Be*mused

Mainichi Nihongo o benkyoo shimasu

My sewing room, all packed up

Last night found me sitting in a Japanese language class.  I had studied Japanese eleven years ago, for two years, so I was loathe to go back to square one and gamely registered for the second level yesterday afternoon.  I was given the textbooks and advised that we would be starting on Chapter 9 in class that night.  It was about 100 degrees out as I walked back to the apartment, but my sweat-drenched self was more a result of perusing the book on my way home.  Yikes.  Did I bite off more than I could chew?

The class meets one time a week for 2 hours.  How much could that first level class have covered in that relatively short time?  At one time, my Japanese proficiency allowed me to travel in Japan on my own, shepherding a weary and wary 15-yr old Molly around Kyoto after a stay with my friends in Nagoya.  (She gagged down the food...*I'll eat it, just don't tell me what it is*...became faint from the July heat and though always polite, made it clear to me in private that one trip to Japan in her lifetime would be quite enough, thank you.)  On subsequent visits, however, my skills deteriorated as I relied more on my kids' proficiency (they have each lived in Japan for years) and my Japanese friends became more comfortable using their English with me.

Once home, I took a quick shower and frantically reviewed the first chapters.  Our realtor came by to get some papers initialed...JGB...JGB...back to the book.  By the time I got to class, I had convinced myself that needed to drop back to level one but the teacher assured me that I'd be fine.  Others arrived and we started reviewing Chapter 9.  Talk about synapses firing!!  My brain hasn't had to scramble like that in years.  It was exhilarating to know that it hadn't turned to complete mush.  And then we started conversation practice.

If you've ever studied a foreign language, you know the drill.  Students pair off, assuming the identity of characters in the book and read conversations back and forth.  I was immediately wowed by the ease of their reading as I struggled to even find my place on the page.  They had learned this much in eight weeks?  When it was my turn, I haltingly spit out word by painful word, apologizing that I had not read Japanese text for several years but would practice and be better next week.  It was then that one of the students noticed something.  The others were all using the Romaji version of the textbook, so theirs was written in phonetic Japanese, using the English alphabet, looking something like this:

But I had been given the Kana version of the textbook, so my page looked like this:

A bit of difference!  Molly and K will be happy to hear that I'm sticking with the Kana version.  Despite my current pathetic level of mastery, I was way ahead of this years ago so I would like to get back up to speed quickly.  And I'm enjoying the mental gymnastics.  So much more interesting than crossword puzzles!

This is our Kanji textbook.  I think we have three copies of this same book in storage.  Maybe I can teach a class some day.  Ha.  Speaking of storage, we signed a contract on a house this week.  My fabric will soon be liberated.  Yippee!

Why I'm not getting much knitting done

 

I think it's safe to say that our most fond memories from this summer in Chicago will be of evenings spent at the Jay Priztker Pavilion.  Three nights a week during the summer, the resident Grant Park Orchestra presents free concerts and several days each week, usually around lunch hour, they rehearse their programs here.  And just a 5 minute walk from our apartment!

I like to drop in on rehearsals when one has a choice of seats and read a book while listening to the fine tuning of the upcoming concert.  You can spread a blanket out on the lawn, if you don't mind dodging the occasional Frisbee.

During my first lunchtime visit several weeks ago, a guest vocalist was practicing...Spanish singer Maria del Mar Bonet.  I knew less than nothing about Catalan folk music, but her voice was entrancing and the evening concert was magnificent. 

 
Maria del Mar Bonet at rehearsal

Although the front section of the theater is reserved for members, about 2/3 of the seats and all of the lawn area is free seating open to the public, first come, first serve.  We much prefer the lawn, where the relaxed atmosphere belies the seriousness with which many approach their picnicking.  Over the last few weeks, we have progressed from bringing a snack, to cold drinks & sandwiches, to a more *developed* menu...only in self defense!  You can hardly enjoy a mere sandwich when people around you are indulging in such gourmet spreads!

The weather has been perfect here this summer and there is just nothing like sitting at the concerts, sipping some wine and enjoying the music that literally booms from that stage (and the fabulous sound system woven over the lawn area.)

Sunday was a busy day for us, including some house hunting and a sad stop at a wake, but we managed to get ourselves together for what promised to be a stellar concert.  Although we arrived early as usual to stake out our spots, it was already quite crowded and abuzz with excitement.  People were even lined up along the side walls, with binoculars in hand.

This (above) was how crowded it was about a half hour before the concert. An old-timer was overheard saying that he had never seen so many people jammed on the lawn and by the time the conductor was introduced, I don't think there was a square foot of lawn that wasn't taken. 

The featured artist, Pinchas Zukerman, was introduced to thunderous applause and the crowd fell silent as we all enjoyed what was, so far, the concert of the summer.

It's always with great reluctance that we pack the cooler and fold up our chairs to walk home.  And that's why I, who am usually an evening knitter, haven't been getting much done this summer.  Maybe tonight, though.  We'll be at the concert but hurrying home to catch the first night of the new season of Project Runway.  Finally, something engaging to watch on TV this summer!   

*Dropping by*

I promised myself that I wasn't going to post again until I answered some of my email so I was sitting at the computer this afternoon, chipping away.  (4 down, 100+ to go....note to self: Google 'online typing lessons'.)  As I pecked along, I caught something out of the corner of my eye.

 

Can you make this out?  Stifling the urge to start hyperventilating, I observed from a distance.  When he moved on, I pulled up the blinds on an adjacent window.  A few minutes later...

...another visitor dropped by.  Not wanting to startle him, I stood back in the room (which is nowhere near as dark as this in actuality).  And honestly, the whole time he was there, I am sure he never saw me.  Concentration is probably a good trait for high-rise window washers.

 

That black circle is some sort of suction cup handle that he thwacked against the window and used to steady himself as he soaped and squeegeed the glass.  As quickly as he appeared...drop, drop, drop...he moved down to the next (25th) floor.  I walked over to shoot a panoramic view out my nice clean windows.

And was surprised by another, who smiled and waved right after I snapped my shot.  Ai-yi-yi.  I don't know how people can do this job, suspended by two skinny little ropes.  I get queasy looking over a second story balcony.   

Chinatown

We've been here in Chicago for a month now and after that whole selling-the-house drama, I have to say that I haven't been so relaxed in years.  Of course, we're still in the house hunt here, but there's considerably less drama involved.  Until we find a house, we are thoroughly enjoying city life. 

A couple of weeks ago, we jumped on the Red Line and headed 5 stops south for a day in Chinatown.  The Chinese population there is about 60,000 so we anticipated a day of poking around shops and some good eating.  I was looking for some colorful small bowls, but despite a large number of shops carrying Chinese housewares and decorative items, M remarked that they must all be owned by the same person as the inventory seemed to be the same everywhere.  

 

When I saw these little children's shoes, I was simultaneously smitten and a little repulsed by the garish faces.  After a bunch of mental back & forth, we left but by the end of our afternoon, *smitten* triumphed over *repulsed* and I dashed in to make the purchase.  While the seller was making my change, I picked up something on display near the register to examine a little closer and she quickly said 'We can give you better price on that'.  Arghh.  I didn't realize I could have haggled a bit on the shoes...kind of took some of the fun out of the purchase.  But those little tails! 

 

It was a fun day.  We munched our way through the afternoon on Chinese bakery treats and finished up with a spicy dinner at popular neighborhood restaurant.  I never did find my patterned bowls, but have put in a request with K in Shanghai to keep his eyes open for me. 

    

And we picked up a postcard to send him.  We love irony. 

Rejoining the conversation

 

There sure has been a lot of discussion recently debating the demise of blogging, most recently at Cara's.  Numerous longtime bloggers seem to be stepping away for summer breaks or, sadly, permanently.  I seem to have done that over the last 6 months or so, at least mentally, but my visit with Mimi sort of shook me from my malaise and *I'm back*. 

So where've I been the last 11 days?  Swamped. The best laid plans and all that.  Beside outings, house hunting and other time-consuming pursuits (the apartment laundry room), in a word, *wedding plans*.  I mentioned that our son, K, recently got engaged and although the wedding won't be until 2009, any of you who've planned a June wedding know that things need to be locked in a year in advance, especially when it will be held at a beach resort (home of the bride's parents.)  So last week involved lots of phone discussion and emailing...with future DIL (VA) and her mother (SC) who were kind enough to do a little scouting for us for the rehearsal dinner...with K (Shanghai), to run things by him...and the biggest time-eater, gabbing with all the female relatives (MD, PA, MA, OH) who wanted *the scoop*.  Now many are thinking that as long as we're all heading down for the wedding, why not make a week of it and rent condos at the beach?  Sounds good to me!  More research and coordination.  Lots of fun to look forward to but currently, a lot of *pieces* to fit together before we can start worrying about the important things like clothes and hair relax.

I realized the other day that since I have all of my mola collection here at the apartment with me, I could share some more of them when I don't have photos to accompany my post.  I hate to post without photos!  While I have left most of them in the condition in which they were purchased (raw edged), several years ago I bound the edges of three molas that I wanted to hang...in a bathroom.  They were all inexpensive pieces, not particularly historically significant, so I only hesitated slightly.  With several stitches, I attached thin balsa sticks onto the backs of them and they each hung neatly on two small nails. 

This has always been a favorite of mine.  It depicts an agouti (Panamanian rodent) between two moons, a motif found in many mola interpretations of a popular Kuna Indian folktale.  If I had my mola reference books handy, I could tell you more, but like most of my belongings, they're all in storage.  A recurrent theme in my life these days. 

A perfect afternoon

 

Since landing in Chicago, I haven't been doing much handwork to speak of (that would be *exactly none*) so I've been a little ambivalent about posting with nothing to show.  Although I've been regularly out & about in the city, it somehow seems a bit self-indulgent to think people show up here to see how I've spent my day if it doesn't include something remotely art or textile related.  But yesterday was a red-letter day on both counts!  A *good friend whom I had never met* came to town and we met at 'the bean' where we posed for a few photos together, thanks to her forethought in bringing along her husband to chronicle the event.  (Great shots, Mr. K!!)  We then parted ways with him and headed to a fantastic collage show, right across the street at the Chicago Cultural Center.

  

A couple of years ago while browsing the bookstore at the Museum of American Folk Art in NYC, I came across two books featuring Tony Fitzpatrick's work.  Loaded with detail, painted and pasted, it jumped off the pages and hit me right between the eyes.  As with most artwork, the originals are so much more engaging...mesmerizing, actually.  Smaller than I'd expected, they are all approximately the same size, around 10" x 14".  You could truly lose yourself (and time) gazing into these complex little worlds, though on this visit, we were chatting while we browsed.  The show includes over 40 pieces and although it closes next weekend, I'd highly recommend it if you happen to be in the city this week.  I've already been twice and will probably stop by again.  Maybe I'll see you there!

We stopped for lunch at the closest place we could find to continue our visit and hardly took a breath as we gabbed the afternoon away.  And just as I suspected might happen, we ran out of time well before we ran out of conversation.  But we're already looking forward to her next visit, when I can host her at my home (God willing, I'll have one by then) and entertain her among my stacks of fabrics & buttons & ribbons & trims.  So, who was my afternoon companion?

 

Mimi K!  Aren't you jealous?  (Thanks, Mimi...it was so much fun!!)  

How do you spell *relief*?

 
Halfway between Indy and Chicago

Well, the move did take place and not a minute too soon!  (From weather reports, I can imagine that my former yard, slow draining in the best of conditions, must resemble a small lake by now.)  The movers were able to pack us up in a day, so they loaded the truck last Wednesday and we drove out several hours later in early evening, cars packed to the rafters with what we thought we'd need for the summer and what we deemed too precious to send to storage. 

The drive was spectacular, with a massive storm moving toward us across the fields from the west.  I was hoping to glimpse a tornado in the distance (a lifelong wish, probably based on my childhood fascination with the Wizard of Oz) but although there were several reported with this front, I didn't see any.  Probably a good thing, as I tried to maintain a proper distance from other traffic (is there such a thing?) while shooting pics at 75 mph. Heh.  When we arrived in the city, the Wednesday night fireworks were going off over Navy Pier as we unpacked the cars...a nice welcome to Chicago!

 
View from our living room window

I planned to give myself until Monday morning to settle in but it's taken a little longer than I expected, though now I'm hitting stride.  What have I been up to?

• Unpacking and sorting contents of boxes & suitcases.
• Moving things from one place to another.
• Repeat.
• Repeat.
• Repeat. 
• Finding the nearest post office/bank/groceries/cleaners.
• Trying to remember that we live in a different time zone now.
• Figuring out the laundry room, the mail, the trash disposal.
• Naps.  Long zonk-outs over the first 4 or 5 days which prompted M to comment that maybe there was something wrong with me.  I think it was *extreme decompression*.  Nothing that a good nap couldn't cure. 

Just like going to college but without the new friends!  Something that I really didn't need this week was trying to straighten out a compromised credit card.  I caught the fraudulent charges early (Free advice: check your account regularly online!) so it seems that no harm was done, but canceling it and changing related account information here & there has been time consuming.

It hasn't been all work and no play...I've been out & about every day.  I'm planning to make the most of our limited time in the city and I'll tell you about that next time.  For now, I'm giving Chicago a thumbs up!

 
Our apartment's in the building that seems to be growing from my head. 

Wish I'd bought that laptop instead of the sewing machine

Well, maybe *in addition* to.  I'd been thinking about it in January and now I'm looking at packing up my PC to drag up to the apartment.  Ugh.  This is turning out to be quite the production.  M brought a carload of food and clothes up to Chicago this morning and I've spent the day pulling aside photographs, personal papers, some books and projects which we'll bring up when we leave after the moving van is packed up.  (Finnulgarn makes excellent packing material!)  I was anticipating having this all done by now but we spent most of the weekend going through the closets, garage and kitchen cabinets weeding out what we couldn't eat in two days, use at a small apartment or choose to have stored indefinitely.  We literally went room to room which a large trash can, which worked well until M strode into my sewing room and opened the first closet, actually thinking I was going to agree to that.  *Ummm, that room's done already!*   

We were brutal.  The neighbors reaped the rewards, carrying off houseplants, tools, golf clubs, gardening items, food & cleaning supplies, and liquor (which I may regret by tonight.)  Today was our first trash pickup day since we signed the contract and our last before we leave, so even though neighbors happily allowed us to drag trash bags to their front yards this morning, I still had to go out and plead with the trash man to waive the 10 bag limit due to our situation. 

What took so much unanticipated time was *consolidating*.  Have you ever had movers pack for you?  It's great but they use so many boxes...and pack room by room.  We don't know where we're ending up, house wise, but it will definitely be something much smaller and I couldn't imagine 3 1/2 bathrooms worth of boxes being delivered to a little Cape, nevermind everything else.  We thus ended up dragging items from room to room...all books (from 5 rooms) to one location, etc., etc.  And continue to.  I am crippled and wiped out, but almost finished.

On top of all of this, Friday night we had quite a storm blow through.  The tornado sirens were howling and when I turned on the news, they were showing Doppler radar of our area and urgently warning of *rotational winds* touching down right up the street.  All I could think was "If this roof blows off now......!!!"   Luckily, we survived unscathed.

Ok, my brief break is over.  Thanks for all of your good wishes and kind comments.  I haven't had the luxury of time to reply this week but I always enjoy hearing from you all.  Here's a photo of our next stop, where we should arrive Thursday evening.  See you on the other side!!

Step one on the road back to normal life

Gah!!  Can you believe it?!!!  We literally were still hashing out contract details on the phone during our drive to Maryland on Friday but finally all contracts are signed, the movers are booked and I am starting to freak out ever so slightly.  And for those of you who've been in touch this week and think I am in full throttle mode now...hardly!  I'm trying hard to maintain a breezy attitude toward my long to-do list, but the movers arrive on Tuesday morning, leaving 4 days to arrange for changing addresses, canceling deliveries, scheduling final utility reads and washing & cleaning bedding, yard furniture and other items which will be packed for indefinite storage.  But enough of that, at least for a few minutes.

We had a fabulous weekend...unbelievably beautiful weather and lots of laughs away from the house situation.  We spent time in Annapolis and a picnic day down by the shore in St. Michael's and Oxford.  Who couldn't relax sitting out in the sun watching the sailboats skim by?  When we arrived at the park and were taking the picnic stuff out of my sister's trunk, I almost fell over when she handed me the *beach blanket*...my very favorite Indian bedspread from my college dorm room days!  Somehow she ended up with it (*like so many things*...tongue-in-cheek, older-sister comment) and although it's seen better days, it's still getting some use.  Here's a rare posted photo of wind-blown me (left,in the pink)...it's a doozey, but it makes me laugh and I may need a laugh in the next few days.

 
Trying to forget everything that will transpire within the next week.

Now back to my frenetic countdown.  It would seem to be an easy move...throw some summer things in a suitcase and enjoy the furnished city apartment.  But the stay is indefinite and we don't know where or what type of house we'll be moving into eventually, so I'm trying to consolidate our belongings for packing as well as putting aside anything we might need/use over the summer...clothes, personal paperwork, medical info, etc.  Think about it...the list grows exponentially! 

I'll post again before we leave.  I'll need to move that photo down the page.