loving it

at the close of my second weekend in massachusetts, i'd say things are going very, very well. it's been kind of a blur, in fact— a non-stop hodgepodge of eye-opening, memorable and enjoyable experiences.

i really love my job at the southwest boston community development corporation. i was launched headfirst into work there. at first i did a lot of office management stuff— updating calendars, tidying the office, checking supplies, answering phones, etc.— but then i was given my first big task. i was assigned the job of planning and promoting a community meeting (or in community development terms, a “charrette”) in regards to a train station in the area that is going to be redesigned. in two days, i made and put up flyers; i called community activists, city councilors and local media; i emailed nearly 100 friends of the neighborhood association. the meeting will take place next week, and although i barely know the neighborhood that the redesign affects, it will be so rewarding if anyone turns up.

the catering has also been a great experience. on saturday, we did a wedding about an hour outside of boston. my job mostly included serving hors d’oeuvres, refilling water glasses and clearing tables— nothing too taxing, but still quite a challenge to look presentable and act friendly while running around in the heat. i have a newfound respect for caterers, waitstaff and anyone in the food business…it is such hard work!

some of the most enjoyable moments of the summer, of course, came after work. this afternoon i went to my first-ever baseball game— it happened to be at the famed fenway park. my insanely generous uncle bought the tickets and i went with timmy, a close friend who, like any good new englander, loves his baseball. the whole event was quite absurd. between the ceremonial chants, dances, dress and food surrounding the sport, i felt like i was in one of the videos we watched in anthropology class this spring. baseball culture in boston is really fascinating.

today's game felt much more pronouncedly american than the u.s. vs. el salvador and trinidad/tobagao vs. guatamela soccer games timmy and i went to earlier this week. at those matches, we sat in the absolutely gigantic gillette statdium (home of the new england patriots) surrounded by mostly spanish-speaking die-hard soccer fans. we sat directly behind one of the very few u.s. fans present, an obnoxious, mcdonald’s-munching, plumber-pantsed man wrapped in an american flag. it was pretty disgusting.

fun has come in many other forms than just watching sports (and fans), however. my delightful host tatiana and i have enjoyed two friday nights in the harvard and central square areas of cambridge. we found ourselves drawn to a hole-in-the-wall eatery called falafel palace on both occasions, but also had time to meander the nearby streets and shops. this past weekend, we met up with my cousin erika, who currently works at harvard, and strolled by the charles river. it's so gorgeous! much to the dismay of erika and tati, i had a great time playing with the slowest shutter speed on my camera and taking hundreds of photos of the charles at night.

during the workweek tati and i entertain ourselves by going to the library, doing little art projects, and talking to or about our lovely friends at school. i've found the routine of going to work, cooking dinner, and making weekend plans— basically, living the adult life— to be exciting and refreshing so far. i feel more independent now than i ever have.