:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Saturday, October 11, 2003 ::

Today, I got up super early to go to New Hampshire! It was a little difficult to get up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday, but I did so and managed to have breakfast in the dining hall. I then met up with a group organized by Harvard students for John Kerry; I was going to hear him speak and then help canvass for his campaign. John Kerry is one of the nine Democratic candidates for the 2004 presidential election. I am still undecided between John Kerry and Howard Dean, so I am doing what I can to learn a little more about each candidate. After more than an hour of driving, we arrived in Dover, New Hampshire. The event was at Dover Middle School, and we gathered in the multi-purpose room. There were many Kerry supporters there, and at 10:30, Senator John Kerry arrived to thunderous applause.

He spoke for some time and then allowed for questions. It was actually a pretty intimate setting. The audience wasn't that large, and people were able to get their questions answered by Kerry. Afterwards, there was a huge group following him as he left the room, and he left slowly, taking time to meet and greet. It was outside right before John Kerry got into his car when I finally had a chance to meet him. He brought out a Red Sox baseball cap from his car and put it on. Then, I got to shake his hand. This was the first time I ever saw John Kerry in person, and in his speech he came off as a pretty personable and charismatic person, not to mention that he has pretty good experience in politics.

Following the mini-rally, we went in our van to Manchester, New Hampshire, where we had lunch and then were set up to canvass for Kerry. We went into a random neighborhood in a suburb of the city and distributed campaign literature. I met some interesting people out there. It was such a hot day, and it was difficult to bear because I had dressed for much cooler weather, since the temperature has been lower here the last couple of weeks and the last time I was in New Hampshire (last year campaigning for Jean Shaheen's run for the US Senate) it was absolutely freezing.

After an afternoon of campaigning, we headed back to Kerry headquarters and then drove back to Boston. One thing that was striking both on the way to NH and back was the scenery. Right now, the leaves are starting to change colors for the fall, and the sight is absolutely incredible. The highway we took was lined on both sides by dense forest, so there were a lot of trees that had leaves with bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. Occasionally, there would be a lake, rendering the rustic countryside even more picturesque. I neglected to bring my digital camera, and I am disappointed I missed the opportunity to capture the image. But it really was just like one would imagine a beautiful New England scene with the vibrant colors of autumn.

When I got back to campus, I had dinner with some friends, and then I headed back to my room to conduct some busines online and to start my Chinese homework. It seemed to be a relatively quiet Saturday night. I'm guessing we're heading into mid-term season; mine are in a couple of weeks.

Quote of the Day: "Brahms does not menstruate, at least not anymore. He's dead."

:: SL 4:09 PM [+] ::
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