Treats for All.

Warm hands, Warm Hearts.

 http://www.northeastern.edu/coopconnections/events/warm-hands-warm-hearts/

This Sunday we helped out with some of NEU volunteers spread some cheer and enjoy treats whilst helping treat others.  We joined Phi Delta Theta, NRHH, the NU Black Student Association, the NEURONS,
and Co-op Connections for holiday fun, stuffing fluffy teddy bears to give to others, making cards for soldiers and decorating cookies (for our own pleasure.. yummmm)

The event also gave us the most amazing Turkey, cranberry and stuffing sandwiches along with holiday giveaways and music! It was the perfect start so the festive season.

There was a gingerbread competition, which required early regisration- which we had missed.  But to our surprise and good fortune, one of the teams had dropped out to other commitments and we were luckily given a gingerbread kit to tackle and compete with.
This of course happened 30 minutes into the hour you were allowed to build the house, so with amazing team work and cordination around sticky icy fingers and sugary delights we built the most impressive (bias) gingerbread house I have ever seen!!

Due to other plans, we sadly had to leave the event before the end and grand announcement of winners.  An email shotly revealed that our house came joint second place, which we could not be more happier about considering our hurried efforts.

Go team Scotland Huskies!

Its beginning to look a LOT like Xmas

Arriving back from a long day at work, we had a surprise awaiting us.

Except this wasn't your usual little white envelope nor was it a brown wrapped box.  It was a large, white net covering a 6ft Christmas Tree-  A REAL ONE!

My flatmate had, bless her, dragged the tree round from the front of the apartment to our door by herself once she noticed it had been delivered. It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our Kinross Apt!!

The following night we all trooped down to the local $store, which with a massive $7 each spent we were able to get a healthy bunch of decorations to storm our tree with.  We sat with cookies and candy canes, singing christmas songs and put our tree up, allowing it to shine in all its decorated glory.


Can't wait for Christmas 2012 in Boston with my roommate, now that we have a tree to dance 'around'!!

Fortune COOKIES

Today, 12/5 I attended the Northeastern University Beyond Borders Event exploring specifically China today.  I got to listen to two student speakers explaining their experiences within the United States, and within China.  Showing their personal comparisons on cultural differences, and the way of life habits.

I really enjoyed their presentations learning about the comparisons, and tips on what to know if I was to travel across to that part of the world.  I even got a Fortune Cookie, which I learned from a student at my table, that these are not actually traditionally chinese.  They were, from what they claimed, boosted by the Americans on a false interpretation on Chinese fortune tellers... interesting.. 

And so within my cookie- authentic or not- my fortune inside read:

"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." 

Which of course guides me to atleast face some troubles with some courage, than to avoid them all together making it harder to cure.  Or along those lines.. .

 

My chinese word was, Pumpkin- which related heavily to my past few weeks in New Jersey enjoying, pumpkin: soup, cookies, beer, pie and even pumpkin air freshener!

Twenty years of happiness

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEE

I aged into a new decade this week. November 27- My twentieth birthday in Boston!

It was a lovely week, everyone spoiled me with many fabulous treats from cakes to lunches! I was greeted to balloons and two chirpy roommates when I woke up in the apartment which was lovely.  And entering work, my office had a massive Happy Birthday Banner covering the door! 

I was treated to going out to the ballet for the evening with friends. We went to see the Boston Ballets, The Nutcracker.  Which.was.amazing.  I teared up towards the end when the 'nutcracker' music played, it was a beautiful art watching the dancers sway and float across the stage with such elegance.  I thoroughly enjoyed my night there, and the full week of becoming a year older!

Thank you to everyone who gifted me with cards, presents, cakes, friendship and love!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Well now, how do I start to explain the best week so far of my time here in America?

This week I ventured down to stay with a good friend and her family in New Jersey. Because, apparently, thanksgiving is somewhat a BIGdeal out here. … .. no it really is! It’s almost as big, or maybe even bigger than Christmas cerebrations! Especially for my American family, who are Jewish.  I started the first few days of my week, in New Jersey, we celebrated Thanksgiving over two days with both sides of the family. Eating, eating and more excellent extravagant eating. Pumpkin party.. I had pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin beer, pumpkin candy and we even had a pumpkin car smelly in the car. I wasn’t complaining as its yum-EEEE. Meeting all of Michelle’s family was a true delight, everyone was very welcoming and I felt completely at home amongst there company, it was a true refresher from my Boston working days.  We watched the Macys parade (feeling American) whilst whipping up fresh cream, working for our foody pleasures, and I finished my cranachan dish in which I took to surprise the Americans with some Scottish desserts; tablet, shortbread and cranachan. (im such a domestic goddess, thank you)

Enjoying an evening as a family we reminisced over Michelle’s dazzling past, being such an involved valedictorian in high school I took delight in watching her acting skills shine like the brightest star on her high school stage. Lights, Camera, ACTION! Tired and hitting food comma statuses, we headed out at 11pm like bloated turkeys we just ate.. to a new jersey mall for me to experience the real deal of Thanksgiving Day shopping: it was great to be pondering around a true UsA mall, how local have I become! I never bought much but a precious little solver ring which will always remind me of my great week spent with my DuBow family in New Jersey at Thanksgiving.  This led us onto another day, in another state. NYC was the destination, shopping, exploring and the rockettes was the plan for the day and I loved experiencing my first day in the BIG APPLE with my American sister, Michelle. NEW YORK truly is a great city, I can see why people feel lonely yet feel like they can reach any opportunity and limelight if they so search for it and try to make themselves as famous as possible. Ellens stardust diner, thank you the DuBows for introducing me into this wonderful Broadway to be diner. As I sat eating delicious diner delights, I received a personal song for my 20^th birthday which was in two days, I cannot thank mummy DuBow enough for organizing my serenade! We put our names on confetti at the times square museum, for them to be blown out to the crowds during the ball drop of New years 2013, how exciting! Leaving my name in NYC!! Exhausted from how wonderful wondering around the big city we headed home (a twenty minute drive!) how amazing to be able to just pop into NYC for the day, as for me back home it’s a massive thing to plan and afford your long-haul flight across the Atlantic to explore the delights of NYC. .. . forever reminded how fortunate I am to be able to experience this grand year in the United States of America.

My last day ended with a true American diner with my American family and their family friends, pancakes pancakes, more pancakes and some syrup was served up and our bellies soon were bellowing- ready for the commute back to Boston. After a long delay in the Newark station, and meeting an inspiring (and slightly too chatty) staff member in the station, we bussed it back to Boston catching up on work to-dos and getting our productive modes back on. No rest for the wicked, want it- get it.

If you are reading, DuBows- thank you, thank you, thank YOU all for the wonderful past days in the states, I had a GOBBLE good time!

Please follow this link to see my lovely birthday song: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152306933500179&l=8375556036123534060

What is this white stuff?

snowowowowWOW
It was snowing today in Boston, MA for the first time this Fall 2012.  From my enthusiastic approach to the coldness and unstable ground, I was so excited for the snow to have fallen.

As can be seen in the picture.
This is me on my way to work, waiting on the famous B, Green line T.

Today is also a two week countdown until I leave for New Jersey to stay with my good friend for Thanksgiving!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We were lucky enough to be able to go to Salem straight after work Wednesday 31- HALLOWEEN!
Katies Mum+Dad are still staying with us up until the end of this week, I have LOVED having some family love around the apartment, its so nice having their company.

Dress CODE- FANCY. off course. I dressed as a kittykat, Molly went as a dead person, and Katie an Owl.  Her mum and dad obviously didn't want to be the odd ones out (not dressed up) and so went as a ghostly ghoul and a nosey parker.

I was very pleased we decided to dress up, because believe you and me- if we hadn't we would have stuck out from the crowd MAJORLY.

Salem which is famous for its history with Witch Craft comes alive around the week of Halloween.  Costumes dragg and slither the streets, oozing and aahing for spectators to quiver in their presence.  I surely was freaked and creeped by some of the costumes on show.

It was a great night, one that i probably will never get to experience.  Being in Salem, MA on the night of Halloween!!