Stuff I've Done So Far...

We went to the Oriental Institute, way back in my second week here. It was pretty cool, but we got their 1/2 an hour before closing which was not enough time, so I hope we can go back. Admission is by donation, which is a plus. We forgot the camera, so no pictures unfortunately.

There was the Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade, with very few chinese people and, inexplicably, two bagpipe bands:


Otherwise, I haven't done too much. This is the result of several factors - a)it's scary out there, especially if you take a wrong turn and end up in A Bad Place; b)the transit system seems foreign and difficult, but this is easier now that I have a suica (touch-card) bus pass loaded with enough money to get me around; c)not wanting to look like a tourist is difficult when you need to keep checking your tourist map; d)we have only one key to our building.

However, I have become quite familiar with the Hyde Park neighbourhood and have a few pics from there to show you:


More at my deviantart account.

Oh, we also went to The Checkerboard Lounge, for a night of jazz/blues played live. I think Toby blogged about this on canuckistanis. That was pretty cool.

As for cullinary experiences, we've now been for Korean food in Hyde Park, Chinese food in Chinatown, and deep dish pizza. I would say the Korean has been the best, although deep dish was, well, a filling experience (pardon the pun). Chinese food was an adventure in Americanization. Still pretty good, but quite a difference from back home.

Tomorrow I hope to get to the Chicago Institute of Art. I'd like to visit the Japanese garden too, but that's free and could wait til Wednesday.