Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Harpoon Brewery Tour in Boston




It's an understatement that beer is very popular in Boston. There are many pubs (Sunset Grill, Publick House, John Harvard's...) that survive on epicurean beer. Boston is a great place to visit if you want to try many different makes of beer. It is almost as big a sport as baseball here.
There are two popular beer brewery tours here: Sam Adams and Harpoon. I recommend both. The tours are very similar, but at Harpoon the tour guide has a microphone so you can be sure to hear him/her. At the end of each tour there is ample opportunity to sample different selections of beer, but at Sam Adams you have about 3 or 4 samples of beer that is pre-selected and you sit at benches with fellow tour participants. You have to wait for the beer to be served, so actually it is a good opportunity to talk with other people. By contrast at Harpoon you can ask for as many samples as you want at a bar-style sample counter with about 8 varieties straight from the tap. If you want to try them all, I don't recommend drinking a full glass of each! My favorite was a light, orange flavored UFO White.
Other recommendations: Go early, buy tickets ($5) for a tour later in the afternoon and in the meantime get a fresh seafood meal around the corner or even visit the nearby Children's or ICA Museum.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Espaco Aberto Dance Lesson & Performance




In February 2009, I went to Rio de Janeiro to study dance. One of my teachers was Yolanda Demetrio of Espaco Aberto, a non-profit organization in Rocinha, Rio's biggest favela. I will post more pictures soon!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Fall Festival in Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, Japan




I just got around to scanning these photos from film to my computer, about 4 years after taking them. Well, I'm posting them now because they remind me just how beautiful traditional Japanese dress is and how rich the culture is in festivals throughout the year even in small towns like Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, where these photos were taken. I remember this festival too because it was where & when I met my friend Daniel from Brazil who was working in Japan at the same time I was. I'm entering a photo contest with these - grand prize 2 tickets to Japan. Wish me luck!