boston through my eyes
those of you who stalk me on twitter (and you know i stalk you too! haha.) would know that i was recently in boston. after almost a year of living in new york, i’ve only ever been to long island, fairfield in connecticut and erm, i think that’s about it. alex, one of my best friends, live in boston. i’ve known him since i was 8, maybe 9, perhaps 10. whatever. but somehow we’ve remained friends through all these years and we know a lot of silly, embarrassing, and completely retarded things about each other.
i think it’s almost like a brother and sister thing, and we are comfortable enough with each other to be really ugly in front of each other. hahahaha. you know what i mean? we don’t have to talk if we don’t feel like talking, we’re like walking around in our pajamas, sleeping with our mouths open, snoring, etc etc. horror. hopefully we’ll stop short of farting. heh heh.
alex has been in boston for close to 5 years now. he moved away from singapore just after i did, so we’ve always been far apart - me in tokyo, him in boston. moving to new york, i thought we’d get to see each other a lot more, but it’s still a 5 hour bus ride, which equates to 5 hours of ass-aches, so it’s not that easy to meet up. he’s come to new york twice, and i had promised him that before summer was over, that i’ll go over to visit him.
it was all a little whirlwind, but i’m so glad i just packed my bag up and went. it was a good break - some time away from this busy, crazy city!! it was relaxing, quiet, and… relaxing. really what i needed!
but! a couple of days before i was supposed to go, my roommate told me about a poor 18-year old boy who got slit in his throat, then stabbed repeatedly before getting decapitated on a greyhound bus in canada. i was shocked. this world is full of sick people. i was like, “you’re kidding. that must be a story from so long ago.” then my roommate told me that it happened just last week. and he giggled and said to be careful. oh my god i was so mad. my heart goes out to that boy and his family. i wish i knew his name and it wouldn’t take a second to google and find out his name, but i can’t because i know i’ll get sick in my stomach reading about what happened. but the more disturbed i got, the more my roommate giggled. isn’t that so mean? he always researches and finds out every single detail of people dying or getting killed. and he’d see whatever photos or videos that were available too. i just don’t get it. on the 5 hour trip to boston on a stupid greyhound bus, i seriously stayed awake the whole time.
anyway. boston has so many beautiful buildings. i love them and took so many pictures. in fact, i think of all the pictures i took in boston, 90% were of the buildings. they were gorgeous. looking at them made me realise that my dream was to really own a gorgeous redbrick townhouse. i’d have my shop on the ground floor, a cafe/bar/restaurant on the second floor, my atelier on the 3rd, live on the 4th, and have the perfect roof garden on the 5th. perfect, perfect, perfect!!!
i had arrived in boston late on sunday, aug 10th. unfortunately, the weather was pretty crappy on monday and it rained on and off the entire day. by mid afternoon, we were feeling really cold, and by dinner, our eyes were teary and we were sneezing our heads off. it was terrible. alex and i both decided that if we were still feeling very shitty the next day that we’d spend the day in front of the tv drinking hot tea. but we decided to get out of the house and walk around. it was a bright and sunny day, but we were both still kinda sick so there wasn’t much conversation! the last day had such amazing weather, and i was a little sad to go and leave alex. it’s funny because i don’t think either of us have changed that much since we were kids.
but enough of me getting all sentimental, here are some of the pictures of my time in boston!!!
these kobe beef burgers were amazing even through we were sick!
texting away at our only cheap lunch. barbequed kalbi!
i was not in the mood to talk when my dad called. hahahahha!!
alex totally cracked me up when he put on his neighbour’s hat.
the only picture we took together. that’s me in my grandma-ish, brrr i-have-a-cold clothes.
and two of the best things that i found in boston?
it’s actually possible to find your way to wonderland.
and…
if you’re ever feeling bored, it’s really your own fault. HA!
Aw! I’m so glad you had a good time despite being sick… old friends you can be comfortable with are the best. And that does sound like the perfect building!
Comment by Annie Spandex — August 19, 2008 @ 3:36 am
awh coool trip. thats great to meet old friends! ooooo i miss my friends tooo. i see chess! cool hair! wonderful buildings! and awwwh- friends forever!~ and yumm lobsters. haha ur friend is so cute when he took a pose with that umbrella and the hat … eee cute! lol.
Comment by Mynrose — August 19, 2008 @ 4:09 am
Yourhairhyourhairyourhair!!!
This is obviously off topic but I love that color on you.
Comment by Valentina — August 19, 2008 @ 4:16 am
YAY i’m soo glad you got to see boston. i grew up just south. new york is amazing, ann arbor is cool, providence is hip, but boston? boston is home. if you visit alex again, be sure to check out the free happenings at the hatch shell. there’s pics of our 4th of july zombie parade down mass ave on my facebook, check it out.
Comment by catherine — August 19, 2008 @ 9:57 am
Gilda those pictures are beautiful! And Alex looks so silly in the one with his neighbor’s hat n_n. I love that you got to see Boston. Those buildings are amazing.
I’ve wanted to go to Boston ever since my cousin moved there to work as a scientist in Harvard. I couldn’t go because I had no US visa u_u and now she’s moving back in a few months and I’m too broke to afford the trip to Silicon Valley and a trip to Boston.
Comment by Julie — August 19, 2008 @ 10:39 am
I’ve been to Boston once. And stayed there for …err 3 hours? I just went there to get a piercing and meet up with some friends so we can all go in a pack and scare the East Coast! hah I wish.
Where else would you like to go in the US? I’m dying to get back to New York, but you ARE in NYC (so that’s not a good example…)
Comment by Elle — August 19, 2008 @ 11:12 am
Me and Boyfriend Kaboom have oodles of friends in Boston (Jamaica Plain) - next time we are heading up, i would be happy to let you know if you ever want to catch a ride!
yeah, that Greyhound thing is crazy. I’ve been to the victim’s Facebook page, holy creepfest.
Comment by Cynthia Silvestri — August 19, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
Lucky you. Would love to go to Boston again.
Where’s the photos of Quincy Market?
Comment by YW — August 19, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
as a little girl, riding the T to the wonderland stop was always my favorite. nothing too exciting there, but the name created possibilities for my already over-active imagination.
and lobster! so glad you got some, one of my fave new england pleasures.
lotsa love!
Comment by ML — August 19, 2008 @ 11:22 pm
I’m going to get there by the end of the year…my sister lives not far from there in Worchester, and I’ve taken the train from there a couple of times. Glad you had a good time despite being ill.
Also? Can’t get over how neato your hair looks.
Comment by amandalee — August 20, 2008 @ 12:07 am
+annie spandex+
i know. i love it that we can be comfortable being quiet. it was good.
+mynrose+
yeah we watched the people outside harvard playing chess for a while. they are crazy intelligent! so fast! their hands were moving before i could even think! that hat belonged to his darling neighbour who cooked us the most amazing dinner one night! then we were going out for ice cream when he put on her hat for a second. haha!
+valentina+
haha! thank you! that hair stood out a lot in boston where people really dress simple and casual!
+catherine+
hatch shell? that’s the name of a place? how cute. i’ll definitely try and find your facebook pictures later!!
+julie+
i know you’ve been talking about going to boston for the longest time. hopefully you might be able to make it there before she goes back!
ohhh i’m so sorry you’re broke. it’s really quite far for you to travel. well, you’ve already been to spain and london so that was QUITE a good alternative right?
+elle+
hahahahahahaha you are soooo funny!!!! in the 3 short hours you got yourself a piercing??? did you manage to scare the east coast? hee hee! i wanna go to see LA. and more than anything i wanna go to disneyland! ha!
+cynthia+
and omg i can’t believe you went to check out his facebook. that is so scary…
thank you for offering!
+yw+
i didn’t go!!! what’s this quincy market! alex didn’t bring me! hahaha well, next time. we really stayed kinda close to his house and i wasn’t in a big tourist mood. and with the bad weather and flu, i just wanted to take it slow and sleep!
+ml+
my eyes popped when i saw that on the T’s route map. what a beautiful name. but kinda disappointing if you step out and see “normalness” eh? i want it to be the name of some disneyland stop! or if the station master dressed as alice. hee hee!
+amandalee+
worchester sounds good. being ill sucked big time, but we kinda walked and didn’t talk much till evening, so that helped conserve energy! my hair color has faded somewhat. but my roots are still pink, although there is now a lot more orange in that mix!
Comment by gilda — August 20, 2008 @ 3:36 am
Ha! I love your description of the “brother-sister thing.”
And these pictures are getting me excited for my day in Boston!
Comment by cuileann — August 20, 2008 @ 6:42 am
Guilda,
I’m glad you had a good time in Boston. I’ve never been but heard so many great things of the town!
Did you ever end up going to that fashion meet-up? I’m definitely going to the next one - would love to meet you!
Comment by Doe Deere Blogazine — August 20, 2008 @ 10:09 am
Thank you for sharing Boston with us. I’ve never been but that is one of those places that I eventually want to visit.
Comment by Marisol — August 20, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
It looks like you had a wonderful time! I’ve never been to the States, but I would love to one day, especially NY and LA because all my fav places and artists are situated in those areas.
It’s always great to have those friends. The ones who have known you since you were a teeny thing and have seen you through the awkward teenage years, the heartbreaks, the fights, the sides you want to hide but also the sides you love to flaunt. I say the best friends are the ones who you can just enjoy being there without saying anything at all.
Comment by Leanne — August 21, 2008 @ 6:23 am
I’ll never forgive you Gilda for posting up that picture! I said send it to me, not upload it to your blog! >.<
Anyways, I was trying to be “fashion-forward” like my red-head-monkey of little sister from a different mother.
Comment by Alex with the Funny Hat — August 21, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
+cuileann+
when are you going!
it’s true isn’t it?
+doe deer+
ohhh i wish we could have gone together! i was dressed so casually and kinda over-the-top, when i got there and saw how “adult” everyone was, i turned and left. maybe i should have stayed huh? silly me.
+marisol+
oh it’s so nice and relaxing. and i love european architecture and boston has that new england thing going on!
+leanne+
oh gosh it’s so far away from you! i’d never been here till i came for school too. hahaha, yes you described it totally right! friends who’ve known you before you’ve…plucked your eyebrows! ahahah. you totally put it into the right words.
+alex yippa+
oh stop being a brat. i can still send it to you. or upload it on facebook.
Comment by gilda — August 22, 2008 @ 1:44 am
HELLO MILADY!
Those sneaks are so cute! UGH I miss the east coast so bad…my dad is from Massachusetts so I have a soft spot especially for that Old Cape Cod.
xoxo
marie
Comment by Marie — August 22, 2008 @ 4:02 pm
はろージルダ。
一瞬、ヨーロッパの写真かと思った！
最後の”you are not bored, you are boring.” うける（笑）。
何かファッション関連のニュースを見た友人談では、ガリアーノは大阪のごてごてな服着た若い男の子達やど派手な格好のおばちゃんズと一緒に写真撮ったり、プリクラを撮ったとか（笑）。大阪の各名所は行ったみたいだよ。大阪のエネルギッシュでカオスティックなスタイルがロンドン時代の記憶を蘇らせたとか。
Comment by Zakuro — August 22, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
Wow!! This seems like an amazing trip to me. Will be going to a trip to Boston next week for vacation, hope i get to cya there *lol PS: I like your hair
Comment by Wedding Fort Lauderdale — August 22, 2008 @ 9:43 pm
Great pics! Glad you had fun in Boston. It was great to meet you too in New York - we’ll definitely have to do it again soon! <3
Comment by Lesley Denford — August 22, 2008 @ 10:07 pm
+marie+
awww you’re making me blush! i’ve never been called a lady before. i’m too tomboy! i need to start a tomboy blogger movement instead! haha. aren’t those sneakers cool? i love comme des garcons. i can’t believe i found it for so cheap. i don’t know much about american geography, but i can say i really liked what i saw in boston.
+zakuro+
ざっくろーざっくろー。日本はどうですか？あたしは超行きたいです！ヨーロッパね、行ったことないけど、ヨーロピアンarchitectureが好きなんだよね。最後の写真うけるっしょう？歩いててそれ見たら「ふふっ！」って笑ったもん。
ガリアーノが大阪でああゆう事やってたかよ！！めちゃ羨ましい！ガリアーノとプリクラを撮りてぇぇぇ！！！超撮りたい！
大阪をロンドンと比べたのってすごいよね。おばちゃんたちのヒョウ柄ミックスが半端無いよね。でもガリアーノって、ミセガリアーノだよね。だから考えてみたら、やっぱり大阪に似合うかも！笑
+lesley+
ohhh you were so cute i don’t know anyone cuter in a beanie! or snood. whatever that hat is called! we’ll do it plenty when you move to the city! wheeee!
Comment by gilda — August 23, 2008 @ 6:19 am
Hi Gilda - thanks for the comment on my page. Did you take the Fung Wah bus? I took that to Boston a couple of years ago and the next week there was an accident because a bus driver fell asleep and wrecked. Did you go to the Granary Burying Grounds? They have some of the most interesting and beautiful old tombstones with sort of gothic looking angels and skulls. I want to go back to Boston there were lots of great places to visit. P.S. - I love your hair!
Comment by Elizabeth — August 25, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
+elizabeth+
next time i wlll definitely check it out!
noooo not the fungwah! i heard too many scary things about it to want to take it. that scary that the driver fell asleep. that’s TERRIBLE in fact. he must be overworked or just irresponsible. i didn’t go to those burial grounds… i’m chicken like that. haha well i didn’t go anywhere!
Comment by gilda — August 27, 2008 @ 12:00 am
your plan for a townhouse sounds alot like coco chanel’s legendary four-floor building at 30 rue cambon in paris: boutique, fitting rooms, apartment, and atelier. loving it.. i’ve been so bummed about leaving new york to go up to boston for school that i almost forgot how awesome boston is on its own! thanks for sharing!
Comment by roxanne — August 30, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
+roxanne+
i did like boston. i mean, it sure doesn’t have as much shopping like in new york… but i hardly shop here anyway so it doesn’t matter much to me haha! i loved how nice and peaceful it was, which was such a treat from the noise and stench and bad manners in new york! 
ain’t that plan great?
Comment by gilda — August 31, 2008 @ 8:04 am
[...] my darling friend, alex, is going back home to singapore. he’s in boston right now, and i’m really sad that he’s going back home! before i moved to new york, we wrote each other several emails about how great it would be if i were to move to new york and we could see each other all the time and keep each other company. but, of course, in reality, we were both busy. in the year that i’ve been here, he’s come to new york 3 times, and i went up to boston once. we suck at keeping in contact. i love you alex!! i’ll miss you. [...]
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