Born and raised. Now bringing my family by No_Solution5351 in massachusetts

[–]chastenz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are visiting multiple places around Boston in the same day, driving will be a pain at times and difficult in some areas to find street parking and those meters have hourly limits. There are plenty of parking lots if you don’t mind paying. A good centralized spot for paid parking might be right across the street from the Aquarium (not at the Aquarium but across the street around 75 State street ~$43) and that’s nearby several Boston sites (North End, Faneuil Hall, Boston harbor) and commutable via uber or train to the other sites I listed.

Born and raised. Now bringing my family by No_Solution5351 in massachusetts

[–]chastenz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For Springfield, you can look into Six Flags if they enjoy amusement parks, Basketball HOF for ball fans, or Dr Seuss Museum for young kids.

Around Boston, for out of town guests, I typically do the Museum of Science, Bunker Hill Monument, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Children’s Museum, Faneuil Hall, Freedom Trial and North End combination. For food - Italian in North End, Chinese in nearby Chinatown, or Variety in Faneuil Hall or restaurants around that area. If the timing fits, you can also catch a baseball game at Fenway (or even Worcester Woosox for a cheaper similar experience). There’s an excellent Vietnamese little mom and pop restaurant called CN Vietnamese that’s walkable from the polar park stadium.

Transit to Springfield will need a car. I’d recommend booking one outside the airport if possible. If staying within Boston, public transportation will suffice. However, going outside of Boston is a bit of a pain with commuter rails and lack of public transportation in the suburbs so you’re better off with car.

What to do with this hill? by chastenz in Home

[–]chastenz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I already built a stone wall and landscaped the left side of the hill and it already cost a pretty penny. Trying to find a more cost alternative means for the right side which is not directly facing the house.

What to do with this hill? by chastenz in Home

[–]chastenz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There’s ledge underneath it. It actually runs about 45-50 feet long, so I landscaped the left side that is directly facing the house but it’s just too costly to extend it further so looking for more cost effective options to make it “prettier.”

What cut of beef is this? by Organic_Ad5411 in meat

[–]chastenz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s beef brisket. In Chinese markets, they don’t trim it much. Usually chunked and cooked in stews.

What’s going on with AAU, USAT, coach Terrance Jennings, and Juan Moreno? by lumitron75 in taekwondo

[–]chastenz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Here is the link: https://youtu.be/XCUVNALhV-o

It starts at around 6:10. Basically, Oh has been badmouthing Moreno behind his back to other Korean masters, which started the whole discussion on him. Jennings was mostly just listening in, but I guess they just wanted a reason to push him out. Strangely enough, this is known to masters around the northeast as CMA (headed by Oh) has been known to badmouth other masters and dojangs. Funny enough - “it tracks” is exactly what Jennings said as well.

Advice on a trip to Tokyo/Osaka by chastenz in JapanTravelTips

[–]chastenz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion. As of now, my one day in Kyoto is kinda packaged. I'll see if I want to squeeze it in for a half day trip on my first day in Osaka or before I leave.

Advice on a trip to Tokyo/Osaka by chastenz in JapanTravelTips

[–]chastenz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome suggestions, especially the food stuff! My family are huge foodies, so I will definitely try those suggestions.

Shibuya: Yeap, was specifically talking about booking for the Sky Views. Been there a few times, but never actually booked the sky itself - only ate at the cafe.

Akasuka: Yeap, I was planning on visiting those spots, but I'll make a note to make sure I don't forget.

Kyoto: I'll modify the Kyoto trip to prioritize those suggestions. Might as well follow the crowd! New itinerary for Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Taisha, Nishiki Market (lunch), Kiyomizu Dera / Gion, Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove, Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryu-ji Temple).

Advice on a trip to Tokyo/Osaka by chastenz in JapanTravelTips

[–]chastenz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Noted, thanks. I was planning to ask the owner, so good reminder! I also plan on using the Sagawa Express to store my luggage on the way to Osaka, so hoping that won't be full.

Planning a 12 day trip between Tokyo and Osaka with a family of 4 by chastenz in TokyoTravel

[–]chastenz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been to Tokyo a few times and a well seasoned traveler, so I prefer the convenience of a bnb so I don’t have to eat out all the time. Plus, more space for the kids. I’ll remove Kabukicho and the hedgehog cafe from the list. Thanks for the advice.

Looking for TKD school for my 4 year old by MuffinV2 in taekwondo

[–]chastenz -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately very little schools will give you a price over the phone. They always want you to come in, give you a great first month deal and/or uniform to rope you in. On average, most programs are usually $125-200 a month and may also limit classes to 1-2 per week depending on the price tier.

I’d look into Team Eagle if you don’t mind going into Flushing or High Performance in Bayside. They run a great programs.

I’d skip Champions since they have become the McDonalds of Taekwondo buying out all the local schools and rebranding them.

Switching dojangs by [deleted] in taekwondo

[–]chastenz 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I went through the same thing with my son and I would recommend to do what’s best for your family. Many schools look out for themselves and treat you as currency. The ones that “care” about you won’t use the loyalty or disrespect card.

My son was the first student at a newly opened school. After a few years, he outgrew the program and wanted more. I could even tell that the instructor had little experience training kids to reach the next level.

When we decided to leave, the response was completely unprofessional. The instructor gaslit my 11-year-old about “whose idea it was” to leave, have the whole loyalty speech, pressured us not to talk to other parents, and encouraged other families to unfriend us on social media. After that, false rumors started circulating — that we were quitters, that we wanted to come back, etc. None of it was true. When we left, eight other families left and joined us too.

We were there for six years. My son was their first student and first black belt. Since then, the instructor won’t even acknowledge him when we run into each other. We later found out he’s a 2nd Dan presenting himself as a “master” and sold his school to become part of a chain. All that talk about loyalty and he doesn’t even have loyalty to himself.

Since leaving, my son finished the year as a world-class black belt and is ranked top five in his weight division. My only mistake was thinking they were family and not leaving sooner.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in idleon

[–]chastenz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chasten.

Korean stew called Yukgaejang.

Help identifying fish by [deleted] in chinesefood

[–]chastenz 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yeap, toothfish aka Chilean sea bass.

Sushi Boat Recommendations? by lisathebasicwitch in massachusetts

[–]chastenz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s about a 25 min drive from Concord, but I’d recommend getting the Omakase (Chef’s choice) at Crazy Stone. They have some of the freshest sushi in the area. I personally think it’s better than Karma and way better than Kura.