617 Standing strong.

December 30, 2011. After 4 hours on the road from Stowe, Vermont, finally I've arived in Boston slightly before noon. Rainy morning and a few gaffes with the hotel as my family was checking in early. The day went by pretty good. Had a stumptous lunch at Legal Seafoods and walked around the Boston Common and Beacon Hill all the way to the Charles River overlooking MIT. After about four hours of walking around, my family decided to head in the direction of Boylston Street to shop, most vividly at City Sports on the 400 block and around Copley Square. Fast forward to dinnertime, we ended up at Max Brenners, situated within a block where both bombs went off. I don't know why but every major attack in the States occurs, I recall my experiences so vividly. And I go on an emotional rollercoaster hating myself for not treating my friends good enough, especially the handful who have stood by me during my darkest days and stood firm on being my friend, when I tried to throw them out, and cussed and hated at them. This makes me incredibly sad, tearing up and emailing a best friend that I love him and value him in my life last night.

And Max Brenner was where it all happened, where I felt touched by a friend on my birthday. Where I ate my first chocolate pizza for dinner. Yum. Walked back stuffed up and went to a liquor store on the same block to buy a beer to drink back in the hotel room.

December 31, 2011.

After visiting Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, my family decided to walk across the Charles River bridge to Back Bay. Cloudy skies on new years eve, and the roads sparsely filled with tourists. Walked down all of Back Bay, and I could see Fenway Park from Berklee College of Music. Stumbled upon a fire station, went in and watched the firemen at their drill. Bought a tshirt from them as I thought it'd be neat to own an original fire station t-shirt. Walked further down to the Prudential Center, and my. It was huge. Quardruple the size of the Ion mall downtown in Singapore. Had ice cream at the food court, and the mall was closing early for New Year's eve at 5pm. By then, it was already dark outside and the crowds were starting to line the street for the parade. Floats and street performers made their way down the stretch of Boylston which had been closed off to traffic. My first New Year's eve NOT spent in an airport or in a plane going back to SGP and it felt so surreal.

Boylston will never be the same again.

Like a memory that you can't erase, it's here to stay.