Chicago, Chocolate, and Chicken

Here’s another state recap!

Illinois:

There isn’t much I have to say about the state of Illinois overall, because all I really did was spend time in Chicago. Remember that astronomical parking lot fee I had to pay? That happened in Chicago, and just so you all know, I did actually get my $24 refund! I’d say it was worth the roughly 30 minutes of my life I spent fighting for it; at that rate I’d be making a $100,000+ salary before taxes! (Is that before or after Obamacare? I’m not totally certain on that one…) Several family members have encouraged me to go to law school…

I like Chicago a lot, despite that mishap at the parking garage, which I had spent a considerable amount of time researching for prior to arriving in Chicago so I could get the cheapest rates near my friend’s apartment in the Loop. That’s what I get for wasting my time researching. Do I ever stop complaining? Yes, when there’s delicious food in my mouth.

What’s so great about Chicago? Batman. And the lake, the layout, the neighborhoods, the size, the varied demographics, which is becoming a rare thing here in the San Francisco bay area. (Yay tech boom?) Chicago has the grit that San Francisco used to have. I could see myself living there, but in all reality I may not actually choose to due to the sub-freezing winter temperatures (not to mention winters that will last through to April, like it did last year) and drowningly-humid hot summers. I hear these things are called “seasons”, but I’m not buying it; sounds more like a broken thermostat. But on the other hand, living in Chicago would give me easy access to that awesome lake culture that I was envying while traveling through Michigan. I guess I will need to become a lawyer so I can buy a yacht…

Some highlights of my Labor Day holiday in Chi-town:

• Firstly, seeing a good friend that I haven’t connected with in about 5 years! She was generous enough to let me stay in her awesome apartment overlooking the Navy Pier. She was super busy getting her doctor life on, but somehow still managed to make time to hang out with me. Always good to reconnect with friends. And she helped me fulfill my cravings for Indian food and Chinese food, Szechuan style!
• Going to a chocolate bar at a fancy downtown hotel. Technically it was more like a chocolate buffet, but since this place has class, they called it a bar. I even paired my indulgences with a chocolate martini! Pure class.
• Attending a Cubs game for free! My friend knew someone who occasionally has tickets and it just happened to work out! Naturally I wore my SF Giants cap.
• Happening upon a modern and hip Filipino chicken restaurant after the game. That was a cool place with really good food. There really need to be more Filipino restaurants. Everywhere. Except maybe Daly City. I think they have enough.

As awesome as Chicago is, apparently a lot of people in the Midwest and particularly the rest of Illinois get kind of upset that they get lumped into being represented by Chicago to the rest of the country, since Chicago is seen as the big metropolis of this area. I found this out when I was in St. Louis, which is a VERY different kind of city than Chicago, and probably much more representative of Midwestern culture…but now that I really think about it, that’s a hard thing to really define, because the Midwest covers A LOT of states: Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. I think the grouping of the Midwest is a very outdated one, if it ever even really held validity at any point. But I’ll write about that in another post about another state because I can’t write it about Illinois since I didn’t experience the “true” Illinois!