Obamaland

We didn't coin the expression. I heard it from one of the workers at Chicago's Visitors' Center: Obamaland. On Monday this week, as part of our greeter's tour to the South Side of Chicago, we passed by Barak Obama's house in the neighbourhood of Hyde Park.

You couldn't really see it from the street, protected as it was by Secret Service Agents (yep, they were wearing the sign in big letters in front of their bullet-proof jackets! How secret is that?). In the photo, you must look for the tiny bit of yellow bricks between the trees, that's the house. In winter is easier to spot it because there are no leaves. Someone bought the house next door to his and was having the windows changed when we came by. Wow, imagine, neighbour's to the Obamas; we should have bought that house... (excuse us the little celebrity culture detour).

Jarl, ever the lawyer, tried to come close to the President's house, saying that the signs only mentioned the fact that one was liable to be stopped and searched; but there were two big signs saying DO NOT ENTER at the beginning of the street, and we were told twice, by our greeter, and by one of the locals passing in the street, that we were not supposed to go near the place... Anyway, "our" Secret Agent was really polite and friendly. Jarl said to him "I suppose you know why were are here?!" (of course, to spy on Obama's house...), and he told us to leave and take photos from an opposite street (all the while smiling), which we did.

(L)