10.15.08
Posted in food, home cooking at 1:12 am by wingerz
chicken with garlic and onions,
salad with lemon dressing
About two hours after I landed here in California on Sunday, we were at the grocery store stocking up our kitchen. Our temporary apartment has no ingredients whatsoever, so we are starting from scratch with the knowledge that we are moving in a few weeks. My core ingredient list (along with some meat and produce):
big bottle of EVOO: for salad dressing, pasta sauce, and, until I get some canola oil, sauteeing.
garlic/onions: they make everything better.
kosher salt: better for sprinkling than regular salt.
black peppercorns (in a small grinder): mmm, fresh ground pepper.
lemons: for salad dressing, marinades.
Next time around, I’ll probably get some chicken broth, butter (so that I can make a proper pan sauce), parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes.
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10.12.08
Posted in personal at 9:01 am by wingerz
I’ve gotten some emails from friends wondering if I’m depressed. I’m not. Just about everyone asks me how I’m feeling about the move. It’s bittersweet. The goodbye process has been pretty long and drawn out, but in a good way. I’ve had a great run in Boston, but 1) I’ve been away from Jen for nearly a month and a half and 2) for the past 11 years I’ve only gotten to see my family once or twice a year. I’m excited to be home next weekend and then home for Thanksgiving (and my mom’s birthday) with another holiday visit to look forward to.
California, I hear you have good weather and good produce. You’ve also got my wife and our families, so I’m coming back.
Off I go!
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Posted in personal at 2:00 am by wingerz
My first visit to Boston was during third grade. I don’t remember anything about it, but in fifth grade I wrote (as in hand-wrote, like everyone else in the class) my state report on Massachusetts. I don’t remember anything about that, either. Applying to Harvard was a mid-November (1996) afterthought inspired by my dad (who had just gone to Boston the week before). I missed Harvard pre-frosh weekend but came during my spring break only to be greeted by dark clouds and drizzle for the entire weekend. In short, I don’t think I found anything particularly compelling about this place before moving here.
When I arrived, I was 18 years old. I’m turning 30 next year. A lot’s happened in between, all here in Cambridge and Somerville: college graduation, first job (and second too), first condo, and our engagement and wedding. I’ve learned a great deal, picked up some hobbies, and observed my personality and career goals develop over the years. I can hardly remember what I was like freshman year, but I’m fairly certain that I was somewhat socially awkward and had no idea of how to take care of myself. At least I can cook myself a meal now.
Jen and I are both done with our schooling (Sorry Dad, no PhD for me – you can keep encouraging me though). It’s sad to think about it, but leaving Boston officially marks the end of our young adulthood. Goals for the next decade include continuing to grow our marriage, having some children, and stringing together some fulfilling career experiences – radically different from discovering oneself, finding love and friendship, and starting a career. The moves become more strategic, less mercurial, more rational, less emotional. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just starkly different.
And so this chapter of our life ends.
I don’t really see how it could have gone any better.
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10.11.08
Posted in personal at 12:37 am by wingerz
One of the things that I’ll miss the most about Boston is its compactness. Everything – including friends, food, parks, work (both of them) – is easy to get to. Public transportation is very good (despite an early closing time), but biking is usually my preferred mode of transport and I try to avoid driving the car. I’ve been biking to and from work (about 2.5 miles each way) for the last seven years. Occasionally I’d take a longer ride on the Minuteman, through the Fells, or along the river. I’m not a hardcore biker though – I’m happy to haul along my camera bag and take my time to admire the scenery and stop every so often to take pictures. I didn’t even buy $80 waterproof pants to bike in the rain (like Grant did). It feels a bit strange to be passionate about something without being an enthusiast.
I also love walking around the city. The narrow, one-way streets are incredibly car-unfriendly, but lined with history and character. Modern buildings stand next to churches that are a few hundred years old. Even the more residential downtown neighborhoods are cool to walk through. There are lots of great places to people-watch and take photos. Traveling by biking and walking (and taking the T) is a great way to immerse oneself in the city – to overhear conversations about sports or politics or studies. There’s a lot of youth and energy in the atmosphere.
Despite never actually having lived in a “city” (the closest T stop was always at least a mile away), the density of people and places is something that I’ll think about constantly while I’m driving through South Bay suburbia.
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10.10.08
Posted in personal, technology at 12:07 am by wingerz
The most ridiculous thing about my stay at Adtech (my IBM group) is that it lasted longer than college. There were about twenty of us, and we formed a talented, self-contained, and self-directing group. By the time I arrived, Adtech had already established itself and was charting its own course. The thing that kept me coming in (and enjoying it) was the team. We became very close, eating lunch together nearly every day. There were a good number of social gatherings with the extended Adtech family which includes several adorable children and lots of cool significant others. Jen and I played on the Adtech softball team for a year, which was a lot of fun.
The work was always interesting and changing at a good pace – projects were long enough to develop a deeper understanding of the technology but not so long that they dragged on. It was difficult to get the attention of the behemoth that is IBM, but it’s good to see that all of my work hasn’t completely disappeared. Technology areas included a rich Internet application framework, cluster computing and monitoring, a tiny bit of graphics programming, and Semantic Web technologies. I was also able to get involved in several community educational programs.
Even though most of us have left IBM, we’ve been meeting up on a semi-regular basis for lunch in Kendall Square. I’ll miss hanging out, though there are good number of us in the Bay Area now. Hoping to stay in close touch with everyone and to visit occasionally before the kids all grow up.
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10.09.08
Posted in personal at 1:51 am by wingerz
Jen and I have been fortunate to have some very good friends in the Boston area. One group that we hang out with quite often includes Jess, Cy, Ceida, Nick, and Jeff. We take turns cooking for each other, sometimes only giving several hours notice for dinner. There’s lots of cooking experimentation and plenty of delicious food. Occasionally we go out to eat, revisiting old favorites like Chef Chang’s and East Ocean City and discovering new restaurants as well. I can’t really remember the last time we did something together that didn’t directly involve food (maybe something like going to the beach, but I really have no idea).
The group has changed over the years as people have come and gone. At some point we all had LiveJournals that we updated semi-regularly and we thought that Smallville was a good show. Kent, Jimming, and Grant & Feng have all made their way over to California. Brandon and Caroline have left Boston to move around, play with cats, and take lots of bar exams.
Jess & Cy have been here all along. Strangely enough, we didn’t know each other in college and didn’t really start to hang out until AJ put them in charge of taking care of me when he left Boston for grad school. They’ve done a great job of keeping me well-fed and entertained over the years. I find it kind of interesting that I’m friends with them as a couple but also with each individually. To grossly oversimplify: Jess likes to cook and wake up early, while Cy likes playing video games, being outdoors, and talking about geeky stuff. Together, we’ve cooked a lot (including a Chinese New Year’s dinner for 25), played a lot of video games (Mario Kart for the Gamecube jumps out), and watched a lot of TV. I’ve been staying with them for the past few weeks, and they’ve been incredibly gracious hosts. Even though I’ve been stealing away their alone time, making huge messes in the kitchen, and perpetually taking up space at the kitchen table, they don’t seem to mind having me here. It’s been a good note to end on.
Jen and I will both miss seeing everyone on such a regular basis. Maybe we’ll all end up living close together on the opposite side of the country some day. Our good ol’ kitchen table will be waiting for the reunion.
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10.08.08
Posted in personal at 1:54 am by wingerz
Tonight I had dinner in Harvard Square, giving me the opportunity to take one last ride from Kendall to Harvard along the Boston side of the river. It was a casually-paced ride, giving me enough time to remember Fourth of July picnics (and Third of July rehearsal concerts), lots of rides and walks, lunches on the dock near our IBM office, the 2004 Red Sox parade, a few Heads of the Charles, and lots of ducks and geese. When I didn’t feel like biking all the way out to Bedford on the Minuteman I’d swing down to the river for a quick ride along the paths and over the bridges of the Esplanade.
We have a great view of the river from our 15th floor office. It always looks different – the brightness and texture vary greatly from hour to hour and season to season. The Charles makes the cityscape much more dynamic, but it also has a soothing presence.
It’s a shame that it’s not pleasant to swim in, but at least you no longer have to get a tetanus shot after falling in. This was always in the back of my mind and explains why I didn’t try more water activities (I almost joined community boating). Come to think of it, the only time I’ve actually been out there is on a duck tour. Not sure how many times I crossed it in the years I lived here, but every time I went between Kendall and Charles-MGH on the Red Line, I’d be sure to take a look out the window.
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10.07.08
Posted in family, personal, wedding at 12:58 am by wingerz
This past weekend I took a few of my coworkers for a long overdue tour of the Harvard campus. It was nice to give everything a last once-over before leaving.
My experience at Harvard was on the atypical side. While everyone else was loading up on extracurriculars, I spent a good amount of time on my own doing problem sets, hanging out with roommates, or wandering around Harvard Square. I probably should have been more social, but fortunately I still made some very good friends (and found a wife!). I have a lot of trouble generalizing what Harvard students are like, but the cross-section that I encountered contained a lot of remarkable, interesting, good-hearted people.
Living in Dunster House for three years was fantastic – some of the rooms I lived in have gorgeous views of the river. The large central courtyard, great for tossing frisbees and roasting goats, faces the Charles River. The majestic red-topped clocktower makes an appearance in a lot of postcards (and makes for a welcome sight after spending a night in the computer lab). Unfortunately, the small grassy area with the footpath leading back to Dunster is now occupied by a shiny new building, which is a shame.
I’ve walked along the charming one-way streets many times, but as a creature of habit, I only have a few regular haunts in the Square. I’ve browsed many books at the Coop and Harvard Bookstore, enjoyed a lot of sunshine JFK Park, nursed a good number of beers at Charlie’s (at least in my younger days), and eaten a ridiculous number of slices and sandwiches at Pinocchio’s.
I have a deep emotional connection Harvard. It was the first place I lived where I was really on my own (well, almost – our family friends, the Shias, would always pitch in to help me move). I met many of my best friends here. And there is something very special about passing by our wedding sites on a regular basis. It makes it really easy to re-live some of the memories, like taking a group picture on the Memorial Church steps, attracting tons of attention in the Yard and the Square, and enjoying a post-wedding picnic on a beautiful Spring day in JFK Park – with an open tab at Pinocchio’s for our guests.
wedding day / sneaking back into the church
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10.06.08
Posted in personal, photos, weather at 12:10 am by wingerz
New acquaintances are sometimes surprised to hear that I’m from California and that I’ve been living here for 11 years. Most West Coast transplants end up leaving after they finish school, citing something to the effect of the winters being too cold.
New England weather is an interesting beast. Sure, you might walk out into sauna-like conditions in the summer or a slushy, disgusting ice storm in the winter. But every season brings it’s share of memorable days – there are the warm evenings of Summer; the cool, crisp, colorful mornings of Fall; peaceful snowfalls of Winter; and perfect, gorgeous days of Spring. Bostonians certainly appreciate their weather. I realize that it’s perverse to suggest that even though I love good weather, I don’t want good weather all of the time. I love watching the surroundings transform.
From a photographer’s standpoint, the weather is a godsend. It makes for some dramatic photos, and the threat of rain at any time of year means that you don’t have to wait for winter to bring along a cloudy day with its soft, diffuse lighting. There are two events in particular that I look forward to above all others: the Public Garden tulips in spring and the leaves changing color in the fall. Come to think of it, I really appreciated these things even before capturing it all in photographs.
When it comes down to it, I like good weather, bright colors, and snow. It’s been nice to have all of them within easy reach.
Photos of some pretty leaves.
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10.05.08
Posted in food, personal, photos at 12:49 am by wingerz
I started going to the Union Square Farmer’s Market two years ago. Today’s haul: bok choy, peapod stems, honey crisp apples, bosc pears, corn, heirloom tomatoes, and a baguette. Some of the farmers recognize me but I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I’d no longer be a regular customer – in particular, the very nice people at the Yang Family and Nicewicz Family stands. Over the past few years I’ve learned to never again tolerate a mealy apple or peach, that supermarket tomatoes are boring in every sense, and that it’s ok to have a few holes in your leafy greens. Also, marshmallow fluff was invented here in Somerville, and I’ve got a shirt commemorating it. I haven’t ever tried it though, and I still think it’s gross.
I’ll miss our little market. On the bright side, I’m sure I’ll be able to find a nice market in California.
A few photos.
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