Humor, Free Chicago LitFEST Events and A Demo of How-To-Give-A-Moutza!

Chicago's LitFest 2014 Had It's 30th Anniversary this weekend.  

For the past 5 years I have been addicted to attending these literary packed two-day events,  no matter what!  I am one of those people who never read anything as a young kid, except for the occasional beauty magazine,  but somewhere in my 30's, I experienced reading for pleasure, and have been hooked ever since. 

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

We got to LitFest at 10 a.m. thanks to Chicago public transportation, just in time to hear reporter/writer/columnist and my favorite journalist in Chicago, John Kass and his team speak.  Even if I don't always agree with John, his reporting makes me feel smarter somehow.  

As many Chicagoan's know,  John was given a custom print of Mayor Rahm Emanual as the Rahmfather from The Godfather movie fame last year.  A few weeks ago, the RahmFather print was stolen from Kass' office at the Tribune. There are only two copies of this original piece of art, one made to accommodate Mayor Rahm's request and City Hall office decor, and the one given to John Kass at the Tribune!  This master thievery has been playing out in John's column over the past week or so.   


So the search began, and during the LitFest presentation it was announced that the Rahmfather print was returned to it's rightful owner, John Kass.  All in great fun.

I read John's column every day, and I have to admit,  I have been curious about this gesture and award he gives out monthly to the biggest idiot of the month he calls a  Moutza of the Month.  Prompted by the audience, John stood and began to demonstrate the variety of hand-signal Moutza's you could give someone depending on your mood or motion.  I simply cannot explain these gestures and do them justice, but I did get a number of photos showing a variety of Moutza's by John Kass that you too can give to people who irk you.

Then, I found this further explanation on the web at telecom.co.uk:

Mark Jacob, John Kass, Willian Lee

Moutza  Meaning: To hell with you!/I rub **** in your face!/I'm going to violate your sister!

Used in: Greece, Africa, Pakistan

The Moutza is among the most complex of hand gestures, as elaborate and ancient as a Japanese tea ceremony. Perhaps the oldest offensive hand signal still in use, the Moutza originated in ancient Byzantium, where it was the custom for criminals to be chained to a donkey and displayed on the street. There, local townsfolk might add to their humiliation by rubbing dirt, feces, and ashes ("moutzos" in medieval Greek) into their faces.

Now that the advent of modern sewage systems and anti- smoking laws means that these materials are no longer readily available, the Moutza is a symbolic stand-in. In Greece, it is often accompanied by commands including par’ta (“take these”) or órse (“there you go”). Over the years, the versatile Moutza has acquired more connotations, including a sexual one, in which the five extended fingers suggest the five sexual acts the gesturer would like to perform with the subject’s willing sister.

All of this made me think--what would we do without humor?  Everyday, really bad stuff is happening in the world yet a serious jjournalist with an honest, bold and genuine way about him made our Sunday morning much brighter.  I just wasn't expecting to like John Kass as much as I did.  And I am grateful for that. 

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz  John Kass

My husband and I walked around, he had an agenda which mostly meant "plant me somewhere interesting" so I did, while I ran around listening to Spoken Word artist from Chicago's City Poetry Slam hosted by the Green Mill co-host J.W. Basilo, featuring Tim Stafford, Fatimah Asghar, Erick Sirota and Amy David.  If you have never heard spoken word, it's a trip of storytelling, unique in it's Chicago origin from 1986 with a cadence of unique bravado that stirs the mind, heart and soul.  Some funny, some profound, and I now that I know Chicago has a very vibrant spoken word community, I want more.

Chicago City Poetry Slam

Randy and I sat for an insightful presentation:  Drawing Conclusions: A cartoon multimedia extravaganza with cartoonist Scott Stantis.  I've never thought about how cartoonists' evolve from in Scott's case,  law studies to artistry to cartoons, but I am glad cartooning became Scott's chosen profession.  He reminded us about the important freedom of speech work in Cincinnati, Ohio when Larry Flynt's publishing

Bill St. John on Wines

empire was on the rise.  Mr. Flynt was at one time responsible for upholding freedom of speech all the way to the Supreme Court when he took on Preacher Jerry Falwell in court and won.  

Scott Stantis Larry Flynt

We also really enjoy wines, but I seem to always have unanswered questions about what we are drinking and why!  Chicago Tribune wine columnist Bill St. John enlightened us and took some of the mystery out of two of my favorite wines.  I am glad to find out I have a more refined pallet than I expected.  My favorite wines are oaky Chardonnays and robust Pinot Noir's. I learned these two wines are quite complex.  Someday,  I hope to study more about them!  

Being from Cincinnati I am always excited to learn something new about home-sweet-home.  We were walking by a publisher's booth and the sign said  "Located in Cincinnati".  Randy told them I am a new author, and we started to chat with Cincinnatian author,  Brian Dobbins, sporting a shirt that said "SOFA"  Southern Ohio Filmmakers Association.  Brian was so darn warm, friendly and open, like so many folks I know back home.  I serve on the PeaceOnEarthFilmFestival board in Chicago, and was intrigued to find that this long standing Cincy festival was alive and well and I plan to followup.

Hungry as all get out, we stopped by the Jerk312 Chicken food truck for the best Jamaican jerk chicken in the world!  Go to their website and find out where they are making theirs stops around town. You won't' regret it!  

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

We continued to the Tribune Tent to hear three compelling stories from the Tribune Watchdog Panel;  George Papajohn, Patricia Callahan and Michael Hawthorn.  Yes, I consider myself an activist, but to hear the stories of the sheer dedication these journalist have to the issue at hand and the commitment the Chicago Tribune has to truth telling at all costs,  will help me sleep better in this city with unique politics and unspoken violence.  I want to thank all the Watchdogs everywhere for the work each of you are doing to keep it real and keep us informed.

George Papajohn, Patricia Callahan and Michael Hawthorn

We went by the CSPAN truck but they had decided to close early.  Disappointed! 

We stopped for a drink at  Potbelly where a lovely young musician accommodated my music request. We sat by sipping and watching a sea of people methodically work their way through the crowded tents, looking for that one book or two that will enlighten , compel, entertain, fantasize or simply provide a reality check.   

Children galore, adults, goth scene and professors among the mix and all I can say is, I can't wait till next year!  

And yes, I did buy a book of poetry.  More on that later once I have had time to absorb the poems of a US  soldier who wrote poems based on conversations of US captives behind bars while incarcerated in Vietnam. Stay tuned.  Thank you.  Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

John Kass More Moutza!

Big City 2.7 Million People Rocks A Lot of Peace!

Tuesday late afternoon a client of ours at PeaceSpaProducts.org asked if we could deliver her order to the Gold Coast and we said absolutely and without question!  I looked at my husband and said, "Let's do it now".  It was 3pm in the afternoon.

Beyond wanting to provide great service, we looked outside and saw the day getting away from us, so we loaded up the skin care order, made sure we had lawn chairs, the food basket and cranked up the old convertible as we headed out to Montrose Harbor for a favorite north side view of the city.

Drop off made, we went to Jewel up north off Montrose Street to find some pre-made healthy food, but decided to give Chicken Eaters Paradise Since 1959- Family Owned and Operated a try.  We have driven by this place a hundred times, intrigued with all of it's snickered windows sporting best broasted chicken, ATM inside and ice cream cones for 49 cents.  

We settled on the Jakes Broasted Chicken with a surprise potato wedge, while not bad, doesn't compare with the fresh rotisserie Jewel Grocery Store chicken we usually pick up and for about the same price.  I also sprung for a Chili Cheese Tamale which was terrific.  This place has breakfast all day long too, so we will go back, as well as Polish, Italian and Greek specialties.  I love family owned places like this, but I wonder how they keep so many items fresh and in-stock.  

We packed the food in the picnic basket and off we went to park at Montrose Harbor.  Free parking no less, at least for now.

We planted our chairs along the concrete walkway near the water, got out our eats and a bottle of California red. It was then I realized that in this city of 2.7 million people, on the banks of Lake Michigan on a beautiful Tuesday early evening, it felt like we were in small town.   

Along the lake banks stood a handful of Polish fishermen, casting their rods as their wives fetched coffee. Occasionally pulling in a catch and storing in their white fish pails, napoleon sea gulls swooped around them overhead, noisily squawking while hoping for any droppings of food.  While a lot of people consider these gulls a nuisance, they actually are like flying garbage men (sanitation engineers for the politically correct), as they scavenge up tons of dead animals and organic litter which can pose health treats to humans.  So say thank you next time you see one. 

Children on bikes, dads and moms on roller blades, friends walking together, boaters heading out for an afternoon ride, were all unexpected visual pleasures.  From these two downtown city-dwellers who never take an evening off to sit in a park and just enjoy the quietness and community that happens everyday in these enclaves around the city of Chicago, we felt blessed.  

Living here for almost 20 years, I am rediscovering my city in ways never imagined.  I promise myself for every week I work, to go out one night to explore little known places, people and things to reinvigorate my love of Chicago.  

I am learning that you find peace where you are, and it's found mostly where you can easily change your perspective by a quick drive and just a little time to explore. 

The Egyptian, The Romanian, 2-French Women, The Singer, the Songwriter, The Tattoo Artist & The Friend=Chance Meetings & 3-Hours of Synchronicity‎

Yesterday I wrote this post on Facebook to remind my friends to watch for little miracles in life and remember to stop and do something when it presented itself!

It was one of those days when I didn't think I, myself,  would have a spare minute to pay attention to synchronicity in a crazy day of meetings, venue shopping for my events and looking at hotels for our upcoming Peace Journey songwriting music camp later this year.

I was a little early  for my first meeting of the day with my musician friend Jim, where we shared our creative projects and discussed the challenges of the creative process and getting them to the point of funding. And talked about the music camp later this year and how he might help.

Jim Goodrich and I met at the WormHole coffee shop on Milwaukee Avenue where I found out I could get my favorite Mexican coffee even though they never heard of it or made it before. The barrister and I decided that coffee, chili powder, honey and an artful whipped cappuccino topping was gong to taste perfect! The drink was so delicious,  In fun, I asked them to name the drink Peace Journey.  If you are there, please share this story and maybe we will see it on their offering some day.

This warm cup of original Mexican coffee, both spicy and rich goodness and the coming and going of hip millennials in this trendy coffee haven set the mood for my next stop.  The rock rustic 20 year old Double Door venue down a block and where I have seen some amazing local and touring bands over time in Chicago. So great to tour it in the day time, but you also see the wear, tear and bruises more vividly in the light of day.

My meeting with Jim had run about an hour over, but I thought I would take a chance and try to find this little Inn as a possible location to house some of the songwriters and musicians for the event.  GPS locked and loaded, I started to walk South on Milwaukee Avenue, taking calls and texting along the way, and I found myself going in circles.  I also had tickets for an event with my husband Randy, who was texting "Where are you? Where are You?", the GPS Siri talking to me trying to find the Inn and so I was a tad distracted when a women walked up to me, tapped me on the arm and said in broken French English,  "Madame, can you help me find this place", pointing to her confirmation paper that stated a Hampton Inn was on that street.  I knew it was not.  Maria Louise and her female travel companion had just arrived through OHare airport where they got on the Blue Line train and wound up at 1400 North Milwaukee instead of 1400 Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolshire an hour outside of the city.

I don't speak French.  Standing in front of Nori restaurant at the outdoor cafe, I saw a young man and gal sitting at the only occupied outdoor table.  He looked like he might be Moroccan and after traveling there several times, I knew if I was right, then he most assuredly spoke French.  It runs out he not only speaks French, but is Egyptian and teaches Arabic language at Chicago Public Schools.

At that moment, I realized I was in a pattern of synchronicity.  That as long as I took on the challenge of the day to help these women, that everything would fall into place and that it would be a special happening, starting with this teacher and translator.  My training in meditation and creative visualization has led me to this space and this feeling of lightness and spot-on clear focus before.  Its like a natural high when you realize if you stay in the flow, everything will be better than fine.

It turns out the beautiful gal the Egyptian teacher was sitting with is from Romania, from the very town I had worked in years ago on HIV AIDS issues for children.  She was as stunned as I was delighted.  Again, the synchronized moment presents itself to remind you how connected we really are in life.

As we all stood on the street, looking at the reservation confirmation form, we noticed there was no mention of Linconshire, only Chicago.  I found out from an industry hotel owner friend that this happens all the time when booking through an agency or online. There was even a map inserted into the confirmation marked with the red-bubble showing the hotel was supposed to be on that spot where we all met. My friend told me the best advice; to be sure to call any hotel and pull a correct map before traveling anywhere because these mistakes are made everyday by online travel agencies as well as the traditional agencies, as was the case here.

Who knew things could get so confusing!  All I knew is I had to see it through.  After phoning the Hampton Inn Lincolnshire we found out that Hampton Hotels are not networked together and the confirmation number meant nothing to any hotel except for theirs for their 6-night stay and probably could not be used to move these French visitors to the Hampton hotel in downtown Chicago, only 5 miles away.

So my next call was to the Hampton on Illinois Street just a few blocks from where I live downtown.  I called that Hampton and pleated the French women's case, but they were not hopeful as the entire city was sold out due to an orthopedic convention. I literally said "you have to make this right by them and we are bringing them over for the Hampton-brand to do just that.  Otherwise what were they to do and  it seemed unfair  to leave these 70 year old women alone on the street after their 10 hour trip to get here. They chose Chicago for it's architecture, my personal love in this city!

The Egyptian and the Romanian carted the French women and their luggage to the Illinois Street Hampton location and I met them there, sending my husband off with tickets for the event.  When they arrived, after some time negotiating with the front desk and hotel manager, these women had a room for the night, and a promise of more help contacting the agency tomorrow.  I sat with the Egyptian and the Romanian in the lobby while the French ladies sorted things out, and here is what I found.  I found that this young couple had not seen each other in 2 years and had met then through a French speaking meet-up and that was indeed the last time the Egyptian teacher had spoken the French language.  The restaurant in Wicker Park where we all met it turns out was where their first date 2 years ago occurred and they were no longer together, just friends.   And the Hampton Inn on Illinois was across the street from where they had originally met for the meet up 2 years before.  They shared with me that they believe in synchronicity and asked, did I?  I smiled and said, "Today was my best reminder to live my life like this.  To watch for the little miracles and find ways to help others always".

We shared a beautiful bottle of wine, courtesy of the French women who shared their world travels and they have had them.  Marie Louise in her broken English, told me she had a Sugar Mama, later corrected to Sugar Daddy, who had passed, but who she had traveled the world with.  These 2 women also shared their deep thanks and belief that if the situation were reversed, and we were stuck in Paris, we would be hard pressed to find genuine love and caring people who would stop in their busy day to help another human being like we did.  Maria Louise was convinced!

Suddenly Marie Louise looked behind me at the table, appearing startled.  I looked back to check out what was going on to find a beautiful young African American woman sitting within inches behind me, with a hairdo piled a foot  high woven in dreadlocks sharing her table with a beautiful man and master tattoo artists from New York.  We introduced ourselves all to find that Schivon, obviously a model-type fancied herself a songwriter.  Of course, a songwriter random meeting completed my day of synchronicity on my path for our Peace Journey Music and Songwriting camp. I regret not taking a photo of this stunning girl and her tattooed companion.

The Egyptian teacher and language teacher, the Romanian who left her job in high finance to pursue a career as an occupational therapist, waiting tables to help make ends meet and the two international traveling French ladies kept telling me what an outstanding woman I was to care. Over and over, and I was touched but a little embarrassed because the truth is, I didn't feel I could do anything different.  It is our duty as human beings to help others.  It's in my bones. And I found out, in the bones of others.  And it is simply, the right thing to do.
 
And the joy I experienced watching the universe providing all the players at that exact moment, on that exact corner, random meetings and yet choosing to share of themselves without question, was itself the miracle of the day.

I will stay in touch with Marie Louise and her friend and the Romanian girl and maybe even the songwriter.  We took this picture and shared an afternoon that revitalized all of us to believe in the kindness of others and the synchronicity that grows when you believe in chance meetings turning into miracles of grace.