Prangster in Chicago

Flowers vs. skyscrapers

Oh my god, what a nice garden right by Michigan Ave. I didn't even know it was here and I doubt I would've ever known about it if Jess and I hadn't been too lazy to go to Oak Park on Sunday morning -- where Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio are -- and gone on a walking tour of Millenium Park instead. (The park is freaking big -- the tour was two hours!) Anyway, the whole place is really amazing. You go from the garden through to the Frank Gehry "bandstand" outdoor auditorium which seats 11,000 (see photo from previous post) and then you have the Bean and the water fountain with the LED faces. For the record, I think the Frank Gehry bandstand looks like shaved parmesan cheese...

Across the street they're building a new wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, designed by Renzo Piano -- whoever that is. (Janice, what's so special about him?) Oh, and I can't forget the best creme brulee I've ever had. Jess ordered it when we ate at the Park Grill restaurant. Wow. Yum.

So who else is coming to visit soon, huh?

My first visitor!

Jess arrived in Chicago on Friday night! We did so much on the weekend it was insane. Art Institute of Chicago, a walking tour of Millenium Park...um, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Ave and Barneys...we ate some great meals too. Really great meals. And we saw celebrities! Jess -- who I should mention is a huge Oprah fan -- spotted the interior designer from her show in the cinema when we went to see Knocked Up. Then on Sunday when we were in the shoe section at Barneys, we saw Lisa Ling (another Oprah regular), Guiliana de Pandi (host from E! News with Ryan Seacrest) and her fiance, that Bill guy from the first season of The Apprentice. Lisa Ling was so tiny and shopping in the sale section. Hehe.

Thanks for coming to Chicago, Jess! See you in New York for the wedding!

Where the hell am I?

It's a big birthday cluster this time of year. On Monday, I had to remember to call Simone in Sydney for her birthday on the 19th cause of the time difference. Any later and I would have missed it and she would've cried. Remembering this, I called another friend in LA for his birthday too. It's on the same day. I told you, birthday cluster.

"Happy Birthday!" I said cheerily, waking him up at 9.
"What are you talking about? My birthday's tomorrow," he said sleepily, having just been woken up.
"Dammit! Okay, forget I called."

Then at one in the morning that night, I called him again.

"Happy Birthday! This time I got it right!" I said even more cheerily.
"What time is it?"
"It's one here."
"It's not my birthday yet. It's only eleven o'clock in LA!"
"SHIT."

Time difference is so stupid. So are birthday clusters.

Simone is 26! Argh!

Hey Simone, Happy birthday! Since I'm not in Sydney this year to celebrate with you -- we'd probably go watch a French movie and have Oporto to celebrate the occasion -- this is the best I can do. Remember when we went to Heidelberg? It was just a daytrip but so much fun. Let's hope we get to take another trip soon. And since I know you probably won't bother to visit me in America since you can't stay away from those European boys (and really, who can blame you?), we'll just have to meet up sometime, somewhere next year.
I also found this photo from the Heidelberg folder. What a great looking bookstore. Looking at this makes me miss my old camera...

What a day

Today is a huge day.

It's been one month since I arrived in Chicago with my seven suitcases, and somewhat unbelievably, it's also the day I've finally got internet in my apartment. Yes, it's taken one month to set up a home phone and internet.

I'm not sure if I should have taken this long...but I don't know any other non-resident aliens to compare timelines with.

Anyhoo.

The red line

Saturday afternoon

I stopped by the Chicago Blues Festival with Mike yesterday afternoon. (Mike is a Chicago-based friend of my Taipei friend, Lillian.) Lots of people. Lots of drunk people. Also lots of kids in strollers and people walking their fancy bikes around. Then when it got dark, we went to see Oceans 13.

Fridge photos

On the way to the movies

Rainbow outside my window this arvo