Exploring the Lincoln Park

Lynx. Ilves. Luchs.

Meerkat. Erdmännchen. Mis loom see eesti keeles on?

The ugliest bear in the world. Apparently, had had a surgery on his lower jaw and now cannot keep his tongue in. Some are just not lucky at all.

Leopard. Leopard. Leopard.

Tiger. Tiiger. Tiger.

Polar bear. Jääkaru. Eisbär.

Penguin. Vanaisa Piigo. Pinguin.

Otter. Saarmas. Otter.

Lion. Lõvi. Löwe.

Squirrel. Orav. Eichhörnchen.

Giraf. Kaelkirjak. Giraffe.

Visiting exhibits.

Fish. Kalad. Fische.

Trees. Puud. Träume.

Meie!

First Days at the Law School (a Photographer's Contribution)

"Lunch with Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Tuesday" or "Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens to visit Campus": My mailbox is getting crowded with such announcements. It seems that each and every celebrity of the law world wants to meet with us students. Last Tuesday, it was "only" one of the professors speaking at noon, but: there was free pizza! We were told that a student will be able to eat for free most of the days because of the many speeches and talks.

The fall quarter (the University of Chicago does not have semesters) started a good two weeks ago and most of international LLM students have settled in for the nine weeks. My courses for this quarter are Federal Regulation of Securities, Business Organizations and Public Choice. Yes, only three classes. And yes, I have no classes on Tuesdays, Thursday afternoons and Fridays. But there is still enough work to do. All professors expect that students come fully prepared to class. This usually means reading anywhere between 20 and 100 pages in the course's book. Professors use the "socratic method", i.e. not lecturing their students, but calling on students for developing the subject in class. In one of my classes we also have a "Lab", for which we have to do a group assignment each week.

Everyone is therefore quite busy with his or her courses. But there is still enough time to socialize, be it in the Green Lounge, in the library or at one of the countless events that are taking place in the law school or in the university. The campus is huge and about 15'000 students are currently enrolled. Some of the houses on campus definitively look as if from a Harry Potter movie! From home, it takes me about 45 minutes to get to the law school, but most of the times I meet fellow LLM students on the train. So, up to now, student life here in Chicago is even better than expected!

The Law School at night

A typical classroom

Every Wednesday morning, there is free breakfast (=donuts...) for the students!

The Green Lounge, the best place to meet other students

The Swiss LLM delegation (from left): Sacha, Jonas, Christian, Michael and Doris

One of the dining halls, where you can have lunch (all-you-can-eat for $9)

The University Bookstore sells about a million souvenirs with the University's logo

On campus

Fall scenery with police car (the University has its own police force)

Fall is coming...

Our Fortieth Anniversary in Chicago

The couple behind us in the Signature Room Restaurant of the Hancock Tower was celebrating their fortieth anniversary. The couple on our left their engagement. He had proposed to her at the bar right here on the 96th Floor. On our right, a party from Switzerland was having a dinner with a friend running today`s Chicago Marathon. We know that because our very articulate waiter was serving all of us and it seemed that here, everyone was celebrating something.

When Giulietta, our Mexican guest who was training for a hostess position in the newly opened II Forks Steakhouse in our park, complained about how much the chef would require her to remember of the guests visiting the restaurant, I did not quite grasp the idea but after tonight`s treatment, I got it. Everything was served to our first anniversary and even though way over the top, it was the best way to celebrate it.

After a fantastic meal (how do they make these steaks?) I had a Windy City Martini and Clerg took some pictures at the bar.

Walking back along the Magnificent Mile I could not help but get friendly with Cathy and Cally, a gorgeous brown mare, who, like me, was wearing a specially cute hair decoration today. They usually take tourists around the city for a half an hour but for our big day, they agreed to take us home in their most romantic white carriage with red velvet seats.

We said we would celebrate our fortieth anniversary in Chicago again.

PS. Special greetings to Tups and Lemps.

Twenty Five Degrees Made an Extraordinary October Day in Chicago

Apparently, Clerg sneaks out of bed early in the morning to take photos like this. Some hours later we went out to enjoy the day, which, unlike our air conditioned unit, turned out to be about thirty degrees in the sun.

We rented bikes and headed to South. Because on a Saturday like this we were not the only ones who had this idea, the trip was less stress-free than it looks. However, the city did show itself from its best sides and here is a tiny selection for you.

Our bikes on a break while Clerg is taking photos.

He had taken along both of his cameras.

In Tallinn, boats have names like Linda or Helena. Here, the owners are more post-modern about their rides.

Returning to the city three hours later the trees along the Lakeshore Drive had turned completely yellow.

We saw five bridal parties in Grant Park taking photos, posing, smiling, best men drinking beer. Greetings to Andrea, Ämmi and Sabine.

The couple below was sitting on a bench holding hands and it was all very romantic. Tomorrow is our first anniversary and it made a perfect scenery.

They say October will have never been that warm and the coming winter never that cold.

We`ll see.

Date Night in Chicago. Or: So When do You Wear Your Nice Shoes?

Saturday was date night. I love date nights. Put on something chic, Clerg even wore a shirt and a nice jacket for me. Only my going-out-shoes will have to wait for better times. Here, the distances, like everything else, are so oversized that I cannot imagine taking my heels on a three-mile walk to the restaurant. I have not seen many other women wearing them, either, so I guess this is the way to do it here.

We took this picture for the pink ribbon - I think whoever is the marketing chief of the breast cancer campaign is a genius. The whole city is pink.

So we went for the American classic - movie & dinner. I have this little Lonely Planet guide book and even if it is a bit nerdy, it`s my true friend and companion in the city. The cinemas are just like in Tallinn (only bigger, that is) and just like everywhere else, I was massively disturbed by people eating next to and behind us. This lady on my right was literally chewing herself through the first half of the movie, and not quietly, no, but chips out of a very cracking bag. Ironically, she was not even fat. I promised myself to congratulate her on her digestion at the end of the movie, but the Moneyball was so good that instead, I was weeping like a baby and clearly softened by Brad Pitt`s great appearance.

It is said (and not only in the guide book) that Chicago is famous for its deep-dish pizza. So we went to check out two of the most talked about pizzerias. While at the Giordano`s, you would wait behind the door until your number gets yelled out, we chose to stand in a proper line at the Gino`s East. We were clearly overdressed, and did have our doubts about all this but it was not cold, and the fellow-waiters who all seemed Americans (thank you, Lonely Planet) made an interesting entertainment. Right behind us, for example, there was a young mother trying to tame her husband and two little kids, who, clearly, did not grasp the idea of having to poshly wait to get a slice of pizza. I tried to figure out if flirting with the doorman would get us in any sooner. No such luck. Then again, I guess I was not that persuasive with Clerg on my side. After about forty minutes we made it inside to wait on a bench, and then to our table, and another hour later, we had this in front of us:

I think all this waiting has to be to work up one`s appetite. We managed to eat two slices each and the rest was neatly packed in a box to take home. When we left, the queue had disappeared.

PS. When we got home from our date night, the trees in front of the entrance were lit pink. I told you, a genius.

PPS. Yesterday, when I walked in the streets at the time people went home from work, I finally figured out how the ladies of the city do it with their heels. They have all changed their nice shoes to sneakers (or, in some cases, flip-flops) on the street to their pant suits or skirts!

A Walk in the Park. Sunday in Wicker Park.

Let`s Go Hawks!

Friday evening was hockey night. We met up with others in the city and took the express ice hockey bus to the United Center.

It all starts hours before - with beer, merchandising and people-watching. As one Lonelyplanet-forum Chicagoan put it - if you want to see the real America, go anywhere, it`s all real. There they were - the solarium-tanned girls, some of them already one beer too many in them, the hockey-moms, dressed head to toe in red and the families who spend a fortune on their night out paying way too much for nachos and cheese on the stadium.

But the best were two middle-aged men sitting behind us commenting the game. It was a true fringe benefit to the tickets. Here is a small extract of how it went:

You make me sick to my stomach! Let`s slice this up!! You make me puke! Come to papa... Hallelujah!!! Let`s dance, let`s go people... Quit kissing!!! Siddown!!!!!! Sonofabich lets role! Ripit, rip it, RIP IT! Great shot asshole. (After the third goal of the Penguins) Oh boy, I thought that was it. Dance, c`mon!!!! Beat my ass up! Nineteen, baby, nineteen (to Jonathan Toews, one of the hotties in the team trying to goal. Not successful). Now we are screwed.

But last and not least - they have Ice Girls! - cute as a button from far above but, as everything in here, a bit too much if you look closer, they clean the ice with shovels and help overcome the disappointment when the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

Greetings to Alice, Andrea, Pädi, Tav and Curt.