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| I seem to write less and less here, but there's no convenient way to post on Facebook, so here goes. Today, I woke up as usual, but got hit by a major wave of laziness within hours, for the first time since finishing residency. For those of you who don't know, I finished my residency almost two weeks ago and have been relaxing since then because I don't start my new job until mid-August. The past two weekends have been filled with travelling to St. Louis and Cleveland. It was so good to see so many college friends this past weekend - I nearly burst into tears at seeing the sheer numbers of old IV people that kept coming through the front doors of the church. Anyway, back to the laziness. I read in bed for something like an hour and then proceeded to waste time watching old MADtv skits on YouTube while I munched on breakfast. Then I decided that I had to leave the apartment before I became completely inert. I climbed on the #22 bus and got off at Andersonville, one of the northern neighborhoods of Chicago. While walking around on Clark, this is what I saw: 
Most of you probably have no idea what you're looking at, but it's a puppet theater. I've never actually seen the puppeteer's face before, but he rides his bike to various places and performs a puppet show inside that tiny (REALLY tiny) booth. Although his entertainment was probably designed for someone 25 years younger than me, I confess I have slipped a dollar bill into his money slot before. I wish I could have actually seen the show, but seeing this made me happy that it still exists. I hadn't seen it in a really long time and was starting to wonder if the guy had stopped doing it altogether. In other news, we're closing on our house tomorrow...after all that has happened so far, I will be SO relieved after it's over. First, their mortgage insurance company demanded a higher price. Then, the owners decided to take all the appliances (which is actually fine with us now, after seeing their disgustingly dirty stuff). Next, the sellers' mortgage company took forever to approve this offer. After that, the owners couldn't find a place to move to in time, so our closing got cancelled yesterday. A word to the wise: short sale/pre-foreclosure homes can be a great deal, but they can be real pain in the butt! | | |
| Hi, all. It's been a VERY long time since I've blogged because it seems like everyone uses Facebook now, and I've spent a lot of time on it. The more I think about it though, I'm glad that I still have my Xanga account because I don't think I would want a lot of people reading everything that I write. Just finished watching the most recent episode of Top Chef. Is it me, or are these contestants not very likeable? All they do is use foul language and complain about each other. I think I just keep watching because I'm so fascinated by people who can cook because I really can't, despite the many cookbooks that I own (but maybe if I buy the Top Chef cookbook...). I really hope Stephanie wins. I'm also looking forward to when Dale from season 3 opens his restaurant/diner in Chicago since three of the season 3 contestants will be working there. Perrin and I spent a few hours house hunting last Saturday. I think I enjoy apartment hunting more. You don't have to think about how good the local school districts are, how well the house will sell several years down the line, what needs to be replaced, etc. I think we're only going to look at 6 more houses and make our decision. I know some of you think we're crazy, but that's that. It feels so long ago already, but Perrin and I went to Hong Kong earlier this month to see Perrin's extended family. I finally met his grandparents, who were very kind although we couldn't communicate with each other. My impressions of Hong Kong - great public transportion, weird contrasts between dingy buildings and opulent shopping malls with stores so expensive I could never buy anything there, delicious food, and vibrant city. I got to try lots of new exotic fruits while I was there - guava, rambutan, longans, dragonfruit, mangosteen, starfruit, and something that tasted vaguely like an apple. God created a lot of fruits! Anyway, the link to our photos is below: http://picasaweb.google.com/perrin.cheung/HongKong | | |
| Yay, Perrin is back from Germany, bearing gifts of chocolate! So, for all you Chicagoans out there, adopted and native, there are some exciting things happening in the city this month besides the usual auto show. I haven't gone to any of these things (yet), mind you, but I thought I'd let you guys know. 1) The first ever Restaurant Week in Chicago starts this Friday! Dinner is approximately $32 for a prix-fixe, three-course menu and lunch is $22. There aren't really any four star restaurants on the list, but there are a number of three star restaurants that would normally cost much more to eat at, such as one sixtyblue and Naha. 2) The Art Institute is free this month. If you feel so inclined, you can also see the exhibit featuring Winslow Homer's and Edward Hopper's artwork for a reduced price. 3) Once you finish at the Art Institute, you can wander to Millenium Park and see "Paintings Below Zero." It's some sort of installation of ice paintings. Might as well go ice skating while you're there. 4) The Field Museum is also free this month. Can you tell I love museums? So much to do and so little time, especially when I should be studying. | | |
|  | Currently Watching
Amazing Grace
By Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Benedict Cumberbatch, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon
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11 days down, 13 more to go, 4 MICU calls left...I'm crossing the days off my little calendar day by day. OK, so it's not official yet, but I will be working for DuPage Medical Group at their Downers Grove office. I'll be admitting to Good Samaritan Hospital. It was a really tough decision because I really liked the other group, too, but moving so far from the city kind made me nervous. We'll probably start house hunting in about 3 months or so. | | |
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