What happens in Chicago ...

... doesn't have to stay there. So here's the story continued. More pics. Some more words. Same love!

The last few days held more of the same. And as promised an NHL-game, some live Blues and a whole lotta dollar$ were spent.

The NHL-game was an awesome experience, some 21 000 fans had missed they're Hawks since they had been out on the road a week or so, so this was the 2nd largest crowd for the season. And with help from their two Scandinavian fans the home team showed the Avalanches who were the bosses in United Center.

The blues was sung by, doh, a huge colored woman with a strong voice and an awesome saxophone-player to back her up. And as expected, she had some issues on men and the world in general and shared some of it in between songs. The place was Blue Chicago:


The museum's and art exhibitions were limited to just a few. But the one that inspired most was the one over Contemporary Photo. Some great works over American culture and identity. Hard to describe it any better without having access to the pictures. Monday was supposed to hold some more galleries and such but seeing how that is the big Everything-arty-closes-down-day we had to settle for shopping and a lunch @ the Hardrock Café. Not to shabby choice either. Learing that the first one in the chain was opened in London 1971 and that their first memorabilia stored is a guitar from Eric Clapton.

The shopping was a bit more than I had planned and a lot less than I wanted. Or "The long list of selfdeceit":

Olympus E-510 & 14-42mm lens - 2000 NOK "saved"
Sansa View 8gb mp3-player 400 NOK "saved"
Etnies shoes - 1000 NOK "saved"
Burton beanie - 100 NOK "saved"
Lots of great book ans magz - 500 NOK "saved"
T-shirts - same price, but wider selection
Travel adapter to go with the charger for the E-510

So all in all I almost earned money by going there ;)

The budget all in all will be revealed once the American Express company decides to bill me, but shouldn't be all to high above 12K NOK.
Flight & Hotell 2K, Camera 4K, Eating 2K, Shopping 2K, *Surprises* 2K

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Random pictures from the trip

This alley gave me comic-book Déjà Vu. I could picture a young Bruce Wayne seeing his parents robbed and killed by the joker here:


Everything's big in America:

Sure this blog is named contradiktory, but I find my contradiction fade next to this one - Christian + Science:


Speaking about Christianity, Chicago had some more of that.
A registration plate:


And well ... on quite the same topic. I just sense that the surveilance camera shows a little lack of faith from the Betlehem Healing Temple-crew:


When the, by coincidence cute, presenter talks about the SAAB Aero X's Scandinavian heritage and the Swedish design it brings a tear to my eye:


The home arena of the Chicago Bears -
Bears the slightly patriotic name Soldier Field: