Man, every day so far (it's only been two) has been amazing for many many reasons but ultimately it's because the other Delta corps members (CMs) and their constant excitement and banter with me that has made these few days easy. My roommate and I, both teaching in Jackson, MS are able to hash out all our thoughts and ideas about the Delta and what it might be like in Jackson. We're all normal people and the majority of CMs that I have met don't think we're superheroes and we understand that we'll have shortfalls in this upcoming summer and two years.
Now, I'm not going to keep talking about how amazing everyone is. Y'all understand that TFA hires a specific type of person and conveniently, we all get a long. I'd like to talk about Po' Monkey though...
Po' Monkey?
Why, yes, Po' Monkey.
Po' Monkey (actually Poor Monkey, but we're in the South and nothing sounds like it's spelled) is a local bar with real people from the Delta area. It's small, maybe the size of your kitchen, or maybe the size of your living room (whichever is about 15' x 25'). The dance floor was even smaller, I swear it was the size of your bathroom. Mhm, that's means you don't have room to breath unless you're standing on that toilet.
In all reality, it's a small place (here's a link to a little 3 minute video about Po' Monkey! I've already re-watched several times since I love it) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4jymmre-l8
The reason I bring up Po' Monkey is because I had fun real southerners. Yes, they might have been in their early 30s or perhaps older but to dance with them was truly a great experience. One black lady had never seen a white boy shake it and ultimately I became the first white boy to dance with her. It's a different world people. We've got to make the new community also see our true selves (with some boundaries in a cultural context).
Po' Monkey gave a shout out to the TFA Delta CMs and made us feel welcomed. It was amazing to be new to the area and already be taking in this staple of MS culture. Did I mention the stuffed animal monkey's hanging from every crevice in the ceiling? Yup, I danced with them too, but mostly because I was too tall.
The nitty-gritty of my day in Induction? Sessions have been some real defining moments to start my experience in the Delta. We're were challenged to think about how pop-culture portrays the Delta (Kenny Chesney's - She Thinks My Tractors Sexy, or O Brother Where Art Thou?). We visited a school in several counties, mine which was Quitman County Elementary School. And we were asked to think about ourselves as growth mindsets rather than fixed mindsets.
During my visit to the elementary school, we met some amazing little cheerleaders who were the first Black squad to win the state championship and then went on to become the 8th best squad in the world. This squad was started by a TFA corps member. It was amazing to talk with these youngins' and to start a little competition of "Who has the best Cheerleading Jumps -- Joshua, a tall (getting older) guy from MA, or the girls who placed 8th in the world" I'm happy to announce that the girls won, but it was amazing to be able to connect to some students already and to get not only them but their current coach (who isn't TFA) excited about us all coming into their communities by sharing our similarities and connecting!
The panel that spoke to us shared that we are part of their community, but only as much as we try. We are different, we will get weird looks, we will be asked who we are and why we're in the MS Delta because we clearly aren't locals. They explained that this provides us an opportunity to bring students a new perspective, to open their eyes and expose them to new things and people. But it's not just the students, but we're a challenge for the communities to open up as well since many communities have members that have never left the South and don't know anything different. Although we were told that we can make change in the community, our panel said we can only make this change through becoming something larger than the TFA community and something smaller than our community which is the local one. To be a part of such a large movement, I believe some people forget about the smaller communities that we are moving into and looking to become a part of it. We shouldn't forget that we're moving into their home. We're brining new things to their place of work, play and learning. Being different gives us the ability to strike up conversations in the coffee shops and bring new joy to people in our areas. And we must do just that -- already prevent ourselves from becoming self-contained and look to be a part of something more important, a community.
Along the same lines, growth mindsets are a way of thinking that intelligence can grow if you try hard enough. Fixed mindsets are believing that intelligence is innate and can not grow. We all come into TFA believing that our children are growth beings, but I think a lot of TFA CMs forget that we too must be growth beings (those of growth mindsets) if we are to actually do well and make progress toward our goal. We come in with great experiences, but hardly any of us have experience in the classroom and those of us that do still don't know what is best for their future students. This means that we must think of ourselves as people that will grow through failure and acceptance -- moments of pure bliss and complete strife in the classroom. I'm hoping I see a lot of my fellow CMs start to look at themselves as always learning and still naive so that they can make strides in intelligence just like our kids, but for the betterment of our teaching for those kids.
Lastly, we will face challenges that our communities will sometimes have fixed mindsets. They'll believe that there is no way out of this education inequity because they are so used to it. They've been primed to believe that their intelligence is stuck and so is their future -- to return to the Delta where there is no economic powerhouse that shares in and promotes the growth. Unfortunately, most towns and cities employ more people in their school systems than any other area. There are no factories and if there are one or two, they're in rich suburbs that attracted them due to the already sustaining wealth. I can't way to see my area in Jackson go from fixed to growth and to bring together my community.
Jackson, MS may not be in the Delta technically but they suffer from the same things. It's the perfect time for a new corps of 43 people to go into the schools since Jackson is finally opening up to TFA. But it's still young in the city and there are many people that don't know what we are doing and some that may believe we are hurting their children. We have the chance, in Jackson, to change the perception of education and TFA and to push students up toward success but hopefully bring them back to the Delta to make further change beyond my time. There are a of thoughts about my placement in Jackson that I'll talk about in another blog post because I'm still developing my perceptions of my placement but I'm happy to say that I'm more excited than ever through talking with formed CMs that were the original corps in 08!
Until my next dance off!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Induction - Day 1: Maybe I'm Ready!
So today was the first day of induction. As one of the TFA staff members put it, "the first full day as a Teach For America Corps Member."
Yesterday was a little more overwhelming than I expected. Sometimes it's hard to find connections and relation points with people that are so diverse that you're not sure why you are in the same room. Ultimately, we all in TFA have a similarity which has acted out as a starting point for further connections and that is our commitment to TFA and closing the gap of education inequity.
Today it was more of the same connection forming with more people from even more diverse settings. In the corps we have blacks, whites, asians, indians, and every other race. We have males and females and probably some transgender persons (though I have not met them). These things though are only primary diversity factors. What makes the most sense is to bond with each other over secondary diversity factors that are more personal and not obvious from the first visual analysis of our peers. These characteristics include learning style, humor, ideologies and even things much less important like income. Regardless of my preconceptions, it has been amazing to meet so many unique individuals.
Throughout our sessions today, we focused on Diversity & Inclusiveness and Movements. It was challenging to think about things more closely, to face more realities about the disparities but what the most difficult part about the discussions were the need to face our own personal beliefs and misconceptions that have been guiding our views in (sometimes) the wrong way.
I won't bore y'all (yes, I'm picking up a southern twang and words after one day) so I'd just like to give an example of a couple of exercises and meaningful pieces of discussion today.
What priorities in this fight seem most important for you? How will you hold onto them in the midst of day-to-day pressures?
The biggest priority for me is to believe in the kids, to know that they are excited and ready to learn. We often lost hope, respect and belief in people when we repeatedly see a lack of commitment or respect. But we must know that it is our perseverance in believing in the students and creating stronger community of higher pressures that will ultimately push them further. Ignoring the problem will not solve the problem, it is pursuing a solution and fighting the internalized externalities that will create progress.
In the midst of the time, we will face hard times, but by becoming part of my community, I will be forced to hold myself accountable while so many others look to me to help them.
We ended the day by reading the Legacies of former and current corps members. These aren't legacies that were actually left, but what corps members thought they wanted to leave behind after their first, second or further years. Below is what I believe to be my Legacy Mindset:
"By the end of my first year... I want to see and know there is a an increased commitment to learning from my students. I want to have a classroom structured where students don't need to raise their hands because they are respectful and a classroom where students will help their peers when they understand the material better. A culture breeding respect and kindness combined with commitment will pave the way toward successful academia for my students.
By the end of my second year... I want my students to be excited to come to school and that they are making strides toward college. I want my students to know that they can pursue their dreams by completing their education and to realize that their opportunities will be severely limited if they don't. I'll still leave the decision to them but I want all my students to make the right one to stay in school.
By the time I leave the classroom... I want my students to have a community within the larger community that spreads respect, joy and a love of forward-looking ideas."
Even though it has been a long first day, a lot of the TFA group found enough energy to go out to Pub Trivia to celebrate our new-found friendships that will surely last forever. Now that I'm home, and my team lost the trivia, I have decided it is in the best interests of everyone that I get some rest... I like my (so-far) good reputation with the TFA 2012 Corps.
Yesterday was a little more overwhelming than I expected. Sometimes it's hard to find connections and relation points with people that are so diverse that you're not sure why you are in the same room. Ultimately, we all in TFA have a similarity which has acted out as a starting point for further connections and that is our commitment to TFA and closing the gap of education inequity.
Today it was more of the same connection forming with more people from even more diverse settings. In the corps we have blacks, whites, asians, indians, and every other race. We have males and females and probably some transgender persons (though I have not met them). These things though are only primary diversity factors. What makes the most sense is to bond with each other over secondary diversity factors that are more personal and not obvious from the first visual analysis of our peers. These characteristics include learning style, humor, ideologies and even things much less important like income. Regardless of my preconceptions, it has been amazing to meet so many unique individuals.
Throughout our sessions today, we focused on Diversity & Inclusiveness and Movements. It was challenging to think about things more closely, to face more realities about the disparities but what the most difficult part about the discussions were the need to face our own personal beliefs and misconceptions that have been guiding our views in (sometimes) the wrong way.
I won't bore y'all (yes, I'm picking up a southern twang and words after one day) so I'd just like to give an example of a couple of exercises and meaningful pieces of discussion today.
What priorities in this fight seem most important for you? How will you hold onto them in the midst of day-to-day pressures?
The biggest priority for me is to believe in the kids, to know that they are excited and ready to learn. We often lost hope, respect and belief in people when we repeatedly see a lack of commitment or respect. But we must know that it is our perseverance in believing in the students and creating stronger community of higher pressures that will ultimately push them further. Ignoring the problem will not solve the problem, it is pursuing a solution and fighting the internalized externalities that will create progress.
In the midst of the time, we will face hard times, but by becoming part of my community, I will be forced to hold myself accountable while so many others look to me to help them.
We ended the day by reading the Legacies of former and current corps members. These aren't legacies that were actually left, but what corps members thought they wanted to leave behind after their first, second or further years. Below is what I believe to be my Legacy Mindset:
"By the end of my first year... I want to see and know there is a an increased commitment to learning from my students. I want to have a classroom structured where students don't need to raise their hands because they are respectful and a classroom where students will help their peers when they understand the material better. A culture breeding respect and kindness combined with commitment will pave the way toward successful academia for my students.
By the end of my second year... I want my students to be excited to come to school and that they are making strides toward college. I want my students to know that they can pursue their dreams by completing their education and to realize that their opportunities will be severely limited if they don't. I'll still leave the decision to them but I want all my students to make the right one to stay in school.
By the time I leave the classroom... I want my students to have a community within the larger community that spreads respect, joy and a love of forward-looking ideas."
Even though it has been a long first day, a lot of the TFA group found enough energy to go out to Pub Trivia to celebrate our new-found friendships that will surely last forever. Now that I'm home, and my team lost the trivia, I have decided it is in the best interests of everyone that I get some rest... I like my (so-far) good reputation with the TFA 2012 Corps.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Finally Arrived - Not Sure I'm Ready
Today was the day that I arrived at Delta State University where the next 5 weeks will be filled with a lot of learning and a lot of people.
On my way to Induction/Institute/Orientation, I visited family in MI and TN and met up with a bunch of Delta TFA Corps Members in Memphis. We had a couple nights in the city and enjoyed ourselves before, what will be, 5 weeks of intensity.
Now that I am in the Delta, I'm realizing that my life will be drastically different than what I have known. Although I will be teaching in Jackson Public Schools, a Southern city is nothing like a New England city. There is a lot of land and fewer people. There are no skyscrapers but there are a lot of cotton fields. I'm feeling the magic of the south but it is tiresome to take in so much.
As one of the first to arrive at Delta State at 10am, I have already met dozens of people and have needed two naps. Our dorm rooms have been filled with carloads of stuff that we all assumed we would need. Toothbrushes, shorts, laptops and surely our pre-institute homework.
In one hour our Induction will begin with a Welcome Ceremony and then dinner in the quadrangle of DSU. There's a lot of buzz around the dorms with people getting to know each other and trying to make new friends. Ultimately it's Freshmen year of college all over again, except we're all motivated to make change in our small world. Together, starting tonight we will start to share our stories as to why we want to make change, why we chose to be a part of the TFA movement, and how we see ourselves reaching the kids that we are about to teach.
This summer will be hard, but I'm sure it will be rewarding. All of us will feed off of the energy of others while we struggle to make sense of everything that we will be learning.
I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next few weeks but you'll probably read a lot of babbling from late-night banter.
On my way to Induction/Institute/Orientation, I visited family in MI and TN and met up with a bunch of Delta TFA Corps Members in Memphis. We had a couple nights in the city and enjoyed ourselves before, what will be, 5 weeks of intensity.
Now that I am in the Delta, I'm realizing that my life will be drastically different than what I have known. Although I will be teaching in Jackson Public Schools, a Southern city is nothing like a New England city. There is a lot of land and fewer people. There are no skyscrapers but there are a lot of cotton fields. I'm feeling the magic of the south but it is tiresome to take in so much.
As one of the first to arrive at Delta State at 10am, I have already met dozens of people and have needed two naps. Our dorm rooms have been filled with carloads of stuff that we all assumed we would need. Toothbrushes, shorts, laptops and surely our pre-institute homework.
In one hour our Induction will begin with a Welcome Ceremony and then dinner in the quadrangle of DSU. There's a lot of buzz around the dorms with people getting to know each other and trying to make new friends. Ultimately it's Freshmen year of college all over again, except we're all motivated to make change in our small world. Together, starting tonight we will start to share our stories as to why we want to make change, why we chose to be a part of the TFA movement, and how we see ourselves reaching the kids that we are about to teach.
This summer will be hard, but I'm sure it will be rewarding. All of us will feed off of the energy of others while we struggle to make sense of everything that we will be learning.
I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next few weeks but you'll probably read a lot of babbling from late-night banter.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Teach For America - Just The Beginning
A Boston University Graduate
A Future Law Student
A Future Senator
A MATH TEACHER?!
Somehow along the path to my dreams of being a lawyer and Senator, I've come across the great opportunity to teach students in disadvantaged areas with Teach For America.
I've never realized how well respected and known Teach For America is until I traveled beyond Boston University's campus. Of course current BU students and recent graduates know what TFA is -- they heavily recruit on campus and send thousands of unwanted e-mails every year to students like me. The difference I have realized though is that no matter whom I talk with outside of the BU college environment, they still know what TFA is and the competitiveness of the program. Every person seems impressed and congratulates me and shares in my excitement. Each encounter makes me more honored to be a part of the program.
On June 5th, 2012 I will be moving into a dormitory at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS to start an intensive 5-week intensive summer training program. I'll learn how to manage a classroom, control outbursts of student behavior and ultimately, how to teach. All of us training will wake up at 4am or 5am, travel to schools across the state to teach, observe and learn about classrooms. We return to Delta State to build our skills through lessons taught by TFA staff members. After prepping for class the next day, we hit the sac to get (hopefully) a few hours of sleep.
I'm beyond excited to get down to the Mississippi Delta. (different than the Mississippi River Delta) There are just so many similar motivated people in the Teach For America program that I can't wait to grow from their excitement and passion to end education inequalities in the country. Together we will make a difference and I look forward to the journey. It will be two years of intense growth, sacrifice and relentless commitment before my time comes to an end with Teach For America, but I plan on making it as fun as possible!
I hope that you follow me on this journey as I'm going to reach into so many different adventures -- not just teaching, but hopefully owning a house, becoming a landlord and developing an understanding of Southern culture. As usual, I promise to try my hardest to update often. If you see me slacking, reach out to me and kick me in the butt!
A Future Law Student
A Future Senator
A MATH TEACHER?!
Somehow along the path to my dreams of being a lawyer and Senator, I've come across the great opportunity to teach students in disadvantaged areas with Teach For America.
I've never realized how well respected and known Teach For America is until I traveled beyond Boston University's campus. Of course current BU students and recent graduates know what TFA is -- they heavily recruit on campus and send thousands of unwanted e-mails every year to students like me. The difference I have realized though is that no matter whom I talk with outside of the BU college environment, they still know what TFA is and the competitiveness of the program. Every person seems impressed and congratulates me and shares in my excitement. Each encounter makes me more honored to be a part of the program.
On June 5th, 2012 I will be moving into a dormitory at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS to start an intensive 5-week intensive summer training program. I'll learn how to manage a classroom, control outbursts of student behavior and ultimately, how to teach. All of us training will wake up at 4am or 5am, travel to schools across the state to teach, observe and learn about classrooms. We return to Delta State to build our skills through lessons taught by TFA staff members. After prepping for class the next day, we hit the sac to get (hopefully) a few hours of sleep.
I'm beyond excited to get down to the Mississippi Delta. (different than the Mississippi River Delta) There are just so many similar motivated people in the Teach For America program that I can't wait to grow from their excitement and passion to end education inequalities in the country. Together we will make a difference and I look forward to the journey. It will be two years of intense growth, sacrifice and relentless commitment before my time comes to an end with Teach For America, but I plan on making it as fun as possible!
I hope that you follow me on this journey as I'm going to reach into so many different adventures -- not just teaching, but hopefully owning a house, becoming a landlord and developing an understanding of Southern culture. As usual, I promise to try my hardest to update often. If you see me slacking, reach out to me and kick me in the butt!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Wal-Mart Class Action; Rule of Law
I'm wholly impressed by the Supreme Court's ruling against the gender bias case of Dukes v. Wal-Mart.
First and foremost, the purpose of a class action lawsuit is to bring together individuals who have been similarly injured by the same company for the same reason.
Betty Dukes sued believing that male coworkers at Wal-Mart were getting better promotions and pay than herself and female counterparts. It was shown that the actions may have been due to the individual store where Betty Dukes worked.
I truly feel that it's important to understand that a multinational corporation the size of Wal-Mart has absolutely no way of controlling every decision of every open store throughout their operations. It's infeasible, not possible, stop thinking it is.
Wal-Mart has had a bad rap for years for probably some good reasons and bad reasons. There is nothing in this case that shows every women working since 1998 has been discriminated against and injured due to her sex. I think the biggest flaw of this case was the scope. Had a class action lawsuit been approved, or attempted, to incorporate only certain regions of Wal-Mart stores, it may have been more likely that the Supreme Court would have ruled in favor of the Ninth District's opinion.
Regionally it can be expected that the larger corporation will monitor results and pay grades. It also makes it more likely that each individual would have been harmed in a similar manner. With 1.6 million women included in the court's decisions, there is no way that I can fathom a similar disadvantage to all unless Wal-Mart had a policy that explicitly stated or indirectly caused a bias. With such a policy, the case would have been in favor of the plaintiffs. Instead, the court was shown a policy stating that sex was not to place any bearing on pay decisions or promotions. The policy outlined disciplinary actions to those managers who did use sex as a basis for qualification and pay determination.
Currently, many of the women who had hoped for a better outcome are angered and surprised. Honestly, it's not a surprise. They were facing an uphill battle, not because Wal-Mart has the money to fight the war with the best lawyers, but because they had no basis for their class action.
Now, the women have an opportunity to reorganize into smaller class actions. It may be hard to do without the spirit and having put so much effort into the first case, but it may be worthwhile to some of the women who have worked under discriminatory conditions.
First and foremost, the purpose of a class action lawsuit is to bring together individuals who have been similarly injured by the same company for the same reason.
Betty Dukes sued believing that male coworkers at Wal-Mart were getting better promotions and pay than herself and female counterparts. It was shown that the actions may have been due to the individual store where Betty Dukes worked.
I truly feel that it's important to understand that a multinational corporation the size of Wal-Mart has absolutely no way of controlling every decision of every open store throughout their operations. It's infeasible, not possible, stop thinking it is.
Wal-Mart has had a bad rap for years for probably some good reasons and bad reasons. There is nothing in this case that shows every women working since 1998 has been discriminated against and injured due to her sex. I think the biggest flaw of this case was the scope. Had a class action lawsuit been approved, or attempted, to incorporate only certain regions of Wal-Mart stores, it may have been more likely that the Supreme Court would have ruled in favor of the Ninth District's opinion.
Regionally it can be expected that the larger corporation will monitor results and pay grades. It also makes it more likely that each individual would have been harmed in a similar manner. With 1.6 million women included in the court's decisions, there is no way that I can fathom a similar disadvantage to all unless Wal-Mart had a policy that explicitly stated or indirectly caused a bias. With such a policy, the case would have been in favor of the plaintiffs. Instead, the court was shown a policy stating that sex was not to place any bearing on pay decisions or promotions. The policy outlined disciplinary actions to those managers who did use sex as a basis for qualification and pay determination.
Currently, many of the women who had hoped for a better outcome are angered and surprised. Honestly, it's not a surprise. They were facing an uphill battle, not because Wal-Mart has the money to fight the war with the best lawyers, but because they had no basis for their class action.
Now, the women have an opportunity to reorganize into smaller class actions. It may be hard to do without the spirit and having put so much effort into the first case, but it may be worthwhile to some of the women who have worked under discriminatory conditions.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Restrepo
Today I spent the majority of my time basking in the sun, reading "The Federalist", and writing my personal statement. Quite a life of leisure it seemed.
To wind down the day, my friend and I popped in "Restrepo" the movie.
"Restrepo", a movie about the Korangal Valley, was very intense. Emotionally it can be hard to bear but it also informs the watcher of what happens in one of the deadliest and most dangerous areas of war. The men in the film were on a mission to build a camp in the Valley which was known to take fire from the Taliban daily.
While in the valley, fighting was on an off, but the deployed soldiers lost two during the film. One of the men was Officer Restrepo, whom the camp is now commonly referred after. You get to see his exuberance, his uplifting spirit and his commitment to the deployment. The hardest part of the film was not seeing the dead soldiers but seeing the reactions to the death by the fellow servicemen. It was hard to see them troubled and emotionally unstable. Their interviews brought me to tears without even a description of the events. It was the faces of the soldiers, the quiver of the lips that brought me to tears. To know that someone so strong, willing to fight for the country and having faced so many Taliban soliders; to know that even they wanted to cry can only bring the strongest of heart to cry.
The film was well worth the watch and I highly recommend that anyone looking to form an opinion on the tours of duty in Afghanistan watch the film. Beware it is all real footage, but it can only be so moving that way.
To wind down the day, my friend and I popped in "Restrepo" the movie.
"Restrepo", a movie about the Korangal Valley, was very intense. Emotionally it can be hard to bear but it also informs the watcher of what happens in one of the deadliest and most dangerous areas of war. The men in the film were on a mission to build a camp in the Valley which was known to take fire from the Taliban daily.
While in the valley, fighting was on an off, but the deployed soldiers lost two during the film. One of the men was Officer Restrepo, whom the camp is now commonly referred after. You get to see his exuberance, his uplifting spirit and his commitment to the deployment. The hardest part of the film was not seeing the dead soldiers but seeing the reactions to the death by the fellow servicemen. It was hard to see them troubled and emotionally unstable. Their interviews brought me to tears without even a description of the events. It was the faces of the soldiers, the quiver of the lips that brought me to tears. To know that someone so strong, willing to fight for the country and having faced so many Taliban soliders; to know that even they wanted to cry can only bring the strongest of heart to cry.
The film was well worth the watch and I highly recommend that anyone looking to form an opinion on the tours of duty in Afghanistan watch the film. Beware it is all real footage, but it can only be so moving that way.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Summer Time; A Fresh Breathe
As the summer starts, it's time to start anew. Breathe the fresh air, take in the beautiful sun and roam the uneven streets of Boston.
I've declared this as my summer. This will be the summer that I take my experiences to new places that will give me insight into others' experiences. It may be food, it may be the farmer's markets or a new movie theatre. There's plenty of free stuff in Boston and great ways to enjoy things at discounted prices.
So far this summer I have rediscovered some of my favorite loves of Boston summers:
The Farmer's Market at Haymarket has so many vendors with ridiculously cheap prices for produce. The strawberries always look delicious, plump, juicy, and a dark rich red color.
The Boston Public Library is not just amazingly beautiful on the outside. Inside the BPL there is a courtyard with a fountain and statute. My favorite is relaxing and reading at one of the many tables around the courtyard that always seems to be peaceful.
Something new I just recently tried was a restaurant called Saus. It's a Belgian Waffle House with a variety of fries and waffles. The real adventure is the multitude of sauces that are served at, conviently named, Saus. I tried the Truffle Ketchup Sauce and it was splendid. I was surprised by the strong flavour of the truffle but, of course, it was delectable. Accidentally, I also tried the Pungent Sauce. It has a vinegar, blue cheese, bacon, shallot flavor. Be careful if you're vegetarian - this is not for you, I learned the hard way (bacon, bacon, bacon).
My final goal for this summer is to save enough money to back pack across Europe next summer. Summer 2012 will be my last summer to take advantage of my freedom. I'll have prospects of Law school near ahead. As I post in my blog, I will tally my progress toward my goal so that I can be held accountable for what I'm saving toward my trip. Granted I can make do with just a couple thousand dollars, my goal is to have a lot of fun and stay as long as possible abroad. An open ended goal is the way to go :)
Progress toward my goal right now - $2315.40 ... not bad
Until next time,
Joshua
I've declared this as my summer. This will be the summer that I take my experiences to new places that will give me insight into others' experiences. It may be food, it may be the farmer's markets or a new movie theatre. There's plenty of free stuff in Boston and great ways to enjoy things at discounted prices.
So far this summer I have rediscovered some of my favorite loves of Boston summers:
The Farmer's Market at Haymarket has so many vendors with ridiculously cheap prices for produce. The strawberries always look delicious, plump, juicy, and a dark rich red color.
The Boston Public Library is not just amazingly beautiful on the outside. Inside the BPL there is a courtyard with a fountain and statute. My favorite is relaxing and reading at one of the many tables around the courtyard that always seems to be peaceful.
Something new I just recently tried was a restaurant called Saus. It's a Belgian Waffle House with a variety of fries and waffles. The real adventure is the multitude of sauces that are served at, conviently named, Saus. I tried the Truffle Ketchup Sauce and it was splendid. I was surprised by the strong flavour of the truffle but, of course, it was delectable. Accidentally, I also tried the Pungent Sauce. It has a vinegar, blue cheese, bacon, shallot flavor. Be careful if you're vegetarian - this is not for you, I learned the hard way (bacon, bacon, bacon).
My final goal for this summer is to save enough money to back pack across Europe next summer. Summer 2012 will be my last summer to take advantage of my freedom. I'll have prospects of Law school near ahead. As I post in my blog, I will tally my progress toward my goal so that I can be held accountable for what I'm saving toward my trip. Granted I can make do with just a couple thousand dollars, my goal is to have a lot of fun and stay as long as possible abroad. An open ended goal is the way to go :)
Progress toward my goal right now - $2315.40 ... not bad
Until next time,
Joshua
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