Friday night the roomies and I laid low; we watched Bee Movie and ordered pizza. Saturday definitely made up for this. I was really excited to have my friend Bethany come into the city for a visit! (we went to Spain together and she is student teaching outside the city) It was so good to see her and be able to hang out for a few hours. We went out to eat at an Italian restaurant where we were able to reminisce on times we ourselves spent in Italy together! It was great meal and the rain even let up enough so we could walk back to my apartment where the mini-reunion was made a bit bigger when Gerrid showed up as well! He was with us in Spain and had come to the city for the weekend from his school in Michigan. So we got to catch up for a bit before we all went our separate ways for the night. It was too short and seemed to only make me miss mis amigos de Espana more... we need another big reunion :)
After this gathering, Janice, Betsy, and I went to a free play downtown called Cleveland Raining. This theater is a smaller project that 'showcases playwrights of Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean backgrounds.' This was really just a "staged reading" I guess which means it was portrayed uniquely with lack of props and effects. It is not always like this but I think it still worked. The narrator was sitting in a chair stage left and read everything in the notes such as "act 1: jimmy sits on the floor, mick walks in...." The only props were: four chairs center stage strategically placed to appear as a car (a VW bug to be exact), some stage boxes with various purposes, and two chairs stage right to act as the porch. The four actors were never without their script binders, sometimes reading directly from them though still portraying the actions/emotions well enough for the audience to be connected. The opening is quite intriguing as the two main characters overlap their monologues, making neither fully comprehensible but also not leaving one feeling confused. The storyline is basically: Jimmy and Mari are both abandoned by theirr parents, and are now trying to make it on their own and deal with their past. Jimmy had a dream for a year about a floating in a VW after a long rain in Ohio and after spotting the very vehicle in a junk yard he bought it and hired a mechanic to help him make it seaworthy. So knowing that plotline, you can guess that it was in fact funny in its ridiculous dialogues. But again, under the comedic layer there were some more serious issues being dealt with, them as Korean Americans, dealing with loss, and how we are all connected. This blog's title is actually a quote from the play, they had a few good thought provoking lines like that. I was reminded of a Nicole Kidman film "Dogville" which also used minimalist props and actually used painted outlines with labels for most things (a bush was a circle labeled: gooseberry bush etc). So having previously appreciated that film, I found myself again attracted to the lack of stage design.
After this Janice and I realized that we hadn't really eaten supper and decided that we would order Chinese and get a movie. We felt so 'big city' when we got chinese food delivered to us like that :) especially at 11:30pm! we happily ate our chinese feast and watched a movie not getting to bed until something like 3am. It was a lovely day
Sunday we of course slept in! After eating quick lunches we went downtown shopping on State Street. Janice needed some tennis shoes so Susan and I just came along for the fun. We all went home happy a couple hours later; I found a really cute spring/fall jacket at H&M. The rest of the night we successfully did absolutely nothing :) Don't let anyone tell you different: life is tough.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
No, Can I take a message?
Third day of freedom and I get a rainy day. I ventured out in the showers to get some groceries, mostly because I was now ambitious about my night of cooking supper. TexMex Mac n Cheese... it was alright :) Tonight was an Art Event with CS, we went to the Steppenwolf theater just north of here to Dead Man's Cell Phone. I really enjoyed it in all its quirky-glory!
It begins with, as suggested, a cell phone ringing in a cafe but after no motion to answer by the owner, the annoyed (alive) patron answers for him. Upon realizing he is no longer breathing, she continues to answer this formerly busy man's cell phone. After talking to a few people, including his mother, and not mentioning that he is dead, she calls 911, but keeps the phone. It brings her to many people from the life of Gordon (said dead man). She begins to create little white lies about what happened in the last moments of his life as a way to bring comfort to those he knew. She later comes to find that his life was not so grand, in fact almost morally reprehensible. Through all the humor it touches on some topics like how we are remembered in life, or death rather, and the issue of technology. At one point the protagonist says something like: " when you have your cell phone on you are supposed to be there. But when everyone has their cell phone on, no one is there. Its like we are disappearing the more we're there. " At one point she also enters the afterlife which I thought was a unique interpretation. Anyway, it was good, if you get a chance go, I also hear its coming out in book form so you could also read it :)
After the show we took a short bus ride and were walking the rest of the way back to our apartment. In the play they mentioned the street Goethe (pronounced something like gurta), so as we live a block south of Goethe, Susan decided to take that street home. Janice and I kept walking a different route but soon got an excited call from Susan. We had finally located a current set of the new Johnny Depp/Christian Bale/Channing Tatum movie, Public Enemies!!! We were kind of excited, not gonna lie. After waiting around for a bit though, a nice crew member came over to let us know that in fact none of the big name stars were going to be there tonight. Sad news for us, and that means this story isn't so good afterall, but just pretend. Apparently Johnny actually went back to France for Jack, his son's, b-day... we also heard they were 5 days behind schedule filming so maybe we still have a chance :)
"Set is upstairs guys!" says pink sign
the trucks, vans, the lights
semi from Universal Studios! :D
It begins with, as suggested, a cell phone ringing in a cafe but after no motion to answer by the owner, the annoyed (alive) patron answers for him. Upon realizing he is no longer breathing, she continues to answer this formerly busy man's cell phone. After talking to a few people, including his mother, and not mentioning that he is dead, she calls 911, but keeps the phone. It brings her to many people from the life of Gordon (said dead man). She begins to create little white lies about what happened in the last moments of his life as a way to bring comfort to those he knew. She later comes to find that his life was not so grand, in fact almost morally reprehensible. Through all the humor it touches on some topics like how we are remembered in life, or death rather, and the issue of technology. At one point the protagonist says something like: " when you have your cell phone on you are supposed to be there. But when everyone has their cell phone on, no one is there. Its like we are disappearing the more we're there. " At one point she also enters the afterlife which I thought was a unique interpretation. Anyway, it was good, if you get a chance go, I also hear its coming out in book form so you could also read it :)
After the show we took a short bus ride and were walking the rest of the way back to our apartment. In the play they mentioned the street Goethe (pronounced something like gurta), so as we live a block south of Goethe, Susan decided to take that street home. Janice and I kept walking a different route but soon got an excited call from Susan. We had finally located a current set of the new Johnny Depp/Christian Bale/Channing Tatum movie, Public Enemies!!! We were kind of excited, not gonna lie. After waiting around for a bit though, a nice crew member came over to let us know that in fact none of the big name stars were going to be there tonight. Sad news for us, and that means this story isn't so good afterall, but just pretend. Apparently Johnny actually went back to France for Jack, his son's, b-day... we also heard they were 5 days behind schedule filming so maybe we still have a chance :)
"Set is upstairs guys!" says pink sign
the trucks, vans, the lights
semi from Universal Studios! :D
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
puppets are funny.
Second day of freedom. Already a little bored, can you believe it? I was actually fine, but I won't last much longer I dont think :) I slept in late, which I love to do. Janice came home on her break between classes (probably my biggest perk to not being in the Chicago Semester program-I don't have to go to their classes, my roomies have to take two classes on top of their internships). After Janice left I decided I needed to get out so I made a trip to the Harold Washington Library downtown. I love libraries as well! That library though, huge. 7th floor, Literature and Language, I could be there for days. The fiction section is (just a guess, I'll have to check next time) something like 40 rows long?! They have everything, it makes me happy just being there among all those wonderful books :) So, I read a bit more in Wicked (almost done...) and I grabbed a couple more as I think I will be doing a lot of reading these next couple weeks. Then, as it was a pretty decent day out, a little chilly but sun still trying to shine, I walked home instead of taking the L. I cant wait until all those tulip beds downtown start blooming, the greens are definitely out, but no color yet.
Janice and I decided to go to a much anticipated event for the both us, Felt. The iO theater that started many SNL-ers has this improv puppet show every Wednesday. It begins with a group of real life improv-ers and then the puppets come out. They are all different shapes, sizes, and colors; some look like humans, some like furry Sesame St characters, and others were fat little cats or tiny little people. :) It was pretty funny! Some of their jokes went a little too far, but thats what you get with improv. I would go again, puppets are funny.
Janice and I decided to go to a much anticipated event for the both us, Felt. The iO theater that started many SNL-ers has this improv puppet show every Wednesday. It begins with a group of real life improv-ers and then the puppets come out. They are all different shapes, sizes, and colors; some look like humans, some like furry Sesame St characters, and others were fat little cats or tiny little people. :) It was pretty funny! Some of their jokes went a little too far, but thats what you get with improv. I would go again, puppets are funny.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
banana suits
On Monday I got paid to go back to Daystar! It wasn't all that boring. My teacher gave me some things to do and I had to check in on the student in ISS quite often to make sure he was doing the things he was given, so the time went by pretty quickly. I only got Wicked out to read for about 20 minutes :) After the first 2 hrs he got over his 'i hate the world' attitude and started talking to me. I felt bad for him but I also didn't think it was allowed to make him enjoy his day... any way, check is in the mail :)
Today the roomies and I got up extra early (especially for me since I really had nothing to do!) and went to Jamba Juice for their free breakfast promotion. We got there even before the man in the banana suit came out on the sidewalk, so we over estimated the busy-ness factor a little. Since there was no long line to wait in, we had to find something else to spend our time before the roomies had to be at work. So our free breakfast turned into buying Starbucks drinks.... We spent the rest of the morning talking and staring out the window at Trump Tower, eating our deliciously free breakfast smoothies (i had chunky strawberry: strawberry, banana, and organic granola blended with soy milk, yogurt, and peanut butter, topped with banana slices! good stuff) and drinking our Starbucks (coffee for them, steamer for me:) ). I then came back home for a nice little nap! and when I woke up I cleaned the apartment (but only thought about getting the vacuum). Most of my night since has been spent searching for cabins to stay at in Montana for a graduation present/last hoorah with some NW friends, not completely successful yet. We'll see how that goes
Today the roomies and I got up extra early (especially for me since I really had nothing to do!) and went to Jamba Juice for their free breakfast promotion. We got there even before the man in the banana suit came out on the sidewalk, so we over estimated the busy-ness factor a little. Since there was no long line to wait in, we had to find something else to spend our time before the roomies had to be at work. So our free breakfast turned into buying Starbucks drinks.... We spent the rest of the morning talking and staring out the window at Trump Tower, eating our deliciously free breakfast smoothies (i had chunky strawberry: strawberry, banana, and organic granola blended with soy milk, yogurt, and peanut butter, topped with banana slices! good stuff) and drinking our Starbucks (coffee for them, steamer for me:) ). I then came back home for a nice little nap! and when I woke up I cleaned the apartment (but only thought about getting the vacuum). Most of my night since has been spent searching for cabins to stay at in Montana for a graduation present/last hoorah with some NW friends, not completely successful yet. We'll see how that goes
Sunday, April 6, 2008
cheezborger! cheezborger! cheezborger!
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! Yesterday Janice and I decided that we needed a burger so that was today's mission. We decided to walk down to Navy Pier and eat at Billy Goat Tavern. I doubt many you will know this connection but it is the basis of the Olympia Restaurant sketch on SNL with John Belushi. They literally shout "Cheezborger" nonstop along with "No Coke. Pepsi" and "No fries. Chips" because those three items are the only things you can order successfully. As evident by my order of: triple cheezborger, chips, and pepsi :)
really cute roomie pic!
really cute roomie pic!we also took senior pics :)
and this is in front of the gate to the university that we don't go to.
Northwestern College is in IA, not IL, thanks.
To end our night we went up to the top of the Hancock Building to get the view. Alli, the roomies, and I all went up to the Signature Lounge around sunset so we saw it go from light to dark which was fun. After one ear-poppingly fast elevator ride (something like 550 meters per minute) to floor 96, and a one drink minimum at around $12 a drink, we got quite a few pictures of the amazing vista. It was a good thing we went before dark I think, they say it is most busy at night but being able to really see the buildings was just as cool as seeing the lights go on forever, it produced better pics too. We were able to spot our tiny aprartment in the mess of concrete and lights too. Here's a small sampling:
Janice, Susan, Alli, and our $12 drinks :)
and the view, the sears tower,
our apartment! (our corner is the really lit up intersection)
and us! It was a good night :)
Saturday, April 5, 2008
everyone is twitterpated
It's true. Something has come over the city, and as for me, 'I love Chicago in the springtime.' There was no question, we had to go outside and enjoy the near 70°, so Janice and I just started walking (capris, no jackets, and flip flops!!) without real destination. We walked our way downtown and of course found ourselves in Millennium Park because with all the skyscrapers this was the place to enjoy the sun the most efficiently :) After stopping for some delicious smoothies from Jamba Juice we ran into Susan and Alli who were doing the same thing. The four of us then walked over the BP Bridge and to the lake. We followed the water the whole way home (yeah, have I mentioned we are about 2 blocks from the beach?!). The outdoor cafe tables are starting to appear as well as the flowers! I think the general mood of the city was Happy! I loved it, now if it could stay like this the rest of my time here...
For our nightly entertainment we decided to go to a dueling pianos joint. We tried to get into a place called Howl at the Moon, but the line was uber long and some girls ahead of us said they hadn't moved much and had been there a half hour already. So we knew of another one up north and made our way there instead. It was a pretty good time. There were some birthdays and bachelorette parties which made it even more entertaining to watch as they were willing to drop a lot of money on song requests etc. It was fun to be able to just belt out the songs, because everyone else was as well.
Oh this past week or so my roommates and I have been trying so hard to find filming locations for this movie 'Public Enemies,' it stars Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Christian Bale... I mean if I saw anyone it would be great, but Johnny?! haha. :) Some girl in our apt building did see them filming about 3 miles north of here, and our door lady told us she heard they were on our street. The internet actually failed me this time because apparently the fan crowds were too big in Indiana and Wisconsin or wherever they have already filmed so they were keeping locations under wraps much more here. So I think my chance has passed but I was so close! :)
As for Daystar School... Friday was my last official day. I am done teaching, and all but have my teaching degree. My last two weeks were a lot of fun, getting to know the kids and the other teachers so much better. I got some good hugs from both on friday :) As soon as I walked into my apt Fri after school, I got a call from my cooperating teacher. She said they wanted me to come on Mon and be the proctor for a kid in ISS (in school suspension) so I will be back on Mon already! Probably the most boring job on earth, but we'll see. And then after their spring break one of the families is moving away and they had three kids there and the mom was really involved so i knew them pretty well. I will probably go back for their going-away party too. So I am not completely gone yet, but its getting there. I think my countdown is something like 20 days til departure. crazy, its all going by so fast!
For our nightly entertainment we decided to go to a dueling pianos joint. We tried to get into a place called Howl at the Moon, but the line was uber long and some girls ahead of us said they hadn't moved much and had been there a half hour already. So we knew of another one up north and made our way there instead. It was a pretty good time. There were some birthdays and bachelorette parties which made it even more entertaining to watch as they were willing to drop a lot of money on song requests etc. It was fun to be able to just belt out the songs, because everyone else was as well.
Oh this past week or so my roommates and I have been trying so hard to find filming locations for this movie 'Public Enemies,' it stars Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Christian Bale... I mean if I saw anyone it would be great, but Johnny?! haha. :) Some girl in our apt building did see them filming about 3 miles north of here, and our door lady told us she heard they were on our street. The internet actually failed me this time because apparently the fan crowds were too big in Indiana and Wisconsin or wherever they have already filmed so they were keeping locations under wraps much more here. So I think my chance has passed but I was so close! :)
As for Daystar School... Friday was my last official day. I am done teaching, and all but have my teaching degree. My last two weeks were a lot of fun, getting to know the kids and the other teachers so much better. I got some good hugs from both on friday :) As soon as I walked into my apt Fri after school, I got a call from my cooperating teacher. She said they wanted me to come on Mon and be the proctor for a kid in ISS (in school suspension) so I will be back on Mon already! Probably the most boring job on earth, but we'll see. And then after their spring break one of the families is moving away and they had three kids there and the mom was really involved so i knew them pretty well. I will probably go back for their going-away party too. So I am not completely gone yet, but its getting there. I think my countdown is something like 20 days til departure. crazy, its all going by so fast!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
laminating and copying machine
That title does not refer directly to the electronic tools themselves, but rather to me.
At school today I saw very little of the kids, except when I took my old classroom to the park as the teacher is on crutches. Which, by the way, the whole time was spent getting told I was now part of the dark side or that I was a traitor, or just screaming whenever I came near as if I also had the plague. It was more like who can yell the loudest to get Miss Miller to come over so we can scream some more. It was mostly funny though, when their shouts didn't pierce the ears too much.
Anyway, my day consisted of three main projects. A) the tearing down of a bulletin board and the succeeding act of covering it again with new colored paper. B) copying each individual page of a 155 page Reading workbook and then stapling them into packets of three. and finally, C) laminating 100 NCTM (national council of teaching math.) standard-covering story problem cards (mind you, I was also the one who previously copied each from a book and cut them out). This task includes feeding them all through the laminator and then cutting each of the four sides to a decent length. Talk about time consuming.
Its been a really relaxing past week and half, mostly because I no longer have any homework to speak of. Friday we hung out with the Dordt girls. We took the book quiz to see which is our primary love language from the 5; mine was Physical Touch.. kind of predictable, I love me some hugs :)
This past weekend we tried to get to the Game Bar but it was too full, no tables free, so Susan and I headed out for an evening of our own fun. And it was. We just walked all over mostly downtown and took random pictures. the next night Susan and I rented movies and made ourselves some quesadillas on her new (free from coke points) sandwich maker. very exciting! (no sarcasm there. really!)
At school today I saw very little of the kids, except when I took my old classroom to the park as the teacher is on crutches. Which, by the way, the whole time was spent getting told I was now part of the dark side or that I was a traitor, or just screaming whenever I came near as if I also had the plague. It was more like who can yell the loudest to get Miss Miller to come over so we can scream some more. It was mostly funny though, when their shouts didn't pierce the ears too much.
Anyway, my day consisted of three main projects. A) the tearing down of a bulletin board and the succeeding act of covering it again with new colored paper. B) copying each individual page of a 155 page Reading workbook and then stapling them into packets of three. and finally, C) laminating 100 NCTM (national council of teaching math.) standard-covering story problem cards (mind you, I was also the one who previously copied each from a book and cut them out). This task includes feeding them all through the laminator and then cutting each of the four sides to a decent length. Talk about time consuming.
Its been a really relaxing past week and half, mostly because I no longer have any homework to speak of. Friday we hung out with the Dordt girls. We took the book quiz to see which is our primary love language from the 5; mine was Physical Touch.. kind of predictable, I love me some hugs :)
This past weekend we tried to get to the Game Bar but it was too full, no tables free, so Susan and I headed out for an evening of our own fun. And it was. We just walked all over mostly downtown and took random pictures. the next night Susan and I rented movies and made ourselves some quesadillas on her new (free from coke points) sandwich maker. very exciting! (no sarcasm there. really!)
we're Cubs fans, duh! (I just bought a shirt today in fact!)
(no caption necessary I think)
We were being ..artsy?!
Susan and I with the moose outside the Tribune building.
We look so good we "make boy moose go waaaaaaaaaaaaa"
This week at school has been a lot of grunt work, mostly copying and hanging things up (or taking them down). I also set up some shelving thing and of course help individual students a lot. As an early out day I got to go around downtown this afternoon again. Only this time I actually felt like shopping, sorry mom ;) It was a buy one get one at one of my favorite stores, couldn't resist. Only two days left at Daystar... crazy.
Sometimes I try to imagine life in Mexico, and I can't, so I stop.
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