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Happy Thursday, Boston Life!

The Boston Life WordPress series about upcoming weekend activities continues! Remember: Every Thursday, we post a list of upcoming weekend activities for families, couples, and friends alike! Please post here if there is a certain type of activity you would like to see more of (art, music, food, exercise, etc.)! And let us know how your experience was if you go to any of these events!

note: “FREE” means admission does not cost money; items/food bought at the event may have their own prices

More than One Day
Boston Latino International Film Festival (November 19-22, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
          various Boston locations
          $10 (or free)
Blue Man Group – Boston (until January 31)
          Charles Playhouse (Boston, MA)
           $57 – $103 per person
$20 Boston Symphony Tickets for Patrons under 40-Year-Old (ongoing)
          Symphony Hall (Boston, MA)
          $20 per person
Play: Fiddler on the Roof (until November 28)
          The Footlight Club (Jamaica Plain, MA)
          $25 per person
Play: “A Confederacy of Dunces” (with Nick Offerman)(until December 20)
          Boston University Theatre (Boston, MA)
          $25 – $99 per person
Play: “Elf” the Broadway Musical (until December 6)
          Citi Performing Arts Center (Boston, MA)
          $35 – $125 per person

Friday (November 20)
Anne Taylor Cashmere & Cocoa In-Store Event (12 p.m. – 4 p.m.)
          Prudential Center (Boston, MA)
          FREE
Pavement Comedy Night (6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
          Pavement Coffeehouse (Boston, MA)
          $4 per person
6th Annual Local Craft Brew Festival (6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
          Cruiseport Boston (Boston, MA)
$50 – $140 per person
This is Tango Now (8 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, MA)
          $36 per person

Saturday (November 21)
Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting Spectacular (2 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
          Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Boston, MA)
          FREE
Beer Summit Harvest Festival (5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.)
           Park Plaza Castle (Boston, MA)
           $55 per person
Trivia Night: Turkey Trivia (7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
           The NonProfit Center Boston (Boston, MA)
           $35 per person
Voyage Piano Trio (8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
           New School of Music (Cambridge, MA)
           FREE

Sunday (November 22)
Christmas Shopping Fair (12 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Veronica Robles Cultural Center (East Boston, MA)
FREE
Cocktail Wars 2015 (6 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          The Sinclair (Cambridge, MA)
          $1 per person
Four-Handed Illusions: An Intimate Evening of Magic and Comedy (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
          Hampshire House (Boston, MA)
$50 per person

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Staff

Happy Thursday, Boston Life!

The Boston Life WordPress series about upcoming weekend activities continues! Remember: Every Thursday, we post a list of upcoming weekend activities for families, couples, and friends alike! Please post here if there is a certain type of activity you would like to see more of (art, music, food, exercise, etc.)! And let us know how your experience was if you go to any of these events!

note: “FREE” means admission does not cost money; items/food bought at the event may have their own prices

More than One Day
39th Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair (November 13 – 15)
          Hynes Convention Center (Boston, MA)
          $10 – $20 per person
Blue Man Group – Boston (Now – November 15)
          Charles Playhouse (Boston, MA)
           $58 – $103 per person
$20 Boston Symphony Tickets for Patrons under 40-Year-Old (ongoing)
          Symphony Hall (Boston, MA)
          $20 per person
Play: Fiddler on the Roof (until November 21)
          The Footlight Club (Jamaica Plain, MA)
          $25 per person
Play: “A Confederacy of Dunces” (with Nick Offerman)(until December 20)
          Boston University Theatre (Boston, MA)
          $25 – $99 per person

Friday (November 13)
Engaging Immigrant Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners (8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
          Bunker Hill Community College Entrepreneurship Center (Charlestown, MA)
          $20 per person
“Local Gifting for the Holidays” Food Bank Discussion (12 p.m. – 1 p.m.)
          Boston Public Market (Boston, MA)
          FREE
Art Exhibit: Modern Masters (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
          Martin Lawrence Gallery (Boston, MA)
          FREE
Huzzah! Colonial Tavern Nights (7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum (Boston, MA)
          $45 per person

Saturday (November 14)
Festi-Fall and Craft Fair at the Jackson Mann (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
          Jackson-Mann School (Allston, MA)
          FREE
New Blue Holiday Makers’ Market (12 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
           Out of the Blue Too Gallery (Cambridge, MA)
           FREE
Bantam Cider Company Taproom Tastings (12 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
           Bantam Cider Company (Somerville, MA)
           FREE

Sunday (November 15)
Kids’ Shows: Vanessa Trien and The Jumping Monkeys (10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
          Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline, MA)
$9 – $12 per person
Building a New Cultural Narrative for Social Justice (10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
          Boston Ethical Community (Cambridge, MA)
          FREE
Fun-Filled Open House (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
          The Plein-Air Art Academy (Brighton, MA)
          FREE
Thirsty Scholar Trivia (8 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          The Thirsty Scholar Pub (Somerville, MA)
          FREE

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Staff

Good morning, Boston Life!

It’s time for the English phrase of the week! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us–administration and teachers alike! Have a great time learning!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Administration

PHRASE OF THE WEEK
“Give me a hand.” OR “Gimme a hand.”

“Give me a hand” is an English phrase that is a way to ask for help with a task. “Give me a hand” would be used if one person would like the assistance of another person. It is an informal phrase that means, “Would you help me with this?” The second form of the sentence, “Gimme a hand” is a shortened version of the first form. “Gimme” is a shorter way to say “Give me” in English.

For example:
Person A: “Could you give me a hand with these bags?”
Person B: “Of course I’ll help you carry your groceries to your apartment!”
Person A: “Thank you!”

Happy Thursday, Boston Life!

The Boston Life WordPress series about upcoming weekend activities continues! Remember: Every Thursday, we post a list of upcoming weekend activities for families, couples, and friends alike! Please post here if there is a certain type of activity you would like to see more of (art, music, food, exercise, etc.)! And let us know how your experience was if you go to any of these events!

note: “FREE” means admission does not cost money; items/food bought at the event may have their own prices

More than One Day
Boston Asian-American Film Festival (October 22 – 25)
          Bright Family Screening Room (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $10 per person
“Tales of Halloween” Horror Anthology (October 23 & 24, 9:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.)
          Brattle Theater (Cambridge, MA)
           $9 – $11 per person
$20 Boston Symphony Tickets for Patrons under 40-Year-Old (ongoing)
          Symphony Hall (Boston, MA)
          $20 per person
Boston Book Festival (October 23 & 24)
          Copley Square (Boston, MA)
          most events are free
19th Annual Boston International Fine Arts Show (October 22 – 25)
          The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts (Boston, MA)
          $15 per person

Friday (October 23)
Film Screening: “My Life in China” (7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
          Bright Family Screening Room (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $10 per person
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band (8 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          Citi Performing Arts Center (Boston, MA)
          $45 – $180 per person
Film Screening: “Redefining Home” (9 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.)
          Bright Family Screening Room (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $10 per person

Saturday (October 24)
Film Screening: The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor (7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
          Bright Family Screening Room (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $10 per person
Faneuil Hall Halloween Pet Parade (12 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
           Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Boston, MA)
           FREE

Sunday (October 25)
Free Boston Duck Tours for Kids in Costume (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Boston Duck Tours (Boston, MA)
          FREE for kids
Food Day: “Just Eat It” Film and Panel (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Bright Family Screening Room (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $8 per person
Film Screening: Home in America (1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
          Boston Center for the Arts (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $10 per person
FallFEST (10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
          Assembly Row (Somerville, MA)
          FREE
Boston Public Market Pumpkin Patch (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Boston Public Market (Boston, MA)
          FREE

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Staff

Good morning, Boston Life!

It’s time for the phrase of the week! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us–administration and teachers alike! Have a great time learning!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Administration

PHRASE OF THE WEEK
“No problem.” OR “It’s no problem.”

“No problem” is an English phrase which is used to reply to someone else saying “thank you.” It is a way to say that the act that someone is thanking you for did not inconvenience you and you were happy to help/provide something/etc. “No problem” is equivalent to “you are welcome,” but is much more casual and more common. Many English-speakers say “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome,” but the two phrases mean similar things. “You’re welcome” is more common in formal situations, but “no problem” is common in casual situations, such as when someone holds a door open for you or does a little service.

For example:
“Thank you for helping me today!”
“It was no problem!”
OR
“Thanks for the bottle of water!”
“No problem!”

Happy Thursday, Boston Life!

The Boston Life WordPress series about upcoming weekend activities continues! Remember: Every Thursday, we post a list of upcoming weekend activities for families, couples, and friends alike! Please post here if there is a certain type of activity you would like to see more of (art, music, food, exercise, etc.)! And let us know how your experience was if you go to any of these events!

note: “FREE” means admission does not cost money; items/food bought at the event may have their own prices

More than One Day
Boo at the Zoo (October 17 & 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
          Stone Zoo (Stoneham, MA)
          $16/adults, $12/children
United States Olympic Team in Boston (October 17 & 18, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Weld Exhibit Area (Boston, MA)
           FREE
51st Head of the Charles Regatta Rowing Race (October 17 & 18, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Charles River (Cambridge, MA)
          FREE
Fall Foliage Picnic Cruise (October 17 & 18, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
          Rowes Wharf (Boston, MA)
          $71 per person (discounted tickets here)

Friday (October 16)
Duck & Apple Dinner Party (7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
          TBD Foods (Somerville, MA)
          $35 per person

Saturday (October 17)
Somerville Local First Harvest Fest (2 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          Arts at the Armory (Somerville, MA)
          $25 – $55 per person
Fall Harvest-Fun for Kids (3 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
          Haley House (Boston, MA)
          FREE
Fall Pumpkin Festival at Frog Pond (4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)
           Frog Pond (Boston, MA)
           FREE

Sunday (October 18)
YMCA Oaktoberfest 5K Run and Taste (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
          Oak Square YMCA (Brighton, MA)
          $30 per person
Fall Craft Beer Festival (12 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
          Boston Center for the Arts (Boston, MA)
          $59 – $69 per person (discounted tickets here)

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Staff

Good afternoon, Boston Life!

It’s time for the phrase of the week! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us–administration and teachers alike! Have a great time learning!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Administration

PHRASE OF THE WEEK
“trick-or-treat”

Keeping with the autumn/Halloween theme from recent blog posts, I want to discuss a phrase that Americans use when going door-to-door to collect candy on Halloween. Later this month, I will have another post about the holiday of Halloween, but for now, let’s talk about “trick-or-treat”!

The phrase, “trick-or-treat” comes from an old tradition when Halloween was used to make mischief (tricks) or to do kind things for your friends (treats). Nowadays, however, the “treats” we are talking about are candy on Halloween.

On October 31st, Halloween, when children dress in costumes and walk around their neighborhoods, they ring each doorbell and say “trick or treat!” The neighbor then gives the children candy! The act of going door to door to ask for candy on Halloween is called “trick-or-treating.” Children bring pillow cases or pumpkin-shaped buckets with them while they trick-or-treat so that they can collect their candy. So this upcoming holiday, it won’t be surprising to you if children knock on your door and say, “trick or treat!”

For example:
“Are you taking your children trick-or-treating on Halloween?”
“Yes, I am! My children are dressing up as a witch and a fireman, and they are very excited!”

Hello Boston Life friends!

Today, rather than the usual weekend events list, I wanted to take a bit of time to write about a common American tradition. During the autumn (fall), there are many places in the United States where families and friends go to do particular autumn activities. Two such activities are pumpkin patch visits and apple picking!

After you read this article, if you would like to do these activities, here are a few places you can go (CLICK) near Boston!

Pumpkins

                             
In preparation for Halloween at the end of the month, many people go to pumpkin patches (farms) to walk through the fields and choose a pumpkin that they might carve or paint for the holiday. (Some people also just leave the pumpkins out on their porches as decoration.) At pumpkin patches, there are sometimes activities for children and adults alike, depending on the location. Once you choose and buy a pumpkin, you can bring it home and find a pattern to carve into it! (Note: Wait until a few days before Halloween on the 31st before you cut the pumpkin open! That way it will last through the holiday!) There are a lot of patterns online to download and print if you want to carve a specific design into your pumpkin! You can buy carving tools at many stores, and a small candle or electric light will make your carved pumpkin (we call them “jack-o-lanterns”!) look great!

Apples

Another activity that American like to do during the autumn is go to orchards and pick apples! You get to keep the apples you pick, and it’s a great family activity! When you come home, you can use the apples to make apple pie or other delicious food!

Let us know if you get to do either of these activities! Have a great autumn, Boston Life!

Good morning, Boston Life!

It’s time for the phrase of the week! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us–administration and teachers alike! Have a great time learning!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Administration

PHRASE OF THE WEEK
“under the weather”

“Under the weather” is an English phrase which means “sick” or “ill.” People will commonly say that they feel “under the weather” when they have the common cold or the flu. Since it is cold and flu season now, try to stay healthy!

For example:
“I’m feeling under the weather. I have been coughing all day.”
“I hope you feel healthy again soon!”

Happy Thursday, Boston Life!

The Boston Life WordPress series about upcoming weekend activities continues! Remember: Every Thursday, we post a list of upcoming weekend activities for families, couples, and friends alike! Please post here if there is a certain type of activity you would like to see more of (art, music, food, exercise, etc.)! And let us know how your experience was if you go to any of these events!

note: “FREE” means admission does not cost money; items/food bought at the event may have their own prices

All Weekend (October 2-4)
(Ongoing) The Boston Symphony Orchestra (orchestra concert) — multiple times all weekend
          Symphony Hall (Boston, MA)
FREE (also, $40 – $165)
Mozart Requiem (classical concert) — Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
          Symphony Hall (Boston, MA)
          $27 (and up) per person
(Ongoing) Salome by Oscar Wilde (play) — multiple times all weekend
          First Church Boston (Boston, MA)
$14 – $40 per person
(Ongoing) Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (musical) — multiple times all weekend
          Boston Opera House (Boston, MA)
$44 – $104 per person
(Ongoing) From the Nile to the Euphrates (museum exhibit) — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. every day
           Harvard Semitic Museum (Cambridge, MA)
           FREE
(Ongoing) A Portrait of Bob Dylan (art exhibit) — 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. multiple days
         Van Ness Pop-Up Museum (Boston, MA)
          $5 – $10

Friday (October 2)
Milton Art-obersfest (7 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          Milton Art Center (Milton, MA)
$25 per person
The Hero’s Quest in the Movies: Lord of the Rings (7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
          Acropolis Boston (Cambridge, MA)
$10 per person

Saturday (October 3)
Open Dojo (10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
          Shobu Aikido (Somerville, MA)
          FREE
Formaggio Kitchen Barbecue (11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
          Formaggio Kitchen (Cambridge, MA)
          FREE (+ cost of food)
Suffolk Downs Racing and Food Truck Festival (horse racing)(11 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
          Suffolk Downs (Boston, MA)
           FREE (+ cost of food)
TEDx Jamaica Plain — local TED talks (1 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
          First Church of Jamaica Plain (Jamaica Plain, MA)
$25 per person
Bantam Cider Taproom Tastings (5 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
          Bantam Cider Company (Somerville, MA)
          FREE
Illuminus (art festival)(6:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.)
          Lansdowne St. (Boston, MA)
FREE

Sunday (October 4)
KERPLUNK! Musical for Children and Adults! (4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
          Improv Asylum (Boston, MA)
$12 – $15 per person
Concerts for Very Young People (3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
          Boston Children’s Museum
FREE
Allston Village Street Fair (12 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
          Allston, MA
          FREE
Homestead Hayfest (11 a.m. – 7 p.m.)
          Jackson Homestead (Newton, MA)
          FREE

We hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys the beginning of autumn!

Sincerely,
Boston Life Staff