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.

The Tower formerly known as Sears

So, today I decided to explore downtown Chicago a bit. Much like New York City (and many other American city centres) it got lots of really tall buildings. One of them being taller than the rest. That building being the Sears Willis tower.

Sears Willis Tower was the largest building ever between 1973 and 1998. To be sure, it is very, VERY tall. 108 stories high, and an elevator lets you go up to level 103 where the SkyDeck can be found. The SkyDeck is situated 412 meters (1,353 feet) above the ground and an elevator takes you up there in about 60 seconds (about 25 km/h, 15 mph). That's 3 times faster than the world's fastest swimmer! And only slightly slower than the world record runner for the same time.

When you first enter at ground level you are taken though Security and you get your picture taken for security purposes souvenir purposes. As the ride go up, your height above the ground is shown on the television inside and compared to different animals and buildings. Then you exit onto the SkyDeck, which is a large deck from which you can see the whole of Chicago stretching out underneath. All four sides got windows, so you can walk around and really get a 360 view of everything. The area is really large, so it is quite fun to just walk slowly and gawk and be in awe. To see skyscrapers at "mere 50 stories height" underneath you is simply breathtaking and to an extent even mind boggling.

At the last wall you pass they got glass boxes installed which protrudes outside of the building and where you got glass under your feet where you can see all the 412 meters under you. As I watched other tourists get on it, I saw them carefully step and test the ground as if it would break and I rolled my eyes. As I got on it, I felt my scrotum try and hide far up in my belly and air get squshed out of my lungs as I tiptoed out myself. Looking straight down is really a breath taking experience.

After having walked though no less than 3 or was it even 4 gift shops, I was out on the streets in the Loop once more. One experience richer and with any luck, my balls will drop once more later this week.

Chic-a-go-go!

I'm all safe and sound in Chicago after having spent 17 hours on a greyhound bus. Might be 18 or 16. The time zones confuses me a bit. Probably is 18. Started 5:10 pm in Atlanta and arrived at 9.50 am the next day. You do the math. Every 3 or 4 hours they would stop the bus and make us get off the bus and what not. So I did not get much sleep.

But now I'm checked into my hostel, and all set for sleeping as soon as I can get away with sleep. My bunk is taken since I checked in so early, but in a few hours its aaaallll mine. Aaaahahahahaahaahahahaha*coughcoughcough*aahhaahaa!