Globe Corner Blogs

I was lucky to have absolutely gorgeous weather this past weekend when I was visiting my brother in New York City. After a few dark, cold, and drizzly days in Boston, I prepared for much of the same down in New York. I pessimistically made a list of museums to visit and packed an umbrella for the trip. But I was pleasantly surprised to encounter clear skies the whole weekend – a bright, late-October sun and a warm, caressing breeze.

Instead of spending a day at the Met, we walked from neighborhood to neighborhood and borough to borough. We wandered through the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and the area surrounding NYU (where my brother is currently an undergraduate), we went over the Manhattan Bridge, explored DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), and then doubled back over the Brooklyn Bridge. By that time it was already sunset, and the many-storied buildings of lower Manhattan and Midtown reflected back to us in hues of pink, orange, and blue. We watched night gradually transform a rosy fairytale island city into an elegant, glittering metropolis. Continue Reading »

I was sad to leave Belgrade, Serbia. I had stopped there briefly to visit a friend on my way from Romania to Croatia. But the journey had to continue and my next stop was Sarajevo, Bosnia. I assumed that buying a one-way ticket would be pretty straightforward. I was wrong.

The friend that I was visiting knew all of the ins-and-outs of getting from Belgrade to Sarajevo, and thanks to her, I knew that I had to ask for a ticket to “Lukavica” in Sarajevo – not for the main bus station. I knew how many buses went daily. I knew what time I wanted to leave and how much cash to bring to the bus station. Even though I have studied Serbian for several years, I still get a bit nervous speaking it, so I even reviewed the vocabulary necessary for the transaction.

I made my way to the Belgrade bus station and had no problem finding the correct desks. I got in line and readied everything I could possibly need to buy my ticket. When I got to the front of the line, a woman at the ticket counter barked, “SLEDECA!” NEXT! I was trying to maneuver in the line to end up at the window of the grandmotherly woman’s who looked very sweet and kind. However, she was still nicely helping another person. The woman who was yelling “NEXT” was at the counter beside the grandmother. This woman didn’t look too friendly. I summoned some courage and walked up to her. Continue Reading »

After a Kafka-esque divorce followed by a passionate relationship gone afoul, Elizabeth Gilbert decides to dedicate a whole year to herself: exploring pleasure in Italy; discovering spirituality in an Indian ashram; and finally, balancing the two on the Indonesian island Bali. Having spent nearly her entire adult life in and out of love with boyfriends and her husband, Gilbert realizes in her early thirties, in the midst of an emotional crisis, that it is high time to delve into her own depths. Her memoir, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, chronicles her journey. Continue Reading »

Brooklyn Sunset--photo by Llalan

My new apartment in Brooklyn is not in the nicest part of town. There are no coffee shops or beer bars or trees. It is predominantly Caribbean, and I am occasionally called “Snowflake.” The soul record shop is next to a Christian bookstore that has a TV in the window, so all day long Al Green battles a bellowing reverend on the outdoor speakers.

Under the Brooklyn Bridge--photo by Llalan

It is not Somerville, Massachusetts, for sure, and sometimes I do feel as though I’m traveling in a foreign country. I’m afraid of the food: a whole restaurant devoted to brisket? I don’t speak the language: what is a “weave” exactly? I get lost a lot: damn you bus drivers and your mumbled announcements! I stick out like a sore thumb: my camel hair coat and red scarf do nothing to camouflage my skin. And sometimes I really want to go home. Continue Reading »

Portland State University Farmer's Market--photo by Jess

Saturday being one of my two full days in Portland (read more about my whole trip here!), I woke up early, ate a quick and free breakfast at the hostel, and headed across the river. I’d heard of the famed Saturday Market (a “must-see” according to Moon Handbook Guide to Portland), and so I decided to spend the day exploring the Pearl Art District and downtown. I got off the bus at around 10:00am and started walking north for the 12 – 15 blocks it takes to reach Ankeny Plaza and the Saturday Market. As I made my way up and across 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Avenues, one thing became clear: No one was around.

The streets were empty; in both directions I saw no one save the lone fixed-gear bikers passing me by. When the MAX rail made its stop on the quaint cobblestone street, no one got off and no one got on. Ghostly. Where do Portlanders go on Saturday morning? I wonder. I found my answer, sort of, when I reached the Market. Rows and rows of merchants selling handcrafted soaps, jewelry, ceramics and more mix with a collection of food carts serving up Himalayan, Greek, New England, and Asian cuisines. Continue Reading »

Whenever Portland, Oregon has come up in conversation, which was more frequently than I’d expect given my proximity to the other Portland (the one in Maine), I hear raves. To me, Portland has become synonymous with, “I think you’d love it there,” and, “It’s the perfect city!” Within the last year, two of my co-workers went, and it’s become a mini-mecca for a certain eco-minded set of college grads. Could Portland really be that awesome? Would I forever deride the overcrowded, sprawling cityscape of New York City at first sight of Mt. Hood, Powell’s bookstore, and Stumptown coffee?

After spending just three nights and two full days in Portland, I understood the appeal:  copper-fixtured drinking fountains lined the streets, delicious gourmet food carts every few blocks, microbrewery happy hours, and a completely efficient public transportation system. And, while I didn’t up and leave New York City, I had quite a great time in the Bridge City. Read on for some tips and highlights from my trip: Continue Reading »

Three women, all in their late twenties, struggle to balance careers and relationships. Work deadlines, happy hours, caffeinated beverages, and workouts at the gym fill their fast-paced, over-scheduled New York City lives. That is, until they up and decide to take a year-long, round-the-world trip. Starting in South America, they travel to Africa, then to Asia, ending with Australia and New Zealand. Then, they turned their experiences into a book – The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World, by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, and Amanda Pressner.

The story is filled with romance and adventure. Together, Holly, Jen, and Amanda hike the Inca Trail, try medicine from an Amazonian shaman, party at a Brazilian favela, write a play in Kenya, visit a Laotian spa, go surfing in Australia, and bungee jump 440 feet into a river valley in New Zealand. Continue Reading »