Since coming here I have learned the following (very generalized)
-APA style for citation
-Journals are more prestigious than books since a committee selects articles, whereas everyone can publish a book
-the need for support and practice in understanding material
-meaning, one needs not only support from someone (could be in terms of encouragement, kudos, or other manners), as well as a way to practice new knowledge (homework or direct application) in order to really acquire that. This is something that I have always known, but in education there has been a push for "no homework" (which I have always disagreed with), and so having this confirmed made me feel better about myself as an educator.
-at 2 years and 3 months babies will begin to understand the concept of the number 1, and they think that any number after "1" means "more." So, they do not understand that 2 means 2, but rather any amount more than 1. This progresses with every single number so that they think that each number after the one they've mastered means "more" and not that finite amount. And math begins... :)
-People learn best through metaphors as it bridges gaps between domains of knowledge. I knew this, too, but it's nice to know that someone has done definitive research on it.
Writing things down helps me remember then, and I really ought to cite my sources here, correct my grammar, etc. etc. I'm not sure that I will have the time for that; inevitably, I will regret this later.
In terms of Boston updates:
-The Samuel Adams Brewery is awesome (the rounds of beer keep coming and you get to keep a free glass)
-I feel like Amelie (see movie) when I wait for the bus (and I love it)
-There is a Brazilian Bakery across the street from the apartment, which happens to have the most amazing little chocolate, caramel sprinkle balls that can make any "bad" day 100 times better
In terms of weather, it is incredibly hot and humid outside. I was predicting much cooler weather, but, as my adviser noted, Global Warming is manifesting itself.
All is incredibly well. I am blessed.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Mamita's Cococunt Ice-Cream
 | |||
| You haven't had ice-cream until you've had Mamita's Coconut Ice-Cream. I could really end the post here because AMAZING is just about the only way to describe this milky, coconutty ice-cream. If you need just one good reason to visit Boston, it's pretty much safe to say that this is it... mmm. (By the way, for those of you wondering, I have no idea whose hand that is. I found this photo online, which speaks to the community of Mamita's ice-cream lovers :) |
Monday, August 23, 2010
Beep, Beep!
"Beep, beep." This is what a man said to Matt when he was in his way at The Market Basket. We chuckled.
At any rate, things around here either move fast, or not at all. Let me offer a few examples:
-Traffic- if you have somewhere to go, you better walk, ride your bike, or take the bus. Even though your distance may be 1 mile, you are likely to sit in traffic for 10 minutes. We're not talking about stop and go traffic, but rather "no-go" traffic. If your distance is about 4-5 miles, take a good book.
-The Market Basket- see previous post. It's a madhouse, but even though it is incredibly busy and people are moving fast, you could get stuck in between aisles and not move at all. There's not a whole lot of time to check the cheese assortment they have because you might get run over, but you might get stuck staring at the baked bean selection, which you never intended to buy in the first place.
-Church- We'll call it "in-and-out" Mass. We're still looking because the first church we went to was rather monotonous. One reader read all the readings and read the psalms. No singing :( Anyhow, it's amazing how Mass was condensed to 35 minutes. It went really fast, but seemed really slow. (For those of you wondering, the second church we went to we accidentally walked into a Creole Mass. Hmm, I didn't understand much of that either.)
-Bus- If you didn't store money on your Charlie Card (it's used to get on the bus for a lower rate), and you need to add more money on it, I recommend you using the underground T-Station machines. If you try to add money to your account when you get on the bus, you run the risk of falling over because the bus won't wait for you. Once you've passed the top two steps, the bus is moving.. unless you're at a red light. You might be graced with a split-second to find a seat then.
Fast and Slow.
At any rate, things around here either move fast, or not at all. Let me offer a few examples:
-Traffic- if you have somewhere to go, you better walk, ride your bike, or take the bus. Even though your distance may be 1 mile, you are likely to sit in traffic for 10 minutes. We're not talking about stop and go traffic, but rather "no-go" traffic. If your distance is about 4-5 miles, take a good book.
-The Market Basket- see previous post. It's a madhouse, but even though it is incredibly busy and people are moving fast, you could get stuck in between aisles and not move at all. There's not a whole lot of time to check the cheese assortment they have because you might get run over, but you might get stuck staring at the baked bean selection, which you never intended to buy in the first place.
-Church- We'll call it "in-and-out" Mass. We're still looking because the first church we went to was rather monotonous. One reader read all the readings and read the psalms. No singing :( Anyhow, it's amazing how Mass was condensed to 35 minutes. It went really fast, but seemed really slow. (For those of you wondering, the second church we went to we accidentally walked into a Creole Mass. Hmm, I didn't understand much of that either.)
-Bus- If you didn't store money on your Charlie Card (it's used to get on the bus for a lower rate), and you need to add more money on it, I recommend you using the underground T-Station machines. If you try to add money to your account when you get on the bus, you run the risk of falling over because the bus won't wait for you. Once you've passed the top two steps, the bus is moving.. unless you're at a red light. You might be graced with a split-second to find a seat then.
Fast and Slow.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Market Basket
Let me begin with some posts found online about the main grocery store, The Market Basket, in Somerville:
"A couple things to know before you go:
-Shop in tandem. If you have a partner they can run the aisles while you wait or negotiate the traffic.
-Watch where you're going. if not, be prepared to be run over by a cart full of food and children.
- There are 16 people before me in line for the deli.. some folks said they took a number, shopped the whole store, and are still waiting! If this place has an occupancy limit, I'm sure its exceeded!
-be prepared to deal with screaming children, grocery carts blocking lanes, and family reunions in the center of the produce department.
Do not go to Market Basket if:
- You are claustrophobic
- You need to be by your cart at all times, or you get severe cart-rage when people park their carts horizontally in the vertical aisles (and people will do this nonchalantly)
- You are in a hurry
- You are shopping on a Sunday morning or late weekday afternoon
This is a tough one. I definitely have mixed feelings about this store. They do carry decent items at prices that I feel comfortable with. But man, is this place crowded. Moving around in there with a shopping cart can be a nightmare sometimes. The same story with their parking situation. It's like playing musical chairs. The only difference is that this is not a game and people yell at you for beating them to an open spot."
Yes, this is ALL true. But, it's down the street, and I would venture to say that some of the prices are cheaper than good old Walmart-- particularly cereal. Anyhow, one of my colleauges said, "I won't judge you if you go somewhere else, but MB is the place to go." So it is, and that's where we shop :) As anyone in the Boston area will tell you, it really is an experience. You've not been grocery shopping until you've been to the Market Basket. Enjoy :)
"A couple things to know before you go:
-Shop in tandem. If you have a partner they can run the aisles while you wait or negotiate the traffic.
-Watch where you're going. if not, be prepared to be run over by a cart full of food and children.
- There are 16 people before me in line for the deli.. some folks said they took a number, shopped the whole store, and are still waiting! If this place has an occupancy limit, I'm sure its exceeded!
-be prepared to deal with screaming children, grocery carts blocking lanes, and family reunions in the center of the produce department.
Do not go to Market Basket if:
- You are claustrophobic
- You need to be by your cart at all times, or you get severe cart-rage when people park their carts horizontally in the vertical aisles (and people will do this nonchalantly)
- You are in a hurry
- You are shopping on a Sunday morning or late weekday afternoon
This is a tough one. I definitely have mixed feelings about this store. They do carry decent items at prices that I feel comfortable with. But man, is this place crowded. Moving around in there with a shopping cart can be a nightmare sometimes. The same story with their parking situation. It's like playing musical chairs. The only difference is that this is not a game and people yell at you for beating them to an open spot."
Yes, this is ALL true. But, it's down the street, and I would venture to say that some of the prices are cheaper than good old Walmart-- particularly cereal. Anyhow, one of my colleauges said, "I won't judge you if you go somewhere else, but MB is the place to go." So it is, and that's where we shop :) As anyone in the Boston area will tell you, it really is an experience. You've not been grocery shopping until you've been to the Market Basket. Enjoy :)
Attack of the Flies
It's really quite unbelievable, so if you don't believe us, it's okay. In fact, if you told us this story, we would probably nod our heads, offer our apologies and some advice, and then secretly think how much you over-reacted to the situation. Having said this, we'll begin with day 2 in the kitchen. Over 400 massive, mutant flies. Enough said. No dramatization here; this is for real.
We arrived in Somerville, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 13, 2010. We spent the evening unpacking boxes, and then set out the beds for a good night's rest.
The Next Morning
A single fly flying overhead. We didn't think much of it, at least not until we walked into the kitchen.
Dun-dun-duh.
Upon entering the kitchen we were greeted with approximately 8-10 dead flies around the oven. Bizarre, but not a big deal. We swept up the flies and went on our way to the Home Depot. When we returned, we now found about 30-40 flies. Let's fast-forward the next few days: HUNDREDS of flies. For your sanity, so you don't experience the trauma we did, we will not post the images. Trust us; it was NOT pretty. The kitchen doorway had to be hammered with an old blanket so the flies wouldn't get through the other way. This delayed the unpacking process, and forced us to take extra measures in cleaning, such as bleaching the floors and everything else in sight several times, as well as washing every article of clothing we possesses. We're not sure how it happened, but there were even flies between our folded towels. No, we did not bring them with us from Indiana :P
We arrived in Somerville, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 13, 2010. We spent the evening unpacking boxes, and then set out the beds for a good night's rest.
The Next Morning
A single fly flying overhead. We didn't think much of it, at least not until we walked into the kitchen.
Dun-dun-duh.
Upon entering the kitchen we were greeted with approximately 8-10 dead flies around the oven. Bizarre, but not a big deal. We swept up the flies and went on our way to the Home Depot. When we returned, we now found about 30-40 flies. Let's fast-forward the next few days: HUNDREDS of flies. For your sanity, so you don't experience the trauma we did, we will not post the images. Trust us; it was NOT pretty. The kitchen doorway had to be hammered with an old blanket so the flies wouldn't get through the other way. This delayed the unpacking process, and forced us to take extra measures in cleaning, such as bleaching the floors and everything else in sight several times, as well as washing every article of clothing we possesses. We're not sure how it happened, but there were even flies between our folded towels. No, we did not bring them with us from Indiana :P
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