New Adventure #16: Poetry Reading

You know how sometimes you have a picture of what something should be like? Maybe you've heard stories about it or seen it in a movie or just dreamed it up. But then when you finally experience it, it's nothing like your idea and you're terribly disappointed?

I was so anxious that that's what attending a poetry reading would be like. I must have seen bits about poetry readings on TV as a kid and thought they must be the coolest, most sophisticated events in the world, with the most interesting and eclectic collection of writers. Experience cautioned me against this over-the-top picture, but to my surprise and delight, the real thing fulfilled every expectation and imagination. 

The event was the Dig's Poetry Night at OBERON. It was a mix of featured performers and amateurs from the audience, and there was a bit of everything. Structured rhyming poems and free form ramblings, rap and song, stand up comedy, a poem composed from flame wars on Craigslist politics forums, reflections on the Marathon bombings, and thoughts about love, sex, parenthood, politics, addiction, god, nature, mythology, and growing up. Performers ranged from the librarian-looking girl who recited earnestly and softly, to a trio of rappers who came down from the stage and danced among the audience, to the anxious-looking guy (one of my favorites) whose hands were shaking but voice was strong as he spoke about addiction and perseverance and hope. 

I was most impressed by Jade Sylvan, a TALENTED person who wowed me with this poem and a couple others and would have made the whole event worth going all by herself. 

She and the other performers have fanned my interest in poetry and in writing. I spent my lunch break the next day scribbling, and maybe one day I'll write something worth reading at a similar event. It's certainly a new dream of mine <3

New Adventure #15: Boston Independent Film Festival

I read Roger Ebert's memoir last year, and it inspired a strong desire to attend a film festival. I was delighted to find that Boston has its own, the Boston Independent Film Festival, which ran April 24th-30th this year. I was even more excited to find that Joss Whedon (creator of "Buffy, "Angel", "Firefly", etc) had an entry, an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". Check out this trailer.

It was simply incredible. Possibly the most enjoyable film I've ever seen. I'd expected a remake with modern dialogue, but it was the original word for word in a modern setting. I'd never properly appreciated Shakespeare before this. The whole thing was hilariously funny, both the dialog, where I finally felt like I got all the jokes I would have missed in text, and the physical comedy so characteristic of Whedon. The audience was in stitches for much of the movie, and I missed hearing whole verbal exchanges because we were all laughing uproariously. I've never enjoyed myself so much at a movie.

The theatrical release is coming up, and you can see it at the Coolidge Theater starting on June 21st. Tickets go on sale a few days before. I can't recommend this show highly enough!

New Adventure #14: Zweifachers, Breton, and Scottish Dance

I'm an avid dancer, as most people know, so I was delighted to get to try a number of new kinds of dance at the NEFFA folk festival recently:

The zweifacher is a German folk dance. It is danced by couples in a close position to allow for the quick waltz and pivot steps. Each dance has a set choreography that ranges from reasonably simple and easy to remember to quite complex. I happened to jump in for a complicated one and had a difficult time following, despite a skilled partner. It was really fun though!

Scottish country dance is a social dance performed in sets of 3 or more couples. It bears some resemblance to contra dance, but with an added element of precise footwork. I was more-or-less able to keep up with the figures, but my footwork needs some practice! I'm hoping to make it to the lessons and social dancing at Springstep soon.

Breton dancing is a folk dance originating in the French region of Brittany. It is performed as a group, with everyone joining hands or linking elbows (depending on the dance) and performing a short sequence of steps again and again while moving around the room. There was wonderful live bagpipe music. I just love bagpipes! Here's a short video:

New Adventure #13: Electronic Show

I went to my first electronic music show recently. Bonobo, a downtempo/trip hop/electronic artist, was playing at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. He was joined by a full band and a vocalist, Andreya Triana, with a beautiful, compelling voice and a great stage presence. There was also a neat light show going on behind the band.

I was surprised by how packed it was. The Paradise is a fun venue with standing room on the floor as well as a balcony with a low ceiling, and both were packed. I was pleasantly reminded of The Bronze from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I had a great time closing my eyes and grooving to the music with the feeling of people all around me. What a great feeling.

New Adventure #12: Flavor Tripping

Have you heard of Miracle Berries? I thought they were a myth when I first heard of them. They're a funny little fruit that, when eaten, changes your perceptions of flavors such that sour foods taste sweet. 

You can get them in convenient tablet form here. (And they're perfectly legal and safe, nothing shady!)

I got to try them when some friends had a "flavor tripping" party. You just roll one tablet around on your tongue until it dissolves and then taste away! It was great fun trying different foods after my sense of taste was altered. Lemons were my favorite. The sourness wasn't completely gone, but they tasted like the most delicious sweet lemonade. 

Be aware that only your taste-buds are affected, not your tummy. If you drink a bottle of lemon juice it will taste delicious, but the miracle berries won't protect you from the stomach ache after.

New Adventure #11: Casino Trip

I always imagined casinos to be glittering, luxurious, otherworldly places. I pictured sparkling fountains, exquisitely dressed dealers, and sequined lounge singers. Well perhaps some casinos are like that, but Delaware Park casino and slots parlor is much more of this world.

Before my trip, the extent of my gambling experience was playing poker with my siblings, using our Halloween candy for stakes. Given my luck on this trip, I should probably stick with that in the future. I didn't try any table games, but my luck with the slots wasn't stellar.

I learned that different machines have different costs and stakes. Some are $1 a spin, or $5 or $20 or $0.25 or $0.05 or even $0.01. I decided I like the nickle machines best. You can play the penny machines forever without using up all your money, but you also never seem to make any, even if you get lucky a lot. The dollars and quarters are too prone to wild swings up and down, but with the nickles you can win enough to feel substantial without losing it all too fast.

I started off with a $20 bill and resolved not to spend more than that. As probably won't surprise the wise, I promptly lost it all and broke my pledge by starting another $20 bill. I had a run of luck and managed to win back my losses. I called that good enough and cashed out my $40.

All in all, I don't think this is a pastime for me. Pulling the lever on the machine was sort of fun and felt like being in a movie, and some of the graphics were amusing, but the sheer randomness of the pursuit started to get to me pretty quickly. I couldn't discern that there was any skill involved, except noticing which machines had slightly better advertised odds than others. People watching was more interesting. A few people were very excited, and it was fun to watch them cheer their wins, mourn their losses, and encourage their machines, but most people seemed a lot like robots - staring blankly at their screens and mechanically pressing buttons.

I'll certainly try another casino if I ever find myself in Las Vegas, but otherwise I think this experience was quiet sufficient.

New Adventure #10: Online Course

About a year after I graduated college, I started to feel the organized education itch. I didn't miss college life (much), but I missed formalized learning. I wish I had the self discipline to compel myself to study all the topics I'm interested in on my own time without outside encouragement, but I find that I don't. I really need guidance and deadlines to make more than fitful progress. I'm not ready to embark on the obligation or expense of grad school, so I was delighted to discovered that I can take courses from prestigious universities free online.

 

One excellent website for this is Coursera. It offers select courses from dozens of universities around the world, modified for a massive online student enrollment - though not for credit. Professors record lectures, set homework, assign quizzes, and provide discussion forums. Some of the more invested arrange Google+ hangouts and spend lots of time responding to student questions on the forums.

 

Each class is run a little differently depending on the subject matter, University, and professor. Some courses are just lectures and quizes. Others have programming assignments, peer-reviewed writing assignments, or exams, or requirements to engage in the discussion forums. They range from 1-2 hours of work per week to many many more.

 

A very select few courses can now be taken for actual University credit. Many more provide a signed certificate of completion for students who finish the course with a certain level achievement. Others are taken just for the joy of learning.

 

I recently completed "Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" offered by the University of Edinburgh via Coursera. It was very low workload, just 1-2 hours of lectures and 2 quizzes per week for 5 weeks, but very rewarding. For such a small investment, I feel that I learned a lot about the definition of life, theories on possible origins, extremes of conducive environments, the "habitability" of other planetary bodies, and the measures being used to search for life elsewhere in the universe. I had no idea, for example, that there is a chance of finding past or present life in our own solar system on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, or Europa, a moon of Jupiter. Fascinating! I'm looking forward to taking more courses in the future.

 

Here are a few starting soon that look really good:

 

An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (starting April 15th)

 

Greek and Roman Mythology (starting April 22nd)

 

Rationing and Allocating Scarce Medical Resources (starting May 20th)

New Adventure #9: Canvassing

So, I tried political canvassing! Let me just say that this was WAY outside my comfort zone. Knocking on strangers' doors and asking them questions is not something I would ever have pictured myself doing. As recently as the November elections, I refused a friend's invitation to join the get-out-the-vote effort for Elizabeth Warren because it just sounded so uncomfortable. However, I've been wanting to get more involved in my community and I feel strongly about Ed Markey's Senate campaign, so I pushed myself to try it.

 

 

The experience was...interesting. The jury is still out on how I feel about it, though I'm certainly glad I tried it.

Backing up, political canvassing involves making direct contact with potential voters, usually by going door-to-door. The purpose is generally to determine who is likely to vote for your candidate, in order to prepare for a get-out-the-vote effort to encourage them to actually get to the polls on election day. Volunteer recruiting is often also a goal.

 

I had feared that I would be expected to try to convince people to vote for Markey by explaining his views and record, but the focus was much more on raising awareness that an election is coming and identifying people's present inclinations. Thank goodness!

 

I met up with the local organizer for my town and a couple other volunteers. They set me up with a stack of pamphlets and a handy smartphone app that provided me with a list of likely voters' names and addresses in a localized area. Apparently, which primary you voted in and the address you're registered at are public information - didn't know that.

 

I drove to the area and spent about 2 hours canvassing. In that time I knocked on about 40 doors. Most people aren't home on Saturday mornings, it turns out, and only about 15 of those knocks were answered. I spoke to a couple enthusiastic Markey supporters, one firm Lynch supporter, and a number of folks who either hadn't been aware of the election or hadn't decided who to vote for. I left pamphlets with everyone I spoke to, as tucked more into the doors of the people who weren't home. I also recorded in the app who I'd made contact with, whether they were inclined to vote for or against Markey, and whether they were interested in volunteering.

 

The first hour or so was more fun than I had expected. Talking to the folks who were enthusiastic about Markey was affirming, and informing people who weren't aware that there is an election coming up was rewarding. I started to flag after an hour or so though. I suspect it would be a lot more sustainable if I had a partner to work with. If anyone's interested in canvassing with me, let me know!

New Adventure #8: Manicure Pedicure

So, this is one of the items on my "new adventure" list that makes me feel really silly, but I'm gonna write about it anyway. The fact that it was WAY more fun than I expected has convinced me.

New Adventure #8 was...a manicure/pedicure. Honestly, it was incredibly relaxing and fun. I've never had either before. I paint my toes and my mom used to paint my nails every once in awhile pre-high school, but I've never had it professionally done. Never really considered it. But between my new adventure year and a convenient Groupon, it seemed worth a try.

I went to Robert's Salon and Spa in Belmont. It was after work, and I was one of the last few customers in the place. I'd read reviews that the atmosphere was too rushed, but my experience was the reverse. I was welcomed and offered a cup of (admittedly pretty bad) coffee, allowed to choose a polish color, and seated for a few minutes before Lauren came over to get me. I soaked my feet in a whirlpool tub for a few minutes while she set up. She removed my poor attempt at toe nail polish, trimmed and shaped my toenails, scrubbed my feet with a lovely gritty scrub, massaged my feet and calves a little bit with oil/moisturizer, buffed my nails, applied a base coat, 2 layers of polish and a top coat.  That probably took 45 minutes and was incredibly pleasant and relaxing. Lauren and I chatted, but I didn't feel interrogated or chattered at at like I sometimes do when I get my hair cut, etc.

She had me put on these silly disposable flip-flops and lead me over to a table to let my toes dry and paint my fingernails. There was less ritual here, just cleaning, trimming and shaping my nails, and again a base coat, 2 polish, and a top coat. She used a really awesome gel-style polish that hardened under a UV light. It left the nails perfectly smooth and shiny, and an awesome sparkly purple color! I can't stop staring at them; I get distracted every time I notice my fingers.

The whole thing took about an hour and fifteen minutes, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I'm so glad I didn't decide it was too trivial for my adventure project. I was skeptical, but it was a wonderful experience.

New Adventure #7: Buying a Car

In general, I intend for my new adventures to involve activities I might not have tried otherwise, instead of things that would have happened anyway. This one was a little of both.

I totaled my last car on ice right after Christmas, and I had been looking for a new one (okay, okay, avoiding looking for a new one) since then. I find the process overwhelming. I'm not a "car person". I didn't really know what I wanted, or how to tell which cars were good or good for me. But driving Mom's huge, gas-guzzling Jeep finally got to me, so I resolved to make it a Learning Experience.

I bought my last car a year and a half ago with a LOT of help from my parents. They suggested models, went with me for the test drives, and did most of the negotiating. This time, I did it pretty much by myself. I asked for suggestions on which models to look at, but I narrowed the list, test drove, negotiated, and bought one by myself.

Introducing, my lovely 2009 Honda Fit Sport, Cupcake! That's right, Cupcake ^_^

It's a hatchback, which was one of my main search parameters. I often transport boxes, bikes, and furniture, and I was tired of fighting to cram things in, or balancing them precariously on the roof. Cupcake's rear seats fold flat without even removing the head rests! They're split 60/40, and I discovered the other day that I could fit (haha) a full-sized bike inside with the "60" portion folded down, and seat the bike's ride comfortably buckled into the "40" portion. Delightful!

I'm looking forward to many new adventures together with Cupcake

New Adventure #6: Campaign Event

Congressman Ed Markey came to my attention this past election season when redistricting caused him to be running for the House of Representatives for my district. I researched and liked what I read, voted for him, and was pleased to see that he won easily. When I heard he was running for John Kerry's Senate seat in the special election, I resolved to dig deeper. I'd been thinking for awhile about getting more involved in local politics. I wanted to hear Markey speak and see if he was someone who's campaign I might want to get involved in. I went to see him speak in Belmont.

The event was on a Sunday morning in a local Thai restaurant that had been emptied of tables and chairs. For the first half hour, about a hundred folks milled around drinking the provided coffee and tea, chatting, and being solicited to sign up as a campaign volunteer. I didn't know anyone, so I wandered around eavesdropping on others' conversations. Many were discussing current events, Markey's chances of winning, and their own political involvement. There were about 100 people then when Markey and his entourage arrived. After introductions from State Representative Will Brownsberger and Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, who amusingly kept referring to the much-older Markey as "the kid from Malden", Markey got up to speak.

He laid out his reasons for running for Senate. These were his top issues:

1. Supporting gun control

2. Supporting equal rights for women: right to choose, fair pay, etc

3. Protecting the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

4. Advancing clean energy and climate change initiatives

5. Investing in science and technology

6. Passing a Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizen's United (the Supreme Court case that removed restrictions on political donations)

Items 4 and 5 are the reasons I'm excited about Ed Markey. This is a guy with an eye to the nation's future. We seem to have more than enough short-sighted politicians willing to sacrifice the long-term welfare of our country of our country for some political points today. Not Markey. He's focused on investing in science and technology, in clean energy and combating climate change. In short, he's working to create a country and a world that we and our children will actually want to live in. "The challenge for this generation is to ensure it has the wisdom to invest in the science and technology of the next generation, in clean energy technology, biotechnology, in telecom and cybertechnologies that gives us the lead," he said. I couldn't agree more.

I'm looking at ways to get involved in Markey's Senate campaign. I'm thinking of trying out canvassing this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes!

New Adventure #5: Moonlight Meadery

Alcohol always held a certain glamor for me. The pretty bottles, the tasty scents, and the grown-up allure. The only problem was, I couldn't stand the taste. So when I turned 21, I undertook a search for palatable alcohols. One of the varieties I've discovered that I like is mead.

Mead is believed to be the most ancient fermented drink, older than beer or wine. At simplest, it is a brewed solution of honey and water. Spices, fruits, and other flavorings are optional.

New Adventure #5 was a tour and tasting at the Moonlight Meadery in Londonderry, NH.




The tour was given with great enthusiasm by one of the brewers. There's not a huge amount to see, though some of the mechanisms like the bottle-filler are neat, but the process is interesting and the guide's excitement makes it worth it. The tasing was delicious. The Meadery sells about 30 varieties ranging from traditional (just honey), to those flavored with apples, blueberries, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and even hot peppers! I tasted 6, my favorite being Summer Love (they all have cute names), a honey-orange mead with vanilla. I'll definitely try more in the future!

The tour and tasting combination is only $15 per person, and you leave with a Moonlight Meadery wine glass that gets you 10% discounts whenever you bring it back. A delightful outing.

New Adventure #4: Paint Bar

Have you been to a paint bar? I think they're a brilliant. The idea is to provide a fun and social painting experience to non-painters. All the supplies are provided - paint, canvas, brushes, easel. You sign up for a session to re-create a particular picture, and an instructor guides the group through every step, telling you what brush to use, which paints to dip in, where to draw lines, shade, etc. It's very simple and structured, which was great for me since I haven't painted since elementary school. But it's also flexible enough that everyone's painting comes out unique. Some of the more experienced people were obviously improvising around the guided steps and creating something a little more their own.

Karen and I signed up for a painting inspired by Monet's "Bridge over a Pond of Water Lillies". The place was pretty crowded and it was difficult to move around, but there was a stool and easel for everyone once we got settled in. The first half hour is for finding your spot, getting a smock and paints and settling. There is wine and beer for sale, and I highly recommend getting a drink. It adds a lot to the social atmosphere. The instructor was energetic and funny. She encouraged positivity and wandered around helping and giving advice in between steps.

Here's what I created:

It's sure not a masterpiece, but I'm not ashamed to hang it in my living room. I think that's pretty awesome for my first painting experience! I'll definitely be going back, and I think I might even try painting on my own. (Huge for me - I've never thought of myself as an artist.) Another potential hobby, oh no!

Here's the website of the place we went, The Paint Bar in Newton. If you want to try it, I suggest signing up for their mailing list so you're notified when they post the next month's schedule. They're booked almost solid for months out!

http://www.thepaintbar.com/

There's a similar place in Natick. I haven't been there, but it looks from the schedule like it's a little less busy:
http://www.palettesnatick.com/
 

New Adventure #3: Zumba

So, I have a new activity...again :-)

 

After many glowing recommendations, I finally tried a Zumba class. If you're not familiar, Zumba is an aerobic dance fitness class. An instructor leads the choreography, which draws on latin, hip-hop, Bollywood, martial arts, and belly dance styles, among others.

 

Check out this video (not the class I went to, just a good example):

 

There were 6 women in my class, including me. Two looked to be in their 20s, two in their 30s, and 1 in her 60s. The teacher was a happy, friendly girl about my age. Everyone was dressed in workout clothes (yoga pants, tank tops or tee-shirts) and sneakers.

 

I had no idea what a good workout it would be! The instructor played one song after another for the full hour with about 30 seconds break between songs to rest and get a drink of water. That's a lot of dancing! Each song had its own choreography that the instructor taught as we went. My instructor favored pop-top-40 kind of songs, with some latin and bollywood thrown in. We even danced to "Gangnam Style" :-)

 

I felt really silly at first trying to mimic the instructor, but I decided pretty quickly to just embrace the silliness and really get into it. The class built up from simple moves to complicated ones, so I had a chance to get the hang of it before the choreography got hard. It was awesome fun! I think lots of my contra friends would really enjoy it. It's similarly energetic, easy to pick up, and fun!

 

Anybody want to try it with me?

 

New Adventure #2 - Fudge!

I'd always had the vague idea that making fudge was a long, difficult process involving a candy thermometer, double boiler, and (more than likely) burnt chocolate. To my surprise and delight, I discovered that I can make a delicious fudge with just 3 ingredients and no stove or thermometer! To be sure, there are many fancier and more complicated recipes. The extra effort probably shows, but I found I was more than satisfied with my quickie recipe. This is probably the highest deliciousness-to-effort ratio of any dessert I've ever made.

Quickie Chocolate Orange Fudge

8 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

3/4 - 1 teaspoon flavor extract

Break/chop the chocolate up into small pieces and mix in a microwave-safe bowl with the sweetened condensed milk.

Gradually melt the mixture in the microwave. Microwaves vary, but I suggest starting with 30 seconds on low, stirring, then additional 15 second bursts as needed, stirring in between. Don't rush! Continue until the chocolate is almost completely melted, with just a few small lumps. Work the last few lumps in by stirring gently.

Add the favor extract and stir until smooth. I couldn't find my measuring spoons, but I estimate I added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract. The orange was a little too strong for my taste, so I'd recommend 1/4 teaspoon instead. Try adding a little at a time and tasting as you go!

Line a small dish with tin foil. I found that a 5x9" bread pan was perfect for the amount of fudge this recipe generates. Pour the fudge batter into the lined dish and refrigerate. (Don't forget to lick the spatula!)

Let the fudge solidify for 2+ hours, cut into bites (the foil makes this easy), and enjoy! 

Store in the fridge in an airtight container after chilling to prevent the fudge from drying out. Note that this recipe generates a soft but solid fudge, definitely not the gooey type.

I'm looking forward to trying different flavorings. Coconut chocolate fudge is definitely coming soon...

New Adventures

Looking back at 2012, one of the things I'm happiest with is all the new experiences. This past year included:

My first solo vacation - to Toronto and Niagara Falls
Starting aerials lessons - aerial silks and cloud swing
Starting dabbling in other circus arts - tightrope, trampoline

Crafting as a new hobby

Baking as a new hobby
Discovering the delights of cider 
First time at Firefly
Staying the night at Arisia for the first time
First time blues dancing
First game of golf on a real course 
Golfing as a new hobby
First time kayaking 
Buying my first tablet
Watching the last presidential debate in a Toronto bar with a group of expat Americans
Visiting a conservatory
First time to an electro-swing dance
A cake decorating class 
Swimming and picnics at Walden Pond
First trivia competition
Visiting the Waltham Steampunk festival
First Broadway show 

I've decided to continue the trend in 2013. I've resolved to seek one new experience every week of the coming year. My first was yesterday, my birthday. 

I went downhill skiing at Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire. 

On the lift to the lower slopes

I'd actually been skiing once or twice before, but this was my first time skiing on real powder and my first time skiing alone. I'm going to count it :)

It turned out to be quite an adventure! I managed to go tumbling three times in my first two runs, but I eventually started to get the hang of it. Two hours of skiing completely exhausted me, but I'm looking forward to going back soon!

So, I'm looking for new adventures! Can anybody suggest a fun, interesting, or challenging experience that might be new to me?