April 10th

Today I rode the train downtown for the first time (the real train, not the cute little red train that goes around the park).  There's just one train line (so far) running from southwest to northeast, so it's of limited usefulness, but can come in handy when you expect to have difficulty finding parking spots at, say, Herman Park, or the zoo.  Today was the "Japan Fest" in Herman Park, so we rode the train.  It was very clean and nice and I would recommend it even to those who are a little bit afraid of public transport (like myself).

At the Japan Fest we saw men in skirts.  Don't worry, it's traditional Japanese garb so they get a "pass."  Or do they, since we're not in Japan?  What about the ones who are participating in Japanese martial arts, but are not themselves Japanese?  Hmmm.

Another guy in a skirt.  This one was under the illusion that he was at the Scotland Fest. 

Personally, I would rather see a guy in hakama or a kilt than a guy wearing those horrid skinny jeans that seem to be "in" right now.  Androgyny is a trend that I could do without. 

I was hoping to hear some Japanese music but all I heard were some taiko drum performances before I took off for a long walk to the bookstore.  At the bookstore I came across a couple of awesome books which I will have to tell you about later.  On my way back from the bookstore, I came across this group of ladies camped out along the sidewalk who cheered and clapped loudly.  At first I assumed they were cheering for someone behind me, but when I got closer, they got in my face and gave me high fives.  Apparently today there was this Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and since I was walking that way, they assumed I was participating, even though I wasn't wearing pink like all the other participants.

Last but not least, I leave you with a picture of some pretty ducks.  Does anyone know what kind of ducks these are?  They are small and graceful with red beaks.