Monday, August 18, 2008

Chicago, Chicago



My cousin got married yesterday in a nueveau frum ceremony. It was a small schul, not to far from North Avenue where the 50th Chicago Air & Water Show was going on in full force. So, we'd get a little bit of davening, and a little bit of The Blue Angels. My cousin married a Canadian fellow, and all his friends came in for the wedding. The young rabbi who acted as cantor during the ceremony strapped on a pair of roller blades during the reception/dinner; several of the young men put on wedding dresses and marched onto the men's side of the dance floor (men and women are separated by a Mechitza, a partition. These kids were so funny - it was a major study in old and new blending into something wild. The band sang everything in Hebrew - including a classic Men At Work song, Land Down Under

The band was actually quite terrible.

The Secretary of Strawberries has discovered the word, "Why" and likes to ask it about everything. To all Chicago bloggers: Thank you for this gorgeous weather, I think it will be a lovely 3 weeks in town.

26 comments:

Fran said...

What a delicious post- oy gevalt, I love the idea of the men dressed in gowns and breaking through.

And what I love more is the idea of you being with the Secretary of Strawberries for 3 weeks.

Ahhhhh.....

Anonymous said...

Hey Diva...funny you should mention Chicago. I'll be there next week for a few days attending a class. Hope the weather holds. :^)

susan said...

My first experience hearing klezmer music was when we lived next door to a Jewish community center in Providence. A wedding was being celebrated and it sounded like so much fun I wanted to climb over the hedge.

robin andrea said...

I love the davening interspersed with the Blue Angels. How's that for a melange of cultural mixes?

Enjoy your time with the Secretary of Strawberries. Hope the weather holds for you.

Anonymous said...

Oh, man, I am sooo homesick. Aren't you just loving the dickens out of the Sec'y of Strawberries? Why? I love that stage.

The wedding sounds like a blast. You mean they couldn't get Matisyahu to perform?

Enjoy!

Billie Greenwood said...

Another delightful post from our presumed next president. Men at Work in Hebrew? Only in Chicago! Welcome back to the Midwest, have a great 3 weeks, & kiss Beanie for us.

Utah Savage said...

Klezmer, lucky you. Hope you have a great time in the windy city.

DivaJood said...

FranIAm, oy gevalt is right. The biggest oy gevalt came when they served over cooked Chicken Kiev. Madame Secretary has been delightful so far.

Spartz, email me, we can catch up.

Susan, this was NOT a Klezmer Band. It was a quasi Rock Band, only they weren't good, and they only sang in Hebrew, and one song only had one word: Jerusalem. Over, and over, and over and over for about five minutes. I thought my head would explode.

Robin, it was actually quite hilarious. It would have been perfect if the groom had smashed the glass at the end at the same time as a sonic boom.

DCup, Madame Secretary is so much fun! She talks all the time, and she plays games when dressing: pulling up her shorts, she says to me "Here, Gramma?" - they're at her knees. "No honey a little more" - and on, and on. She thinks she's so funny! And she is. And I am homesick too, I might have to sell my place and move back.

Border, Men at Work in Hebrew. It was such a disconnect, I cannot describe it. And all these Frummers, bouncing up and down, dancing, like they're in a Mosh Pit. Oy gevalt.

DivaJood said...

Utah, I wish it was Klezmer. SO not lucky that way. There is a great Klezmer Band in Chicago, but alas, not at this function.

Mary Ellen said...

Hey Diva!

I wanted to send you my phone number since you'll be in Chicago, but not sure if the e-mail address I have of yours is your address or one from your past job.

DivaJood said...

Hi Nunly -- you've got my personal email - not the one from the old job.

Mary Ellen said...

Thanks, kiddo, I'll e-mail you.

Ghost Dansing said...

glad you had a nice wedding.....

susan said...

I knew you weren't talking about klezmer music. You just reminded me of how much I like it and I'm really really sorry to hear about the Jerusalem song.. geez, 5 minutes?

DivaJood said...

Ghost Dancing, the bride (my cousin) and groom are well-suited. Other than the band, it was fun.

Susan, FIVE MINUTES of one word. It almost bordered on performance art, except they weren't any good. And the singer looked constipated.

Unknown said...

My friend sent me some pics tonight from the Sox Mariners game. Now I am home sick, too.

DivaJood said...

Mathman, between you and Dcup, don't you think you belong in Chicago at least SOME of the time?

Unknown said...

Why yes we should be there sometime but not next week because... well just because. Maybe the week after, well I wish.

I really miss Chicago. I think my favorite was when I worked downtown.

Anonymous said...

Diva, I don't have your e-mail address. Please click on my profile and send me one from mine. I'll reply. I promise.

D.K. Raed said...

So there are Canadian jews? Who nu? Hah! How did the band translate "vegemite sandwich" into Hebrew? Men in wedding dresses sounds like fun!

Fran said...

Chi town! Will you get to take a trip to the Art Institute? I love going there, never get much past the French Impressionist wing, though.

Have fun & oh is that kid gonna be spoiled!

DivaJood said...

Mathman, I think we're going to get some rain. But the Air & Water Show was quite wonderful this year.

Spartacus, check your email.

DK, I think I forgot to mention the guy who put on the Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey with his T'Fillin hanging down. Canadian ORTHODOX Jews are wild and crazy!

Fran, I have been doing family stuff until yesterday, when I went into my new office! That was fun. Will go to the Art Institute at some point, I'm sure. And Beanie is just having so much fun with me, she makes me laugh. Last night, she had an attack of the giggles, which was infectious.

Randal Graves said...

So, how do you say 'vegemite sandwich' in Hebrew?

DivaJood said...

Randal, I don't know. My Hebrew isn't that good! (of course, neither is Vegemite.)

Unknown said...


The band was actually quite terrible.
-Woot!

AubidadedBallad said...

Wow! That was quite the story telling! Im quite amazed at all the things you've done! No wonder your soo happy! Well I hope you had your fun and excitement. In the mean while, as winters kicking in right now, we might be expecting some change! A change in weather hopefully to the better :} I dunno, some how reading about what you wrote makes me remember things that I never thought I would have ever remembered, funny how that works doesn't it??
-Much LoVe
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