#29 Boston - Christmas in Germany without Commas - December 25 2004
Froehliche Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!
I am sitting here in my home town in Gemany on my brother's somewhat disfunctional computer - the comma is not working so look forward to some interesting ways for me to structure this week's oration. I also could just pretend to be Gabriel Garcia Marquez and write without any punctuation whatsoever. Some folks consider that great literature. Ha!
I arrived here in a pretty languid state - due to my late booking of my flight I had a very interesting itinerary and the pleasure of a six hour layover in Washington DC. I spent this time sprawled out on a few seats in my boarding area reading through three issues of Newsweek and half a book. After an overnight flight and landing in Zurich my brother and I zipped back to Germany (I forgot how fast you can drive here - always a bit scary at first) and after speed-wrapping six dozen gifts I jumped in a car to get my hair colored and cut (at a fraction of the extortionate Boston rates of course). Then it was off to dinner #1 at my aunt's house (Ham and potato salad) to be followed by festivities at my brother's pad a little later. It was quite the culinary feast - and Marion's sister Andrea (who lived up to her role as the best amateur chef of the region) once again delighted us with a "Gourmet Magazine" worthy creation of lemon ice cream tartlets that were just to die for. A germane amount of lovely gifts were traded to the delight of everyone involved - and a good time was had by all. Once I started seriously fading out and threaten to fall asleep sitting up at the table - I was sent to bed and went downstairs for some serious shut eye. Christmas eve is the important evening tradition in German Christmas celebrations - we all enjoyed a harmonious evening and each other's company.
Today is a nice and relaxing day with a pretty disconsolate sky and the promise of really cold weather tomorrow. I was able to get some jogging in though this morning - and of course some more of that healthy Christmas diet involving loads of cookies and such.
Before I left to come here things got busy as you can imagine. The toil and moil at work did get intense - a deadline and Christmas do not seem to make a great combination. Friday last I headed to Copley Place and the Old South Church where a concert of the Chorus Pro Musica took place (http://www.choruspromusica.org/). Considered one of the premier choruses of New England they performed a magnificent selection of French and American Christmas songs titled "Joyeux Noel". The Old South Church (http://www.oldsouth.org/) was established in 1872 in the style of Northern Italian gothic architecture and "is distinguished by its tall bell tower; brown, pink and grey stonework; walls of Roxbury puddingstone; decorative carvings; a roof striped with tiles of red and black slate; and a cupola or lantern of green and russet-colored copper. " A beautiful place to have a concert indeed.
Saturday I spend the day with my friends Linda and Roger - we started off by heading to Deer Island - one of the Boston Harbor Islands. Not the prettiest of them by any means - in particular as it features the very futuristically designed Sewage Treatment Plant for the city of Boston (as my Roger noted "This is where it all ends!"). However it has one of the best views of the city of Boston and the surrounding Massachusetts Bay and its islands. Of course once you take the walk you are exposed to the risk that once in a while the wind shifts unfavorably in your diretion and you get a whiff of something terribly malodorous. In addition a sign alerts you that the irrigation system might go off at any time - with no previous warning! We eventually headed back to the city and after a dinner at my favorite Italian neighborhood restaurant (Antonio's on Cambridge Street) headed over to the Boston Common and watched folks ice skating (more or less skilled) - and then I gave a tour to Linda and Roger of my highlights of Beacon Hill (had to stop by John Kerry's house as usual).
On Sunday I met my friend Christiaan who was in town from Washington DC and had his first visit to the hub. With two of his colleagues we (again - this is becoming a habit) moseyed over to the Boston Common and Frog Pond and did some ice skating. It was Chris' first experience on the ice and he did pretty good. All this physical activity called for some serious sustenance - so we ambled over to the "21st Amendment" for some good sandwiches and beer. All in all a great weekend (maybe except the part where I threw my keys down the elevator shaft....).
It has been chilly over the past week - with the real low point of the week (literally) the night we had minus 5 Fahrenheit with the wind chill. Unfortunately for me I had to go to the drug store - all bundled up I pretty much looked like the Michelin Man trying to rob a bank. It snowed a bit on Monday - aside from that it was just cold! Boston is amazing with its weather patterns - I am now totally obsessed with weather.com and love the fact that there actually is a weather...... I remember during our first snow in November - jogging along the Charles River Esplanade trying to avoid ice and slush when next to me someone was cross country skiing. At the same time sailboats were on the river - how cool is that!
In a somewhat weather-related event - the fifth annual Santa Speedo Run took place in Boston last weekend with men and women in speedos jogging down Newbury Street (enough said - right?) [http://www.santaspeedorun.com/]. It's December for cryin' out loud!!
That's it for today folks - be merry and happy and kind to your friends and family and strangers!
pet:)
My final quote for the day - "Everything is within walking distance - if you have the time" by Steven Wright.
I am sitting here in my home town in Gemany on my brother's somewhat disfunctional computer - the comma is not working so look forward to some interesting ways for me to structure this week's oration. I also could just pretend to be Gabriel Garcia Marquez and write without any punctuation whatsoever. Some folks consider that great literature. Ha!
I arrived here in a pretty languid state - due to my late booking of my flight I had a very interesting itinerary and the pleasure of a six hour layover in Washington DC. I spent this time sprawled out on a few seats in my boarding area reading through three issues of Newsweek and half a book. After an overnight flight and landing in Zurich my brother and I zipped back to Germany (I forgot how fast you can drive here - always a bit scary at first) and after speed-wrapping six dozen gifts I jumped in a car to get my hair colored and cut (at a fraction of the extortionate Boston rates of course). Then it was off to dinner #1 at my aunt's house (Ham and potato salad) to be followed by festivities at my brother's pad a little later. It was quite the culinary feast - and Marion's sister Andrea (who lived up to her role as the best amateur chef of the region) once again delighted us with a "Gourmet Magazine" worthy creation of lemon ice cream tartlets that were just to die for. A germane amount of lovely gifts were traded to the delight of everyone involved - and a good time was had by all. Once I started seriously fading out and threaten to fall asleep sitting up at the table - I was sent to bed and went downstairs for some serious shut eye. Christmas eve is the important evening tradition in German Christmas celebrations - we all enjoyed a harmonious evening and each other's company.
Today is a nice and relaxing day with a pretty disconsolate sky and the promise of really cold weather tomorrow. I was able to get some jogging in though this morning - and of course some more of that healthy Christmas diet involving loads of cookies and such.
Before I left to come here things got busy as you can imagine. The toil and moil at work did get intense - a deadline and Christmas do not seem to make a great combination. Friday last I headed to Copley Place and the Old South Church where a concert of the Chorus Pro Musica took place (http://www.choruspromusica.org/). Considered one of the premier choruses of New England they performed a magnificent selection of French and American Christmas songs titled "Joyeux Noel". The Old South Church (http://www.oldsouth.org/) was established in 1872 in the style of Northern Italian gothic architecture and "is distinguished by its tall bell tower; brown, pink and grey stonework; walls of Roxbury puddingstone; decorative carvings; a roof striped with tiles of red and black slate; and a cupola or lantern of green and russet-colored copper. " A beautiful place to have a concert indeed.
Saturday I spend the day with my friends Linda and Roger - we started off by heading to Deer Island - one of the Boston Harbor Islands. Not the prettiest of them by any means - in particular as it features the very futuristically designed Sewage Treatment Plant for the city of Boston (as my Roger noted "This is where it all ends!"). However it has one of the best views of the city of Boston and the surrounding Massachusetts Bay and its islands. Of course once you take the walk you are exposed to the risk that once in a while the wind shifts unfavorably in your diretion and you get a whiff of something terribly malodorous. In addition a sign alerts you that the irrigation system might go off at any time - with no previous warning! We eventually headed back to the city and after a dinner at my favorite Italian neighborhood restaurant (Antonio's on Cambridge Street) headed over to the Boston Common and watched folks ice skating (more or less skilled) - and then I gave a tour to Linda and Roger of my highlights of Beacon Hill (had to stop by John Kerry's house as usual).
On Sunday I met my friend Christiaan who was in town from Washington DC and had his first visit to the hub. With two of his colleagues we (again - this is becoming a habit) moseyed over to the Boston Common and Frog Pond and did some ice skating. It was Chris' first experience on the ice and he did pretty good. All this physical activity called for some serious sustenance - so we ambled over to the "21st Amendment" for some good sandwiches and beer. All in all a great weekend (maybe except the part where I threw my keys down the elevator shaft....).
It has been chilly over the past week - with the real low point of the week (literally) the night we had minus 5 Fahrenheit with the wind chill. Unfortunately for me I had to go to the drug store - all bundled up I pretty much looked like the Michelin Man trying to rob a bank. It snowed a bit on Monday - aside from that it was just cold! Boston is amazing with its weather patterns - I am now totally obsessed with weather.com and love the fact that there actually is a weather...... I remember during our first snow in November - jogging along the Charles River Esplanade trying to avoid ice and slush when next to me someone was cross country skiing. At the same time sailboats were on the river - how cool is that!
In a somewhat weather-related event - the fifth annual Santa Speedo Run took place in Boston last weekend with men and women in speedos jogging down Newbury Street (enough said - right?) [http://www.santaspeedorun.com/]. It's December for cryin' out loud!!
That's it for today folks - be merry and happy and kind to your friends and family and strangers!
pet:)
My final quote for the day - "Everything is within walking distance - if you have the time" by Steven Wright.
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