I'll be back!

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Day 101- Wednesday

My bag is packed and I'm ready for the shuttle to the airport as I have had to check out of my hotel room. Luckily ING Direct banking have a free internet cafe across the road. You just have to buy a drink. It is rather cold and windy in Chicago today and I am attired for a long flight to Sydney...with bare legs and sandals so am not suited to wandering the streets marvelling at the beauties of this great city as I had planned.

I have finished my 6 weeks in the USA in the same place as I began...Chicago. What a great city. Really beautiful, sprawled along the shores of Lake Michigan. When I marvel at the spectacular architecture, the locals modestly assert that It is due to the fact that there was a major fire here and they had to rebuild. Not only that but there was so much prosperity by then from the fact that the city was a major hub for transportation and trade. As a result each building seemed to try to outdo all the others.

Last night, for example, I attended the Opera. Amazingly, I had been sitting next to a Chicago couple last Friday at the Met and it transpired that they too had tickets for last night to attend along with a group of friends. I was very fortunate to be invited to dinner with them all at a club on the 39th floor of the opera building. It seems that about 75 years ago when the opera house was built, the business minded types had the ingenuity and foresight to construct this magnificent office block above, ensuring ongoing income from the building rental! And a magnificent view for pre-opera diners. Needless to say, no expense was spared for the performance space itself...monumental...and the entire facility seems to be modelled on the Palais Garnier in Paris...columns and marble galleries etc.

Last night's performance of "Manon" was truly spectacular in every way. Two brilliant young European stars, huge chorus on the enormous stage, fabulous costumes. Of course Chicago does not, overall compete with the Met. My new friend ( who has friends in high places at the Met) informed me that the average cost of a night's performance at the Met is $1 million. The USA has fantastic tax incentives to encourage philanthropy.

It was interesting to attend Monday night's performance as a contrast. Rather more of a provincial production. "The Pearl Fishers" ...a rather unimpressive opera by Bizet, with a single much loved duet between the tenor and baritone. I hope no Buddhists were in the audience. The set consisted of an enormous reclining Buddha mounted on a pedestal with three steps all around. Presumably for artistic effect , the chorus would position themselves all around the poor statue on the steps and pedestal. Even worse ...when alone on the stage, the principals would do things such as clap the statue on the shoulder! And at the conclusion of his aria, the tenor, exhausted lay down on the pedestal using the Buddha's arm as a pillow, his leg slung against the statue's abdomen! I am sure that in a more multicultural city such as NY or Sydney that would never happen. (Actually, I shall see sooner than one might reasonably expect...I have a subscription performance of "Pearl Fishers" at SOH on Saturday...better be good or I might fall asleep)

Yesterday, my chief priority was to go to the Field Museum (of Natural History) to pay my respects to Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. I have to confess that that was probably the most significant thing I knew about Chicago before I arrived here! The biggest, (12.8 metres) ..oldest (66 n years) and most complete skeleton of all. It was discovered in South Dakota in 1990. The skull of the creature is displayed separately, upstairs, at it is too heavy to mount with the body. (There is a lightweight replica instead. )

So ...what a way to finish off 101 marvellous days! This has effectively been my long service leave from my (20)years in the Adult Migrant English Service and School Education. A fitting sabbatical...a great tasting plate of places that interest me and that I have always wanted to visit. Three continents, six countries, almost 15 weeks. 13 of those weeks with Connie, the most congenial amd generous hearted travelling companion anyone could possibly wish for. We were both in agreement that where ever we went we could only possibly see or do about one tenth of the possible things we might like.

So, thank you to all my dear family and friends for sticking with me throughout. The blog was primarily intended for my children, so they could stay in touch and see what I was doing, and of course to inspire them to visit wonderful places. So, they were my audience as I wrote. Thus i apologise for the Buzo family in jokes and movie references which may have left some of you wondering. (Even today's title!?!)

Even in the USA over the past week there have been major frustrations with the computers which I have had to use. Thus, no photos added yet. Some of you may have noticed that i can go back into the blog and edit on a subsequent occasion or add photos , If it was not possible the first time,. Furthermore, you may scroll back or forward and view other entries , if for some reason you did not recieve notification or were busy at the time and are interested to see what we did in Cambodia or Turkey, for example.

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Photos

From Brooklyn Bridge
A nice shot of both the Empire State Building and the lovelt Crysler tower..glimpsed as I walked back across the bridge

Sue
the amazing T. rex in the Field museum in Chicago

Eva
on sixth avenue just near Central Park

"Erica"
my name up in lates in Times Square!

Only in NY!
On the lower East Side...white shirt, tie, roller blades, coffee in hand, laptop over shoulder, at one stage checking his blackberry..and of course, beating the traffic!