Lisa's list

Lisa gave me a list of things to check out now that I'm living in Hyde Park, and I've accomplished several of them.

WALK DOWN 58TH STREET
Most of the street is pretty ordinary looking. The highlight is definitely the University of Chicago quadrangle. When covered in snow, it looks very monotonous. But when much of the snow is melted, you get a character of the university. It really feels like a university. It's the same way I felt at Duke: an institution designed to consciously look like what it is. I remember admiring the outdoor scenery of the university while watching Proof, and wishing UC was number one on my list at the time instead of number two (in the end, it maintained its position after I visited: the only change in my list was that Cornell leapfrogged Stanford and Caltech to hit number three). I think I'll make sure to wander through the courtyard more once it's warmer (it is on the way to a few places).

DOLLAR SHAKE WEDNESDAY AT THE C-SHOP
There is a bagel shop in the student center that sells shakes for a dollar on Wednesday. The reason seems to be simply that it is a UC tradition, and the university wouldn't lease the space unless the tenant agreed to do so. I actually think "shake" is the wrong word to describe what is sold: it's more like soft-serve ice cream. But it tastes good, and I have now bought two of them (one for each Wednesday after receiving Lisa's email list!).

CALVERT HOUSE GRAD STUDENT FRIDAY DINNER
I went to this on Friday, the first dinner of the semester. I had already met several of the attendees, so it was good to continue to get to know them and meet some new people as well. Calvert is not yet feeling quite as much home as TCC, but that's ok since TCC has a factor of 80 advantage in time. I hope to keep spending time with these people.

VISIT DIFFERENT CHURCHES IN CHICAGO
I've already been to a few. Calvert House is my main church, because the university is the community I most strongly identify with. St Thomas is the Hyde Park parish church. The main church building is squarer than I'm used to churches being (this was a very conscious feature when it was designed). The community spans a good range: there is a school, with school Masses on Tuesdays, as well as religious sisters and priests from at least three congregations, grad students, older people... I've also decided to start visiting the churches within walking distance of my house on Saturdays and holidays (and my walking distance is pretty broad). First was Corpus Christi, which I found to be a very welcoming community. It's full of people from many countries: almost as many countries represented as people in the congregation. I didn't see the main church, but the room where we had Mass was cozy. Second was Christ the King. Mass there is in the old rite, but I decided I'd go along because it is the next closest church (whose Mass times I could find online), and some people certainly prefer that rite. I'm still not one of them, and although I have been told one needs to go a few times to get a feel for it, I don't think I ever will be. The language is the main reason: I think the same rite in English would make it much easier for me to pray.

There are still several items left to check off:

• Ice skating on the Midway
• Lumen Christi talk
• Lumen Christi schola concert
• Walk down 56th Street when it's snowing
• Mexican chocolate shake at the Medici

I will keep you updated as I try these!