"My First Time... in Chicago"Written by Sarah Anne Polsinelli
People whirl through revolving doors. Sirens whirl and blare in 5-minute intervals. Potted wildflowers divide North and South lanes on Michigan Avenue. Children run splashing across a large outdoor work of art: Two 30 ft tall screens project ethnic faces, sporadically spitting out water onto children that wait anxiously below them. This is Chicago. Ernest Hemingway, father of modern literature, was born here. So was most notorious gangster of all time: Al Capone. Comedian Bill Murray is from Chicago. The city’s most identifiable citizen, one of wealthiest and most influential women alive today, is Oprah Winfrey. There is so much to do during day that even most decisive person feels dumbfounded. We spent our days walking around aimlessly, straining our necks to admire world-renown architecture. I shared an elevator with some German tourists, and later found out that many people fly in from Germany to go on $10 “Mies and Modernism” architectural tour, which traces buildings of German-born architect Mies van der Rohe. Chicago lacks a downtown "core" because every corner of city thrives in its own way – each one different, yet just as fascinating as next. The endless supply of 50-plus storey condominiums and eighty-story buildings is astonishing. But you don’t feel dwarfed by these towering edifices because of expansive, meticulously kept sidewalks and pleasantly “green” streets. The windy city allows you to breathe, in midst of an urban jungle. Chicago’s appeal is broad because of its variety of attractions. The Shedd Aquarium is located 25 ft underground and boasts one of most diverse collections of sharks in North America. The Art Institute is internationally known for its French impressionist collection, but also displays art from Renaissance Italy and Ancient China. But art isn’t simply contained within museum walls: Modern art pieces are scattered across city’s several parks. Tourists flock to entrance of United Centre to see world-famous sculpture of basketball legend Michael Jordan. The Uptown Jazz Club is a living museum of 1930’s Chicago. Oh, and jazz bars are everywhere. Although jazz music and prominent players came to Chicago from south in 1920’s (the "Jazz Age") to enliven city's nightclubs with their performances, excitement still resonates. One of most scenic bars is located on 95th (yeah - 95th) floor of John Hancock building, with floor-to-ceiling windows and an unbelievable view of city.
| | Robbed On A BusWritten by Steve Gillman
We knew better. Both me and my wife had a strong feeling we shouldn't get on that bus in Cuenca, but neither of us said anything. A taxi was two dollars, and bus cost only twenty-five cents. Ana sat down, but there was no room left for me, so I was packed in with other commuters standing up. Almost immediately I noticed drunk pushing his way through crowd, randomly going this way and that. I knew somethimg was up, and instinctively reached into my pockets to check on my money. We had just visited ATM that morning, and $170 cash in my pocket was most we had carried in one place during entire trip. It was still there. The old guy pushed against me like he was trying to find a place to stand comfortably. I checked my pocket again. A few minutes later some space opened up near Ana, and I went over to her seat. I reached in my pocket again, and it was empty. The other pocket was empty too. I hadn't felt a thing. The old drunk was still on bus. I looked over at him. "We've been robbed," I told Ana. "All of it." I grabbed drunk, who was no longer acting drunk at all. At next stop we got off, dragging thief with us. A police officer appeared, and a crowd formed. The man was very sober now, pulling out his pockets and insisting again and again that he was inocent. He said we could search him if we wanted. I searched him, but understood now that his associate was long gone with money, probably off bus at a previous stop.
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