After studying for the priesthood, Patrick was ordained a bishop. He arrived in Ireland in 433 and began preaching the Gospel, converting many thousands of Irish and building churches around the country. After 40 years of living in poverty, teaching, traveling and working tirelessly, Patrick died on March 17, 461 in Saul, where he had built his first church.

Since that time, countless legends have grown up around Patrick. Made the patron saint of Ireland, he is said to have baptized hundreds of people on a single day, and to have used a three-leaf clover--the famous shamrock--to describe the Holy Trinity. In art, he is often portrayed trampling on snakes, in accordance with the belief that he drove those reptiles out of Ireland. For thousands of years, the Irish have observed the day of Saint Patrick's death as a religious holiday, attending church in the morning and celebrating with food and drink in the afternoon. The first St. Patrick's Day parade, though, took place not in Ireland, but the United States, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City in 1762. As the years went on, the parades became a show of unity and strength for persecuted Irish-American immigrants, and then a popular celebration of Irish-American heritage. The party went global in 1995, when the Irish government began a large-scale campaign to market St. Patrick's Day as a way of driving tourism and showcasing Ireland's many charms to the rest of the world. Today, March 17 is a day of international celebration, as millions of people around the globe put on their best green clothing to drink beer, watch parades and toast the luck of the Irish. "

Here are a few of my favorite Irish things...

My surname is Irish. Click here to read the history behind it.

Who doesn't love Lucky Charms? I was only allowed to eat cereal like this on special occassions, and when I did, I would save all of the marshmallows for last.

My high school's mascot was a shamrock (I know, really tough, huh?).

Dublin was the last stop on Nick's and my trip to Europe- Here is a picture of the Temple Bar Area in Dublin at sunset.


If you can get past all of the swearing, it's a great movie. *Love* that it takes place in Boston!

And last but not least, one of my favorite quotes...

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Identity Crisis

With less than 15 weekends left (18 weeks left of work - 2-3 weekends in Indy - 1 weekend in Washington D.C. for work - the weekend I move home), I decided that I have got to step up my exploration efforts. There are still a number of things I want to see and/or do in the area before I leave, and I'm running out of time. On top of that, some of the places are best appreciated during warmer weather- Cape Cod and Block Island. (I was updating my travel binder the other day, and Block Island was on Real Simple's list of the 10 Best Hidden Gems in the U.S.)

Today I tackled the Boston Museum of Science (BMOS). I became a member of the North Smithfield Public Library about a month ago (I know, it took me a good 6 months to get a membership- their hours aren't the greatest, and I used to sleep in most Saturdays past noon), and they have passes to several local museums and attractions that let you get in for free or at a very reduced price. I woke up around 10:00 AM and decided that if they had any passes left for today, I was going. Instead of paying $20 for adult admission, I got into the regular exhibit halls for $5! I did have to pay extra to see an IMAX movie, but the total was still less than I would have paid for my total admission.

Like most museums, the BMOS has both regular and special exhibits (with the special exhibits being extra, of course). They were featuring a Harry Potter exhibit that was filled with costumes and props from the Harry Potter movies. Since I have not read any of the books or seen any of the movies, I did not have any interest in this matter. However, thousands of other people did (it felt like that many!) and were rushing to see the exhibit before it closes tomorrow. The BMOS is very kid-friendly, so I had to remember not to be such an uptight adult. (Ill-behaved children drive me up the wall.)

I started with the exhibit "Identity," which discusses the environmental, genetic, and social factors that make us individuals. I examined my fingerprint patterns, found people across the globe with the same skin tone as me, and tried to match pictures of children with their parents (much harder than you think!). Part of the exhibit looked at the range of five basic traits that some psychologists use to categorize individuals- organized vs. impulsive, wired vs. relaxed, traditional vs. something, . You could then find out what type of music and smell fit your personality based on where you selected your trait to be in a continuum. My music was a mix of classical and a bright beat. (I decided not to do the smell portion- people were saying that they couldn't get the smells off of their hands.) Another part of the Identity exhibit explained the differences between male and female brains, which apparently are different even in the womb. (Even though I did not know the difference started so early, I am not surprised.)

Two of my favorite parts of the exhibit were even more interactive. The first exercise allowed you to change your face into a different gender, race, or both. You first took a picture of your face lined up with marks on the screen. Then, you moved shapes to fit your mouth, eyes, nose, eyebrows, etc. Thirty seconds later- voila! A new you.

Here is my face before the transformation...

This is me as a black male. (I think the hair just throws everything off.)

The second exercise used similar technology to the previous tool I described, but this would show the effects of healthy aging or poor choices- smoking, not using sunscreen, or unhealthy eating. Even though I regularly wear sunscreen on my face, I thought a refresher of what *could* happen would make me even more faithful to sunscreen. The results speak for themselves.

My face after healthy aging... (Someone please tell me that this is not in the near future.)

Wow- so thankful that science has showed us how UV rays can be dangerous. This is awful!

While at the museum I also learned about wind and solar power, saw a woman give birth underwater (don't get excited, it was just a video), witnessed a chick hatch, and attempted to solve visual puzzles. I really enjoyed the visual puzzles. Most of you may have seen the black and white picture that shows both an old woman and a beautiful young girl- one of the two jumps out at you depending on your personality.

A view of the Charles River from the museum

Nothing like being in two places at once!

I had really wanted to see the planetarium, but it is closed for renovation until 2011. Instead, I decided to learn about "The Greatest Places." The Greatest Places is an IMAX film that featured six of the most amazing landscapes on Earth- Madagascar, Tibet, the Amazon River, Iguazu Falls, Greenland, the Namib desert, and the Okavango River Basin in Botswana. I love learning about the landscape of the other parts of the world and have always wanted to do lots of traveling (I have two life to-do lists, one of which features places I want to see before I die), and this movie definitely spurred the little travel bug I've been experiencing lately. I can't go anywhere abroad until this fall/winter, so for now I will set my sights on exploring New England.

In an effort to save money (and avoid a multi-car crash), I decided to take the commuter rail into Boston. There's a line that takes you straight into the city, and it's only $7.75 each way. I parked my car at the Providence Place Mall parking garage, which ended up costing me $20 (I just missed the 10 hour mark- I think it would have been $8-10 instead.) However, parking alone for 8 hours in Boston would have *easily* cost me over $35 (If I had to bet, I would say it would have been even more than $40). Plus, the gas alone would have cost $11. (Triple A has a calculator that takes the make, model, and year of your car into account.) It was nice not to have to worry about driving in the city, especially on my way home- I was exhausted!

After I finished at the museum, I went to Copley Plaza and did a little shopping. Lord and Taylor was having an *amazing* sale on winter coats, but I was strong and was able to convince myself that I could wait until next year. I did, however, find something I couldn't pass up- Footzy Rolls. Footzy Rolls are rollable shoes designed to be small enough to fit inside your purse. This allows you to wear the slippers/shoes while you are on your way to go out and have to walk, change into your heels when you arrive at your destination, and change back into your slippers for the walk home. I am going to Washington D.C. in a couple of weeks, and these will be perfect!

The how-to's of wearing the Footzy-Rolls...

The newest edition to my footwear wardrobe

Who knows where I will go next! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!