Second Sunday in Boston

After spending some good bonding time with a few classmates last night, I decided to go to City Life Church this morning, which is just a couple blocks away from the Boston Common.  I was maybe going to go to Park Street Church, which is also right next to the Boston Common.  However, when I was trying to look at the websites last night for directions and service times, the Park Street website was not working (it is now though) so that made the decision easy, since I knew when City Life was and not Park Street.  Church was good this morning.  I felt so welcome and had the opportunity to talk to a few people/families at the church.  After the service, there was a group of newcomers and visitors that went to lunch with a couple people who have been going to the church for quite some time.  We went to PF Chang's and it was fun to meet the others and get to know some people outside of school as well.  There was actually one guy who just moved to Boston three weeks ago who graduated from The Master's College and we found out that we have some mutual friends!  It is a small world!  A bit of home and familiarity here in Boston.  And, this same guy is working as a digital media person for Harvard Medical School and is working in the same building where my anatomy class/lab is being held.

On my way back to the T (train station) there were a lot of people in the park (Boston Common) on one of the grass sections and I was wondering what the group was doing and what they were all about.  As I got closer to this group, I heard worship music.  So, then, I proceeded to look around and found one of the canopies they had set up had a piece of paper that said "Ask Us" on it.  So, I went and asked them.  Low and behold, it was Park Street's annual service and celebration in the park!  It reminded me of Grace Church in San Luis Obispo and their Fall kickoff in Mitchell park across the street!  And, as Grace celebrated their 75th anniversary a few years ago, Park Street is having their bicentennial celebration this year!  Wow!!!  Everything is so much older on this side of the country.  It was kinda cool.  Today was a combined effort of four different churches in the area and they were having a party in the park all afternoon long, ending the day with an afternoon service.  So, I stopped and got some information from the table and now, I know when they meet so I can go next week and see what a more regular Sunday looks like at Park Street.  Interesting...City Life was meeting in a different room today as well.  It was the Sunday of differences!  

Speaking of differences...I had a different/interesting(?) interaction with a guy today.  Oh my.  After checking out the Park Street celebration, I walked around the Boston Common a bit and looked at all the children playing and everyone walking about.  It was so different now than when my mom and I were there in February when there was snow and not many people out.  After taking a few pictures, I started walking (for real this time) to the T and I was stopped again.  By Dan is his name.  It was a bit awkward because he just came up to me and started talking and told me I was pretty and pretty much said he wanted to take me out on a date.  WHAT?!?!  Do guys really do that?!  Shirin suggested that it might be because we are more in a city and there are more people around that guys are more willing to put themselves out there.  I don't know...city guys vs. small town guys?  I'm not sure.  Whatever the case, he was rather forward, took me by surprise, and I didn't know how to respond or what to say.  After talking him for too long, I finally was able to leave and continue to the T to go home.  

Random thoughts/observations:

Quite a few churches in Boston, or in the area, meet in hotels, which is something new and different for me...kinda cool.  :)

A few pictures from today....

 

Park Street in the park celebration

The empty frog pond that people were ice skating on last time I was here.

(With frog statues at the end)

So many uses for the pond--ice skating, reflecting, and wading!

Depending on the time of year...multi-purpose pond.

Children playing on the Tadpole Playground 

(right across from the frog pond)