ArtExpo

This past Friday I had the good fortune to eavesdrop on a stranger's phone conversation about the ArtExpo. As an art lover, I couldn't resist the urge to ask her for more information about the event. It turned out the Expo was in Manhattan this year, this weekend in fact, and would host artists from all over the world. I couldn't believe my luck! I bought a ticket online and attended the next day.

The Expo was on Pier 94 on the Hudson River. After a train ride, a subway ride, and a few wrong turns, I finally arrived at the Pier - with frozen red hands and ears aching from the walk in the cold wind. The building's warmth enveloped my goosebump-covered body as I passed through the glass doors. The welcome heatwave was the best part of my day, but then I left the lobby and walked into the main hall. I actually had butterflies in my stomach as I scanned the room and saw the number of incredible artists and pieces at the event.

It took me several hours to walk through the maze of booths. I saw artists from all over the world, literally. China, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Haiti, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, and Canada are but a few of the countries represented at the ArtExpo. Each artist had a unique style, which made for an amazingly interesting tour for people of every taste. I saw some paintings that were so realistic I wasn't quite sure that they weren't photographs. There were impressionist works that could inspire the creativity in even the least-artistic of people. Brilliant colors splashed on canvases, black and white portraits, shadow boxes with an ensemble of artistically-displayed materials, and completely abstract pieces covered every corner of the showroom. Every aisle, every turn, and every booth brought a new mood and a new experience.

This event turned out to be one of the most successful of my spontaneous adventures. For a while, I wasn't even sure I was on the right side of town. By the end of the day, I had a wonderful time and a great experience looking at the beautiful artwork, talking to the artists, and enjoying the free-spirited atmosphere.

St. Patrick's Day, NYC

There's no place like The Big Apple to spend St. Patrick's Day. This was my first St. Paddy's in the city, and it was everything I expected.

The day started out with a quick stroll down the East River, then an unplanned trip uptown to see the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The river was beautiful, there were hardly any other people around, and they day was perfect for wandering around outside. The parade was crazy, hectic, full of green, full of beer, full of music, and full of smiles. Everybody's happy on St. Patrick's Day, just like everybody's Irish. I made the acquittance of 4 strangers who kindly told me that I was walking in the opposite direction of the parade (I still haven't mastered the city streets). We walked there together, shared stories and laughs, then tunneled through the crowd to find a decent place to stand and watch the parade. The songs of bagpipes and drums carried over the noise of thousands of voices, and with it the spirit of the Irish. Flags held high above marchers could be seen from the back row, igniting some Irish pride even in those with no Irish heritage.

As much as I wanted to stay, obligation called and I had to make my way to class. The laughs didn't end with the parade, however. I passed a guy typing on his phone and his shirt caught my eye. A simple green shamrock with a heading in green letters reading "Winning" marked the front. The clear allusion to Charlie Sheen's recent antics made me laugh out loud. Then I saw the back of the shirt - "Let's get Sheenfaced.". I had no choice, I went back and asked the guy if I could take his picture. I really hope he stumbles upon this blog post some day.

Boston

This post  is a little overdue, but hey, better late than never, right?

My trip to Boston was very spontaneous and undertaken with very little preparation. With only a few days between my idea to go, my decision to go, and my departure date I couldn't find anyone to venture back to continental USA with me, so Boston was a solo adventure. 

The trip began as so many do, with a missed train to Manhattan, begging the guy at the bus terminal (more like street corner) to let me take a later bus since I obviously missed the one I planned on, and an hour wait in line. Yet it all worked out and 5 hours after leaving the terminal I got off the bus at South Station in Boston. The first thing that struck me was the cold. Now, having just survived the infamous New York January I thought I was more than equipped to handle a long weekend in Boston. Unfortunately, I didn't' account for the vicious wind in that little city. But I managed with my inadequate clothing, hopped on the subway and found my way to the apartment of some strangers where I was staying.

First stop - Harvard Square. Filled with bookstores and coffee shops, Harvard Square is a perfect way to end a long day of traveling for a nerd like me. I had dinner at some historical burger joint whose name I can't remember, but with a cash-only policy I ended up dining on cheese fries for dinner and walking home in the rain. At least the fries came out at lightning speed and were delicious. 

Day two - lots of stuff. I started out by walking the Freedom Trail. I didn't walk the entire trail, but I hit the highlights, starting at the Boston Commons and including a tour of the Old State House Museum ($6 for students), Faneuil  Hall, and lunch in the Quincy Marketplace. Since I had planned on that taking up my whole day, I was at a loss for what to do with the remaining half of my day. I found my way to the Theater District, made it just in time to buy a student rush ticket to see the Blue Man Group, killed an hour at Dunkin' Donuts (which are in Boston the way Starbucks is in NYC), and finally saw what I think must be the most entertaining show in the history of  creative shows. The music was fun, the stunts were ridiculously funny, and the dry humor kept the audience in a near-constant state of laughter. The only down side was that I left with banana mush on my jacket that I still can't manage to get off. The day ended with a great plate of pasta and a great glass of Chianti in Boston's Little Italy.

Day three - day three started at Northwestern University where I had an egg and cheese bagel. That wasn't part of the plan, but neither were half the things I ended up doing. My first stop after breakfast was the Museum of Fine Art, specifically their newly-opened Wing of the Americas. There was an incredible amount and variety of art, complete with the history of each piece and how it fit into the times  in which it was created. I walked through all the wings and saw art from every region of the world. After the museum it was back to the Theater District for Shear Madness - an interactive murder mystery/comedy. It didn't come close to the Blue Man Group, but for the half the price it was well worth it. Once again at a loss for what to do next, I asked around in some stores and following advice, I ended up walking along Newbury Street. Lined with upscale stores and old building, the street was certainly an interesting place, but I preferred the adjacent Commonwealth Avenue, which was lined with trees covered in Christmas lights. The site was beautiful as dusk set in. Ready to go home after about 10 hours of walking, I got back on the subway. Of course, even that didn't go according to plan. I heard someone say something about the Prudential Building and thought, why not? So I got off at the Prudential stop and treated myself to desert and wine at the top of the building, which provided a beautiful view of the city.

Each of these places and shows really deserves an entire post of its own, but honestly I'm just not that motivated so this quick summary will have to due. Suffice it to say that Boston is a great city for a weekend trip. There's no lack of things to do, and the city is relatively small. I walked the entire length in one day, so a tourist can easily hit all the highlights, and even some not-so-highlighted places, with just one or two full days.