Spring Break in Eastern Europe

Greetings from Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is the last leg of my Spring visit to Europe, following Prague in the Czech Republic and Krakow, Poland. Eastern Europe was fascinating. In Poland, I stayed in the home of a friendly stranger, and in Prague, I had a chance to practice my Russian while touring the city from a hostel.

Dinner With the Tehranchi Family

Stopped for dinner with the Tehranchi family in Alabama (and to swim in their pool) on our way to see Pearl Jam in New Orleans.

Summer Trip to the Midwest

My friend Rob Fowler and I made it from Boston to Iowa. We stopped and visited my great-grandfather in Ohio along the way, as well as our friend Aaron Reichl in Michigan. Much fishing was involved. We took a trip to Omaha with Rob's father, and a trip through the Badlands to Mount Rushmore.

Strawdogs Performs at the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands

My current band "Strawdogs" performed at the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands this week. This is the third year we played the venue (although the lineup has changed considerably since our 1993 show). So far, we've made it past the first round of the competition. We're hoping to win the crowd next week and take first place for the third year in a row.

Dan Dunn of The Tech newspaper reports:

The third band was a cover band called Strawdogs; they had the fire that Hidden Agenda lacked. Band frontman Wes Williams '96 opened the set with the comment: "The last time we played some people got arrested. Please don't hurt anyone." It was a fair request, because the set list was a hard-rocking crowd pleaser with a strong Seattle tilt: Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Queensryche, Guns 'n' Roses, and a strong Metallica finish. Williams covered the songs well, but more importantly, he had an excellent stage presence that really got the crowd involved in the set. But the real star of the show was lead guitarist Kevin Borland '96, who handled the most intricate melodies with great skill.

Saynora Kawasaki

Today, I am leaving from Tokyo's Narita Airport to return to the United States. I have to admit I wish I had more time to spend here. Mr. & Mrs. Tsugawa (my friend Hiroko's parents) were wonderful hosts, and they spent a lot of time making sure my visit in Japan was an experience that I will not soon forget.

My home base was the Tsugawa residence in Kawasaki, Japan, which is situated just outside of Tokyo. While in Kawasaki, I particularly enjoyed Kawasaki Daishi, which was the site of an impressive pagoda, and an extensive display of bonzai trees. I wish I could read Japanese better, so I could have understood more of the writings posted over the trees. It appeared that there was a story behind each one.

I was happy that I had some time to get to see some of Japan's countryside on this trip. I took a train to Nikko with the Tsugawa family where we spent a few days exploring the temple in the mountains and the surrounding area. The food at the guest house was amazing. Each time food was served, there were roughly a dozen small plates of new and interesting dishes, each of which was as colorful as a work of art. The cooking was so exotic that it was impossible to predict what a particular dish would taste like based on its appearance, and each entree and appetizer was delicious and exciting.

Crust Wins M.I.T. Battle of the Bands

My band "Crust," formerly Schoolhouse Rock, won the M.I.T. Battle of the bands for the second year in a row. An important addition to the band from last year is vocalist Wes Williams, whose voice is similar in quality to Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. The band will play a series of local shows at college parties.

Schoolhouse Rock Rocks Schoolhouse

Last night my band "Schoolhouse Rock" won the final round of the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands. My photo appeared on the front page of The Tech last week after winning the first round. When the summer comes, I will be recording my first album with my high-school band "Descending Angel," featuring Missy Helmstetter on vocals, Rob Santiago on drums, and Jim Frint on Bass. Although the project is low-budget, I look forward to memorializing the tunes we played together over the years in New Jersey, while moving forward with new musicians up here in Boston.

Bull Fight at Las Ventas

I am in Madrid, Spain today, and what better to do on a free Sunday than see a real Spanish bull fight! I took the subway from the University to Las Ventas and easily found the Plaza de Toros. Outside, there were dozens of vendors selling all kinds of bull fight memorabilia. I chose a large wall-poster because it had the names of all those who would bravely dare to go up against the bulls in today's performance! The ticket ran me a mere 625 pesetas.

It was a large stadium, and upon entry, the show was just starting. As the show proceeded, I have to admit that I was somewhat let down. While it was an interesting affair, there appeared to be no risk or danger. The bulls appeared tired and sluggish, and once shot with the tranquilizers, the dual became most unfair. The challengers accomplished what I thought was akin to slaughtering a napping cow. I'm not saying I wanted to see the matador get decapitated, but I expected a little bit more. The costumes and horse riding antics made it worth the while, though. I did not stick around for the grill-out afterwards.