Boston: Day one

Well, I'm here - the other side of the pond. Thanks to A for the renaming suggestion.

My state of denial (which stood fast: even when handing over flat keys / getting car ready to sell / paying excess for my baggage at the check-in* / landing at Logan International Airport) seems to be lifting. After not being excited at all to date I was very gleeful (the only word that suits) yesterday afternoon.

To start off with I am staying in Woburn (read: it's cheap and has a shuttle bus to the T Line connection into Boston) for a week while I sort myself out.

Got up. Worked. Got shuttle bus to train station (the driver gave me a piece of paper with 'we need flappers muric acid' scribbled on it. A cry for help? Emergency ingredient for the kitchens? Part of the Holiday Inn's plans to take over the world?); I annoyed an MTA employee by buying a train ticket using all the dimes I had stored in my 'Old Navy Halloween' piggybank back in London and got into downtown Boston.

Sorted out mobile phone (Cingular was recommended by a friend); visted the new office (in Cambridge way - lively and fun, ideal in many ways) and thanks to the fact that it's run by a girl from a village near me in Wales that's all completely sorted out too.

Saw part of the World Cup match (US vs Czech Republic) - after the revelry and excitement of watching the match in London on Saturday, it felt like I was the only person in Boston watching this one. The Red Sox lost to Texas last night, so you'd have thought that the locals might appreciate a stab to cheer at a winning side for something else (then again perhaps they knew that the US was going to lose 3-0).

Noticed that one of the TV listings for the evening was the world rock paper scissor championships. Went to bed early instead, though did catch a few minutes of Hell's Kitchen - seems that good old Gordon feels it's necessary to step the shouting and swearing up a notch. Watched him make all the trainee chefs get in dumpsters full of waste food (with a fair amount of retching on their part). I hate to admit it but I am actually missing Big Brother back in the UK - probably a good thing that I'm not there and can't watch it and can break the addiction.

Tonight I am off to see some places to stay longer term. Would be nice to get out of here in the next few days - this hotel has got a good internet connection but that' sabout it for the highlights..

* Well, I am here for a while. Colleen McLoughlin was only going to Germany and might not be going for that long and she had loads more stuff than I did.