Sunday, September 25, 2011

¿Cuál es éste?


¿Cuál es éste?
In Spanish that means, “What is this?” I was asking myself this question this past weekend when I tried Mexican food in Boston.
            I am currently taking Spanish 1, but don’t get too excited. I only know how to say, “Hola, coma te llamas? Me llamo Maureen.”
            Taking Spanish has made me crave Mexican food more than I ever have before. So we tried a little restaurant loved by locals called Fajitas and ‘Ritas. Let me note that by locals I mean local New Englanders who would be surprised by what real Mexican food is.
            Being from Colorado, I get some of the best Mexican food around. I love tacos, smothered burritos, enchiladas, stuffed sopapillas and most importantly chile rellenos. The heat, the cheese, the spice and chile make my mouth water and erupt with flavor.
            Needless to say, I miss this food when I leave my home state. So I was willing to fulfill my craving here in Boston.
            That was a big mistake. Boston’s version of Mexican food includes only fajitas, burritos (without being smothered in chile), quesadillas and salads. No tacos, no chiles, no heat.
            The salsa was definitely from a jar that said “mild.” The chips were from a bag. The tortillas were the only things even remotely resembling something from a restaurant back home.
            I ordered the chicken fajitas. The chicken was a grilled breast. Not chunks marinated in Mexican spices. The red and green bell peppers and onions were steamed, not sautéed in those spices.
            I was disappointed in what New Englanders think is Mexican food.
            Now Boston can do some food right. There are great Asian take-out places, amazing Italian cuisine in the North End and fantastically fresh seafood.
But the next time I get a craving for Mexican, I think I’ll stick to Chipotle or wait for the next trip home.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Back to Boston

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it."
            This quote perfectly describes the start of my second year here at Northeastern.
            I got back to the city last week, moved in a week ago, and started classes on Wednesday.
            Even though I was here last year, it is very strange to be in the same place I began my college adventures, but to be starting something completely new. It is strange to walk through campus with a new view.
            I now live on the other side of campus, so things feel new and different. I live in a single room with a bathroom I share with my suite mate. I live on the sixteenth floor of a 22-story building. I have incredible views of the city and a new perspective of what this year will bring.
            So I can see the path I will be traveling, but I don’t know where I’m headed or what life will bring me this semester. But maybe that is what makes it so exciting to have blind faith in my future and believe in myself so that where ever that path leads, I can know it is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
            I’ve included some pictures of my room, which is much bigger than my shoebox of a dorm last year. 
My room.




My "side tables" made from packing boxes and fabric.




My Harry Potter reading corner.


The view from the window behind my desk.

The view of campus from my common room.

The view of Boston from the common room.