Lunch in the Hancock building. Comida en la torre Hancock

Como ya he comentado varias veces aun tenemos muchas cosas por hacer en Chicago, asi que el domingo pasado hicimos una de ellas, ir a comer en la torre Hancock.
Este edificio es el tercero mas alto de Chicago y solia ser el mas alto hasta que se construyo la torre Sears.
As I've told you in previous posts we still have many things to do in Chicago and last Sunday we did one of those things, we went for lunch to the Hancock building. It is the third highest building of Chicago and it used to be the highest until the Sears tower was built.

https://www.signatureroom.com/

Decidimos ir a comer alli porque hay un restaurante y un bar muy chulos y lo mejor, en las plantas 95 y 96!! tambien se puede subir al mirador por 20 $, pero por un poco mas puedes subir y disfrutar de la maravillosa vista y de una comida muy bien preparada :)
El domingo habia un buffet para elegir de todo, asi que hicimos varios viajecitos para coger primero marisco y pescado, despues algo de carne y por ultimo, un gran surtido de dulces.
La vista desde el restaurante es maravillosa y la verdad es que impresiona bastante, por un lado el lago Michigan y por el otro lado la ciudad llena de rascacielos.
Algo que tambien nos impresiono fue la velocidad del ascensor, que solo tardo 30 segundos en subir 95 pisos :) la sensacion fue paracida a ir en avion, incluso sintiendo presion en nuestros oidos.
We decided to go there for lunch because there is a very nice restaurant and a bar and the best thing is that they are on the 95th and 96th floors!! you can go up to the tower for 20 $, but for a bit more than this you can go up to the restaurant and enjoy the view together with the nice food :)
Last Sunday there was a great buffet with absolutely everything and we made several tours to take fish and seafood, meat and sweets for dessert.
The view from there was amazing and I was very impressed. On one side you can see the lake and in the other side you can look at the city with all those skyscrapers.
Going up in the elevator was also quite impressive. It took only 30 seconds to go up to the 95th floor and the feeling was like being in a plain. I could even feel the pressure in my ears :)



Para todos los que decidais venir a Chicago, es algo que teneis que hacer, a nosotros nos encanto, asi que lo recomendamos y por supuesto, os seguire contando todas las cosas que nos quedan por hacer :)
Despues de comer fuimos a "Navy pier", que es una especie de puerto pequeno o paseo junto al lago donde hay muchas tiendas, actividades para ninos, algunas atracciones, pero sobre todo, es un sitio desde donde se puede ver una de las mejores puestas de sol.
El domingo fue un gran dia, nos relajamos, disfrutamos del dia y vimos varias cosas nuevas de la ciudad junto con nuestros amigos Patrica e Igor.
If you decide to come one day to Chicago this is something you really should do. We really liked it and we recommend it. Of course, I'll keep writing about all the things that we still have to do here :)
After lunch we went to the Navy Pier where we walked looking at some shops, activities for children, etc. The best part was the beautiful sunset, from this part of the city the view and the light are great and we took tones of good pictures.
Last Sunday was a great day, we could relax and enjoy the day doing new things in the city together with our friends Igor and Patricia.

Halloween 2

La semana pasada se celebro Halloween y como no, viviendo nuestras experiencias americanas teniamos que celebrarlo como se merece :) Durante todo el mes de octubre se pudieron ver calabazas por todas partes y decoracion mortuoria para ir entrando en ambiente.
Halloween was celebrated last week and since we're living in USA we had to celebrate it properly :)
During the month of October we could see pumpkins everywhere and scary decoration in restaurants, shops, etc to start with the Halloween spirit.



En Espana tambien se celebra el dia de todos los santos y el de los difuntos, pero de manera distinta, aunque cada vez mas se esta importando la tradicion anglosajona. El viernes dia 29 de octubre se podia ver a algunas personas disfrazadas en la Universidad y algunos incluso en el laboratorio, como mi companero Adam :) que se disfrazo de Super Mario y vino asi a trabajar :))
We also celebrate "all the saints" and "dead people" day in Spain, but the tradition is different. However, the American tradition is being imported and celebrated more and more in Spain.
Last Friday, 20th of October, there were some people wearing their costumes at University and even in the labs, as my colleague Adam :) who was dressed up as Super Mario :))

Adam wearing his Super Mario costume. Adam con su disfraz de Super Mario

Nosotros no sabiamos muy bien que ibamos a hacer, si salir a dar una vuelta, ir a bailar, comprar un disfraz...me hubiese encantado preparar un disfraz casero, pero por desgracia no tuve nada de tiempo.
Nuestros amigos Patricia e Igor nos invitaron a una fiesta en Chicago, asi que decidimos apuntarnos el mismo sabado por la manana, asi que teniamos muchas cosas por hacer, entre ellas, comprarnos un disfraz.
Nos levantamos el sabado por la manana y nos dirigimos a la tienda de disfraces. Las opciones eran limitadas: chicos, disfraces de cosas musculosas, chicas, cualquier disfraz en version "sexy".
Nos acercamos a la seccion de parejas, donde es posible combinar los disfraces y optamos por coger un disfraz de romano para Thomas y otro de divinidad griega, para mi :)
We didn't know exactly what we would do for Halloween, going for a walk, go dancing, buy a costume...I'd have liked making a costume myself, but unfortunately I didn't have enough time.
Our friends Patricia e Igor invited us to a Halloween party, so we decided to go with them, but we still had many things to do as working and buying the costume!! of course, in the last moment.
We got up early in the morning on Saturday and we went directly to the costume's shop. The choices were limited, for boys costumes with a lot of muscles and for girls any costume in the "sexy" mode.
We went to the "matching-couples" section and we could combine our costumes. A roman costume for Thomas and a Greek goddess for me :)
Mi disfraz era corto en la foto que venia en la bolsa, con lo que estuve un poco nerviosa pensando en si el traje me valdria, ya que no me lo pude probar y no teniamos tiempo de arreglarlo, solo salir de trabajar, disfrazarnos e irnos!
Resultado: era demasiado corto y demasiado ancho...menos mal que Thomas es un manitas y me lo arreglo, pero sin hilo o aguja, con unos clavos, nada mas y nada menos :))
Pense en ponerme unos pantalones debajo, pero quedaba fatal y con las medias solas parecia una prostituta...la sugerencia de Thomas era ponerme unos leggings blancos, ohhh!! que bonitos!! asi que al final, decidi ponerme unos calzoncillos de Thomas encima de las medias, jeje! solucionado! ya no se me veia el culo!
My costume looked a little bit short on the picture and we couldn't try it on at the shop, so I was wondering the whole day how would that thing fit...of course we didn't have time to fix it or nothing because we had to put it on when we finished working.
The result was quite ridiculous: too wide and too short...thank God Thomas is very handy and he could fix it a bit without needle or wire (because we didn't have either) but with a couple of small nails we had at home :)
I thought of wearing pants under the dress, but that was really ugly and only with the stockings I looked as a real prostitute...Thomas suggested wearing white leggings, ohhh!! so freaking ugly!! so finally I decided to were Thomas' underwear on top of my stockings, hehe! at least no one could see my butt, hehehehe!!

Mi bonito traje de griega o algo asi. My beautiful Greek goddess costume...

Thomas Marinus

Con los disfrasces puestos nos fuimos a coger el tren, eso si, con los abrigos encima, que la noche no estaba para bromas. Al llegar a la estacion vimos a mas gente con disfraces y me quede mas tranquila, las chicas llevaban faldas mucho mas cortas que la mia :))
We our costumes on we went to the train station to go downtown and there were many people with their costumes. I was a lot more quiet when I saw almost all the girls were wearing skirts shorter than mine :))
En la estacion de Sheridan esperamos a Patricia e Igor, que casualmente iban vestidos de romanos!! que coincidencia! eso si, como hacia mucho frio Igor se dejo sus calcetines y zapatos puestos, mientras que Thomas, muy valiente el, se fue en chanclas, jeje!!
We waited for Patricia and Igor at Sheridan station and what a coincidence, they also had Roman costumes!! It was very cold and windy and while Igor kept his socks and shoes on, Thomas just walked on his slippers :)

Charming!

Patricia, Igor, Thomas y yo

Llegamos al apartamento donde se celebraba la fiesta. Yo estaba un poco preocupada pensando que iba a llegar a un sitio donde nadie me conocia con ese disfraz de griega medio prostituta, jejeje! pero bueno, de perdidos al rio!
Habia varias fiestas en el edificio, subimos hasta el piso los cuatro juntos y por fin! ya estabamos en la fiesta. Era pronto aun y no habia mucha gente, hablamos un poco con los anfitriones, hola, que tal, como estais, yo soy de Spain, jejejeje! cuando nos dimos cuenta de que ibamos demasiado disfrazados, habia algunas personas con disfraz completo, pero la mayoria solo llevaba algun detallito encima, sombrero, peluca, etc...nosotros no! todo completo!
En ocasiones no me sentia comoda con el vestidito tan corto, pero despues de unas cuantas charlas, fotos y sobre todo cervezas :) (aunque todas eran light...) me lo pase mucho mejor.
La fiesta no fue excesivamente loca, pero me lo pase estupendamente, varios companeros estaban alli y entre risas, fotos, bebidas, canciones y charlas todo fue muy divertido.
Aqui os enseno algunas fotos de la fiesta :). Los anfitriones eran muy simpaticos y conocimos a mucha gente nueva.
We arrived in the building were the party was. I was a bit concerned thinking that I was going to show up in a place were no one knew me and I was wearing that ridiculous Greek-half-prostitute costume, hehehe! but well...we were already there...
There were several parties in that building, we went up to the apartment and finally! we were at the party. It was early and there were not too many people. We talked a bit to the hosts: hi, how are you?, I'm from Spain, etc, hehehe! then we realized that we were a bit overdressed...some people had a full costume, but most of them were just wearing a hat, wig or something like that, but us...the whole thing on!! hehe!
I felt a bit uncomfortable sometimes with such a short dress but after speaking, taking pictures and drinking a couple of beers (even though they were light...) I felt a lot more relaxed.
The party was not too crazy but I had a great time. Some of my colleagues were there and we talked, danced, drank and took many pictures. It was a lot of fun!
Here you can see some pictures of the party. The hosts were really nice and we met some new people.


Hay varias cosas que me gustaria resaltar:
1) Los chupitos de gelatina que nos tomamos. Yo no los habia visto nunca y al parecer es algo bastante normal...al principio no sabia que era gelatina asi que empine el vaso y espere a que el liquido entrase en mi boca, pero no caia nunca, jeje! hasta que vi que habia casi que masticarlo, jeje! Lo cierto es que no fueron un exito, al menos para nosotros, pero habia que probarlos, no?
There are several things that I would like to highlight:
1) The jelly shots we drank. It was the first time I saw them and apparently it is something very normal here...at the beginning I didn't realize they were made of jelly so I just took the glass and waited until the liquid was in my mouth...that didn't happen, hehe! until I saw that I almost had to chew it, hehe! They were not very successful, but we had to try them, right?

Thomas con su chupito de gelatina. Thomas and his jelly shot

2) El maravilloso momento en que decidi hacerme una foto con la cabeza de un lego gigante que era la parte del disfraz de un invitado de la fiesta. Yo fui tan contenta a hacerme la foto y lo primero que hice fue romperlo...
2) The moment when I decided taking a picture with a Lego head from someone's costume. I wanted a picture with that thing, but the first thing I did was breaking it, hehe! thankfully it could be fixed...


3) Lo mas importante de la noche: la espada de Thomas!!!! junto con su disfraz venia una espada con la que no paro de hacer cosas toda la noche!! la espada aparece en aproximadamente el 95 % de las fotos de la fiesta :) y se puede decir que casi todos los presentes en la fiesta cogieron la espada en algun momento para hacer alguna tontuna, jeje!
3) The most important thing of the night: Thomas' sword!!!! the sword was one of the complements of his costume and he didn't stop doing things with the sword during the entire night!! the sword appears in approximately 95 % of the pictures we took at the party :) and we can say that almost everyone at the party took the sword for some minutes to do some funny movement, hehe!

Nos gusto mucho ir a la fiesta, lo pasamos genial y nunca se me olvidara mi maravilloso vestido de divinidad griega por el que pague 50 $...el agno que viene lo prepararemos con mas tiempo y por supuesto, haremos algo especial para celebrar Halloween!
We really liked going to the party, we had a very nice time and I'll never forget about my wonderful Greek goddess costume which was 50 $...next year we'll prepare it with some more time an of course, we'll do something special to celebrate Halloween!

Halloween 1

We're starting...

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Excursion en barco en Chicago. Boat trip in Chicago

El viernes pasado hicimos una de las cosas que teniamos pendientes en nuestra lista de cosas por hacer en Chicago. Nuestro jefe de Holanda, Bert Meijer, estaba visitando la ciudad para dar una charla en un simposium de nanotecnologia. Despues de todos las reuniones, etc, pasamos casi todo el viernes con el, junto con Patricia e Igor. Despues de comer, nos dirigimos hacia el rio para comprar los tickets y hacer esta excursion en el rio Chicago y en el lago Michigan. He de decir que la experiencia fue muy buena, disfrutamos de la vista de todos los edificios y rascacielos en las orillas del rio y despues el bote se adentro en el lago Michigan, dejando una maravillosa vista de la ciudad. Es una experiencia que recomiendo a todos los que paseis por Chicago, es impresionante y creo que uno de las mejores rutas que se pueden hacer en la ciudad. Aqui os muestro unas fotos de la excursion y un video que hice en el lago :) Fue lo mas parecido a un dia libre desde que llegamos a USA :)

Last Friday we did one of the things we had in our to-do list in Chicago. Our adviser from Holland, Bert Meijer, was visiting Evanston to give a lecture in a nanotechnology symposium. After the meetings and stuff, we spent the day with him together with Igor and Patricia.
After lunch we headed towards Chicago river to buy the tickets for the boat trip. I have to say that it was a wonderful experience, we enjoyed the spectacular view of the city with all its buildings and skyscrapers. After the river, the boat entered into lake Michigan and we could have a great view of the city. Here I show you some pictures of the tour and a movie I made once we were in the lake. It was the most similar thing to a holiday since we arrived in USA :)

Tirando la basura. Trash

Hoy os voy a hablar sobre algo que aparentemente no es sorprendente y que es: como tirar la basura :) En Espana si vives en un bloque de apartamentos, hay uno o varios contenedores para cada bloque y tambien, diversos contenedores para reciclar plastico, envases, vidrio, papel, etc. En muchas ciudades tambien hay contenedores subterraneos. Normalmente, una familia estandar espanola tira la basura por la noche, despues de cenar, una vez que se ha generado toda la basura del dia. Si vives en una casa, hay casos en los que varias casas comparten el contenedor o incluso cada uno tiene uno propio.
Ademas, la basura se recoge diariamente, cosa que veo necesaria la verdad :) Ademas, en casi todas las familias espanolas la basura se separa y se recicla. Today I'm going to write about something that is maybe not so surprising: throwing away the trash...yes!
In Spain, if you live in a block of apartments you normally share one or several containers with everyone living in your building. There are also containers for plastic, glass, paper, etc.
In many cities there are also underground containers.
A standard Spanish family would throw away the trash every night after dinner and it will be picked up by the cleaning services of the city hall during the night. If you live in a house, not in a flat you can share the container with some other neighbors or have your own. In both cases, the trash is picked up every day and normally during the night.

Contenedores normales y subterraneos. Normal and underground containers

En Holanda era diferente. En nuestro bloque de apartamentos, solo se podia tirar la basura los miercoles. Esto en verano es un rollo, hace calor, etc. Justo cuando nos ibamos instalaron los contenedores subterraneos que se abrian con una tarjeta del ayuntamiento de Eindhoven. con esta tarjeta se podia tirar la basura cuando cada uno prefiriese. El padre de Thomas que vive en una casa tiene su propio contenedor, no tan grande como los espanoles, pero puede tirar la basura cuando quiere. Sin embargo, la basura no se recoge diariamente y la gente en general, no separa su basura y esto si que no me gusta!! Pero bueno, si hay un porcentaje de gente que separa y recicla. Aqui en USA tambien es diferente y para mostraros como es, me he grabado a mi misma tirando la basura :) espero que os guste, el proceso es sencillo. De lo que aun no tengo informacion es de si se separa y se recicla la basura, si alguien lo sabe, por favor contadmelo. Os dejo el video :) encontrareis el enlace abajo.

In Holland it was different. We used to live in an apartment were we could only throw away the trash on Wednesday. In the summer this was not very convenient. When we were about to live our apartment, underground containers were installed. We could open them with a card from the city hall and throw the trash whenever we wanted.
Thomas' father lives in a house and he has his own container. However, the trash is not picked up everyday, but at least you can throw it away when you want.
I didn't meet many people separating and recycling trash, so I didn't like that much.
Here in the US it is also different and I wanted to show you about it, so I made a movie, hehe! I recorded myself throwing away the trash. It is pretty easy and fast! What I'd like to know is if the trash is separated and recycled, if anyone knows please tell me.
You can find the link below :)

Adios!!!

Mis experiencias con el sistema sanitario americano. My experience with the American healthcare system

Hola amigos! como veis en el titulo, ya sabeis de lo que quiero hablar y los que me conoceis, ademas sabeis que soy asmatica.
Antes de venir a USA prepare mi equipaje a conciencia y por supuesto, lo primero que prepare fue mis medicamentos: el inhalador (symbicort) y mis sprays para la nariz. Me asegure de que traia botes suficientes de todo para al menos 4 meses. No se como paso, que cuando se me termino uno de los botes, fui a buscar en mi bolsa magica y los inhaladores no aparecian por ningun lado...me los habia dejado en casa!!!
No pasa nada, me dije a mi misma, manana al medico y ya esta. La cosa no fue tan facil, primero me tuve que registrar en el sistema, no me pregunteis cual, en el sistema, jeje! luego pedir cita, luego hacer el check in en el centro de salud de la Universidad, hacer un cuestionario de 4 paginas sobre toda mi vida y la de mi familia, despues un test sobre el asma, luego un chequeo general (tension, corazon, temperatura, etc) y un test de capacidad pulmonar. Los resultados de este ultimo fueron pesimos, por lo que ademas de darme mi medicacion, mi medico me mando volver en un mes.
Me aumento la dosis de mi inhalador y al parecer, con ello tambien el precio...aaahh!! Despues de que me viese mi medico, me dirigi hacia la farmacia universitaria con temor, pedi mis medicamentos y vi el precio...creia que estaba en una pelicula de terror: "Oh, no, que es esto??" pues esto es 287 $ por tu inhalador, el mismo que en Espana te compras por 15 euros!!! madre mia!! mas otros 45 por otro inhalador. Afortunada de mi, que con el seguro que tengo solo pago el 50 %, oh gracias Obama!!
Pero aqui no se acaba todo. Ayer se cumplio un mes de mi primera visita y tuve que volver a por mas medicamentos y a ponerme todas las vacunas que un asmatico necesita. Este agno la vacuna de la gripe y la de la neumonia. Ademas, me tuve que hacer un analisis de sangre. A todo ello he de sumarle el precio de los medicamentos, asi que esta noche creo que me ire a donar un rinon a algun sitio porque manana tengo que pagar todo esto...
Ahora mismo estoy pagando dos seguridades sociales, una aqui y otra en Espana y desde alli me pagan todo lo que cueste mi seguro sanitario aqui, pero como me dijeron en Espana: "ten paciencia, estamos en crisis, ya te llegara el dinero".
Me alegra saber que lo puedo pagar, pero no puedo dejar de pensar en todas esas personas que no se lo pueden permitir y que tienen una enfermedad tan simple como el asma o la diabetes que necesita medicacion diaria, que es lo que hacen esas personas? que hace el gobierno? cuales son esos cambios para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas? para que tanta investigacion en medicinas y tratamientos, si nadie las puede pagar? es un poco decepcionante. Amigos americanos, me gustaria saber vuestra opinion y tambien la de todos los demas.
Ahora os dejo, tengo que ir a tomarme mi medicacion :)

Hello friends!! you can already know what I'm going to write about today and also, the ones who know me also know I have asthma.
Before coming to the US, I prepared my luggage very carefully and of course, the first thing I prepared was my medication: my inhaler and my nose sprays.
I wanted to be sure that I had enough medicines for at least the next four months. I don't know how it happened...one day, I finished my bottle of inhaler, I went to pick up a new one and I couldn't find them anywhere...I forgot them in Spain!!!
It's alright I thought, I'll make an appointment with the doctor tomorrow and ask for prescriptions, but it was not so easy...first I had to register in the system, don't ask me what system, just in the system :), then make the appointment, check in at the University health center, answer a 4 pages form about my entire life and my family's life, an asthma check and a lungs function test. The results of this last test were apparently quite bad and that's why the doctor ask me to come back again in one month and check my lungs again.
She also increased the dose of medicines I had to take and with that, I think also the price, hehe! I thought I was in a horror movie: "Oh no, what is this?" this is 287 $ for your inhaler!! the same one I buy in Spain for 15 $, OMG! and 45 $ for another one for when I'm feeling worse. Because of my health insurance I only had to pay 50 % of the price, thanks Obama!!!
But this is not the end. Yesterday I had another appointment, the one after one month. I had to repeat my lungs function test and get all the vaccinations a person with asthma needs. This year a flu and a pneumonia shots, one in each arm, great! plus a blood test and my medicines...I think I'll start selling my kidneys or something because I have to pay this tomorrow.
Right now I'm paying the Spanish and American social securities and then, the Spanish government will pay my American health insurance, but as they said: "be patient, we are in a credit crisis, so you will get your money in a few months" (I hope it is months").
I'm happy to know that I can pay it, but it really makes me think about all these families and people who can't pay the treatments and medicines for asthma or diabetes, something so common and simple. What are they supposed to do? what is the government doing? what are all this changes to improve people's quality of life? what is Obama doing? why so much research in drugs and new treatments if people can't pay it? American friends, I'd like to know your opinion and of course, what the rest of you think about this. I find it a bit disappointing to be honest.
Now I leave you, it's time to get my medicine :)

Premio Nobel de literatura. Mario Vargas Llosa

Estoy ahora mismo tan contenta que voy a dedicar un par de minutos para escribir sobre los premios Nobel de este agno, 2010. No solo estoy contenta por el premio Nobel de quimica para Suzuki, Heck y Negishi, sino tambien por el premio Nobel de literatura, para Mario Vargas Llosa. En 1982, el agno que yo naci, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, recibio el premio Nobel de literatura y el es mi escritor favorito. Este agno, otro escritor latinoamericano lo recibe y como diria el rey "me llena de orgullo y satisfaccion" jeje!! aunque estos dos escritores mantienen algunas discrepancias debido a sus ideas politicas, ambos se encuentran en mi circulo de literatura absolutamente sobresaliente. Me parecen merecidisimos!!!

I'm really happy about the Nobel prizes this year, 2010 and I decided to stop a couple of minutes to write about it. I'm excited about the chemistry prizes for Heck, Suzuki and Negishi, but now I'm even more happy about the literature Nobel prize for Mario Vargas Llosa.
In 1982 my favorite writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, received the literature Nobel prize and this year, another great Latin American writer got it. These two writers have already for years some intellectual fights because of their political ideas, but still, they are both in the circle of wonderful Latin American literature, absolutely outstanding. This is great!!