Chicago 08 – Sightseeing

I learned that Chicago is bidding to host the 2016 games. There was a fundraiser going on downtown when I was there on July 14. My friends and I happened upon the event while walking to the Field Museum (which was closed when we got there but we did reward ourselves for the wasted journey by buying ice cream).

One of my memorable experiences in Chicago was having Coldstone ice cream. I enjoyed it but the servings are way too big. I think that I prefer my ice cream in smaller doses but the founder’s favorite creation that I had was wonderful.

NYC July08

I met up with my sister and her 4 year old daughter for a day in NYC on my way back to Boston from Michigan. We went to Madison Park and to the Staten Island Children’s Museum.

Despite my many visits to Manhattan, it was my first time seeing the Statue of Liberty.

Detroit 08 – Concert of Colors

Car trouble delayed my friend and I in Chicago. Thankfully, her brother and his wife were very gracious about letting us stay with them longer than originally planned. Thanks, Stacey and Sal!

We made it to Michigan on July 17, in plenty of time to attend the Concert of Colors on July 19. I’d come across this event while planning my trip to Michigan. It was exciting to me that there would be Sudanese artists singing for peace. I attended the event with three friends that I’d worked with in Sudan.I am returning to Sudan, but my friends left Sudan over a year ago. The concert evoked a certain degree of wistfulness as we were each transported back to Sudan by our experience of the music of Sudan.

The Concert of Colors showcased performances from all regions of the world. We stopped to watch some Japanese taiko performers as we left the concert grounds, and headed for the appropriately named Blue Nile restaurant. (For those of you who don’t know, the Blue Nile originates in Ethiopia and the White Nile in Uganda. The two Niles meet in Khartoum.)

Eating at the Blue Nile evoked further memories as the Ethiopian restaurant, Habesha, was one of our favorite restaurants in Khartoum. This naturally directed our conversation towards discussions of life in Sudan and the American school there.

Chicago 08 – Baha'i House of Worship.

I spent a few days in Chicago this summer. I always look for opportunities to travel to/through Chicago for the opportunity to visit the Baha’i House of Worship there. This time, I was in Chicago on a Sunday so I attended the 9:30 devotional gathering.

All the Houses of Worship are beautiful, although in different ways.  I’ve visited the Houses of Worship in India, Uganda, Germany and Chicago. I love the ephemeral beauty off the one in Delhi, the delicate beauty of the one in Skokie, the beautiful drive through the Taunus mountains to the one in Langenhain and the peaceful beauty of the one in Uganda.