[ceramics] spring show

If you've ever stepped off the T at Brookline Village, you've likely walked past Feet of Clay studio.  It's unassuming storefront is home to a host of wonderfully talented artists and exceptional facilities.  FOC is a small potters cooperative that brings together people of all ages and skill levels.  

For the past year, I had the pleasure of being an intern.  During my tenure, I have learned the behind-the-scenes skill sets required to keep the the studio running; from glaze-making to pugging (recycling clay) to kiln loading.  Though I'd taken a couple of ceramics classes in high school and during college, learning these new skill sets augmented my appreciation for the craft.

I was very excited to participate in the FOC spring show.  Below, are some pictures from my collection.

Hand-poured Candle Collection.  Left: Bloom.  Right: Flora

Planter.  Finding New Heights.

Hand-poured Candle Collection.  Left: Blue Skies Ahead.  Right: Climb Every Mountain.

Doggie Bowl: For Henry

[photos] illuminus

Spent more time photographing the impromptu performers at Illuminus than that actual light installations.
The exhibits were definitely some very creative uses of light and technology, and reminiscent of products from MIT's Media Lab.

[travels] san diego, joshua tree, and palm springs

On my most recent trip to southern california, Brian and I rounded out our socal bucket-list by hitting up san diego, joshua tree national park, and palm springs, all in one jam-packed weekend.

San Diego and La Jolla

We started off the day early to catch a 9am sea kayaking tour in La Jolla.  In 2 hours, we saw 4 aquatic biomes, 5 caves, and many many sea lions!  I enjoyed learning about the geology of the area, as well as how a certain cave was used during the Prohibition Era.

There was no shortage of sea lions on the tour.  My favorite were the fuzzy baby sea lions, but the big ol' males, who thought they owned the rocks, were very entertaining.

Feeling productive after a morning of kayaking, we made our way to San Diego to see the sights at Balboa Park.  Unfortunately, by that time, it was already unbearably hot.  I enjoyed the gardens and shaded walkways of the Park.  There was plenty of beautiful architecture as well.  After Balboa Park, we walked around the historic Gaslight District and strolled around the harbor.  Early evening, we returned to La Jolla to stroll around the bay and the boardwalk.  The ocean breeze was a relief.

Coachella Valley, Indio, and Joshua Tree National Park

Driving through the mountain pass into Coachella Valley is a beautiful drive at night, although I'm sure it's also beautiful during the day.  We stayed with a lovely couple and their two pooches in Indio valley.  In the morning, we made our way to Joshua Tree National Park.  I enjoyed the Lost Horse Hike, which takes you to an abandoned gold mine.  I also enjoyed the Hidden Valley nature walk and the vista from Keys View. 

You can see Coachella Valley, the Andrea Fault and the San Bernardino Mountains from Keys Views

Joshua Trees are also quite lovely, especially with the rocky mountain the background

[travels] londonium

Traveling for work lends itself to a work hard, play hard experience.  Working 4 hours ahead of my Boston colleagues made for long days in the office, however weekends were for the taking.  I enjoyed living and working in the heart of the City of London.  I loved the energy of the historic neighborhood. Cappuccinos and chocolate croissants quickly became my favorite at the Polo Bar, which was conveniently open 24 hours a day.

Office located just left of the Gherkin

Weekend 1- Saturday- Following in the steps of Royalty

I made the short walk from my apartment to Monument and then on to London Bridge.  I was hoping to find Borough Market, but a quick left left me on The Queen's Walk.  Not losing any time, I recalculated and continued down Queen's Walk, along the River Thame's.  As I strolled toward the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, I admired the statues and interesting bridges along the path.  I continued down to a quaint cobble-stone street and enjoyed some pastries for breakfast.  Not wanting to backtrack, I took my first ride on a double-decker bus, across the Waterloo bridge, to the theater area.  I walked by the Royal Oprah house and stumbled into an artisan's market at Covent Gardens.  

From there, I continued onto Trafalgar Square, where I made a stop at The National Gallery.  From there, I continued on to the Royal Parks.  I started with St. James Garden and walked along the lake admiring the beautiful blooms.  I peeked into the gates of Buckingham Palace before continuing on through Green Park.  I crossed a hazardous intersection to get to Hyde Park.  All that walking built up my appetite, so I stopped for a bite to eat at the Serpentine Cafe.  I enjoyed a mushroom pizza and a small pot of tea, while people-watching.  Parents with their young children peddling the swan boats, couples strolling hand-in-hand.  Life was moving at the perfect pace.

After lunch, I ventured off the royal path to Harrod's.  It was, after all, listed as a major site on all the tour buses.  I did not have the patience to venture beyond the first floor, but I did spend most of my time in the chocolate, tea and coffee room.  After purchasing some tea for my dad, I felt that I had gotten my Harrod's experience.  

I made my way back to the Serpentine pathway, where I continued on to Kensington Gardens.  On the way, I saw the Princess Diana memorial and park.  I walked to Kensington Palace, but alas, did not spot any royals.  Pooped, I could not get myself to Regent's Park.  I would have to do that another day.

Weekend 1- Sunday- Sailing down the River Thames

My second free day in London, I splurged on a river rover pass.  After grabbing my usual cappuccino and chocolate croissant, I took the double decker to the Tower of London.  Growing up, I loved reading about the the intrigue of the Tudor family and the accomplishments of Queen Elizabeth, but I could not justify the expense to go into the tower.  

Instead, I boarded the river rover toward Greenwich.  It was a warm, sunny day.  Perfect weather for sitting atop the river boat, listening to the crew share stories about the river and landmarks along the route.  I saw many old pubs (which may or may not have been inhabited by famous authors), Execution Dock, and old ports.  

Once at Greenwich, I saw the University of Greenwich, which had magnificent architecture.  There, I also admired the painted hall.  But what I was most excited for was the Prime Meridian.   I made the uphill trek to the Royal Observatory to straddle the Prime Meridian.

Straddling the Prime Meridian.

Other things worth seeing at Greenwich include the British Maritime Museum.  I thought the exhibits were very well done.  The spiral staircase at the Queen's House was beautiful.  The Greenwich market was packed with beautiful crafts and the most delicious food.

Queen's House Spiral Staircase

After getting my fill of maritime history at Greenwich, I hopped back aboard the river rover and made my way down to Westminster.  There I saw the Parliament buildings, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the New Scotland Yard, the London Eye, among other things.

Obligatory picture of Big Ben and a double-decker bus

From here, I made my way to Trafalgar Square for the St. Patrick's Day celebration.  The crowds made it difficult to get to the concert area, but once I did, I had the pleasure of hearing traditional Irish music, as well as covers by the Late Late Night Band.  From here, I walked to Somerset House, crossed the bridge, and walked down the embankment by the National Theater and the Globe Theater.

Weekend 2- Saturday- More Ancient History

The second weekend I skipped my cappuccino and chocolate croissant and headed straight for Borough Market.  I was not disappointed.  There was stall upon stall of delicious food, both local and exotic.  I settled on a vegetable stuffed pie with a side of mushy peas, which was all quite delicious.  After breakfast, I took the tube to Green Park.  After pushing through hordes of people, I realized that I had made perfect timing to catch the changing of the guards.  I made my way to the front and watched the display.  I left with some time to spare to get to Victoria Station, where I was trying to catch a tour to Stonehedge.  Unfortunately for me, the ticketing line was long and incredibly slow moving.  By the time I made it to the counter, my tour had supposedly left and I could no longer purchase a ticket.  The departure gate was within sight, and the tour was plainly behind schedule, but there was no arguing with the ticket agent.  I rushed over to the tour guide, forked over some cash, and sure enough, I was on the tour.

I travelled back in time to prehistory.  Stonehenge was a marvelous sight and I marveled at the prehistoric accomplishment.  I enjoyed learning about the engineering feat, but also the mystery and intrigue that still shrouds the ruins.  The weather patterns were quite bizarre during my visit.  The bus ride to Stonehenge consisted of on-and-off downpour.  Upon arrival at Stonehenge, there was hail on the ground.  And by the end of our tour, we were leaving behind a double rainbow.  Our tour guide was a rasta; he was pretty cool and played awesome music.

Stonehenge

Other Highlights:

Shopping on Oxford Street- large department stores as well as trendy boutiques

Carnaby Street

Getting lost at King's Cross looking for Platform 9 3/4

Trying Iron Bru

Leicester Square at night

[travels] arizona

So it's been about 15 years since I've been back in the American Southwest.  I have fond memories of growing up in Albuquerque, NM so I have been looking for an excuse to go back.  Spring Break this year was supposed to have taken me to the Grand Canyon, but that gave way to other adventures in California.  When our model vendor announced that they were hosting a conference in Tucson, I jumped at the opportunity to go for work.  I spent a total of 3 days in Tucson and 2 days in Phoenix.

Tucson- Tucson Omni National Golf Resort and Pima Air and Space Museum
I spent three nights at this fantastic resort.  My days were spent at the conference, which was fine because it was 90+ and very arid every day.  At night we had the opportunity to see the Pima Air and Space Museum, home to hundreds of amazing airplanes, each with an interesting story.  I had a fantastic dinner of fried shrimp with a cocktail sauce that had a hint of wasabi at Bob's Steakhouse.  This restaurant, with an unassuming name, is actually one of the top-rated steak houses.  But the best part of the business trip was playing 9-hole, 4 person scramble on a golf course that once hosted a PGA tour event.  The sun sets quickly in Arizona, and it was amazing to hear all the wildlife that comes out when the earth cools.  I even saw a coyote!

Camelback Mountain- Cholla Trail
After the business trip, we drove back to Phoenix.  On Saturday, Brian and I woke up before dawn to hike up Camelback mountain.  We started up Cholla Trail just before 6 am with a surprisingly large number of locals, who we discovered are very active.  The first few hundred feet consisted of pebbley and sandy terrain and brought us amazing views of the city.  Towards the end, the terrain got very rocky and steep, which necessitated climbing with both your hands and legs.

Beautiful view from the top of Camelback Mountain.

Halloween Spooktacular
That evening, Brian and I visited the Halloween Spooktacular at Salt River Fields.  One of my fondest memories growing up was attending the New Mexico Balloon Fiesta.  While, I could not make it to the large balloon fiesta, the Halloween Spooktacular featured many hot air balloons in addition to many vendors and a haunted house!  We showed up with 'The Office' themed costumes.

Three hole punch Jim and Pam

Hot Air Balloon Ride

And of course the even that I was most excited for was our Rainbow Ryder's sunrise hot air balloon ride.  Again, we woke up before dawn to drive to their offices.  From there we drove to our setup place in the desert, just north of the city.  The area was bustling with groups setting up their hot air balloons.  We got to witness all the steps required to set up the balloon from unloading the basket, to unfurling the balloon, to inflating it, and raising it.  After we all climbed in, we were off for our hourlong ride where we rose to a maximum altitude of 4000 ft.  We saw mountains, and highways, and tiny cacti.  It was interesting to see the trees lined along the areas where water flows during the rare rainfall.

View of the Arizona desert from our hot air balloon

Other Highlights Include

1. Brunch at Wy Knot bakery.  I had a delicious savory and sweet pancake with red rice and Brian had a delectable stuffed french toast.

2. Working at the Phoenix Public Library.  It was a very interesting building both inside and out.  We also enjoyed decorating skulls for Dia de los Muertos.

3. Downtown Scottsdale and the waterfront area.  It was an interesting walk down their 5th avenue which featured many souvenir/art shops.  We ate at a fantastic restaurant called Olive & Ivy Restaurant & Marketplace

4. Walking around the Dia de los Muertos celebration by the Mesa Arts Center.  There were wonderful art demonstrations from ceramics to glass blowing.  Again, we tried our art skills at decorating skulls.  We also visited the Modern Art museum which featured many local artists.  My favorite gallery had social commentary pieces that referenced Renaissance styles.

5. Dinner at Luci Healthy Marketplace.  We had purchased a living social deal for a place that happened to be closed on Sunday.  It was unfortunate that we would not use our voucher, but we were lucky to discover this gem.  They had delicious healthy meals and we got to watch our Red Sox on TV.

[travels] seattle

I had always been warned about the weather in Seattle, especially by the end of summer.  In anticipation for my trip, I checked the weather, packed my raincoat, and prepared for the rain.  Fortunately, the deluge held out long enough for me to experience the beauty of the city without having to jump through puddles.

Pikes Place Market
I have always loved the energy of markets places and the excitement of discovering a new food item or piece of art.  I love the weekly farmers markets, to the seasonal artisans markets, to the more famous, well-established market places like Reading Terminal Market in Philly to the Lexington Market in Baltimore.  Needless to say, Pikes Place Market was numero uno on my list of things to see in Seattle.  I was not disappointed.  I fell in love with the brilliant bouquets of beautifully arranged flowers and jewelry inspired by the local heritage.  Pikes place also offers foods from diverse countries (we ate Russian piroshky and Turkish delight).   And of course, I visited the original Starbucks.

Proof I visited the first Starbucks

View of waterfront from Pikes Place

Gum wall.  Pretty colors, but mostly just gross.

Seattle Center
Many of the major sights in Seattle are packed together at Seattle Center.  Here you'll find the theater, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Chihuly Museum, EMP museum, and the Space Needle.  Over the few days that we were in town we visited most of these sights.  Views from the Space Needle were unbelievable.

Beautiful view from the Space Needle with clouds sitting perfectly above the horizon

My favorite Chihuly exhibit

Marymoor Park
One aspect that I love about Seattle is how pet-friendly the city is.  This park has an extensive trail that allows dogs to run around unleashed through different terrain like woody areas, open grassy areas,  and over giant mounds.  Anthony's dog, Buddy, loves his trips to the park and this time, he made many new friends.

Buddy, king of the hill

Other highlights include:
1. Ivar's Seafood- went there with some college friends.  Loved the fish prepared in a local style.
2. Chinatown- had delicious ramen, bubble tea, and peaches.  The park had a pingpong table.
3. Capitol Hill- went to Capitol Cidar for some delicious cidar and fun with shuffleboard.  Accidentally aided the other side with one too many points.
4. Nighttime walk through Gasworks Park and Fremont.  Climbed to the top of the hill for unbeatable nighttime views of the city lights.  Enjoyed looking at the hipster shops of the streets of Fremont.  Stopped outside the huge Oktoberfest.

[travels] Costa Rica- Livin' la Pura Vida

Costa Rica is a beautiful country full of smiling locals and beautiful drives.  We only had one week to explore as much of the country as possible, way too ambitious.

Arenal
The Arenal volcano region is every adventurer's dream.  The local economy is built up around ecotourism, with many different companies offering different canopy, ATV, and rafting tours.  I always find it difficult to justify expensive excursions, so I searched for cheaper alternatives.

First of all, a car is your key to freedom.  All the tours are willing to pick up and drop off at your hotel, however, you can see more, save money, and travel with more flexibility when you have your own car.  However, driving in Costa Rica is not for the faint of heart.  Many areas are unpaved, which can be problematic during the rainy season.  The areas that are paved are pot-hole ridden and two-lane roads will suddenly converge to one lane over a bridge.  Manual transmission and 4-wheel drive are definitely helpful.

Yes roads are rough, and I deserve a reward for braving the terrain, but it was well worth it (I might be singing a different tune if our rental agency had charged us for damage to the car).  Having the car allowed us to see Costa Rica on our own schedule.  My favorite hike in the Arenal area was the Cerro Chato hike up an ancient volcano.  We hiked up through primary forest, which entailed climbing over large root systems and ducking under fallen branches.  I enjoyed the intimacy and truly felt like we were guests in the forest.  It was a fairly steep hike up, after a few false alarms, we finally found ourselves at the rim.  Of course, we had to do the even steeper hike down to the lake.  It took some creativity to get down and back up, but it was well worth the effort and muddy butts.

View from the rim of Cerro Chato, looking down into the crater.

The hike to Cerro Chato, among many, start from the Arenal Observatory Lodge.  From the same starting point, we also did a hike through secondary forest to a seasonal waterfall and a hike down to a stream with volcanic rock.

After a full day of hiking, I wanted to relax in the area's famous hot springs.  Tabacon is a world-renowned resort that shows off the natural springs.  Less well-known, is that right across the street, there is a bubbling brook that feeds from the same hot water source.

The perfect spa.

Papagayo Gulf
The next few days were spent at the Papagayo Gulf.  We stayed at a beautiful resort with a private black sand beach.  There were so many beautiful vistas.

Papagayo Allegro Resort.  I usually don't like to advertise, but this view is gorgeous.

View of nearby docks.  Apparently, where the rich and famous launch their water toys.

Of course, we had to check out the famous local beaches.  Our favorites were Cocoa Beach and Hermosa Beach.

View from Hermosa Beach.  It's beautifully framed in green and is adorned by palms.

Another destination in the area was the Vieja de Rincon Volcano, where we finally saw an active volcano!  Sort of.  It was too active to allow visitors to hike, but we were allowed to take a loop trail at the foot of the volcano that took us to the mud pots, water pots, and fumeroles.

We might be smiling, but that sulfur-smell is sure strong.

Monteverde Cloud Reserve
One of the highlights of this trip was the Monteverde Biological Reserve.  One of the lowlights of the trip was getting there.  I had to drive through miles of unpaved road, up and down the mountains.  I prayed that the wet season had not brought pools too deep for my rental car to traverse (I had, after all, promised my car rental agent to not take the car for a swim).  I prayed that the low frame would be able to handle the deep potholes and the giant boulders.  So maybe you might want to consider a tour group, or maybe even an SUV, but however you get there, it's a worthy destination!  I enjoyed the 2 hour tour that took us through the forest.  Our guide not only taught us about natural history, but also about the different animals that dwelled in the cloud forest.  After the tour, we hiked some of the well-marked trails on our own.  We hiked towards the continental divide, however, we could not see much due to the cloud coverage.

Can you see the continental divide?  I can't!

National Bird.  Selected for it's intelligence, not it's beauty.
It would sing when the rainy season was coming, alerting the farmers.

Our guide telling us about orchids, in all their shapes and sizes.  

San Jose
Of course, we can't forget about the capital city.  We stayed in the nicest Holiday Inn I've ever seen, in the heart of the city.  From there, we were able to take an early morning stroll through the center of city, by the famous National Theater.  As an added bonus, we found China town!

Teatro Nacional
 

For the first time, I don't look so out of place.

Overall, this was a phenomenal trip.  I hope to be back to explore the southern part of the country.  Due to my laziness, I wasn't able to cover all the phenomenal/not so awesome aspects of my trip, but here's a quick list below:
1. Canyoneering- rappelling down waterfalls, jumping into narrow pools, and ziplining through the trees.  Worth the splurge.  And even saw a cute piglet that our guide had rescued from the canyon.
2. La Fortuna Waterfall- somewhat overrated.  But yea, I was there.
3. Kayaking around Papagayo Gulf-
    Me: So is there a limit on how far out we can paddle?
    Guide: Nope!
    Me: Awesome!
    Guide: Just be back in 20 minutes.
4. Shooting a BB Gun- one of the activities at the resort.  Didn't hit a single balloon.
5. Took a photostop enroute to Arenal.  Got the car stuck in the mud.
6. Shopping at Cocoa Beach.  They won't budge when you try to negotiate.  However, we met an awesome expat from Italy who owns a gallery.
7. Compliments.  We were told we looked like a 'smart couple' by a tipsy lady.  I'll take it!
8. Tilapia Dinner- nomm
9. Wanted to take a picture of a cow.  He got angry.  Cow 1: Lucy 0
10. Related to point 9, we did see a lot of happy cows grazing the green fields.
11. Make your own hot chocolate!  So much melty goodness
12. Coffee samples.  The best may be exported, but the stuff is still good.
13. Fried plaintains!  For breakfast EVERY DAY.
14. Fresh watermelon and the best pineapple I've ever had.
15. Comida Tipica is quite delicious!
16. Wind farms and hydroelectric plants!  Can I pass this off as a business trip?