Your Chicago Weekend...

Hey Chicagoans - We survived the Blizzaster of 2011! WOO! Give yourself a pat on the back and take a shower (I know you have all been just lounging around in PJ's all day!) because it's time to get out of the house and DO SOMETHING. So here is a list of some really cool, artsy things to do this weekend or the next....

1. First, check out this video on PBS about an unknown artist who was recently discovered when her storage space was auctioned off and someone discovered 1000's of pictures that had never even been developed. It is an amazing story...

Watch the full episode. See more Chicago Tonight.

2. Aren't you interested in seeing some of Vivian Maier's photos now? You can check out about 80 of her photos at the Chicago Cultural Center in downtown Chicago until April 3rd. For the address, hours, and other info, click here.

3. After you check out the Vivian Maier exhibit, head over to the Gene Siskel Film Center, also downtown, to see Louder Than a Bomb, a documentary that follows some Chicago-area high school poetry teams as they prepare for and compete in the largest youth poetry slam competition. The documentary will be shown through February 10th, 2011. To see the schedule, click here. Click here to hear some of the youth's poems being performed on WBEZ.

4. Warm up with some coffee or tea and check out the gallery at Three Peas Art Lounge.

5. Get on Pandora Radio, Reverbnation, or Youtube and search for some new music to get you inspired, like Melodic Yoza:


6. If you truly consider yourself a Chicagoan and you have never seen Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, then go NOW. It's creative, different, and you are sure to have a rowdy good time.

7. If you are more in a jazzy or poetry mood or if you have never been to the Green Mill, then you must go this weekend or you will be deleted from my "followers list." JK. But seriously, you need to check out the Green Mill. They have jazz every night and Mark Smith has been hosting the Uptown Poetry Slam for the last 25 years. AMAZING.

8. By Sunday, you should be tired and can relax in bed and watch an artsy movie (maybe I suggest 2 of my favorites?...Frida and Rivers and Tides) and be rested enough to go back to a full work week!

(I got the wall hanging in Pakistan and the bedspread was handmade by my father-in-laws mother)

What I Think About on 9/11

Like most people I'm hearing from today, I also remember the events of my day on September 11, 2001. It was a sad, terrible, and scary day and I needed something to make me feel safe and assure me that everything would be alright. I remember putting up the American flag with my dad at his office. On the roof of the complex we saw a green praying mantis and I quickly took it as a good omen. Then, I began to see everyone coming together, people helping each other, caring about each other. It gave me some hope that overshadowed the fear.

However, 9/11 also sparked a lot of hate that was wrongly targeted at regular people and U.S. citizens. I didn't see this at the time in my small, white farming town. However, only 30 minutes away, my husband (whom I hadn't met yet) was becoming the target of hate crimes because of his religion and the color of his skin. Psychologically, I understand that people feel the need to blame something/someone in situations like this - you try to put information and people into boxes to categorize and understand the situation. But fear, ignorance, and hate, as we have seen throughout history, can trigger people to do terrible things.

Today, I feel like that same fear and hate have been exacerbated after years of war, children left motherless or fatherless, inaccurate media coverage, more security in airports, The Patriot Act, and political and community "leaders" that promote hate and segregation, etc. NPR has been reporting on the increased Islamaphobia and hate crimes towards Muslims and I have seen this as well - on NYC streets towards my husband, vandalism to our car, at my work, comments at the end of news articles I read... There is less tolerance, it seems, when what we really need is a cultural center that would bring people together, to learn about each other and care about each other.

Today, when I woke up and realized what day it was and that my husband was currently on the bus and train to work, I cried. Many people are marking this day with sadness and remembrances, but many are also marking it with hate. Today I am marking with love and I hope that people realize that these tragedies and events affect everyone, whether it's directly or indirectly. This morning I cried, praying that everyone who sees my husband today - on the bus, the train, the streets of Chicago - will be marking the day with love and acceptance, so that my jaanu comes home safely.

Daydreaming about Summer

It's an overcast, windy day today and I can't stop thinking about summer. The weather has been teasing us with some nice days scattered here and there. I'm ready for daily walks, ice cream, bbqs, and discovering new neighborhoods. I was looking through some of my old pictures and came across this set of three photos that I took in the Little Italy neighborhood (near UIC) a few years ago. I had just gotten a new camera and was really getting into photography at the time. I would love to take a class or two someday!