Chasse au trésor... et au donut !

Une mise à jour sur l'avancée de ma to do list pour commencer :

106.Explorer les restaurants italiens de North End et goûter les fameuses cannolis de Mike's Pastry [31 aout, parfum amaretto, miam ! - still need to to try the other amazing restaurants and have something salty though ]

109.Me faire photographier avec Rhett, la mascotte de BU [28 aout, but I think the pic never made it to Facebook]

Marisa, notre conseillère pédagogique, a organisé une chasse au trésor en équipes à travers Boston pour nous, étudiants en échange, dimanche. L'un des challenges était de se prendre en photo devant chaque Dunkin' Donuts, une chaîne un peu similaire aux Starbucks qui vend du café et des donuts. Il y en a littéralement à chaque coin de rue ! Une longue promenade pleine de fun et de transpiration qui nous a emmené dans pas mal de différents quartiers bostoniens. [Disclaimer: non, je n'ai même pas encore goûté à un donut. Il paraît que ceux au cidre sont excellent, donc je vais me réserver jusqu'à ce qu'ils arrivent et que je puisse en goûter un, parce que ce n'est pas ma pâtisserie préférée.]

(Pas de chance, ce n'est pas moi qui ai pris les photos des célèbres Mike's Pastry's cannolis dans le North End, mais que mes chers parents se rassurent : non, je n'ai pas tout mangé. 2 pâtisseries pour 6 ont été amplement suffisantes. Et bien que très riche, oui, celle à l'amaretto valait totalement la peine. On n'a jamais assez d'amandes dans sa vie.)

The giant Citgo sign over Kenmore square, which from obnoxious advertisement, somehow became a toursitic symbol.

I was very impressed by this Gun Sense ad. Going for the full guns debate wouldn't make much sense in a picture's caption, but I have to say I'm still greatly puzzled, to say the least, about America's love for guns. I watched the news the other day and learned about the 9-years old in Texas who accidently killed her shooting instructor... I'll just say so I'm really, really relieved concealed/not concealed weapons are not allowed on campus. Otherwise, I would probably go all paranoid.

Fenway Park, home of the legendary Red Sox.

This legendary baseball team won the world series 8 times. I've been here for less than a week and somehow I'm already feeling proud?! In any case, I need to learn the rules so I can enjoy watching games.

Boston's central Public Library. I am in love with the motto on the facade.

The muse of painting in front of the library.

Cute store display on Newbury Street, the shopping hub of Boston. My friend Mindy, from Singapore, calls it the "Bostonian Madison Avenue". I need to check when I go to New York!

Swan Boat in the Public Garden, the first public botanical one in the United States.

Cute little girl feeding a good dozen of ducks, who were literally eating off her hand.

And ducks feeding themselves.

One-man orchestra. This reminds me so much of Dick Van Dyke's performance in Mary Poppins, it was really fun.

From left to right, Mindy, Lauriane, me and Laura, in front of our seventh Dunkin Donuts (this one was at the train station).

So many trains, and they are not even all there!

Our whole group in front of the Benjamin Franklin statue that marks the spot of the first public school in the US (yeah Education Majors!). From left to right, Lewis, Mindy, Lauriane, Yeram, Laura, me and Morane. The awkward posing is because we tried to imitate Franklin.

Italian Fair, American Brunch

Et hop, deux évènements en un sinon je ne rattraperai jamais mon retard (et vous n'avez pas idée d'à quel point c'est long de charger ces photos sur le wifi de l'hôtel). 

Avec un petit groupe d'exchange students, nous sommes allé célébrer la Saint Antoine de Padoue dans le North End, le quartier italien de boston (minute éducative : c'est le troisième plus grand quartier italien des USA). Cela ressemblait vraiment à une foire, avec les rues extrêmement bondées où l'on pouvait acheter moult versions américanisées de nourriture italienne. J'ai testé une "boule de riz" et un peu de pizza. L'ambiance était sympathique, et c'était amusant d'entendre des gens parler italien autour de nous après une demi semaine d'anglais exclusif. Pas très authentique, d'après les italiens de notre groupe, mais définitivement festif !

So this was the weirdest, showiest worship set up ever. People were litterally pining strings after strings of bills to Saint Anthony's statue. There was no sign about what all the money would become, and no one seemed to care. Although I am not a practicing catholic, I have been raised in such background, and worked in a catholic bookshop. I discussed it with other Europeans, but none of us could really make sense of it.

The streets were heavily decorated, which was very pretty. Me and my newfound German friends agreed it reminded us a little of Christmas markets, in a more commercial maner.

A funny way to ask for tips, at a lemonade stand. As non Americans, we're all working hard to master the tipping policy here. I come from a country where waiters and taxi drivers and such do not need tips to have a decent salary, and where the tax is always included, not added afterwards. It makes deviding bills at the restaurant quite an adventure, but we're all already getting the hang of it!

Proud Italian sausages proudly made in the USA, or the 'Murica paradox. (Also, I'm pretty sure chicken teriaki, hot dogs, and soda aren't so Italian ;) )

I knew bacon was legendary here. I didn't expect to find it covered in chocolate. It might be good, but I didn't dare to try.

However, our group was brave enough to try the very intriguing concep of deep-fried food (here Oreo cookies). We bought one portion and shared it among about 8 people. Pictured are Tobias from Denmark, Sebastian from Germany and Andrea from Italy, before they dare trying theirs (we jokingly refered to it as "the last picture of them alive"). I had a bit too: it wasn't bad, but it sure was greasy, and that comes from a person who as "graillon"  (dirty grease/greasy scent) among her favourite French words.

Et puis, j'ai aussi participé à un brunch gentiment organisé par les Exchange Student Ambassadors, un groupe d'étudiants américains qui sont ou vont partir eux-même en échange à l'étranger et organisent des activités pour nous intégrer à Boston et à la vie sur le campus. Si mon premier brunch américain n'a pas pu légalement être accompagné des trop célèbres mimosas (m'enfin, la légitimité de couper du champagne avec du jus d'orange reste à discuter), c'était quand même un moment très convivial qui m'a permis de discuter avec d'autres étudiants en échange et des américains, et d'avoir l'impression de vivre encore quelque chose de typique et de cocher encore un item sur ma liste.

604. Bruncher [30 aout 2014, avec des pancakes]

My giant "cinnamon roll" pancakes. It was amazing, although I still don't understand why it was served with whipped salted butter in a cup. Needless to say, while this was litterally my breakfast and lunch combined, I couldn't finish. But it was delicious!

Squirrels are my favourite animals (with cats, but that's another story) - they were the topic of my first ever English presentation, when I was 11. I saw this one 50cm away from me on the Marsh Chapel Plaza. It's the second one I've spotted. Sadly, American squirrels are not red, but this one was still really cute. Also, 8 years after this presentation, I've finally learn to pronounce the word "squirrel" properly. For any other French person out there who is as lost as I was, it should rhyme with "swirl". So, you learn evey day.

If you had asked me two monthes ago, I would have said tall buildings stuck to one another must be ugly. But this skyline view taken from the heart of Boston really is lovely, so I officially change my mind. My advisor would probably call it the "honeymoon phase" of cultural adjustment.