Sunny days, Beethoven, and Hair Cuts!

Today was a beautiful day, the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. It was seventy degrees for Chicago and people walking the streets were sporting tank-tops, shorts, and sundresses! Esteban and I decided to have lunch at Millennium Park which is right next door to SAIC. We stopped by Oasis Cafe to pick up some kifta kabob sandwiches and baklava for lunch. The park was filled with people lounging and napping on the lawn, having lunch during their afternoon break, and of course looking at their reflections within Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" sculpture also known as THE BEAN.



A view of Millenium Park on a warm spring day.


Later in the day we went to Orchestra Hall to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and Esa Pekka Salonen's Piano Concerto arranged for pianist virtuoso, Yefim Bronfman. Esa-Pekka Salonen is originally from Helsinki, Finland and is both a conductor and composer. He is currently the Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Tonight's performance was very special because Salonen, conducted a piano concerto in which he had written particularly for Yefim Bronfman, and the two were present tonight to perform it at Orchestra Hall. We had been waiting for so long to hear the Piano Concerto and especially Beethoven's 7th, it was truly magnificent! Thank you Esteban.





After a long day of school, a lunch in the park, and a symphony, one would not expect for much more to occur in this loooong day. However, just an hour ago, I was at the home of my two buddies, Alex and Clay, and Alex was conducting an activity himself...Hair Cuts! Alexander Ferrando is one of the best stylists I have ever known and he did such a fantastic job cutting Esteban and Clayton's hair. It has been a long day indeed and it's only Wednesday!



Esteban, Clay, and Alex pose for a moment in the middle of a styling session.


Adios!