In the summer here, they show movies in Grant Park on Tuesdays. Last night they showed Blues Brothers, a perfect Chicago movie, so I decided to go. We went 2 hours early and still the place was packed. Every time the camera was on something from Chicago, or Chicago was mentioned, or even hinted at, the crowd went wild with screams and chants and laughter and clapping. It was more entertaining watching the people than anything.
Then the rain came. It was during one of the last scenes where the band finally plays a show to raise $5,000. They played a song about Chicago and then it began to downpour. Instead of heading for shelter like advised, people threw down their umbrellas, rushed towards the screen (like it was a real concert) and starting flailing their arms about. The crazies love their Chicago! People were dancing and singing and whirling about- it was fantastic! Then people started taking their clothes off and running around....I thought we were all going to die at any moment because the lightning was so crazy, we were in a field with a huge movie projector and screen and holding umbrellas in the air- but I guess people thought death by dancing was the perfect way to go.
We watched the rest of the movie in the rain, yelling and singing with the rest of them. After it was over, a ring-leader of the crazies raises both arms straight up in the air, shaking his fists, and yells "To the fountain!" They then ran to the fountain for a sort of after-the-show-dance party.
There are times when I think I'm living in a movie here in Chicago. This was one of them.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Dancing Queen
This weekend was full of dancing and singing. On Friday we went to a bar where an 80s cover band was playing and it was AWESOME. I knew every song (and there was no shame because everyone else did too- or pretended to) and we sang and danced and loved life. Oh the 80s. If I didn't love the 60s so much, I would live in the 80s. Maybe.
Then Sunday I went to Pitchfork.
http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com/sunday.php
I definitely danced and sang the ENTIRE day again. :)
Some of the favorites:
http://www.myspace.com/boniver
http://www.myspace.com/thedodos
http://www.myspace.com/hellohighplaces
http://www.myspace.com/machinegong
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AIMVxQy0mCU
Thursday, July 17, 2008
AmeriCorps
This week I went to a training for AmeriCorps. It was so nice to be around people who could talk about poverty, politics and books we were reading. However, I felt like I was signing my life away for a year. Scary. We had to take an oath and everything!
A few "scary" quotes:
"I don't know if you realized it, but you signed this piece of paper I'm holding in my hand. That means I don't have to answer that question. You should've read it closer."
"If you choose to do that, we will come after your money and your position. So you choose."
"Yes, we understand he was just in a bike wreck. We can't stop you from leaving. But you won't be sworn in. Sorry."
And some fun ones:
"I can't wait to write 'Ended Poverty in 2008' on my resume at the end of this."
"I LOVE it when people attribute everything to fate. I got spit on today. Then I changed my shirt. Then this woman complimented my shirt. Then my self-esteem was boosted. It was fate."
"But I'll feel bad if I tell you. Ok, think of the crudest, dirtiest, rudest, most disturbing thing you can and then multiply it by 50. And that's what this joke is like. Here I'll just tell you."
"Don't read that book. It's like you make one bad decision, then you and everyone else's lives are ruined. And then you die."
"Remember when I said I loved that people could talk about poverty? I take it back. I feel like my head is going to explode! Let's just watch something predictable."
"Q: So what does it take for a guy to impress you? *wink, wink*A: Well, my boyfriend always makes fun of me because I'm so different than most girls....Ok cya."
A few "scary" quotes:
"I don't know if you realized it, but you signed this piece of paper I'm holding in my hand. That means I don't have to answer that question. You should've read it closer."
"If you choose to do that, we will come after your money and your position. So you choose."
"Yes, we understand he was just in a bike wreck. We can't stop you from leaving. But you won't be sworn in. Sorry."
And some fun ones:
"I can't wait to write 'Ended Poverty in 2008' on my resume at the end of this."
"I LOVE it when people attribute everything to fate. I got spit on today. Then I changed my shirt. Then this woman complimented my shirt. Then my self-esteem was boosted. It was fate."
"But I'll feel bad if I tell you. Ok, think of the crudest, dirtiest, rudest, most disturbing thing you can and then multiply it by 50. And that's what this joke is like. Here I'll just tell you."
"Don't read that book. It's like you make one bad decision, then you and everyone else's lives are ruined. And then you die."
"Remember when I said I loved that people could talk about poverty? I take it back. I feel like my head is going to explode! Let's just watch something predictable."
"Q: So what does it take for a guy to impress you? *wink, wink*A: Well, my boyfriend always makes fun of me because I'm so different than most girls....Ok cya."
Monday, July 14, 2008
City Girl? I think not....
I have had the weirdest experiences since I've been here. Maybe it's because I'm dramatic and make everything sound more glamorous than it really was. Or maybe I'm just a weird-experience magnet. Either way, a few adventures thus far:
Taste of Chicago: 1 million people, lots of food, gang fight that Emily and I walked briskly away from, shooting at the train station. Awesome.
I found a new park last weekend. Found a nice, quiet spot where no one was sitting. As I sat in the grass to start reading, I looked down and noticed a funny (and disgusting) thing. Flying ants had literally attacked my legs and feet. I was covered! I then realized why no one was sitting there- there had been a drink left over from sometime and was attracting these nasty things. I had to go home to scrub them off the bottom of my feet.
I was in the same park (you'd think I would've learned my lesson) and laying on a blanket in a non-ant-infested section. 3 yipping dogs come whizzing around the corner and circling around everyone's blankets and every tree they could find. They were wearing leashes, but no owner was to be found. Finally the old woman that was the owner came around the corner, dressed in a floppy hat and red lipstick, and began screaming at the dogs. "Louie! Come back!" she was screaming in a low, gutteral (is that a word?) voice- which sounded weird coming from her. But she refused to move from the spot she was sitting. Meanwhile the stupid dogs were peeing on this poor latin family's toys. I decided to mind my own business and lay back down. Somehow the family thought I was the one screaming. I guess I look like I have a low voice? They through a ball right on top of me! And then here came the dogs! Bounding over me (literally) and all over my blanket! Thanks latin family. I don't think I'll be returning to that park.
I met someone that lived in Chanute for a few months last summer! I thought he was lying until he started naming the hotels and streets.
My friend Brian and I decided we should watch High Fidelity since he had never seen it (and I thought this was ridiculous- If you haven't seen it, it'll change your life when you do). After 2 Blockbusters, $5 and 20 minutes of driving to find parking we got back to the apartment. Only to find that my computer wouldn't read the DVD player. My landlord graciously offered her DVD player, but sadly no screen. I didn't have the heart to tell her, so we decided to make sure the DVD even worked. We put it in and it played (well the numbers went up anyway). When I tried to eject the stupid thing, the tray came out with no DVD! It ate the DVD and it was somewhere in the body of the thing. We tried tipping it upside down and shaking it. Nothing worked. Finally, we had to take the whole thing apart, get the DVD out and then put it all back together. By the time that was finished it was too late to start the movie!
Saturday I lost my car. Literally could not find it. I walked up and down almost every street around my apartment for like half and hour, and nothing. The night before I had driven around trying to find parking, and by the time I finally parked it, all the streets were jumbled in my head! So I walked to the train station later and not half a block away (but south instead of north where I'd been checking) was my car! Lame Chicago. Lame.
Then this weekend, I waited half an hour for a train that was never going to come. They didn't run on the weekends. Good thing Doug and Danae called, because I probably would've waited another hour or so, thinking they only ran every 2 hours or something.
I have established an interesting relationship with my landlord/landlord's daughter. Her parents are technically the landlords, but they don't speak English. So she did all the negotiating in the beginning. The other night we spent like 3 hours together. I died her hair black, she fed me beans, tortillas and cheese.
I'm not even going to mention the number of times I've gotten on the wrong train/bus, walked down the wrong street or pointed someone else in the wrong direction. That would be embarrasing.
We'll see what this week brings!
Taste of Chicago: 1 million people, lots of food, gang fight that Emily and I walked briskly away from, shooting at the train station. Awesome.
I found a new park last weekend. Found a nice, quiet spot where no one was sitting. As I sat in the grass to start reading, I looked down and noticed a funny (and disgusting) thing. Flying ants had literally attacked my legs and feet. I was covered! I then realized why no one was sitting there- there had been a drink left over from sometime and was attracting these nasty things. I had to go home to scrub them off the bottom of my feet.
I was in the same park (you'd think I would've learned my lesson) and laying on a blanket in a non-ant-infested section. 3 yipping dogs come whizzing around the corner and circling around everyone's blankets and every tree they could find. They were wearing leashes, but no owner was to be found. Finally the old woman that was the owner came around the corner, dressed in a floppy hat and red lipstick, and began screaming at the dogs. "Louie! Come back!" she was screaming in a low, gutteral (is that a word?) voice- which sounded weird coming from her. But she refused to move from the spot she was sitting. Meanwhile the stupid dogs were peeing on this poor latin family's toys. I decided to mind my own business and lay back down. Somehow the family thought I was the one screaming. I guess I look like I have a low voice? They through a ball right on top of me! And then here came the dogs! Bounding over me (literally) and all over my blanket! Thanks latin family. I don't think I'll be returning to that park.
I met someone that lived in Chanute for a few months last summer! I thought he was lying until he started naming the hotels and streets.
My friend Brian and I decided we should watch High Fidelity since he had never seen it (and I thought this was ridiculous- If you haven't seen it, it'll change your life when you do). After 2 Blockbusters, $5 and 20 minutes of driving to find parking we got back to the apartment. Only to find that my computer wouldn't read the DVD player. My landlord graciously offered her DVD player, but sadly no screen. I didn't have the heart to tell her, so we decided to make sure the DVD even worked. We put it in and it played (well the numbers went up anyway). When I tried to eject the stupid thing, the tray came out with no DVD! It ate the DVD and it was somewhere in the body of the thing. We tried tipping it upside down and shaking it. Nothing worked. Finally, we had to take the whole thing apart, get the DVD out and then put it all back together. By the time that was finished it was too late to start the movie!
Saturday I lost my car. Literally could not find it. I walked up and down almost every street around my apartment for like half and hour, and nothing. The night before I had driven around trying to find parking, and by the time I finally parked it, all the streets were jumbled in my head! So I walked to the train station later and not half a block away (but south instead of north where I'd been checking) was my car! Lame Chicago. Lame.
Then this weekend, I waited half an hour for a train that was never going to come. They didn't run on the weekends. Good thing Doug and Danae called, because I probably would've waited another hour or so, thinking they only ran every 2 hours or something.
I have established an interesting relationship with my landlord/landlord's daughter. Her parents are technically the landlords, but they don't speak English. So she did all the negotiating in the beginning. The other night we spent like 3 hours together. I died her hair black, she fed me beans, tortillas and cheese.
I'm not even going to mention the number of times I've gotten on the wrong train/bus, walked down the wrong street or pointed someone else in the wrong direction. That would be embarrasing.
We'll see what this week brings!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Oh Chicago
Nothing is as I thought it would be. My living situation, my job, the way I have handled change- all of it has been so different. Not necessarily good or bad. Just different.
I'm ready for all of this to be normal! To go to my apartment and feel at home, to know what to do at my job and to feel confident about living on my own.
They say it'll come with time. We'll see how that goes.
I'm ready for all of this to be normal! To go to my apartment and feel at home, to know what to do at my job and to feel confident about living on my own.
They say it'll come with time. We'll see how that goes.
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