I was running errands with the windows down.
The smell of fresh cut grass; shockingly bright azalea bushes, branches overburdened with fresh blooms but still young enough not to droop and sag; chalk on the baseball diamond... these are the context of my childhood memories, and their presence brings an irrepressible smile to my lips.
Five words come to mind:
It's good to be home.
This Week I'm Loving
Food: Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, Pittsburgh
Nakama is a trendy restaurant at 17th and Carson in the South Side. I have only been to their Sushi Bar (which is outstanding, by the way) but tonight I'll be heading over with my entire immediate family - four parents, four sisters, two brothers, in all - to celebrate.... drumroll please..... see below:
Event: Graduation Day
Book: Cover Her Face by P. D. James
Last November, when I was still in London, I went to her book signing at the Foyle's on Charing Cross Road. I am a big fan of Ms. James and her detective novels - I used to read them before heading to the UK because her writing is so quintessentially English. Cover Her Face is one of her earliest novels featuring Adam Dalgliesh.
Film: The Hunger Games!
Nakama is a trendy restaurant at 17th and Carson in the South Side. I have only been to their Sushi Bar (which is outstanding, by the way) but tonight I'll be heading over with my entire immediate family - four parents, four sisters, two brothers, in all - to celebrate.... drumroll please..... see below:
Event: Graduation Day
Book: Cover Her Face by P. D. James
Last November, when I was still in London, I went to her book signing at the Foyle's on Charing Cross Road. I am a big fan of Ms. James and her detective novels - I used to read them before heading to the UK because her writing is so quintessentially English. Cover Her Face is one of her earliest novels featuring Adam Dalgliesh.
Film: The Hunger Games!
The Porch at Schenley
One day, the Porch at Schenley just appeared. If you want to make the argument that the "one day" was my first day back on campus in seven months, be my guest, but I'm sticking to my story.
So anyway, the Porch mysteriously appeared one day and caught me quite by surprise. I noticed it on my way to the Cathedral of Learning, when I casually glanced to my right and saw through enormous windows a chef dismantling a gigantic carcass of meat - what might once have been a cow. Well after that the Porch had my attention, and from the outside looking in through the glass exterior of this modern building I saw a pleasant little restaurant.
The Porch at Schenley is a newcomer to Schenley Plaza but a welcome addition. The Plaza is arguably the closest thing Pitt has to a quad, and we students love to stretch out in the grass or meet friends at the cafe tables on the corner near the food kiosks. There is also a carousel and a permanent tent. Already the Porch is a popular place to spend happy hour on warm afternoons, and that it precisely what drew my friends and I there today.
If you did not know, this semester I have been working as an intern at the University of Pittsburgh's Study Abroad Office. I adore the SAO staff and I love the work that I do - namely, advising undergraduate students and publishing a monthly newsletter to those abroad in the current term. There are four other interns who I now consider friends, and we decided to plan an "intern happy hour" to celebrate a great semester and a wonderful experience.
We linked up around 5pm and the place was packed. From the six beers on tap I chose a Belgian white called White Lightning which was pretty decent. It was a nice way to unwind after the chaos of bomb threats (over 140 now) and finals week. I am still curious about the food - I might have to go back for the late night half price pizzas. Maybe the verdure al forno?
The Study Abroad Office crew: Moriah, Emily, Larissa, Bryan, Robyn, and yours truly
Event: Passion Pit concert at Carnegie Mellon's Carnival
Book: Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand
Film: Alpha Dog
This movie is underrated. Rent it sometime!
Bungee Jumping in Baños
This is a flashback to the exhilaration of jumping off of a wooden bridge in Ecuador.
When I was just sixteen (which was only six years ago but it feels like a lifetime) I traveled to Ecuador with my Dad. Ecuador is an unexpected destination for an American teenager from the suburbs of Philadelphia, but I had an excellent reason to make the trip.
In our junior year of high school my close friend Nicole went to Ecuador for a full year youth exchange through Rotary International. She lived with a host family in the capital city of Quito, attending secondary school nearby and learning Spanish. I saved money from my after school job until I had enough to visit her in January of 2007. My Dad took a week off of work to chaperone (he's an attorney with a blog about employment law).
One day, we decided to make a day trip to Baños in the very center of Ecuador. The landscape was beautiful - I think that we were in the Amazon river basin. Being an adventurous young lady, I literally jumped at the chance to bungee off of a wooden bridge over the Pastaza river. Nicole also took the plunge and then we climbed back into our rainbow painted van to head to the nearby Pailón del Diablo: the Devil's Cauldron waterfall.
Resting in Quito with my Dad - the altitude is no joke!
In our junior year of high school my close friend Nicole went to Ecuador for a full year youth exchange through Rotary International. She lived with a host family in the capital city of Quito, attending secondary school nearby and learning Spanish. I saved money from my after school job until I had enough to visit her in January of 2007. My Dad took a week off of work to chaperone (he's an attorney with a blog about employment law).
Just a couple of American BFFs reunited in Baños de Agua Santa
With Nicole and her house mother, Eliana - we look so young!
I'll Be Up, Up, and Away
This weekend my friends Jill, Kristina, and I hosted a friend from out-of-town, giving us the perfect excuse to show him all of our favorite places and head to the top of the Monongahela Incline.
Pictures of the red cars perched on the Duquesne Incline or the Monongahela Incline are iconic Pittsburgh images. Both leave from Carson Street and climb Mount Washington up to Grandview Avenue. They are located about a mile and a half apart on the southern shore of the Monongahela River.
I have visited the Duquesne Incline several times but I had never ridden the older Monongahela Incline, and I was happy to cross it off of my Pittsburgh Bucket List - the deadline is graduation day!
We chose a route through the South Side so that we could show our friend the row houses, boutiques, and plentiful bars that we love before setting our car down in the Station Square parking garage.
The funicular ride up the side of "Coal Hill" was free for us because we are University of Pittsburgh students. [The incline is operated by Port Authority and unlimited access to Port Authority Transit is included in our tuition.] Usually the fare is $4.50 round trip and the operators at the top require exact change. The Inclines are convenient to visit because they open early and close late - I believe they operate from 5:45am to 12:45am almost every day.
From the observation deck, you can see the stadiums on the north shore, the entire city, and all the way to the Cathedral of Learning (Cathy is a beloved Pitt landmark).
In the end, I still prefer the Duquesne Incline because it has great historic photos of Pittsburgh in its industrial heyday, the air choked and clogged with pollution from the steel mills. It's like a mini museum.
Pictures of the red cars perched on the Duquesne Incline or the Monongahela Incline are iconic Pittsburgh images. Both leave from Carson Street and climb Mount Washington up to Grandview Avenue. They are located about a mile and a half apart on the southern shore of the Monongahela River.
I have visited the Duquesne Incline several times but I had never ridden the older Monongahela Incline, and I was happy to cross it off of my Pittsburgh Bucket List - the deadline is graduation day!
We chose a route through the South Side so that we could show our friend the row houses, boutiques, and plentiful bars that we love before setting our car down in the Station Square parking garage.
The funicular ride up the side of "Coal Hill" was free for us because we are University of Pittsburgh students. [The incline is operated by Port Authority and unlimited access to Port Authority Transit is included in our tuition.] Usually the fare is $4.50 round trip and the operators at the top require exact change. The Inclines are convenient to visit because they open early and close late - I believe they operate from 5:45am to 12:45am almost every day.
From the observation deck, you can see the stadiums on the north shore, the entire city, and all the way to the Cathedral of Learning (Cathy is a beloved Pitt landmark).
In the end, I still prefer the Duquesne Incline because it has great historic photos of Pittsburgh in its industrial heyday, the air choked and clogged with pollution from the steel mills. It's like a mini museum.
Sorry for the poor photo quality - I took these photos using my iPhone on an overcast day with light rain.
Berthillon on Île Saint-Louis
This is a flashback to a sunny afternoon in Paris and the refreshingness of lime sorbet, cold and tart.
Strawberry and lime sorbet from Berthillon
This photo is from a wonderful warm trip to Paris in May of 2010 with my close friend Marc. The City of Lights in late spring cast its spell, and by the end of our first full day we were carefree and happy. In the evening we had desert for dinner - a nutella banane crêpe for Marc and sorbet from Berthillon on the Île Saint-Louis for me.
With Marc in Montmartre
I wish it were warm enough for sorbet, but after that heat spell where it was 75 degrees every day in March, the temperature has cooled down quite a bit in the 'Burgh. High today of only 48! I'm also longing for those carefree days - according to the Pitt News, which counts bomb threats by building (even when they come in sets of 3 or 4, which I have been counting as one threat), the total is 57.
All of these numbers are making my head hurt, it's off to Political Philosophy class for me. Yes, I prefer Thomas Hobbes and John Locke to counting to fifty-seven. Just between you and me.
This Week I'm Loving
Food: Tonic Bar and Grill, Pittsburgh
Before heading to the theater on Thursday I'll be filling up at this restaurant on Liberty Avenue downtown.
Events: Anoushka Shankar Sitar Performance at the Byham Theater and Cobra Starship Concert at the University of Pittsburgh
Anoushka Shankar will be performing traditional Indian sitar music at the Byham Theater downtown on Thursday, April 12th. Anoushka was trained by her famous father Ravi, who I am told introduced George Harrison to the sitar in the 1960s. According to her Bio on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website, she has performed on with artists such as Sting, Elton John, and half-sister Norah Jones.
It's sort of funny to plan for Anoushka and Cobra Starship in the same week because musically their genres are about as far apart as you could get - from classical Indian sitar to modern American synthpop.
Sunday April 15th is Bigelow Bash: a day-long spring festival held annually in the center of Pitt's campus. In the afternoon, the winner of Battle of the Bands will open for a big name in music - last year we saw Ke$ha, this year we will see Cobra Starship. There is always surplus energy bouncing around the crowd, and it's a great excuse to spend the entire day with your friends. If the bomb threats end, if the terrorist is caught, it the issue is resolved (the count reached 31 when four dorm buildings were evacuated between 4:30 and 6:00a.m.) then this concert could become a good venue for stress relief and celebration.
Book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Film: Faces International Film Festival at Carnegie Mellon University, Final Weekend
Before heading to the theater on Thursday I'll be filling up at this restaurant on Liberty Avenue downtown.
Events: Anoushka Shankar Sitar Performance at the Byham Theater and Cobra Starship Concert at the University of Pittsburgh
Anoushka Shankar will be performing traditional Indian sitar music at the Byham Theater downtown on Thursday, April 12th. Anoushka was trained by her famous father Ravi, who I am told introduced George Harrison to the sitar in the 1960s. According to her Bio on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website, she has performed on with artists such as Sting, Elton John, and half-sister Norah Jones.
It's sort of funny to plan for Anoushka and Cobra Starship in the same week because musically their genres are about as far apart as you could get - from classical Indian sitar to modern American synthpop.
Sunday April 15th is Bigelow Bash: a day-long spring festival held annually in the center of Pitt's campus. In the afternoon, the winner of Battle of the Bands will open for a big name in music - last year we saw Ke$ha, this year we will see Cobra Starship. There is always surplus energy bouncing around the crowd, and it's a great excuse to spend the entire day with your friends. If the bomb threats end, if the terrorist is caught, it the issue is resolved (the count reached 31 when four dorm buildings were evacuated between 4:30 and 6:00a.m.) then this concert could become a good venue for stress relief and celebration.
Book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Film: Faces International Film Festival at Carnegie Mellon University, Final Weekend
Thirty Bomb Threats
At Pamela's Diner in Oakland, I was maneuvering my fork across the table to steal some of Dave's crêpe-style pancakes when my phone beeped.
For several weeks now the University of Pittsburgh's campus has been routinely terrorized by anonymous bomb threats. At first only academic buildings had been threatened, and it was easy to attribute their cause to an irresponsible student who would rather sunbathe in Schenley Plaza than sit through an exam. Then bomb threat #12 was found, and for the first time a residence building was the target. Litchfield Towers A, B, and C were evacuated in the early hours of the morning, leaving nearly 2,000 students (mostly freshmen) drowsy and homeless. The reward for information was raised from $10,000 to $50,000 and the student body became very uneasy. The FBI arrived. The person(s) responsible switched from leaving warnings scrawled on bathroom stalls or slips of paper to bouncing emails to journalists containing threats off of European servers.
I am upset that in my last semester as a Pitt student I am threatened with violence at least once each day. I love Pittsburgh and Pitt's campus, and I genuinely want to attend my classes. In the last three and a half years I have always felt secure here, and it's a shame to mar that happy record now. It just doesn't feel fair.
The university has been forced to adopt new security measures. Faculty have been asked to give students the option of finishing their courses online from home. We are all trying to be as flexible and calm as possible. My roommates and I have offered our couch to frightened freshmen friends, and this is beginning to happen on a larger scale. An ad hoc campus couch surfing community has been established in the form of a Facebook group called the Pitt ENS Couch Surfing Network. Through this network underclassmen who are afraid to sleep in their dorm can connect with upperclassmen who have apartments nearby and an available sofa.
I hope that the local police, campus security, handwriting experts, FBI, and whoever else can finally locate the source of the threats and end the terrorism. I hope to bring you smiling photos of my graduation day in three weeks with the Cathedral of Learning in the background.
"A bomb threat has been received for the Hillman library, Sennott Square and Benedum Hall. Please evacuate. If safe to do so please tell others of this message."
This morning, the bomb threat count reached thirty.
For several weeks now the University of Pittsburgh's campus has been routinely terrorized by anonymous bomb threats. At first only academic buildings had been threatened, and it was easy to attribute their cause to an irresponsible student who would rather sunbathe in Schenley Plaza than sit through an exam. Then bomb threat #12 was found, and for the first time a residence building was the target. Litchfield Towers A, B, and C were evacuated in the early hours of the morning, leaving nearly 2,000 students (mostly freshmen) drowsy and homeless. The reward for information was raised from $10,000 to $50,000 and the student body became very uneasy. The FBI arrived. The person(s) responsible switched from leaving warnings scrawled on bathroom stalls or slips of paper to bouncing emails to journalists containing threats off of European servers.
I am upset that in my last semester as a Pitt student I am threatened with violence at least once each day. I love Pittsburgh and Pitt's campus, and I genuinely want to attend my classes. In the last three and a half years I have always felt secure here, and it's a shame to mar that happy record now. It just doesn't feel fair.
The university has been forced to adopt new security measures. Faculty have been asked to give students the option of finishing their courses online from home. We are all trying to be as flexible and calm as possible. My roommates and I have offered our couch to frightened freshmen friends, and this is beginning to happen on a larger scale. An ad hoc campus couch surfing community has been established in the form of a Facebook group called the Pitt ENS Couch Surfing Network. Through this network underclassmen who are afraid to sleep in their dorm can connect with upperclassmen who have apartments nearby and an available sofa.
I hope that the local police, campus security, handwriting experts, FBI, and whoever else can finally locate the source of the threats and end the terrorism. I hope to bring you smiling photos of my graduation day in three weeks with the Cathedral of Learning in the background.
Until then:
The Orangery at Kensington Palace
This is a flashback to a traditional afternoon tea with my Mom and stepdad Jamie. They visited England for two weeks during my semester abroad in London and had a great time. Posts to come: our weekend in Devon; a drive down the coast to the Oyster Festival at Falmouth in Cornwall; tours of Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford; and so much more. Jamie is actually an enthusiastic photographer so once I get my hands on the hundreds of pictures he took, there will be several long, heavily illustrated posts!
We took the tube to Hyde Park Corner, rented bikes, and spent close to an hour on the biking paths throughout the Park. At the Orangery, we sipped chamomile (me), Earl Grey (Mom), and wild berry tea (Jamie). We also ordered one of the three-tiered servers of tea sandwiches, mini tartelettes, and scones with jam and clotted cream.
Our waitress was kind enough to snap a photo for us, though later she confessed that her manager warned her not to take any more at this angle. She had accidentally photographed Prince Michael of Kent - the Queen's cousin - who was seated just behind us! He's the bearded man enjoying his soup in the background.
We took the tube to Hyde Park Corner, rented bikes, and spent close to an hour on the biking paths throughout the Park. At the Orangery, we sipped chamomile (me), Earl Grey (Mom), and wild berry tea (Jamie). We also ordered one of the three-tiered servers of tea sandwiches, mini tartelettes, and scones with jam and clotted cream.
Our waitress was kind enough to snap a photo for us, though later she confessed that her manager warned her not to take any more at this angle. She had accidentally photographed Prince Michael of Kent - the Queen's cousin - who was seated just behind us! He's the bearded man enjoying his soup in the background.
Sitting down at teatime
In the gardens
This Week I'm Loving
Food: La Casa Wine & Tapas Bar, Pittsburgh
This week I'm taking Amanda out for a belated birthday dinner in Shadyside at this Moroccan and Spanish tapas restaurant. Back in 2006 Amanda and I went on a girls only vacation to Barcelona with our Mom and our Nana, and we loved patatas bravas. We probably ate them once a day on that trip! I see them on the menu, so we'll definitely have to try Omar Mediouni's rendition of our favorite Spanish small plate.
Event: Phillies-Pirates Baseball Game (and Tailgate)
I was raised on baseball, and I love a chance to root for my home team - Go Phils!!
Books: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
Film: It's Complicated
This is a movie I can watch over and over again. Meryl Streep is a wonderful actress, and I get such a kick out of that line: "Turns out, I'm a bit of a slut!" I'd also love to have her life - beautiful house in Santa Barbara, successful bakery and chocolate croissants at midnight.
This week I'm taking Amanda out for a belated birthday dinner in Shadyside at this Moroccan and Spanish tapas restaurant. Back in 2006 Amanda and I went on a girls only vacation to Barcelona with our Mom and our Nana, and we loved patatas bravas. We probably ate them once a day on that trip! I see them on the menu, so we'll definitely have to try Omar Mediouni's rendition of our favorite Spanish small plate.
Event: Phillies-Pirates Baseball Game (and Tailgate)
I was raised on baseball, and I love a chance to root for my home team - Go Phils!!
Books: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
Film: It's Complicated
This is a movie I can watch over and over again. Meryl Streep is a wonderful actress, and I get such a kick out of that line: "Turns out, I'm a bit of a slut!" I'd also love to have her life - beautiful house in Santa Barbara, successful bakery and chocolate croissants at midnight.
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