1 post tagged “chicago”

Got back from Chicago on Monday night (technically Tuesday morning).  I had a fantastic time!  I won't go into too much detail, I hung out with friends, went out to bars, walked around, etc.  Nothing anyone that didn't go to Beijing would care about :)  Just some short little blurbs I guess

Friday

Get into Chicago Friday morning.  I call up Joe who got in earlier so we could grab some lunch.  Only problem was that it took him two hours to find me.  He got lost.  It was past 2 by the time he finally got to me and I hadn't eaten since 5:30am.  I was excruciatingly hungry for a while, but by the time he got to me it had passed.  I decided to hold out until dinner so we could meet Brigette.  While I was waiting for Joe this creepy dude comes up to talk to me.  I don't think he was entirely 'there' and it was really uncomfortable.  He kept making these comments about how nice my skin was or how beautiful my eyes were, how he wants me to model for his portfolio, how he wants to become a director someday.  It varied between normal conversation and wondering whether he was a serial killer.  I didn't really say anything, so I wasn't encouraging him, but he just wouldn't leave me alone.  He inquired into who I was meeting, 'A guy?'  Yea, a GUY is coming to meet me, leave me alone.  *shudders*  Weird.
Anyway, with hardly any sleep and no food Joe and I proceeded to walk down the Magnificent Mile for FOUR HOURS.  Not only that but it was disgustingly hot and humid.  I had jeans on, which was uncomfortable, but I doubt it would have been much better without them.  And I hadn't expected to walk around the much, so I had no sunscreen on.  Now, I'm freakishly pale....bad idea.
It was fun to just walk around and talk for a while though.  Catch up since I haven't seen him in 2 1/2 years.  We were sore and exhausted by the time we got back and were complaining for almost the entire walk back.  Definitely out of shape.  Not for long though, I made the hike from end to end of that mile (which is extremely longer than a 'mile', don't let the name fool you) many more times that weekend.
We walked past the park(s), saw where they were having Blues Fest, laughed at the MANY segway tours, saw the bean, wished we had caught a bus back, etc.
Then, we met Brigette at a pub with some of her work buddies, talked about Leighton (a childhood friend of mine who they randomly went to law school with).  We went to have some jiaozi afterwards, which reminded us of China (steamed potstickers, btw), and headed off to meet everyone from Fall '05 at a bar.

It was SO amazing seeing everyone!!  It was like I had never left them, we all just fell right back into being friends, it was amazing.  Hugs all around, screaming at the top of our lungs to ask each other questions.  Who ever came up with the idea of meeting up with people you haven't seen in 2 1/2 years at a BAR was an idiot.  Only took about an hour before I started losing my voice.  Some fantastic surprises of who was going to be there.  Alex K, who I was really close with was there, and I totally wasn't expecting that!  I was so happy!  Anyway, madness ensued.  We all then moved to the next bar where the program was having a special.  Veronica showed up, who I went to Sichuan with and met our Tibetan husband :)  I had no idea she was going to be there, so that was another awesome surprise!

I ended up heading home a little early because I was totally exhausted, well, early being 1am to most other people's 3am.

Saturday

While everyone was nursing a hangover, I decided to walk around a bit more (going to be a theme of the weekend, lol).  I head out to Mag. Mile from the dorm (like, 2 blocks away!  Ideal location) and turn the corner and BAM.  Filene’s Basement.  I was so excited.  I bought 3 dresses.  It was wonderful and cheap; I almost wish I had bought more.  I walk out and BAM.  Right next door is H&M!  I was in heaven.

I call to meet Brigette for lunch and call up Joe to meet us too.  I wait….and wait….and wait.  Another theme for the weekend.  Always add AT LEAST an hour on to any time a TBCer tells you they will be there.  Anyway, we eventually get together and eat at this FANTASTIC little Indian restaurant.  It was delicious, but more than that, it was beautiful.  The decorations were amazing, all the statues and textiles and carvings and everything.  It was great.  We stayed there for a long time until it was time to head out and get ready for the cocktail party.

My dress was a hit at the cocktail party, I got a lot of comments on it and my ego enjoyed telling people I made it.  The party was nice, but short.  It was great to finally have a quieter place to talk to people.  After the party most people went to the banquet.  There are very, very few places that I would find worth $100 for dinner, so 3 of us went out for some Chicago style pizza, which was amazing, and which most everyone else wished they had done.  Afterwards, we went to a private bar that was too expensive but a little ‘meeting’ place for TBC kids.  It was alright.  I spent most of it talking to Veronica.  Neither one of us has heard from Gonpo (our Tibetan friend) and we were both worried because we know he would be the first going crazy in the street if there was a demonstration nearby.  We are to scared (for him) to outwardly ask how he is doing though….

After that our semester split up into going to a blues bar and going to a hookah bar.  Surprising to most of you, I decided to head to the hookah bar.  Finally, another quiet place.  I don’t have much experience with hookah bars in the states, but this one was GREAT.  Fantastic atmosphere.  It was a great time and I got to hang out with more of the group that I hadn’t seen much of yet.

Got home around 4am and had to wake up at 8 to meet Brigette’s parents for breakfast

Sunday

So, obviously didn’t do much on Sunday.  Watched some movies over at Brigette’s with her and Sean (who was staying with her) after breakfast until he had to leave.  Then we watched more movies :P

Sunday night we went to THE BLUES FEST TO SEE B.B. KING.  Which I’ve been excited about since before the trip.  I LOVE B.B. King.  I’m so excited that I got to see him in concert!!!  Everyone I knew that was in Chicago, including the faculty of the program went.

It had rained earlier that day and the park had thousands of people and was PACKED.  We called up some people that were there and had to make our way through the people to the other side of the park.  Which was a feat in itself without factoring in the slippery mud pit the field had turned into.  My shoes are goners.  It was nasty, my feet/legs were COVERED in mud.  And when we finally find them, they are so far back you couldn’t even here the music!  Brigette and I left them in an instant to work our way to the front, which was definitely worth it.  We got a space were you could actually see the stage and in front of us was a troupe/class of swing dancers!  They were really amazing, double the entertainment!

My parents had seen King like, 30 years ago in California and said he seemed ancient then and were wondering how he could still hold his guitar.  Well, let me tell you, he could.  He was fantastic and his voice was as amazing as always.  I definitely wasn’t disappointed.  It was an experience :)  I’m so excited to just say I saw him in concert!!!  I’m such a nerd :)

We cleaned our feet off in an awesome fountain the inch of water from the fountain on the ground felt so marvelous I can’t even describe it.

Monday

Brigette had to go to work and everyone else was nursing yet another hangover, so I had the entire morning.  After the obligatory stop at Dunkin Donuts, I headed over to the Hancock building to go up to the observatory.  Um, it was high up?  Nice view, not entirely sure it was worth the money.  Then?  I just walked around aimlessly for about 4 hours until I had to meet everyone for lunch.  Apparently our semester was the only semester (out of the 10 years worth of semesters the reunion encompassed) that had stayed passed Sunday.  We went to a New Orleans restaurant, which was delicious and fun.  Then?  We all walked around some more.  I walked more this past weekend than the past 2 months combined.  I had to take my leave of everyone, have dinner with Brigette, and head to the airport.  Where I find that my flight has been delayed for two hours due to some none existent storm and I don’t get home till 1am.

It was a seriously, seriously, fun weekend.  It was amazing seeing everyone.  It felt like I never left any of them and the two years seemed both eons ago and just yesterday at the same time.  It is fantastic having friends like that.  No matter how long it has been, it is like you never left them and always have things to talk about.  I really hope it isn’t 2 ½ years before I see any of them again, that would really be sad.  I also hope I can keep in contact with some of them better than I have been doing.  It would also be nice to be able to say I have a job next time I see them.  Man, this was the best vacation ever, I had such a great time and I miss everyone that wasn’t there even more.  It is amazing how much we bonded (weird that there were 25 of us from the fall semester and only 2 from the spring?  I thought it was strange) and I love that the reunion just reminded me and everyone of the fact that we have a group of friends that will never grow apart.

Ariel shot.  An awesome church on the Magnificent Mile, I took tons of pictures of it while I was waiting for Brigette and Joe.  A Bentley dealership and some beautiful cars a block away from the dorm.  And Pippin's Tavern....just because.

The Watertower, two blocks away from the school/dorms.  Very centrally located. 

Some awesome buildings by the river, Wrigley Building, Wrigley Bridge, the shiny-all window building is the new Trump Tower.  Descartes Coffee.  I didn't go in, but the walls were covered with philosopher's pictures and the nerd in me loved it and was very sad I didn't go in.  Some awesome buildings down some back streets.  The last two are Bloomingdales, which seems to have taken over an old mosque.  It was gorgeous.  I love the Middle Easter architecture.

That's it.  I'll put this under a cut in a sec.

~Nikki