5 things to do in Boston...student version

To my fellow Bostonian scholars:

This is in response to another “5 things to do in Boston” post I found. I decided I should make my own, from a student’s point of view and budget! Also, most of these places are located close to where the majority of students live in this town of scholars.

1. Do not miss T. Anthony's pizza at the end of a night on the town. Walk into "T's" at 2:00 a.m. to find the jukebox is blasting and the place is packed with students enjoying that end-of-a-great-night pizza, dancing, and meeting people from all different schools in Boston. 1016 Commonwealth Ave.

2. Although it’s a shame to not be able to attend a Red Sox game at Fenway, if it’s too expensive for your student budget, go to the bars and restaurants around the stadium to watch the games on the big screens. There’s just as much hype outside the park as in the park but it wont cost you $30 to be there!

3. Hungry students are grumpy students, especially in the morning. To start your day with an amazing homey breakfast (that keeps your wallet happy), go to the Busy Bee in Brookline. A Greek family-owned diner with all the favorites: huge plates of pancakes, bacon, eggs, breakfast sandwiches, waffles and, of course, coffee. The owners may yell at each other from across the small diner, but it is all part of the atmosphere…and they do make the best blueberry pancakes. 1046 Beacon St.

4. Musica? Go to the Paradise Rock Club and Lounge to find all kinds of live music from your favorite “not-so-famous-yet bands”. Enjoy a drink (a coke for those of you still counting down the days to the big day), and hear the music you like. From reggae to metal for around $15. 967-969 Commonwealth Avenue. And if even that’s too steep, check out the many free music festivals that go on in Boston, like the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival in late September.

5. And for the ultimate inexpensive activity, the Boston Commons. Yes, Boston does have some of the most ruthless winters a person may see, but there are about 6 months out of the year during which lying on the grass and listening to music is a perfect pass-time. And even in the winter there’s plenty to do on the Commons. Don’t miss the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, or ice-skating on the ponds. Even if you’re too thrifty for skates, pushing each other around with tennis shoes can be just as fun and stress relieving. Oh! And don’t miss the duckling statues in the Public gardens…they’re just cute.

Other cheap things that are not in the top 5...(the two food places win because...well, people gotta eat!)
*I would have added the Freedom Trail walk here, but since it’s already an obvious attraction, I skipped it. But, keep in mind it's a great activity and will cost you nothing but energy!
**The Museum of Fine Arts is really a beautiful museum where you will find some of the worlds most famous masterpieces. Every Wed, 4 - 9:45 pm general admissions are free!

"The Mad Hatter's Tea Party"

Slow Sunday in Paris? GO TO SHAKESPEARE AND CO. across from the Notre Dame. Have a look around, find bargain books such as Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and get it stamped with the official seal! At 4 o'clock, go to the third floor for a tea party in a tiny room that smells like spiced tea and the old books that take up more room than the people.

Feel the bohemian Paris of the early 20th century and meet all kinds of interesting characters who themselves have been friends with writers such as Orson Wells! Have some tea and snacks and listen to what people have to share, meet other travelers and contribute some poetry yourself. Panmelis, the hostess who changes her name every few years, may even rap for you .

Shakespeare and Co. was founded in 1951 by George Whitman as a literary, bohemian, center for the anglophones. As Whitman himself put it, he has been running "a socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore" for over 50 years!

Take the Metro to either St. Michel or Cluny La Sorbonne. The store is right accross the river from the Notre Dame.

Take it easy in Porto

Porto is a friendly city. Steep sloping streets lined with tile faced houses. Blue, yellow, green, red, even pink...

It's the end of a warm cloudless Saturday. Families and friends gather on the street to chat while children play. Others prefer to peer out of their laundry-laced windows to get the news. On a street corner, four or five older men sit on their plastic chairs to discuss the weather, last night's game, the news... If you make the slightest effort to talk to the locals, you will see that most people will welcome your conversation and take a deep interest in you.

Sunday afternoon: again, there is not a cloud in the sky. The city is quiet, shops are closed, homes are closed and even many cafés are closed. All you can hear on the cobblestone streets are the echoes of your own footsteps. Following the black and white mosaic sidewalks, you'll probably come across several churches, all with tile-work on them, of course. As you walk further from the center and closer to the river, things start getting livelier. You find a wine cave where the owner will teach you all about Port Wine and Vinho Verde. He'll tell you that in most Porto residences, you will find a vintage port wine produced the year of the owner's birth.

You'll next discover that once upon a time Porto had a tram that had not worked for thirty years. One day, the city decided to start it up again. It's an old tramcar that violently rattles from where the city meets the Douro to where the Douro meets the Atlantic. The trolley driver himself is rough; a short Portuguese man with a cigarette that rests so naturally in his mouth that it seems to just be a part of him.
Once arriving at the end of the line, you will find that along the mosaic boardwalk the standard is to slowly stroll in that warm Sunday-after-lunch pace. Children rollerblade, bike and run while parents and grandparent walk behind them with arms linked.

Walk out to a lighthouse and you'll feel an amazing energy that contrasts with the lazy Porto. Suddenly the wind picks up and the waves hit the sides of the concrete pier, splashing a salty mist into the air. Everything is suddenly damp and sticky with ocean water, in a refreshing way.

The key to enjoying Porto is to get into the local mindset. There's no rush. Amble along the streets, discover hidden corners, narrow alleys and pleasant cafés. It does not matter how quickly you get from A to B. What is important is to discover what comes your way. As the French would say, "flanner": walk randomly until you find something that interests you, then, contemplate your discoveries.

Creations

Cloître Saint-Trophime, Arles en Provence

Notre Dame de Paris

Cathédrale de Strasbourg

l'église Saint Trophime

Cathédrale de Strasbourg

Portail de l'église Saint Trophime

How to not say anything

Every language has its way of saying "nothing", and I do not mean the literal word "nothing", I'm actually talking about those words that we use for fear of possible silence. So deeply ingrained in our cultures, we do not even realize we use them ourselves, it's as innate as breathing. '

After moving to a new country, learning a new language and observing a new culture, it is funny how we pick up on a person's use of these "filler words". As we intently observe them to make sure we understand everything they are saying, everything they are expressing, we notice the way people literally string words or sounds together to say nothing at all. One of the first things I noticed since moving to France is how the French say "et donc voila" (literally, "and therefore here is"). What does that even mean? It is the same as an American saying "and that's that".

Notre Dame, Paris

When pointing it out to a French friend how funny it is that they'll say "et ben" (equivalent of "umm" in English) as they transition sentences, they laugh at the fact that it was always so natural they never realized they were doing it. It is the same way a young American will use the word "like" or the phrase "and then like" between almost every sentence; they do not even notice they are doing it. We use these words so much that a foreigner who may not even know the language will ask "what does this mean?". I laugh when my American friends ask me what "tipo" (like) means in portuguese. I find it funny because it is the most useless word of all my sentences, but it is the one they pick up on. It makes me realize how much I use it, and how much I have to stop using it. Et ben, voilà quoi. C'est ça.

I end by saying nothing.

Le Quotidien

La bastille et Grenoble du mémorial des Troupes Alpines/The bastille and Grenoble from the Alpine Troups Memorial

Les couleurs d'automne et les Beldonnes/Fall colors and the Beldonnes

Vue de Grenoble en montent à la Bastille/View of Grenoble on the way up to the Bastille

Marché au centre ville, dimanche, Place St. Claire/downtown market on a Sunday at Place St. Claire

Reflets du coucher du soleil sur les Beldonnes/reflection of the sunset on the Beldonnes

Des haut et des bas au Chartreuse

Sur les photos: 1. Paraponte, Chartreuse 2. Vue de la Chartreuse 3. Croix au haut de la Chartreuse 4. Fenêtre à l'intérieur du musée de la grande Chartreuse 5. Monastère de la grande Chartreuse

In the pictures: 1. Paragliding, Chartreuse 2. View from Chartreuse 3. Cross at the top of the Chartreuse 4. Window in the musée de la grande Chartreuse 5. Monastère de la grande Chartreuse

Photos by Marion Geiger