What's cookin' in Cultural Kitchen?

Written by: Krista Baum

Chicago, a city known for its beautiful architecture, Chicago style pizza and hot dogs, the Magnificent Mile, international neighborhoods, world-renown museums, jazz and blues…and a destination site for many travelers.

One of the advantages about living in Chicago is that it is so diverse.

At Hostelling International Chicago international travel, diversity, and becoming a global citizen are some of the key components that make us who we are.

HI-Chicago offers a multitude of educational programs and traveler outings, but one that seems to stand out among the rest is Cultural Kitchen.

Cultural Kitchen is an educational program that HI-Chicago offers throughout the entire year, and is run primarily by Megan Johnson, and her current Education intern. This summer 2011, Megan and her Education intern, Eleanor, ran four Cultural Kitchen’s.

Cultural Kitchen’s purpose is to enrich the lives of Chicago’s youth and give them a better understanding of cultural awareness and what it means to be a global citizen.

This summer, Megan and Eleanor have worked with four different summer youth programs in the Chicagoland area. They were: Christopher House, McGaw YMCA, Centro Romero, and Gads Hill Center. Each group participated in classroom sessions, chose a country to study, and came to HI-Chicago to cook a meal from that country and then do a presentation afterwards.

Christopher House chose to study Brazil, McGaw YMCA chose Romania, Centro Romero chose Italy, and Gads Hill Center chose France. Each of these youth groups were able to come to HI-Chicago to cook a meal from their country, participate in Human Bingo, fill out their Cultural Passport, and give a presentation about all that they learned about their chosen countries.

All of the meals and presentations were great! Some of the groups got really creative, and demonstrated cultural dances, sang songs, and had examples of common phrases in that country’s native language.

Then everyone got to spend a night in the hostel. They were able to play games, meet travelers, and explore the city at night! The next morning, everyone attends a reflection about what they learned from Cultural Kitchen and what they will take away from their stay in the hostel.

I definitely recommend staff members, interns, volunteers, and travelers at HI-Chicago to attend a Cultural Kitchen at least once! It’s an amazing experience where you can learn a lot about a foreign culture through the perspective of Chicago's youth.

Traveler Spotlight--Mike

Written by: Krista Baum

Mike has been to places all over the United States and the world! He was born in Fargo, North Dakota, lives in Dallas, Texas and is now doing service work in Chicago, IL. This guy has been all over the place!

This summer 2011, Mike has been to San Francisco, San Antonio, Fargo, and Belize! His occupation is one that many travelers, backpackers, or couch surfers would love…he travels for a living!

Mike works as a professional travel guide with Wonder Voyage, a non-profit company with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, that does national and international pilgrimages, mission trips, and service learning activities with different student groups, college groups, church groups, and more.

Currently, Mike is the travel guide and leader of a church group of eighteen high school and college aged students from New York. That’s a lot of people! But Mike is not alone, there are many adult chaperones helping out on the trip. An extra set of eyes are always a big help J

This group has been doing service work and exploration in Chicago! For service work, they have inventoried a warehouse for an organization called Vital Bridges, and yesterday they did maintenance on a transitional home for women and children. Their next service activity will be doing work with elderly veterans and having lunch with them.

Along with their service work, these volunteers have really enjoyed exploring the city of Chicago. They went to Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and are looking forward to seeing the Art Institute of Chicago!

So what brought this group to Chicago in the first place?

The kids from the group had to vote on a city to do service work in, and Chicago won the vote! Chicago was preferred because a lot of the kids thought that Chicago was interesting, and a lot of them wanted to go to college here. Good choice guys!

Foto Friday Winner: Dayoung

Each Friday, we pick one or two lucky guests to be pictured on our blog and to receive a free gift from HI-Chicago. Dayoung was patiently waiting to check in when I wandered by, so she received a unique Hostelling International leather travel wallet!

Name: Dayoung

Hometown: Daegu, Korea

Where she's headed next: Millennium Park!

Happy Heat Wave!

We’re trying something a bit new this week, and giving you not only the big festivals of the summer, but also a guide to some cool events that are further off the beaten track. Grab your sunscreen and about 6 gallons of ice water and head out into the heat this weekend!

Big Fests

(like the other 10 street festivals you’ve been to this summer, but keep going to because they’re fun and have free giveaways)

Wicker Park Fest: July 23 – 24, 12-10pm

This may actually be one of the best street festivals of the summer (or so says the Tribune), but it does sound quite cool. 3 stages with nonstop music from bands and DJs with some of the weirdest names I’ve heard in a while (An Aesthetic Anaesthetic? What does that even mean?) will be playing all weekend, along with much more. A petting zoo, arts and crafts stations, bounce houses, and a DUNK TANK—which we believe has been severely lacking in the festival scene thus far—make this one of the more exciting fests of the summer! Also, the Summer Sizzle Sidewalk Sale will be going on simultaneously from 11am-6pm both days along all major streets in Wicker Park, so you can snag some deals from your favorite neighborhood stores! But let me reiterate the most important thing once more, dunk tank. $5 suggested donation.

Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival: July 23 – 24, 12-10pm

Head to the Garden District of Chicago and help support efforts to keep this neighborhood beautiful at the Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival this weekend! Check out self-guided tours of over 80 gardens, free guided architectural tours, food and drink vendors and, of course, live music. Headliners include Archie Powell and the Exports, Soul Asylum, and School of Rock! $7, $10/after 3pm.

Chariot Festival: July 24, 12:30-6pm

Celebrate Indian culture at the Chariot Festival this Sunday, hosted by the Chicago Hare Krishna Temple in Loyola Park! A parade headed by a hand-pulled chariot (Chariot Festival…get it?) kicks off the festival, beginning at 11:30am and making its way to the park. There will be free lunch for everyone, yes, free, along with traditional Indian dancing and music, family activities, henna, traditional Indian stores and more! Free.

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Random but Very, Very Cool Events

(some alternatives that are pretty bizarre but awesome at the same time)

Chicago SummerDance—Soul Train Anniversary Party: July 23, 6-9:30pm

That’s right, it’s time to hop on the hippest train around to celebrate Soul Train’s 40^th Anniversary, hosted by Chicago SummerDance at Grant Park! Yes, I recognize that there is a Summerdance event every Thursday through Sunday throughout the summer, but how many of them feature The Bop and Soul Train Line dance lessons with live music by The Platinum Band playing Soul Train Dance Party tunes? One. And it’s this Saturday, with lessons from 6-7pm and live music and dancing until 9:30pm. Strap on your disco shoes and nostalgia and head out to celebrate this institution’s Chicago roots! Free.

Big Dig North Avenue Beach Party: July 23, 9am-5pm

Join Chicago’s hottest summer beach bash (seriously, it will be in the 90s again, but how better to cool off than at the beach?) at the Big Dig North Avenue Beach Party this Saturday! While it’s too late to sign up for the beach games, spectators are encouraged (and welcomed for free with an RSVP!) to watch some volleyball, bags/cornhole, and dodgeball. There will be DJs and live performances featuring Kidd Russell and Na Palm, so come relax on the beach, listen to some awesome music, and watch others sweat profusely in way-too-intense beach games!

Dollar Beer Night at Beauty Bar: July 24, 10pm

I’ve always been a fan of this slightly gimmicky-but-in-a-good-way bar in West Town with its $10 Manicure and Martini special (come on, ladies, that’s brilliant!), but dudes should feel welcome at Beauty Bar this Sunday for $1 select brews and $3 well drinks. Phil Mixtape and DJ Red Ryder will be bringing you their favorite hits from the last three decades, so come liven up what would be an otherwise boring Sunday night—you know you can catch reruns of True Blood later in the week. Free entry, 21+.

Bags Benefit Tournament at Joe’s Bar: July 23, 2-5pm

Join in the 5^th Annual Bags Tournament to benefit Special Olympics Chicago at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street this Saturday! Entry includes an open bar Coors Light drafts, well drinks, wine and soda ($25/spectators, $35/bags players)—while admission prices are a bit high, just remember its open bar for 3 hours and you could do much more damage than $25 in a night out. Also, it’s a fundraiser, you cheap skates!

Whole Foods FREE Beer and Wine Tasting: July 23, 1-4pm

Pretty sure this one is self-explanatory, but let me just spell it out: Free. Beer. And. Wine. Head to the Whole Foods on Canal St in the South Loop to couple your grocery shopping with some wine and beer tastings! We even double checked – it’s completely free. No fine print, no buying minimum, no cover. Seriously, just free. How wonderful is that?

Red Bull BC One United States Qualifiers: July 23, 8pm

Come watch the nation’s best B-Boys (break dancers, for all you non-ABDC fans) as they compete in the qualifiers to advance to the finals in Moscow! 16 crews will compete in 1-on-1 battles, so come support your favorite crew or one from your city (Chicago pride, anyone?) for their chance to represent America in the finals! DJ Skeme Richards will be spinning all night as you watch the best of best dance it out! $10 tickets or $20/VIP, 18+.

Happy heat wave! Anybody want to head to Oregon?

Written by: Keren Mikva

Traveler Spotlight--Sam

Written by: Krista Baum

Earlier today, I talked with Sam…little did she know that today is the day that she would be featured for today’s Traveler Spotlight!

Sam is a 26 year old from London England. She has traveled extensively all over the world! She toured Africa during her gap year, visited family in Australia, has been to Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, all over Europe, the southern parts of India, and traveled to Brazil and California for work.

For Sam, work has really allowed her to travel! She currently works at the Natural History Museum in London, England as a research assistant. There she studies botany, researching new species of plants. At the Natural History Museum she has been proactive in community outreach and education programs to engage children in having a greater interest in science.

So what brought Sam to Chicago? Sam recently came from St. Louis, Missouri where she saw the Missouri Botanic Garden and is now in Chicago where she will start her two week long research assignment at the Field Museum. She will be comparing botany specimens there to the ones back home at the Natural History Museum. The scientists have to make sure that their data about a species is correlating to other scientists’ data in another country regarding the same species. When I asked if I would be able to see the botany specimens at the Field Museum, Sam said that those specimens were collections that were hidden from the viewers because they need certain conditions to survive. There are so many hidden gems at the Field Museum.

I then asked Sam about what she thought of HI-Chicago, and she thought that it had a friendly atmosphere and wants to see her room so she can unpack all of her things and rest a bit before exploring Chicago!

So what will she do in Chicago?

Tomorrow, Sam’s boyfriend from London is arriving in Chicago, and they will be able to do some exploring together after Sam has finished her work at the Field Museum. She hopes that they can attend a baseball game, see the Shedd Aquarium, visit the Art Institute, and just wander around the city.

Sam’s future travel plans are to go to Northern India, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

And…little known fact, I asked Sam if she watched Prince William and Kate’s wedding, and Sam said that she did watch it and that one of her co-workers from London was at the same university at the same time that Prince William was there, and that they played cricket together!

What a small world J

Foto Friday Winner: Tom

Each Friday, we pick one or two lucky guests to be pictured on our blog and to receive a free gift from HI Chicago! Tom happened to be hanging out in the lounge at the right time, so he'll be enjoying 2 free tickets to ComedySportz!

Name: Tom

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

What he's done in Chicago so far: Joined our pub crawl in Wicker Park last night, and it was a blast!

Weekend Update: Hosteller Style

If you thought that Chicago had run out of neighborhoods to have festivals in, you were dead wrong. In fact, this weekend is jam-packed with fests everywhere you look, from big ones like Pitchfork Music Festival to the lesser known Tour de Fat (that's actually what it is called). Read on for your weekend update from your friends at HI-Chicago!

Pitchfork Music Festival: July 15 – 17 (Fri 3-10pm, Sat/Sun 12-10pm

This indie alternative to the bigger music festivals like Lollapalooza has an amazing line-up this year, including Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, James Blake and more! Union Park promises to be packed this weekend, so if you’re not planning on going to the festival, find a different route home! That said, you should definitely go to the festival. It’s seriously awesome. Tickets are still available on-site for Friday and Saturday! $45/day.

Tour de Fat: July 16, 9am-4pm

Ok, so while I had a lot of fun imagining food eating contests, deep fried Oreos, and a liposuction tent, this is actually cooler, and a lot less gross. This annual bike and environmental fest is hosted by Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery, the makers of Fat Tire beer (a-hah, it all makes sense now). The event will have live music by Dovekins and Mucca Pazza, a bike parade, a car/bike swap—which is maybe the coolest crazy idea I’ve heard in a while (see below for more details), and of course, tons of Fat Tire brews for sale. The brewery is making stops in 13 cities across the country (biking, of course) to promote environmental awareness and bike use – how awesome is that?

What is the car/bike swap, you may ask? In their words…It's when one fortunate soul hands over their car, title and keys to the Tour de Fat altar in exchange for a bike. Not just any bike, a New Belgium, fully-loaded, hand-crafted, Fort Collins-built commuter bike. There's 13 Tour de Fat stops - surely one near you - and that's 13 car/bike trade opportunities. It's about weaning yourself off the petroleum teat. It's about becoming a better, sexier person. It's about rediscovering the cultural thrill of public transportation. One year's time is the minimum commitment – commuting is your sentence.

Taste of River North: July 15 – 17 (Fri 5-10pm, Sat 12-10pm, Sun 11am-6pm)

Food and drink tickets for $1 each get you meals from some of the best restaurants in the area, including Citizen Bar, Green Door Tavern, Moe’s Cantina, and more! Galleries and shops will all be set up in the park, along with live music from Sixteen Candles and others. Pet and kid friendly! $5 donation.

Lincoln Park Arts and Music Festival: July 16 – 17, 12-10pm

Great music, fantastic artists, and tons of food and drink vendors will be over at Racine Ave this weekend for the Lincoln Park Arts and Music Festival. Headliners the Freddy Jones Band and Trevor Hall will be performing, along with tons of other local talent. What sets this apart from all the other festivals, you ask? Not much really. But why mess with success? $5 donation.

Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party: July 15 – 16, 5:30-10:30pm

While the qualification of world’s largest block party hasn’t been proven, Old St. Pat’s is still HUGE. Over 18,000 are expected to attend this annual fest, and vendors will be offering all your regular fest foods, as well as noodles! But noodles aren’t the best part of this festival; the price of admission allows you into all of the shows and even includes 5 drink tickets for beer, wine, pop (see? I’ve been in Chicago for too long) and water! Also, the line-up has some awesome big name bands, including Barenaked Ladies (remember them??), Plain White T’s, and Cobra Starship! $40/day in advance, $45/day at door.

Chinatown Summer Fair: July 17, 10am-8pm

Head to Chinatown for this annual neighborhood festival with music, dance performances, and tons of food from restaurants and street vendors in the area. But most importantly, it features a colorful lion and dragon dance procession lead by none other than Ronald McDonald – and yes, it will make more sense once I tell you that McDonald’s is hosting the festival…but it’s still weirdly cool.

Get out and enjoy this beautiful weekend, and we here at the hostel will be doing the same!

Stay groovy!

Written by: Keren Mikva