Yoojin Cho

Fireworks Near You! (via WBZ)

I made at least 170 calls to complete this. Of course, did some major web stalking, too. Oh, and totally felt like Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness. I present you the complete list of Fourth of July Fireworks near Boston!!!

“Fourth Of July Fireworks Near You” June 15, 2010

Many local cities and towns will be putting on firework displays around the Fourth of July. Find the festivities near you.

Massachusetts:
ACTON: July 4, 2010, Dusk, NARA Park off Ledge Rock Way

AMESBURY: July 3, 2010, 9:15 p.m. Woodsom Farm on Lions Mouth Road

ANDOVER: July 3, 2010, Dusk, Andover High School on Shawsheen Road

ATTLEBORO: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Hayward Field on North Avenue, Rain Date July 5

AYER: July 3, 2010, Dusk, Pirone Park

BARNSTABLE: July 4, 2010, 9 p.m. View from Aselton Park, Bismore Park, Veteran’s
Park Beach

BEDFORD: July 2, 2010, Dusk, VA Hospital on Springs Road, Rain Date July 3

BELLINGHAM: July 4, 2010, 9:30 p.m. High School Football Field on Blackstone St. Rain Date July 5

BOSTON: July 4, 2010, 10:30 p.m. Charles River – Esplanade

BRAINTREE: June 26, 2010, 10 p.m. Braintree High School

BROCKTON: July 2, 3, 4, 9 & 10, 2010, 10:30 p.m. Brockton Fairgrounds

CAMBRIDGE: July 4, 2010, 10:30 p.m. Charles River – Esplanade

CLINTON: July 10, 2010, 9 p.m. High School, Rain Date July 11

DANVERS: July 3, 2010, Dusk, Plains Park, Rain Date July 5

DARTMOUTH: July 2, 2010, 6:15 p.m. UMass Dartmouth, Rain Date July 7

DRACUT: July 2, 2010, 9 p.m. Gazebo in front of the Englesby Intermediate School on Lakeview Ave. Rain Date July 5

FALL RIVER: July 4, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Waterfront Barge near Battleship Cove, Rain Date July 5

FALMOUTH: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Falmouth Heights Beach, Rain Date July 5

FITCHBURG: July 3, 2010, Dusk, Rollstone Boulder

FRANKLIN: July 2, 2010, 10 p.m. Franklin High School

FREETOWN: Postponed until September 5, 2010, 10 p.m. Hathaway Park, Assonet

GLOUCESTER: July 3, 2010, 10 p.m. Gloucester Harbor

GROTON: July 7, 2010, 7 p.m. Town Field, Rain Date July 8

HALIFAX: July 4, 2010, 9:15 p.m. Behind Elementary School, Rain Date July 10

HARVARD: July 2, 2010, 9 p.m. Fruitlands Museum

HAVERHILL: July 3, 2010, 9 p.m. Haverhill Stadium, Rain Date July 5.

HINGHAM: July 2, 2010, Dusk, Harbor, Rain Date July 4

LINCOLN: July 4, 2010, 9 p.m. Lincoln School Campus

LOWELL: July 5, 2010, Dusk, Vandenburg Esplanade

LYNN: July 3, 2010, 9 p.m. Red Rock Park near Lynn Beach, Rain Date July 5

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA: July 3, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Singing Beach, Rain Date July 5

MARBLEHEAD: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Mouth of the Harbor, Rain Date July 5

MASHPEE: July 1, 2010, Dusk, Mashpee High School, Rain Date July 2

MIDDLEBOROUGH: July 1 & 3, 2010, Dusk, Pierce Playground, Rain Date July 4

MILFORD: July 3, 2010, 10 p.m. Plains Park near Cedar Street, Rain Date July 5

MILLBURY: July 3 & 4, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Windle Field, Rain Date July 5

NANTUCKET: July 4, 2010, 9 p.m. Jetties Beach, Rain Date July 5

NEEDHAM: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Memorial Park

NEW BEDFORD: July 5, 2010, Dusk, Whaling National Historic Park

NEWTON: July 4, 2010, 9 p.m. Russell J. Halloran Field off Rt. 6

NORTH ANDOVER: July 3, 2010, 9 p.m. Middle School

NORTHBRIDGE: July 2, 2010, 9 p.m. LaSalle Field

OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Center Village

ORLEANS: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Rock Harbor, Skaket Beach and the Eastham Beaches, Rain Date July 5

PROVINCETOWN: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Commercial Street

RUTLAND: July 3, 2010, 9:20 p.m. Memorial Field

SALEM: July 4, 2010, 9:15 p.m. Derby Wharf, Rain Date July 5

SALISBURY: July 3 & 4, 2010, 10 p.m. Beach Center

SEEKONK: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Seekonk Speedway

SHARON: July 3, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Memorial Park Beach

SOMERVILLE: July 1, 2010, 6 p.m. Trum Field

SPENCER: July 3, 2010, 9:45 p.m. Spencer Fair Ground

STOUGHTON: July 3, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Stoughton High Football Field

TAUNTON: July 2, 2010, Dusk, Silver City Galleria

UPTON: June 26, 2010, 9 p.m. Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational
Technical High School

WAKEFIELD: July 4, 2010, Dusk, Lake Quannapowitt

WALPOLE: July 3, 2010, 9 p.m. Stone Field

WALTHAM: July 4, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Leary Field

WEBSTER: July 3, 2010, 9:30 p.m. Webster Lake

WEYMOUTH: July 3, 2010, 9:30 p.m. George Lane Beach

WILMINGTON: July 2, 2010 9 p.m. High School Field
July 3, 2010, 9:30 p.m. High School Field, Rain Date July 5

WINTHROP: July 4, 2010, 9:15 p.m. Winthrop Harbor

Original Link: http://wbztv.com/local/Massachusetts.fireworks.displays.2.1753159.html

Grad Present? Plz?

I’m serious. Everyone can pitch in and get me a tiny little Rottweiler puppy that will grow into a 30 lbs of joy within 4-6 weeks next May (Ehem… Graduation…), and I’ll be the happiest girl alive.

Ever since my parents brought home two 2-month-old Rottweiler puppies about a decade ago, I have been in love with those supposedly scary dogs. Once you get to hold one and live with one, or two, however, you’ll soon realize Rottweilers are simply full of love, loyalty and selflessness.

Unfortunately, my little Tori and Ari had to be sent away since they totally grew out of my family’s small suburban home. But I’m still holding out for a puppy or two of my own sometime in the future – of course when I’m NO LONGER moving every 6 months from one dorm to another and am making tons and tons of money so I can buy them all the fun treats.

In the meantime, I do spend quite a bit of my free time looking at (stalking?) cute puppy photos online. Lucky me, I stumbed upon this website called the Daily Puppy to which dog owners can submit pictures of their loved ones and shelters can post “adopt me” bulletins.

In the past, I have always picked Rottweilers as my only favorite breed. Now, I’ve finally opened up to other breeds just as wonderful and cuddly, and here are my favorites!

BORDER COLLIE: Just plain adorable. They have extremely cute faces and fluffy tails. Aw!

GOLDEN RETRIEVER: Does “Air Bud” bring childhood memories back? That awesome dog that can play football, basketball and even baseball? Yeah, that’s one talented Golden Retriever. Though they shed A LOT, they are probably children’s favorites. Big, yet loving and protective.

HUSKIES: Some say they look scary, but if you look closely into their eyes, you’ll see two different colored bright eyes staring right back at you with love! Quite honestly, I didn’t start loving huskies until I met Jack’s puppy, half Husky, half German Shepherd. Huskies are also extremely loyal, and as hunting dogs, they do sometimes bring you presents, aka kills… Yikes. But regardless, it’s all out of love!

BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG: You know those freakishly huge dogs? Yes, they are Bernese Mountain Dogs. Gorgeous color, thick fur, huge paws. They are basically guard/farm dogs that can herd sheep.

PUG: My question is, how can you not love all those wrinkles??? Huh? You have no heart…

I can’t finish this post without a special shout-out to ROTTWEILERS: They can be fierce, but only to strangers. They are adorable, friendly, faithful, protective and welcoming.

Also fun fact of the day: did you know Poodles are one of the smartest dogs out there? With all that colorful and sometimes weird styled hair that make you question the owner’s sanity, you would never imagine…

The Beauty of East London – Brick Lane

From some of my observations, I discovered most British people resent East London. Or at least love to poke fun at it.

In fact, some question why the city is trying so hard to bring the center of 2012 Olympics to East London. After all, some consider it a mere wasteland, far far away from the CITY of London where everyone lives and all the important businesses take place.

What I learned during my semester abroad about East London is that it never quite recovered fully from the bombings of World War II. With East End’s docklands and ports completely destroyed but never quite rebuilt, East London is slowly on the rise again with Canary Wharf and Brick Lane.

True, I will probably never venture out to East London at night by myself. During the day with a good group of friends, however, I fell in love with the vintage markets, East Asian eatery and delicious mulled wine stands on the streets.

Brick Lane boasts quality Indian, Thai, Bangladeshi or Indonesian dishes and the bagels that really beat New York bagels. I just loved walking down the street to look at the exotic dishes and fruits & vegetables.

Then there is Spittalfields Market and Vintage Market that sell handmade headbands and jewelry for cheap. Right in front of each market stand many vendors with pad thai or sushi. And just to add to the excitement of eating all the yummy food, they make it right in front of you!

Nearby is Liverpool Street Tube, and further toward the river is Canary Wharf.

In my opinion, East London simply adds character to London and glorifies the fun features of the city originating from its diverse population, and that’s just another reason why I miss studying abroad!

Frohe Ostern von Berlin!

How did I let this happen? Seriously? HOW COME I STILL HAVEN’T WRITTEN ABOUT MY FAVORITE WEEKEND TRIP? I blame it on the madness that was April – moving out, packing for Italy and studying for final exams – and May – pigging out on home-cooked meals, shopping with mom and enjoying the Texas sun.

Well, anywho… I did go to Berlin, Deutschland for the long weekend in April, the Easter weekend, and to this day, I love love love telling the story of how we almost ended up in Dresden, instead. Lesson learned: Always double check train’s destination before you hop on it, especially in a foreign country after you’ve been up since 2 a.m. to catch the 6 a.m. flight.

Leaving whatever happened at the Berlin Shoenefield Airport train station behind, Jack and I eventually made it to our hostel, located right next to Berlin Haupbahnhof station. Meininger was the biggest and the most modern hostel we stayed at the entire semester. While small hostels, such as the ones we found in Dublin and Sicily, have their own perks of cozyness, comfort and personal attention, big hostels are well-maintained and offer more big-group activities.

After we dropped off our backpacks, we began our German adventures with…THE FREE TOUR! The same deal as the ones in Dublin and Paris. I quickly found Berlin was full of interesting ironies. Brandenburg Gate, at least 300-year-old historic monument, stood right next to the all-glass, extremely modern Parliament building. The Holocaust Memorial, with no clear sign of what it’s supposed to represent, simply sat in the middle of the city. All in all, we saw numerous historic sights, ate almost too many sausages and fell in love with the German culture.

(Brandenburg Gate)

(Holocaust Memorial)

Since close to two months have already flown by since my trip to Berlin, I will actually make categories and lists of places I visited, food I ate, things I loved, etc. – with lots of pictures, of course!

First things first, FOOD & DRINKS. (I mean, are you surprised?)

1. Bratwurst: Yes, sausages. Why else would you ever visit Germany? Grilled perfectly – burnt a little outside but still tender and juicy inside. Moreover, I discovered something absolutely amazing called CURRYWURST. Jack was daring enough to try it first, but basically, it is perfectly grilled bratwurst cut into small pieces with curry sauce and curry powder on top. I know, sounds a bit weird. The taste, however, is superb. By far my favorite food discovery in Europe.

2. Berliner Pilsner: Great German beer. Regardless of what size beer you ask for, you will most likely end up with a huge stein.

3. Cheap Thai/Vietnamese Food: For only 3 euro, I had a big bowls of Vietnamese noodle for lunch. Then for only about 10 euro, I had a huge plate of Thai noodle for dinner. Yum!

(Sightseeing) ACTIVITIES:

1. Climbing to the top of the Parliament building for a gorgeous city view: One downside is you have to start lining up at around 7:45 a.m. for its 8 a.m. opening time. Multiple upside factors are amazing view and no need to pay to enjoy the view.

2. Pub Crawls: Truth – Berlin S-Bahn and U-Bahn operate 24 hours a day on weekends. Need I say more? Great night life – we went to all sorts of pubs/bars during our pub crawl. We started off at Zapata, an outdoor hangout place, went to Die Fisch (Yes, The Fish!), a hip dance-y bar, then moved on to a bro-ish club and finally, sorta Euro-trash club. So. Much. Fun. We also made friends from NY and Norway. Sweet deal.

3. Picnic at Museuminsel: By Museuminsel, I mean The Museum Island where all the major museums in Berlin surround a gorgeous green. By picnic, I actually mean Currywursts. On a warm afternoon, just try it. Couple of Currywursts and a couple cans of Berliner Pilsner!

[Sidenote: At the Museum Island, you can also visit Pergammon Museum, which houses ancient Greek statues and Babylonian architecture. You can also get student discounts!]

4. Oranianburg Daytrip: About an hour away on the U-Bahn, this site of former concentration camp is definitely worth a visit. We ended up spending an entire afternoon there. Not sure how to describe it in words, but you just learn so much and realize how wonderful it is to have your freedom, happiness and simply, joyful life.

Oh Berlin! What a fun city! Throughout the weekend, I also noticed Berlin was full of tourists – almost more than London! I was a bit thrown off by how many people spoke French and complicated Eastern European languages around me, but nevertheless, blended in just fine and had a great time.

If I ever get a chance, I definitely want to visit Frankfurt, Dresden (not accidentally this time) and Hamburg. And also, practice my German skills!