We Partied Like It Was 4706

In contrast to New York's subway system, most of Chicago's El is above ground. Standing on an El platform on a bone-chilling winter day is no fun, to be sure, but you can also step off a train and take in a view of the neighborhood instead of an underground tunnel. In addition to seeing your surroundings from above, one's nose can also take in the smells and I hereby declare the Cermak/Chinatown El stop to be the best-smelling in the city.

Yesterday The Dulcinea and I went to Chicago to take in the Chinese New Year parade and celebrate the new year – 4707: The Year of the Ox. We met up with my mother and then the three of us grabbed the El and headed south. The Jackson stop, where we hoped onto a red line train, is underground and commuters were being entertained by a guitarist playing Lynard Skynard on one side of the platform and a mime doing his thing to a contemporary gospel accompaniment on the other. The train itself was packed with people who, like us, were headed to Chinatown.



Stepping off the train at the Cermak/Chinatown stop, we could smell the countless restaurants and bakeries as they billowed out clouds of mouth-watering aromas – dim sum, BBQ pork buns, and other delectables. Following the throngs of revelers, we made our way to Wentworth Avenue and found a spot near Confucius Place across the street from the Pui Tak Center.



Wentworth was lined with people. Most of the kids had those snap hoolies – those teardrop shaped things that go pop when you throw them on the ground. We had arrived a bit early so we chatted as we waited for one o'clock to roll around. It was hard not to drool. I told my mom of the documentaries about Maxwell Street that I'd bought and she recalled how my grandmother would take her and my aunt down there when they were young. While my grandmother shopped, my mom and aunt ate.





The parade began roughly on time with some of Chicago's finest going by on horse and by car. There were many dragons and floats by various Chinese community organizations and local schools contributed marching bands. Just about everyone got in the act. Here are some of my snaps.



























The parade lasted about an hour. I had hoped to meet up with my friend Gene, who is a first generation Chinese-American but, alas, he has found a second life as an actor and had a late night shoot. Presumably he was still sleeping. Gene would have been able to explain what some of the costumes were about, who represented what, and translated the placards so he was missed. I'll pick his brain later.

Afterwards we wandered around trying to find a restaurant that didn't have a 1+ hour wait. Unsurprisingly, we failed. But I did wait in line at Chiu Quon Bakery for a short spell and came away with this stuff:





This first photo is of mini sesame BBQ pork cookies. In the box are a variety of things – milk custard tarts, coconut tarts, BBQ pork buns, Chinese sausage buns, mini black bean cakes, and a couple other treats I cannot recall. Mmm…

So, happy Year of the Ox!