A Windy Day In Madison
Jess is in Chicago, she went to meet some friends who flew up from North Carolina to go to the Madonna concert. I wasn't invited, despite my passionate fan-duration that I have for the aging "icon," as Jess refers to her as. As it turns out, it was a good thing that Jess is in Chicago this weekend.
We both went there earlier this week. It's not a bad trip at all. To drive into Chicago might be a little stressful and irritating, but we simply drove to the little town of Harvard, IL, just over an hour from here, and then caught the commuter train into Chicago. Overall, the trip takes three hours, which is only a half hour more than if we drove (assuming that we would manage to miss the horrible traffic). We went there to drop off our visas for our China trip in December.
I assumed that the process of dropping off the applications would be difficult. The Chinese Consulate's website describes everything you must have in order to get a visa, including your hotel reservations in China as well as your travel documentation. So we went in a little worried, but we received a dismissive glance when we offered to show our plane tickets, and they never brought up the hotel reservations, which we don't have anyhow. Jess was particularly concerned about the fact that while she legally changed her name more than a year and a half ago when we got married, she hasn't been motivated to finish the process and get a new passport. So, we still have to buy her plane tickets under her maiden name. Don't ask me why she hasn't gotten a new passport, I have no earthly idea. At any rate, it made no difference to the girl at the visa counter. All she said was, "Pick up passport on Monday." Just like that.
So, fortunately, Jess had already made plans to be in Chicago over the weekend, she can get our passports. I don't know why I thought that they might send them back, since every other friendly consulate in the US would. I forget that the Chinese government doesn't like Americans, just our money as long as we don't send journalists or human rights advocates with it. Silly me.
Chicago was pretty great. We only had the day to walk around the center. I'd like to go back and spend the night during this assignment. I want to go to the jazz clubs and do some more social things than just walk around. November will be a good time to do that, since it will be too cold and windy to walk around the city anyhow, so staying indoors and in clubs will seem all that much better. Also, there is a great HI (Hostelling International) in Chicago. A HI is usually the best hostel around, and we stopped in at this one, it's right downtown, and it's very nice.
I would have to say that after NYC, Chicago seems a little smaller and less exciting. Of course, after we visit Hong Kong in December, NYC will probably seem like a boring backwater, too. Still, Chicago has plenty of attraction, it's a fun place to visit. I'm sure we'll be able to make the trip in the next month or so.
For myself, I'm just taking it easy today. Yesterday I went fishing. I'd gone last week and caught a ton of bass, more than 20. I went to the same exact hole, used the same exact lures, and didn't get single bite in several hours of biting cold wind. Last week had gotten me tempted to think that maybe the Loukonen Fishing Curse had been lifted. Again, silly me.
I found this advertisement, it's pretty funny. It's fitting for Madison, at any rate.
Until next time, be safe.
