Author: jsolomons

November 29, 2012

Dealing with the death of someone close to me is something I have never experienced, until today. It’s been a very strange place to be, I feel helpless, and nothing I say or do will change what has happened. I find it challenging to be a supportive friend and giving advice and love has been emotional and draining. I cannot imagine what it feels like to have your father pass away, and my heart goes out to my best friend. I am even more anxious for Christmas break now, because I am nervous to see my friend in so much pain, because I know that my words and support can only help so much. I hope that, with time, we will all heal and eventually return back to the way life used to be. It has been a difficult time to receive such devastating news, and I am trying my best to show my support and love to my friend, for I know she is going through unimaginable pain right now.

November 28, 2012

As the semesters closing quickly approaches, I can’t help but feel a bit relieved. It has been gratifying to look back on my freshman year thus far, because I feel as though I have put it my best effort. Reflecting on the nights I sat alone in my room doing homework assignments, while my friends were out at social events, I don’t feel regretful one bit. Granted, I’m sure they had a great night when they did go out without me, but I tend to think having my homework completed on the due date outweighs the fun of one night out. I have had to learn how to balance this compromise however. At first I felt as though I was going out too often and not putting my best effort forth into my homework assignments. I would end up with a feeling of guilt when I would hand in assignments that I knew were not completely finished. I gradually starting skipping out on some social events with my friends, and learned how to politely explain that I have to put my schoolwork first. At this point, I am thankful that I have mastered this skill so early in my college experience, because I know it will be useful from this point on.

November 10, 2012

I went to a place called California Pizza Kitchen for lunch today with a friend. It is in the Prudential mall, about a 20 minutes’ walk away from Suffolk. I had never heard of the restaurant beforehand, and I was very surmised by how good it was.. I had an Asian salad, which was spicy and really tasty. I also had noodles for my main course, which was also a little bit spicy, and delicious! California Pizza Kitchen had a lot of salads, pastas and pizzas on their menu, so if you are looking to have any of those thing, I would recommend this restaurant! It’s very relaxing and quiet place inside, and I very relaxed during my entire meal.

I am curious to know how everyone else felt while being home for Thanksgiving. To those of you who live close and have the privilege of going home often, I’m sure Thanksgiving break wasn’t very different from your previous visits home. Since I hadn’t been home up until that point, I anticipated Thanksgiving break to drag on endlessly. Growing up in Vermont, there isn’t a ton of things to keep my friends and I busy, so we end up not doing a lot. I was worried that by this point I would be so adjusted to the city life that Vermont would seem especially dull. Vermont lived up to my expectations, and I have accomplished absolutely nothing thus far, and break is almost at its close. This has made me increasingly nervous for Christmas break, a time that most people can’t contain their excitement for. I am worried that I will lose the routine that I am in now, which has been working great so far. All I can do is hope for the best, and try my best not to spend too much  time sleeping and sitting around. Wish me luck!

November 25, 2012

What a relief! I have survived Thanksgiving break, and I’ve never been so excited to be on my way back to Boston! Overall, my Thanksgiving break gave me a much needed chance to spend extra time on some homework and catch up with my friends and family. As I expected, Vermont was exactly the way I remembered it to be, only more bland than ever. All the leaves had fallen off the trees and the quiet roads proved to be more depressing than I remembered. I guess I’ve grown accustomed to the constant noise of the city and Vermont doesn’t provide as much excitement as it once did. Now don’t get me wrong, Vermont has been an absolute joy to grow up in and it has taught me how to live a slower paced lifestyle that requires a lot of patience. What most people may not know about living in a small town in a place like Vermont is that life feels as though you are stuck in slow motion. Customer service in Vermont takes much longer, your food is served after a much longer time when you go out to eat and people generally aren’t in a rush to get anywhere. Growing up in Vermont my whole life, I’ve been used to this, so I didn’t notice how relaxed things were, until I started school in the city. Thankfully, my bus is headed back and I’m only 2 short hours away from my much missed home away from home!

November 12, 2012

I went to a restaurant today called Bento Box. It is located right down the street from 150 Tremont, about a 5 minute walk away. It has sushi and bento boxes, which is basically a plate with a bunch of different types of Asian cuisine. I had a curry chicken bento box, which had curry chicken, 2 sushi rolls, a deep fried dumpling and some fruit. It wasn’t expensive, and tasted awesome! I would high suggest you stop by at some point, and at least try it once!

Walking the same route to class every other morning, I tend to notice things. Passing the same Dunkin Donuts at 7:45 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ve observed that most people appear to be half asleep as they sip their coffees and gaze at the city outside the window. I’ve also noticed that some of the homeless people tend to stand in the same place every morning. For instance, I have seen the same woman reading the newspaper in the same spot every morning for the last 3 months. I expect to see her there every time I pass, sitting on the same green crate, sometimes a plastic bag is on her head and she is usually speaking gibberish in a raised voice to the passing people. However it’s not the newspaper lady that has caught my attention, it’s the “Spare Change” man that stands at the corner of Winter Street in the morning. Although he chooses to say the same 3 words over and over all day, something about him has captured my attention. Last week in English class, my Professor had mentioned that theories had been circulating that this man may not be homeless, and he is actually a Harvard Professor doing a social experiment. As outrageous as that may sound, it is not only completely plausible, but it reminded me that all of us have our own life story and there is more to most people than reaches the eye. Wouldn’t it be fascinating if the theory turned out to be true? I’ve never given the man “spare change” or ‘water”, and I have never witnessed anyone else giving him anything either. I sometimes feel guilty for not giving him anything, because he so dedicated to repeating those 3 words every single morning.

Walking the same route to class every other morning, I tend to notice things. Passing the same Dunkin Donuts at 7:45 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ve observed that most people appear to be half asleep as they sip their coffees and gaze at the city outside the window. I’ve also noticed that some of the homeless people tend to stand in the same place every morning. For instance, I have seen the same woman reading the newspaper in the same spot every morning for the last 3 months. I expect to see her there every time I pass, sitting on the same green crate, sometimes a plastic bag is on her head and she is usually speaking gibberish in a raised voice to the passing people. However it’s not the newspaper lady that has caught my attention, it’s the “Spare Change” man that stands at the corner of Winter Street in the morning. Although he chooses to say the same 3 words over and over all day, something about him has captured my attention. Last week in English class, my Professor had mentioned that theories had been circulating that this man may not be homeless, and he is actually a Harvard Professor doing a social experiment. As outrageous as that may sound, it is not only completely plausible, but it reminded me that all of us have our own life story and there is more to most people than reaches the eye. Wouldn’t it be fascinating if the theory turned out to be true? I’ve never given the man “spare change” or ‘water”, and I have never witnessed anyone else giving him anything either. I sometimes feel guilty for not giving him anything, because he so dedicated to repeating those 3 words every single morning.