Center City, they call it. Maybe I've gotten so used to the term "downtown" but Center City is pretty much what a "downtown" should be. However, my first morning in Philadelphia broadened my initial perspective of this city. Philadelphia's Center City is not just another business district. It was once the cradle of US civilization. Civilization is a strong word, I know. But let me use that word for now. Cut me some slack. Afterall, I'm just a tourist! We took the same road we took last night when [url="http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/sweet_sentiments [View Full Entry]

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12 noon Eastern Standard Time. Our Southwest plane landed at the Dulles Airport and we rushed out to spend the afternoon around Washington DC. We only had 5 hours to spare. Unfortunately, we have to barge against the early sunset because it's Fall already. As soon as we found our way out of the airport, we bought $10 tickets each for the Washington Flyer (it's a bus, actually). While waiting outside, we had to take off our jackets because it was warm and a bit more humid outside! See, when left Chicago, it was very cold and gloomy; s [View Full Entry]

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My cousin once asked, "So how are you liking it there in Chi-Town?" I said, "What Chi-What?" She said, "Chi-Town is what some folks call Chicago" Ohhhhhh!!! Okay. I thought she was referring to Chinatown. But anyways, I was finally able to go to Chicago's Chinatown on the birthday of my roomie's officemate. Chow time! Just a few facts... As of this writing, Chi-Town's Chinatown, as per Wikipedia, is the third largest in the US. The largest is in New York and I yet have to see [View Full Entry]

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My R took me to the Shedd Aquarium where we spent the entire day with my finned friends. 'Twas the best day ever!, as Spongebob would say. (We have a picture together somewhere in the end of this post. Fun fun!) Soy for the lactose-intolerant and the... err, roof? The Shedd is a short bus ride from St. Peters where we heard mass. In less than 20 minutes, we were walking to the entrance of the aquarium which boasts of its Greek architecture with intricately-designed c [View Full Entry]

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Pardon the pun. I am not referring to the movie/novel Trainspotting. I just happened to travel all the way to the suburb, Aurora, solely through train!! My college professor (and friend) invited me to visit her in Aurora for the long weekend (Labor Day weekend). Aurora is a suburb 40 miles west of Chicago. Such translates to an hour's drive from Downtown Chicago. But I don't live in Downtown Chicago. I live in Evanston which is 20 miles north of Chicago. I don't own a car so my only cheap option is to take the Metra. Yesterday [View Full Entry]

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Chicago has the tallest building in North America -- the Sears Tower. Again I say, North America. Others might argue that it's CN Tower. But, again, we are talking about buildings here. CN Tower is a "free-standing structure", not necessarily an inhabited building. (I wrote about CN Tower here: ) Also, at a world-wide perspective, there are a few more taller structures than the Sears Tower. As of this writing, there's one in Dubai that is under construction -- about to surpass the current tallest skyscraper. Google gave me [url="http://www.google.com/search? [View Full Entry]

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It was a warm summer day in Chicago and we all hopped into the car to drive for less than an hour to Chicago. If you know me well enough, you'd know that I was giddy that day... what's not to like? I'm going to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see adorable animals and I'm going in for free! Free!!! With the zoo's map on hand, we carefully manuevered in and out of the halls which grouped the animals into many classifications I can hardly remember. Hehe! We first went inside the hall where the big cats were located. We saw [View Full Entry]

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Today is July 4th, my first Independence Day here in the US. My friends and I have barbeque and loads of other grilled stuff by the lake here in Evanston -- my new-found "hometown". (What is it with barbeque here in America? I also remember having picnic here on another holiday called the Memorial Day. Anyway,....) There are so many people by the lake... immigrants and non-immigrants. As I walk by the lakeshore, looking for my friends fanning the coals of their barbeque grill, I hear people speaking in all sorts of languages -- some Indian language, Arab, Spanish, ofcourse English, [View Full Entry]

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My officemate gave me a can of Coke which has this written on it: "Take this can to Six Flags Great America before July 4 and get $20 off." Good thing, my smart friend bought group tickets online and we saved $25 instead of just $20 for the entrance fee! As early at 8 am, we left Evanston and drove to Gurnee again. This time, we're heading to Six Flags Great America & Hurricane Harbor. I thought I knew what to expect, since I have enjoyed Six Flags Magic Mountain in California ] years ago. But I had a different kind [View Full Entry]

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Remember this song by the Village People? "In the navy, Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease..... In the navy, in the navy, in the navy" Welcome to the Navy Pier! We spent a beautiful afternoon walking around the Pier simply enjoying the sun and the breeze from Lake Michigan. First, we heard mass at St. Peter's in the "Loop" at Downtown Chicago. This Catholic church is close to my office. That's what I love about this city -- it's a walkable and a commuter-friendly [View Full Entry]

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