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so julia and i, determined to spend our last weekend together in boston, decided to spend an evening in a retro speakeasy type joint called beehive. lucky for us, it is not only a bar AND a restaurant, but also, a music venue. so, we got to spend some time being amusingly serenaded by the two man gentlemen band. as you can see from the photo i've included, they're two charming fellas with an old timey but still cheeky feel. not only that, but they're also splendid musicians. one plays banjo (as well as acoustic guitar and other stringed accoutrements) and one plays the bass. both are armed with kazoos. anyway, i'm hesitant to leave you with some music since they're so much more magical live than the recordings give way to. but eff it, i think you all deserve to hear them. i present, the two man gentlemen band.two man gentlemen band: drip dryin'
two man gentlemen band: william howard taft
i'm sitting here in cafe luna, supposedly working on my portfolio. i say supposedly because, obviously, i'm not. but the point is, i should be. i actually have a date with my supervisors to present my portfolio to them--meaning i have homework. my mind is a little too jittery right now though, so i thought i'd put some thoughts on paper (proverbial paper?). maybe this way, i can clear it up a little.
i was thinking about co-op and how we all end up in different places with virtually nothing to start with. i came to boston with two suitcases and no expectation--landing in somerville with a married german couple and julia. the summer was fresh in my head but i knew the winter would be a completely different experience--not better, not worse, just different. i have to say, while i think the weather makes for a melancholy setting, i believe bostonians to be much more pleasant this time around. i've found myself in random conversation with plenty of people and despite their outward snobbery, the folks i've met have been sincerely nice. while attempting, once again, to work on my portfolio on thursday, i spent roughly 2 hours talking to this jazz sax player about music and life and how it's funny that we were having an actual conversation instead of depending on technology for socialization. it was incredible and to think it occured in a city famous for being rude astounded me. we left with nothing more than our names and the idea that maybe we'd meet again, but it'd be ok if we didn't because at least we had those two hours.
each time i've been here (each 3 month increment, i mean), my life has taken various different turns. it's a tease, this whole co-op thing. we get so comfortable in different places and then, magically, we're expected to revert to our old lives in cincinnati, pulling all nighters and casually falling into conversation with people who keep changing. not that i'm in any hurry to graduate, but sometimes i like to settle into my life for a minute and wonder what it'd be like if this was really the beginning. what if i lived in cambridge or somerville and this was my life? spending saturday afternoons with a mocha and my work, listening to a live jazz band with berklee grads (and a violin?!), wondering what i'll be doing in 2 hours. being able to hop on the red line just two stops down to grab a drink and listen to some good live music, no cover charge. mingling with musicians (because that's who i seem to acquire as friends when i'm on my own, don't know why) and artists, discussing different perspectives on literature and coffee. i mean, it's always rough in the beginning to get my bearings in a new place, but it's always unfair in the end to just drop it all and move back to the stale rituals of cincinnati. it's like the longer i'm away from there, the more i realize the pains of coming back.
whew, ok. i think my brain has been emptied out a little bit and perhaps i can go back to working on my portfolio. onward, self! onward!
that beautiful venetian style courtyard was where i spent a good chunk of my sunday afternoon. cody came for a visit (to ye olde exotic boston) and since sunday was a chilly yet pleasant day, we decided to wander about and find a museum to attend to. i had been meaning to go to the isabella stewart gardner museum since last summer, yet somehow i missed it and i had kind of forgotten about it. but then, with the impending visit of my beloved, i suddenly recalled a place my co-workers had urged me to see. perfect opportunity!
as soon as i walked into this place, it was love at first sight. i had to walk in first to feel that though because the outside (or at least from the entrance we came from) really was not that special. the museum itself is set up as a house and when you walk into each room, the pieces of art are arranged by what looks good, which means an eclectic collection of otherwise unrelated paintings and sculptures. it's incredible to see famous images by raphael and john singer sargent mingling in an unconventional enviroment. honestly it was like you were just walking through someone's home, peering into their private collection of art.
the best part, however, wasn't even the beautiful art or the letters from george washington (and marie antoinette), but the green house courtyard in the middle of the building. orchids and other tropical flora flowed over the sides of this central focal point of the musem. we couldn't actually walk around in the courtyard, but as you can tell from the photo on top, there were some archways with walls you could sit on and admire from. if i lived in this city for a longer period of time, i would definitely invest in a membership and take my sketchbook there from time to time. it's such an inspiring place.
so i watched the sun set this evening on my way home. it was quite a magical bostonian moment--the violet of the night mingling with the soft rays of a departing sun. farewell sun! into your curved horizon you go, off to spend the evening in a long awaited slumber. i do enjoy the skyline i get on my way home. the prudential building gets a little intrusive, but the city lights make the squeaky and shifty green line almost peaceful. it's nights like tonight that make me appreciative of this place, despite the frigid air and gusty gusty gusty winds.
we ate in a trolley car diner on friday and were served by the type of women who would call you 'sugar' or 'sweetie', but with a bostonian brogue. then we went to a bar full of toad statues and listened to a twangy band. a brunette michelle williams played impressive guitar and somehow managed to balance between classic new england and rustic texan. she and her band of eccentric fellas put on quite a performance. as did i after downed 3 woodchuck ciders within a short period of time.
i've made reservations for cody and i at the beacon inn for a week in february. does that not sound quaint? it could be a complete mess with dead bushes on the outside and rancid creatures on the inside, but because it's called 'the beacon inn', it'd still feel quaint.
i think i'm going to be off now friends. au revoir!
so here i am, taking a break from my seemingly forward moving life to update the masses. i'm living in a neighborhood that strikingly resembles sean penn's neighborhood in the movie mystic river. in fact, i'm almost certain it is that so-called neighborhood. julia and i are living with a married german couple in their lovely abode. so lovely, in fact, that we were scolded when a few drops of water landed on their revamped floor. it's alright though--we learned fast. and now we're settled to the point of comfort, so it's all good.
boston is obviously frigid in the winter and catching the bus is always a bit of a drag, but otherwise, we're getting back into the swing of the city. we've learned to wear tights underneath our jeans and that no matter how horrid you think you look bundled up to no avail, there is someone right next to you in even MORE layers. i've been pandering around in my snowboot galoshes without looking like a freak and to be honest, i think they're the best thing i own. it's like they were the original uggs or something.
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work's been pretty active. we've been slaving a bit over rebranding the newark museum, which is exciting. i get to experience a lot of different pieces and whatnot. i have to say working at minelli has made me really love print design more than i could even imagine. the details and care that go into typography and layout just really appeal to me and doing silly, tedious things like ragging and individual kerning actually gets me excited. you end up with a piece of design that has real care put into it and you know every single aspect was tailored specifically for it. i just shiver with delight over it!
so apparently we're supposed to get 6 inches of snow dumped on us tonight. and with that news inserted safely in my brain, i have decided to go out and partake in some candlepin bowling in good ol' davis square. on that note...au revoir (aardvark)!
