on sunday we were in Boston Common, a central public park in Boston. it is one of the oldest parks in the US of A, dating from 1634. however, at that time it was not a park! (so how can it be the oldest park?!), at that time cows were grazing here, but they did that too much and then there was no grass anymore... ah, and it was also used for public hangings until 1817, first on an oak (which one, it was not indicated as far as i saw), but later on a gallows (a word i just learned; if u dont know it; catch up on your wikipedia-reading!). but only in 1830, when the cows and gallows were gone, it became a true public park. in 2007, 2 teenagers were shot there, but on sunday it seemed a nice and quiet park with nice green grass, many squirrels, children, policemen on horses, and this balloonman. i observed him for a while. he was mostly just standing there, waiting till someone came by. he did not make an effort to attract children. and in a way it was so sad to see him just standing there with all those stupid balloons attached, while it was so hot! on the picture above he had just made a nice balloon-thingie for the girl, and then her father had to take care of the financial side of this balloon act...
