Bye Chicago! See you later!

Yesterday was a sad, sad day. It was the last day I got to spend with my hostess Dana. This weekend we first got out of Sussex and got into Chicago where we met up with one of Dana's friends. We went to the Best of Second City comedy show after having spent a few hours gawking at organic food at Whole Foods. Would you imagine? I found Kombucha at Whole Foods! That's like... really rare nowadays! The comedy show was really entertaining. It was a mixture of improv and skits and the comedians were very relaxed and funny. They lured a lot of laughs out of us.

The day after Dana and I went out to have a celebration of my last day in Chicago. Even though it felt a bit like celebrating a loved one's death. The whole evening went between laughing and looking at each other with pouting lower lips and going "mmf..."

We kicked it off by an all we could eat Flat Top Grill. You pick your veggies, beans, fruits, rice, noodles and then you pick out your meat (fish, calamari, beef, chicken, etc), drown it in sauce and a chef will fry it for you.

My beautiful hostess holding her drink at Flat Top

After that Dana and I walked though the cold and windy night to the John Hancock Tower and had a couple of drinks together while marvelling at the city night scape spreading out in all directions underneath. The tower is one of the largest ones in Chicago, and even though the air wasn't completely clear, you could see for miles upon miles.

Isn't the view to die for?

Today however was the day when I had to leave Dana. We were both really brave and neither one of us cried at the airport. Even though it was very close. You might understand that our relationship is not only hostess and hosted any more. I guess that was quite clear when I ended up staying in Sussex for 6-7 weeks perhaps though. More about that at another time and another place. Now it is time to get to bed, because I have 18 hours of flight ahead of me tomorrow!

Cox Rocks!

Last weekend Dana and I decided to have an outing in Chicago. I found out that Carl Cox was playing at The Mid, and the both of us were like giggling school children over a book of anatomy. So we went to her condo in Chicago, dropped off some stuff, and then got going. Once we got there, we realized I had no identification. My Passport was either still in the condo, or perhaps Wisconsin! So we grabbed another cab back to the condo, found the passport and then headed back to the club. Each trip about $20 plus tips. Ugh, my cheeks are still red when I think about it. Bleh, that I would pass for under 21 is beyond me.

The party is on!

So we got in! Had a drink, had two had... more and lost count! Danced and even socialized with people. I've never been to a dance floor that packed before. To be honest, the grow-up part of me screamed "fire hazard". It was a bit scary. But once Cox got on stage everything turned from 'whee' to 'wooooh'. He really had the whole audience at his fingertips and bent the dance floor to his will with a mixture of live performance and really skilful DJing.

Carl Cox going at it!

 The giggling pair got out of the club at about 3 and harassed a poor taxi driver ("We're not inebriated sir *giggle, giggle*, honest! *giggle, giggle* Why would you suggest such a thing? *giggle, gilggle*"). He was a good sport about it though. I guess he had his fair share of... happy customers.

The day after the effects of what can only be the loud music was felt. Too much bass gives you headache, and I'm pretty sure that the drinks had nothing to do with it. Dana and I spend a slow morning eating some take away until we felt better and then headed into Chicago, towards The Loop. We missed the first train (it was so close we could touch it as we ran up to it). The second train took off without us realizing that it even let people onboard, but we caught the third train and made our way to the art museum where we met up with one of Dana's friends.

The exhibit we were seeing was "Picasso and Chicago", with a number of paintings, screen prints and sculptures by collectors from Chicago and the Chicago region. It was very interesting, since you got to see a whole lot of paintings you had never seen before. Famous paintings can be fun to see for real, but it is really all the other paintings that tell the story of how those famous ones came to be. And as we all know "the goal is nothing, the way there is everything".

Dana is scrutinizing the painting

After the museum visit we went to a restaurant called Japonice for Japanese food. We went for sushi of course. And it was among the most tasty sushi I ever had. I got one "California Roll", one "Yellow Tail Roll" and one "Crispy Shrimp Roll". While the first two rolls were "merely" good. The Shrimp roll was glorious. But what really made the restaurant worth it was the desert. Japanese Cheesecake.

Japanese pumpkin cheesecake. I have made it my mission to try lots of different cheesecakes while here in the states. But this one was the best. It was served in a 10cm in diameter circular bowl, about 8 cm tall. The bottom layer was mushy cracker (about half a centimetre). The second layer was cake so soft and moist it was almost like thick whipped cream in consistency, and lasted for about 6cm. The last two centimetres was the actual cheesecake, which was soft and fluffy like the cake, and seasoned with 5 different spices. It all melted in my mouth and at the first bite I was speechless and out of breath, almost gasping, caught between wanting to savour the taste, and calling out to Dana to try (in the end I was selfish and ate it all myself). The number of tastes really transported me elsewhere. If you have seen the movie Perfume, where the main character makes that really good perfume for the shop owner, which makes him see a beautiful woman who kisses him and says 'I love you', you know what sort of feeling I was experiencing with this cheesecake.

I met popeye!

Field trip! Field trip! Field trip!

My beautiful host Dana and her dorky hat

Dana and I headed to Milwaukee to see the arts museum there. It is an awesome building to be sure. The building's architecture is really awesome and unique, both inside and outside. Sadly, we did not have the time to see any of the exhibits since we got out a bit late and the museum was about to close. So instead we just wandered around the locale. Afterwards I took Dana out for sushi and spent a ridiculous amount of monies on dead fish.

Milwaukee Art Museum

We walked around the area with the Sushi shack for a bit and Dana showed me the places she used to visit when she was in college. The Mount Mary college. I can't see how that name could be interpreted as something dirty, can you? No, nay, nopes.

Inside the museum

We went into a pub to get a beer or two when we met a really strange and totally awesome older man. He instantly started talking to us and when he learned I was from Sweden he started telling Swedish jokes he heard from the Norwegians during the Second World War. He was a dog fighter who was stationed in England during the war and explained a whole lot about strategies and the things he would do to evade the Germans. Then he explained that once he came back to the US he became a voice actor and said he was the last voice for Popeye. He gave us a few examples and then showed some really impressive impersonation of old famous people, as he presented them to Walt Disney when he met him. First a few animals, then a really good Churchill. Everyone passing in and out of the pub, and passing by us greeted the old man as "Popeye", so he is a local celebrity. And to be honest, I'm not sure if he is telling the truth, but I don't want to research it. I want to believe I met Popeye!

Inside the museum

Miserere Dominus, Meleagris mortuus est!

So, Dana decided that I need to experience something of what you encounter during thanksgiving. Namely, the turkey! Not the country, though it would be awesome if they invaded every year or so to say "thanks!". So, the process of making a turkey is something in between a grinding slow process and an oddly sensual one too.

First you spend a couple of day thawing it by gently pouring water over it every 30 minutes for the 2-4 days (depending on size). Then you gently fist the turkey to remove the package of gizzards and the neck from inside. Then you spend a whole day cooking it and preparing the sides. Our thanksgiving was a small and cosy ordeal with only a few sides.

Since I'm the only male figure in the house, I got to be the one carving it, since that falls upon the male figure of the American home. And I can tell you I felt my testosterone surge and hair start growing on my chest as I mercilessly slaughtered the already dead turkey. I'm just a bit worried about how my lesbian friends handle the carving of turkeys. Do they invite a male friend over? Is there a turkey carving service for lesbians or single mothers to call? It's just one of these mysteries I guess I'll never get answered.

We started the actual cooking at 3pm, and started eating at 11pm. So it took a little while longer than we anticipated, but it was good eating and I can see why Americans are thankful for it. So, in American tradition I too have to thank the turkey and tell it that it's death served me well. Thank you turkey. Thurkey.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

I'm still in Wisconsin, big surprise. Hanging out with Dana and just taking it nice and slow. Watching good movies and scary documentaries. I've heard concern about me not posting for  a while so I'll make a lil' post now.

Contrary to popular belief I'm not being held hostage. And some people (you know who you are) are concerned I am not doing touristy things. Stop that silly nonsense. Don't you think that after having been travelling and going hither and dither though first Europe and then the United States, I deserve to get a bit of rest? I sure do!

Even if the situation here is not the best for my hostess, with family problems and such, I am doing very well. Everyone is very friendly and it is always wake my hostess up with  cup of coffee brewn to Swedish Standards (tm) and see her face light up. Even if her eyes stay closed for the better part of an hour or so due to her being a late sleeper and it taking a while for the caffine to grab a hold of her.

So, what have I been doing? I've helped keep my hostess happy, since she's going though a hard time. Last week we went into town and saw a play called "The Clock Maker". The actors were rally good, but the play in itself was a bit so-so. It wasn't all that involving and the plot was quite predictable. I sort of like and dislike the stage at the same time. The stage comes really close to the audience, and at points I was so close to the actors I could reach out and touch them if I would have wanted to. So for better and worse it was very intimate.

Yesterday I went to an all catholic Fish Fry with my hostess, her mother and her mother's friends. The friends of my hostess' mother are really awesome. I especially like one lady who is the real sort of "no nonsense" and very tongue in cheek teasing sort of person. I think she just about entered retirement and then thought "Model trains, that sounds like fun!". So she went to a store for train models and started browsing, then two young guys started talking to her and gave her all sorts of hints and ideas. So now she have started converting her ping-pong table into a landscape with the help of Styrofoam.

But mostly it have been about sleeping in and snuggling up under a blanket while watching movies and having a glass of wine. So I'm very content.

I have also been to all sorts of food places, eating out a whole lot and learned a lot about American food. Bigger is better, and the drinks are always free and just keeps on coming.

I should perhaps make a few observational posts, but truth be told, I've been so busy just socializing with Dana, that I've not had the time. And honestly, most post would be about the differences between Sweden and the US, which in the long run would probably seem like me being ungrateful, which I am not. I really like the differences, it makes it so very fun and real.

Deep dish pizza

I'm really enjoying it up here in the northern states. I'm currently residing in Dana's mother's house with Dana, trying my best to be moral support and a stand up person in helping Dana move her mother to a home for the elderly. They are both such sweet persons to be honest. And I think that Dana's mother have really taken a shine to me.

Dana and I spent two days in Chicago in her condo, which is currently occupied by her uncle, the uncle's boyfriend and the most adorable little 2 year old boy. The first day I went out with Dana to City Winery and had my first glass ever of wine from a big ol' barrel. Really tasty too, a Argentina Malbec from 2012. At the Winery the Swedish artist Theresa Andersson was playing, and as the show was over Dawr na wanted to buy a couple of her albums for both herself and her other uncle. And of course Dana pulled attention to that I was Swedish so for a confusing star struck moment I was talking swenglish and generally being a fool. I slept rally well that night though, despite the fact that Dana and I had to share bed since her uncle was occupying her bedroom. Or perhaps because of it?

The second day we went to a Swedish Resturant called Tre Kronor and had a nice meal and then went to see a Swedish shop right next to it where I educated Dana in the wonders that is Astrid Lindgren and Sven Nordqvist. That evening we had some Deep Dish Pizza, Chicago Style and was going to go see a comedy show, but as Dana was feeling a bit under the weather we decided to postpone that.

Now we're back in Milwaukee, and time is passing by nice and slow. If I would ever move to the states, the Chicago area would absolutely be where I settled down.

Long time no see

It's been a while since my last update, mostly because there have not been all that many things to report. I've been slacking about the hostel. Chilling with the people there, eating my Walgreens sushi and just taking it easy. More or less waiting for Dana, my next hostess. She did run into some problems helping her mother move in to her new house, so she didn't feel comfortable spending a week away from her.

When the mountain can't come to Mohammed, Mohammed goes to the mountain. So I will be spending a few days here with her i Milwaukee, which is in Wisconsin, just north of Chicago (2 hours by train). The city of Milwaukee is quite small, by American measurements. Just about the same size of Stockholm. But with a larger risk of getting robbed, shot, stabbed or ending up in a school shooting.

Right now she's still sleeping, snoring on merrily in the other bed in the hotel room we share (she decided she needed to be pampered after the moving of stuff), despite it being noon. Soon I'll start throwing pillows in the general direction of the snores to see if I can't wake her up to get the day started.