Chi-Town

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I'm in Chicago visiting my daughter Erin and her husband Ron. On Thursday night, we went to Cirque de Soleil, Kazoo. We had pretty good seats except for the man with the enormous head who sat in front of us.

CdS is basically a circus with a theme, music, elaborate costumes and special effects. The most thrilling act was this enormous tumbler with 2 gerbil wheels. The risk-taking performers went into the wheels while it rotated and jumped and ran. Just when it was really dangerous, one of the guys got off and got on the OUTSIDE of the wheels. Erin really likes this kind of stuff- me too, but she is a real devotee. We also liked the contortionists.

Today we went to Chinatown where Erin's PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experience) belly dancing group performed. Every group around the world performed publically today. The 6 girls and 2 drummers started in the Cermak/Chinatown El station and walked to the Ping Tom Park. It was pouring down rain so there were only a few spectators, but they did a great job. We went to Spring World restaurant for some poor Chinese food. When I asked about Xiao Long Bao, the waitress smiled, but said no.

Chicago has an active green movement. Some of the things I like here are the bus lane on most major roads, accommodations for bikes on public transit, a pretty good transit system (in spite of the Chinatown MTA train derailment tonight), lots of parks and playgrounds throughout neighborhoods, a recycling plan and general acceptance of reduce, recycle, and reuse.

Erin and Ron live in the Wicker Park neighborhood. When we sit on the porch, we hear cars, bikes and buses, loud music with a good beat, sirens, the music from the ice cream truck, laughing and talking in Spanish. We can smell garbage cans, barbeque, wet grass and diesel. There are lots of people out walking- families, old men, teenagers, even in the unbearable heat. The Puerto Rican flag made from painted pipe flies proudly over Division St. Going to the city is like visiting another world for me, but I always appreciate the friendliness of Chicago.