I'm alone in Boston now, and that's the bigger adventure.
Last week was tons of fun with Kavita, her cousin Anjali and a bunch of new friends. They were great guides to this city. Thanks to their help, I'm feeling quite comfortable with the transportation system here and have explored downtown, the Berklee College of Music and parts of Harvard and Harvard Square.
I stopped by a community music school to look into getting jazz piano and voice lessons while I'm here. So far, I've been doing tons and tons of walking already and feel as if I'm losing weight, which was necessary at the time of my Hawaii departure.
To accommodate for this walking, I bought these two pairs of shoes from the Walking Co. that seem a bit granola, but I cannot tell you how they have saved my feet. In the balance of how walking shoes could look, though, they were probably the most stylish of the lot. It's sort of funny, but one travel guide described Bostonians as "not very fashion-conscious" and that if you see someone dressed in all black, that person is either from New York or Europe. I see this is true. People here dress like an LL Bean catalog, and the look gets quite Bohemian and haphazard when you hit Harvard Square. It's as if people are competing to look haphazard. I was trying to shop for summer dresses and found so many of them rather shapeless.
I had one safety scare, and if my parents found out, they'd beg my return. I went jogging in broad daylight, and this guy followed me in his car into a restaurant parking lot and later to an auto mechanic shop, where I was hiding from him. He eventually gave up, but I was shaken, so I called Kavita then her friend, who's a cop in town. I notice that I don't look like everyone else, which is why I get a lot of "where you from?" or stupid things like "Ni hau ma! You Chinese?" Not certain about how who reads my journal, but whoever's out there, I'd really love if you said a prayer for me for my safety.
My impression of Boston's people is that they are not the cold-hearted type they are stereotypically known for. I think that given the need to protect oneself from crime or being "had" by people out to make a buck, Boston people tend to have a cold outer shell that belies the same core we have in Hawaii. I've experienced good customer service here, and to a certain degree, it's even better than Hawaii's. There is definitely no Aloha spirit, but people are almost relieved when I show a bit of kindness and vulnerability. It's almost a breath of fresh air, and definitely not something that is trampled upon or left unappreciated.
Sunday Spirituality
I struggled to wake up and get ready for the 11 a.m. service at the Old South Church. I ended up leaving the house at about 10:50 a.m. The subway stop leads right to the church, so I ended up getting seated in the sanctuary at 11:25 a.m. The interior of the building is a dark, rich wood. I wish I knew what kind of wood, but it was sturdy and beautiful - the walls, the pews, the rail for the choir, the pulpit. The pipes for the organ line the walls near the stage.
I sat in the last row and was immediately smothered by a kind of warmth that felt like someone had put a sweater on me despite tropic-like heat. I looked among the mostly blond-headed congregation in front of me and saw a flurry of programs waving.
When I arrived, the minister had already started reading her sermon. She seemed a bit younger and most likely educated at a prestigious divinity school. The topic related to the whole "under God" issue, which is being discussed on the Hawaiistories.com site. Using very scholarly language and tone, she presented her message as if it were a valedictory address or a political essay.
Her whole point was that "under God" we should be inclusive and protect liberty for all people and shun injustice. She pointed to a passage in Galatians saying that in Christ "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
The Old South Church is a United Church of Christ congregation, which is known for its liberal stances on political issues. I looked forward to attending this service, but was a little disappointed over the repressed emotional state of the service. Felt somber and over-intellectualized. Hardly something anyone could put their body and soul into. I will say, however, that the music was excellent, and if you put yourself in a little cove, you could experience a certain getaway of your own kind.
Three weeks
Kavita and Anjali are now gone for the summer. So the upcoming weeks will be lonely for me. I have no "adult" responsibilities and no requirement to be in an office at specific times. But the true - and more difficult - responsibility I have is the commitment I make to myself: Learn music, hear music, do music, grow, tap my creativity. Norman tells me this is my one opportunity to obey my creativity, since when I'm in a professional work environment, I cannot just go to the keyboard and band out a song.
I'm calling the piano teacher soon, and I hope it turns out to be a good thing for me.
Posted by ruth at July 01, 2002 07:30 AM
I was just wondering how you were doing! "People here dress like an LL Bean catalog." Wonderful, just wonderful. Safety scare or no, you remain in our prayers! Good luck nurturing your creative spirit, and with your music. I have faith that you'll grow and excel!
Hi Ryan,
Thank you! That means a lot. This vacation so far has been the break I've been looking for.
Take care,
Ruth
