Happy New Year all! As you can see from my half-successful attempt at live-blogging Christmas, my trip to the US started off with a bit of a bang. It ended with a whimper, but let’s get to the stuff in-between.

Returning to Boston is always a mixed bag of emotions and experiences. On the one hand I am excited to see friends and acquaintances that I’ve been out of touch with for too long. One example is of a high-school buddy who I haven’t seen since then and is now a world-touring and highly-regarded classical violist, but is still as down-to-earth as she ever was.

Better still is coming home to the best friends you haven’t seen or talked to at all in the past year and having everything still be cool. I’ve learned in my travels that these are the people who will always be your true friends; the ones with whom it seems not years, but only days have passed since you last saw them. Now if only the principal friend in question (you know who you are) would give me their CORRECT e-mail address, perhaps we could stay in better touch!

Our schedule during the first week back was pretty hectic - first three days with countless family members (18 on the 25th, 16 the next day and so on) in the Boston area, then down to New York City for just two nights to see friends and a new show by the makers of De La Guarda called Fuerza Bruta. Not as dramatic in the narrative sense as its predecessor, the new show still certainly portrayed some fantastic imagery, from a man running through life’s walls at full speed, trying to stay alive and sane at the same time to a magnificent shimmering and twisting sail, upon which two lovers struggle to find one another in the maelstrom. Most spectacular of all was the third act, in which a clear plastic (mylar, I’ve been told) sheet is hung over the audience, upon which an inch or two of water and five of the performers slide, tiptoe, crash, jump and swim for our enjoyment. Similar I would imagine to looking into a fish tank from the bottom, at one point the plastic is lowered within reach of the audience’s hands, where we could feel the actors doing their abstract thing. So cool.

On New Year’s Eve we made a long trek up to New Hampshire, where we relaxed and maxed with sister Abby and family, including my one-year-old devilishly cute (or is it cutely devilish?) nephew Owen, alternately referred to as Owen-bear, Owen-pig, O-bear, baby-O, Oh-no-what-has-he-gotten-into-now, O-dear and poop machine. We spent one day building a not-so-massive snowboarding jump in the back yard and one day at Cannon (for which Mike S joined us for), then headed back down to the bean.

Throughout my time at home I undertook the process of cleaning out my old bedroom. In what was surely an evolution worthy of Darwinian lore, I removed dozens of posters (Beastie Boys, Jackie Chan, the Terminator, Wild C.A.T.S., Daewon Song, Soundbombing II, Mikey LeBlanc and many more of the like), filled a computer-monitor (17″ CRT, so that’s big) box with clothes for charity (mostly a combination of things I’d either held onto for sentimental value such as t-shirts I wore in middle school, or items I’d recieved as gifts in years previous that I’d been too coy to say I’d never be caught dead wearing, and lots of baggy pants), gave away another large box of books (Stephen King collection, I exorcise you of your demonic possession of my bookshelves!) and VHS tapes (anime, skate videos and action flicks I’d picked up during my 8 months or so working at Blockbuster video) to the library, and mounds of tchotchkes (American Eagle statuette, Dali-esque glow in the dark analog clock, pump-action nerf air-rifle, a guitar strap I’d wanted to use as a camera strap, etc).

Kept were representative items of childhood life such as elementary schoolwork, “raps” I’d written in the margins of notes in middle school, love notes (”I will luv u 4eva n longa”) from the girl down the street (what a stereotypical childhood I had!) and the high-school sweetheart, faxes and postcards from my sister when she was living in Russia in 1993, a mysterious letter from someone in New York named “Marc” detailing suggestions in kung-fu and gun-fu flicks I should check out (nearly all of which I have since seen), letters from my grandparents and so on. Also, many things from my more recent time in Japan such as flyers, letters, ticket stubs, gifts and decorations. Of course, countless photographs and negatives from as early as middle school and right through my college years.

The process made me realize what a pack-rat I am. I never realized that I conciously collected stuff (except for movie tickets and stickers of all kinds) until I was knee-deep sifting through it all, vaguely recalling that I was saving it for the time when I’ll have some huge house to put it all in. I guess I’ve just been averse to throwing perfectly good (though questionably useful) things away. Americans consume far too much as it is, and I’ve been blessed by a more priveledged exisitence than most. To say that this collection is my way of stemming the tide of crud that weighs us down into “settlement” or even that it’s a form of boycotting new junk would probably be too odious. My guess is that we all do it, mostly unconciously, and that people who are good at losing/getting rid of stuff probably have baggage of a different sort.

We visited with college friends and others, including the beautiful red-headed Evans twins, Maya the destroyer (and George of the Javelin Jamz [WARNING: myspace link]), Eri-chan, Peter the soon-to-be-documentary-filmmaking-rockstar (I’ve seen it!) and Chelsea hipster. The last two nights were spent on a floor in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with a cat-paranoiac by my side (”But I didn’t want him to head-butt me!”) and a broken computer in my laptop bag. We tried taking it to Mikey’s Hook Up (left unlinked on purpose), but they responded that their “pc guy is only in once a week” and Saturday presumably wasn’t it. I have to give it to New York, though, they have nearly as great used-clothing stores as L.A. I got some sweet green and yellow Sauconys for $15.

Throughout the whole trip I was amazed by the abundance and quality of an incomparably diverse range of goods and services, and being back in Hungary I already miss them sorely. Things like the fantastic Mexican, Thai, Tibetan, Vietnamese foods, fresh fish and beautiful organic vegetables, the organic 24-hour markets, curteous service and many, many people of color and immigrants for whom the United States represents a beacon of hope at a chance for a better life. I was reminded, as I looked with a foreigner’s perspective, at what great potential America still has, if only it can move foward and change for the better.

Well, these are the words. Expect pictures as soon as I get my computer back up and running. Peace in 2008.

Sorry folks, the liveblogging didn’t work out here, because a) the WiFi in my folks home was kaput, b) there was way too much craziness (we had like 20 people) to write, c) my nephew Owen ripped a few keys off my laptop, and d) umm, jetlag much? It’s 3:50am GMT +1 right now.

Full-ish update tomorrow, I promise! Goodnight!

I’m thinking about liveblogging Christmas.

This would be huge for the five or so people who regularly check the site. Otherwise, I can’t say there’s much point.

Except.

That it would be a very cool thing to look back on in 20 years.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments.

My grandmother Esther turns 90 (shhh, don’t tell her!) years old today. She can still drive, gets her hair done every week and has two (soon to be three) great-grandchildren. I am so happy for her and hope there will be many more!

With her husband, Howard.

Abram, alien baby.

Welcome to the world Abram Cyrus Freeman Goldstein!

Born 7/4/07, 6:59 am 5 lbs 11 oz, 20 inches long

“Dear Dan,
Greetings from Trinity College!  Spring has arrived in Hartford and the Trinity College Fund is gearing up for the last few months of the fiscal year.  You have been a generous supporter of the College in the past and know the importance of giving back to your alma mater.

Last year you donated $6 to Trinity, and we are hoping that you will consider doing so again this year.  You can give through our online giving page at https://www.alumniconnections.com/donate/trinity/, by calling our 24-hour gift line at (800) 771-6184, or by mailing a check to:

The Trinity College Fund
Williams Memorial
300 Summit Street
Hartford, CT 06106

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns and I hope you consider a gift to Trinity College!

Best,
Jennifer Tougas

Annual Giving Officer
Trinity College
300 Summit Street
Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 297-2365

800) 771-6184 - 24-Hour Gift Line
Click here to give to Trinity!“

Check this out: the concert of my DREAMS, basically every single artist I would ever want to see, in one place, on one day, will happen this July 28-29 in New York. It’s Rock the Bells.

Apparently the original one-date show sold out in 20 minutes, prompting the organization of a second show, which went on sale today at 4pm Hungary time and are probably already sold out. Despite the $100 ticket price ($83+ an unbelieveable $17 ticketmaster surcharge), I actually checked airfares - unfortunately in the $700/person range. I think if I’d found anything for less than five-hundred I would seriously consider going. This is like the Woodstock of hip-hop.

A small consolation was that I also saw that the Roots will be playing in Hungary at the reportedly lame-o Volt Festival this summer. The Sziget Festival is also shaping up to be a bit on the weak side, leaning way too far towards washed-up or second-tier rock acts than anything contemporary. But I guess this is the price we pay for being a small, quiet country with no terrorists or crazy people shooting each other.

Anastacia (Ann) Stathos of Cambridge, a retired elementary teacher, died of cancer on April 28. She taught fourth grade at the Mary Lee Burbank Elementary School for 45 years, and retired in 1993.

Known to generations of students as “Miss Stathos,” she was a strict disciplinarian who instilled in her students a life-long love of learning. Over the years, students would often return to visit her at the Burbank School to share their news about college, jobs and their families. She touched the lives of more than 1,300 students during her teaching career, and was the recipient of many teaching awards.

She loved traveling, reading and was especially proud of her Greek heritage. Her parents immigrated from Greece in the early 1900s and settled in Cambridge, where Miss Stathos grew up in a tightly-knit Greek family and community. Her father founded the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cambridge and owned a candy shop in Central Square.

Miss Stathos is a graduate of Cambridge Latin High School and attended Lesley College and Boston University. She is survived by two sisters, Christine of Wellesley Hills, Mary of South Yarmouth, and two brothers, Charles of Lincoln and John of Charlottesville, Va. Another sister, Julia died in 2002. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Funeral service will be held at 11 am Friday at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. Burial will be at the Mount Auburn Cemetery, immediately after the service.

Gallery of the US trip now available HERE. Blog entry forthcoming. Actually, as most of the people who read my blog are probably IN the pictures, and therefore know all about my trip already, I want to take a poll: who out there wants the written details of my trip? Please post your responses as comments.

(more…)

I will be in the U.S. of A from December 25th to January 13th. If you are anywhere near the following places and want to meet up, please drop me a note! Cheers and happy new year!

Dec. 25th-Jan. 4th: all over southern California. We will be based in L.A. and probably will take a few side trips to Joshua Tree and Big Sur, as well as San Diego. All my west coast peeps holler at a playa!

Jan. 5th-13th: East side ’til I die, why aks why, as the world keeps spinnin’ to the D-A double-N, Y. Boston and NYC, maybe some stops in between. Hit me up.

Congratulations Abby and Merlin on the birth of your son Owen!

First thought upon arriving at JFK: where are all the white people?  Second thought: damn, that’s a big fat ass.

Yes, I’m back in this country ’tis of thee, America the large and in charge, for a few weeks to see friends, swim in the ocean, and celebrate my sister’s wedding.  I arrived in New York on Tuesday, spent a couple of days hanging with buddies there, then went upstate to New Paltz for said holy matrimonial, a bustling and beautiful event of not just one day, but really four.

(more…)

Whew!  Spent the last two weeks charging the sights and sounds of central Europe with the Freeman parental unit.  It had been a while since I’d seen them and E and I had both a mix of anxiety and excitement before they arrived.  Not only would we be tour-guides and general entertainment providers, but this would also be the first “meeting of the parents”.  To save those of you who detest my story-length posts, I’ll say now that it went fine and there were no REALLY crazy stories.  But there were MANY moments of interest.  Read on for the play-by-play.  If you just want to see the pictures, HERE is the link. (more…)

Some of the first pictures from the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival have been posted online and they look great.  They could use some SERIOUS editing though.

Check them out HERE.

So told to me by Sawa-chan, 3-year-old know-it-all and one of my new favorites at Nakayoshi.  Since the graduation (see pic) and spring break, we’ve gotten 4 new kids to replace the 5 that moved on to bigger and better things.

So, the past two Wednesdays have been super hump-days, because for two weeks in a row I’ve gotten up at 7 am, romped with above mentioned knee-highs for 6 hours, taught 2 private English classes downtown, then headed off to 8 hours of HAM.  Basically, a 21 hour day.  Ouch.  So if you’re wondering what HAM actually looks like, I’ve uploaded a PDF to the site.  Click HERE to read all the exciting business news.  I was actually kind of proud of this one because I thought of some pretty snappy headlines.

Lastly, word from the Trinity College International Hip Hop Conference this weekend is that things were “unbelieveable”.  Can’t wait to see pictures and congratulations to everyone graduating this year!

The ‘rents arrive this week for two weeks of central eastern European fun and relaxation.  This marks the first of several visits I’ll be getting from family and friends from home, including my sister and her husband in June.  Should be a fun and busy trip, with stops in Budapest, Gyor, Lake Balaton, Vienna, Prague and elsewhere if time permits!  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my family - well, Christmas wasn’t so long ago, but I’ve been living outside the US for damn near 2 years now.  All the preparations and logisitics planning brings me back to another parental visit while I was a student in Japan - wow THAT was a long time ago.  See you soon mom and dad!