I hate snow now...

After several snow storms I was already getting upset with it. But now I hate it!!! My flight to Hawaii was cancelled because of this terrible weather. :( I'm trying to see if I fly on Tuesday. I hate this... I was really looking forward to going to Hawaii and now I lost one day there... :(

Hangover

I think I drank last night more than I should have. I had some beers at the Cambridge Common and walked home. There is something about walking at night in a city that fascinates me. I used to do that a lot in Brazil when I was younger, coming back home after a long night. Unfortunately there we can't do this any more because if you do you will die. However here in Boston one can still do that. I like it a lot. And this is the reason why I always walk home after I go to Cambridge Common. With the iPod the walk is even more pleasing.

Gnossiennes No. 1

It's been about 1 hour since I arrived in my room. It's 2:24am. I'm listening to this piece (subject of message) for the 9th time. You need just a couple of beers to realize how beautiful this piece is. I could literally sit here until the morning listening to this piece on repeat. :)

As good as it gets!

McCoy Tyner's concert was amazing. It really doesn't get better than this. Tomorrow I'll post some pictures. Of course he is not as young and versatile as before but he still can swing. It was a great experience.

McCoy Tyner

I'm at the regattabar for the McCoy Tyner concert. It is very exciting given that I'm sitting 6ft from the guy. McCoy Tyner is probably the most important jazz musician I have ever seen. He is one of the greatest jazz piano players of all time. This will be a unique experience. The concert starts in 10min.

Almost ready to go to Hawaii

Just got my snorkeling gear. Now I need to pack. I wish Sarah and the kids were going with me. But if Hawaii is as good as they say, I'll be back there with them :)

Please!!! not Paulo Coelho

I'm riding the T and the person in front of me is reading a book from Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian writer. The problem is that he is one of the worst we have! Why is this always the case? That some of the worst things become very popular?

Routine...

I just got home and speaking to Sarah she asked me to post my routine here in Boston. She thought it was interesting because I told her I fell sometimes I'm in the Pink Floyd the Wall movie where the kids just march like machines. So here it goes...

I wake up at 8am. I stand up to get the phone (the alarm). I go back to bed and check to see if there are important emails and to check to see if Jerry made his move on the chess game. The answer is normally no and yes respectively. I make my chess move. Then I get the towel, put some toothpast on the toothbrush and walk to have my shower and brush my teeth. I come back after the shower to the room. I eat a cereal bar and drink some water from my aluminum bottle. I dress up, take my iPod, iPhone and wallet. Put the music on the iPod on random because I want to check some music I haven't heard yet. Walk for about 10 minutes to the T station. Go down the stairs and wait for the train. While waiting, I take my iPod, put it on random classical music because I have to read. I take my book and start reading waiting for the train to Braintree. The train arrives and I go to the fourth door from the end of the train (closer to my exit). I stand right where the door of the train will be when the train stop to be the first to get in and have a chance to get a chair. I must get a chair because I have to read. I sit, and read for about 35 minutes when I arrive at Downtown Crossing. I leave the train but I don't put my book away. I hold it because it is a short walk to the Orange Line to get the train to Forest Hills. I sit and wait for the train while continue to read my book. When the train arrives I walk to the fourth door from the front of the train. This door will be right in front of the escalator when the train stops at Ruggles station (Northeastern University). I also know where the door is so I normally get a sit and continue to read my book. When the train passes at Back Bay station it goes above ground so I can check to see if Jerry made a move on chess, he normally didn't. I arrive at Ruggles and walk for about 5 minutes to the Physics building. I take the largest elevator because the other doesn't go to the 5th floor. The elevator has a problem, so it always stops on the 3rd floor for about 5-10 seconds. But it continues after and I get to the 5th floor. I'm normally the second person to arrive, since Sune arrives before me. I place my coat on the chair, plug my computer to the power outlet and to the large monitor. I then go to make my latte. I fill my mug with milk and put on the microwave for 2 minutes. When there is 45 seconds to the end, I turn the espresso machine and make a one shot of espresso. It takes it about 40 seconds. So my milk and espresso are ready at the same time. I pour the espresso on the mug full of milk: latte is ready. Go to the desk and check my email and a lot more of some useless stuff. If I have something, I write on the blog. By this time it is around 11am, I stand up and go to the espresso machine and take a shot of espresso. Back to the desk and start working on whatever I decide to work on that day. At 12 noon (sharp), people come to my office to ask if I'm going to get lunch. The answer is yes 99% of the times, and also 99% of the times we go to the burrito place, Qdoba (I'm starting to hate burritos!!). Buy the burrito and bring it back to the lab where we eat and talk about movies (most of the time). At around 1pm lunch is over and we all go back to work. I work all afternoon but just before that I check to see if Jerry made a move on chess, he normally did. I make my move. Work until around 6:30pm when I normally go to the gym to play squash. There I play from 7pm to 8pm. Have a shower and head back to the lab. Before though, I pass on the small grocery store and buy bread, cheese and ham. I get to the lab and make a sandwich. Work again until around 9pm. By then I call Sarah and try to speak to her and Kalil, sometimes I call at 8:30 to speak to Adele too. After the call I work until 10:50. I take my aluminum water bottle and fill it with water (for the next day, go to the top of this text). Walk to Ruggles station but before I put my iPod on shuffle all songs. No matter how much I try, the train normally has just left by the time I arrive at the station. I wait 15 minutes for the next. I can't read anything, just walk around because it is an open station and at that time cold "as hell". When I get on the train I get on the 3rd door from the end. Sit, get my book and put the ipod on shuffle classical. I read my book but I always have to be careful because the train is faster now and I can't miss my exit. I leave the train at Downtown Crossing and run to the other train because if I don't run I miss it. Run to the 6th door from the front of the train because upon exiting the train I'll be in front of the escalator. Sit (no problem finding sits at this time of the night). As the train passes on the station Charles MGH, I check the iPhone to see if Jerry made his move, he normally didn't. I arrive at Davis Square (my station) and walk home. This time I walk slowly because I'm tired. I always cross the street in front of the library (two blocks from the station). When I get home, I change, use some lotion for the skin because it is really dry here and I was having problems. I sit in the computer and check my emails again. After that I read a little more (many things) and if it is Friday night I go to hulu.com and watch the Office. Go to bed. If I can't sleep well I drink half a glass of wine and sleep. After that is go back to the top and start everything again!!!!!

THIS IS WHAT I CALL ROUTINE!!!

Institute for Contemporary Art

I went this evening to the Institute for Contemporary Art here in Boston. The are having a special exposition of the work of Shepard Fairey who is the artist responsible for the Obama sign you can see here. Once you see the exposition you really understand why the poster is the way it is. It reflects Fairey's work since his beginning. Interestingly enough, this was the first time he did a poster of a political figure in support of him/her rather than to criticize. The exposition is worth going to and if you're around Boston go on Thursday after 5pm: it's free!! More works from Fairey can be seen in this page from the ICA.

John Abercrombie photos

As I said yesterday, the concert was awesome. Here are some pictures. The band was John on Guigar, Gary Versace in the Hammond organ and Adam Nussbaum on drums. Both John and Adam are very well known but I didn't know the organ player. 

However he impressed me in a good way. Very consistent and 

showing complete control over the instrument. His solos were 

solid. We might start seeing him around more often. After all he is already playing with some of the greats such as John and Adam. 

John Abercrombie

I just arrived from John Abercrombie's concert. It was a nice set with the trio playing in a good sync. It was an organ trio (guitar,drums,organ). They played for about 1:20hs. The organ player I did not know but he was amazing. In fact, playing that "thing" must be hard with you having to use your feet also. Tomorrow I'll post some pictures. Now I have to check if Jerry made his move on chess. ;)

John Abercrombie

This evening I'm going to John Abercrombie's concert also at the Regattabar. The only problem is that the concert is at 7:30pm which IMO is just a bit early for a concert. In any case, I expect it to be a good concert. He will play in a Organ Trio. 

Jacky Terrasson Pictures

I'm posting some pictures from the Jacky Terrason concert last Saturday.

Singing and drunk

It's Monday and this young guy on the T is drunk as he'll and singing his music as loud as he can. What kind of person gets drunk luke this on a Monday?! what kind of life this guy has to make him need to do this just to get some attention? I'm glad this place is more civilized because had it been in Brazil, someone would have told him to shut the f... up already.

Cold again

Today it got very cold again. It's 20F!! I thought the worse of the winter was over but I guess I'll have to endure a few more weeks of winter. Thankfully I'm heading to Hawaii on Monday and that should be a change... I hope!

Emergence

This is the title of the book that I started to read. It deals with the issue of organized complexity that is pervasive in all aspects of life. The book sound very interesting thus far as it is discussing an area that I like a lot: swarms. The book is not written by a scientist but the author does seem to have some understanding of the scientific process.

Working late

Friday night, I was working late here in my room and decide to try a new picture for my profile on facebook. Here it is. I guess it just shows my read eye. I hope this is proof that I'm working until late rather than doing other stuff. LOL. The facebook picture will not be that one though.

After Lunch

The lunch with Pat Bond and his son, Brad, was really pleasant. The place, Skipjack's, has a jazz brunch and the band was actually good despite my fears since I tend to dislike "local" jazz bands. For experience this always tend to mean, "a band that is local and really doesn't know how to play jazz but wished they did". The restaurant is kind of upper class like but the food was good. The location in boston is also nice for a walk. Today was a bit cold but I guess it will be good when Sarah and the kids come here during summer. The picture is from the trinity church which is just in front of the restaurant on Boylston street. 

Lunch with Pat Bond

I'm off to have lunch with Pat Bond, a colleague from FIT. He's retired now and leaves close by. Nice place to retire by the way. :)

After the concert

The concert just ended. Great stuff!! Jacky terrason, as the other guys I've seen at the regatta bar, stayed after the concert to talk to us. Nice guy and as I expected a great virtuoso. Well worth it. It became even better because everyone got a free CD from Cassandra Wilson. It was good value today. LOL.