From the Freezer to the Frying Pan

Manila-bound in a couple of days, after 4.5 years! My laundry list of to-do's (in random order):

1. Eye check
2. Teeth check (I feel like a race horse)
3. A good ol' shiatsu (ooooooooooh!)
4. Hair cut at Eve's
5. Bank
6. Visit grave of EBC, mentor at old law firm
7. Tagaytay
8. Time with mom shopping
9. Time with mom eating, eating and more eating (plus cooking!)
10. Time with mom chillin'
11. Eating, eating and more eating
12. Trip to P&F law firm re potential work; and an appointment with a government agency involving a case.

2007 has been crazy and hectic. I've travelled around so much and been in Chicago about 10 days total so far,... it's been just one huge paperchase after the other. This week has been worse as I juggle work (including midnight overseas calls), plus personal errands for the coming trip. When I come home, I do more work, and plop on the bed when I can do no more. I barely have time to catch my breath. I don't feel good about myself that when C calls I am usually catching the bus, at the courier's, in the middle of another call, about to run out to the next place .... there's always something, and we seem to end up "blitz-talking", just firing away quickly on how our respective days have been. But, that's life, and I will make it up to him (soon, honey!). For now, I've pretty much crossed-off every thing I need to bring with me. Packing begins tomorrow. I always travel light... it's the best way, if not the only one, for a clumsy, skinny woman like me.

The jump from Chicago-freeze to Manila-hot is going to be major (read: drastic). There is also the humidity to contend with. But I so look forward to this trip, and will keep you posted in the days to come. Now, where's my camera....

(Photo: View of backyard. Vancouver, CA. January 2007)

Merry Christmas to All

Joy this Christmas, and a world of Peace in the coming years.

Let It Snow (If You Dare)

Last day of November (how time flies!). I am out here in Kansas City (Missouri side) working beside a big window that looks out to a smooth white carpet of snow, the flakes continuing to fall nonstop. It's "18 degrees feels like 7" -- and we're talking Fahrenheit here (For those using the other system, bear in mind that 32F is 0 Centigrade). I wore 4 layers (a t-shirt, topped by a cashmere turtleneck, topped by a spandex zip-up, topped finally by a down jacket), had knee high socks tucked into my shin-high favorite Paul Green boots, winter hat and cashmere gloves. But guess what? Not geared-up enough. I head out the door for a few seconds and my nose starts running as soon as I safely entrench myself onto the car seat.

"oh, the weather outside is frightful" ...... wish you ALL were here. :)

Meanwhile:

Free Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com

Let Them Eat Cake .... please!

Watched "Marie Antoinette" (Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwarzman), directorial work of Sofia Coppola at Evanston. Movie chronicles the life of the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, a Hapsburg Austrian royalty, from her passionless marriage to Louis XVI of France as part of a strategic alliance to unite Austria and France, to her life with the French royal family, her much-delayed success at producing an heir to the throne, to the Versailles being attacked by the mob, her responsive curtsey to them, to her and her family's exit from the palace. (It ends at this point, nothing told of her tragic beheading).

The movie was heavily edited by music (classical and modern). Effect: Series of MTV clips. Cinematography was edgy and experimental (e.g., camcorder views, ants eye views, bird's eyeviews, etc.). There was no harmonizing on the actors' accents, and thus Marie Antoinette had an American accent, her mother had a very British accent, her daughter spoke French, …. You get the picture. Come to think of it, there wasn't much dialogue in the entire movie really. All these therefore made me conscious that I was watching a movie, and I did not get lost in the "period-ness" of the film. Which ain't all that bad really. It's clearly the intention of the director to make this a novel experience of sorts, and none of the restrictions of a docu-drama. This lack of pretense in turn has allowed her licence to veer away from historical accuracy.

Another observation about the film: There was a lack of identifiable storyline development. There is none of the traditional laying of a foundation, to the development of a plot, to the denouement, to resolution. Just plain old telling of a seemingly never-ending story. And so if you asked what was the point of the movie.... I cannot really say it was a story about the triumph of good over evil, or a story of love overcoming hate, or a story of the ironies of life .... I can only tell you... It is a story about Marie Antoinette.

So what did I enjoy about watching the movie? (If this be the gauge of a good movie)--

1. The setting and background definitely had all the fun stuff. Big palace, ornate drapings, all the period furniture and costumes…. Elaborate table settings and food, nothing subtle about this film. It is all about over-the-top, as French royalty in that period was known for.

2. the shots of the palace, the grounds and gardens;

3. the costumes, shoes (YES!), finery, and ... very importantly, the heavenly DESSERTS (sweets, puffs, chocolates – all fluffy and rich even from across the screen);

4. little Marie Therese (with her wild curly blonde hair);

5. The "I Want Candy" cut – fun, fun.

Other than that, I had moments when I just wanted out. The movie felt on the whole dragging, sad to say.

And I don't get why Kirsten Dunst had to keep this self-amused (read: bimbo-ish) smile all throughout the movie. This is clearly all intentional. But it didn't make much sense to me.

Photo: Tile fresco of Marshall Field's (now Macy's) on State Street in Chicago.

Wanted: Inspiration

Melanie and I have agreed to swap artwork (made by ourselves) for Christmas, as gifts to each for this year. That's really easy for her. She being a Chicago architect, designer, arty-fartsy guru and all. She tells me my gift is already in the pipeline, slowly making its way to its targetted holiday completion. I have no doubt it will be a fine piece. I only look forward to marvelling at the "irony" in her work.

Meanwhile, here I am still at a loss for ideas for my end of the deal. I want to come up with something novel, but manageable to create. Inspiration is always inclined to trickery, really. When you need her, she stays a pace away; and when you couldn't care less she sits on your mind and makes you reflective. Which I don't need to be sometimes. Especially not when the weather is gloomy, and the change of seasons outside my window is painfully beautiful.

Music To My Ears

I had been meaning to replace my ipod earphones for sometime -- not that there were anything majorly disastrous about them, but i DO have good reasons to do so. First off, the plug at the end of the earphones is a bit loose when I drive it into the ipod, and so any little movement can cause it to pull off (bummer). The second reason, and really the major one, is that these earphones have passed from ear to ear to ear, and I mean those other than my own. The last time for instance, the 8-year-old son of a friend walks into my office, adorably cute wearing his football team uniform, and sweetly asks to borrow them (lying there on my desk) to plug into his laptop to watch some video. Hmmm….. ok, kid. [uhm.... and did you not just come back from your football game? Aren’t your ears all sweaty? I think so... your hair is dripping from all that sweat... yeah... rough game, no?]. And not that I am being a germ-freak here, but I swear that since then my ears began itching every time I used those earphones. Worse, they have this slick, oily feel to them, I bet I could sign them to membership to the OPEC. And yes, maybe it IS all in my head, but I tend to think it is in my ears as well.

So yesterday, after running my errands with the bank and FedexKinko's, I stopped by The House of the Mighty Apple on Michigan Ave to get replacements. Now see, I had once been burned at stupid Best Buy where I got one of those in-ear things that sounded TIN-ny (no bass at all!). Unbelievable those. It’s like listening to music from a tin can. Horrible. I returned them the next day. No, thank you. I am not paying $50 for substandard. Did I go off on a tangent? Back to my story. At the Apple Store, this geeky kid and I start discussing about earphones -- and I made sure to tell him that the in-ear phones sucked. We agreed that the flat/pancake ones similar to the kind that originally came in the ipod box were better. "But if you want better ones, we have Sennheisers too." DID YOU SAY SENNHEISER? Woooh, kid. Show me (hello Chicago! Any clue that I just came back from Missouri?). He pointed me to the line of Sennheiser accessories at the other side of the rack. Yes! Going through each kind, I settled on the least expensive one -- the no-frills no nonsense MX70, for $34.99. Not cheap, but less than the garbage I almost settled for from Best Buy. The downside -- they're in-your-face NEON GREEN. And they don't come in any other color, so its either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I deliberated, and convinced myself : you're buying them for your ears, not your eyes. Off to the check-out counter.

Out of the store, I started to think “do I REALLY need new earphones? Should I try wiping them old ones with alcohol? Now THAT might do the trick to the oily, ear-itch catalysts”. So I kept them in the bag until this morning, still struggling whether or not to keep them. Then I decided to break open the seal, and give them a try --

(drum roll.......)

Boy, am I glad I decided to keep you, you green thing. You are wonderful... and you really DELIVER the music to my ears. And just when I thought nothing will ever be able to be as good as the original one, here you come to prove that if you just keep searching and not give up, you can find something as good as your first love if not better. Ok, you're still Shrek-green, but ... the taste/appreciation for that might just be acquired through time. And now that I am waxing philosophical, and paying ode to a pair of earphones... I sound like I'm 8 kinds of crazy so I'd better stop now, and go to bed. Good night.

PHOTO: WINDOW at a Gold Coast building, Chicago.

One Week Around Chicago

Highlights of my one-week as Chicago-hostess-with-the-mostest (September 22 to 29) -- before I forget:

1. Getting to the church on time! The irony never hits me that the only time I get to be in church on time is when C plays whipping boy. He is good for me in that way. :) I love my church -- 4th Presbyterian on Michigan avenue. It is a historic building (beautiful architecture), has a good outreach program to the disenfranchised, and collaborative efforts with other faiths (Roman Catholic and Jewish). The pastor, Rev. John Buchanan, is brilliant. Both C and I really like him and respect his ideas. Of course, we always get to share in the donut and cookies and coffee at the Anderson hall after the service when C is around. He so reminds me of my dad (the love for cookies and stuff).

2. King Tut collection at Field Museum. This exhibit featured a fraction of what was found in the tomb of King Tutankhamon in the 1920s by some British archaeologists (and their sponsors of course). Even then, then collection was quite extensive and showed the type of opulence that accompanies a king's burial. I can only imagine, with the looting and how much more is left in Egypt, how very impressive the entire/full collection is.

3. Robie House by Frank Lloyd Wright. This is a prime example of prarie style architecture (very horizontal lines and illusions), defiantly standing among Victorian and Gothic style architecture at the wow-wow-wow campus of the U of Chicago. Although the tour-guide we had was very UNDERWHELMING, I still enjoyed discovering FLW's little "tricks" and surprises around the buildings, all of which were at the same time utilitarian and aesthetic. I liked how he played with ceiling heights, lighting, and even how he directs a person moving around the house (clockwise, then counterclockwise once you get past the stair case). We enjoyed very much the self-guided audio tour of the neighborhood, the Ida Noyes Hall, and the Rockefeller chapel for instance.

4. Oriental Museum of the U of C's Oriental Institute. -- The "Orient" here refers to Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Egypt, Nubia. The collection is AWESOME, and probably one of the biggest of its type in this part of the world. There also was a B&W exhibit of the excavation process of King Tut's tomb -- which nicely complimented our earlier tour of King Tut's tomb. I am not too familiar with the old Mesopotamian and Middle eastern old civilization so this was definitely a crash course.

5. Seminary Coop bookstore at the U of C : Awesome! This is an amazing maze of books. I bought 2 books (one on British politics, one on "how to read Shakespeare plays) and a few cards. I had fun except that it is a very cramped place... packed with people and books.

6. Shopping on Michigan Avenue. -- Chicago's most popular tourist site. C actually shopped more for himself in this trip, and I couldn't be happier. He carries himself well in his clothes (and I am saying this objectively) but is EXTREMELY loyal to his brands (I think this is part of being British -- hahahaha), so we got 4 pairs of pants from the Levi's store, got a few pieces from Banana Rep and Marshall Field's (ooops. Now "macy's"). We had lots of fun trying to take pictures of very tall structures such as the Hancock Center, and the Thompson Center and the insides of the Thompson center by angling the cameras. -- mostly C having his fun. I am not as good angling things (and visualizing in my head how it will work) as C but I learn fast. :)

7. There were lots of food trips (especially Asian, of course). That is always good. As always, C uses chopsticks like he was Chinese, and I sometimes ask for a spoon and fork; and the irony does not seem to amuse the servers, or other restaurant guests. C still loves fast-food Chinese Panda, Express and his new favorite is Wow Bao at the Water Tower Place. We still go to our favorites in Chinatown and Argyle.

8. I had the bestest birthday ever. It was a surprise thing which C and my closest friends put together for me... (with the plans being hatched even before C flew over and which they carried off like a military operation while C was here). Such fun -- I've never had a surprise birthday party since 4th grade. We had it at at India House on 59 W Grand. I thought it was going to be a quiet dinner with just me and C. Ann, Karla, and Daliah and Guy came over later -- and saved me from being TOO crabby with the maitre d' for giving us a table set for 6, despite our reservations for 2. I got a "Banoffee" cake (Banana and Toffee). DEEEEEEEEEEEELICIOUS. Ann got me a print titled "Sweet Pea" which I SUPER-LOVE, and Karla got me a really lovely blouse from Loft. C gave me a beautiful silver and gold ring from Tiffany. Wow, I really had the best, most wonderful and most memorable birthdays.

ANYONE ELSE UP FOR A CHICAGO VISIT?

(Photo: WINDOWS of Hyde Park Center of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business by Rafael Vinoly)

Tony Blair Statement

This is the full statement given by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair regarding his future:

The first thing I'd like to do is to apologise actually, on behalf of the Labour party for the last week, which, with everything that's been going on back here and in the world, has not been our finest hour, to be frank.

But I think what is important now is that we understand that it's the interests of the country that come first and we move on.

Now, as for my timing and date of departure, I would have preferred to do this in my own way, but it has been pretty obvious from what many of my Cabinet colleagues have said earlier in the week.

The next party conference in a couple of weeks will be my last party conference as party leader.
The next TUC conference next week will be my last TUC, probably to the relief of both of us.
But I am not going to set a precise date now. I don't think that's right.
I will do that at a future date and I'll do it in the interests of the country and, depending on the circumstances, of the time.

Now, that doesn't in any way take away from the fact that it's my last conference, but I think the precise timetable has to be left up to me and has got to be done in a proper way.
Now, I'll also say one other thing after the last week.

I think it's important for the Labour party to understand, and I think the majority of people in the party do understand, that it's the public that comes first and it's the country that matters, and we can't treat the public as irrelevant bystanders in a subject as important as who is their prime minister.

So we should just bear that in mind in the way we conduct ourselves in the time to come.
And in the meantime, I think it's important that we get on with the business.
I mean, I was at a primary school earlier.
Fantastic new buildings. Great new IT suite. School results improving.
I'm here at this school that just in the last few years has come on leaps and bounds, doing fantastically well.
We've got the blockade on the Lebanon lifted, today.
You know, there are important things going on in the world.

And I think I speak for all my Cabinet colleagues when I say that we would prefer to get on with those things because those are the things that really matter and really matter to the country.
So it's, as I say, it's been a somewhat difficult week but I think it's time now to move on and I think we will.

And I know you've got reams of questions but I don't think it's very sensible for me to go into them now.

More Chicago Walkin' (Labor Day Weekend)

Chicago by Lake Michigan so reminds me of Roxas Boulevard by Manila Bay. It is all so pretty. This Labor Day weekend (Saturday to be exact), Carla and I took our post-pedicured toes to the test by walking along LSD (*"Lake Shore Drive" to the non-locals). Although we agreed to nothing, we slowly walked the street starting from my street (by Montrose, 4400 N) and headed towards hers hers (by Belmont,... probably between 2800 to 3000 N?-- let me check) -- AS IF we could go that distance, or maybe I should put... as if Carla could ;) . We chanced upon Abe on the way. He was headed to HIS apartment on 3600 N to change his shoes to more "walkable" ones. We waited for him at his building's roofdeck while he changed. There, I enjoyed one of the most awesome view of the Lake ever, breath-taking and beautiful. I wished that C were around to share the sight. When Abe was done, all 3 of us walked towards his parents place on Roscoe (3200 N) to pick them to join in the walk. Abe's parents, P and L, are really wonderful people. They are always very welcoming and warm. I remember how they embraced and welcomed me to their home many times when I was in Champaign, and even after. They also invited me to share their Jewish holidays with them, even though, I am not Jewish. Carla met Abe's parents for the first time, and she enjoyed the extensive Jewish art collection they had. By then, all of us (Abe's parents, Abe, his bro Maurie, Carla, and I) took a long walk along the Lake. I had wonderful conversations with Abe's mom. I always feel that spending time with her is a gift. She has such an enthusiasm for life, her family, and the friends of the members of her family. I absolutely love her. Her compassion for people (without being a self-righteous bleeding heart) and her philosophy and view and philosophy of the world is truly inspiring. I would like to grow old having that kind of gentle yet powerful effect on other people. At one point, the Rabbi seemed a bit tired, so we stopped and sat by the beach and just people watched and enjoyed the sight of people doing their watersports and sailing, and kiting. And then we walked more, and more, and more. Until Carla got tired (as expected!). It was a great afternoon, and a perfect light-jacket day to walk on the beach, before the inevitable chills come back to remind one that Chicago is the Windy City.

Abe, Carla and I capped the day with dinner at New Tokyo on at the corner of W Briar and Broadway. I had the shrimp and vegetable tempura bento. Carla had the (what else?) chicken teriyaki bento, and Abe had the salmon bento (and everything else that was left on our plates). I totally enjoyed mine. The sushis that came with the bento were awesome too. Burp, burp. Abe promised that we are coming back when he starts at Jenner & Block.

Trivia: Lake Shore Drive runs from 6600 N to 5500 S. That boils down (roughly) to about 12,300 blocks, north to south!

Photo: Window of the Newberry Library on Walton Street. To me, one of the most awesome buildings of Chicago.

Walking and Friendships

My antidote to missing C is to keep my mind occupied and my time fully booked. It doesn't always work. I admit to having moments of totally zoning people out, and just living in my thoughts, even as I pretend to be "in the moment". This weekend has been tough. But, as always, I try my best to be tougher.

Today, I went marketing with Melanie at Vietnam town and cooked at her place. Our victims: Her two brothers. I did a pretty good vegetable stir-fry (I put shiitake, beens, daikon, celery), and the agedashi tofu (which I taught Mel to use as the way to her man's heart -- he's vegetarian). Mel and brothers (one of who is a chef) brought chicken from Jamaica Jerk. Yum yum. I loved the collard green side. The tofu, by the way, was a hit. The stir fry veggies have always been my old reliable.

In the afternoon, Mel and I walked her dog around Rogers Park. Although there are parts of the neighborhood that still not safe (former Section 8 housing areas), there is a lot of construction and upgrading of homes going on. "Gentrifying" as they call the process. I took a lot of pictures of interesting windows, which Mel made sure to point me. It was a good long walk with a newly-neutered dog with a funnel collar tugging at our feet for added drama. I am blessed to have a friend like Mel who listens and amuses, who shares my passion for architecture and its ironies, who never thinks there is any road that is too long to walk through and talk through, who has such faith in me when I have doubts about myself, and who indulges my silly hobby of spotting interesting windows for my blogs. I definitely will miss her.

Photo: Old window surprise preserved in an upgraded building along Superior, just off of Michigan Avenue.

Thai and Thai again

Back in the Windy City, great to be home. The trip to KC and neighboring areas was a busy, busy paperchase, always capped with big buffet dinners (welcome to mid-America!) -- which only translated to more work for me. After all the stresses of the day, after-dinner business (and weather and politics) conversation was yet another chore. But it all came with good intentions and I really should not grumble. [Trivia: There are no buffet places anywhere in downtown Chicago].

Met up with Mel for dinner tonight. She suggested I try Cafe Hoang ("Thai and Viet") on Argyle. I had my usual Pho Ga (chicken with rice noodles); and Mel had the pork chops and shrimps -- which did not sound too Vietnamese, altho when it came out on the plate, it seemed pretty.... Vietnamese. I guess it's all in the sauce. My Pho Ga was prettty good. Nothing out of the ordinary though. As long as it has crispy, clean bean sprouts, it's good enough for me. (: Lots to update between Mel and me .... what a difference a day makes -- imagine how much more after almost 3 weeks!

We went to the Vietnamese market where we chose little sweets to bring home. I got Mel "Sesame Mochi" and she got me some strange custard-y little cups. Let's see how that goes.

For dessert we went to good ol' reliable Thai Pastry, where I had the tim tap grop (water chestnuts in coconut milk). HEAVENLY, as always. [see picture on top left] Mel had the Thai custard which was warm and had a nice roasted flavor to it. (see picture top right).

Project Runway is starting in a few. Gotta run.

Sweet Treats

Last night, Ellie P (bride-to-be on 09/02/06) asked me if I could accompany her to "test drive" a few wedding cakes today. I know.... it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it. Sure. Before that though, I had to earn this privilege by helping her put together a few DIY wedding invites for additional names her future M.I.L. added to the list. We exchanged updates and compared notes on the futures we face. Interestingly, we both are moving out of Chicago (she to the West Coast, I to the UK), we both quit our jobs (she from the Prosecutor's Office, I from the firm), and we're both facing a clean slate of having no friends and family in a new environment. In short, we're both busy-bodies who all too suddenly will face the possibility of (horrors!) idleness. Seeing her with her share her anxieties, I definitely could relate, and was somehow comforted that I was not being weird for having a few of my own. After all, my move was in many respects "larger" than hers. And here's the rub, she tells me, -- To take or not to take the CA Bar exams. Now that anxiety is perfectly legit -- who wants to undergo another root canal? I remind myself that I too will need to brace myself for another FOREIGN Bar exam, sooner or later and whether I like it or not. All that discussion led to the conclusion that as lawyers we did not have much of a choice. Unless we take and pass the bar exams in the jurisdiction where we live, in all likelihood we will end up as barritas, rather than barristers. And that of course, is no good.

So off we go in the afternoon to indulge our sweet tooth. First we went to Roeser's on W North Avenue (by Humboldt Park). The little shop was surprisingly packed. The lady brought out samples of their sponge, pound and chocolate cakes, and a small tray with butter cream, lemon, raspberry, whip, and guava fillings. I was pleasantly surprised with the guava which tasted as sweet as the fruit picked at its ripest on a warm, Philippine summer day. The prices were not too bad either. The chocolate however was not too good, and Ellie had "chocolate" on top of her list. Then we hied off to Dinkel's on N Lincoln. Now this place is spacious, clean, well-lit, well cooled (full blast A/C on an extremely hot summer day, wooo hooo), and had an array of sweet goodies that reminded me of the pastry shops in Beverly (England). The designs of the wedding cakes were also very nice, modern, not tacky... but of course, all that came with a price tag. Interestingly, both Roeser's and Dinkels are longtime denizens of Chicago which have become "institutions" of sorts. Each has its street honorarily named after the founders. Both bakeries were found by German immigrants, and continue to down the generations. Now that is sweet.

Photo: Arcade of windows at Frank Lloyd Wright home, Oak Park, Chicago.

I say potato, you say "poTAHto"

"Observations of an expat raised in Asia, living in America, and having an English fiance"

The English are known to be a polite lot, even under testing cirumstances. They are slow to gripe, and when they do, they catch themselves and quickly end their mutterings with "oh well, mustn't grumble". They apologize under almost ANY circumstance, whether they offend, or are offended. And it's not that they're being timid. It's more that they loathe to complain and make a scene, or call attention to themselves by getting into any form of controversy. Sometimes I can tell that this tolerance comes from a place of being "patronizing," a feeling of "noblese oblige", of having to take the role of the magnanimous, at least as far as they can. (I should know that when I see it. After all, I myself come from a race that holds the middle kingdom with the rest of the world moving along the peripheries). And it's not just a nuance of language. It's all borne out of culture. While Americans tend to express their feelings with flair and the works, the Brits are champions of understatement.

Scenario One: On a nice clear day, you walk into your favorite coffee shop. The barrista greets you "hi, how are you doing today?". You smile back and, no matter how bad things are going, say "Good, good. I'm good. And you?".
The British response to the same barrista: "Hmmm... well, not too bad. Thank you." No matter how great things are going.

Scenario Two: You have an appointment with a colleague to meet at 9:00 in the morning at the corner of Broadway and Halsted. You wait, and wait, and wait. 30 minutes later you get a call from the guy saying he will not be able to make it because he woke up with an awful headache (which you know reeks of "hangover"). How would you feel about the whole frickin' futile wait? "Royally pissed. The inconsiderate bastard!"
The British response: "I'm a little bit annoyed, really".

Scenario Three: You're standing in a looooong line waiting to get into a supposedly blockbuster movie right behind a group of extremely, annoyingly loud, attention-calling, teenagers with the kind of vocabulary that soap-and-water can't clean, shoving at each other in their idea of fun. You turn to your British partner and whisper "I am thisclose to strangling these *&^%$$#@@....". Mr. England's eyes darts toward them quickly, then shifting back to you, he says in rueful tone : "Right. Quite special, aren't they?".

p.s., The above scenarios REALLY happened, with slight variations, to protect the obvious. :)

Photo: WINDOW to the Windy City. "The Bean" (real name: "Cloud Gate" by Anish Kapoor, British sculptor) at Millennium Park, on Michigan Avenue, Chicago.

Thai Food Trip

It's unpretentious but it delivers -- Thai Pastry, on Broadway by Argyle, is one authentic Thai food gem. Today I met up with Roshen for a late lunch there to celebrate her surviving 2 days of the Illinois Bar Exams. We shared the spring rolls, quite unusual because of the egg wrapper, instead of the usual rice-paper. I totally enjoyed my Yom Woon Sen (vermicelli in a spicy vinegar sauce with ground pork, red onions, lettuce, spring onions and mushrooms), now my new favorite. The dish was light, healthy, nicely presented, and the sauce had a definite kick to it. Never mind the slightly tacky ambiance of the place, -- it's just the front to a wonderful kitchen. And, to top it all, I had THE BEST watermelon bubble tea -- and heck, I know my bubble tea.

Except for the expected anxieties of flunking and having to repeat the dreaded review process, Ro was fine. I guess being able to exhale is good. She ran some of the essay questions by me ("is it a secured transactions, a negotiable instruments, or a UCC sales question?".... uhm, that sounded to me like a Constitutional law issue there....just kidding), but in the end we decided doing a post-op was not entirely a bright idea. Nor was in going to be a calming exercise in any remote way. Change topic -- She is touring Guatemala for 2 days to brush up on her Spanish. I envy her that. I seriously need to polish my Spanish too. My speech isn't quite as in tune as my ear for it.

Photo: Window of a house near Lincoln Square, Chicago.

Pre-Big Thing Jitters

There are days when I have unexplained jitters about getting married. They occur more and more often now as the Big Day draws close, oftentimes, at levels approaching the lines of "panic". My mom has a theory about it. She thinks it stems from taking too long to make the step, from growing too comfortable with being alone. She always says that with a "tsk tsk"-ish tone, and always ending with "If only you had married (name) when you were (age)," much to my amusement. In any case, with my delay I now join the ranks of Diane Sawyer, Marcia Cross, Sandra Bullock, Sharon Stone, Christiane Amanpour ... beautiful, strong, accomplished women who tarried and dillydallied before taking the plunge. I should wear that as a badge of honor, if not as the scarlet letter to mark my delusion for including myself alongside them. But heck, until C came along, the shirts just didn't quite fit right. And while I am one who needed my space and independence, and my "reasonably" stubborn streak (a much-desired virtue among lawyers anyway), "the others" just seemed to share the same qualities in proportions that clashed with mine. My defense mechanism when I get the jitters is to remind myself of the moment when I just knew that C was "The One"-- the dawning realization my married friends promised would come when the one meant for forever shows up. I have the memory of that split second vividly in my mind. And thankfully, remembering that itty-bitty magical moment calms and reassures me. Well, at least until the next attack. (:

Photo: WINDOW on top of entrance to the Symphony Center (home to the Chicago Symphony Center), Michigan Avenue, Chicago. (c)2006

Friday, Food, and Friends

New York is one of the capitals of the world and Los Angeles is a constellation of plastic, San Francisco is a lady, Boston has become Urban Renewal, Philadelphia and Baltimore and Washington wink like dull diamonds in the smog of Eastern Megalopolis, and New Orleans is unremarkable past the French Quarter. Detroit is a one-trade town, Pittsburgh has lost its golden triangle, St. Louis has become the golden arch of the corporation, and nights in Kansas City close early. The oil depletion allowance makes Houston and Dallas naught but checkerboards for this sort of game. But Chicago is a great American City. Perhaps it is the last of the great American cities. - Norman Mailer, "Miami and the Siege of Chicago," 1968.

The week started in scorching heat (2 days of 100-degree highs), but in what seemed like a nanosecond the skies dimmed, and here come the rains again. Chicago weather is remarkably inconstant, but thank God it's Friday, and I will not have to deal with this for the next couple of days in high heels.

Tonight, I capped the work week by having dinner with Melanie at Tiffin in Devon. We had the Hydrabadi beigan bharta (eggplant curry) and the chicken tikka masala, dried. The bharta was its usual excellent, and the chicken was almost perfect. We finished everything (read: clean), and did not have to answer the attendant's "is everything ok?" pleasantry except to look down at our by then empty plates and smile back. And nothing better than to top the meal off with a nice, bittersweet cup of Masala tea -- perfect for a nippy night like this. Tiffin makes it exactly the way I like it. (Note to self : Effects of tea is driving this blog in the middle of the night!)

Good food, it is said, ends with good talk. It was great to exchange updates with Mel and to see her eyes light up at the new "how-to" chick lit of Giuliana DePandi that I pulled out for her. I could sense her eagerness to curl up tonight to read the book, which she swears she can cover in one night. We'll see. I will miss days such as these with my Chicago friends when I move.

Photo: WINDOWS at Hallway, Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago. (c)2006

New (First) Blog

"A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes." - Mark Twain

"There are times when life surprises one, and anything may happen, even what one had hoped for." - Ellen Glasgow

To C, who is more than I bargained for :), and to a future that is beyond what we dream of.

Photo: Graffiti on boarded window on Adams, between Michigan Avenue and Wabash, Chicago. (c) 2006