walken

"I was walking
Like I said by myself
I was talking
To myself about you
Like I always do"
- wilco, "walken" from sky blue sky

one of my favorite songs. i also like to randomly text my sister with the lyrics. i always think of this song when i'm about to go somewhere.

for example...

i'm really excited because i have 3 weeks and 3 continents of travel ahead of me. first, for work, i'm headed to new york city. i'm going over the weekend to visit with the sis and hopefully get some good photographs.

then i come back and 2 days later head across the pond to london for work. i'll be there for a week and a half, and over the weekend i hope to go with my friend erin somewhere cool. maybe paris ;)

and THEN, i come back and have 1 day till i head south to colombia, south america to help my freshman college roommate celebrate her wedding. i'm making a stop in cartagena for a long weekend and then bogota for the rest of the trip. again, hoping that there will be some splendid opportunities for photos.

stay tuned...

** for photos, check http://www.flickr.com/photos/khakiaraki/

the white city

a reference to the grand city created in jackson park, chicago to host the 1892 columbian exposition. white because all the buildings were adorned with white stucco and electricity was introduced to light the boulevards at night, reflecting off the white buildings and creating a luminosity against the tenements of chicago. the city is the main character of erik larson's devil in the white city (a historical book written like a novel...i highly recommend).

this winter, "the white city" means something completely different. it means inches of snow covering every rooftop, sidewalk, and sandy beach. it means slightly gray skies and christmas lights still wrapped around tree branches.

and here's what it looks like:

the third coast

on a foggy day from my office or home, lake michigan actually looks like an ocean, spanning far til it meets the sky.

it is one of the 5 great lakes, the only lake fully in the U.S., and chicago is at the southwestern tip. the word michigan is actually derived from an ojibwa indian word mishigami, meaning "great water."

the lake has a surface area of 22,400 square miles which makes it the largest lake (by surface area) entirely in one country and it is the 5th largest lake in the world. it is also affectionately known as the "third coast" (after the atlantic and pacific) considering all the miles of sandy beaches that make the lake a vacation spot for millions.

the sand has a high quartz content, so it squeaks when you walk across it; people call it "singing sand." the water is quite chilly, getting in the low-mid 70s even in the height of summer (and trust me, i got in last august, and it was cooold).

lake michigan also hosts one of my favorite sports: sailing. currently the lake is covered with ice and occasionally mounds of snow; but come april, the beautiful boats start filling in the harbors dotting the lakefront with white. every wednesday, thursday, saturday, and sunday, races are held locally with hundreds of boats participating. my favorite view is of all of them headed downwind with their colorful spinnakers flying!

the highlight of the summer is the race to mackinac island, michigan. it is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world at 333 miles and celebrated it's 100th anniversary in 2008. hundreds of boats enter and spend anywhere from 33 - 69 hours sailing to the finish line. the fastest finish time was in 1998, when stars and stripes, captained by steve fossett, finished in 18 hours and 50 minutes. roy disney also set the monohull record in 2002 with a time of 23 hours and 30 minutes.

i stumbled across the beginning of this race one weekend in 2006 when i came to chicago with my sister for a visit. there was so much energy along the lakefront! hundreds of boats and thousands of people, sun shining and cool breezes blowing (you know they say "it's always cooler by the lake"). i'd eventually like to sail this race if i can find a good crew of people i'd like to spend up to 2 solid days with in cramped quarters!

the destination alone might be worth it though. mackinac island is a time capsule. a unique ordinances prohibits motor vehicles, so people get around by horse & carriage, bicycles, or foot. there is the beautiful grand hotel, built in the 19th century and boasts the largest wrap around porch. there's state park, haunted ghost tours, and an historic downtown. and an ice cream shoppe!

the lake also is home to a lot of small towns on the michigan and wisconsin shores. i'm not sure i'd like to actually go anywhere in michigan or wisconsin, other than mackinac, so i'm not going to do the research. i think there might be a winery in michigan. when do they have time to grow the grapes?

two thousand nine

this year is going to be a good one. you know how i can tell? well i can't actually, other than i've decided in my mind to have a positive outlook on work, life, family, love of all kinds. but most importantly, i know it's going to be a good year because i got a new camera for myself for christmas! i keep most of my photos here: www.flickr.com/khakiaraki, but i'll post some here to entice you.

i'd love to be a great writer and make you feel like you were in my new midwestern home by the words i could put on paper, um the screen. however, i feel i can best show you through photographs.

so unfortunately, i get home after the sun has already set and i do no have a tri-pod just yet, so taking photographs during the week is not possible. and for two weekends straight since i got the camera, it has been snowing (also not a good idea to get electronics wet).

so i decided to take pictures of things around the house:

this is mean kitty

and my plant that i've managed to keep alive
and my piano

and i snapped on shot of ol' john through the snow:

then i woke up and caught a sunrise:

over lake michigan

shining across the sears tower and windowed buildings

and came home once before the sun set:

there is NO editing to this photo! this is really what i see!

chicago is so beautiful, even through the snow and ice and sea of black puffer coats with hoods. and i know this will last a few more months yet, but i have a new definition of cold. as long as it's above 0° and not too windy, i'm ok.

2008 in review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? left the south, went on a blind date, experienced sub-zero temperatures, saw snow and no one freaked out, became an auditor, sailed on a 40ft Sydney, played floor hockey…

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? yes, i had a running resolution to be debt free and it finally happened. well consumer debt free. now i have to get rid of my house.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? nope

4. Did anyone close to you die? nope, thankfully

5. What places did you visit? england, orlando, atlanta, wisconsin

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? sell my house (1 bedroom condo in fabulous midtown atlanta, interested?)

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? march 26 – moving day

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? becoming debt free

9. What was your biggest failure? being homesick even though I was so ready for change

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? nope

11. What was the best thing you bought? a plane ticket to england to visit my best friend

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? becoming debt free, making new friends, surviving a new culture-cold-new job

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? er...drinking too much (chicago is a beer town with a beer problem)

14. Where did most of your money go? a mortgage AND rent

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? going to atlanta to see my nephew!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? gavin rossdale’s wanderlust

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? A mix at times
b) thinner or fatter? A few more pounds (I think it was the beer…)
c) richer or poorer? Richer (no more debt) and poorer (2 housing payments)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? praying

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? complaining

20. How did you spend Christmas? as a visitor in atlanta, living out of a suitcase and splitting my time between mom, dad, and sister

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? with chicago, yes. a person, no.

22. What was your favorite TV program? fox & friends

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2008? my sister came up to chicago to surprise me. i took ½ a day off from work and we had cake for breakfast and watched "you’ve got mail"

24. What was the best book you read? i honestly didn’t read any good books in 2008…

25. What did you want and get? to move to Chicago, a DSLR

26. What did you want and not get? to sell my house (it's a great bargain! perfect for an investment property!)

27. What was your favorite film of this year? batman

28. Did you make some new friends this year? yeah, a lot

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? being closer to ethan

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? work appropriate monday-friday, wicker park friday-sunday

31. What kept you sane? planning vacations, going to church

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? gavin rossdale, was slightly obsessed with him in junior high through college, then he left public eye, and then he came BACK!

33. What political issue stirred you the most? the whole freaking election and being in chicago for it

34. Who did you miss? ethan

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. where you are located will not make you happy; you have to be content with your life where ever you are.

warm enough to snow

that is the oddest phrase a southerner could hear. apparently it has to be warm enough to snow. what is warm then? well the temperature has to be in the 20's. colder than that and the preciptation just stays in the clouds.

well i guess it got warm enough. on tuesday, chicago got 5" of snow. in the last 24 hours, approximately 12" has fallen. along with freezing rain and ice. it didn't affect me too much since i take the L to work, but apparently some commuters had 3-4 hours of travel time!

it does look beautiful: my first white christmas. the lake has a layer of ice and snow and it looks so different from the summertime when it was filled with boats. instead of leaves, the trees have christmas lights and a thin sliver of snow delicately balancing on the branches. people still flood the streets, shopping and headed to work or the theatre or a restaurant, but they are dressed in fur-hooded down comforters, scarves wrapped up to their eyes, and boots up to their knees. and i'm one of them.

the trick is to just be prepared. i actually get warm walking around in all my gear. i may be asking for it, but dare i say, it's not that bad.

i hope the novelty doesn't wear off in january...

1 degree

i promise not to post every day's weather. i mean, there is more to talk about than how cold chicago gets. and everyone told me before i moved up here what i should expect. but i just wanted to share today's temperature.


* click picture to view larger

white christmas

today it's in the 20's (°F), but with the wind chill it feels like 2°F. yep, i didn't forget a digit. it feels like two degrees outside. and it snows.

london

a friend, jj, and i went to london this november to visit our friend erin. she left atlanta as well, in search of something new. though she had to work some of the time, we still managed to navigate the city and see a few things.

things i always had on hand:

• tube map
• map of the city
• an idea of 3-5 things i wanted to accomplish that day
• camera

the trip actually started with an escape to cambridge, england. it is about an hour's train ride north of the city; we departed from king's cross station.

we toured the college and a few local pubs:

kings college

kings college

back in london, jj followed me around while i made sure we saw the typical and not to typical sites:

mummified bits

ben

we celebrated thanksgiving with a variety of marks & spencer food stuffs and a theatre showing of avenue q.

london is very gray as you would imagine:

the fair

new old

i left on a saturday so i could have a day to recover before heading back to work. i was so upset when i landed and called my sister to find out that georgia tech had beaten georgia for the first time in 9 years. the first game in 9 years i missed!

for more photos: flickr: london set

2-8

well it's here. my birthday. i was wondering how i would cope, considering the last few birthdays i've been celebrating the way i like: out of the country.

my last birthday was in greece. i was supposed to be on the beautiful island of santorini, but the pilot thought the winds were too strong to land the plane on a small island, so the trip was cancelled. instead, my friend and i spent the day in athens: shopping, sunset & champagne on top of lycabettus hill, dinner at villa mercedes.

the birthday before was in cancun. at a jewelry shop at 8am, i shared a tequila shot with the owner and my sister. snorkeling and canoeing and margaritas and dancing. i might have had a little too much fun though, ask my sister.

so this year, i ran out of vacation days and was resigned to spending my birthday alone in a new city. however, the weekend before, friends came in town. and sunday, my dad's birthday present came: he flew my sister up for the weekend! and then i had a standing dinner date on monday with a friend from work and her husband at trattoria roma. the best prosciutto pizza and red wine and tiramisu. my sister and i topped off the night with champagne cocktails at pops for champagne. on tuesday, my actual birthday, i woke to my sister making cupcakes. so we had cupcakes and coffee for breakfast and watched you've got mail (one of my all time favorites).

i arrived at work and there were cards on my desk from the few people who knew it was my birthday. and another colleague will plan a happy hour...cause we really do need an excuse for one ;) and another friend comes in town on thursday to string the birthday celebration along. and later i'm off to london to visit the queen!

so the big 2-8. no longer mid-twenties. closer to 30. not in a foreign country on a fabulous vacation, but a great birthday in spite of that. i still go to be with my family, taken to dinner, and still got a cake!

hotel cafe tour

last night i went to singer-songwriter show called the hotel cafe tour. well, it was more like a 5-singer-songwriter show. held at the park west in lincoln park, the show had a 4 man band and 5 rotating lead singers, all performing their own songs. all happened to be girls.

mustic is one of the great things about chicago. a lot comes from here and a lot comes to here. the performances last night:

• meiko (from georgia, suprising singing voice, makes john mayer faces)
• jaymay (from nyc, quirky lyrics, amazing voice)
• alice russell (from the uk, kind-of 70's disco feeling, deep strong voice)
• rachel yamagata (from chicago, beautifully soulful songs, sultry/sweet voice)
• thao nyugen (punky, dances while playing, shouts the chorus, energetic)

all but one of the performers played guitar or piano, all were enthusiastic and energeteic, and all had simply amazing voices. it's hard to decide a favorite, but that was the great part about the show: basically 5 concerts in one, and the musical types varied throughout the evening.

the park west is a great venue as well. intimate, tables and chairs, a bar, open floor in front of the performers, clean bathrooms.

if you have the opportunity to see the show or any of the individual artists, i highly recommend it.

indian summer

i take back my earlier post; it's been in the high 60s-mid 70s this whole week. no coats required. makes me think if it can stay like this through mid-november, then i just might be able to make it through 5 months of winter...

26.2

miles that is. the chicago marathon was this past weekend. it is the largest marathon in the world with 45,000 runners participating. it is part of the world marathon majors along with boston, new york, london and berlin.

ok, so i knew it was a big deal, but not that big of a deal. my friend from college came to run and 4 other friends came to cheer her on (and shop and tour and eat in chicago... a plus for all). on friday, we made a stop at giordano's for some famous pizza and experienced some chicago nightlife in my neighborhood. saturday they went on a boat tour, shopping, a visit to the art history museum. i had already done that (and low on funds), so i went to the lincoln park zoo to visit my friends... the tigers, monkeys, and deer. for some reason i feel i should stop by and say hello to them every time i go to the zoo (since it's free and close, i go a lot). then i visited the lincoln park formal gardens to take pictures of fall flowers and browsed through the conservatory's palm, fern, and orchid rooms. it was the perfect weather: sunny, breezy, mid-60s - so i decided to keep walking. i passed couture crepe on clark street and since i felt like an afternoon snack and the need for some couture, i stopped in. tomato soup and a designer crepe of strawberries, chocolate sauce, and pistachios: heavenly.

for dinner, i think the other 45,000 runners and their cheerleaders had the same idea: pasta. we did find reservations for a late dinner at club lucky in bucktown, a 1940's style diner with killer food, warm bread, and a great wine selection. it was hopping, but i doubt it was just because of the marathoners carbo-loading; i have a feeling this diner which has been around since the 40's is a hot-spot in bucktown every weekend.

sunday! the morning of the big race. my alarm clock woke me up at 5:45am so i could meet my friends down in grant park at the starting line. what a mass of people! all corralled into chain link fencing; shedding the layers of extra clothing they brought because, hey-it's chicago in october-it'll be cold, right? nope, it got up into the 80's. the race starts with the wheelchaired marathoners, then the elites, then corral A, B, C, the open corrals. all led by pace teams. we waive good-bye and good-luck to our friend and make our way to the 'L' to hop on the north-bound red line to the chicago stop. it is crowded; everyone had the same idea. we did make it to the 3 mile mark on lasalle street. we look and look, scanning the throng of runners for our friend. while we're waiting for her to run by, we cheer for others: go linda! go greg! go team cathy&kelly! go dan!... how do we know? the runners who have done this once or twice before have names on their shirts and arms. and they are grateful, saying thanks for giving a thumbs-up as the run by. we almost miss our friend but she calls our names first and i'm able to snap a picture of her when she's 15 feet past us.


well that was quick. we have at least an hour til our next friend "sighting", so we grab a relaxing breakfast. it's funny to think that as we ate biscuits and drank coffee and talked about potentially getting into running, our friend does a 10k (at least) going up through the northside into old town, lincoln park, and wrigleyville before doubling back towards the river north area and the 11 mile mark. this time i'm ready with my camera on and keeping my eyes open for a salmon colored shirt and light blue shorts. we pass the time cheering again for everyone and i start to see some of the same people i did at the last marker. they are all running a little slower and are a little sweatier than they were before, but still chugging along. then i spot my friend from farther away and am able to capture some action shots. in 5 seconds, she's gone again making her way to the southwest chicago neighborhoods...

on our map of the race, it appears the next easiest place to get to would be the 21 mile mark in chinatown right off the red line. so we head toward the 'L' and um, i think everyone else had that idea. we waited for 2 trains but then finally crammed our way into the next train. like sardines. i was so close to people, it might have been awkward if i dwelled upon the fact. in a few stops we are at chinatown and i can see the throngs of people, a chinese dragon, and drummers from the train platform.

we make our way to wentworth street among hundreds of other cheerleaders. we stake out a spot as close to the course as we can straining to look at the curve where all the runners come into view. we got a text message when our friend crossed a certain point and it gave us her pace time, so we had an estimate of when she would reach us between the 21 and 22 mile mark. a long time passes and we think we may have missed her, but finally we see her across the street eyes fixed ahead of her. so we all yell her name in unison and she turns her head to us with a look of suprise, runs across the street to where we are, and gives us all sweaty hugs and a huge smile. we learned later that she thought she would see us at the 17 mile mark and wasn't expecting us at chinatown. i also found out that there is a "wall" marahoners hit and it's usually around the 20-21 mile mark. so it was great to see her there and give her a boost of support to continue to the finish line.

from chinatown we hop back on the 'L' to the roosevelt stop and the finish line. along the way we stop at the jewel for roses and sam's for liquor. we figured that at the end of a race like that you're incredibly sweaty and tired and probably feel the least like a woman than ever before, so flowers would be the perfect girly thing to receive as a congratulations. and liquor, well, you'll need a drink to ease the pain of tired feet after that day. so we make our way to the finish line, manage to see and cheer for our friend when she's less than a mile to the finish and see her in the finishers' corral looking tired but extremely happy.

we give flowers and liquor and give and receive huge hugs. what do you want to do now? a beer. an ice cold beer. i guess the race coordinators thought everyone would feel that way because there beer tents set up with goose island 312 on tap for runners and cheerleaders in the park.

well i was tired. i mean, i didn't run 26.2 miles, but i did run all over the city fighting crowds and a few hours of sleep. but it was so worth it. if i write it down, i might have to hold myself to it: i think i want to run the chicago marathon in 2009!

welcome fall

today i brought out my northface windwall (lifesaving wind-blocking fleece) to be my company at work. sometimes walking down the block towards my office, the wind just hits you like an ocean wave almost knocking you over so you have to lean foward and steady yourself to regain balance. it's not bone-numbing cold yet; just chilly. and i brought out the long pants and stockings, though i've heard that summer can make random appearances until october. my favorite georgia tech sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants have escaped from under tank tops and shorts in the depths of my dresser drawers to start warming me at night.

fall doesn't arrive in atlanta until october or november. so it's too soon! summer was too short! but they tell me just wait for the first snow dusting everything is beautiful clean confectioners-sugar white. and new clothes and fall colors. window shopping and hot cocoa. christmas decorations and curling up with a good book. oh, and soup. it was on the menu for lunch today. a delicious curried cauliflower soup. mmmm.

then welcome fall. your stay in atlanta is usually so brief. maybe we can become friends this year.

a tourist in my own town, part 2

after dad left, i spent the weekend showing my friend from college and her family around my new city. i have to give them props for bringing a 6 month baby with them. while it was something to consider wherever we were going, it was actually quite nice. i needed a baby-fix now that i can't see ethan every day and we had built in rest/nap time in the afternoons when the baby needed a break at the hotel. and he was super cute and pretty much always in a good mood.

friday afternoon, we went to the shedd aquarium. what's so special about the aquarium? well it was actually quite a feat to build in chicago because it is inland, miles from any ocean. plans for the aquarium began in the 1920's, when john g. shedd, retired president of marshall field & company, was inspired by daniel burnham's charge "make no little plans" to build the world's largest aquarium. more than 1 million gallons of seawater was shipped by rail from key west to fill the galleries making the shedd the first inland aquarium with a permanent saltwater collection. when the shedd opened on may 30, 1930 it housed the greatest variety of marine life under one roof and brought a much needed boost to chicago society following the stock market crash of 1929. the director of the shedd during the 1933 world's fair wanted to bring in unique species to attract all the fair visitors to the aquarium. he brought in granddad, an australian lungfish in 1933 and granddad is still alive today; he is claimed to be the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world. my favorite animals were the seahorses, sea dragons, and penguins.

saturday we met up for brunch at my neighborhood favorite, 3rd coast cafe. its got great food, great price, neighborhood feel. after brunch, we made our way the lincoln park zoo for some free fun in chicago. the zoo is close to my place and i've visited often (it's free, it's close, it's animals...what's not to love?). i like the monkey and lion houses. after our built in rest time/baby nap time, we made our way northwest to jefferson park and the copernicus center for the 2008 taste of polonia: a gathering of poles in chicago, beer, sausage, pierogis, potato pancakes, and polka.

after being sufficiently full, it was back to downtown and a visit to the sears tower. now, i always take people to the john hancock signature lounge because it's free and you can get a cocktail while you are enjoying the view. but i do have to say i enjoyed the sears tower. you get to watch a short film about the building of the tower and the skydeck (observatory) has walls of information on chicago history. and absolutely amazing views of the north, south, east, and west chicago. and i recommend going for the sunset. it was breathtaking.


* the sears tower itself is a magnificent structure which i shall have to devote a separate entry to.

sunday morning we met up at the adler planetarium on museum campus. museum campus is literally a collection of museums along chicago's lakefront: the field museum, the adler planetarium, the shedd aquarium and nearby is the art institute of chicago. it's a tourist friendly town. unfortunately for me, i had stayed up late (4am) the night before hanging out with other atliens in town, so i was out cold under the star dome as soon as the lights were out. had i been awake, i might have reminisced my grade school days when every year we took a field trip to the montgomery planetarium. i've never been one interested in science (chemistry and physics only and that's because there was math involved), so i didn't get my money's worth at the planetarium. it was however really neat to see all the little kids running around being interested in space and stars and science. i do recommend walking all the way down the road toward the planetarium, keeping your eye on it, and then when you get to the end turn around and see this:


*on a clear day

post-planetarium, we had chicago style dogs at because well, we'd never had before. what makes a chicago dog? well, it's an all-beef dog, steamed, in a poppyseed bun. top it with mustard, onion, relish, pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers. never ketchup (some stands don't even stock this condiment). vienna beef hotdogs, made here in chicago since before the 1893 world's fair, are the most common here. you can even go to the factory on n. damen avenue and get you one right off the line (...in the cafe actually).

we tried to make it to garrett's for popcorn, but the lines at both loop locations were out the door and around the block. i told you i wasn't lying. as a less tasty substitute, we walked the magnificent mile. we didn't make your usual stops at clothing stores, but instead visited american girl place where they sell miniature bureaus for the same price as a real one and sell "american girls" that were made in china...

monday was my friend's last day in town. she really wanted to see navy pier and get a christmas ornament to start her family's tradition of collecting those wherever they go. now navy pier is very touristy, but the ferris wheel, imax theatre, and the best freakin lemonade you've ever had is here. and there's history. the pier was built in 1916 as the 2nd of 2 piers, part of daniel burnham's plan of chicago. the 1st pier was never actually built (sorry daniel, no symmetry). the pier was supposed to serve many purposes necessary for public infrastructure: a cargo facility for lake freighters, warehouses, docking space for excursion steamers, and a social and entertainment gathering spot (it was nice a cool sticking out into the lake in pre-air conditioning days). during world war II, chicago leased the pier to the u.s. navy which in turn used the pier for training purposes. about 60,000 sailors and 15,000 pilots (including george h.w. bush) used this area for training. after the war, the pier went to the university of illinois which used the space for a undergraduate program for returning veterans. during the university days, the pier also hosted exhibitions and world attractions that drew a lot of visitors. but the university moved out in 1865 and the pier was abandoned, becoming an blemish to the city skyline until 1989. the metropolitan pier and exposition authority took over and began a $200M renovation completed in the 1990's. the pier includes restaurants, a beer garden, ballroom, concert stage, convention exhibition halls, shakespeare theater, imax theater, the chicago children's museum, the smith museum of stained glass, and a 150' ferris wheel. it is the #1 tourist attraction in the state of illinois and some hundreds of thousands visit it each summer. (they also set off fireworks every wednesday and saturday nights from memorial day to labor day. i can see them out my window at home!)

the long week and weekend of being a tourist in my own town was actually a lot of fun. i love all the city has to offer for tourist and glad i have done all that so i can continue to explore.

a tourist in my own town, part 1

after my recent jaunt back home to atlanta, i spent the next week seeing all there is to see (for tourists) in chicago. my dad come to visit monday-friday since he had the week before labor day off. i like the way he tours, we have the same style. we walk around for a bit, look at the beauty in architecture, flowers, side streets, quaint homes. then we stop for a coffee (in the a.m.) or beer (anytime around or after lunch). and always end the day with a great meal. we have no plans, no agenda, no race-to-see-all-you-can-see attitude. but we still ended up doing quite a bit.


on monday night we let the early evening roll in while sippin' margaritas at the oak street beachstro. it's quite amazing when you're sitting there; look right and see sand, waves, palm trees, and kids playing in their swimsuites; look left and see the john hancock, the gold coast highrises and lake shore drive commuters.



a stroll led us to old town for dinner at a delicious outdoor french restaurant, bistrot margot. we had vin blanc, l'escargots, le paté, et les poissons. perfection.

tuesday, dad kept himself busy renting a bike and heading north along the lakeshore up towards loyola university. i was in cubicle-land like a good little worker. but we met up afterwards at giordano's for the world's best deep dish pizza and beers (well probably not the world's best..it was bud light). then we met up with a new friend (friend of a friend from san francisco) who just moved to town. what better way to learn your new town than a lake a river boat tour? i knew chicago was full of architecture and history, but i learned a great deal on the tour (so i highly recommend if you make it up this way). i shall talk more in length and include pictures of all my new-found knowledge in a future blog.

wednesday, dad and i met up in the loop and made our way to chinatown and lee wing wah restaurant as recommended by my colleague. she says it's the closest to authentic chinese food you'll get off cermak road (she knows, she's chinese). chicago's chinatown could almost be china, but it's not as big and crazy as new york's chinatown. i mean i didn't see any ducks hanging from windows. or maybe i just didn't hit the right streets. we walked around for a bit, but it was hot and there were no street-trees (a term dad and i coined because when it's hot, trees make a big difference).

after chinatown, dad wanted to checkout the northwest side of town so we headed to the bucktown/wickerpark area. for those who don't know that area, it's the "hip" place to be. it used to be scary where only drug dealers, the homeless, and starving artists would hang out. of course the hip follow the artists and the yuppies follow the hip. i still like it, but i've heard others knock it for being "too safe" and losing its edge. we walked until we got too hot and then stopped at miko's italian ice. miko makes huge tubs of italian ice and sells it in styrofoam cups out a window of his basement. you can sit in his tiny front yard on plastic lawn furniture. it's dang tasty italian ice (i recommend the lemon).

we basically kept walking from there and walked and walked under the interstate, past some rundown buildings and warehouses, and the river. my dad asked why i decided to take him on a tour of the most uninteresting part of chicago. i dunno. =) our ulimate goal was to make it to greektown for dinner. greektown is directly west of the loop off halstead between monroe & van buren avenues. chicago has the 3rd largest concentrated greek population in the world. and though the neighborhood is small, i felt like i stepped into athens. flashy cars, guys with slick hair and white pants, girls with big hair and tight clothes, well and greek letters on every sign (even the walgreen's was in greek). a few greek churches and a museum. you know if the greeks are hanging out there, the food must be good. at a friend's suggestion, we tried santorini on halstead&adams. they import their olive oil from greece made specifically for the restaurant. it was delicious; crisper than italian olive oil. very light and easy. i would have bought some to take home but they don't sell it. i had a fresh greek salad, greek fries (fries w/ feta and olive oil...yum), a spicy feta cheese dip, and kadaifi (shredded pastry dough with walnuts and honey) & baklava (layers of filo, crushed nuts, and honey) for dessert.

ok, after being decidedly full, we rested our feet at the imax movie theatre on navy pier for my first screening of the dark knight (the latest installation of the batman series shot mostly in chicago). everyone i work with has been shocked (almost offended) that i haven't seen it yet. chicago is obsessed with batman since they started using the city as the new gotham in batman begins. everyone talks about it. thousands went to see it opening night (wednesday at 12:01am). and it's been 5 weeks since the release and i still hadn't seen it. now, i really like the '60s tv show and michael keaton batman movies, but i do agree with everyone that this was by far the best of the series. it was so dark and yet funny. so intense and detailed. my dad doesn't understand why there has to be such violence and over-the-top special effects, but i say because they can and people want to see that. there were a lot of great scenes of chicago and the loop (which looks gloomy and gothic with all the old architecture). and i know everyone else might doubt it without seeing it, but heath ledger as the joker was truly the best acting in the movie. but i'll always love christian bale since i saw him in newsies.

thursday morning, dad and i walked through the lincoln park neighborhood and wind through streets off armitage and lincoln avenue. there are some beautiful homes and streetscapes; my dad found his favorite street in the world (outside of paris) somewhere off of armitage. our eventual destination was nookies too for breakfast. what a decision i had! i always get something sweet (and the crepes looked delicious) but i went for heuvos ranchero, a seasonal dish, and it was mouthwateringly delicious. i will most certainly go back for strawberry filled crepes later this year. the restaurant was a place i saw myself taking a book, sitting for hours, with an endless cup of coffee, and no one will mind.

after, we headed south...south...and further south. the green line to the garfield stop. stepping out of the 'L' station was almost like entering a 3rd world country. burned out buildings, crumbling streets, boarded up windows. very sad, and had it not been daylight, very scary. why did we go down there? well the southside, jackson park in particular, was the setting of the 1893 world's fair which we read about in devil in the white city (great book! read it...more about the fair in another blog). the university of chicago and frank lloyd wright's robie house is also south near jackson park. our main reason for heading down there was to walk around and feel as if we were at the fair, but not much has survived. the southside area isn't as maintained or appreciated as it could be. only 1 building remains from the fair: the science & industry building, which has been converted into a museum. we met up at the museum with a friend from college, her husband, and 6month old baby who were in town for the weekend to visit me. now the architecture, exterior, of the building was magnificent (and when you think of it in comparison to the other fair buildings, you will be overwhelmed at the size of the fair). however, the inside was a little kid-like. and frankly, i just don't like science that much. there was a train room that was complete with full-size locomotives, the spirit of america, and to-scale cities, mountain & train models. hard to explain and the pictures didn't turn out, but ethan is going to LOVE it. they also have a huge U-505 submarine; apparently this is the coolest part of the museum, but dad didn't want to go in it...

we left the museum early to tour the prarie district, chicago's first 'gold coast' where all the wealthiest of wealthy lived. it's south of the loop around indiana street and 18th avenue. most of the homes remain though the area is exploding with new construction. the oldest house in chicago, the clarke house, built in 1836 is a landmark. it survived the great fire of 1871 and was moved in 1977 to a different address off wabash avenue. the glessner house still stands in the prarie district and is the last building in chicago by h.h.richardson, famous for his richardson romanesque style.

thursday night was a trip to wrigley field, the first for my dad and friends, to watch the cubs take on the philly's. we had hotdogs, brats, and beers. and the weather was perfect. unfortunately, the baby got tired during the 6th inning, so my friends left. and then dad, not being a huge baseball fan, wanted to beat the crowds home. i gave it because the cubs were losing and i didn't really want to witness a loss. of course, aramis ramirez hits a grand slam in the 8th inning and the cubs win...

friday was dad's last day. we skipped the field museum where my friends went so we could walk around astor street in the gold coast, get coffees and explore the near north side. we stopped in one of my favorite parks off walton&dearborn. it's sided by the newberry library which is a gorgeous old building mixed with romanesque and gothic style architecture. i truly could have sipped my coffee on that bench in that park all day. but hunger called, so we went downtown to eat under the colorful umbrella's of park grill at millenium park. um yeah, we had mojitos at 11am. stuffed, we headed into the loop to look at one last piece of architecture and make one last stop at a chicago "must": garrett's popcorn. in the loop, on adams&lasalle, stands the rookery. a magnificent structure designed by john root & daniel burnham, used as the headquarters for the 1893 fair design team, and remodeled by frank lloyd wright. i watched many people just pass it by, but my dad.. my dad, was in awe of it. you could see the way he looked at it that he completely appreciated all the effort, skill, and passion that went into creating that masterpiece. inside, was breathtaking. every detail was attended to. the lightbulbs, the small tile flooring, the engraving in the wall that indicates where the vault is. the staircase. i will return with a suitable camera to attemp to capture the beauty, but all who visit chicago should stop for just a few moments to take it in.

and now this has become a long blog. if you read til the end and are still interested, i will continue into the weekend with part 2 later.

=)

distance makes the heart grow fonder

i recently spent a week and two weekends back in atlanta and the next week and weekend in chicago with my dad and friends from out of town. while in atlanta, i felt so comfortable and familiar, went to eat at my favorite places, spent a lot of time with my stubborn nephew and visited with friends. i even went back to good ol' buckhead church to get some religion. basically, i spent the whole time comparing my new life with my old life. to be fair and positive, i'll list the pros of both places:

atlanta:

• family
• southern people
• buckhead church
• small group & friends
• awesome former boss & colleagues
• georgia tech football
• grits
• freedom of having a car
• good weather most the year
• figo pasta, the V, agnes & muriels
• proximity to charleston & the panhandle of FL

that's a good list. how could you not love it?

chicago:

• public transportation & freedom of walking everywhere
• high rise condo with a great view
• great architecture
• lake michigan and the chicago river
• low humidity
• 1 mosquito (yep, only one, and it bit me behind the knee this weekend)
• deep dish pizza
• active city (running, sports, red bull flugtag)
• candidate city for the 2016 olympics
• neighborhoods, restaurants, museums, exhibitions, festivals, live bands & concerts, the beach, flowers
• a few months of absolutely *perfect* weather and the city takes advantage of it
• the cubs
• experience of the different seasons
• window shopping
• garrett's popcorn (yes popcorn is a pro...you have to try it to understand)
• the history
  
  
  

also easy to see why to love this city...

i was definitely ready to get out of atlanta when i finally left this spring, but these 5 months away have made me appreciate the wonderfully green & friendly city set in the heart of the south. but in the plane on the way back to my new home, i was filled with excitement of what's to come. i expect to feel a great connection to chicago in the next few years, and maybe to the yankees as well ;)

future posts: a tourist in my own town, chicago architecture, gangsters of the midwest

homecoming

i spent 2 and a half years trying to get to chicago, who would have thought i'd be so happy to leave? well i'm not so much happy to leave as happy to go home to atlanta.

i think my new boss took the hint and assigned me to a project that includes a week of travel to atlanta. i'm extending the trip by the two weekends around that week. ethan has been growing up without asking me, all having conversations and potty training etc. i neeeeeed to see him and give him a huge hug and a leetle kees (think 'nacho libre'... haven't seen it? see it!)

2 midwest colleagues are coming with me and i've got to entertain them. here's what i have planned:

• sunday night - a huge southern meal at my sisters, complete with the bean bag game (though that's more popular up here than in the south), mosquitos, runnin' around barefoot, lite beer. you know, typical stuff.
• monday night - a tour of atlanta, maybe a visit to the varsity and georgia tech
  

Originally uploaded by khakiaraki

• tuesday night - a battle re-enactment at kennesaw moutain complete with a band playing 'dixie' .. alright that's not really going on. maybe a nice dinner somewhere downtown.
• wednesday night - a visit to la fonda latina - home of the freakin' best mojitos in all of the land. and they come in pitchers. =D
• thursday night - a night on the town, maybe a visit to figo pasta and paolo's

the colleagues leave on friday and i have the weekend to play! i'm thinking pool party, a brunch complete with grits (yum! they don't have them up here!), maybe a hike up kennesaw mountain. in general relaxing and getting as much ethan-time as i can.

stay tuned for pictures!

the scene

every year, the yuppies of chicago like to relive their frat party days... on water. they call it the chicago scene boat party. the party is held during the warmest time of year (august) and part of the day (noon-6pm), otherwise lake michigan isn't too friendly.

ok, so you have to find a boat to go on. you can't just swim out there and mooch off everyone else. i happened to know someone who knows someone who knows someone with a boat. and since i'm a girl, i naturally got an invite. we head up to montrose harbor bright and early last saturday with enough sandwhich meat and bread for 35 people (i didn't know everyone else would bring sandwhich meat and bread too...). once everyone arrives and takes their dramamine, we head for the play pen which is the area inside the barrier walls at chicago avenue beach. we hitch up to literally 20 other boats to make this huge line of slippery wet fiberglass that intoxicated people can hop across to check out the offerings of other boats.

* courtesy other's blogs and a google image search

needless to say (i hope), i was a little out of my element. so i sunned and chatted with people on my boat. i eventually got the courage to get into the water and it was coooold! but you do get used to it and once i got on a enormous 12 person float complete with mesh bottom to let water in, cupholders, and floating cooler, i was doing pretty good. people would come over to sit in the float and chat a while: a bacherlorette party (not my idea), an annoyingly drunk florida fan (he was wearing a florida t-shirt, i wasn't profiling), water gun weilding folks etc. i got supersoaked a few times.

you're thinking 'who got hurt?', right? all is going well the first few hours. a few close calls of people slipping, catching themselves and laughing about it. then, a jump, slip, and thud. everyone hears it and cringes while they look around trying to find out where it came from. then we see a girl face down on a boat. a few seconds go by and she lifts up her head and blood is literally gushing out of her face. i realize who it is - my friend who invited me! it was terrible. blood was everywhere. the dj (yes dj) on the boat next to us cuts the music and calls out for the coast guard over the speakers. they come to pick up my friend and speed away to shore. i learned later she went to the emergency room and got 13 stitches.

surprisingly, they turned up the music and everyone started to get their party on. there were some more accidents, a rousing rendition of 'take me out to the ball game', a dude with nipple rings (gross) trying to get some people to dance with him (we all just watched), a inflatable hampster exercise ball they crammed 4 people into, a beach boys song (finally!), and more beer and seaweed that anyone knew what to do with. well some people threw the seaweed. and actually they drank the beer, so i guess they knew what to do with it. i was good though ;) i did forget to reapply sunscreen and have lobster legs now.

as the sun started to set, boats started to leave and head back to their harbors: montrose, belmont, monroe, diversey, burnham, etc. on our boat, everyone headed for the kitchen to gorge on all the food they were bypassing in lieu of beer. i'm glad i brought sandwich fixins for 35.

remember my friend who got hurt? she was such a trooper; she rode her bike over to meet us at the harbor when we came back. she even had a beer to wind down the night!

the scene boat party was an experience, i'll say. i'm not sure if i can handle it more than once, but who knows? if that's the only time i get in the water all year, i might have to go back.

ghost town

i got to see a special preview last night of the new movie 'ghost town' with ricky gervais, greg kinnear, and téa leoni. it probably won't rake in $155M its first weekend like batman, but i haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a long time! ricky gervais (the 'michael scott' of the british office) is perfect for the main role. you can tell he improvises and feeds off the other characters. i'm not a movie reviewer and i'm not going to explain the plot or build it up too much. just go see it or rent it. i'm sure i'll add it to my collection.