Oh hi there, Boston

Last weekend S and I were treated to another visit from his friend (and I guess my friend now too!) from Japan. He and S originally met at S’s first job out of college at a contract pharmaceutical company in Greenville, North Carolina. S met M when he routinely would visit the “cack-a-lack” as we belovedly call NC from Japan in order to provide the company with technical assistance.

Once S moved up north again, M was eager to visit a new spot in the US and we were happy to be tour guides. See, as much as we explore the area on our own, it’s not often that we dish out the big bucks on a truly fancy meal or tourist experience, like the Prudential Center visit of last year or this year’s ride on the Boston Duck Boats. It’s so fun to have family or friends visit, because we like to show them a good time, and have seen more of Boston and the surrounding areas this way probably more than any other.

M visited on Friday evening, when we took him out to a chic meal of lobster, haddock and goat cheese pasta for me at a French restaurant overlooking Boston Common. M is on a mission to eat seafood whenever he visits, so I was glad there were items on the menu that did not disappoint. We then window shopped Newbury Street at night, talking about the various wedding dresses in some of the shop windows, and how M’s wife’s white wedding kimono - and wedding hair apparently - weighed a ton!

The next day we hopped on over to the Boston Museum of Science to get tickets for the duck boat tour, which has been something on M’s sightseeing list since last year. We really did have a good time – coming from Baltimore, S and I have built an appreciation for the history and culture of different neighborhoods sprinkled throughout a big city, and the tour broke that down for us quite nicely, explaining the influence of the Anglican and Puritan religions in the early years of settling the city. The water portion of the tour was just plain fun, and a good chance to see Boston-Cambridge from the Charles River.

Since the duck boats depart and arrive back at the Museum of Science anyway, we spent the rest of the day there, going through the exhibits one by one. We liked the pendulum exhibit, which demonstrated how the earth is rotating, the probability and math exhibit, which visualized mathematical properties through mobiles, tracks and rubber balls, and this hidden gem of a display with two live primates – whose species currently escapes me. S say’s they’re “tim-a-lanka limpurs,” but I remain unconvinced. They we teeny tiny, with old man faces, and long white plumes of fur sprouting off their faces like a mane – so fascinating to watch.

Thanks for visiting, M! We had such a great time meandering around the city, and we can’t wait to see you soon!