TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE!!!!!

The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurred last night, with appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus, on both sides of the moon. It is said that many individuals with telescopes were actually able to see the rings of Saturn. Here in Chicago we were able to spot the glorious eclipse in the sky. From beginning to end the eclipse lasted about 3 hours across areas of the globe. It was a tremendous sight to have seen and I hope all of you were able to witness the total lunar eclipse. There were two full eclipses last year, just this one for 2008 and then as I said earlier the next is in 2010. If you missed it I have inserted a time-lapsed video from YouTube below, it is Amazing.



February 20, 2008
Total Lunar Eclipse

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Being from a large family with a fairly mixed background, as is the case for many people from Hawaii, I have had the opportunity to take part in many cultural occassions. My Grandmother has raised all of her grandchildren to practice our Chinese heritage and culture as she always has throughout her lifetime, in Hawaii each year we celebrate Chinese New Year as a family through participating in the production of a large Chinese banquet and attending festivals in the Chinatown area. We also get together at the home of my Great-Grandmother, Popo, as she instructs us on how to make a traditional steamed New Year's pudding called Gau. Since moving to Chicago, not once have I visited Chinatown for the annual New Year celebration. However, yesterday I finally made it out there to celebrate. I must say, it was a different experience compared to the one back home, but much of that had to do with the awful weather Chicago endured yesterday. I was accompanied by Esteban and his parents to witness the Chinese New Year parade held on Wentworth Street here in Chicago's Chinatown. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 is the year of the Rat which began on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. The year of the Rat is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous and enterprising person. The parade began with the raising of the Chinese and American flags, followed by a procession of children playing handheld drums, Chinese Lion Dancers, and a number of city organizations that took part in the celebration like the CTA and the Chinatown Fire Department. A reminder, the parade was outdoors and the temperature was a high of 2 and a low of -10 degrees Fahrenheit, wind-chill not included. Everyone who gathered to celebrate were bundled under layers and layers of clothing, blankets, and fleece. Not to mention all faces were hidden under piles of scarves, it was a cold day for us all.



The beginning of the parade ringing in the YEAR OF THE RAT!



The lions swerved in and out of the crowds dancing to the beat of the drums.


After the parade we decided to get some hot tea at Saint's Alps Teahouse on Archer Avenue. The variety of teas offered there continues to amaze, me I decided on the almond tea. We sat inside and stayed bundled in our winter garments, for our bodies took so long to warm up after enduring such a long period of being out in the cold, it was a bit intense for Esteban's parents who were visiting from California.



Bundled up and still not warm enough to be outside.


After tea we decided to take a stroll through the shops in Chinatown Plaza, we purchased a number of ceramic bowls, money trees, chinese candies, and a variety of teas. While shopping in one particular store a Chinese Lion came in and was fed Licee by the owner. Chinese Licee is a small red envelope contained with money inside, the envelope is typically fed to the Lion for prosperity and good-luck for the New Year.



Store owner feeding the lion.



In Chinatown square Esteban and I stood beside our zodiac sign, the TIGER.


Our day ended with a delicious meal at Lao Sze Chuan Restaurant, serving gourmet Chinese delicacies, it is my favorite restaurant in the area. Gung Hay Fat Choy Everyone, Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year!

100th Annual Chicago Auto Show

Yesterday I attended the Chicago Auto Show. The first Chicago Auto Show was held in 1901. The Chicago Auto Show is the largest in North America and it has been held more times than any other auto expo in the entire continent of North America. This year Chicago celebrated it's 100th Auto Show at McCormick Place located at Lake Shore Drive and 23rd Street. I had never attended an event at McCormick Place and was amazed to see how grandiose the inside of the building was. The Chicago Auto Show utilized 1.3 million square feet of the McCormick Place complex which is a little under half the amount of exhibition hall space offered there. Within the show there were a number of world and North American introductions with a complete range of domestic and imported passenger cars and trucks; sport utility vehicles, experimental and concept cars. Esteban's parents were in town this weekend and his father's love for cars is what brought us to the Auto Show. Most impressive were the antique and collector cars which were given a rather small amount of space. Nonetheless some of my favorites included the Lotus Esprit sportscar driven in the film Pretty Woman and the Mercedes Benz G-Class. I must admit many of the cars on preview were a bit offensive, especially the lack of environmental care/conciousness in the MUMBO JUMBO SIZED vehicles. The U.S. Army had a booth of it's own where individuals could hop into helicopters, watch a soldier operate a tank, and participate in indoor rock climbing. The show was filled with surprises.



An image of the U.S. Army helicopter on display at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show



Similar to the FORD EXPLORER AMERICA, this vehicle was disappointing to have seen. The anti-ozone machine is more like it.



One of my favorite moments included the young and dashing Indian man who hopped on to a Harley Davidson, pretending to do a sharp turn for the photographers around him.


I was also surprised to see NBC news doing a short 1 min. shot of children enjoying there time spent at the Auto Show. Esteban, Ximena, George, and myself somehow got caught in the back corner of the intense filming which took nearly 20 minutes to film, this was probably because the children were exhausted and not quite THRILLED to be there. Nonetheless the scene was bright and exciting to observe.



News stars.


We spent approximately five hours at the Auto Show and by the time it was over we all needed a moment of rest. The day was pleasant and it was interesting to have been exposed to a world of machines. Later everyone!