New England Summer

Back from home, June 23rd. I need to remind myself with my bank statements, facebook, and my planner, of all that has happened since. It has been an amazing summer, but it is all just a blur in my memory, and what is now 6 weeks, seems to me like just one. Thankfully, I had a premonition this would be the case, and documented things much better than I usually would. There will be a time to reflect on this elasticity of time, and on my failing memory, but that time is not now. Now, I just want to show you my summer in fair New England. Mind you, it was not so fair, most of the time, and everything was grey and wet for days and weeks on end. But those days that it wasn't, they were celebrations of life and joy and light, and I am blessed to have had the chance to experience them. Just as I am blessed to have the friends who made it all possible.

Colin gets the first honorary mention, for picking me up from Logan. It was raining, obviously, and as always, worse in Worcester than elsewhere. But we got here safe, and thus in a kind of numbness and discomfort, I began this new stage of my life. I say discomfort, and numbness, not only in comment as to the weather, but also the almost vertigo-like sensation I had, in moving so quickly from Worcester, to Lebanon, and back, with just enough time so that as soon as I started getting settled, comfortable again with the culture and the atmosphere, I was off again, and had to do it all over again. I had people laughing at my rusty Arabic for a full month, and then, as it started coming back to its own, I was back, and people were laughing at my broken English. It is highly unpleasant to have my worlds so isolated from one another, and I suffer for it, even as I benefit, in complete immersion.

The very next morning after I arrived, I started my Master's research. In my lab, we look at a gene that's found in both humans and fruit flies (which are our research organism). Mutation in the gene is lethal in humans, meaning that humans cannot survive, or even be born, with it. However, in fruit flies, it only makes their wings shorter, and their eyes patchy. With a variety of experiments, our lab tries to figure out what the hell is going on. Theoretically, it's very interesting. Actually doing the lab work however, is the most frustrating and mundane business I have ever engaged in. I really hope it starts getting better soon; I have a full year of it still. We'll see.

Two days later, on the 26th, was the first Zombie Lair party I went to. The Zombie Lair was the home of some of my friends. I can only imagine that they have zombies as a primary interest in life. However, to Casey and Becca and the other denizens of the Lair, I am grateful, for giving me my first summer party of the year. That first week also marked a lovely time with my good friends Emily and Sara. At one point during which we decided some of us would go see Susan Tedeschi, the amazing blues-rock singer and guitar player, at South Shore Music Circus. So it happened that only a day or two after buying the tickets, on the 28th, me and Emily and Erica were off to the circus. The South Shore Music Circus lies in Cohasset, MA, a really quite charming place. We met our friend Jake there, who's house is practically right next to the venue, and he was a great host. I had no idea what I would find when we finally came to the venue, but it was better than I could have imagined anyway. It was a rotating circular stage, set in the middle of an enormous tent. Our seats were in the very front row, and I was sitting right next to the guitar rack the band was using. It was incredible. We walked in to the best opening act I have ever seen. Shemekia Copeland was her name, and she sang to us, unamplified on many occasions, and her voice still filled the venue, and her sound reverberated through the air and filled us with wonder and awe. I have yet to find a recording of her to match that sound, though her studio work is fantastic also. And Susan Tedeschi was also brilliant. she sang my favorite song of hers, Just Won't Burn, as her finale. Spectacular. It sounded a bit like this (sorry, couldn't find a better embeddable version:



This is the one picture I have of it, courtesy of Emily.


The 30th marked the day Cali was off on another of his traveling adventures, so we went to his farewell party. Him and Colin were excellent hosts at their home, the Sex Palace (um, what's with everyone naming their houses?).

On the 1st of July, Erica and Ashley threw their housewarming party at Carlito's Luxury Suites (again, with the names!), which was fantastic. I was running between there and the Zombie Lair, as my friend Jeremiah and I began our Wednesday night/Thursday morning traditions of lurking at the Lair in the evening and having Annie's (Clark Brunch) in the morning. That Wednesday was particularly insane. If I remember correctly, my friends Nick and Amy played for us at Erica's, the guitar and violin respectively. Nick broke his strings playing he played so hard, and Amy was breathtaking as usual. They really are fantastic, and its because of them I love Irish music so much now.

The very next day, Thursday, we began our preparations for the Fourth of July weekend. But that whole bag of shenanigans (a word that for me will forever be associated with you, Molly), will have to wait until my next post. It might happen tonight. Soon, anyway. And oh yeah, have you noticed that it's only been a week, so far, since I got back?