Life as J

Last night, I packed my bags and reflected on these past few months. I'm sure you'll agree that it's been quite the experience - those of you who have followed my adventures. Before I came, I figured it would be a term of boredom in the middle of nowhere. With no cellphone (I couldn't make a call without incurring ridiculous roaming charges) and no car, what else would I be able to do except watch TV and download movies? I was wrong though - after a slow start, I went on my first trip to Hampton Beach for their annual Seafood Festival. I experienced different areas of Boston on numerous occasions , even attending a U2 concert ! Not everything has to revolve around the city - I also went hiking on Mount Monadnock and did some apple picking in Hollis. I fired my first bullets at the Manchester Firing Range and, somewhere along the way, won roundtrip tickets around the world! Yes, luck was definitely on my side. However, my most memorable experiences were g...

It was my roommate's birthday on Friday, so we decided to head out to Boston on Saturday night to celebrate with coworkers. First item on the itinerary was dinner at La Famiglia Giorgio's. If you're ever in Boston and in the mood for great Italian food, that's the place to go - especially after you see the prices! I had the linguine alla matriciana, which came in a huge plate with tons of prosciutto, for $12.00 plus tax and tip. The atmosphere was very informal and perfect for our large group. Before we headed to the improv theater for comedy, we decided to head up to the famous Mike's Pastry to feast our eyes on Italian pastry. That's another spot you must visit if you're in the city - it was packed with people when we got there, but that was apparently nothing. On busier days, the line-up to get into the store can stretch past a block! Even though I was stuffed from dinner, I couldn't resist picking out a chocolate florentine - so yummy! Once ...

I've been feeling much better these past couple of days - my knee is able to bear my weight, almost normally. In the mornings, it seems as if I have full flexibility, but if I discard my splint and crutches (which I've been doing), my knee gets pretty tired by the end of the day. Hopefully the physical therapy will help with that. Since I'm on my feet again, I decided to bake a custard pie to sort of celebrate. It turned out pretty well, so I've posted the recipe below. Custard Pie Pastry: 3 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup margarine 6 to 8 tbsp hot water Custard: 3 eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups milk Method: 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking pan. 2) Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in enough water to form a dough that sticks together. 3) Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to form a square large enough to cover the baking pan. 4) Fit pastry sq...

It's been 4 days since I injured my knee and in that time, at least 40 phone calls have been made either to schedule appointments or to settle insurance matters. On Saturday, when I skied into the first aid office on the mountain, I was able to get medical treatment without paying a cent up front. However, I was given paperwork to fill out with my insurance information in order to cover the bills, as expected. When I got home that night, I tried to call the local hospital to see if I could schedule an appointment with a specialist. After a few more calls, I ran into a dead end - the orthopedic center was, understandably, closed on weekends and I would have to wait until Monday to speak to anyone. I then tried to contact my visa sponsor to discuss insurance coverage, but they weren't open on weekends either. I should have stopped there, but I gave the insurance company a call too - to no avail. On Sunday, I made zero phone calls. Instead, I mulled over my two insurance opt...

Yesterday, I went skiing at Waterville Valley - my first time skiing on the eastern half of North America! I have to say, it was much better than I expected, and since I went right after a huge snowfall (Nashua received 12 inches of the white stuff), the powder was almost perfect. There were still a couple of icy patches, but what else can you expect when everyone decides to hit the slopes? From what I could tell, there was one main chairlift which took us right to the top of the mountain - I went up twice. The first time, carving my way down on my skis was exhilarating - it made me wish the holidays were sooner so I could do some skiing at home! However, on my second run, I took a turn and something awkward happened to my right knee. I was turning left, and for some reason, it felt as if my knee joint twisted right before turning left with the rest of my body. I didn't fall, nor did I feel any pain, so I figured everything was okay. That was until I completed the turn and ...

Many of you are familiar with my dislike for squirrels - those of you who weren't are now privy to the knowledge. Thanks to a tip, I came across some disturbing news supporting my view on the nasty creatures. After you read the article, please consider the dangers associated with further domesticating the "cute" critters. I'm not saying that we should launch an anti-squirrel campaign, but it's certainly food for thought!

For a few years, I've noticed the effects bad posture has had on me. Most people don't think I procrastinate, but let me say that this is a perfect example. Ever since I started using computers more frequently (which is to say, when I started university), I've spent most of my time hunched over either a keyboard or a notebook. Nothing drastic happened, so I didn't pay much attention to proper ergonomics. The only change that I recall occurred at night when I went to sleep - my back would crack (which never happened before). This probably started a couple of years ago. Within the past year, my neck started getting sore - some might have diagnosed the problem as knotted muscles. I didn't give the pain much thought since it only bothered me when I worked for long periods of time. That's not to say that I cast it aside though - I did mention it in the sense that I jokingly brought up getting a professional massage. I know, that's not the same as getting t...

Last night, I read one of the most engaging, imaginative books I've ever opened - Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code . The only prior knowledge I had of the novel was that it has incredible staying power on the Bestseller list, in part due to its highly controversial content which has sparked many publishings and outrage among religious groups. Other than that, I was clueless - I was expecting a very interesting read, but never thought to find such a gripping piece of literature. I was fortunate enough to have gotten the illustrated special edition, allowing me to properly visualize all of the pieces of artwork and symbology referenced by the author. I was hooked by the Prologue, after which I took my only break until I finished the entire book. Reading became my sole purpose - I skipped dinner, not because I was too caught up to notice the time, but because the words were enough to feed my appetite. If you've read it, I'm sure you know what I mean. If you haven't,...

I celebrated Thanksgiving (American) in New York - both Thursday and Friday were spent in Manhattan - then Friday night and Saturday in Boston. Thursday morning, I left my apartment with my roommate (since she was also headed to New York, but for different reasons) and we drove down to Boston and took a bus to New York from South Station . Surprisingly, it only took 3.5 hours to reach Chinatown in New York as opposed to 4.5. That left me with plenty of time to explore the southern part of the city. I hailed a cab and was whisked to Ground Zero - the site of the World Trade Center. There were warning signs everywhere because of the ongoing construction, but there was a memorial/tribute created for the public as well. It was quiet at that time since most of the population was uptown for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so I was able to reflect on the events in peace. Though it's been 4 years since the attacks, there remains a solemn atmosphere surrounding the area. I stro...

This past weekend has been pretty lazy, the only highlights being Harry Potter and a potluck dinner. Of course, Harry Potter came first, but I'll relate my views on the movie at the end of this post so that those of you who don't want to read spoilers can skip it. The potluck was insane. There was so much food, all Chinese(!), that it would have been fit for an army. Well, a small army. I pigged out as usual, spooning myself samples of everything, but something strange happened - I felt full after my first helping! I figured something must have been wrong with my senses, because I've never before been full after one helping at a potluck. Thus, I took a break, then took 2 helpings of desserts - I really couldn't have stopped myself, it was all so tempting! Anyway, after all that food, I was close to bursting. Literally. Afterwards, it was all I could do not to "burst". Question - does this mean my eating capacity has forever been compromised by my dai...

Before my mind gets filled with Harry Potter... What was that? I feel like I watched two hours of (a few) beautiful people talking and acting like VIPs, but nothing happened. Okay, let's rewind. I'm giving a brief review of Ocean's Twelve - late, but oh well, at least I won't spoil anything. (This is your warning to stop reading if you haven't seen the movie and don't want to read spoilers.) The opening was cute, focusing on the main players of the game - George Clooney and Brad Pitt. I felt the other members were a bit rushed - I had no clue what was going on with a few of them - but the main point came across: the guy they pulled the last job on wanted his money back. One thing that kind of grated on me was the way cameos were handled. In some movies, cameos fit - the short 15-second stint contributes a pinch of substance in the plot. This movie wasn't like that. Topher's appearance was like a breath of pot smoke - hazy, left you feeling confus...

I hate being sick. Last week, I tried to fight a sore throat that just wouldn't go away (I didn't think to buy medicine as a back-up plan). On Friday, it won and developed into a cough. Thankfully, I managed to get a lot of sleep on Saturday, which helped me beat back the cough to a manageable state, but that just allowed me to progress to the next stage - stuffy nose. On Sunday, my best friend was a roll of toilet paper (not to worry, it was soft) and all the fluids I had left in the apartment. Since I'd already gone out on Friday night and Saturday night (for the concert and musical, respectively), I decided to quarantine myself in my room for Sunday - partially because I just wanted to relax, partially because I didn't want to spread my germs to my roommate. This plan allowed me to catch up on some old TV episodes I'd been meaning to watch, as well as a few movies. Now, I can safely say that I've seen all 10 seasons of Friends episodes (no, I didn't...

This weekend, I attended a concert at the Boston Symphony Hall - presented by the Yan-Huang Performing Arts. Yup, the music was mainly Chinese (with a bit of Brahms thrown in). I was most impressed with the violin concerto, performed by Bin Huang, which was almost flawlessly executed - the melody was really beautiful, and her expressiveness could be felt all the way in the back corner of the auditorium (where I was sitting). There was a little bit of awkwardness during the duet between the violinist and the cellist, but that was forgiven by the audience's standing ovation. The piano concerto, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. During the entire piece, mistakes were as frequent as conductor cues! Probably even more frequent, if I dare to tell the truth. Aside from finger slips, there were times when the pianist was off-sync from the rest of the orchestra. I felt so terrible for Li Fan, I would excuse the hiccups and put my faith in hopes that he would improve - fa...

Alright, due to comments made regarding my previous chosen template, I've adapted a new template from a different Blogger style. Hopefully this is more pleasing to the eye - this time, I don't think I'll be able to cause grimaces from poor colour coordination! I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, just in time for the release of the movie adaptation this Friday. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Keira Knightley will play Elizabeth Bennet - apparently, her performance has already received great reviews . For those of you who haven't had a chance to read the novel, it's about a family of 5 sisters and their mother, whose only wish is to see each of her daughters married. The family is poor and their estate will be inherited, not by any of the daughters, but by a disagreeable cousin (thus the necessity for marriage). Throughout the book, 3 of the sisters constantly attract the attention of gentlemen from a myriad of backgrounds. E...

I wish I had my camera this weekend, but unfortunately, it's still with the Repairs department at Canon. I sent it in because they issued a recall on the casing because of the tendency for black spots to appear (which they did). I'll hopefully be getting it back within 7-10 business days. I went to Beaver Brook on Saturday to take a look at the Fall colours that make New Hampshire so beautiful this time of year. Walking through the forest, the view wasn't as pretty as I'd hoped - most of the leaves had already fallen off due to the heavy rains from all the hurricanes. When we came to a meadow though, that's when it hit me - we saw a mountain covered in both deciduous and coniferous trees, creating a palette of striking reds and golds intermixed with luscious greens. We walked for a good couple of hours and passed the meadow again, but it wasn't late enough to see the sunset behind the trees. That would have been gorgeous. Otherwise, the hike/walk was pre...

That is the U.S.S. Constitution in her full glory - 208 years old and still in operation. I went to see the vessel with my coworker this afternoon and took the 30-minute guided tour. Apparently, in all its years on the sea, not a single cannonball has broken through, nor has an enemy set foot on deck (except as a POW)! Walking around the ship, I was very impressed by the upkeep - everything still gleamed as if it had been built a few years ago. We didn't get to fire any of the cannons, but they were there: After getting our fill of the U.S.S. Constitution (and the U.S.S. Cassin Young - another ship at the docks), we took a stroll to the Bunker Hill Monument at the top of Breed's Hill. Yes, confusing. A 294-step climb awaited us, and we energetically took the challenge, reaching the top in just 3 minutes. The view was spectacular: I was a bit skeptical of the little museum that preceeded our ascent to the top of the monument. History has it that American colonists foug...

After contemplating the pros and cons, I've finally decided to make the transition from LiveJournal to Blogger . It was a difficult decision, fraught with complications involving posted comments and inline photos, but I'm sure I made the right one. Hope you agree!