Such a beautiful place. Such great people. Such a horrible thing to happen. Thinking of you, Boston – we only met last year, but I love ya and my heart is a bit broken today.
Tag: Boston
The veritas about Harvard
I am a bit of a dork, so I was very excited to visit Harvard when I was staying in Boston. On another beautiful day in that great city, I walked across the Charles Bridge and over into Cambridge, arriving first in MIT territory. I stopped for breakfast and there were two chaps at the next table discussing something suitably smart – they were speaking English, but I still couldn’t really understand what they were talking about – one guy had written an algorithm or something something and the other guy was talking about trade secrets law across the USA something something. Being a gold star eavesdropper, I felt more clever just for listening in on their conversation.
It sounds hard to believe, but you can just feel the smarts in the air in Cambridge – lots of bright young things from around the world and all over the country fulfilling their dreams of studying with the best at MIT and Harvard. It’s a fantastic place to visit – am sure it would be great to study here, but perhaps that’s another story for another day.
I went on a walking tour led by a current undergrad student and he was full of interesting facts about the place. I was intrigued by the payment system they have: the cost they quote is around $54,000 per year (including tuition, books, accommodation, food etc). That sounds pretty horrific, but the guide assured us that relatively few people ever pay that much to attend Harvard – if your family’s combined income is less than $75k, you can attend FOR FREE. And if your family’s combined income is less than $180k, you’ll pay no more than 10% of that (ie, $18,000 PER YEAR). He didn’t go beyond that, but presumably they’re the people that pay a little closer to the quoted figure. What a great system, I reckon – if you’re smart enough to be accepted to Harvard, then your family’s financial status shouldn’t be a barrier to entry. Right on.
The guide showed us the gigantic and very impressive library – from the outside only, as you need a Harvard ID to actually enter the library. Apparently, they have an incredible collection of books stored in their underground stacks and there were certainly a lot of students heading to and from the building. I think the beauty of the buildings and surrounds must really help with study programs – especially when you’re studying alongside some of the brightest minds in the world. I can’t remember spending too much time in the library or hanging out in the grounds of Sydney Uni, but I’m not sure whether that says more about the Uni or more about me…
And, last but not least, is it just me…or was DONALD SUTHERLAND on my tour of Harvard?
Dear Harvard, in one form or another, I really do hope I’ll be back. (If only I could have ended with a Donald Sutherland line rather than an Arnie line, but I’m not really that familiar with his work – I really should have asked him while I had the chance.)
Getting close to JFK in Boston
OK, I’ll admit it – I’m a bit of a Kennedy nut. I own a lot of books about them and find that whole dynasty fascinating. Although, to put my cards on the table, I’m a much bigger fan of Robert Kennedy than JFK. Bobby wasn’t the pin-up boy of the clan, but from what we know of him, he was a really good man. Whatever your personal opinion of them as individuals, there is no doubt that they were a pretty incredible family. Descendants of Irish Catholic immigrants made good – really good, if you rate the election of the youngest-ever US President as a success. And the youngest-ever US Attorney General (Bobby).
When you add it all up, you can see how the Kennedys have been the fodder for so many books and films and telemovies (argh, Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy): a father and three brothers reaching very senior levels in US politics, tons of children, some very interesting women who were born into or married into the family, significant controversies & scandals & tragedies. Not to mention Marilyn Monroe, some major moments in US history, their Catholic faith, a super-stylish First Lady and a domineering dad. Anyways, lots of stories to tell from before, during and after JFK’s presidency and so I was super excited to visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston – it was #1 on my itinerary.
The Museum was outstanding and even better than I’d hoped – in a beautiful location, with incredible attention to small details and a great collection of memorabilia. Starting with a movie (in a theatre, if you don’t mind) to provide some background on the early years of JFK, in his own words, then moving through brilliantly set up exhibits depicting the election, life in the 60s, the inauguration (with seats set up so you can watch the whole thing on a big screen – since it was a freezing cold day back then, this is a much more comfortable way to see it), the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination.
There was a room dedicated to the too-often-overlooked Bobby Kennedy and a room with more info on others in the family. So interesting – even if you’re not a Kennedy nut, there’s enough personal material, video footage and realistic room settings to keep your attention.
And I was lucky to strike a new addition – a Jackie Kennedy exhibit, including quotes from interviews she gave to a family friend in her latter years, personal video footage and photos, dresses and amazing gifts from leaders all over the world. Incredible stuff.
Anyways, I’m mindful that this might be like re-telling a dream, which is always more fun if you actually witnessed it first hand. So, I’ll stop now. But please make sure that you add this to your itinerary if you’re in Boston!
More pics from Boston
Here are some more pics from my time in Boston. It’s such a great town – easy to walk around, lots of history, lots of Kennedy-related places, lots of Irishness, beautiful parks and water, stunning architecture, Harvard & MIT, a relaxed vibe and friendly people. Yay for Boston, I say – I love it!
Beautiful Boston
This is my first visit to Boston. And I love it. The weather has been perfect – beautiful blue skies, sunny days and really cold. It’s great weather for walking around all day, but the chilliness gets a bit biting at night. Actually, it starts getting a bit too cold to be fun in the afternoon – it’s now starting to get dark around 3pm. Here are some pics from Boston’s Public Garden & the famous Boston Common – two stunning parks that live side-by-side here in the middle of the city. A lot of the trees have already lost their autumn colours, but there are still lots of reds and yellows brightening up the parks.
everydaysparks 