Chicaaaaago

Kim,

I know you've already been to Chicago but I want to tell you about my trip there! By the way, do you count Chicago as the Midwest? It's got a different vibe from the quaintness of Wisconsin, and I'll need you to tell me what Iowa is like. I hear the twang of folks saying flat a's (baaag, Chicaaago, Saaaally), but I also hear a valley girl accent every now and then that makes me do a double take when I find out they're not from California...

I went to Chicago for the first time when I was sixteen for a school choir trip, and I remember LOVING the city. I remember my teenage self thinking that one day I would call Chicago my home. I don't know when I lost that lust for Chicago, but I've only made 2 trips to the windy city since moving to the Midwest. Maybe it was the wonderment of traveling to a new city more than the actual city itself. Having said that, every person I know from the Chicago area loves the city without being able to distinctly describe why, so there must be some magical sense of home to it. I'm determined to find my own love for the windy city one day, but in the mean time I'm ok with finding wonderment in the little things.

Anywho back to what I actually did! The sole purpose of our trek was to get dim sum because we haven't found a place that meets our fancy in Madison (yet). So first stop = Chinatown. A friend had recommended Three Happiness, but it was closed for renovation, so we went to Cai instead. It didn't disappoint! And no, that's not all we ate, but I got too busy eating to take pictures. The girl sitting across from me had major RBF. Also overheard during our meal was the girl next to us telling a benign story in a dramatic way, and when she said "I'm not trying to throw shade or anything, but..." and the three of us bust out laughing. I can't keep up with the latest slang, but is that supposed to sound cool?

One of the things I've noticed from traveling is that you'll still manage to find reminders of familiar things. Take this Pavilion in Millenium Park for example - it was designed by the same architect who did the Disney Concert Hall in LA. It's like sister theaters! Apparently there was some controversy when this was first built because of height restrictions in the park, but they got away with it once it was designated as a piece of art, rather than a building.

Other notables as we walked through the city:

Different rocks from all over the world on the side of the Tribune building

So crowded, but worth checking out the Christmas Market. Getting these mugs were the coolest part.

Juxtaposition of anger from Ferguson/Garner/etc with holiday cheer in the streets

Giordano's pizza was a 1.5 hour wait!

I love my Old Fashioned's. This was at the Publican, a yummy place that pays homage to beer, pork, and oysters.

Playing around at the bean never gets old, but have you ever taken a pic at night? It's pretty magical. Also, did you know it's actually called the Cloud Gate and inspired by liquid mercury?

I love old ads. So cute. The Hershey store has a chute for you to "make" your own candy in a bucket too!

I'm fascinated by how Chicago used to be the capital of crime and gangs in the 1920s. If anything, I think I want to make my next trip to the city to explore that historical aspect.

Monday in Baltimore.

Remnants of a Chinatown? - Perhaps. Baltimore, MD

Sally.

Today I didn't do so much, since I mostly worked. Mondays are the worst. Baltimore is an interesting city. One that I will continue to talk about and explore while I am still living here. I know you've visited and liked it but I believe there's more to see - I just haven't seen it yet.

Baltimore has a small town feel with a strangely simultaneous urban feel to it. You go from one block to the next and find completely different things. If you look carefully at the buildings I think they tell you a story.

Today I got home and was bored. I've been feeling this strong sense of boredom lately but I think this is due to my new job and "new" time that I have on my hands. So out of that combination of boredom and loving to cook to get my mind off things - I went to Potung Trading Company - the only Chinese market in town.

Potung feels like a typical Chinese grandma's house. Crowded with food items collected over time, children passing time, blasting Chinese opera music, and that herbal smell. Nestled on the edges of Mount Vernon, you wouldn't really know what it is. Nearby you can find remnants of what could of been a Chinatown in Baltimore, stereotypes and all its glory, the words "China Doll" in that asian font falling apart - symbolically representing what once was some sort of Chinese community.

Potung keeps it running though, with fresh asian vegetables each week at prices well below the prices of grocery stores, farmer's markets and the likes around. You can find frozen halal meats, fish sauce, bitter mellon, tendon meatballs, Chinese fried pancakes, dumplings up the wazoo and of course, my greatest weakness - Mama Noodles. (I always pick up two on my way out). Potung is only two narrow lanes of food - but it's filled with so much, sometimes I retrace my steps to see what I accidentally missed. In every single nook and cranny you can find something that will remind you of home - even an old cantonese man preparing vegetables or a mom cooking a meal in the back for the family. The color this place holds, draws you in like a kid in a candy store so to speak. All the spices, the flavors, and types of noodles - wakes you up to a world that you didn't think possible in a place like Baltimore.

I believe the kitchen is where love is - and I think this is true for many second generation Asian Americans. We might not speak the same tongue, but when it comes to food there is no question.

I come here to remember my roots. I come here because I just want asian food and this is the closest thing I got. I come here because sometimes when you are so far away from what you might consider to be home both literally and figuratively, sometimes 15 minutes in a place like Potung is all you need.

P.S. You're in my tier-1 too.