2

The North Charles Collective

Kate T. April 28, 2012

I love a website called Wooster Collective where they show pictures of street art from around the world. Started by Marc and Sara Schiller who started talking pictures of the street art they found on near their apartment on Wooster Street. Inspired by two of my favorite bloggers, I’ve created the North Charles Collective, a small selection of some of the cool street art in Baltimore.

Maya Hayuk's mural in Baltimore for the Open Walls project- Credit: Wooster Collective

at artscape, the largest free arts festival in the country!

a cool rooftop sculpture (thanks jhu_joseph)

Thanks JHU_Jacqueline!

my friend at the tree of yarn in hampden

the baltimore love project (check it out here: http://www.baltimoreloveproject.com/the_walls.html) in hampden

Check this out for even more cool street art: http://baltimorestreetart.tumblr.com/

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4

We’re the School on Fire

Kate T. April 14, 2012

[4] comments

Why Hopkins? We’ll prepare you for the Hunger Games.

#1: You can learn how to survive in the woods.

Before you start college, you can go on Pre-O and experience life in the wilderness. Not only is it a great way to meet new friends before you come to Hopkins, but it also teaches you skills that would be vital in the Hunger Games. Leave No Trace Camping would be vital so that the other tributes couldn’t see what parts of the woods you were in. Outdoor cooking would be vital to ensure that you can make a decent meal in the arena. You can also learn how to rock climb, whitewater kayak/raft, canoe, and backpack so that you have all the skills necessary to win the Hunger Games.

On Pre-O!

#2: You can learn how to cure wounds.

From osmosis from talking to some of the pre-meds.

#3: The city of Baltimore is your playground.

Anyone who knows me well knows I am a huge fan of Baltimore. I love exploring the city, meeting the friendly people who tell me really cool stories about the city, eating the food, and visiting the many different museums and attractions. Before coming to Baltimore, my sense of direction was absolutely horrible. However, as I’ve explored Baltimore and fallen in love with its charm, I’ve gotten some directional skills. Knowing how to navigate the urban jungle is similar to navigate the a real jungle, right?

#4: Quidditch is just as violent as parts of the Hunger Games.

When I was a freshman, I naively went to go see a Quidditch game and was surprised at the level of violence. People would hit each other with their broomsticks and the dodge balls.

#5: You can take a class in the International Studies/Political Science department.

This would be invaluable. Using diplomacy with the other tributes could create useful alliances or get you the food that you really needed. Since Hopkins is highly ranked for our International Studies and Political Science department, you’ll be pretty good at it too.

forming diplomatic relations with harry styles of one direction

#6: Lacrosse is kinda like archery.

And we’re pretty good at that.

#7: You can learn how to camouflage.

Hopkins has a really cool program where you can take classes at any of the schools in Baltimore. This opens up thousands of classes you can take as a Hopkins undergrad. One of the skills that Peeta used in the Hunger Games was his use of camouflage (to look like a rock). If you take some painting classes at Hopkins or MICA, you can too learn these skills.

#8: You’ll be well-fed before the games.

There is a lot of good food on campus and off-campus, so you’ll definitely won’t be hungry before the games. I definitely think Baltimore has an amazing, yet underrated food scene, so there are definitely a bunch of places to try.

Eating Vaccaro's (amazing Italian gelato) in the Inner Harbs- looking ridiculously attractive

at a gathering of food trucks in Federal Hill!

Eating Noodles also in the Inner Harbor

#9: You can build your muscles from walking around campus.

#10: Since Maryland is in District 12, Peeta Mallark will be your mentor. Enough said.

May the odds be ever in your favor as you complete your college decisions.

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2

North North Baltimore

Kate T. March 31, 2012

[2] comments

So, today , my friend and I went on the light rail, an amazing form of transportation, to North Baltimore. It was a really fun ride. The light rail isn’t the quickest form of transportation, but the view is really pretty. There are a lot of wooded areas, a gorgeous, huge lake, and lots of parts of Baltimore city and the surrounding suburbs to look at. One of the cool areas was called McCormick Road, where a lot of the McCormick factories are.

Speaking of visiting a new area, here are some pictures of the trip my Hopkins friends and I planned to Montreal! :)

Our final destination was Hunt Valley, which is right next to a huge plaza with tons of cool stores, likes Five Below (where everything is under five dollars- so cool), and great restaurants (Chipotle, Noodles and Company, and Panera).

We didn't need to pull out a map on the light rail. We did in Montreal.

While we were in Hunt Valley, we went vintage shopping. There are a lot of cute antique shops around and they have a huge range of stuff. While we there, we saw a 110 year old copy of Hamlet, some creepy dolls, and a lot of interesting clothes. We saw legit 80s leather pants ready to party with MC Hammer and some crazy-colored jumpsuit. I got an amazing burnt orange envelope clutch and a pair of sequined pumps! There were a ton of vintage Chanel, Coach, and Gucci bags! It was so cool. :D Guess how much I paid? Only $15 dollars! They even threw in a Tiffany and Co blue box for FREE! That’s my kind of store.

Best chocolate place ever.

We then went out to lunch at this really cool place called SouperNatural where they served soups, salads, and sandwiches. Since Hunt Valley is up a bit north, so they used ingredients from farms near there. Everything tasted so fresh! I got an amazing seafood soup; I’m definitely excited to go try their other ones.

St. Patrick's Day Parade!

We then went to go see the Hunger Games at this theater. The chairs were so comfy and the movie was great.

After that, we just walked around the area. It was really cool to explore a new area and I’m so glad I got to do it so easily. The light rail only costs $1.60 each way and is three blocks from the Mount Vernon stop (which the free JHU shuttle stops at). This is what I love about Hopkins; you have the beautiful city of Baltimore to explore, but you also have Timonium, Hunt Valley, and Towson to explore as well for only $3.20 round trip.

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3

Dr. Kate Frankenstein

Kate T. March 17, 2012

[3] comments

I’ve never really devoted an entire blog to my research, so I’d thought it be interesting to talk about what I do when I go into lab. Every week, I do something different, so here’s just a sampling of what I do; here’s what I did this Tuesday in lab.

I love research! :)

9:00- Get into lab and go to my lovely cubicle. My cubicle is kinda my home away from home. I have a pair of flats to change into (if I decide my outfit looks better with sandals), a blanket (because the lab is always cold), a few tea and hot chocolate packets, and J.C. J.C. is my misfortunate bobblehead, belonging to a graduated Ph.D student, that sits on my desk; he has probably been beheaded four or five times. My friend Michael and I have repaired him with super glue, but to no avail. I plug in my computer.

9:05- Lab meeting! Another professor from Johns Hopkins is giving a lecture on new methods of statistical analysis.

10:30- Put on my lab coat and gloves. I check out how my cells are looking. If they are confluent, or the cells are starting to completely fill the plate, I pass (or transfer them) into a new dish. If there are a lot of dead cells, I refresh the media (aka take out the old media (a fluid that has all the nutrients and things that the cells need to grow) and put in fresh media). As I do this, I complete my lab duty of filling the ethanol bottles.

11:00 After I’ve passed and refreshed my cells, I go over to my graduate student and we discuss my current project and what are steps are going to be in the future. He gives me some papers to read.

11:15- SURPRISE!!! One of the graduate students is having a baby, so we threw him and his wife a surprise baby shower. We had donuts, cookies, and cupcakes. It was delicious and it was fun to talk about babies.

11:45- Back to work. I start tracking my cells (track their movement) from videos I created last week. It takes a while to track the cells, but it is really interesting to watch the videos of the cells dividing and moving around, so I don’t mind doing this.

1:00- Lunch. Since there is a microwave, I normally just make some oatmeal in a cup.

1:10- Tracking cells like it’s nobody’s business. Other undergrads have come into the lab- and we all chat about the upcoming spring break for a little while. I show my friend the song “Call Me Maybe”; it’s just so catchy that I have to share it with everyone I know.

2:00- Finish tracking cells. I start working on my presentation for this Thursday. In my lab, we have undergraduate presentations every month or so where we present what we have been doing to the graduate students supervising our project. This ensures that we actually understand (and are interested in) our project. In my lab, they want undergraduates to do meaningful work; I think it’s really cool that they don’t just consider us a pair of hands.

2:30- Meeting with lab partner. The undergraduate that’s working with me on this project doesn’t know how to track cells, so I give him a 30 minute tutorial, so he’s ready to track tomorrow.

Hope you enjoyed! ☺

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1

Art Museums in Baltimore

Kate T. March 3, 2012

[1] comment

There are four main art museums in Baltimore: the Walters, the BMA, the Contemporary, and the Visionary Museum of Art. The coolest part about these museums is that there is a little something for anyone. I think that any type of art lover (or even art hater- do those really exist though?) could find something cool for them to look at one of the museums in Baltimore.

If you like French art,

if you like to eat good food,

if you like 19th century art,

if you like to sit and think in sculpture gardens,

if you like African arts,

if you like to see a large collection of great artwork from all over the world,

then you should go to the…

The Baltimore Museum of Art

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has a really great collection. They have really cool exhibitions from all over the world. They also have a large collection of French art and the world’s largest collection of Henri Matisse. I have gone there with my french class twice; it was really cool to talk about the French art in french haha. They have new exhibits often and they also display the Sondheim Prize (which is a prize of $25,000 dollars to support an artist’s career in Greater Baltimore). It’s really cool to see all the cool pieces. The BMA also has the best food; Gertrude’s has delicious American cuisine food. On Tuesday nights, they offer Tuesdays with Gertie where the normal entrees are only $12! It’s awesome. I suggest the salmon. They also have a gorgeous sculpture garden where I like to sit and think. They also have a cell phone tour where you can call a number and learn about the artwork. It’s also super easy to get to– it’s on campus!

Pieces from the Sondheim exhibition

The sculpture garden

And best of all, it's free!!

If you like awesome architecture,

if you want to see more than just art,

if you want to see art throughout the ages,

if you like mummies,

then you should go to the

Walters Art Museum

This museum has a lot of stuff. From butterflies to egyptian art to wonderful renaissance art, the Walters Art Museum has a great collection with tons of variety. It’s kind of curated awkwardly (some exhibits don’t have plaques explaining what it is, so you have to look through a binder of all the artwork in the room), but it’s worth perusing through all the art. It’s super easy to get to; it’s right next to the Peabody conservatory. It also has a great building; it feels like you’re in a ancient Greek building. It’s super easy to get to; it’s right next to the Peabody conservatory. To add icing to the cake, it’s FREE! YAY :)

The gorgeous building- thanks Slickfire.com

It also has (in my humble opinion) the funniest painting ever. I don't know why I love it so much.

If you like funky and cool art,

if you get overwhelmed in big museums,

if you like to see art with a wide range of media,

then you should check out…

The Contemporary Museum

I love the Contemporary Museum. It has a great selection of awesome art; they have videos, sculptures, and paintings. When I went there, they had this cool piece up where it was just a wall where they allowed people to write whatever they want all over the wall. My favorite thing there was definitely this video where they had people at a UC school (where lots of students commute) park according to color. It made a really cool gradient when the camera looked over it. There was a funny commentary about how one guy was upset that they didn’t have a category for his color of car. Also, I really like the history of the Contemporary Museum; it was really cool that the docent explained it to me. At first, they were working to redefine what a museum was; they had exhibits in car dealerships and in the other museums in Baltimore. They then got a museum near the Walters Museum and then they moved to location on Eager Street. It’s also free, but there’s a suggested donation (that I suggest you donate).

Marshmellow Man

If you like when a museum that utilizes all of its space,

if you like a museum that has lots of colors,

if you like cool and unique art,

if you like a museum where all the docents are excited to be there,

if you love awesome sculpture gardens,

the best museum for you is…

The American Visionary Art Museum

This is most definitely my favorite museum in Baltimore. All the art in the museum is made by self-taught artists. Some of the art is from people at Mount Sinai’s Hospital that use art to help cope with their mental disorders. They have absolutely awesome pieces of art. One of my favorites was this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57p86ke68Ks. It was absolutely amazing. They had sculptures made from Styrofoam cups.They also have 3-D glasses to wear around the museum; you can look at the pieces with a lot of red and it looks three dimensional. The docents were super awesome and helped me see all the awesome features and told me which ieces of art looked the best with the 3-D glasses. It also utilized every space; there was art on the stairs (crop circle art). There was even art near the bathroom stalls about farts.

Sculpture garden

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2

What I Learned At School Today

Kate T. February 18, 2012

[2] comments

Today, I was studying for my cell biology exam on Monday. I was reviewing all the information we already covered in 3 weeks, or 8 lectures (around 640 minutes), and I was absolutely amazed. I feel like I learn what I learned in a week in high school I learn in half a day at Hopkins. So, here’s “What I Learned At School Today” . Inspired by JHU_Tess’s Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in high school anymore, I’ve included some snapshots of some of my notes from class if you want to learn more!

Lab:

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, I go into lab before class to do my lab duties (filling ethanol bottles or hunting for mycoplasma (a nasty bacteria that doesn’t have a cell wall that is especially dangerous to cells because common antibiotics target the cell wall)). Today, I took pictures of some of the cells I plated on Thursday. I learned what conditions I am going to use for my experiments in the next weeks.

Note to Self: Don't do this again! (The popped collar is totally an accident)

Transport Phenomena I:

Today, I learned about the equation of motion. In chemical engineering, what goes in must come out,so a lot of our equations are balances of stuff (mass, momentum, moles, etc.) and this equation was no exception.

La France Contemporaine II:

We talked about the French economy today. It was cool because I learned why the word “Metro” exists. When the French created their subway system, they called it “Chemin de Fer Métropolitain” and then it later got shortened to “Le Métro”. Also, the French are creating a new public transportation called “Le Grand Paris” which will be a combination of the railroad and the metro and will drive without a conductor. Also, we talked about the differences in levels of interest in the economy between the American youth and the French youth. My teacher said they are not very interested in the French economy, but they are interested in the EU’s economic decisions. He said that they are more passionate about the fact that EU is thinking of banning the French’s export of cheese with raw milk. Interesting, huh?

Social Psychology

Today, we learned that when we are in a social situation, we try to diagnose why things happen. For behavior of other people, we tend to want to blame it on internal things (personality, motives, etc.) instead of on behavior or external factors. However, when we talk about ourselves, we tend to look at situation more. We also learned that our professor likes to watch beauty pageants.

This is what he said. I'm not insulting my social psychology professor.

Cell Biology

Today, we learned did an overview of the nucleus. We talked about a lot of the components of the nucleus and one of the most interesting facts was that females have more DNA than males, but males have more unique DNA content. JHU_Nick claims that this is the reason that girls are more “complicated”; we have too much DNA to deal with. Also, we talked about schmoos, which are projections from yeast that respond to mating chemical factors. They look a lot like the Schmoo cartoon. We also got in a conversation about this new band “Die Anderwood” and their music video. He was amazed that he was “hipper” than his cell biology students. (Warning: The video is a little freaky.)

The lone doodle of the day.

Intro to Java

Today, we learned about strings and substrings. Strings are a sequence of letters and substrings are just parts of that string. We used this to make a program that translates english words to pig latin. Ithay asway unfay andhay Ihay actually way earnedlay owhay otay itewray inway igpay atinlay.

System.out.print("This is a slide from my lecture!");

Work in Admissions

Today, I learned exactly how many (and incredibly diverse in interests) student groups on campus because I was organizing contact information for SOHOP. I also that if I mix the hot chocolate packets in the lobby with the coffee in the lobby, it makes a great mocha type drink. Yum. I definitely suggest to any visiting students or parents.

One World Cafe

I learned that One World Chai Lattes are truly the best.

Trying to fit all the info in my brain one...

two subjects at a time.

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2

The Quest of the Perfect Coffee Shop: Part 2

Kate T. February 4, 2012

[2] comments

Common Ground

location of common ground.

Hot Chocolate Ranking: N/A

Actually, I haven’t tried it. Shocker!

Coffee Ranking: 5 (Chai Tea Lattes)

I love the coffee here! It’s really delicious and they have really good iced coffee (which I’m usually not a huge fan of). It’s also from Maryland, which I think is really cool.

Coffee Art Ranking: 3 (Natural)

They don’t have any special designs, but that’s okay because it tastes so good!

Sweets Ranking: 4 (Do They Know the Muffin Man?)

Really, really good muffins.

Snack Ranking: 5 (Full Refrigerator)

They have absolutely amazing bagels. And soups. And sandwiches.

Cost Ranking: 4 (Nickel Pincher)

The coffee prices are not bad for a coffee shop (and the food is reasonably priced too).

Distance Ranking: 2.5 (Walking Distance)

Common Ground is on the Avenue in Hampden, so it’s definitely a little bit of a walk. I would say it’s not the best location to pick up coffee before class everyday, but it’s definitely a nice play to get coffee on a lazy Saturday.

Atmosphere: 4.5 (Hipster Paradise)

This place is the greatest. I am huge fan of hipster watching (it’s like people watching with hipsters) and this cafe in Hampden (a very hipster neighborhood) in Baltimore is perfect. Everyone in the cafe is different. The only problem is that the cafe is very small, making it sometimes difficult to find a seat. It also doesn’t have wifi, so it’s not the perfect place to study, but I love it! They actually have a bumper sticker in the store that says, “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.”

One World

coffee shop area of one world. thanks purna for the picture!

Hot Chocolate Ranking: N/A

Actually, I haven’t tried this one either.

Coffee Ranking: 5 (Chai Tea Lattes)

I love the coffee here! This is where I tried chai tea lattes and fell in love.

Coffee Art Ranking: 4 (Presentation)

I love that they serve the coffee in giant glass beer mugs.

Sweets Ranking: 4

Really, really good cupcakes. I didn’t even realize they were vegan.

Snack Ranking: 4

Great nachos. Great salads and wraps. Great omelets. So-so falafel though :(.Definitely get the chili!

Cost Ranking: 3 (Pretty Penny)

Distance Ranking: 3 (Not too far)

It’s right by the lacrosse field (aka it’s really close for the freshman, but not so much for sophomores). I love to walk, so it doesn’t bother me.

Atmosphere: 4

It’s a really nice place. Half is set up like a coffee shop and half is set up like a restaurant. They have really comfy benches with pillows.

Teavolve

Cup of Tea

Hot Chocolate Ranking: 5 (Godiva-Level)

So good. I had their hot chocolate with mint and it was amazing! So good.

Tea ~~Coffee~~ Ranking: 5 (Fit for Kate Middleton)

The tea here is amazing. They have so many different types of tea. http://www.teavolve.com/loose_leaf_tea.html.

Sweets Ranking: N/A

Snack Ranking: 5.5 (Perfect Lunch/Dinner/Snack/Brunch Location)

Teavolve has the best food. My favorite: the grown-up grilled cheese (feta, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil). The brie and apple is also very delicious.

Cost Ranking: 3 (Pretty Penny)

It’s not the cheapest, but the food is really good. Plus, they let you sit there for hours (even if you’ve only ordered a cup of tea).

Distance Ranking: 1 (Two shuttle buses away)

Teavolve is not close to campus. It’s in Harbor East (which is east of the Inner Harbor…). It’s a little bit of a hike, but if you spend the day or the afternoon there, it’s a great place to go.

Atmosphere: 5 (Study, Eat, Listen to Music, Repeat)

Teavolve is definitely one of my favorite places in Baltimore. The staff there is awesome. They’ll tell you facts about tea. You can order a cup of loose leaf tea for a 1.75 (and they’ll even refill the water for you) or order a pot and get this awesome tea pot. They have live music on the weekends- and it’s really good. The view is also really awesome; they have giant windows that overlook the harbor. A Baltimore must-see!

views from teavolve.

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5

The Quest for the Perfect Coffee Shop: Part 1

Kate T. January 13, 2012

[5] comments

I love coffee shops. Whenever I go home, my mom and I go to this amazing coffee shop called Ross’s Bread where they not only have amazing bread (and amazing croissants, scones, and sandwiches), but also amazing lattes and tea. Therefore, for the past year, I have been searching for the perfect coffee shop. I have learned in a city like Baltimore, there isn’t just one perfect coffee shop, but different coffee shops are for different times. Over this treacherous task (of trying many different coffees (and sometimes having a burnt one)), I have developed a method better than Zagat or the New York Times.

Alkimia

Yum. It's so good that I repeated a picture from the last blog entry!

Hot Chocolate Ranking: 4 (Kinder Surprises)

I love the hot chocolate here! It’s really delicious. It’s like the Goldilocks of hot chocolates- it’s not too sweet; it’s not too bitter; it’s just right. It’s also made relatively quickly- which is something that’s important when you really want a hot chocolate.

Coffee Ranking: 4 (Gingerbread Lattes- aka very delicious)

I love the coffee here! It’s really yummy. They make the whole slew of fritalian drinks; they have great lattes (and chai tea lattes as well) and cappuccinos.

Coffee Art Ranking: 5 (Picasso of Java)

They have awesome coffee art; I’ve gotten a heart and even a leaf!

Sweets Ranking: 5 (Cookie Monster’s Paradise)

They have great cookies; they’re really yummy and moist. They’re also huge (like the size of my hand!) Their scones and muffins are also quite delicious. However, you really do need to ask a little about what’s in the scones because one time I thought I was getting a chocolate chip scone, but I actually got a currant scone. It was still good, but nothing replaces chocolate in my heart.

Snack Ranking: 5 (Empanadas)

Yes! They have empanadas, so automatic 5.

Cost Ranking: 3.5 (Treat Me)

It’s a little expensive, but the quality is so good! It’s definitely for those days when I want to treat myself (or it’s a little cold outside).

Distance Ranking: 4 (Hop, Skip, and a Jump Away)

It’s on campus! It’s very close and convenient when I’m running around during the day.

Atmosphere: 5 (Hot Spot)

It’s in Gilman which is a gorgeous building where you can study or hang out with friends!

Carma’s

Hot Chocolate Ranking: I’ve actually never tried it.

Coffee Ranking: 5 (Chai Tea Lattes)

They have great coffee here! This was actually the first place I tried a gingerbread latte (and I’m never turning back). They also have a make-your-own-latte where you can add whatever you want. The additions are really cool like honey or chocolate- yum!

Sweets Ranking: 5 (“Oops I ate the entire bag” good)

The cookies here are outstanding! I actually tried them when I went to a graduate student coffee hour (yes, I know I’m not a graduate student)- and fell in love. They have a great white chocolate and craisin cookie.

Snack Ranking: 4 (Thanksgiving Stuffing Level)

The noodles are great. I literally haven’t found noodles like these. They also have great granola.

Cost Ranking: 3.5 (Treat Me)

Distance Ranking: 3.5 (Close)

It’s right on St. Paul Street! It’s very close.

Atmosphere: 5 (Hot Spot)

It’s very small, but very quaint and fun. When you dine-in, they give you a spoon with a number on it, so they know where to deliver the food.

Chocolatea

My friend drinking a coco-latte!

Hot Chocolate Ranking: 5 (Godiva Truffles)

This is the prime hot chocolate location. They have amazing things called coco-lattes, “100% real chocolate melted then infused with milk. Afterwards fresh fruits or spice is added to create the perfect cup of hot chocolate”. Some of the flavors include ginger (dark chocolate with ginger), peanut butter cup (milk chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and marshmellow), and Banana Split (dark chocolate with banana puree). It’s crazy good.

Ginger Coco-latte!

Coffee Ranking: 3 (Pumpkin Spice Latte)

The coffee here is really good. They have really interesting like mocha lattes (with you guessed it…chocolate) and amazing pumpkin spice lattes. However, the coffee here is pretty strong; I once drank before a study sesh and they stated that I was almost jumping off the walls. Watch out! :)

Sweets Ranking: 5 (Godiva Chocolate Shop)

You can also buy a variety of truffles from Chocolatea. My friend got them for me for my birthday. I told myself that I would only eat one a day, but that kinda didn’t work. Whoops.

A sampling of their truffles!

Snack Ranking: 5 (A Full Refrigerator)

Chocolatea has great food. JHU_Sydney and I go to Chocolatea to “study” sometimes and we normally stay for breakfast and lunch. Here are some of my favorite things from the menu: smoked salmon sandwich (Avocado, tomato, spring mix w/ wasabi mayo), the tuna melt (Avocado, tomato, spring mix w/ wasabi mayo), the noodle bowls, the pancakes, and the dumplings. You have to come early for the dumplings because they go fast.

The smart and funny JHU_Sydney at Chocolatea! :)

"Studying" at Chocolatea! As you can tell by JHU_Sydney's blank screen, she's hard at work. P.S. I don't know why I have demen eyes.

Cost Ranking: 3 (Pretty Penny)

It’s a little expensive, but I think the coco-lattes are worth it. And the food is so good.

Distance Ranking: 3 (Not too far)

It’s right by the lacrosse field (aka it’s really close for the freshman, but not so much for sophomores). I love to walk, so it doesn’t bother me.

Atmosphere: 4 (Colors Galore)

I really like how the store looks. It has a balcony to sit on (as well as outdoor seating).

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4

Last Day of Finals Adventure

Kate T. December 24, 2011

[4] comments

To celebrate the last day of finals, my friends and I decided to go shopping and I got to see how much Baltimore loves the holidays.

First, we decided to stop by Peabody to see the gorgeous Peabody (the music conservatory part of Johns Hopkins) library since it was recently ranked as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world according to the list here. However, the library closed at 5 and made us question its connection to Hopkins ;). However, the beautiful Washington Monument, a building right next to Peabody, was beautifully lit up for the holidays and we had to stop to take pictures.

Did you know that the Washington Monument in Baltimore is older than the Washington Monument in DC? (Photo Credit: Lex Ham '14)

After a walk around Peabody, we took my favorite form of transportation: the Charm City Circulator to the inner harbor. We first stopped at one of my favorite stores, H&M. Along the way, I think I created the look that will be on the Milan (hi JHU_Ian) runways next year.

Don’t worry I didn’t actually buy that outfit. Since we were a bit hungry from making new fashion trends, we stopped at Noodles and Company. Noodles and Company is quickly becoming my favorite fast food restaurant. It serves noodles, but in three different cuisines. You can order American noodles like Wisconsin Mac and Cheese fit for JHU_Sydney. You can also order Italian-style dishes or Asian-style dishes. It’s really fun because you can customize it. Also, they bring the food to your table, but they also say “no tips please! we get paid in pasta!” Those are my type of people. We then walked over to the Fudgery.

The Fudgery is the best place to get fudge. They have tons of different cool flavors of fudge. The best part is that all the fudge makers sing pop sings adapted to express their love of fudge. We tried a free (!!) sample of fudge and walked to another amazing candy store, It’Sugar.

"I See You Driving Downtown with the Girl I Love and I'm Like "Fudge" You!"- Direct Quote from the Fudgery

It’Sugar is pretty much a candy store from everyone’s childhood dreams. They have every time of candy imaginable and lots of awesome candy-related memorabilia. Here’s a video about it:

They have space food, love potions, and a whole lot more of items. My favorites are the “World’s Largest” items. They have very enlarged versions of candy on display in the store. One example is a 5 pound gummi bear. Not only does it look absolutely nauseating (and don’t get me wrong- I love gummi bears, but one of that size is disgusting), but they also list the nutritional facts which makes me feel like I’m on Epic Meal Time.

Where are the Oompa Loompas?

While I was there, I picked up some presents for my little brother.

I am the BEST big sister ever.

Disclaimer: my brother is a bacon lover. So that he can always smell like bacon, I bought him bacon toothpaste and a bacon car air freshener (?) for when he gets his license (eek!). I also got him 2 half-pound Reese’s cups. I also use the word little ironically because he towers over 10 inches over my head.

I guess enthusiasm isn't genetic.

After that, we decided to go to the Gallery (one of three parts of the mall in the Inner Harbor), but we were stopped by an amazing holiday light show- thanks to Lex Ham and Melissa Gosse for the pictures!

I didn't steal this picture from Facebook...

When the AMAZING light show was finished, we went to the Gallery to shop. The Gallery has lots of awesome stores: Wet Seal, Laila Rowe, Francesca’s, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Bath and Body Works, Payless, and Godiva.

After shopping, we needed ice cream and trekked over to Little Italy for Vaccaro’s! Yes, this is my third mention of this restaurant. On the way, we ran into a huge Christmas tree and a Baltimore police horse. It was really cool because I got to pet the horse and learn about the usage of horses in the police force.

We then went to see the Menorah all lit up (sorry no picture) and waited for the bus to go back to Hopkins. On the way, we saw the 3 bus’s LED lights change to say Happy Holidays!

************************************************************************************************************************

From the Breezeway:

I didn’t get anything from the Breezeway this week, but I did get to make a gingerbread man courtesy of Charles Commons Connections!

hard at work

Posted in Baltimore, Why Hopkins | Share This

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7

Kate’s Ideal Menu

Kate T. December 9, 2011

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Baltimore has a really amazing, but completely underrated food scene. Therefore, I’ve created a menu with some of my favorite foods from Baltimore restaurants… if I was preparing to hibernate and I had an unlimited amount of money. Hope you enjoy! :)

Apertif

Bacon Milkshake from Paper Moon- It’s basically maple syrup, bacon, and chocolate ice cream. It’s delicious, trust me. It has much more of a maple flavor than bacon flavor. My friend joked that the drink is analogous to your heart after drinking it as the bacon clogs up the straw like it clogs up your arteries.

Coolest restaurant ever. The interior is impossible to describe, but amazing. Each table is different; my friend and I sat at a table with drawer.

Appetizer

Warm Skillet Cornbread from Woodberry Kitchen- “Trickling springs butter, Cybee honey”. The honey is so good; I ate a spoonful of it when we were out of bread.

A.J.’s Tater Tots from Regi’s American Bistro- “The Original A.J.’s tater tots topped with melted brie cheese and applewood bacon.” So good.

O.W.C. Wrap from One World Cafe- “Mixed greens, guacamole, sliced tomato, grated carrot, fresh herbs and sprouts on a sprouted grain tortilla with garlic herb dressing”. This is actually one of the first restaurants I went to in Baltimore. It’s a vegan cafe, so they have vegan options (the cupcakes are surprisingly delicious, but I love this place so much!).

Entrees

Maryland Crab Cakes from Riptide Crab Room- ”Avocado mousse, fennel salsa verde, tomatillo sauce.” Because no Baltimore meal would be complete without a crab cake.

Blackened Salmon BLT from Red Star- “Double-Cured bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on toasted Sourdough and sweet potato fries”. All the food from Red Star is delicious; I tried it when my PI took us out for lunch during the summer. The sweet potato fries are delicious- dare I say better than regular fries?

“Mac” and Blue from Dogwood- “artisan blue cheese, farfalle, ginger and spices, breadcrumbs”. Dogwood is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore; it has the best food. I always take my parents there. My favorite thing about the restaurant is that instead of serving bread and butter, they serve soda bread and mango butter.

Adult Grilled Cheese from Teavolve- “feta, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil.” So good!

Salmon alla Bella from Gertrude’s- So good! I went here with my lab because on Tuesday, select entrees are $12 (instead of 20-30)! It’s amazing- and again they have great bread (a definite perk)!

Penne Rosa from Noodles and Company- “Spicy tomato cream sauce, penne pasta, mushrooms, tomato, spinach and wine, parmesan or feta.” Noodles and Company is a chain restaurant (mainly in the South), but they serve all different types of pasta and noodles. They also have gluten free options!

I really like seafood. That's why I'm standing right in front of this billboard for oysters! :)

Chicken Tikka Masala (ordered with “extreme spice”) from Tamber’s- “Boneless chicken marinated, grilled & sautéed in an aromatic masala sauce.” Dreams are made of this stuff.

Desserts-

Banana Split Coco-latte from Chocolatea- “100% real dark chocolate melted then infused with milk. Afterwards banana puree is added to create the perfect cup of hot chocolate.”

Yum.

Otterbein’s Cookies- A Baltimore delicacy (the best cookies in Baltimore in my humble opinion). They are these thin, buttery and absolutely delicious cookies.

Bananaconda from Wheely Good Smoothies- “Mango nectar, organic bananas, slice of ginger root.” So delicious. Plus, at Wheely Good Smoothies, you have to pedal to blend your smoothie.

Peanut Butter Panic from Vaccaro’s- “Peanut Butter Fudge gelato with chopped Reese’s chunks and whipped topping.”

In case I'm still hungry... These two photos are from Lex Ham '14.

Bon appetit!

Posted in Baltimore, Reflection, Why Hopkins | Share This

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