US 2011: The Windy Chicago Times

2nd Destination Chicago was actually where I enjoyed walking the most. I actually walked so many miles around the streets of downtown Chic...

2nd Destination

Chicago was actually where I enjoyed walking the most. I actually walked so many miles around the streets of downtown Chicago where most of the buildings, shopping malls, stores, restaurants, fast foods, museums, parks, public transportation, libraries, and lots of people can be found. It is a busy city, not to mention extremely windy.


Sept 21 * Day 3

One family friend of ours named Tito Vernie and Tito Bob hosted us in Chicago. They were the one who picked us up in Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) at around 9 PM. They were the aunt and uncle of Gianne, a daughter of Mom’s family friend when they were still young.

We stopped by Taco Bell to grab something for dinner. Let me tell you a secret: I don't eat in Taco Bell. But after eating the food they ordered, I kind of realized it was good. Maybe its taste was totally different from the Philippines'.

The Morales family lives in Lincolnwood a nice neighbourhood in the suburbs. They live in a nice apartment with their two daughters, Monica and Myka. When we arrived, Myka was there to greet us. I was surprised because Myka was taller than me and she was only 13. We had dinner, talked a lot about our lives and itineraries. Tita Vernie even told Myka to ask for my age. She said I looked like I’m in high school which what most people say. Then I kept her guessing until she reached 23. Myka gave us a Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift singing session after a couple of encouragements. She has a good voice. Mom and I did not get to meet Monica though because she was already sleeping.

We slept at Myka’s room which was really cozy and her bed even had a heater. It was an American girl’s bedroom which has a good old homey feel. Her room was just across the bathroom so it was pretty easy to go back and forth when needed. Seriously, I’m a bathroom person.

Mom and I slept early tonight. I could tell this will bring about a very good sleep which will energize us for the next day..

Sept 22 * Day 4

Mom woke up around 6:45 and she was already inside the shower. I went in after her and I even asked her to open the shower for me because it was different from what we have in the Philippines. We ate breakfast together and then Tito Bob and Tita Vernie drove us to Chicago Marriot Downtown Magnificent Mile wherein Mom’s convention was going to be held. 



Mom and I found a lucky receptionist. He gave us a great room with an awesome view which we would share with Mom’s student. The receptionist gave us a FREE wi-fi inside our room because of Mom’s Marriot card. It was unbelievable. Mom said I was her lucky charm. HEE HEE.


Mom’s student named Eloise had already booked a room before us so Mom had to tell the information desk to cancel it. It was cancelled without any problems. Eloise got here around 11:30 AM. She was really nice and friendly. Her bag was so big but it was not full. She was going to stay here for 5 days only and she said she plans on filling her suitcase with the stuff she wanted to shop for. I found my travel companion.

While they checked in at the convention, I was just inside the hotel room surfing the internet. When they came back for lunch, we went down together to grab something at the Nordstrom, which we discovered because of a Chinese lady who happily helped us. We first asked directions from a tourist but she referred to our Subway food chain as a literal subway train. HAHAHA FUNNEH.



Nordstrom was a mall wherein shops and a food court at the fourth floor were located. We ate at Jimmy John’s and Potbelly’s which serves extremely big servings and delicious meals. I had this turkey sandwich:

We went up to our hotel afterwards for Mom and Eloise to rest and get ready for the conference. While they were gone, I just resumed to internet surfing and of course, typing these blogs. At 5:30 PM, they came back. Mommy stayed at the hotel to rest and Eloise and me explored downtown.


The first place we went to was the Millenium Park which turned out to be a people-magnet park. With all the trees, grasses, benches, and hundreds of people in it, it sure was a must-visit. There was a great outdoor theater called the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Crown Fountain, Bean Sculpture and Chase Promenade. I also planned to go to Lurie Garden, BP Bridge, and see the Boeing Gallery maybe tomorrow ‘cause I would have more time.







Then we decided to get inside the Chicago Public Library, passed by Barnes & Nobles DePaul University Central, and many avenues we couldn’t remember. We had a pretty good and chilly time. I’m very glad I was wearing Mom’s red coat and my favorite scarf! We were supposed to go to Giordano’s to buy pizza, which according to Eloise was the must-eat pizza in Chicago, but we skipped it when we were going back. We planned on having it the next night.




Another thing I noticed here.. homeless people were living in the streets. A black man, whom I saw asking another man to light his cigarette and even asked Eloise, “Miss, can you help me find food?” In one corner, I even saw a mother giving food to her child on a stroller. The child’s face lit up with joy when she saw the food. Oh-my-God. Help them.


The time was past 7 PM when we got back to The Marriot Hotel. After a couple of minutes, Eloise said she was going to the grocery store called Trader Joe’s. Mom and I said we should also go. Due to this grocery visit, Mom decided we should just buy our food here so that we wouldn’t be buying so much food for the next few days. We bought fruits, pasta and sauces. Brilliant idea, Eloise! She said this was what they did when they were in Europe. I am learning!

We thought the Marriot let us use their microwave but it turned out they don’t. Mom was very clever because she thought of a way how to heat our foods. Hot water in the bathtub! Another brilliant idea! Hahaha. While waiting, I slept. I was so tired from that walk that I took a short nap. When I woke up, I ate my hot dinner from the tub. ((:

It is already past 1 AM here and I am still wide awake typing this. I am currently seeing the beauty of a deserted city in front of me. I’m really not sure if this is the right place. ButI know that I will be able to discern one place if it’s the one.

Throughout the four days that have passed, I have been reminded of a certain career track which I had to choose when the time comes. I have no idea why it has been recurring in this trip day by day but someday I would know. Mom said God wants me to be patient at this time..

Sept 23 * Day 5

When I woke up in the morning, me and my Mom went straight downstairs to eat a good breakfast. Plenty of food such as different kinds of cereals, milk, eggs, bacon, fruits, pastries, and different kinds of tea, coffee and hot chocolate (Starbucks to be particular), etc. I had some taste of everything and it was surprising that I ate all of them. I’m not much of a breakfast person, you know.

We returned to the room and gave Eloise a cup of hot chocolate which she wasn’t able to drink because she gets migraine every time she drinks one. We took our baths and dressed up. Once again, I had to stay in the hotel room for awhile because they were attending the first session. At around 10:30 AM, Eloise came back to go out on the streets with me. We planned to visit a lot of places though we weren’t getting on any public transportation. We just walked.





Open Books was our first destination. It was a pretty good ‘ol shop with is so homey and cool. There were lots of books which I like very much, like photography books for example. But they were so big and heavy that I think I couldn’t take them home with me. HAHA. Plus, the prices of some books were the same in the Philippines. I usually buy in a used bookstore which sells cheaper books compared to the ones at the malls. But they were priced similarly here. We did have a hard time finding this book store even though to me it was worth visiting.



The next stop we went to was Giordano’s because it was already time for lunch. Giordano’s was known in Chicago for the best pizza. Most of their waiters and waitresses were Mexicans and they speak a strange English accent. Eloise and I couldn’t understand it well. I ordered one small sized Cheese pizza with their famous sauce and mushrooms. It was so good! If you happen to drop by in Chicago, don’t ever forget to dine here. (:

We had to wait for 40 minutes before our orders arrived so we just took some pictures. Eloise and I couldn’t seem to figure out how to manually set my camera inside so we tried and tried. Two happy Americans kept talking to us and one even tried out my camera to take a picture of Eloise and me. He did take a pretty bad picture considering he had a Nikon D5000. He said he couldn’t figure out his too. HAHA. When they left, I finally figured out the right settings. Whew!

After eating at Giordano’s, we started walking again to look for the Willis Tower Skydeck. On the way, we passed by so many great views. It’s so amazing that Chicago has preserved its ancient buildings and old architectural designs. I wish the Philippines was like this as well.
As you can see, the Willis Tower is the tallest building in North America and the 8th tallest building in the world.



With comprehensive security networks and a wide range of top-quality amenities, Willis Tower is an ideal location for business. Standing at 1,450 feet and 110 stories high, Willis Tower is the tallest building in the western hemisphere. Offering more than 3.8 million square feet of office and retail space, Willis Tower is THE business location in Chicago. –www.willistower.com

All of the people who were seeing this for the first time were actually afraid of the part of the tower with a fully glass covered floor. When I looked down, I could see the roads down before me. It was amazing and mind-blowing at the same time! I honestly thought I would die. But I highly recommend that you try it. ;)



At the top, Eloise and I bought a good refrigerator magnet and some bottle openers to give to guys at home. Then we had our picture taken standing in the clear glassy floor.
Next, we headed off to The Marriot. It was a very long walk but it was interesting. Our feet were already freezing from the cold. You need a lot of warmers, scarves, jeans, and coats/thermal jackets for you to last here in this windy city.

Once we arrived at our hotel, we didn’t go out any longer. We just ate some of the foods we stored inside our hotel. I slept from 7 PM up to 10 PM. I just woke up to type in a blog and eat my dinner. Then I doze off again until it was morning.

Really tired. But it sure was hell of a fun! <3


Sept 24 * Day 6


The day of Mom and Eloise’s conference was today. They were practicing a lot for that last night so all of us woke up a little late. Mom said she couldn’t really sleep so she stayed up a little late. Eloise was the one who went down to listen to a talk early. Mom and I tried on Skype. We got to talk to Luke and Dad. They seemed to be doing fine back there.

Then Mom went down an hour after Eloise left. Eloise went up a few hours before lunch time. They were asking me to dine with them downstairs but I insisted on staying in the hotel room. I just munched over the food that we have and stayed online to type my blog entries.



At around 1 PM, Mom and Eloise came up suddenly because their PowerPoint presentation was not showing up on the screen. So they stayed in the room to edit their slides, practice a bit, and bring down Mom's laptop. I went down with them afterwards to act as their videographer. I just shoot with all my might. Video taking using my camera is one of my greatest weaknesses.. Uh-oh.



When we came down to the convention rooms, I received a good greeting from the overall director of the convention where Mom went. He was just a few inches taller than me and has a very kind face. He even asked me how I have been. I didn't know he was the director until my Mom and Eloise came outside and introduced me to him. He said, “This is your daughter? So beautiful!” I could hug him for saying that. He was the first Caucasean here who has ever told me that I am beautiful. Honestly, I never expected Caucaseans to see Asians as beautiful people. Well, it really depends on the person.











Mom and Eloise were the fourth presenters. The audience were not that many but they were big time doctors who had already taken their Ph.D. and were practicing behavioural medicine in their own clinics. I was the only special education teacher in the room and most likely the youngest person as well. Mom and Eloise did an awesome job! I am very proud of them. Their slides were smooth and clear, straight to the point though they lasted for more than 15 minutes. They were praised by many and they were both very happy that it was all over. I’m so happy for them! I did a better job at being their videographer though I didn't get to video everything. Getting better at this thing.



Because we were so giddy and all, we went to Forever21 after. There were not much choices but I tried to grab clothes that were worth buying. When I was in the dressing room, my Mom called me out. I let her inside the dressing room and we talked which led to an argument actually because I was so stressed with not having enough clothes already (this all boils down to the tons of thick clothes I have at home and I did not bring them because my parents said pack “light”) and Mom just had a stressful preparation, a nerving conference, and some things to take care of. So that was happened. You could imagine everything for I would not jot it all down here. I felt so bad that it happened and I was the one acting immature. While I was worrying about the small things, Mom was worrying about the bigger things. I was being selfish. I just went up to our hotel room and Mom was behind me. She needed to settle down a lot of things so I just let her. I sat down in front of Mom’s computer, waiting for Dad to go online, prayed for us, and asked for forgiveness for being such a fool tonight.



When Eloise came up to the room, she said she couldn’t find us. I just explained to her the situation and waited for Mom to go up. We got to settle the problem. All thanks to God! J

To celebrate, we walked down to Navy Pier. It was like a big carnival along the sea wherein restaurants, rides, arcades, shops, boats, buildings, and people were scattered all over. It was such a sight to behold! It was a Saturday evening so there were lots of people enjoying the night away.








Due to the manual settings of my camera, I couldn’t seem to figure out the right settings. I have tried everything! Well, at least I think I did. HAHA. Let me tell you straight that I have trouble with manual settings at night. Poor me, I know. I must have left out this in the Canon book I’m reading. This was also my trouble in Singapore though my pictures in Singapore were better, I think. This time, I just blew it. L

After several tries, Mom seemed to give up on us and just sat down on a bench, texting. Eloise and I still attempted to do it. Until two tall American middle aged brothers went up to us and started talking with us. Their names are David and Chris who were living in Indiniapolis, Philadelphia and Bay Area, California. They volunteered to take our picture because David said his brother was a good photographer who didn’t know what he was doing. LOL. BUT, can you believe that he took the best pictures of us that night?! HAHAHAHA. 

The best photo of the night!
I told him, “You have a steadier hand than us!” All of our hands were shaking due to the cold. I think we talked for more than 10 minutes because we just had a good conversation. They told us that Filipinos were very different because they were always smiling. They also kept asking us about our weather which was mostly hot . One weird question they asked us was, “Is Philippines this cold?” Oh my! It’s waaaaaay hotter! They even told us that we didn’t look like Filipinos and we looked like Americans. I couldn’t believe it. They even said we dress better than they do. Yeah, I noticed that too. ((((: Well, they had to go for awhile so they wished us a happy trip, a hope and luck for the university I’m applying in, and happy good byes. Honestly, I thought they were going to grab my camera or take advantage of our innocence but their intentions were entirely pure. I’m lovin’ the people here. God bless, America.


Our walk home was too cold and windy that I just had to quicken my pace. My feet and hands were getting so numb already that it was so difficult to move. It was weird because Eloise even had to stop in Baskin' Robbins for ice cream. But she was right that the cold disappeared when you match it with something cold as well. Try it out and you will feel a little warmer.

When we arrived in our hotel, we took our showers and then went to sleep. zzzzZZZ. I couldn’t figure out know how I sleep more soundly than Eloise and Mom at night. They kept waking up because they said it was hot. I didn’t feel any heat at all. That is strange. Maybe because I was so tired that all I cared about was sleep.

Sept 25 * Day 7

Nothing really happened when we woke up this morning. Mom joined the conference and Eloise was just studying. I woke up around 9AM and started surfing the internet until it was time for me to take a bath. Eloise started packing her stuff.



Mom came a few hours later to pack away her bags. We three took pictures together then Mom had to go down again to the conference. This was the last time she bid Eloise goodbye.
Eloise’s flight was 3 PM so she had to be in the airport around 1 PM. The airport bus stops by Marriot every 15-30 minutes so she had a ride at around 11 AM or 11:15AM. I hugged her goodbye as she was all set to leave the room around 10 minutes before 11AM. She said it was a good thing my Mom brought me along this trip for she had lots of fun. I told her I thought the same thing too. I suggested for her to go down first and I’ll go down too but she waited for me to finish putting my laptop inside my backpack. Then we went downstairs together.

The weather outside was pretty cold again due to the drizzles. While waiting for the airport bus, Eloise and I talked about our ventures, took pictures of her in the hotel, said hellos to two cute little Mexican-American girls in the lobby until the airport bus came. I kissed Eloise goodbye and then she was off.

When I was making my way to the hotel, it dawned on me that I would be alone once more. Well, not really because I have my Mom. But it was kind of different when you were with someone your age. I was thankful that every time I travel in the last few years, I met someone or I was with someone my age. City explorations would not be this fun without someone as adventurous or more adventurous as I am. Thank you, God!

Inside the hotel room, I kept double checking if we were leaving something behind. Luckily, all things were inside our precious bags. While I was watching Wizards at Waverly Academy, I was getting worried that Mom wouldn’t be able to go up on time to check out. But a couple of minutes after 12 noon, she did. YAY! Hotels here were not that strict when it comes to checking in and checking out. Philippine hotels are unbelievable, indeed.


At around 12:30 PM to 1 PM, we waited in the lobby for Tita Vernie and her family. Mom and I were busy with our phones when her Singaporean friend from the conference suddenly came up to her to offer white ball chocolates. It was delicious! She was a psychologist and she was living here already. Then they both started talking until the topic reached my visit and scheduled meeting in this university I have been eyeing. It turned out that she does her research in the medical school there and she encouraged me right away to go for it. She asked about what kind of program I am interested in and she started giving me advices. She told me, “Just be yourself.” and “Show them you are interested by telling them about the kind of research you like to work on. Find a faculty member that matches your interests.” She also said that this university is pro-diversity which means they welcome different nationalities and of course, there is competition. But she just kept telling me that I should just be myself. She even told my Mom that I am all set because I appeared smart and confident to her. I wish I am really that confident for I’m getting nervous now that the meeting is only a few days away.

Mom and I were both awestruck with our discovery. Mom’s friend was not the only person who said that. God, is this really what you are trying to tell me? Will all of this unfold before my eyes a few days from now? I trust you completely.


Tita Vernie, Tito Bong, Monica, and Myka were the ones who picked us up. It was nice to be able to finally meet Monica. There was traffic already so we had to find a better way to reach Chinatown. In the parking lot, a Chinese family was moving out of their parking space. Then a Chinese guy behind us suddenly drives to our side, attempting to get the parking space we were waiting for. He was a total jerk, actually. Sometimes, I don’t understand Chinese people. They are oftentimes mean and persistent especially when they want something. They don’t care if they step on other people’s shoes. I really don’t mean to offend anyone but this is what I see. We were eating out in one Dumpling Restaurant which happens to be one of the family’s favourite restaurants to eat out during Sunday. The whole restaurant was full of mostly Asians though there were Caucaseans as well. We had soup with century egg, crab dimsum, pork dimsum, and shrimp dimsum. It was delicious. I kind of missed soy sauce!




On the way home, we passed by Lakeshore Drive, the same drive that we passed by on the way to the hotel. Tita Vernie, Mom, Monica, and I all slept during the ride. Car rides are absolutely cradling me in. Tito Bong did a good job being a slight tour guide though. I was really sorry I dozed off.

When we reached the house, we found the same bed waiting for us. Mom slept right away on the bed. We both woke up around 6 or 7 PM and it was already time for dinner. I slept so soundly that I did not wake up until Mom asked me to. We dined with the whole family at dinner. We ate Popeye’s this time. The chicken was good. Lord, may this family be blessed.

After that, I communicated with Monica and Tita Vernie a bit and then Mom and I went to our room to prepare ourselves to bed. It was really a tiring but fulfilling day for me. But I already miss Eloise’s company! Honestly, she was a great adventure partner.

Sept 26 * Day 8


Our itinerary for the day was to drop by Tita Vernie’s office and then proceed to a university to inquire. Tita Vernie kept telling us to visit DePaul University. I decided to consider it though my whole heart was not into it. Tita Vernie called the school to ask for a meeting with the director today. I really chickened out because I was supposed to talk to the director right at that moment but Tita Vernie took care of it. 

The perfect pass for the lost
Mom and I bought stockings (because she was feeling a little cold already) and 1-Day passes for riding the trains and buses. We went inside the ________ for Mom to pee and then we discovered this office wherein an organization called Project ForwardOnward were working. It was an amazing project for children with disabilities. My heart was melting.






We roamed around the shops in State street to do a little shopping. Because the weather was really getting windy and cold,  we were looking for warmers like a nice wool jacket, a scarf, or a bonnet. We got ourselves two nice-looking and 30% off wool jackets from Old Navy and two beautiful scarves from Payless and Wet Seal.  After that, we had lunch in Subway then rode the train to DePaul University. 





This was our first time to ride the train in Chicago. Tito Bob printed out instructions for us but we kind of misunderstood it because we thought we were supposed to alight at Howard Station (the last station). So when we got on the train, it really took us a long time before we realized it was the wrong station. We had to ride the train back again and alight at Fullerton Station. At this station, we walked to SAC building which turned out to be the wrong building to look for information. So we were directed by a worker there to go to the Welcome Center. We were just walk-ins but luckily we were able to have a meeting with one of the assistant directors. She gave us an overview of the courses that I plan to apply on. Then she gave us some ideas about how to apply. It was also a practice interview meeting for us so I also think of it as a good experience.



After our meeting, we rode the train and alighted at Union Station which was the nearest to John Hancock Observatory Tower. We entered a small beautiful Catholic church and then proceeded to the tower. This tower showed a great view of a different side of the city, apart from the Willis Tower’s.

The John Hancock Center stands 1, 127 feet above Michigan Avenue -- 1, 502 feet at its highest point counting its east antenna. Having a residential section, it is considered as one of the highest living quarters all over the world.

Ipod for an interactive tour guide
View from the JHT
Kunwari night view
An unexpected thing happened to us when we were out on the streets. Tita Vernie told Mom to cross the street. It was a cross section road so we crossed the street on the right and rode the bus from there. It was the WRONG BUS. We just realized we were going the wrong way when we reached the-street-I-don't-remember. The lady whom we asked if this was the right bus also told us that it happened to her too when she just moved here. She was looking at us pitifully and sincerely, feeling really sorry for what happened to us. We were delayed to meet Tita Vernie and her family for about an hour and a half. We kept telling them that we were sorry. 

But come to think of it, Chicago was totally an alien to us. When I was discovering the streets with Eloise, we were walking with a map because we were used to it, not riding trains or buses. I haven’t looked at the map of the subway or bus line, not even once. And even though we got lost on the way home, we were able to discover more places to visit while we were there. Sometimes getting lost is not always a bad thing because it can always lead to pretty good things. Getting out and figuring it out on your own feels much better than knowing everything on hand. It makes every travel a great learning experience rather than a planned experience. Besides, this is when the adventure begins.

As I am writing the next thing that happened tonight, I really don’t know how to blurt it all out. But it was not the best night we have ever had... just imagine the worst. So I’m closing this issue right here. I could just cry about how it all ended but it was also God’s loving message to us that we should be careful and cautious about the people we are going to meet and also be careful of our actions and words. People usually misinterpret. I am just thankful that we were still taken care of despite the things that have happened. We appreciate everything.

How can I forget Chicago?

Chicago is as classy and posh as this toilet seat.
Push the button for it to replace the cover.
And you'll stay clean.
Always be careful where you sit.  

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