Brunch and shooting pool

On Sunday we went to Aunt Becky's and Uncle Ed's for brunch. We ended up playing pool. Andreia and Ed where the pros, Jarl and I were the "great pretenders". We had a great time together.

(L)

The Bean

The Bean (as Chicagoans refer to it but officially known as Cloud Gate), is a sculpture by the Indian-British artist Anish Kapoor.

My cousin Andreia is fascinated by it and wanted to take photo after photo of this smooth structure of silver in the heart of downtown Chicago. She took many photos and a few of them are particularly good, in fact so good that they should be turned into postcards by the City of Chicago. I'm very fond of the one with the sky-scrapers reflected on the Bean's surface. Mayor Daley, are you reading this?

(L)

Crown Fountain - the folly all over again!

On Saturday, we took Andreia and Denise to Millennium Park. Georgie had another showering session at Crown Fountain. The photos Andreia took illustrate the fun.

(L)

Blue Man Group

The Blue Man Group is a Chicago landmark, although they have actually started as a theatrical concept in New York.

I had always wanted to see them acting, so on Saturday evening, 14 August, myself and my cousin Andreia decided to join the crowds at the Briar Street Theatre for a performance. Performance is the right word to describe what goes on on that stage. It took me some 20 minutes to warm up to the particular kind of theatre they play, and left amused but not totally convinced.

To me, the whole performance was a parody on contemporary art, and a reminder that even parodies are art itself and in the end become part of what they intend to expose, exploit, or criticise. The blue men are pretty intellectual, even though they are jokey and like to mime the absurd.

I was particularly impressed by the drumming on plumbing tubes. The sound was magical. I was sad that they had to add regular drums, guitar and piano to it. The tubes alone were enough. The complimentary band was way too loud and killed the magic in the tubes. Couldn't they see that?

Below is a little bit more of an explanation of the concept behind the Blue Man Group (as found in Wikepedia):

(...)"Formed in 1987 by Goldman, Stanton, and Wink, The Blue Man Group played around Manhattan in such venues as Central Park, the Performing Garage, Dixon Place and PS 122. It is not clear how much influence the Brazilian band Uakti had on the founders, although Uakti's Marco Antônio Guimarães had been building tuned PVC instruments (struck with foam paddles) since the late 1970s. Uakti was introduced to US audiences just about the same time as Blue Man Group was forming, through Paul Simon, The Manhattan Transfer and composer Philip Glass. (...) The organization's visual productions are centered on a trio of anonymous mute performers, called Blue Men, who appear in black clothing and blue grease paint over latex bald caps and play a mixture of idiosyncratic, often percussive, instruments."

(...)"The strongest and most obvious Blue Man characteristic is his static appearance, namely, the ear-less, bright blue head and face, and nondescript, utilitarian clothing. In action, the Blue Man does not speak and his face is usually expressionless, although suggestions of curiosity, surprise, wonder, chagrin, etc. are sometimes visible. The Blue Man does not communicate through speech or broad body language or gestures; rather, he communicates through intense eye contact and simple gestures. He acts impulsively and primarily as a group of three, "checking in" with the other two when making decisions and before moving to their next action. The Blue Man's outwardly apparent motivations are often presented in mild caricature to make a humorous and/or ironic point to the audience. Additionally, the Blue Man is inscrutably motivated to drum. They even have their own hand gesture, called the "Blue Man Salute", made by raising both arms in the air."

(L)

Cousin Andreia also came to Chicago

My cousin Andreia, whom we had visited in Newark, Delaware, back in June, also came to Chicago. It was a short weekend visit, from 14 to 16 August, but we certainly enjoyed having her around. It was great that she got to know Aunt Denise too.

Andreia has this big bubbly personality, lively, intelligent, curious, fun. She keeps us "oldies" in touch with what goes on in young people's minds.

I have probably said this before, but as an only-child I feel like my cousins are my siblings, and their children my nephews and nieces. Andreia is actually the daughter of my first-cousin Nónó. I'm 10 years her elder, but I feel a strong connection to her. I think my cousin Andreia rocks!

Georgie was very sad when she went back to Delaware. "Why can't she stay with us forever?", asked Georgie. I sometimes wonder the same thing. Why can't the people we love be closer to home? Why is home so spread out around the globe? And then again, if home were closer, would the world feel the same? This place of delight and strife, joy and worry, but mostly an amazing and wonderful place, every time we step foot on it and travel to get closer to our hearts.

(L)

Aunt Denise came to Chicago

This is big news. Georgie's godmother, Aunt Denise, came to Chicago to spend a week with us, from 11 to 18 August. We love Aunt Denise. We have known each other for more than 14 years, and when she is around the sky shines a more intense blue.

We talk, and laugh, and talk some more, and fall asleep, and talk some more, and laugh; and we couldn't imagine our lives without Aunt Denise. Georgie was quite sad when we took her today to the airport for her flight back to Europe.

Denise was one of the first persons I met in Brussels when I arrived there in September 1996, and since then we have always kept in touch even though life took us in different directions. I stayed in Brussels and Denise moved to Strasbourg seven years ago. She just bought a house in Kehl, Germany, an eco-house as it is, and we are curious to check it out when it's finished.

In typical Aunt Denise fashion, the very same evening of her arrival, as soon as dinner was finished, she got up from the table and did the dishes (we couldn't convince her otherwise). That's our Aunt Denise.

(L)

Alice!

On 12 August we went to see Alice at the Water Tower Water Works in downtown Chicago, by the Lookingglass Theatre Company. The play is a romp of acrobatics, poetry, and madness that lasts for 90 wondrous minutes. Another great recommendation by Becky and Ed.

"Staged with endless wit, astonishing physicality, breathtaking aerial acrobatics and theatrical daring, the stories of Lewis Carroll come to life in this dizzyingly playful, gravity-defying spectacle for all ages." (from their own website, but truthful to a dot!)

We had a chance to meet "Alice" and the "Cheshire Cat" at the end of the play. Georgie danced with the "Cat". It was so much fun to watch! I think they could become friends.

(L)

photo credits: the play's poster and the photos of the play were taken from the company's website.