Boystown

Chicago has a Boystown (real name) - yep, the gay neighbourhood - on a section of N. Halstead and N. Broadway streets, not far from where we are staying. It's sort of a colourful place, I suppose, as was to be expected. And it's easy to spot since there are plenty or rainbow flags jotting the place. We went there yesterday afternoon. The more "risqué" shops had the good sense of keeping their windows simple and discreet, or ambiguous enough to make them difficult to read to the non-initiated, or more to the point in our case, to a child.

We went to the LGBT center, the Center on Halsted, and looked around. We were lucky enough to find the playroom where there were two mums and their two children, and two nannies too. All in all, 5 other little children to play with Georgie. I couldn't stop thinking how much the LGBT community has changed. You wouldn't find a children's playroom in an LGBT center 20 years ago. Well, you wouldn't find an LGBT community centre, period!

I was struck by the amount of black teenagers at the centre. Maybe it was "youth hour" or something, but it looked like some of them were sleeping rough, in the streets. There was a young woman there with a pink t-shirt saying something like "connection for the homeless", which further reinforced my impression. I know the amount of LGBT youth living in the streets is particularly high in the US, but seeing them there brought it home to me. I'm glad the centre is there for them. I'm glad they come to the centre. May it be a platform for empowerment and for finding their true self in a tolerant, nurturing environment. I hope they find the right, good role models they need as young people to grow.

After the visit to the LGBT centre, we decided to have dinner. The area is awash with bars and discos, and funny-looking shops, but there are very few restaurants. Bother!! Are LBGTs only supposed to drink and dance? Not really, but there you go... We found a small place a few blocks from the centre that looked nice; Nookies' Tree. They even had colouring pencils and a place-mat with dinosaurs for Georgie to paint. And a rainbow flag! Perfect.

Georgie and I tried Tilapia, a new fish for our taste buds. Jarl had a burger (always the adventurous..., but I know he must be careful with trying new food, so I'm just joking a little). There's a bit of a recent craze surrounding Tilapia (generic name for a fresh water fish found in Africa and the Levant), because it is very easy to grow in aquaculture. It has low levels of mercury due to its exclusively vegetarian diet, and is low in fat. It was tasty, but nothing to die for. I still enjoy my bacalhau better any day, any time.

(L)