My Kind of Town

I’m breezing through Chicago for the second time this summer. It’s still my kind of town. What’s not to like about a place where the baseball fans stick around Wrigley Field for three hours hoping the skies will clear so they can see the Cubs play the Pirates?

Our Sunday afternoon at the ballpark was fun even though we never got to even see a pitch thrown. Just sitting around that fine shrine brings back great memories. Its smells and sounds (such colorful banter, even during a rain delay!) can’t be found in Asia.

Two other outings we took this weekend couldn’t have happened in Bangkok. On Saturday we took in the city’s most popular public sculpture, nicknamed “The Bean,” which didn’t exist last time I visited. Here’s a cool website that gives a 360° sense of what this unusual gathering spot looks like and what else is nearby.

Just beyond the website camera’s lens is a unique fountain and wading pool, where we watched dozens of little people of all sizes and colors play together on the warm day. These two free attractions are great examples of Chicago’s make-no-little-plans spirit, which has always been most obvious along the lakeshore.

The second outing was a trip to Ravinia, the outdoor music festival north of the city. Saturday night’s offering was a concert version of Rigoletto. I’ve seen this opera in Bangkok, but not while digesting a picnic, lying on a blanket, looking up at the stars. It didn’t hurt that the singers and orchestra were world class.

Of course any place where my parents are is a pretty nice place, even if it doesn’t have the Cubs, the Bean, and the Chicago Symphony. I believe I’ll be back!