Of Boston, Brazil and B-Boys

Brazil vs. Venezuela

6-6-2008

Boston, Mass.

Oh, no she di'int! Yes, she did. The Brazil fans were ka-razy. This was the most alarming show of support I saw. The thought process: Is it totally rude to take a picture of this woman? No, if you're wearing something like that, you're begging for attention! And I not-so-discreetly snapped away.

Neil and I drove up to Boston this weekend to visit my friend Mwashonga. We had a great time on our whirlwind tour. Mwashonga is a huge soccer fan, and one of his girl friends works for Harvard, through which she gets cheap tix to sporting events. She got us $60, 10th-row tickets to the Brazil vs. Venezuela game at the Patriots' stadium. It was our first pro soccer match, and it was awesome!

There were 58,000 people in attendance; a sea of green and yellow. Which made it all the more ironic Brazil lost, 2-0! The game was awesome, but even more exciting were the fights! There were about 3 of them in our section alone, with a couple fan ejections. On the field, unfortunately, two players got carried off on stretchers -- it's a rough game. There was also a half-naked (top half, fortunately) "streaker" who ran out and hugged one of Brazil's usually amazing players, Robinho, before security threw him to the ground and escorted him, handcuffed, off the field. Soccer has trumped basketball in my opinion as the ultimate spectator sport!

Saturday we toured around the city, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Do you remember the book "Make Way for Ducklings"?
I never realized it is set in Boston. I bought the book for posterity and got our picture in front of Duck Island. In the Quincy Market square, we happened upon a breakdancing crew that was drawing a huge crowd. We made our way to an opening where we could see them, and crazy enough, it was a crew we have seen now in 3 cities! We first saw them last summer in L.A. at the World Hip Hop Championships. Then we saw them this spring in VA at the Circles 9 battle, "one of the largest hip hop charity events on the East Coast." They hail from Boston, so I feel like we're stalking them, but they are pretty amazing!
This is some of them in-between amazing breaking.

The whole way up, I was craving a lobster roll. I'd heard about them, and knew they're available in Maine, but hoped I could get one in Mass., too. I was obsessed! I like to experience new places through my stomach, so I got one for lunch and felt I could go home having experienced New England to the, um, fullest.
I also saw a shop selling popcorn. Shout out to my uncle Dale and cousin Thomas.
Sorry if you guys had plans to open an eponymous popcorn shop.

I'm a pretty wild driver, so I never thought I'd say this, but drivers in Boston are the worst I've ever seen in my entire life. It's not that they drive crazy or fast -- I do that, but other than speed, a cop would be hard-pressed to actually cite me. It's the utter lawlessness with which Bostonians drive. Pulling out into oncoming traffic? No problem. Cutting other cars off? Hey, it's a free-for-all. Using a turn signal? Never heard of it. Picking a lane? Two is better than one. Terrible, terrible stuff. I was completely dumbfounded by the abundance of this:
Driving on the shoulder!!!! And everybody was doin' it! I was appalled and flabbergasted and every other thing like that, all at once. Until I saw roadsigns that said something to the effect of it being OK to drive on the shoulder in certain areas. Still, totally weird! No wonder they drive like maniacs, with state-sanctioned crazy driving!