Chicago, one year in

Now that I’ve called Chicago home for a bit over a year, I feel it’s time to revisit some early ideas I had about the city and see how they match up with my understanding of the city at this point. In an egregiously long post from last April, I supplied (to anyone masochistic enough to read that far) reasons why Chicago outpaced other American cities as my choice to settle for awhile. San Francisco (broadly speaking) still sits atop the heap as my ultimate locale, but for now and the near-future, it wouldn’t be the right choice. Considering I’ve committed myself Chi-town for grad school, it seems the city proved itself pretty admirably.

Last year, I listed the general traits I'd find in my idea city, and I claimed that Chicago would fulfill all but two. Although this is the case, some categories are satisfied to greater and lesser degrees than others. Here's my original criteria with some current comments regarding Chicago [The black type below are the criteria that I desired in a city. Green is my current analysis of Chicago's ability to satisfy each respective category]:

A cosmopolis, first and foremost. Yes, without a doubt, but it’s different than NYC. The downtown area doesn’t have the same energy as New York; it’s much more tame in that regard. However, the ethnic enclaves in Chicago are phenomenal and you can literally meet someone from any nationality here. The city feels connected, hip, and flourishing. This is certainly a winning point for Chicago but I wouldn’t put it at the level of New York.
Four distinct seasons. Holy crap, YES! This year’s winter was brutally long, but I still loved it. I wouldn’t want that excessive gray every year (I do have it from reliable sources that this was the worst year in memory for lingering clouds/cold) but it felt so good to be living in a place that legitimately gets snow again. Also, fall was gorgeous with all the deciduous trees, and summer gets hot hot hot. I should add a footnote here that, although I didn’t mention it last time, I cannot stand humidity. I was somewhat disheartened to find that Chicago does get a bit humid towards the late summer. This, however, is nothing compared to the east coast and it’s something I can live with for that shorter window.
The juxtaposition of quaint neighborhoods and a thriving, vertical downtown. Yep, definitely.
A significantly sized and clean body-of-water/river. The lake is not always clean enough to swim in at points during the summer. Occasionally, public announcements are issued when bacteria levels rise. Last year, this didn’t seem to happen too often.
Relatively-affordable, interesting, clean, safe, decently-sized housing. It still blows my mind how much you can get for your money in Chicago real estate. “Tiny” condos here dwarf most condos in New York and they’re much cheaper than DC too. Without a doubt, you can find expensive places here, but even the spendier parts aren’t bad, comparatively. In truth, many other cities are more expensive than Chicago, including Seattle, SF, LA, Boston, DC NYC, and others.
Few rainy days; give me snow over cold rain. Yep, it’s proven to be just that way. The other thing I really like is that most rain storms in the warmer months arrive in the form of thunder storms. I’d prefer a roaring thunder storm any day to steady (Portland, you’re guilty) rain.
Mind-blowing architecture. Umm, yes. New condominiums are spreading like a virus, and many of these are uninspiring, but that doesn’t overshadow the city as a whole. Regardless of the uproar over the future Chicago Spire, I'm happy to see the city reclaiming its hold on bold, avante garde design.
An encompassing network of public transportation. Pretty damn good, although we need some major work in order to win the Olympic bid for 2016.
Incredible food. More than anything, this is true. The food culture here is unparalleled for the price. I’ll just say that Top Chef was filmed in Chicago last season and the winner is a Chicago resident.
History. Give me a break. Yes.
An eclectic, thriving, worldly, educated, unpretentious populace. Yes, and put emphasis on the last adjective, especially. I cannot express how glad I am to be away from the pompous throngs in my two former east coast cities. These are, of course, generalizations, but compared to DC and NYC the people here are so much more down to earth. You will find more "worldly" people in a couple other US cities, but that doesn't mean these people are living in a cave. It simply means many of them come here to live permanently and comfortably; it's not a stop on the way for the majority.
Great, distinctive, comfortable coffee shops. This is one criterion I have to say has disappointed me. There are some good spots, but they don’t define Chicago. They’re few and far between, much to my dismay.
Great, distinctive, comfortable pubs. Without a doubt, the pub scene here surpasses any other I've seen in the US! Chicago reigns supreme on this front.
World class universities. Sure, sure.
A promising economy. Anyone who makes this claim too loudly would be laying their neck out. The economy here is multi-faceted enough and large enough to weather storms in sections of the economy, but no place can escape unscathed what's going on right now. Gas here is higher than California; ouch. But, yes, it's "promising" for the future.
Bike friendly and pro-physical fitness atmosphere. Having Mayor Daley count himself among the biking enthusiasts has elevated the conversation of biking safety and accessibility to the forefront of Chicago conversations. A number of high-profile biking fatalities have made the front page of the Chicago Tribune since I moved here last April. According to a friend who is an avid biker, however, the number of instances per capita has actually decreased. There's simply more visibility, similar to Portland, OR. Stiff penalties are now enforced for impeding bike lanes and more streets have designated lanes for bikes. Overall, it's a bike friendly city but more work should be done on this front. Regarding pro-physical fitness, that depends heavily on the seasons/weather. Winters hit hard here and few venture outside. Now, however, the warm sun beckons thousands to the shores of Lake Michigan for running, biking, rollerblading, volleyball, swimming, and of course, bags. Overall, Chicago falls in the middle of pro-physical fitness, but for the metropolis category (NYC, LA, Houston, etc.), it's much better than average.
A place where I feel comfortable yet constantly challenges me. Kind of a lame category, although I see where I was going with it. Yes.
Clean, abundant park space. Phenomenal for a metropolis. Very impressed.
Easy access to the outdoors. Yep.
Easy access to mountains. This is one I never deluded myself into believing and it’s most certainly not the case. This, more than anything besides proximity to family and friends, would prove the Achilles heel of Chicago’s hopes to keep me much beyond graduate school.
Easy access to the ocean. Again, I couldn't lie myself into this one. Lake Michigan truly feels like a sea at times, but you don't get the briny aroma and you don't get the (huge) breaking waves.
Athletic teams. Nothing shy of religious devotion in this town.
Affordable, abundant flights to my hometown. So so on this category. For being 2000 miles away, it's about as good as I could hope. The fault doesn't exactly lie with Chicago and it's two airports here...
Affordable, abundant flights to everywhere else on earth. Check. Check.

So in summary, I'm not going to pretend I've stumbled into utopia, but it's the best place I could hope to live right now. That could evolve after 6 years, but in the meantime, I've got plenty of time to enjoy a carefully and happily chosen city. Those are feelings I haven't had since college, which feels pretty amazing.

Fotos tan fantasticos

Check out some pics of our quick sojourn to California last month. A wedding and wine country were the destinations.

I can't believe it's not microwaveable!

I've never been much of a cook (I was spotted with peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla once or twice in college), but lately I've been drawn into the first stages of foodie world by the CEO, CFO, and Chairman of the Board of KHuh Industries. In reality, I mostly dice things then pretend like I played a pivotal role. It works.

Check out this little concoction devised by the head honcho, herself. Amazingly, it's cheaper to make than even a cheap meal out:
1) Fresh ground chicken meatballs, with herbs and veggies of choice. Baked. Grated parmesan, flavored with a barbeque/salsa sauce, and polished off with a delectable cut of provologne on top. All this, of course, is on toasted bread, somewhat gutted so as not to be too filling.
2) Wheat tabouli with diced tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and fresh lemons squeezed on top.
3) Baby field greens (from local farmers market, of course...nose here is raised and lips in just the slightest smirk/pout of condescension), warm honey-baked pecans, yellow and red grape tomatoes, onions, goat cheese, balsamic.
4) Depending on the preference, you can spot asparagus, sweet potatoes, and my little addition, some grilled apricot as sides.
5) Polish off with an economical girl's sangria (wine and fresca) or your summer beer of choice with an orange slice.

A better face

As expected, Clinton showed a much different side today with her concession speech. It was the best speech I've ever heard her give, and that has nothing to do with the fact that she endorsed Obama. She was natural, heartfelt, eloquent, and poised. This is the higher ground that Clinton is capable of achieving, but this is not what she exhibited during the majority of her campaign. If she could be so admirable when in the midst of battle, I would have a different perspective on Senator Clinton. Unfortunately, these brilliant moments come too rarely and too late. This is why Senator Clinton ran such a close race, but ultimately finished behind a superior candidate.

She also relinquished any hesitation in declaring her boundary-breaking campaign as historic. Many observers think this realization came late and she could have saved her campaign by trumpeting this earlier. I think it was a cold calculation (and likely the correct calculation) to not do so earlier, because they likely would have alienated many male voters. Now, in defeat, is the only time she could be so forceful on this point. It sets her up perfectly for her next move, whatever that may be.

Anyways, Clinton deserves much lauding and I don't seek to diminish that. But the fact remains that this is one side of a multifaceted politician, and her other faces have not been so honorable. Whatever road she takes in the future, I hope she marches forward in this fashion. She would gain a fan in me.

My Greatest Walk

Our walk started back in Portland, I remember it well. The fragrant air that pervades the city in the warmer months was just dying down. You caught the last wafts before the winter rains. Let me apologize, here and now, for that apartment I walked you into. It's never fun living next to someone who thinks battery acid gushes from shower heads. That's definitely not fragrant. But I have to say you held your own. There was even that snow in early January when we walked all the way down the hill from OHSU, through downtown, then up into NW. What was that, like 6 solid miles?

Snow we could handle. Hot dry sunshine: yes please! But rain didn't agree with us. It was time to flee either north or south. We went north. Way, way north.

Remember stepping out of the airport in Anchorage? You guys crunched right down into that packed snow and laid claim of the place! I still think you fit right in up there. Truth be told, that's where our walk got interesting. You hated me when I decided, of all friggin' jobs in the world, to become a busboy! We walked through that kitchen muck so many times! I spilled beer, ranch sauce, marinara, coke, and I'd venture to guess, some splatters of baby upchuck all over your leather uppers. You always counterpunched with some pretty mean blisters. I'll give you that.

But actually, I countered your counterpunch pretty effectively when we headed home. Eddy was just a puppy black lab at that point and she'd sneak into the entryway where you hung out, snag one of you in her jaws and tear at breakneck speed around the front room. You were understandably terrified because those canine teeth were as sharp as razor blades and she was relentless in warding off my chase. But yes, sooner or later I'd save you from impending doom and Eddy would make my Achilles heels her next targets while you recovered your pride (I'll save myself the bad Achilles heel pun…but just know that I'm thinking it right now).

So we strolled that path for ½ a year, then veered way off course. You rested on the ferry, then had a couple light workouts up and down the west coast. I think you took a full 3 week vacation when we finally drove from Washington west to Washington east. In effect, I gave you a month and a half off from duty. Afterwards, you practically dove onto the DC streets! Man, we covered some serious ground over there. There was that one day we walked all the way from Arlington Cemetery across the Potomac and the entire National Mall, then up through Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. Plus, all those nights crunching across old brick and cobblestone in Georgetown. Northern VA had some trails you knew well and lets never forget the Metro platforms I put you through.

You grumbled ceaselessly about those Metro platforms until we took our walk northward to Manhattan. I remember you whimpering the first couple weeks down in the underbelly of that city where you took a beating for the ages! You were spared trampling from neither stiletto nor work boot. The flourishing biology experiments on those train platforms made you reminisce so fondly about the sterile DC metro. But even then, a little toughening-up made you almost crave those daily journeys above and below The City. Whether crunching gravel on the Brooklyn waterfront, stepping on sewer grates in the Lower East Side, or side-stepping mustard packets outside the gyro stand up on 168^th, you definitely held your own.

For all those grand steps we took in New York, however, I remember they were tinged with some melancholy. I hopped over a huge puddle outside Stuyvesant Town, landing in the shallow periphery with my right heel. Something didn’t feel right a minute later, and I felt the first pangs of a painful realization. I didn’t want to look, because it’s never easy to see beloved friends withstand such a punishing blow. But I had to look. Sure enough, pierced through the formidable rubber in your right sole was a small hole. At that point it was the tiniest of slits, but I could see the slippery slope had begun. Soon, other bits of rubber would wear away, leaving your hearty inner bones lain bare.

You apologized for a damp sock; I batted your guilt aside and asked whether it was time to retire. You told me that if I was willing to withstand the disapproving looks of folks with shiny new sneakers, you’d march on harder than ever. Just like Barack and Michele, we gave each other ‘the rock’ and resumed the adventure. Admittedly, from that day forward I constantly monitored the pavement for puddles and rocks, but my agility ratings skyrocketed and I enjoyed the new challenge.

So our walk finally led us to Chicago. You were excited about stomping through new territory, but you’d been around that block a few times and decided to sit out a couple strolls. I watched you continue to weaken. That’s not to say your engines weren’t revving, but more days were spent with the maintenance team. The winter months hit you hard, but listen, Chicago’s winter months combined with my commute would hurt the freshest of faces. We stumbled into your last spring and you finally told me it’s time.

You know what? You're battered, bruised, and bloodied, but you're beautiful. You guys are grizzled, noble warriors with many proud stories to tell. Age only solidified your rank among the legends. I want you to know that your model is retired. I loved hanging out so much that I almost hunted down some of your younger brothers for my next walk. That wouldn’t be right. I know, I know, the new guys have a lot of similarities, but trust me, they’ve got their own vibe. We sat down and talked it over; they’re not looking to tread on your tracks, and I wouldn’t let them regardless.

Anways, buddies, this has been the greatest walk of my life. I love you guys and I’ll take the next walk in your honor.

In the end, a real contrast

As even the most absent of bloggers, I’d be remiss to not punch out a couple thoughts today. Firstly and most importantly, given all the daily microscale drama, it’s pretty easy to forget the monumental feat just accomplished by Barack Obama. Imagine the odds of a candidate virtually unknown before 2004…actually let’s not sidestep the obvious…imagine the odds of an African-American candidate virtually unknown before 2004 arising victorious over the Clinton dynasty’s juggernaut of political connections and fundraising dominance. I think many of us are so caught up in the daily news cycle, that it’ll take some time before that reality fully sinks in.

In victory and in defeat, respectively, I thought Obama and Clinton showed their essence.

I found Obama’s speech gracious, humble, focused, and magnanimous towards Clinton’s historic achievements. He didn’t gloat in his speech. As a matter of fact, he spent little to no time in self-congratulatory mode. He barely touched on his own historic accomplishment. He was inspiring and unifying, while expressing that this is only a stepping stone to the real prize.

Now to the other side. Through all of the egregious acts of political ugliness I’ve seen out of Clinton and her camp since late February, I cautioned myself to not become a number. I saw how the polls showed the increasing polarization of Clinton’s supporters against Obama, and vice versa. Somewhere, I found a reserve of restraint to tell myself, “be practical, keep the big picture in mind, don’t get visceral.” I didn’t. Even as of yesterday afternoon, the pragmatist in me thought that a gracious denouement (on both sides) to the primary season, might channel nicely into Obama offering Clinton the VP slot.

Then I watched Hillary’s speech last night.

Clinton barely acknowledged Obama, offering a few curt and cursory words. She MOST CERTAINLY did not acknowledge that he’d obtained the 2118 delegates for the nomination. She then proceeded to do everything within her power to stoke the anger of her coalition and, incredibly, convince them that the race wasn’t over. She said she wanted their input to determine her next step. While mouthing the requisite line that she’ll do whatever’s necessary to seek unity, there was absolutely no substance to the words. Her speech was utterly self-involved, divisive, and defiant. A pan of the audience showed some supporters in a rabid fury, almost militant. Although I imagine the majority of her supporters are actually level-headed people who will vote in their own best interest in November, there's an undeniably large group of Clinton supporters who only cement their largely reactionary anti-Obama stance every time Clinton fans the flames.

I could very well be proven wrong, but if Clinton intended to make a play for the VP with her defiant speech last night, I sense that speech ensured she won’t get the offer. The tone and tenor of Obama’s campaign is unity through harmony, open-mindedness, and hard work. Clinton would be offering unity by withholding war. In other words, “take me on or lose the army of supporters whom I control and meet your demise.” Hillary Clinton had an unparalleled opportunity last night to raise herself to exalted status in the Democratic Party by playing the role of unifier after an epic battle, which she has unequivocally lost. Much of the ugliness of her campaign would have dissipated in a heartbeat and Obama supporters, like myself, would have recognized the brutality of politics and forgiven many of her transgressions in pursuit of the greater good. Instead, she made herself small in defeat and craven for power. Her 18 million votes may or may not go to Obama. But they shouldn’t be obtained by her barely concealed threats.

As someone who tries hard to keep a balanced, objective perspective, I was appalled and sincerely disappointed by Clinton’s performance last night. I wouldn't be surprised to see a more gracious side of Clinton in the near future, but last night she missed a precious chance. Those kinds of opportunities are moments that shouldn't be pilfered away by Obama's VP. Juxtaposed against that tasteless backdrop, one couldn’t help but see Obama as a huge step forward in our nation's journey through history.

80's music fans, reveal thyselves

Try this quiz out. (Many thanks to KW for this.)

Me read stuff

I haven't read that much Dickens. The little I should have covered was assigned in high school., which was during (one of) my illiterate period(s). So I picked up David Copperfield to give Dickens a go. The story traces David's adventures and relationships from birth through his mid twenties. To reveal the tiniest bit of the storyline, David's father dies before his birth, and his mother's demise follows while David is still a child with no siblings. Therefore, the book mostly focuses on David being left alone in the world and seeking love beyond his lost parents. Dickens traces his story through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and into his mid-to-late twenties. The epilogue extends the picture much further, but that is obviously a quick sketch. It amounts to a large-scale coming-of-age story.

The remarkable thing about the book is that the stories are basically human scale. What I mean by that is that Dickens doesn't use many overtly outlandish plot lines, with some notable exceptions mostly involving disparate characters intertwining their stories along the road. What he does use--maybe more effectively than any author i've ever read--is colorful characters. The characters are vivid and mostly believable, but the believable traits are slightly exaggerated to drill home points. Plus, the various places in England that he talks about (Dover, London, Canterbury, Yarmouth) aren't more than 100 miles from each other (which I understand isn't negligible when you're using horses for transportation), yet the worlds he describes are so distinct. I think that's a difficult thing for an author to capture; it's much easier to contrast Jerusalem with London.

It's kinda cheesy, but I admit that I really fell for David's character. I think I neglect my childhood days too often, but the young David's fears and innocence made me remember things I hadn't thought of in over a decade. There's something pretty moving about reviving instances from childhood that seemed forever gone. As he matures, I admired his loving, level-headed, measured perspective on all the crazy characters he interacts with, but also his passionate sense of justice. David Copperfield rarely becomes combative, but he will battle perceived evils when necessary. His greatest strength, in my opinion, was his ability to strip away BS and see humans at their core levels. He also makes dumb mistakes along the way, but there's always wisdom gleaned from the failings. Another draw was how Dickens carefully described Copperfield's development up to his mid-to-late twenties. Since I fit snuggly in that demographic, I could closely relate to his earlier struggles and the sense of finally getting things (somewhat) figured out by that age.

One sidenote that the book made me consider: when English people moved from the motherland to one of their colonies far overseas (and this could apply to so many people, in so many locations and points in history), especially Australia in the mid 1800's, that often meant they'd never step foot on England's soil again. When you said goodbye to friends and sailed away, it could mean that was the last time you'd ever see their faces again. Letters could be exchanged, but that's no replacement for seeing somebody in the flesh. It's hard for me to grasp that sort of finality. The modest adventures I've had in the American north, east, and midwest since college have taught me that I rely heavily on knowing I'll see my friends and family in the near future. I can be away, but only for so long before the feeling of disconnection trumps the jewels of discovery.

Another conversation

BLOG: Dude, you can't just disappear like that. That's not how this thing works.
PHIL: Oh, man, you know...work, family, all that stuff.
BLOG: You have no family. It's debatable whether you have a job.
PHIL: You have no manners.
BLOG: You have no reason to keep talking, so shut it. Listen, we used to be tight, man. We used hang out like every day.
PHIL: I'm right here, aren't I?
BLOG: Right here?! You've visited maybe twice in the last 11 months. And those were for ridiculous, self-involved political peptalks that don't have any right on these pages. Keep your panaceas to your delusional self, buddy!
PHIL: Whoa, now that's pushing it, pal!
BLOG: [grunt] Alright, alright. Look, I've got some pent up frustration and it comes out ugly sometimes. But you don't have to face the disappointed friends and family that visit, hoping for something interesting, only to find a mildewed entry from last June. You don't have to watch as they visit, once, twice, maybe three times then throw in the towel. Do you have any idea what that kind of rejection is like?
PHIL: Girls didn't like me in high school.
BLOG: They still don't. Look, don't try to get funny on me. We used to BE something, man. We used to have [swallow]...readers....
PHIL: Yeah...
BLOG: READERS MAN!!! Don't you see!
PHIL: I'm telling you, I'm rolling with the overarching plan. Big things in the works, you know, but they take time. Sometimes it's a period for public expression, sometimes not.
BLOG: Alright wise guy, enough of the lines. Tell your personal journal it's gonna take some hits for awhile and let's get this thing going again. I'm not asking for every day. Just give a little love once in awhile.
PHIL: I don't see any readers stopping by, to be honest. We've been dropped from every blogroll that ever paid any attention.
BLOG: I don't give a damn about blogrolls! You just worry about punching some keys before you're swollen with arthritis, alright?! Listen, it's for your own good.
PHIL: I know.
BLOG: Okay. Get outta here. SCRAM!!

Rejoining

I had written something lengthy, but it didn’t feel right. It dwelt too much on expressing anger and frustration on the effect Clinton’s negativity has had on the storyline and, indeed, polls over the last two months.

But it strayed from my real intention:

I simply, and shortly, want to say that my support for Obama’s campaign remains stronger than ever. Through all the smears and daggers, he has shown himself to be a person of integrity, level-headedness, open-mindedness, and carefully reasoned intellect. Even through his self inflicted gaffe, he embraced the notion of being human and having faults. The fault was never an underlying elitism, as anyone who perceives human beings for what they are can attest to. The fault was a mish-mashed phrase erroneously tooled to one audience that brutally shielded good intentions. So this, combined with an all-out Clinton/McCain assault, brought to an end the messiah-era that really needed to go. No human should be glorified in superhuman terms as Obama was briefly during February. This eventually does harm to everyone involved because it’s unsustainable.

What has only crystallized my support is how he handled the injection of racism, elitism, classism, patriotism and any other division-sowing ‘ism’ imaginable. In each circumstance, he as lain down the foundation for long-term healing. He has addressed nuance, complication, and humanity. It has cost him short-term in polling, but the long-term wins will be enormous.

Obama isn’t a messiah, but he is a real person with uncanny capabilities and passion for progress. I’m not interested in the former, but I want the latter worse than anything.

The movement that I wholeheartedly support was always driven by individuals at the grassroots. In the intervening months, I think many of us have remained too passive about our support and we need to rejoin the fray. In whatever way you deem fit, I encourage you to actively get involved in this campaign again. I also encourage you to focus less on exchanging punches and more on promoting the optimism that will actually accomplish policy shifts and cultural shifts that will propel us forward.