Chicagoan quirks

Yes, that's right, that word exists.  It means belonging to Chicago.  It has been 10 days since I flew into The Windy City for a 2.5 week working visit at the mothership office of SOM.  Before I forget, "windy" has nothing to do with the weather condition (otherwise why would the Chicagoans have invented the skyscraper?); in reality, there are stronger political currents than actual wind gusts, but no need to go into it here, but it had to be said!

Back to my trip.  It came about after 2 weeks of continued travel: first Malta for "election weekend", then Poland for a conference, followed by a day trip to Madrid for a workshop and finally Chicago!  It is not my first time, for I came for a few days back in December, but this was going to be a longer stay!

Besides all the logistics (bringing sufficient clothing, lodging in a Marriot Residence Inn and such), there are some things I am noticing in this wonderful city which are different from London, or any other city for that matter.  There is no specific order or logic to these; they are just thoughts that come to mind as I write.

First things first: the Chicagoans.  They are really nice people.  Warm, friendly and way more talkative than, say, Londoners.  People actually speak on trains and on the street.  For instance, I was walking down Adams Street to the office when a bloke stopped me, "Excuse me, sir, your bag is open."  It indeed was (albeit by 5cm, or shall I say 2"!) but it was a nice gesture, right?

What I still struggle with in the US is the concept of tax.  You read off a price on the shelf or on the menu and then you are charged tax.  You never really know how much the final cost of an item is!  I give up now and do not have any money ready but wait until I actually am told what to pay.

The language: I still find it strange that such a big country as the US never bothered to get a language of its own; they speak English.  Well, American English.  And it is very different!  Lift is elevator.  Ground floor is first floor.  Roof is said "ruf" and most people say "no problem" instead of "you're welcome" after a "thank you".  However in most cases there are no difficulties there, so cannot complain.

Food is generally more pricey than in the UK, at least for me as a visitor here.  $15 for a Pret a Manger lunch is a bit too much for my taste.  Talking about taste: I think food is way too salty for my taste and expats from Europe in the office have confirmed this.  I am not a fan of salt in food, so it is probably twice as noticeable for me!

One thing was rather confusing for me.  I found out on my first day here that the underground (or, subway in American-speak) is organised by colour.  So you have the red line, brown, blue, pink and so on.  Then I started to hear and read about the "L" line.  Strange, I thought, for I did not see any letters.  I checked on the map.  Only colours.  Curiouser and curiouser.  Then, whilst visiting an exhibition at the Chicago Architecture Centre, I learned that "L" stands for "El" i.e. "Elevated", after the raised train lines that run through Downtown.  How was I supposed to make that connection on my own, I do not know!

The city itself is beautiful: of course, there are all the classic SOM buildings and other tall buildings, about which I have been reading since the early noughties.  Going atop the John Hancock Tower (I was up the Sears - sorry, Willis - Tower in December) was a great experience.  But besides the skyscrapers: the river, the lake, the parks, the clean streets and pavements (or sidewalks - I missed that one earlier).  And the beautiful summer weather is much more appealing; the last time I was here, it was 27 degrees Fahrenheit and now it is 27 degrees Celcius! Maybe not today, though; it is rather foggy and drizzly but this was a perfect excuse to visit the Chicago Art Institute (the equivalent of the Met in NYC or the National Gallery combined with Tate Modern in London).

Another week to go and then I fly back to London but one thing is sure: I will definitely visit this wonderful city once more!  Maybe not alone next time round...