2 walks around town

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to explore Harvard. I walked from my apartment, ate at a Thai restaurant ($11), and then headed to Harvard. The whole town is like an English village. All houses are wooden and painted in bright colours. Even the brick ones have a grand aura around them. This place is very different from what normally America is. There are no skyscrapers, glass structures etc. Only old Victorian houses. There are quaint shops selling eclectic stuff. I didn't realize when I reached Harvard. It merges seamlessly with the city. Only the number of beautiful buildings per square kilometer increases drastically. Harvard is one beautiful place. Walking in Harvard yard, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction and achievement. I really felt happy that I was here and a part of this majestic institution. Somehow, the sights and smells, though very foriegn, seemed familiar. I still can't understand why they seemed familiar, but yes, they did. I saw my department building from outside too. This one was more like America - geometric and modern. It seemed quite out of place among all those 100 yr old buidings. I timed my walk back to my apartment. It took roughly 20 mins.

In the evening I went out for dinner with Sheila didi. It was a pleasure meeting her. We became friends instantly. This time, we walked in the opposite direction (ie away from harvard) . We talked about various things, and walked quite a bit. We ate at a Tibetan restaurant. The weather was fantastic (something like mid-November in Calcutta), and we were together till about 9:30 . By the time I returned to my apartment, I was already calling it "returning home" !!