Everyday Exotic

When I started this blog, my intention was not only to showcase my photography, but to present the cultures where I had been living and working for the two years prior to this project. The focus was on the "exotic".

However, having since relocated to Chicago, I have had to revise my definition of exotic.
For me, discovering new neighborhoods could be considered an adventure.
And for someone born and raised in the Himalayas, wouldn't urban and suburban America be exotic?

So, without further ado, I'd like to present my first exotic Chicago photo essay, from my first trip to Chinatown earlier this year.

Signage in Chinatown

Glazed Ceramic Tile Peacock on Chinatown Shop Wall

Signage in Chicago Chinatown

Shop Signage in Chicago's Chinatown

Restaurant Worker Preparing Chinese BBQ Including Peking Duck

According to the wikipedia entry, Chicago's Chinatown began around 1869, when workers from the Trans-Continental railroad came looking to get away from anti-Chinese violence in the "Old West", making it the second oldest Chinese settlement in the USA.

Grandmother Walking with Young Girl in Chicago Chinatown