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As 2009 winds down, I’d like to reflect on how the year has been for Making Chicago Home. As you may or may not know, this baby blog was born on the 19th of February when the first post was proudly displayed.
Since then, MCH has covered everything from ballets to bad pizza, cat circuses, spaghetti wrestling, butchering, fashion and Chicago parades. It has been quite a ride.
One great find of 2009: Frushi from Orange
In the new year MCH hopes to grow and mature, and we hope you will be around to see the good things we find.
Alas, there are still things that I did not get to do in Chicago during 2009 that I hope to do in 2010. Please take the time to read over the list and let me know which things you think would be cool. I am going to keep readers updated about the items on the checklist.
1. High-five Mayor Daley. I know this one is a long shot, but can’t a girl dream? :-)
2. Indulge in a cupcake three-course meal. Meatloaf cupcakes for dinner, Swirlz cupcakes for dessert. Cupcakes are all the rage and I think it might be possible to make a whole meal out of it. I want an appetiser, entree and dessert three-ring cupcake circus.
3. Go to a show at TimeLine theatre. What’s cooler than the theatre? How about a theatre that “presents stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues”? Ever since I had the pleasure of Artistic Director PJ Powers speak about the creation of this theatre company, I kicked myself for not going sooner.
4. Take the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour. I know, I know. Everyone and their brother has done this tour. But I still haven’t and I love architecture. Shame on me.
5. Adopt a cat from Felines, Inc. I was a proud older sister to a handsome cat named Tiger for 17 years until he passed away last January. He died soon after I arrived in Chicago. It was tough but I think I am now ready to open my heart up to a new kitty-in-need. Felines Inc. has done remarkable work since 1977, and Executive Director Abby Smith cares so much about the fur balls that it will make your heart melt.
Did you know that before I moved to Chicago in January I had never visited the city before? Nope. When I moved to Chicago I knew nothing about it. I mean nothing.
This is what I learned after one year of being a Chicagoan:
- Evanston does not = Chicago. Not even close. But before I moved to Illinois I thought they were one and the same. Just a hop, skip and a quick L ride, right? Wrong.
- It’s the “L” not the “El”. Rookie mistake. My bad!
- Not everything south of the Loop is scary, although so many North-Siders tried to convince me of that before I ventured down that way.
- Not everyone talks like they do in that SNL skit about “Da Bears”.
- Nobody really says “Da Bears”, which is kinda disappointing.
- The Cubs really do suck that bad. And so does the traffic around Wrigleyville. Ugh.
- There is more to Chicago than just the Bean. But you would never know that if you knew my Virginia friends. For some reason the only pics they took in the city were of that freaking bean, and I was convinced that that was all that existed!
- Some Chicagoans don’t like Oprah. And here I thought everyone loved, loved, loved her! Gee, did I feel dumb.
- The Chi in Chi Town is pronounced like “Shy”, not like “Chai”. Whoops!
- You don’t eat ketchup on a hot dog. And thank goodness for that because I like the Chicago-style dog way better. When ordering, I now say, “Extra sport peppers, mister, please!”
- Chicago police officers are extra nice to you if you ask for their help on the RedEye crossword puzzle. I’ve never seen such attentive officers when I ask them what the answer to 44-Down is!
- The city is just as lively in the winter as it is in the summer. I thought -14 degree nights would scare Chicagoans into hibernation, but that’s not the case. The city is buzzing in the winter and there are so many cool things to be discovered.
- According to seasoned residents, “real” Chicagoans don’t wear gloves, long johns or own snow boots. Many “real” Chicagoans I have spoken to say that they just don’t invest in warm weather clothing like newcomers do. I am still investigating this claim.
- Whoever said that the Lake Effect doesn’t hit Chicago is dead wrong. They obviously didn’t live through the Chi winter of 2009. Remember all that snow?
- Chicago is a great place to live. The people are so friendly; the neighbourhoods are diverse and interesting; the local cuisine is out of this world and there is so much to be discovered. I love it here.
Of course I have learned so much about Chicago over the year, and am so thankful for all of the amazing people I have met that have befriended me and made it so welcoming.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Dev xx
I was in the middle of Daley Plaza when the information was revealed: Chicago had the lowest amount of votes and thus was taken out of the running for the 2016 Olympics. As Ileana, my co-blogger would say, “Womp womp”. And that was exactly the sentiment of other Chicagoans who had spent the morning at DP waiting (im)patiently to see if Chicago would win the bid.
I think that this picture perfectly sums up how Chicagoans were feeling before the let down:
Look at those people on the jumbotron! Flags waving, mouths wide open to scream and yell their support. The guy in the forefront of the picture was so dang happy, his eyes are glistening with tears. People were all smiles and filled with Chicago pride and I was really happy to see so many people come together for something.
When we lost the bid, it was so unexpected and the announcer was so nonchalant as he blandly rattled off that we had the least amount of votes, people were silent. No boos. No jeering. No nothing. They all just…left.
It was a mass exodus from Daley Plaza as people tossed aside flags and fans with the Chicago 2016 logo on the concrete and said nothing. It was so barren after the announcement that a reporter from a Chinese station in Chi had to interview…ME. The only person who was obviously sticking around.
I expected to see a little more reaction from Chicagoans, but I didn’t. Most people just shrugged when I asked for a reaction on camera or said that since Chi was out of the running, they hoped Rio would get the bid.
It got me thinking: Did Chicagoans (not just the Obamas, Oprah and Billy Dec) really want the Olympics to be held here? There was, from the start, a huge pull from No Games Chicago, an organisation made up of volunteers who vehemently opposed the Olympics being held here.
What does everyone think?
I will post a video of reactions from the celebrations later! :-)
Daley Plaza's fountain bled Olympic orange for the bid day festivities Friday. Now that Chicago has lost, I wonder if the fountain will go back to normal, or if the city will keep it orange in honour of the Bears.
Dev xx
Though the weather today is dismal at best, I could not resist taking a few snapshots of my train ride from Evanston to downtown Chicago. Despite the obvious groaning of the 7 a.m. riders, begrudgingly heading off to work, there was the unmistakable anticipation of Friday night debauchery to come, post 5 p.m. I’m sure anyone who rides the el will certainly recognize some of these sites. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my camera so I snapped these shots with my iPhone, but I think they still came out pretty well.
As I was riding along, I couldn’t help but wonder about the sad condition of CTA trains and tracks. Everything was under construction–no doubt completing some last minute maintenance to impress the Olympic officials– and the speed of which trains were moving were sluggish. Things appeared quite dangerous and its hard to understand, personally, how a shoddy system is expected to transport millions of more people during the Olympics (pending selection)? This Olympics bid is certainly a proverbial double-edged sword. With endorsementsrom f President Obama, Michael Jordan, and now Oprah, it’s hard to see how Chicago wouldn’t be selected. The Olympics would satisfy the city’s need for fluffing up the tourism industry, as well as creating jobs. But the question remains of what happens to these jobs after…will there be issues of public safety? What happens when the money stops rolling in?
Just thinking aloud. A little Friday morning rambling. Hope everyone is having a good day and enjoy the pictures! Let us know what your plans are for the weekend!
