Middlesex Fells Reservation picture journal

On Thursday I decided to accomplish what I set out to do on Tuesday, that is, make a trip to the Middlesex Fells Reservation.  Fells apparently means rocky place, and the whole reservation was jagged in an endearing way that gave character for something so close to the city.  After riding the T for an hour and then following people's directions I found a way into the reservation, although it was not actually an entrance.  Here is the first thing I saw, there is no path and I ended up ignoring paths the majority of the way:

Immediately there was this wonderful little waterfall, I was so excited and my morale skyrocketed!
This bridge was at the top of the ridge, and that creek makes the previous waterfall, this is one of my favorite pictures
There were no mountains, and there were no rolling hills, but there were rugged hills.  Here is the summit of the first one I climbed, I ended up going over about 10.
Here is a zoom in on the prudential center from a different hill
The stones created a natural staircase
Big rocks were everywhere
I felt like I was in a Shaman's grove
This was the highest point that I found in the 2 and a half hours of daylight I had to explore the reservation.  After I took this picture I descended all the way to the ground as I was approaching a body of water.
Spot Pond!  Its not much of a pond really, its actually bigger than BU's campus, I looked on the map.
A Divine Path
This path was really narrow
This is Wright Pond taken from a mini-cliff that made me want to jump in, except that I was cold.  The next photo was taken from the opposite shore of this little cliff
Here is Wright from the other side, and you can see the cliff of the last photo
All of the water in the reservation was crystal clear
Two swans in love, I wonder what that is like?
They came right up to my feet, I was surprised to learn that swans can be almost a meter long, it really caught me off guard
Here they are eating some plants on the beach
Wow, I wish my backyard was like that.  This is what the hills were like in the reservation
Sunset while riding the Orange Line home

HAHAHAHA

Fully deployed military unit on the Charles River 10 feet from jogging pedestrians + intrusive food seeking geese = hilarity

The Stata Center, Frank Gehry, and Modern Architecture

I am going to start off with my bias:  I don't like modern architecture.  I will then move to my second bias:  I find Frank Gehry to have an ego the size of a whale and I believe egoism more than artistic vision plays into his creations.

In nature, things have patterns, and many animals also demonstrate symmetry.  It is quite beautiful.  I love architecture from so many different places, the asian, the arab, the european, the mesoamerican and incan, I can appreciate pretty much anything that is well built.  The Stata Center at MIT is not even well built, heck, MIT sued Frank Gehry for all of the problems they are having with the building!  The whole point of the building is that there are no patterns, it defies all algorithms, and in that it defies nature.  I hate to tell Frank Gehry this but, we are a part of nature and nature is a part of our souls.  This is supposed to be one of the great works of Modern architecture and it is a total piece of crap!  I went and saw it for myself in person, and the first thing I noticed is that it is huge, much bigger then the pictures make it look.  It is a HUGE piece of crap!

Nature is fighting the Modern World and the Modern World is winning.  I found this on the sidewalk that I took the first picture from and it pretty much summed up how I felt about this work.

Wipeout

Today was like a punch in the face.  A big punch in the face.  Something was brewing for awhile and it had taken on some qualities that I just couldn't seem to figure out, and today it all came to light, and it was worse than I thought.  Drama is something that appears in my life very infrequently, as I have a high aversion to it, but I would say about every 8 months, some unwelcome drama manifests.

I feel like a particular delusion has died, impaled on its own falsity, and with it it has taken the dream of a friendship that isn't going to happen.  The bleeding however, has taken on a new form, with an almost mystical quality.  The emotional pain has become a window deeper into myself, and this comes at a time after days of struggling to get a clearer view of who I am and what my soul is.  I'm looking at myself in a pile of ashes, and I am seeing the eternal spark, that piece of my soul that promises to rekindle me regardless of how many times I die.

I have turned to the sky, and it is time to reincarnate for the better.  Times like these give life color, and the road is beckoning.  My old home has been destroyed and I am once again homeless, a vagrant, but I have recalled that life as a vagrant is my true calling and these are the times when I am most fulfilled and least attached.  I could not figure out where this picture fit in my collection, and today it came to light.

The road is calling.

Improv Tuesday: Part 2

After drinking coffee it was about 4:00, and I decided, "What the hell, I'm going to see the USS Constitution docked across the harbor" but this was short lived as I got bored as soon as I got there.  After this 40 minute detour I decided impulsively to go to the beach so I hopped on the blue line and rode to Wonderland (The name of the train stop).  Here is Rogue Turtle visiting Revere Beach

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do at the beach, maybe stare at the ocean, until I saw Nahant in the distance and I remembered that I had vowed to go there when I first saw it on the map.  I had also vowed to go to World's End, Moon & Long Island, Bare Cove Park, and some others, so hopefully I will see them soon but probably not as the weather is getting colder and I have another big trip to make as soon as I get the chance.

Here are some photos of Nahant.  I have to admit I was pretty frustrated because I just couldn't seem to get the shots that I wanted, the houses obstructed my every turn, nor could I find a good shot of a house.  A more skilled photographer would have had a field day.

I ended a very tiring Tuesday having completed no homework, but it was worth it.

Improv Tuesday: Part 1

Tuesday afternoon a week and a half ago I got out of my Democracy in America class, and finished for the day I sought a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  As I approached the GSU, a place where christians regularly proselytize, I could hear evangelicals rapping on a karaoke type machine somehing about "save the soul, its a revolution of the heart, change your direction and all those around you" blah blah blah rhetoric.  I said to myself "For once Brian, just once, ignore the solicitors and get your coffee." So I walked by them without glancing and went into Starbucks.  After staring at the counter for about 30 seconds I said to myself "What am I doing here?  I said I only went to starbucks because I didn't have time for independent stores and now I am becoming a regular customer.  Its a beautiful day, I am off to North End for real coffee."

As I left the GSU I looked at the rapper and realized that they were not rapping about Christ, but about Obama, and that it was a registration drive.  .  .  .  .  I mistook a rap about Obama for a rap about Christ, I officially validated in an unbiased example everything the republicans are saying.  In honor of the return of Christ I set out.

On my way to the North End I passed city hall, which I pass frequently.  As usual I stood in awe of its 1984 like qualities and how it could be a prison and then I noticed...

That city hall was flying the cuban flag.  Suddenly, through faith in Obama, I was able to see the ultimate truth, that god had created a wormhole linking Boston and Cuba, and that the real city hall was in Guantanamo Bay and that this was actually just one of the many wondrous prison facilities teeming with questionably detained foreigners being tortured by a CIA that even the congress can't seem to get any oversight on.

No seriously, the Cuban flag?  The Boston Communist government likes to show solidaridad with its allies.  When are we going to end that stupid embargo anyway, I love everyone, communist or not.

Once I reached the North End, I remembered that one cafe that had no sign or indication it was a business and became determined to solve the mystery of this "Nameless Cafe" as I had called it to friends.  Finally I found it open, and it had a name on a chalkboard put outside "Theo's Corner, Brazilian Italian cafe"  I was sad that the dream that the cafe might actually be nameless was lost forever but excited that it was Brazilian!  Professor Cati always says Brazilian "Kauw-fay" is the best, but then again she is biased.  Unfortunately the Brazilian man adamantly told me that all of his coffee was Italian and I couldn't get Brazilian here, but that he sympathized with my desire for said drink.  

When asked if they had any pastries, they said no, but they did have muffins.  Being that this in fact did qualify as a pasty in the truest sense, I said that would be a valid substitute.  He then asked if I wanted my muffin grilled.  Thinking that I misheard him and he meant "Warmed up," I said sure.  He cut that sucker in half and threw it on the grill.  Thinking that this was some sort of peculiar secret Brazilian technique that produced a truly superior not pastry muffin, I watched in curiosity.  Lets just say grilled muffin is:  extra greasy, not particularly good.  I recommend you try it just for the experience though.  As my friend Kendall said upon hearing the story, "Lets just start grilling random foods like pickles, and cereal"  (Those were not her exact examples).  Tuesday is officially grill random food day.  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the muffin, I did however take a picture of the coffee.

This experience leads to Improv Tuesday part 2 which will be posted when... I get to it.

Beautiful Moon

The moon was huge for a few hours tonight.  I saw it at dusk on the river, but I didn't have my camera.  Where is this all taking me?

Posting

18 Jillion more posts coming over the next week.  And by 18 jillion I mean about 6.

The Church in the Ghetto

Awhile back I learned through experience that South Boston is the poor neighborhood for this city.  When I was riding my bike through it I felt as though I was in an unsafe neighborhood in Philadelphia, and this would not have been a problem, but as usual, the sun was setting while I was playing in the city.  I decided it was a good time to leave but I needed a good picture first, and I saw the top of a church a few blocks away so I decided to check it out.  I fell in love with the sight.

I felt like I was looking at christianity through the eyes of the minimum wage laborer.  A glum neighborhood, with a glum church, and a display that spoke darkly of the crucifixion.

Perhaps I misinterpreted what I saw, perhaps this display was made in jubilation, but it sent me tones of depression.

Just a thought.

P.S. Note that the center window is just a circle, this intrigued me.  The outer windows are other known christian symbols (Is that right one also masonic?).

Energy Drinks

The concept of energy drinks already freaks me out, but when a caravan of Red Bull Mini Coopers appears on campus once a month to get people into the habit, I run and hide.  I'm already addicted to coffee, but these drinks, I have seen them keep people up for 24 hours.  I feel like drinking these is like selling my soul (or perhaps my health) to improve my grades.  I will stay away.

Boston Common

Now that the weather is getting colder, a lot of the Boston Common culture will calm down.  I can't say I spend a lot of time there, but I appreciate what it has to offer.  Below are some photos from earlier in the semester:

Conveniently, I rode by this man while I was listening to Raduza.  I stopped to listen and he talked with me, happy to have young person interested in accordion music.  He was playing Scottish music.  I introduced him to Raduza (explaining how I learned about her).  He did not like the faster music, but he decided to buy the album at a later date for the songs Bylo Nebylo, Pandora, Mulhouse, and Zas oci moje.  I wrote it down for him.

This girl was meditating, perhaps not in the buddhist sense, but at least in some sense.  She didn't move for minutes as I walked around the pond, so I decided to try and get an anonymous shot of her to do justice to the beauty of her contemplation.
While the warmth is nice, the crispness is invigorating!  I am ready to welcome autumn!  My only fear is that I will want to spend endless amounts of time outside, as I am like to do.  I knew when applying to school that I needed to go north, because I need the cold to keep me inside to study.  I love to go out in the winter too, but it acts as a sort of moderator between outside time and study time.

The only gift you need today is fresh, crisp, clean air!

Wandering in the financial district

I love animals.  They are impartial to me.  I had to take a picture of my pigeon friends.  I asked them "How did you lose the trees?" in honor of Alela Diane.  Note, that line they are standing on is the freedom trail, which is a way for a tourist to see most of Boston's important sights without needing a tour guide.  Resident's pay no attention to it except for the fact that it appears EVERYWHERE.  You are just walking along and you realize "Oops, I'm on the freedom trail."

The Irish Famine Memorial.  7-Eleven.  I considered leaving them a Big Gulp offering and bowing four times, but I decided that might be viewed as offensive, and even I have limits as to how much I am willing to weird-out public observers.
This park was perfect!  Even though it was surrounded by skyscrapers it still had wonderful lighting, and the pergulla really took the cake.
I found this fountain in the same park as a really interesting concept.  There is no pool in the center, that circular ring is actually a bench surrounded by water sprouts.  The center is solid stone, causing the water to make a crashing noise as it hit the slate, creating a strong sound ambiance.  Also children (Or adults tapping their inner child) could just walk in to the center and allow themselves to get soaked.  It's a bit cold now for that though.
I don't drink and I think alcohol culture is something of a waste, but these people were all drinking in a very sociable manner that I found very endearing.

Experiencing Mysticism

It sweeps across your whole being when you take in a breathtaking view from a mountain, or you are transfixed by a river, or the beauty of a tree. For me, I am constantly stopped in my tracks by this world. Not only by nature, but by almost anything, if I am in the frame of mind. I have found that this has only escalated from meditative practice. It can be experienced anywhere, anytime, but sometimes your surroundings can inspire particularly powerful feelings. You can meditate next to a highway, or on top of a solitary mountain. I find the mountain more powerful, but today's experience, breathtaking.  

For the first time this year, I have not been sleeping enough. I have been getting four hours a night and it is really causing anxiety. After my third class today, I was finally free to take a nap, but for some reason, I was inspired rather than tired. After taking care of business regarding my application to graduate school (I have to get into graduate school to do the BA/MA program in Economics, so I will be in both schools simultaneously), I power ate and with 35 minutes of daylight left, I felt driven to ride to Boston College. For some reason BC always seems to call when I am feeling sleepless, considering that the last time I went it was after taking two final exams, and with one more the next day, and on no sleep, I rode out there.  

It was a race against the sundial. With zeal I pedaled up and down the hills that take you to Boston College if you go far enough. Finally I passed the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. BU has the Charles River, BC has the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Here it is at twilight as I passed it.

Upon arriving at BC, I had to make a decision as to what next.  Take pictures of beautiful buildings?  I was losing light fast and I knew the campus was tricky to navigate as it practically has a small cliff that cuts it in half.  AH-HA!  The Labyrinth, where is that church with the Labyrinth?  You see, in Catholicism during the middle ages, a pattern was designed that would serve as a religious walking meditation path.  It was called the labyrinth and it was full of symbolism and mysticism.  Nowadays however, few catholics practice walking meditation and few people know what a labyrinth is.  In fact, to find the church, I asked a man, who happened to be irish and was walking with his wife and two little daughters, where the labyrinth was and he had no idea what I was talking about.  Here is the church I was looking for

And here is the labyrinth I was seeking.  Note that it is still twilight, the lights in the labyrinth haven't turned on yet.

In order to show respect for this catholic, and yet universally spiritual journey, I make the sign of the cross at the entrance and begin slowly walking as if I was practicing walking meditation at Won Buddhist Temple back in Philadelphia (Except a little faster than what we practice there).  A minute after entering, the whole thing lights up, and a brisk autumn wind heightens my awareness.  Walking the path:

It takes me close to the center, far from the center, left, right, up down, around the edge, in and out in and out.  It was as if I was going inside of myself, sometimes closer to the eternal, sometimes farther, always walking.  I felt like a catholic, a buddhist, a druid.  Particularly druid.  I felt as though my ancestors at some point had experienced this at places like stonehenge.  I felt oneness, I felt totality, the universe was present, I was vanishing, awe and joy overcame me.  As I walked farther, the night got darker, and this only made the lights of the labyrinth seem brighter.  I felt as though the light was symbolizing something inside me, and I was turning it on, I was becoming a brighter light.  The irish family walked by and the little girls yelled with an american accent "Look!  Its the boy with the weird bike, that must be the thing he was looking for!"  When I reached the center, I left my trance, and looked at the seal of BC.  I decided to take a picture

When I walked backwards through the whole thing, it was like coming out of myself and coming back into the world as perceived through the senses.  I was back, but I was different.  Here is the labyrinth when I exited

I looked at it and I thought to myself, this can be done anywhere, but this is like feeling the universe the way the ancients did.  It was as though I had activated it through using it the way it was meant to be used: to experience deep meditation.  I will be back.

Beautiful day, beautiful night, I may die, but may the crossing be bright.