Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Boston Downtown Crossing, Lotus Paste Cake...and Brattle Book Store...

I was in the downtown area in Boston this morning...and pleased as punch when walking on Washington St. I spotted the Brattle Book Store. I promised myself I would visit that shop after I was done with my official errand.

Which, when accomplished, I realized I was close to another of my Chinatown favorites, the (Bo-Shek) Coffee House at the corner of Beach St. and Harrison Ave. So I went down to the shop which is a little bakery and ordered myself a coffee and a lotus paste cake...I wanted to wolf down other goodies like mung bean cake, the coconut cake, the rice ball dumplings and the cream puff turnovers...but somehow resisted... :( I sat on an aluminum frame chair as I drank my coffee as people milled outside and a Chinese gentleman sat at the next table over reading a newspaper...what a nice way to while away time...eating cake reading newspaper drinking coffee...sounds like the beginning of a haiku...or something from Alice in Wonderland...

Later I wandered over to the Brattle -- the first time in my 8 yrs in New England -- and what a joy the $1/3/5 carts are...especially the $1 carts had a great selection of books...not your usual books on military history and obscure biographies and gardening tips...there was some impressive stuff...book on poetry and history and of course lots of classics...it was the proverbial toyshop for book lovers!

Of course I had to go inside the store and when I left I was poorer/richer? by $100...

Well well well...

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