Cambridge

Beautiful Boston turns blue as our dreams of winter come true. The temperature is perfect for long walks through the city and last Sunday I went out to the institute of contemporary arts for a brief exploration of the new exhibits before heading for lunch and beers at Chart House on the harbour. The waiter was so excited in trying to show me photos of Obama’s daughter on her recent visit to the restaurant that he knocked my beer over. Amazingly, when he replaced it, he only replaced it with a little bit more than was left in the glass. Very unamerican. My date was from China but a long-term resident in the USA and we discuss each other’s fascinating and vastly differing cultures. The Asian culture is dramatically more gentle and patient than our British and American ways. Things seem almost too slow and yet when I am with westerners I often find them too fast, too aggressive. A few nights later we misbehave in the meeting room in my apartment building and she says that she nearly suffered a heart attack. Distance has set in… she thinks I am a ‘player’. I hate the term. I am not. However, I do like to be single and to travel and to explore the planet.
These days I sip Californian wine rather than Spanish. Contrary to what many believe, it is not a massive compromise. I’m still driven by art and literature and music. I am still delighted when I am able to spend a Sunday in peace, on my couch, reading a book, watching English football, listening to music. Once the game finishes I will go for a long walk, deep into Cambridge. I want to punch the guy from the Chevrolet adverts. He makes me feel like I need a drink. Cambridge will soothe my soul and provide a little love before I return home to blissful solitude.
I love this place.