I rant you risten

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

bawston

Here’s what I miss… listening to my pirated digital music while waiting for the bus, T, commuter rail, Fung wah bus. Dennis Dyer and his wonderful liquor store in Watertown. Twin donuts croissant breakfast sandwiches. Walking down mass ave in Central Square and feeling the diversity amongst the MIT students, crack addicts, yuppies and bums. Newbury Street on a pretty day and the witch that roamed the Back Bay. The burbs and the quietness of it all. Walking into a video store and renting any movie that’s out. Saturday hangover lunches at Bottega Fiorentina and their daily specials “Penne Fedora – of course!”. Harvard square and all its nooks and crannies. Leah. Sweating at the door over your fake id. Live music at the Middle East. Being the only Arab at the Field, and drinking de guinessh wit de oirish. Storrow Drive. Complaining about paying a dollar in tolls on the Pike and how they’ve raised the prices. Learning to distinguish the real people from the fake ones, but still loving them all. Trio – only for lulu. Walking from Avalon to Axis to listen to some real music. Reminding Yankees fans that they suck the big one. Live shows at the paradise. Greasy spoons and my artery clogging breakfasts. Getting thanked for holding the door open. The steak at the Franklin café and my desire to be the only straight regular there among all the other south enders. The model café, the world’s greatest dive. The museum of science. Fenway Pahk and the 7th inning stretch. Breaking parking meters with a dime wrapped in paper. The 24hour CVS in Watertown. Taking my time eating my bagel and reading the Sunday paper. Supermarkets and mind boggling wholesale clubs. Sangria, Serrano y mis amigos. Explaining where Bahrain is on the map. Reading the Improper Bostonian for the upcoming events – yes it’s even cooler than timeout. Sunday brunch at the Charles hotel. My quest for the best cheeseburgers in Boston. Wednesday nights at M80 – reserved only for real party animals. Jarritos and steak Quesadillas at Anna’s Taqueria. Waking up at 8AM on a Saturday to watch the English footie. Being the only English footie fan amongst Pats fans. Movie Nazi on Saturday afternoons at the cinema. Real clam chowdah and oyster shots uughh. “Couch patrol” at the Enormous room. Really fast Internet connections. Making friends with all the Arab gas station clerks. Getting the shit kicked out of me for talking my mouth off – and learning to talk less. Bribing my landlord with cigars (thanks J). Becoming a regular at the comic books store and the anime store. Horrible karaoke at Maluken. Learning to grease palms well. Road Trips. Maine and getting sick from too much butter on my lobster. The cape. Driving out to dinner/ club /lounge /bar in shitty shitty weather. After parties in 1008, 303, 711, 275, wherever. Underground, ultrahip t-shirts. The Kebab Factory. Always discovering. Meeting celebrities and realizing that meeting celebrities is such a letdown. Watching my roommate hit on a drag queen and letting him continue until it was almost too late. Falco’s “comatose couches” at 199 Coolidge. Decent driving – compared to here. Knowing the city like the back of my hand. Drinking my chocolate milk in the morning, no matter where I was. Dancing on tables or chilling out at the bar or both – why not. Learning about people and what makes them tick. Opie and Anthony and Whip’em out Wednesdays. Falling in love with Afghani food. Overcoming my fear of snakes as I sent 4 mice to their impending doom. Deep Sea Fishing – and the bar on the boat. South American Accents – Colombians sound the nicest. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4rth of July, and all the other holidays I would have never celebrated. Wiffle ball. Water balloon launchers from my dorm window freshman year. The family of Neighbors I had at Spring Street. Videogames and Kozmo.com while ordering wings at Mohi & D’s place at union. cooking with lulu. Great drives along the river. Shoveling snow and waiting till the car warms up. THE INTENSE COLD… Swearing at the ref in Arabic while watching Italian footie in the north end cafes with the Italianos, and being totally accepted. my sister's morning coffee-run - thanks for always buying me nesquick sis. Knowing the free parking spots in the city. The pizza place between aria and venu, whoa… Great Music… “cold tea” at Ginza in Chinatown after 2AM. Sneaking little nips into the Olson’s residence. Ararat restaurant, and being the only person the “mother” would speak to, it’s cause I was the most polite – I miss their Yalanji. Walking… laying out on the grass at the common on a nice day… walking around Beacon Hill… Curious Liquids before they shutdown… The Dominicans playing their baseball on Sunday in front of Douglas Park. Hustling people for dinner playing fifa on the playstation. Getting invited to nice dinners when someone’s parents are in town. Learning the fine art of turning cup of noodles soup, into a satisfying meal. Baulking at Lulu’s super expensive shampoo and conditioner and stylist – I was happy with hong kong hairplace cut your hair very very good. Buying tobacco from Levitt & Pierce in Harvard Square. Rud d? thai food with Ahmed, and then dealing with the aftermath. Working and learning what it feels like to be independent & loving it. Flyers being passed around. Omar’s sets on the decks. Always getting to pick the wine. Never liking anything from Dunkin Donuts – but still loving it. Falling in love with lulu.

I’m sure there’s more, but I guess this is a decent sum up…

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

man this is a great feeling and I am very happy for you to have these wonderful memories..

I just hope that my own children will one day remember Bahrain like this... I'll even settle for 25%.

Unknown said...

You’re making me miss the states even though life wasn’t that glorious in STL

Chanad said...

Oh man, these are great, you're making me nostalgic... I wasn't aware that there are other Bahrain bloggers who call Beantown their home away from home.

Let me add a few more:
Dropping rocks off Mass Ave bridge to try to crack the ice on the Charles. The Esplanade. Seeing Khaleejis unsuccessfully ghaazaling in Copley mall. Most of the nightclubs empty during Ramadan since most of the regulars are Arabs! Watching movies in the Commons during the summer. Walking through the Public Gardens. Brunch at Brookline Cafe in Central Sq. Shawarma King. Penang. Punjabi Dhaba. Pinochio's pizza at Hahvard Square. The smell of piss in the Downtown Crossing T-station. Free jazz at Wally's. The MFA (when I could afford it). Climbing the dome. Sledding in a salad bowl down that hill out by BC. Screaming out "Yankees suck!" when the Pats won the superbowl :)
Walking around Beacon Hill pretending to live there. Saturday mornings at Harvard Square....

And yes Kozmo.com was the best while it lasted! And watching the footy in the North End!... I was the only non-Italian there during the Juve-Milan Champion's League final, but all they 80-year old Juve fans accepted me as one of their comrades.

Chan'ad, you own this town

Bahraini Rants said...

Chan'ad:
Pinochio's pizza.. how could i forget their food.. with their 1993 signed AC Milan squad Poster, & The 1982 Italian World Cup team. Their Tomato and Basil pizzas rocked... Actually all their food rocked..

I tried to stay away from the malls... but the Khaleeji pulling at Starbucks at the Galleria was pretty pathetic...

Since you've jogged back some memories, lets not forget the 4rth of July celebrations and the boston pops.. WALLYS!!! I can't believe you went to wallys.. how about Ryles Jazz Club by Inman square? Bob the Chef?

Shawarma King Sucked! I hated that overpriced crappy food.. Ararat in Watertown and Beirut Cafe by the state house were much much better... were you a BC lad? Presto Pizza, that placed satisfied my cravings when i was up by Cleveland circle.. Penang was fantastic wasn't it?

Why is that everyone pretended to live in Beacon Hill whenever they walked there? heheh..

They used to call me the Serie A slut cause I loved the 7 sisters with a passion.. But let's face the facts, your old lady needs to stop bribing the officials...

memories... wonderful memories..

Wardah: Just remembering the good times.. just a different life back then.

Bahraini Rants said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

You are making me all "misty" and I live in "BAWHSTON"!!!!

Spring is here now. Temps in the 50's. The snow is almost all gone and you can start to smell the salt air from the ocean again. Even the trees are starting to bud. Nothing is better than Spring in New England.

Come back ANYTIME and we can paint the town RED!

Anonymous said...

Ah , Eydla , great mems.Could you imagine never having Boston, man what a loss. Here's a few more for your list ;being the only straighties at a gay club in Ptown , surrounded by sweaty shirtless truck drivers , in cutoffs with rainbow suspenders ,gettin jiggie, and never once feeling too uncomfortable ...got to luv the the "no-judgment" policy in the US.Drop-offs( leaving little reminders of drunkenness)champagne bucket @ the Christian Lebanese table (Venu)all over DC, including hands in cabs.Cold Moretti's and C. salads at Ciao Bella . Josh , having manic episodes, falling in Venu, and turning ultra kuwaiti and screaming respect at Americans (mainly me).33 and discovering its a CTM convention and not minding the smell of curry wafting through the air .. The roof @ Spring St. the stories that roof could tell ;)Hidemi , categorizing your hair as African American , and sending you to the only A.American in the salon to cut it .Thank god we discovered natalia @ JJ.

Boston misses you a lot , has changed a lot . It'll always be a plane ride away , but those memories you'll have them forever, whenever ,wherever...

luedu

Bahraini Rants said...

Lulu,
Ptown was pretty crazy.. I still have nightmares of burly shirtless truck drivers getting down to a remix of "Beautiful".. nuts.. The episode at Venu was actually at someone else's table, it was our Lebanese friend Lordy who kicked them off their table so I could make use of their champagne bucket.. good old lordy.. You and your desire to keep me from my cheap haircuts... Moretti's on Newbury... good memories all shared with you..

love you babe..

Q said...

bahrainirants, what about me? :(

What would Boston be without me?

Things id like to add:

huge coca cola plastic bottle full of nickels and dimes. leaving the Harvard Sq station (from the punks' side). deciding on what food to get at Quincy market. driving to and from Woburn for indoor soccer. homemade sheesha with crap coal. ditching class just to sit on the grass. Kendall Sq cinema. The CVS near u. StarMarket (they changed the name since i think) on Comm Ave. Crossing any of the bridges over the Charles. Roxy (the coolest looking place no matter what anyone says!) ..... so much more, so little time!

Bahraini Rants said...

Q... how about Charlie's Kitchen, your infatuation with coffee and starbucks.. Skipping class or part of class to watch the Champions league games... that big bottle of coca cola with all those coins (200 dollars i think).. You being the ultimate designated driver... it was a very good time.. We saw BT live on my 21st birthday..

AW: glad to have stirred something up...

Anonymous said...

I miss you Edu.

Anonymous said...

3dnan wa leena came across this.

Mo said...

what is it about the bosox that forces mariano rivera to blow so many saves?

Good job on that 9th inning rally to avoid the sweep. Hope they can win another pennant.

Bahraini Rants said...

dem sox really turn things around... Rivera's a bum, and A-hole I mean A-Rod blundered in the 9th inning on El Guapo's hit, it could have been a double play and ended the game... I'm more worried about our Bullpen, our pitching just doesn't look up to par... Schilling's awesome, but we need another Pedro... I doubt we'll win anything this year.. the yankees are our stumbling block in the playoffs for AL, if we can just get past them, then no one can stop us.

I miss you too seroo