The wierdest thing I came across in the US Boston. Why on earth would I want a lemon in a beer? Odder still this was served by a real Irish girl (as she said: “No, I really am Irish - not like all the others in this town who think they are Irish because their great great grandfather once met someone called O’Reilly”) in what Bostonians would call a proper Irish Bar. Personally it felt like the same “Irish” themed pubs that were all the rage in the UK about 10 years ago. Also went to a place called Whiskys (the Bar maid in question advised us not to but hey..) and it was like some kind of sports bar from the same “themed” bar range in the UK. All very odd. Spent the evening there with a very friendly chap from NY who was off to a American Idol contest the next day and a Pilot for DHL who was there for the Pride parade and a Czech Republic bloke who was on business for accenture. Never did work out why he was staying in a hostel for a work trip. Hotels in Boston are pricey and I know there is a recession on but a hostel?? Other things to note about my trip: The apple store is handy for charging your iphone and doing emails Some apps essential for travelling without turning on your actual phone part of your iphone: offMaps - allows you to view the city without a data connection. Amazing - thanks to @MattB for highlight this for me. WiFinder - for finding and locating Wifi spots. byline for viewing google reader offline and lastly Skype, which you sadly can really only reliably use with a full wifi signal. The Department of Homeland security don’t have a very disabled friendly desk at the airport. The rest of the US confuses me regarding accessibility. They love big vehicles - great if you want to show off your wheels but shockingly bad it seems for getting in and out of. I don’t really get why small cars aren’t fashionable - car design is stuck in the 1940’s it seems to me. The US has lots of money. Lots and lots. Hearing about the research opportunities and the various projects at the games for health conference made me gasp for air. I can see why the world flocks to the US for education. It’s not necessarily the quality of education (so I am told) its more the opportunities to do interesting things. MIT seemed to me the prime example. A video in the museum had a nice quote “If we need to build something for our project we can just ask another team to help us. If we need an expensive hard to reach bit of can we can get it like that. Its great” - amazing stuff. The MIT museum is $7 rather than the $0 as it is advertised in my lonely planet guide If you stay at the Hostel in Boston wait till sunday as its free with them Don’t go Saturday to discover the above on the Sunday and be a little chuffed off. Only a little though. Go for a run. Its far easier to get around. The streets seem ages to travel (my theory is the block system makes walking boring) by foot - running is just a bit quicker. It’s a nice city for running - everyone does it, it seems. Don’t go on the day of your departure though in very heavy rain to smell the rotting stench of your runners and shorts in your hand luggage all the way home. Hostels (I stayed at the Hostelling International - part of the YHA network) are great. You meet some nice folk. It is however a little shocking to see all these “travellers” so connected to their ruddy laptops - at the dining room, in their bed, in the living areas.. skype, email, facebook.. It somehow removes the idea of “getting away from it” somewhat. As the guy who was going on American Idol the next day said to me : “Jeez guys why don’t you see some real people instead of talking about it” American cheese is odd stuff. It doesnt taste and as far as I can tell is there just to add fat content to any item they can get away with This is an obvious one: Old is not the same as European Old. The US seems to like paper. Few toilets seemed to like a hand dryer - preferring the paper dispenser. Paper things for toilet seats was a new one on me too. You really do need to take photo ID with you. I thought I looked old enough but clearly (happily) not. Cool. Taking a wiffle ball and bat home is a great idea - just don’t tie it onto the back of your bag and whack everyone with it as you go through customs and security. They don’t like it. Post your postcards BEFORE you go through security. You can’t post them by the gate. Duuuh! Boston is a nice, friendly, safe place. I could happily live in Boston.

The wierdest thing I came across in the US Boston. Why on earth would I want a lemon in a beer? Odder still this was served by a real Irish girl (as she said: “No, I really am Irish - not like all the others in this town who think they are Irish because their great great grandfather once met someone called O’Reilly”) in what Bostonians would call a proper Irish Bar. Personally it felt like the same “Irish” themed pubs that were all the rage in the UK about 10 years ago. Also went to a place called Whiskys (the Bar maid in question advised us not to but hey..) and it was like some kind of sports bar from the same “themed” bar range in the UK. All very odd. Spent the evening there with a very friendly chap from NY who was off to a American Idol contest the next day and a Pilot for DHL who was there for the Pride parade and a Czech Republic bloke who was on business for accenture. Never did work out why he was staying in a hostel for a work trip. Hotels in Boston are pricey and I know there is a recession on but a hostel??

Other things to note about my trip:

  • The apple store is handy for charging your iphone and doing emails
  • Some apps essential for travelling without turning on your actual phone part of your iphone: offMaps - allows you to view the city without a data connection. Amazing - thanks to @MattB for highlight this for me. WiFinder - for finding and locating Wifi spots. byline for viewing google reader offline and lastly Skype, which you sadly can really only reliably use with a full wifi signal.
  • The Department of Homeland security don’t have a very disabled friendly desk at the airport.
  • The rest of the US confuses me regarding accessibility. They love big vehicles - great if you want to show off your wheels but shockingly bad it seems for getting in and out of. I don’t really get why small cars aren’t fashionable - car design is stuck in the 1940’s it seems to me.
  • The US has lots of money. Lots and lots. Hearing about the research opportunities and the various projects at the games for health conference made me gasp for air. I can see why the world flocks to the US for education. It’s not necessarily the quality of education (so I am told) its more the opportunities to do interesting things. MIT seemed to me the prime example. A video in the museum had a nice quote “If we need to build something for our project we can just ask another team to help us. If we need an expensive hard to reach bit of can we can get it like that. Its great” - amazing stuff.
  • The MIT museum is $7 rather than the $0 as it is advertised in my lonely planet guide
  • If you stay at the Hostel in Boston wait till sunday as its free with them
  • Don’t go Saturday to discover the above on the Sunday and be a little chuffed off. Only a little though.
  • Go for a run. Its far easier to get around. The streets seem ages to travel (my theory is the block system makes walking boring) by foot - running is just a bit quicker. It’s a nice city for running - everyone does it, it seems. Don’t go on the day of your departure though in very heavy rain to smell the rotting stench of your runners and shorts in your hand luggage all the way home.
  • Hostels (I stayed at the Hostelling International - part of the YHA network) are great. You meet some nice folk. It is however a little shocking to see all these “travellers” so connected to their ruddy laptops - at the dining room, in their bed, in the living areas.. skype, email, facebook.. It somehow removes the idea of “getting away from it” somewhat. As the guy who was going on American Idol the next day said to me : “Jeez guys why don’t you see some real people instead of talking about it”
  • American cheese is odd stuff. It doesnt taste and as far as I can tell is there just to add fat content to any item they can get away with
  • This is an obvious one: Old is not the same as European Old.
  • The US seems to like paper. Few toilets seemed to like a hand dryer - preferring the paper dispenser. Paper things for toilet seats was a new one on me too.
  • You really do need to take photo ID with you. I thought I looked old enough but clearly (happily) not. Cool.
  • Taking a wiffle ball and bat home is a great idea - just don’t tie it onto the back of your bag and whack everyone with it as you go through customs and security. They don’t like it.
  • Post your postcards BEFORE you go through security. You can’t post them by the gate. Duuuh!
  • Boston is a nice, friendly, safe place. I could happily live in Boston.

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