Rhode Island, Parts 2&3!

Saturday, September 11, 2010
Well, today was fun! We got off to a slow start again this morning but were helped on our way out the door by some delicious coffee that Matt made with his French press. Mmm! We drove into Massachusetts to King Richard’s Faire, a sizeable Renaissance festival. It took us a bit over an hour to get there and we hadn’t had breakfast, so the first thing we had to do was eat. Interestingly, concessions there are purchased with tickets, were are purchased with cash. Weird. Lauren actually ran into a couple of friends she’d met at conventions, and we all ate and chatted and laughed for a while before going our separate ways.
We wandered more than anything really, not stopping to watch any shows but poking into every vendor’s shop along the way. We also got distracted for a long time by watching a pair of young tigers—one white, one orange—gamboling about in their enclosure, on break from the big cat show. They were adorable!



All in all, the faire was nothing to write home about, and I kind of wish it hadn’t cost me $26 to get in, but I had a good time and was very good and didn’t buy anything except food and a bottle of water. And it was fun to people watch and lust over costumes and cute guys—the usual, you know. Once Matt had had his fill of beer and mead, we decided we’d exhausted the place and would go look for something else to do. And so, we bid the faire and Massachusetts farewell.
 
Lauren and Matt took me to dinner tonight at one of their favorite restaurants in Providence. I don’t remember the name, but it was a Cambodian place, and Lauren insisted that their medicinal soup was incredible. I’d never had Cambodian before, and not knowing what I wanted, simply ordered the Num Yaa, which Lauren and Matt were both having (my other motivation was that a small bowl, which Lauren insisted was quite big enough, only cost $5.50. I don’t want to run out of money before I get to San Francisco! ). Well, the soup came, and I was immediately excited just by looking at it: it was an orangey color, with visible spices in the broth, bits of shrimp and chicken poking out, and topped off with a pile of shredded carrot and cabbage. I couldn’t wait to tuck in.

Bite number one tasted like firecrackers going off in my mouth as I experienced one flavor, then another. An orangey sweetness, the savory sensation of chicken broth, the earthy taste of herbs both familiar and not, a crackling aftertaste like chili powder—it was incredible. Lauren says the soup is considered medicinal because all the herbs in it are believed to have health benefits. Oddly enough, I’d started to feel a little off in the car and almost felt feverish when we sat down to dinner. After just a few sips of that broth, however, I was feeling like myself again! There were also some ramen noodles lurking in there, which I slurped up with great enthusiasm. What a simple, delicious dinner! I enjoyed looking around the restaurant too—it wasn’t shabby, tacky, or uninviting like some Asian restaurants can be. The interior was painted brick red and yellowy gold, and the furniture was all new and clean. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. All too soon, the meal was topped off with fortune cookies and then we were on our way.

I’m hoping that we can explore Providence a bit more tomorrow—I’m really liking what I see as we drive through the city. Brown University is also there, and I enjoy walking around old college campuses. Also, Emma Watson goes to Brown! Conveniently, one of her (rumored) favorite hangouts, a coffee place and cafe called The Duck & Bunny, was just across the street and down a couple of buildings from where we’d had dinner! I had faced out the window during the meal and believe me, I was on the lookout for that pixie cut. We might go to the Duck & Bunny for brunch tomorrow. How fun!

In other news, Matt has finally looked up the house that he and Lauren have been lusting after. While the photos of the interior were beautiful, the house is on the market for $300,000, which unfortunately puts an end to that dream. Then again, they’re both quite famous wizard rock musicians, so if they asked all of their fans (Lauren has over 17,000 YouTube subscribers alone) to buy at least one album or piece of merch as a wedding present to them, they’d probably make enough money for a down payment. We shall have to see!

Sunday, September 12, 2010
Well, today was not quite so much of an adventure. But we did go to the Duck & Bunny!! Oh my god it was adorable and delicious. Where do I begin?

The building is one of those old saltbox colonials, painted a creamy peach color. Up a small set of porch steps and you find yourself in a narrow, dark blue hallway with hardwood floors and a black hostess’s table. From there we were tucked into a dining room around the corner, decorated all in white and silver. The art in the Duck & Bunny is hysterical—classic pieces altered to include, of all things, a duck, or a bunny. For instance, these:

Hilarious. After the one couple in the room had left, I immediately began to photograph everything. On Saturdays and Sundays “The Bunny” as Lauren and Matt abbreviate it (also known as the Quack & Hop), only serves brunch, but there were plenty of delicious options on that menu. Lauren and I both ordered the Portuguese-French toast, hers with banana and pecan, mine with a maple-berry compote, and Matt opted for the Eggs Bun-a-duck. Hilarious, I know. We also started off with the fruit platter, and boy am I glad we did:

After that moment of bliss was over, I sipped a large and pleasant mug of decaf until the main course arrived. And when it did arrive, it looked like this: THAT IS NOT BUTTER ON TOP, IT IS CLOTTED CREAM! I was positively giddy with excitement, especially since I had opted out of the $18-afternoon tea, which included scones and the aforementioned cream, always a temptation. Oh man was this breakfast fabulous. The cream wasn’t too sweet, and the berries in the sauce added a tartness that complimented the sweetbread very nicely. (Listen to me, acting like I know something about food). The bread was crispy around the edges but soft in the middle, just the way I like it. It couldn’t have been better. Also adding to overall pleasantness of the experience was our waitress, who greeted us like old friends and was just super nice. She also had a vague accent that only showed itself in a few of her words; I think she may have been Australian. We left her a nice tip. Actually, we’ve left everyone some really good tips this weekend. I wish I got tipped that nicely at work!

Then it was time for a trip to Target for movies and snacks. Thank goodness, or I wouldn’t be munching goldfish here at 5 a.m.). We actually were in there for quite some time, and Lauren and Matt left with a stack of a dozen DVDs in addition to some new blue corn chips and mango-peach salsa. I left with a bag of Goldfish and a pack of Orbit, to replace the pack I’d mysteriously misplaced just minutes before leaving home).

So then, we came home and watched The Parent Trap (with Lindsey Lohan, of course, before she was a meth addict), Donnie Darko (my first viewing; am still trying to comprehend everything), and The Goonies. (classic fave!) It was a long evening; I get a little antsy if I watch that much television in one sitting, but apparently Lauren and Matt do this pretty often when they’re not touring. I’d want to do nothing after a cross-country tour too! Once The Goonies was over, it was pretty much time to go to bed. Lauren and Matt headed into their room, and I stayed up a little later to make sure that everything was packed and ready to go. Once that was done, there was time for one more Neil Gaiman story before I settled down onto the air mattress with Harry, Ron and Hermione (thank you, throw blanket) and set the alarm for a hellish 3:45 a.m.

Where does that leave me now? T.F. Green Airport in Providence. It is now 5:22 a.m. and I arrived approximately 15 minutes ago. Urgh! Lauren and Matt both came to drop me off, and I hope they’ll have an easy time getting back to sleep in 20 minutes are so. They were not only very gracious hosts, but were also more than willing to drive me to the airport at a very ungodly hour, so a big thanks to them! For now, I’ll say my farewells to Rhode Island; it’s been fun. Maybe the next time I’m Providence I’ll spot Emma, or maybe the next time I’m there I’ll be there to stay. It seems like a very cool city, and I haven’t ruled out making a big move in order to find a good job. We will see! Time for one last bathroom break before we board, so adios! See you in Texas! (Or Charlotte, if I get bored during my layover, I guess.)