You guys!
Chicago was fantastic. (And it was also like, three weeks ago.) We went the weekend before the 4th of July and we stayed for three and a half days. Do you know what I had forgetten? I really like my husband! I know I gush a lot about him here, and I do in conversation too, but he's always so busy and on the go I'd forgotten how much fun it is to just hang out with him. We had a blast, and everyone who sees our pictures keeps telling me how great they are, how it looks like we had so much fun. I've heard that so many times I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps we look miserable in everyday life? Well, in any event these people are 100% right - we did have a great, great time.
Our hotels were pure insanity. I have never stayed at such a swanky, expensive hotel and I'm pretty sure I never will again. The
Park Hyatt Chicago was just unspeakably ritzy and expensive. When I looked it up online it was going fro $380 per night, and we were getting one night there for free! (Because I won it in their "Big Welcome Back" Promotion, not because I was paid or anything. They were so nice and accomodating, even willing to check us in at 9am when we arrived (I was just asking them to hold our luggage) and the view from our room was spectacular. I was so mesmerized with the lake view and the water tower that I didn't realize until the next morning that if I turned my head a few inches to the left there was the John Hancock Tower - so close I'm sure I could have spat on it. The bathroom had a huge bathtub in it and the wall between the tub and the room opened up so you could still see your gorgeous view whilst soaking in the tub. They had a list of things that could provide you with if you'd forgotten them. I knew about that, whom amongst us hasn't forgotten some toothpaste and had to do the pajama-ed walk to the front desk for that little squeezy one-use tube of toothpaste? But this list was endless. They could provide us a humidifier. Yes, I do sometimes forget to pack my humidifier. A vase! For all the flowers M brought for me? Unfortunately, we ended up not needing anything (Our humidifier fit in our carry-on afterall.) Another crazy thing about the hotel - there was seemingly no way to open the curtains. Eventually I found the BUTTONS next to the bed. It's amazing how quickly my personilty soured after that. By the time we were in our 2nd hotel, I was complaining about having to use my
own arms to open the window shades.
The second hotel,
TheWit, was almost as nice (except for the curtains) with another beautiful view, this time of the Chicago River and Marina Towers. Online, the rooms were going for $270 per night, but I got our room for $69 per night on hotwire.com. And the room was really nice. No tub in our room, but I saw they have upgraded rooms with that same sliding door to the bathtub. The hotel also had an exclusive line-wrapped-around-the-block Rooftop bar that hotel guests got VIP access too. We went. For five minutes. Four of which we spent taking pictures of the view.
We kept running into references to desi stuff though. It was like Pakistan was following us on our trip. First, at the Museum of Science and Industry, there was a display about different Chicago residents and what they ate all day long. One of the four vignettes was a Pakistani guy, and he ate curries and
chapati and some tea - of course some tea. Then, we went to the Adler Planetarium where they had an exhibit on Muslim contributions to Astronomy. We went to the Field Museum (not really, we were just walking around and I needed to go to the bathroom. But they wouldn't let me unless I paid admission!) and they had a display of jade & marble. I felt like I was in the shops of Karachi. Well, except that in Karachi the marble costs a fraction of what the Field Museum wants to charge you for it. My advice: Don't buy any marble from the field museum gift shop. It's overpriced and they won't let you use the bathroom even if you do buy something there.
There were more brushes with the
des, too. (
des = country/motherland) We took a trolley tour of the city (how very dumb & touristy of us, but it was great! Highly recommend!) and one of the tour guys was some desi kid. In the basement of the Sears Tower (where we went to the skydeck at the 103rd floor and stood in these glass boxes with a glass floor beneath), there's wall mural dedicated to some desi visionary - Fazulah Khan or something? The fountains at Millenium Park with all the faces have lots of desi faces on them. In fact, the whole of Millenium Park seems to have been designed by a guy named Anish Kapoor. We also went to the Taste of Chicago and there was some Indian and Latin American fusion place. I was skeptical, but the dish we tried was fantastic. I wish we'd had more time to eat at that restuarant, it was called
Vermillion.
Strangely, we even ran into lots of desi people. Specifically, desi people with non-desi significant others - just like us! We saw FIVE couples like that. Of course I tried to take pictures of them all. My favorite was a desi GIRL with a non-desi husband and thier cute baby boy posing for pictures on the steps of the Art Institute. But there was also one creepy guy walking dwon the street with some white girl who couldn't keep his hands off of here. I was clucking my tongue in distaste as if I am some fifty-something Pakistani aunty.
The best Pakistani/Indian experience though, was quite unexpected. M gave up smoking cigarettes as a wedding gift for me, but he still does occassionally smoke a cigar. He'd asked at the Hyatt about where to buy cigars and they said the best shop was
Hubbard & State Cigar Shop, so we went there the next night. (We were going to pick up some pizza, buy a cigar and then go lay in the grass on the walkways along the river under the moonlight - what a wonderful evening!) When we went in and M asked the guy behind the counter for some help. M's a novice and really only likes the fruity, lightweight kind of cigars. The shopkeeper gave him something and M asked if he had anything smaller and the guy replied "
Chota walla chaiye?" meaning "You want a small one?" in Urdu. Both M and I was surprised - we'd thought the guys was of Spanish or Latin American descent! He was really nice after that and of course he and M had to exchange the usual Pakistani pleasantries; where are you from, how long have you been here, what's your name, etc. It was nice and it made M happy. Also, he said the cigar was great too.
The one place we expected to encounter the
des - the famed desi section of Devon Avenue - turned out to be a big letdown, though. I'd actually expected we'd go there at least twice, maybe thrice. We've always loved hanging out at these Little India or Little Pakistan types of places before (in Toronto, New Jersey and New York.) Sure we eat Pakistani food a lot, but we almost never get to eat in a really good Pakistani restaurant. (Except for
Ravi Kabob, which has great karahi but less than desirable ambiance.) We went to Devon Ave. our second evening, and perhaps we just picked the wrong day. It was a Thursday, and quite slow. Not many people on the streets. We'd already picked out a place to eat - Sabri Nihari. Some of you said it was overrated, and I think that's our opinion too. I'd really hoped it was some off-shoot of Karachi's famous Sabri Nihari. Nihari is M's absolute favorite dish, so he was really, really excited about it, but he said their Nihari tasted like it was made from a pre-made box of spices called Shan Masala. And traditionally Nihari is served with all these extra toppings for you to garnish it (like chopped cilantro, lemon wedges, chopped green chilis and ginger matchsticks) but they didn't bring that out with our meal. M says it can't be real Nihari if it's not served with all that
lawazimat(accessories). Also, cold leftover Nihari for breakfast the next day was kind of gross and heartburn-y and not a great way to start your day. Balanced breakfast it's not.
I wasn't dissauded though, I was armed with lots of other restaurant recommendations for Devon and based on what some friends had told me (and you guys!) I figured we'd go back there on Saturday morning for some halvah poori at Tahoora and pick up something in bulk at Usmania to take home with us that evening - since we were leaving to go back home on Saturday. But by Saturday morning, we were running seriously behind on our sightseeing. In the beginning, I'd worried three-almost-four days would be too much and we might get bored by the end of it. But on Saturday, we still hadn't ventured out west to see the house I lived in when I was six and the elementary school I attended for grades K-3. So there really wasn't any time to go back north to Devon. I kept trying to find some way to squeeze it in. I'd really hoped to bring some food back for Chachoo and his wife. But M finally convinced me we should bring some famous Chicago pizza across the street from our hotel for them instead. After all, they eat desi food all the time, and we can make our own Shan Masala nihari, right!? But that meant no more Devon street, even though I was positive that a second trip would redeem the place for us. I know there's better food out there, and surely the place must be full of hustle and bustle on a Saturday. Sadly, though, it was not to be. We had to head to the airport right after the nostalgic old stomping grounds.
On the way back, we stopped by the airport chapel for some prayers and then boarded our flight. And then, in my magazine - was one final half-desi couple! In this months Better Homes & Gardens, there was a profile of some woman's home renovations and pictures of her with her desi husband and even her in-laws chatting it up in the rec room. See what I mean about being stalked by desi-ness during our trip!
Who's ready for a picture slideshow?!?!
