Last week Thursday I finally got some projects to work on and was kept very busy all day Thursday and Friday. The projects were nothing thrilling but at least it was something to do!
Friday evening we just hung out in our apartments, relaxed, and watched a movie to unwind after the week.
On Saturday all the Chicago Semester students were required to go to the play Hunger at Lifeline Theater way up north. Here's a little blip about the play...
"During the 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad, Russian botanist Ilya is charged with protecting a cache of valuable seeds for future generations. As the weeks turn to months and the city starves, Ilya and his co-workers are torn between their lives’ work, the dictates of a brutal regime, and the harsh realities of survival in a time of war. Consumed by innumerable hungers and haunted by memories of happier days, Ilya must decide whether to preserve his life or protect his ideals."
After the play 9 of us went out to eat at a little Thai restaurant called Cilantro. It was a pretty tiny restaurant and I think we overwhelmed the waitress when 9 of us walked in! I had a great time...great conversations and great food!
For our art class we have to have three "Art Encounters". Basically, you choose a genre and have three "encounters" with that genre. Megan and I both chose music so we decided to go to a jazz club, Green Mill, after supper. We got there at about 8:45 PM and the place was already at capacity so we got to stand outside in the 18 degree weather for 20 minutes until people left. Once we got inside we had no idea what to do. It was SO packed we weren't even sure if we could make it to the other end of the bar. After snaking our way through the crowd we finally found enough room for the two of us to stand next to each other and then waited for the band to start playing. 40 minutes later our feet were hurting--Megan made the mistake of wearing heels!--and we wanted to leave but since our first paper is due on Wednesday we knew we couldn't leave. Thankfully, shortly thereafter the band finally started playing. We stayed for 2 songs--each about 20 minutes long. It was kind of a fun experience and I'm glad we went but I've decided that I don't really like jazz.
For church on Sunday we returned to the church we attended last week, Park Community Church. I really liked it this week...a lot. And I think we all did. We might try a few other churches but I definitely wouldn't be opposed to going back to this one! The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping, washing dishes 3 times, and doing lots and lots of homework.
Last week was a short week since I didn't have to work on Monday so I have a feeling this week is going to seem extra long... Oh well, one day down!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Lemony-Fresh
I've decided that writing is definitely not my forte. Every night when I get home from work I think "Hmm, I should probably update my blog, but what is there to say??" Obviously, life isn't super interesting.
My internship still continues to be the same. My midpoint evaluation is coming up soon and if things haven't changed by that point, hopefully they will after the three of us (my supervisor, my Chicago Semester teacher, and myself) sit down and talk. I like the people I work with and am VERY thankful when I get a job to do, it's just that they are few and far between. It's amazing how much faster the day goes when you're busy though!! The most exciting part of the week was on Monday when I came out of a long meeting and found a box with a bunch of paper wrapped around something on my desk. My first thought was "Okay, who left garbage on my desk?!?!" My second was "Who's playing a joke on me?" And by the time I made it to my desk and saw the note attached, my third thought was "Who sent me flowers!?!?!?!?" I had practically everyone from the office gathered around my desk as I opened the beautiful bouquet that Mom and Dad sent me. A week later it's still beautiful and smells great!
This week's art event was at the Chicago Cultural Center. It's free to the public and always has lots of stuff going on. We were supposed to meet at 6 and since I don't get off work until 5, that doesn't leave enough time for me to go home, change, and have supper. Instead, I packed an extra sandwich and carrots in my lunch bag and walked to Millenium Park. I sat at a little table and watched people come and go by the Bean. It was really nice to just sit and relax and enjoy being outside since it was semi-warm that day. It was also halfway quiet--no sirens!! Anyway, back to the art event...We had 5 different exhibits to choose from but had to pick just one to write our reflection on. I went to "Write Now: Artists and Letterforms". It was actually pretty interesting. Afterwards, myself and 4 other girls went back to Millenium Park for the Sound and Video show at the Bean. I had heard it was pretty cool but was sorely disappointed. It was just a recording of some mallets and they had projectors displaying images on the ground that then reflected in the Bean. ...Not nearly as exciting as I had hoped.
The weekend was relaxing. We tried another new church on Sunday called Park Community Church. The worship was incredibly loud but I liked the songs they sang. I also liked the sermon although I didn't like the fact that we never really read the Scripture we were talking about. The pastor had us open our Bibles to John 9 but then he just summarized the passage in his own words instead of actually reading it. I might try going again though. Sunday afternoon Karla and I CLEANED. She vacuumed and did all the dishes that never seem to quit stacking up. I cleaned every inch of the bathroom, dusted absolutely everything--Yes Mom, I even moved things off the tables/desks!!!!!--cleaned all the windows/window sills, and cleaned the shelves, counter and floor in the kitchen. It smelled lemony-fresh when we were done. And I LOVED it. ...I think I should do it more often. Cleaning (and the lemony-fresh scent that comes along with it!!!) is definitely a de-stressor for me!
Megan, Sherry, and I had the day off today for President's Day. We took the bus to Willis Tower and met Karla and Julianna (another NWC girl that's here for Chicago Semester) for lunch. They then took us up to see their offices at Easter Seals on the 24th floor of Willis Tower. It was nice to finally be able to visualize the places and people that Karla tells me about everyday! Afterwards, we (Megan, Sherry, and I) went to the movie The Vow. We had all heard GREAT things about it so we decided to splurge a little and go see it. I was a little disappointed...it didn't quite live up to the all the hype.
One of the biggest challenges of living on my own has been trying to come up with meal ideas! It was one thing to live in an apartment on campus where I could go to the cafeteria any time I didn't feel like cooking but now, I have to fend for myself 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. It gives me a new appreciation for my mom who always has great ideas for meals and never makes the same thing so often that you get sick of it!!
My internship still continues to be the same. My midpoint evaluation is coming up soon and if things haven't changed by that point, hopefully they will after the three of us (my supervisor, my Chicago Semester teacher, and myself) sit down and talk. I like the people I work with and am VERY thankful when I get a job to do, it's just that they are few and far between. It's amazing how much faster the day goes when you're busy though!! The most exciting part of the week was on Monday when I came out of a long meeting and found a box with a bunch of paper wrapped around something on my desk. My first thought was "Okay, who left garbage on my desk?!?!" My second was "Who's playing a joke on me?" And by the time I made it to my desk and saw the note attached, my third thought was "Who sent me flowers!?!?!?!?" I had practically everyone from the office gathered around my desk as I opened the beautiful bouquet that Mom and Dad sent me. A week later it's still beautiful and smells great!
This week's art event was at the Chicago Cultural Center. It's free to the public and always has lots of stuff going on. We were supposed to meet at 6 and since I don't get off work until 5, that doesn't leave enough time for me to go home, change, and have supper. Instead, I packed an extra sandwich and carrots in my lunch bag and walked to Millenium Park. I sat at a little table and watched people come and go by the Bean. It was really nice to just sit and relax and enjoy being outside since it was semi-warm that day. It was also halfway quiet--no sirens!! Anyway, back to the art event...We had 5 different exhibits to choose from but had to pick just one to write our reflection on. I went to "Write Now: Artists and Letterforms". It was actually pretty interesting. Afterwards, myself and 4 other girls went back to Millenium Park for the Sound and Video show at the Bean. I had heard it was pretty cool but was sorely disappointed. It was just a recording of some mallets and they had projectors displaying images on the ground that then reflected in the Bean. ...Not nearly as exciting as I had hoped.
The weekend was relaxing. We tried another new church on Sunday called Park Community Church. The worship was incredibly loud but I liked the songs they sang. I also liked the sermon although I didn't like the fact that we never really read the Scripture we were talking about. The pastor had us open our Bibles to John 9 but then he just summarized the passage in his own words instead of actually reading it. I might try going again though. Sunday afternoon Karla and I CLEANED. She vacuumed and did all the dishes that never seem to quit stacking up. I cleaned every inch of the bathroom, dusted absolutely everything--Yes Mom, I even moved things off the tables/desks!!!!!--cleaned all the windows/window sills, and cleaned the shelves, counter and floor in the kitchen. It smelled lemony-fresh when we were done. And I LOVED it. ...I think I should do it more often. Cleaning (and the lemony-fresh scent that comes along with it!!!) is definitely a de-stressor for me!
Megan, Sherry, and I had the day off today for President's Day. We took the bus to Willis Tower and met Karla and Julianna (another NWC girl that's here for Chicago Semester) for lunch. They then took us up to see their offices at Easter Seals on the 24th floor of Willis Tower. It was nice to finally be able to visualize the places and people that Karla tells me about everyday! Afterwards, we (Megan, Sherry, and I) went to the movie The Vow. We had all heard GREAT things about it so we decided to splurge a little and go see it. I was a little disappointed...it didn't quite live up to the all the hype.
One of the biggest challenges of living on my own has been trying to come up with meal ideas! It was one thing to live in an apartment on campus where I could go to the cafeteria any time I didn't feel like cooking but now, I have to fend for myself 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. It gives me a new appreciation for my mom who always has great ideas for meals and never makes the same thing so often that you get sick of it!!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Well, still nothing new to report on the internship front. Still just working on small projects off and on.
For one of my classes on Wednesday we had a neighborhood visit. We went to Pilsen, a Latino neighborhood, and walked around observing people and looking at the buildings and murals. At the end we all met at the National Museum of Mexican Art. It was...interesting. A lot of the art dealt with The Day of the Dead so there were skulls everywhere.
Thursday night we had another art event. We went to the play The Invisible Man at Court Theater. It was adapted from Ralph Ellison's novel and this theater is the first to ever do this play so it was kind of a big deal. However, since no other theaters have ever done this play, the script hasn't gotten cut back very much. So when it was all said and done, the play was 3 hours long. It ended up being a very long night. But I still liked the play! ...for the most part.
Megan's sister, Kelsey, and Karla's fiance, Evan, are both here this weekend so our apartments are full with extra bodies in them! For church this morning I went back to Missio Dei with Sherry. There was an actual sermon this time and it was pretty good. It's super long (almost 2 hours) but I really like it there.
Well, tomorrow it's back to work!
For one of my classes on Wednesday we had a neighborhood visit. We went to Pilsen, a Latino neighborhood, and walked around observing people and looking at the buildings and murals. At the end we all met at the National Museum of Mexican Art. It was...interesting. A lot of the art dealt with The Day of the Dead so there were skulls everywhere.
Thursday night we had another art event. We went to the play The Invisible Man at Court Theater. It was adapted from Ralph Ellison's novel and this theater is the first to ever do this play so it was kind of a big deal. However, since no other theaters have ever done this play, the script hasn't gotten cut back very much. So when it was all said and done, the play was 3 hours long. It ended up being a very long night. But I still liked the play! ...for the most part.
Megan's sister, Kelsey, and Karla's fiance, Evan, are both here this weekend so our apartments are full with extra bodies in them! For church this morning I went back to Missio Dei with Sherry. There was an actual sermon this time and it was pretty good. It's super long (almost 2 hours) but I really like it there.
Well, tomorrow it's back to work!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
I think I lost my enthusiasm for blogging...already. I'll try to get into the habit of writing more often! I just don't usually feel like I have much to say about my days.
I honestly can't remember what I did on Tuesday. Most likely nothing. I ended up walking home again from work though! It's something that I look forward to all day. It's a nice chance to relax, stretch my legs, and catch up with my mom on the phone.
Wednesday was our 2nd week of classes though. I really enjoyed my Arts in the City class. We spent the first hour broken up in our small groups talking and the second hour we met as one group and had some guest speakers come in. We did a few activities and even had to come up with our own little skits that we had to perform in front of everyone. Next was Practicum Group time. It's basically like a group therapy session where we each talk about our feelings regarding our internships and our experiences in Chicago. I think I'm really going to like my group. My last class of the day was Diversity & Inequality. We started the class off with a quiz...lovely. I really hate quizzes! Had I done all the reading? YES! Every speck of it! Could I remember specific examples from a specific article? Most certainly not. I wish there was a better way for teachers to check and see if you're really doing the assigned reading because quizzes just really don't seem fair to me. Anyway, after the quiz we talked about immigration for the last hour and a half. There were, of course, the main 3 or 4 people that led the entire discussion with the rest of us listening and occasionally nodding or shaking our heads in agreement or disagreement.
Wednesday night we had our first Art Event. We went to the show Ameriville. I still don't really know what I thought of it. It was definitely interesting. There were a lot of politics in the show that I didn't necessarily always agree with but I thought the way they presented the different topics was pretty cool. There was a lot of stomping, clapping, dancing, and singing. To get home after the show we took the Red Line. It ended up being a very interesting ride. There was a very feminine young guy singing VERY loudly and dancing around the platform as we waited for the el. We tried to go down a few cars so that we wouldn't have to be in the same one as him but, lucky us, he ended up joining us. He then proceeded to dance and sing and lecture about something (I really have no idea what he was talking about) right in front of Megan, Sherry, and me. It was very very very difficult to keep a straight face when both Megan and Sherry are cracking up!
Thursday was actually a really busy day at work for once! I had a couple different people giving me projects throughout the day which kept me busy for the entire day! Once again, I walked home. I really hope this nice weather stays! I'll be sad if I have to go back to riding the bus every day!
But Friday was back to the same-old same-old...nothing. After work I hurried home and the four of us took the Red Line up north to go to my friend Ruth's house. There was a big group of people there this time. We ate some food and then played some games. We ended up playing Catch Phrase for over an hour and then Four on a Couch for over two hours! It really was a fun night and I look forward to more just like it!
Saturday we went to the library and each got a library card! Apparently you can check our museum tickets--just like you would check out a library book--and can then get into the museum for free! We plan to take advantage of that! Although plans don't always work out how you expect them to so only time will tell if we actually act on those plans or not. After the library we went to Millenium Park again so that Sherry could see 'The Bean'. We walked a little ways down the Michigan Mile and did some shopping and then headed back to the apartment. For supper we went to Portillo's, a burger and hot dog joint. They had really good food for a really decent price. I think we plan to go back there before the end of April.
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| At 'The Bean' once again...this time with Sherry! |
Today we went to church at another new church, Willow Chicago. It was in the Auditorium Theater which is home to Joffery Ballet, an amazing ballet company. It was quite the building...beautiful and huge. I didn't really care of the church part of it though. I just couldn't get into the worship and the message was just a prerecorded speech that they played on a big screen. The message wasn't even about the Bible or God. It felt more like a message that you would hear at an evening conference for a husband and wife about learning how to have a good family life. I don't plan to go back. I'm all for trying new churches but I'm not interested in continuing to go somewhere that I'm not learning anything at. After church we spent most of the afternoon working on homework--reading and writing papers. This evening we were invited to another apartment to watch the Superbowl since we don't have TV's in our apartments. It ended up being a lot of fun and I think it's something that we'd like to do more often--get together and hang out...not necessarily to watch the Superbowl :)
Tomorrow it's back to the daily grind. Don't get my wrong, I'm thankful to finally have a routine, but I'm really not enjoying it. I'm a little homesick--for both the people there and just the way life is. I miss the quiet (not hearing sirens at all hours of the night or hearing horns honking or people screaming), I miss grass, trees, and animals...I just miss South Dakota. Oh, and thanks to everyone who has written me letters or sent cards/postcards. It's really nice to get mail!! It's definitely appreciated! :)
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