Name: Armando ESAU Farfan (Esau's fine)
Location: Loyola University Chicago
Purpose: In short: To explore Chicago's ethnic diversity in (especially) food, architecture, language, culture and everything esle that might interest me. Also, putting my thoughts of the moment and ranting on things (PEOPLE) randomly, snapping on celebs and occasionaly giving my political views.
In long:
Now, the purpose of this blog is because many of those who know me know that I love to travel. Whenever there's an opportunity to travel, especially abroad, I take it. I've been travelling every year of my life since I was 10 months old when my parents sent me with my nanny to Mexico City to visit my relatives. Not that I have something against the United States, it never really interested me to travel to other cities in the USA for they all look the same, and have the same things to offer (In my mind) that other cities do, same restaurants and stores, no real culinary culture and things like that. So reading on things from Europe and Latin America I always dreamt of travelling the world. I went to Europe in 2003 for the first time and was there for 2 weeks and went to 3 countries (France, Switzerland and Monaco) for my french class. I fell in love with it. I dreamed of backpacking one day all over Europe but it took me 3 long years to visit Europe again. Found a great deal to London and extended my trip for 3 months and went all over western Europe: France, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Vatican City, Lichenstein, and some others. It was great, 3 months and not much money spent, living in hostels and meeting people, going with Contiki (Greatest experience of my life!) and making great friends, eating the best food in family owned places. WOW! I wanted to live in England, so I left Waubonsee and went towards Richmond University in London (Kensington). It was here that I met really awesome people from all over the globe. It was great! Loved the school, loved the cheap travel, the pubs, the beer, English breakfast, drunk nights and the crazy people, Ministry of Sound and everything! Saddened I went back to frosty Chicago, got accepted in many universities but chose to live in Loyola Chicago for it was in downtown (Going from London to cornfields was not going to be a good transition for me, but Chicago was promising). No more weekend trips to Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy or Spain, just staying in this damn state while it snows for most of the year. But then I remember places like Greektown, Little Italy and the Mexican enclaves in Pilsen and Little Village (La Villita) and I did an extensive investigation and found out more ethnic enclaves in the city of Chicago. My roommate and I decided to visit at least one Ethnic Town a week, so we've been to Greektown, Pilsen and Chinatown so far. No pictures, but good experiences (Except for me in Chinatown where the food was not good on me and I ended up vomiting all night and having stomach pains till now!). So instead of my usual weekend trips to other countries, I will take trips to other "countries" inside of Chicago and around Chicago. Experience what has remained of the culture from their place of origin, which places are more like "facade" colonies/ethnic towns and which really transported me to the land of origin. I will start with some comments of the three we have visited so far:
Greektown: Went at night, saw some pilars and the Walgreens in Greek letters, went into Greek Islands restaurant: Excelent, people speaking Greek and when you see locals you know it's good.
Pilsen: Beautiful murals evoked the murals of Mexican artists such as Orozco, Rivera, and O'Gorman. The restaurant was Restaurante Nuevo Leon: GREAT! Northern Mexican Cuisine in this Chicago corner.
Chinatown: No other place like it in Chicago, the arquitecture is just beautiful and it really does transport you. We went to Yummy restaurant, a hip place in Chinatown, excelent presentation, my friends loved the food, so did I at the time. Amazing place.
The blog will go more into detail with pictures to accompany my comments, and next time will be Little Italy.
Now, the purpose of this blog is because many of those who know me know that I love to travel. Whenever there's an opportunity to travel, especially abroad, I take it. I've been travelling every year of my life since I was 10 months old when my parents sent me with my nanny to Mexico City to visit my relatives. Not that I have something against the United States, it never really interested me to travel to other cities in the USA for they all look the same, and have the same things to offer (In my mind) that other cities do, same restaurants and stores, no real culinary culture and things like that. So reading on things from Europe and Latin America I always dreamt of travelling the world. I went to Europe in 2003 for the first time and was there for 2 weeks and went to 3 countries (France, Switzerland and Monaco) for my french class. I fell in love with it. I dreamed of backpacking one day all over Europe but it took me 3 long years to visit Europe again. Found a great deal to London and extended my trip for 3 months and went all over western Europe: France, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Vatican City, Lichenstein, and some others. It was great, 3 months and not much money spent, living in hostels and meeting people, going with Contiki (Greatest experience of my life!) and making great friends, eating the best food in family owned places. WOW! I wanted to live in England, so I left Waubonsee and went towards Richmond University in London (Kensington). It was here that I met really awesome people from all over the globe. It was great! Loved the school, loved the cheap travel, the pubs, the beer, English breakfast, drunk nights and the crazy people, Ministry of Sound and everything! Saddened I went back to frosty Chicago, got accepted in many universities but chose to live in Loyola Chicago for it was in downtown (Going from London to cornfields was not going to be a good transition for me, but Chicago was promising). No more weekend trips to Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy or Spain, just staying in this damn state while it snows for most of the year. But then I remember places like Greektown, Little Italy and the Mexican enclaves in Pilsen and Little Village (La Villita) and I did an extensive investigation and found out more ethnic enclaves in the city of Chicago. My roommate and I decided to visit at least one Ethnic Town a week, so we've been to Greektown, Pilsen and Chinatown so far. No pictures, but good experiences (Except for me in Chinatown where the food was not good on me and I ended up vomiting all night and having stomach pains till now!). So instead of my usual weekend trips to other countries, I will take trips to other "countries" inside of Chicago and around Chicago. Experience what has remained of the culture from their place of origin, which places are more like "facade" colonies/ethnic towns and which really transported me to the land of origin. I will start with some comments of the three we have visited so far:
Greektown: Went at night, saw some pilars and the Walgreens in Greek letters, went into Greek Islands restaurant: Excelent, people speaking Greek and when you see locals you know it's good.
Pilsen: Beautiful murals evoked the murals of Mexican artists such as Orozco, Rivera, and O'Gorman. The restaurant was Restaurante Nuevo Leon: GREAT! Northern Mexican Cuisine in this Chicago corner.
Chinatown: No other place like it in Chicago, the arquitecture is just beautiful and it really does transport you. We went to Yummy restaurant, a hip place in Chinatown, excelent presentation, my friends loved the food, so did I at the time. Amazing place.
The blog will go more into detail with pictures to accompany my comments, and next time will be Little Italy.
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