Still sort of stuck in Chicago. The city remains the same. It was a little sad to see that Mr Big Shoulders didn't miss me as much as I missed him. But other than that, a thoroughly enjoyable trip. Except for the shopping expeditions which were a total pain but atleast I got my annual shopping done. So anyway, since I am still stuck somewhere there, more Chicago stories:
Friday night. A&J, A~ and I went to Emilios for dinner. Last minute, I call SY, the cute kid from Hong Kong / Malaysia who works with me in London. SY spent most of her young life in Hong Kong, and KL and last four years in London where she went to the Uni. She's been to Chicago for meetings a couple of times but has never ventured outside of say, Michigan Ave. Dinner over, we walk A&J to their apartment and get on a cab to get us back to the hotel. A~ is staying over. Her car's parked in Old Town as we were too cheap to pay the $40 overnight parking fee next to the hotel. So we are in this cab and A~ and I start talking about the next day.
"What time should we leave tomorrow?"
"I am thinking we should have brunch at Orange at about 11 and then leave. We have to get on 290 so it makes sense"
(SY) "Where are you going tomorrow?"
"Shopping"
"You have to drive to go shopping?"
"Yes, we are going to this outlet mall[1] outside the city"
"Can't you take a bus or train to get there?"
"No. And its way outside the city. A good 45 minute drive"
"Oh, you mean its in the suburbs?"
"Yes, it is"
SY ponders over this for a minute. She then turns to A~. Earnestly.
"So you live in the suburbs?"
"Yes"
"How far is your suburb from here?"
"About 30 miles North West"
"Are the suburbs really amazing?"
A~ is slightly taken aback. I am trying hard to stifle laughter.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you have huge mansions that all look alike?"
"Not mansions. They come in different sizes but by city standards they are big"
"Do you live in one of them?"
"I live in a townhome. Which really isn't that big"
"Okay. So are the suburbs really beautiful? With wide open spaces everywhere?"
A~ sounds lost.
"There's a lot of space. Its a lot quieter down there. Some people think its beautiful. But you have to drive everywhere"
At this point, I give up. A~ joins me and we both are laughing so hard that SY thinks something's terribly wrong.
"Is it something I said? What is funny?"
"Well SY, these suburbs aren't exactly some planet on the far end of the galaxy inhabited by aliens, you know"
"How do I know? I have never been to one"
"You can come with us if you want"
"Maybe I will come. I didn't mean to be rude. I just wanted to know about suburbs"
"You are not rude. Its just funny"
"It wasn't meant to be funny. My knowledge of suburbs comes from Desperate Housewives. I just wanted to know if that's how they are in reality. Looks like the show isn't too much of an exaggeration"
[1] Remember the time when Falsie went shopping? Same mall.
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6 comments:
what you have to do, when you say things like 'when falsie went shopping' is provide a link. that's one story i'd like to hear.
Now you want me to go through his 1000+ posts to get a link?!
Anyway, here:
http://2x3x7.blogspot.com/2006/03
/hey-every-artist-needs-creative-outlet.html
Since I am all memory psycho, I even remembered the date. St Pat weekend in 2006.
ah yes. now i remember. i can see what brought the urge on, to marry off bill.
though, honestly, falstaff, if you were to lounge the around mall parking in tightly fitting, lurid clothes, no woman's going to pick you to go shopping with her. walk the talk, man. walk the talk.
Veena: You seem like a sensible sort of person, you know, the type who actually considers polyamory (even if it is heterosexual i-banker polyamory).
So I don't get it - why on EARTH would you even consider the idea of spending a perfectly nice day shopping at a mall in teh burbs? Mall. Burbs. I rest my case.
I thought the few shops with all their paltry merchandise in three colors was all a city girl really needs. For everything else there's Topshop.
Please, please don't tell me your fave restaurant is California Pizza Kitchen!
n!
SB: No, it wasn't the shopping for sure. Thats really when I want to run back to Bill.
n!: Ah. Its precisely because I am this sensible sort of person that I shop at outlet malls in suburban America once (or twice) a year.
1.) I don't like to spend money on clothes. (Even if I did, I wouldn't be able to afford London but thats a different issue) I don't understand why I should spend on clothes and accessories when I could be spending that money say, in Clive Ct and whereabouts. So the outlet mall is perfect
2.) I don't like to spend time shopping. One day at the mall and I am done for the year. I can peacefully spend 364 days doing things I like doing
3.) I get irritable shopping but even more so if I shop in London. I can't stand the pretentiuosness all around. Combined with the fact that these are probably bankers' wives who have got hajjar more to spend
4.) If I don't go to the suburban mall once in a while, where do I get material to make fun of the people there? Its abso essential that I know which SUV is more popular on the roads this year.
Long years ago, on a bus from Pitt to NYC, the SEPTA bus driver told me that I should get out and shop at King of Prussia. He said after Mall of America and the Woodfield Mall, its the largest mall in the country. I think you should go try this mall sometime.
PS: California Pizza Kitchen? No, no. MR will disown me if she hears that people think I like CPK. NO!
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