Sunday morning we woke up in the hostel to the sound of the hispanic housekeeper opening our door, which was only stopped by the chain. Mark sits up in bed & yells in this accusatory voice "whateryoudoing?!!"
Spanish coming from the other side of the door. Mark, who spent a half year in Spain and still speaks fluently, explains two or three times that yes we're in here & would you now please go away.
Yelping, I took a cold shower because it seemed there was no alternative. I assumed that all 4 showers would be on the same heater but no, turns out Mark's and the other 2 showers were all warm. So I killed him and ate his liver with some favre beans and a nice ciante.
We got Dim Sum down in Chinatown, this time at the Phoenix, and it was better than the Three Happiness where Yun & I ate. Then we hit the Michigan Ave. shopping district for a while, and had fish and chips at an English pub for dinner.
Later that night we went to the Green Mill, the oldest continuously running jazz club in the country, and a former haunt of Al Capone's. Very simple floorplan with a wrap-around bar. Small stage in the back. Green velvet booths but most people were standing.
As we walked in slam poetry was ending and a jazz quartet was getting ready. We went up to a couple girls sitting alone in a booth by the front & asked if we could sit with them. No they said, we have people coming, but then a few minutes later they moved & we got these primest of prime seats. As a result two other girls walked up & we suddenly we had female company. One was from Boston, her sister from Chicago, and they were both Greek. We used up all the sarcasm and outrageous lies we could lay our hands on. Meanwhile we got a tip on where the best deep dish pizza was from the Chicago sister.
The jazz was great, a blind black guy rocking on a Hammond organ, another playing bass guitar, a quirky Don King looking guy playing the drums and smiling to himself whenever he got hold of an idea. And a big white woman belting out vocals. The best jazz I've ever seen & heard but then I'm no aficionado.
Posted by Alan at May 30, 2004 11:49 PM