Thursday, Week 2

Today I took the bus home from school. Wow that sounds like I'm in elementary school, doesn't it?! Seriuosly, it was not a big yellow one, but a city bus, part of the Valley Regional Transit system. I got to talking with another new grad student in the Music Department, a pianist. Neither of us knew anyone when we first arrived in Boise, and she had just been in New York for a year after moving from Russia. We both got into our conversation and she missed her stop. Oops. Anyway, it was great to make a friend, ya know? On the other hand, the bus doesn't run all that frequently and stops altogether before 7 pm, so one of the one of the highlights of this week has been having an independent mode of transport - a bike. I found it Sunday at the Idaho Youth Ranch (a thrift store) for $30. It isn't exactly high quality but I find its issues somewhat endearing. Half of what makes riding a bike fun is the road traveled. Lucky me, I live just a few blocks from the Greenbelt, a bike path that goes along the Boise River, all the way through town and right past the Morrison Center, where I have most of my classes. It's a pretty sweet way to commute, riding next to the rushing water and under trees and past joggers and walkers.
A couple other highlights:
+ When attempting to checkout a "Current Periodical" from the BSU library, I was told "a graduate student can check one out for two days. Are you a grad student?" with a little thrill in my heart, I was able to say "Yes, I am"
+ I was pretty discouraged by my performance at the Orchestra seating audition last Saturday. So it was a pleasant surprise to find that I ended up where I had hoped to be - prinicipal second. And I even have a cool little soli part with the other principal string players in one of the pieces. (fyi: "soli" means that the four of us play like a quartet with all the other instruments in the orchestra silent for a little while)
+ Eating my luch on the lawn in front of the Morrison Center, people watching the students and faculty - theatre, dance and music.
So I am slowly settling in to this new place. Can't wait til my cold has finally cleared up and I can really enjoy the mountains, the sunny days and this great opportunity to study music at the graduate level. I will not be sick forever...

Day 4

My brain is smushy. I have had a cold since Tuesday and I am only starting to feel alive again today. Not real fun to move to a new place and have to introduce yourself as your nose drips and your hands are grimy and your head feels like a bowling ball... "Hi, my name ith Sylvbia..." Well, considering I survived two placement exams during the height of the cold Wednesday and Thursday, I think I'm gonna make it, with a little help...
Here's to "PBS kids" and "Insider" and DVDs of sappy chic flicks! Here's to Puff's Plus and the faith that my cold won't last forever! Here's to getting my cold out of the way before the semester starts! Cheers! (with little plastic cup of Nyquil)

New home, new life - Day 1

Right on schedule I woke up this morning at 6:30 am Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Unfortunately, I am in Mountain Daylight Savings Time now. Ah, the joys of flying. Another funny thing about flying is that because you travel so far so fast, your mind takes awhile to catch up with being where you are. As I was landing at the Boise airport last night, I found myself thinking, "woah, am I really here? This place is so far removed culturally and socially from where I was just a few hours ago. crazy." After dropping off stuff at our place, my new housemate took me out to eat with some of her friends. This was an awesome treat but it was late for me - 11:00 pm Eastern time. I was so blasted tired I felt like I was in a dream. After I had some food, I started feeling a little more human and really enjoyed the company of the folks.
So here I am, heading off to my first day in my new life. Suffering from a lack of sleep and way too much of a cold - allergies? - I'm a little woozy but excited. I'm going to meet with my new violin prof in a few hours and then get my new student ID and ... new, new, new. Here I come, world. I have landed and I hit the ground running!

I'm gonna fly

Tomorrow afternoon, I fly "out west". No postings recently because this past month has been super busy, packing and studying for placement exams and practicing my violin and learning to drive. Yes, folks, I have a license. Drivers of Boise beware: a Bostonian will be on the road in 48 hours! :)
This past week has been full of saying "Au revoir" to people with last-minute hangout out times, including a "Mini Vac" to New Hampshire's White Mountains with family and a dance party hosted by my friend that went into the wee hours of the morning. So I am really tired and my brain is fuzzy, but I wanted to post 'cause I get envious when others have new posts and I don't. :) silly me.
See you soon, from the other side of the country.

about dorchester

every once in a while - between the stenches of inner-city pollution and trash, mingled with aromas from Puerto Rican, Virginian, and Liberian cooking - i'll get a whiff of the sea. sometimes it is so brief that my mind registers "ocean" without my properly smelling it at all. still, i get a sudden happy memory of sand and salt, and i hope for a stronger sea breeze to pass me. in the city, you can't seek the smell of the sea, and if you sniff too hard it is gone. so when it finds me, it is always this pleasant surprise. i'll miss that.