Kapitel 190: Taste of hometown
Although in American shows, speaking frankly and openly provoking are common occurrences, and teasing celebrities about embarrassing incidents is something everyone experiences. However, there are still boundaries. For example, Tom Cruise's rumors about his sexuality. Unless the person involved gives permission, discussions can only be hinted at and cannot be openly discussed on the show. Alternatively, if Tom Cruise is not present, teasing may be done, but direct provocation face-to-face is absolutely avoided. Therefore, the script becomes particularly important, as the program organizers must understand the guests' limits.
Of course, unexpected incidents can happen in any situation, and there are programs that take risks for ratings and may engage in conflicts with guests. However, such unexpected incidents obviously wouldn't happen on The Oprah Winfrey Show because the show itself aimed to heal people's wounds and gain popularity throughout the United States with its warm, pleasant, humorous, and sharp style. Oprah Winfrey, a wise and intelligent woman, knew how to strike the right balance.
After Joseph returned, Hugo received a so-called list of questions. Hugo casually flipped through it and said with a smile, "Do you think Oprah will ask questions according to this list?"
"No," Joseph replied without even looking back, as if it were obvious.
"I agree," Hugo also expressed his agreement, but he still opened the list of questions and briefly looked through it. Although Oprah's show style was more approachable, a program always needs highlights to attract viewers. If Oprah's questions were all known to the guests, and they were prepared in advance, they would lose their effectiveness. That would be unwise. Therefore, the so-called list of questions is known by everyone to be just for show.
"Are you planning to go to the city today?" There is still some time before sunset, and the program recording will not take place until tomorrow, so Hugo has plenty of free time. That's why Joseph asked.
Hugo flipped through the list of questions. They were actually the same repetitive topics, just more detailed than the previous talk show. The only difference was that there seemed to be more questions about Uma, indicating that the rumors generated from the premiere of "A Few Good Men" continued until after Christmas. It is estimated that Oprah's questions would be more in-depth than other talk shows. On one hand, it was determined by Oprah's style, and on the other hand, it was determined by the length of the program. The Oprah Winfrey Show lasted a full forty minutes, while Hugo was the only guest.
Hugo placed two A4 papers on the coffee table and thought for a moment, "Yes, why not? Isn't Michigan Avenue said to be the most beautiful place in Chicago?"
"Chinatown is not far from here. How about having dinner there?" Joseph also wanted to go out for a walk. He had been feeling quite heavy recently after going home for Christmas, so he didn't want to miss the opportunity to relax.
The liveliest area in Chicago is the Loop, but the most beautiful area is Michigan Avenue, which is acclaimed as a "Magnificent Mile" comparable to Paris' Avenue des Champs-Élysées. The Four Seasons Hotel where Hugo stayed is located at the north end of this avenue, offering a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and a bird's-eye view of this historically rich city.
Michigan Avenue is compared to the Champs-Élysées in Paris because it gathers the most upscale storefronts, luxurious hotels, trendy shops, and magnificent buildings in Chicago. The street is constantly bustling with cars flowing in both directions. As Hugo and Joseph left the hotel, it was the moment of sunset, and the lights of the skyscrapers gradually illuminated. The bodies of the buildings formed a majestic and spectacular arc against the fiery horizon. The pointed rooftops of some tall buildings emitted the flickering beams of searchlights, as if God was surveying the city.
Heading south along Michigan Avenue, behind them stood the iconic Chicago Water Tower, a symbol of the city's history. The water tower, only forty-two meters tall, was completely surrounded by towering buildings. However, the yellow stone construction of the water tower exuded a unique classical charm. Built in 1869, this structure witnessed the rise and fall of the entire city.
Crossing the street at the intersection, the gaps between the buildings concentrated and unleashed the fierce winds blowing in from Lake Michigan. Almost all pedestrians lowered their heads and walked briskly, as if they would be blown away by the strong winds if they slowed down even a little. But if one dared to slow down their pace with courage, they could see sailboats, yachts, and speedboats trailing waves on the surface of Lake Michigan, peacefully soaring amid the city's hustle and bustle, creating a serene and beautiful scene that was breathtaking.
However, there was no time to stand still and appreciate it because the strong wind would involuntarily push one's steps sideways, and the eyes would be forced shut by the wind, only able to see a hazy halo. Helplessly, they could only continue walking briskly until reaching the part of the street blocked by buildings, where they could finally catch their breath.
Taking a stroll in the Windy City was not really a leisurely walk; it felt more like exercise.
After walking the magnificent one-mile stretch of Michigan Avenue, Hugo and Joseph did not see the signs of Chinatown. Helplessly, Hugo had to ask a passerby and learned that Chinatown was not nearby at all. Chinatown was located to the south of the city, a distance of thirty miles from their current location, and even driving would take forty minutes. It was simply impossible to reach their destination on foot.
"Not far from here? Walking there? Are you serious?" Hugo looked at Joseph and sarcastically asked.
Joseph looked slightly embarrassed but didn't want to show it. He avoided eye contact with Hugo by shifting his gaze towards the passing cars on the road. After a moment of hesitation, he raised his hand and hailed a taxi. Opening the car door, he calmly turned to Hugo and said, "Walking won't get us there, but we have cars, right? America is a country on wheels. So, are you coming or not?"
Hugo couldn't help but burst into laughter at Joseph's ability to change the subject. Joseph, seeing that Hugo didn't respond, became annoyed and directly got into the car, seemingly ready to leave Hugo behind. Hugo quickly restrained his laughter, hurriedly followed suit, got into the taxi, and said, "To Chinatown, please. Thank you."
After the taxi started, Hugo saw Joseph pretending to be calm, and he couldn't hold back his laughter once again, much to Joseph's annoyance. This laughter echoed throughout the streets of Chicago.
The main street of Chinatown was called Wentworth Avenue, and there was still a distance from the street. They saw a brightly colored gate. When they entered, they realized it was an archway with a banner that read "The World as One." It was a traditional four-corner-roofed archway, with red lanterns hanging on both sides of the crimson pillars and the national flags of China and the United States displayed. The strong hometown atmosphere engulfed them, instantly exciting Hugo.
Entering Yonghuo Street, the exhibits on both sides were dazzling, followed by gift shops and southern specialty stores. On the left side of the grand archway stood a building with a distinct Chinese style, with the words 'Anliang Public Hall' inscribed on it. Upon closer inspection of the annotations below, it turned out to be the Chamber of Commerce of the Chinese City. And next to the Anliang Public Hall was the Chinese Club, followed by a library. Standing outside and taking a rough look, it covered an area of at least close to 10,000 square feet (1,000 square meters), appearing to be quite grand, which piqued Hugo's curiosity about the scene inside the library. Unfortunately, it was already closed at this time, as the sun had set.
The familiar square characters caught Hugo's eyes, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. Although after his transmigration, he had no aversion to English in terms of spoken language, writing, or reading, deep down, Hugo still missed the square characters of his home. Not only because it was the most familiar font to him since childhood, but also because it proved the origin of his soul. However, most of the characters in his line of sight were traditional Chinese characters, making Hugo realize that he was in a foreign country.
"So, what should we have for dinner?" Joseph looked at the excitement in Hugo's eyes. He couldn't understand this emotion, nor did he know the source of Hugo's excitement. But he couldn't help but feel cheerful himself.
"Wow, let me see." Hugo unexpectedly blurted out in Chinese, which made Joseph look at him in astonishment. It was then that Hugo realized he had gotten too excited. "Um, didn't you know I studied Chinese in college?"
Hugo's previous identity was a student majoring in classical literature at Yale University. That was also the reason why he only acted in five films during the eight-year period from 1982 to 1989. This fact surprised Hugo, and when he recovered this memory, he even doubted its authenticity because his understanding of his previous self didn't seem like someone with a background in classical literature.
However, Yuguo didn't know whether it was Hugo Lancaster, Ron Meyer, or Adam Lancaster who decided to further his studies in college, but fortunately, at least his previous self persisted. That was quite commendable. It was estimated that his previous self's remarkable performance in "Dead Poets Society" was one of the important factors because the students in the film had a strong interest in poetry in classical literature, expressing their inner yearning and longing for freedom through poetry.
Joseph nodded blankly. "I really didn't know."
It seemed that Joseph believed him. Hugo let out a long sigh of relief and quickly explained, "Actually, at that time, I wanted to take a course in East Asian literature because I've always been very interested in Oriental culture." This could also serve as an explanation to Joseph about Hugo's persistent fascination with Chinese culture. Hugo believed that such situations would only increase in the future, so he took this opportunity to provide himself with an excuse.
"That is great." Joseph also nodded, no longer harboring doubts. "Look at these characters, it's hard to imagine how they understand such profound writing. And the cuisine, can you imagine?"
As they marveled at Joseph's exclamation, Hugo couldn't help but chuckle. "I completely agree!" However, before his words could even settle, a commotion swiftly approached, leaving Hugo and Joseph standing still, looking around: What's happening?"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein