Our flat: me, Nolan, Brett

(Not) Made in America, and other stories

Despite my last post, I have been doing other things alongside flossing. Such as:

  • Improv! At The Armando Diaz Experience, a large gaggle of performers improvise on stage, triggered by short sections of a comedian’s monologue. It’s the second time I’ve seen improv in Chicago and I was impressed again by its cooperative nature. Unlike shows like Mock the Week – which are really collections of solo stand-up acts – you never get the feeling that people are just waiting to interrupt each other. This keeps the whole thing funnier and lends a nicely collaborative feel. Oh, and it’s all super-cheap. Recommended.
  • Gig! Or as numerous people put it, “the most American experience you’ve had so far”. This was Made in AmericaBudweiser’s attempt to repeat the word Budweiser so many times that you’ll continue drinking Budweiser long after the free Budweisers have run out. Also – and I’m really not making this up – 3D glasses so giant animated Budweiser logos and glasses of Budweiser can zoom into your face. I think someone called Girl Talk was playing as well. But yeah. Budweiser. (Property of Anheuser–Busch InBev of Belgium, incidentally.)
Our flat: me, Nolan, Brett

Our flat: me, Nolan, Brett

  • Film! Although I don’t have much to say about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, really. I haven’t seen any of the earlier films, and was so sleepy that at one point I think I dozed off while the humans and apes were making some sort of pact. (At least that’s what I deduced had happened afterwards.) Anyway: it was OK. I would have liked a song or two.
  • Fish! With Grisel, Agata and Emilie at the Shedd Aquarium, which is also home to creepy snakes, adorable otters and not-taking-enough-exercise penguins. (Bit rich to type that from a rocking chair, but there we are.) If you were weighing up a visit to Chicago and the presence of a good aquarium would tip the balance, then take note.
An underwater Acromantula

An underwater Acromantula

My endless Craigslist trawling has also come to an end, because I’m excited/relieved to say that I’ve found an apartment for August onwards. More details later, but the most important thing is that it has a truly spectacular rooftop view 😀

I was also planning to say that I haven’t really felt homesick yet – although plenty of nostalgia for days, places and people of the past. That was until today when Cat sent me a photo of the rest of the ex-flat and plus-ones having dinner together in Josh’s garden, and then yes, I did feel a smidgen of homesickness. And a yearning for wine. But maybe that’s just because my private supply of PG Tips at work ran out today, and carrying on without a supply of proper tea close at hand is an emotional highwire act at the best of times.

Sue Buxton, Abigail Osbiston, Jonathan Jenkins liked this post.

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One Comment on :
(Not) Made in America, and other stories

  1. Good to hear that you are settling and enjoying life!

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