Tag Archives: Summer

Where Did August Go?

Anyone? Can anyone tell me where in the world August disappeared to?

While waiting for the answer, I shall just sit here and stare at my calendar that tells me today is August 24. I simply can’t believe it. I feel like I graduated just about a week ago. In reality, three months flew by since I walked across the stage for my diploma.

This summer, a lot has changed. I am now officially a college graduate, employed and independent (?). Making my own money, paying my own bills and driving my own car.

I’m also learning a lot. Besides the obvious of cooking for myself, multitasking and balancing time between work and free time, I’m basically learning to be a journalist.

Especially in such a tight-knit community where everyone knows one another, blending in and “getting the scoop” pose the biggest challenges. The Islanders all went to the same high school (the one and only high school on the Island, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School) and frankly, they either return after college or stay here forever.

Surprisingly though, most people I approached for reactions didn’t resist. They were more than happy to help and be part of my stories.

Moreover, during the season my story list overflows with events, fundraisers, visitors and high-profile guests (cough, the President, cough). Though in July I did question my decision to move here, but now that I’ve realized all journalists started somewhere and small markets in a way mean the rite of passage, I’m content.

Who knows, all that may change come November, but so far, I have wonderful memories and clips. Harry Potter midnight showing… Stanley Cup’s visit to the Island… Coast Guard’s rescue boat… Sailing on Juno for Vineyard Cup… Lobster dinner that came with a story coverage… Monster Shark Tournament… and last but not least, the First Family’s vacation and a chance to be part of the prestigious White House Press Corps for a day.

June:

July:

August:

MOUTHWATERING! Cheap Eats in Boston – From Boston.com

My, my goodness. All these look delicious!

If you know me well enough, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE food. Don’t care about the calories. Don’t care about the fat percentage. Don’t care about the carbs. I just like to eat tasty food, savor the moment and find fun recipes.

Well, lucky me. While surfing the web this morning, I stumbled upon this slideshow on the Boston Globe website: Cheap Eats in Boston.

http://www.boston.com/ae/restaurants/gallery/cheap_eats/

Yes. Yes. Yes!

I’m definitely checking out these places:

Genki Ya: They have a location in Brookline, not just in Cambridge!

Kowloon: I’m not an adventurous eater, but I actually might want to try this place.

Benevento’s: Shocked to find a North End restaurant on this list. Nevertheless, this pizza looks absolutely delicious.

Garlic ‘N Lemons:I really need to explore Allston-area restaurants more fully. There are so many hidden gems all along Harvard Ave. Also, kebabs and shawarma. My go-to late-night snack of choice. I miss them.

Posto: More pizza. I’m there.

The Talk: Looks like an Italian restaurant. Needless to say, I love everything Italian.

The Snug: A pint of Guinness and a steak pie. Definitely brings back good Dublin memories. Can I just confess here really quickly, Irish accents might be more amusing and more wonderful than British accents.

House of Kebob: I mean… Duh. It’s a house of kebabs? Oh man.

Parish Cafe South End: Anything patio cafe belongs to my “good” list.

Piattini Cafe and Gelateria: OMG GELATO. I consumed lots lots and lots of gelato in Italy. Seriously, to my heart’s content. And I think I’m now ready to search for great gelato in Boston.

City Girl Cafe: Is that… Scrambled eggs on baguette? It’s sooo pretty!

Ducali Pizzeria and Bar: Another North End restaurant on the list of cheap eats? Once again, very surprised.

Nourish: Two words, JUMBO WINGS. Sold.

Via Lago Cafe: The usual suspects on the kids menu… mac & cheese and pasta. Call me silly, but once again, sold. Oh I suppose the creative dinner menu for adults will be great, too.

Now, who wants to sample these dishes?

(Thank you Boston Globe for putting this list together)

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!

Picnic at Greenwich Park

The weather in London finally decided to let some sun into the England sky the last week of my semester abroad — which means we ditched studying for finals and went for a picnic in Greenwich Park instead. Obviously, what else is there to do when the sun is shining for the first time in four months? 😉

Technically Greenwich is located about 30-40 minutes of a tube ride on Jubilee line, but thanks to the pre-Olympics construction on London’s public transportation, we had to hop on the ferry from Embankment, down Thames River to East London.

Greenwich is home to the Royal Naval College, which totally beats BU in location, beauty and the view, PRIME MERIDIAN LINE, the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum. While I didn’t have time to browse around the museum, I did have plenty of time to stand in two different time zones at the same time, enjoy some wine and cheese and reflect on my Berlin trip while eating Currywursts at the market.

The picture depicts the Naval College’s quad. The grassy field overlooking the Canary Wharf invites passersby to sit down for a bit, read a little and relax in the sun.

Just look at me, magical. That is…Drumroll please…PRIME MERIDIAN! Am I the only one this excited to take a picture with this marker?

Hill/grass filled with people loving the weather and their picnic. Good to know we weren’t the only ones procrastinating?

In the main part of Greenwich you can find pubs, McDonald’s (without a fail in any city), restaurants and best of all, markets. The indoor market, though I don’t have a picture of it, offered many different kinds of souvenirs, drinks and food. The outdoor market – right by the dock – featured the biggest PICK & MIX collection, Currywursts and Paella. Seriously, can Greenwich get any better than that?

Oh wait, I think it just did. 🙂 What a great photo – courtesy of Madelyn and Christina. And what a wonderful day in the sun with awesome friends.