Maps, Photographs, and Other Things Useful to Homeland Security

Boston: Day Three

My computer is up and running . . . for the first time, ever, I have high-speed internet access on my own computer, in my own dorm room. I have finally arrived in the 21st century. Whatever Pixies, Nixies, Boggarts or Brownies saw fit to patch up my ethernet allowed their benevolence to run out when it comes to Anna'zOn, since I can't get the page-editing software to work today. However, other aspects of my multi-media communication arsenal seem to be functioning, so here is what I can offer by way of showing you a bit about my new environs, one weekend in to the adventure.

1) Photos, as so many have requested. I have uploaded pictures of my dorm and its immediate environs to to Picasa, which you can view by clicking on the link below.

North Hall

I also have an album up of photographs from the going-away party my friend Cara hosted last Sunday (good lord, was it only a week ago??) so all my Barnes & Noble buddies could wish me luck.

2) Check out this Google map of Anna's Boston, which I was created last night. I'll be adding to it as I enlarge my world (a little each day) . . . for you map freaks out there (and I say this with all kindness because I'm one of them. My room decorations current consist of four maps: NPR stations in the United States, a map of the world, a map of Boston, and a map of the campus), hope you enjoy it!

Today, I'm sticking close to "home" (the dorm doesn't quite feel homey yet), making headway in the organization of my life--both internal and external--and preparing for Advising/Orientation day on Tuesday, at which (according to the published schedule) we will drink a lot and sign away our lives (academic and financial) on various bits of paper. Tonight, I have a hall meeting at which I will get to meet some of those people whom I live with, whom--so far--I have only met as shuffling bodies headed for the showers in the morning. I'm not up for much socializing at the moment, but they're all Graduate School of Library and Information Science, or GSLIS Students (pronounced "GISS-liss" with a hard G as in gambol or gabardine), so chances are I will have some of them in classes and every repetition of names and faces helps!

I had my first meal at Bartol Hall, the main dining hall on the residential campus. La-dee-dah! It's like the most expansive breakfast buffet you've ever seen (waffles? pancakes? bagels? oatmeal? cold cereal? egga? bacon? grits? fruit and yogurt? hot chocolate? coffee? fruit juice?). Suddenly, the whole monastic-like system of bachelor dons and bluestocking lady professors living in University quarters and dining in the Senior Common Room makes so much more sense . . . except, of course, for the fact that it's made possible by a whole regiment or two of waitsstaff who bear an unsettling resemblance to the Scouts in Gaudy Night, except for (thank heavens!) the absence of frilly aprons and caps.

More about people and courses when I meet more of the former and attend more of the latter . . .

For Labor Day, I am going to take the T (subway) to Wonderland and get a look at the ocean!