chitown is my town

after six weeks of living in chicago, i am constantly amazed by the kindness, vitality and diversity offered by this city.

two weeks ago i bought my first bike (i named her genevieve after my happy nun character in suor angelica this summer) off craigslist. she's a beautiful vintage schwinn and the seller says he fixes up old bikes and sells them to raise money for a charity that goes towards mothers who have lost their infants.

i had a bit of a time searching for a not too expensive, not TOO dorky helmut and ended up being given one out of kindness by a worker at brown elephant, the howard brown center resale shop in my area. i asked him how much but he wanted me to take it for free.



so today, i decided to bike the 8+ miles down to school along the lakeshore. it is such a beautiful, calming bike ride with the lake, the docked sailboats, view of the chicago skyline and leaves beginning to change colours. it gave me a totally different impression of the usually busy city. i felt like i was in the maritimes or somewhere along the atlantic.

my puccini opera rehearsal went late so by the time i biked home it was dark. i turned through milennium park where i heard the 1812 overture blasting as i approached the surreally gigantic fountain. i was convinced there was an orchestra, so being the musician that i am, i biked until i found it. it was a speaker. meh.

as i kept biking and gaping at the gorgeous skyline, i came across hundreds of orange little lanterns lit along the beach. people were gathered and discussing - apparently it was a vigil for victims of domestic violence. this city is filled with so much kindness. this weekend i sang at prentice women's hospital as part of the chicago college of performing arts students in action group. i just keep coming across so much warmth... whether its at the post office, on a bus or in a bar. america's being good to this little canadian gal.

the vigil

shot of chicags by night