Chi-Town's Chinatown

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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 it when I go there this Christmas! YEY!

My FIRST Autumn

From Evanston, we drove towards south to get to Chinatown. It took us about an hour to get there. I'd like to note, however, that once again, the season has changed. It's Autumn already! My first Autumn in the US! It has gotten cooler and the color of the trees vary from yellow to red to red-orange and anything in-between! Pretty!

For some reason, going to Chinatown excites me. It's like going to a treasure hunt or an adventure trying out the best-tasting fried rice or dimsum. Currently, I have started to get fascinated with kitchen gadgetry. I'd like to window shop for some good and cheap wok. I yet have to learn how to season them. But I digress.

We parked on Chinatown's own parking area because the place is always crowded. Its parking lot has a view of the Sears tower (see photo) and has a CTA train station of its own! I realized that if I had really wanted to go to Chinatown months ago, when I was living in Midway, I could. Still though, I remember, I was too scared to do that alone. Atleast now, I had the chance to see Chinatown with my friends.

Dimsum in wheels

So from the parking lot, we walked back to Wentworth to go to the China Cafe. There, we had a scrumptious variety of dimsum, chicken feet, and steamed rice in banana leaf (like tamales?). Carts rolled around the restaurant, filled with many kinds of dimsum I yet have to recall. Each table was given a card with Chinese characters in it. We figure they use it to tally how much dimsum a table consumes, and we knit our brows figuring out how the Chinese write their numbers. Hehe... twas fun though.

Chinatown Square

After having all the dimsum we could possibly ingest, we all walked to the Chinatown Square. My roomie's officemates wanted to go to Joy Yees for some pearl shakes. Apparently, Joy Yees is quite a favorite by my fellow Filipinos. I remember eating at one in Evanston, one in Aurora, and now here in Chinatown. Anyways...

At the heart of the Chinatown Square, we took our time reading up Chinese Zodiac signs and descriptions. And we did not stop there... ofcourse, we took pictures with our own Zodiac signs with corresponding sculptured animals!

I did not realize how rooted the Chinese immigrants are, here in the US. I never really understood till I saw the Chinatown Mural. Honestly, I still don't fully understand it but I am now aware that the Chinese people has played an important role in bringing America to where it is now.

Too much information for now... let's go eat some more Chinese! Yey!

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Photos

The Chinatown Gate
At Wentworth Avenue

Burning Trees
Fall Season is here!

Wentworth Street
... is the main street of Chinatown

Sears
A view of Sears Tower from the Red Line CTA train station and Chinatown parking lot

What else to do when you're in Chinatown?
=D

The colors of Autumn
A small park in front of our apartment

That's our apartment
Taken from the park in front of our apartment