Goodbye Champaign, IL.

This is for all my friends past and present in Champaign-Urbana, IL. And this is difficult.

It is difficult to say goodbye to you. It means I cannot see you as often as I like. It means that our paths will go separate ways. It means that all the things we've experienced together in the past will be faint memories and I cannot touch them.

This has been and always will be my home. For here is where I have left a part of my heart. That part will very soon split into a hundred pieces, and each go their own way to various parts of the earth. Is this not the most painful thing in the world?

Till we meet again.

An evening at Harvest Moon Drive-In

We went again to Bayern Stube, the German restaurant at Gibson City, just 40 min away from Champaign by car. This was to celebrate Sylvia's completion of her defense and graduating! Bayern Stube sells great beer and sausages, not to mention awesome desserts. Creme brule there is a must.

After dinner, we watched Year One at the nearby Harvest Moon Drive-In theater. Back in the good old days in Singapore, we used to have one drive-in theater at Jurong. This was taken over my mediacorp and turned into some place for housing film sets.

Harvest Moon Drive-In as two screens, and the thrill is not so much the movie, as it is the feel of sitting out under the stars, watching a screen, straining your ears to hear the dialogue from other peoples' car radios (you don't turn on your own because you are afraid the car battery will die out). And have that venture thwarted because the local train rolls by, chugging along on the metal tracks just behind the screen. The mosquitoes make a full meal out of you. Some people bring their sofas out behind the back of their trucks, some people bring their bbq. As the sun sets, the sky is glorious. All these make the movie a wonderful experience, no matter what the movie is about!

Extreme Winter Sports Action Footage (EWSAF)

It snowed yesterday, somewhere between 4 - 8 inches. Which, to the well-informed, means one thing and one thing only...SLEDDING!! So after lunch, while we decided to take a look at what winter wonders there were in the Japan House and Arboriteum area, we see Nina and Michael, with Nina's childhood sled, just itching to slide down the hill on Orchard Downs. The hill was crowded. Families with children hitting the slopes. The cold winter wind did not prevent them all from having fun in the white powder. And it shouldn't have, because for all the blistering frost, it is honest-to-gosh fun in the purest. Letting yourself go with the snow.

But of course, you have to have the right equipment. Michael decided to do an experiment. Using our extraordinary knowledge in physics, we know that objects at rest, tend to stay at rest, unless acted upon by another force. Michael decided to test this using his car windshield sunshade as a sled. Now, theoretically, this should work. The snow should provide enough lubrication to offset the friction. And Michael's weight should be enough for gravity to pull him down...theoretically. The movie clip below shows the outcome of this experiment. Empirical trial number one.

Go Michael Go!!

Undaunted by human limitations, we next decide to perform a stunt which has never before been attempted in human history. We decided to record sports action footage of extreme sledding. What you are about to see is the shot as seen from the video camera mounted in front of a model 3000 sledding machine, with all the latest upgrades and safety features. Hold your breath, because your eyes will now be witness to one of the most amazing sports action perspectives ever.

Extreme Sledding!!

This concludes our winter episode of sports olympics. Tune in next time when we go to Extreme Summer Sports Action Footage or ESSAF!

Crepes at Carmon's

Carmon's is a French Creperie located in downtown Champaign. This would be my fourth time there. The decor is homely, bright with a tint of sophistication, yet not too modern, nor is too old fashioned. In other words, it is just nice. Which, to the senses, can sometimes be more delightful than either extremes. For one wishes to be at the crossroads between the past and the future, totally dwelling in the present. I've tried the beef stroganoff (good with reds), pork chutney, onion soup, curry chicken chutney, ratatouille, banana foster, peach streusel, and the suzette (which the movie clip below shows part of the making process involving flaming the grand marnier, and the photo top left is the finish product). All I can say is, this is one place, which every dish on the menu is worth trying once. And it is fortunate that the menu is short enough for that to be a realistic endeavor. Every dime is well spent to fill your senses with delectables.

Flaming the Suzette

Sonic Route 44 Lemon Berry Slush

It is 77 Fahrenheit. It is hot. It is sunny. It is Spring. You haven't seen the sun in months at this intensity. Your tongue is dry. Your throat is dry. You are driving. Where do you go? What do you do about your life problems?

YOU GO GET A ROUTE 44 LEMON BERRY SLUSH FROM THE SONIC ON NEIL ST, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO!!!!! DO IT!!!

Courier Breakfast

Ahhh, the smell of pancakes, coffee, omelettes, and bacon in the morning. And to have it in an old fashion place that seems to have some sense of history soaked into its seats. This is a winner here in terms of identity and character. Home-grown, no franchise, Champaign-Urbana place to eat. Breakfasts are great. I had the steak and omelette, there's other great stuff of course!

Check out the movie here [movie].

Check their website out too:
http://www.couriersilvercreek.com/couriercafe/

Texas Roadhouse, Champaign, IL

Standard Texas steak dinner here. They throw their peanut shells on the floor. Quite a busy place, very popular. Food is not bad. Not gourmet, but think of it as upper-class comfort meat food place. What was fun though, was the peanut shells and the noisy crowd. And they celebrate birthdays there by making the birthday person sit on a horse saddle, and yell out their name, and shout "Yee Ha!" They also do this quirky looking dance. Oh, and although they are Texas Roadhouse, they originated in Indiana. Check out the movie here [movie].

Parko Beero!

The blind pig. Here lor. Even though hor, its Spring break lah. This is a one week holiday. So we all supposed to be relax lor. But then suddenly got so many works to do. Is very siao one. Suddenly is Thursday already. The whole like disappeared like that. I dunno why. So I say lah, we all go Blind Pig to have a beer to relax. How can not relax? Is Sprint break mah! So the lab came. Fun fun. I had two beers, one is call er...dunno what, an India pale ale (7.2%), and the other is the famous Delirium Tremens (8%). Blind Pig very good lah. I think so is my favorite pub in Champaign. Got character. Feel like an old English pub. Got one of the most selection of beers in town. You even got beer you dunno inside got what. Anyway, we talk talk talk, and then we go home. At least got relax a little bit lah.

Japan House Winter Tea

Atsunobu, Charlene and I take a short walk in the Japane House, Arboriteum area in Urbana, IL. We also stop for some hoji cha and make some snow angels. Check out the movie Snow Angels: [click here for movie]. The temperature is 11F (feels like -1F). The hot tea in the hut warms you up, and feels good in contrast to the cold environment. The brown tea contrasts with the white snow. We also had cookies and some rice crackers. Some people were cross-country skiing and sledding down the hills, the highest natural point in Urbana. Highly recommended!

Walk through Champaign in the snow

Finally ah, the snow all lau chut lai liao. See, white. About 2 inches only lah. So I think not very much...last year got a lot more. So we walk walk through West Side Park and downtown, Champaign, Illinois. Got people making snowman, snow things, really chia bah bo si zo you know. By the way hor, its still snowing lor...on and off. I think this winter is very bu san bu si lah. Like ai chut mai chut like that. I mean, if you want to snow, then let it all out, but if you like that, then people very frus, dunno whether should believe you or not. So in this movie we take a walk and see the pretty sights of this tiny town. Warning, it is a large file. I recorded with my Samsung z230. I make on mac. Also, since it is handphone video, the quality is of course not top notch lah. So watch too long might give you headache. Don't say I never say ah!

[Download movie]

Mid-Autumn 2006

Mid-Autumn in Hessel Park, Champaign (movie clip)

Chuang qian ming yue guang
The moon big big.
The air cold cold.
The meat sweet sweet.
The grill hot hot.
The people talk talk.
The tea smell smell.
The time slow slow.
The day gone gone.
Hungry already.