I remembered the times I used to play a game on my computer during my early teenage years. The game is called “Midtown Madness.” It’s basically a driving game in a virtual version of Chicago. One of the “fun” things to do back then was going on the bridge at full speed when it is elevated.
During the fall break, me and a group of friends decided to visit Downtown Chicago, also known as the Windy City. It felt like a dream come true to experience the childhood game in reality. The trip really gave me the time I needed to get away from the mundane routine on campus.
As I walked on the streets during the day, I saw homeless people and street dwellers at every street. Most of them are able to stand and walk and each of them displayed a cardboard with a message while others just gave a message verbally. It reminded me of the scenes in the movies and TV shows which depicts a similar background with these beggars on the streets.
Chicago is well known for a dish, to be specific, a deep dish pizza. Its basically a thick crust pizza, around the height of your index finger. It took an hour to get a seat, but it was all worth it !
The meal ended just in time for us to scale to the top of the 100th floor, using an elevator. There are 2 different towers in Chicago which overlooks the city and we went to one of it, just in time to view the sunset. The atmosphere was very calm, a perfect opportunity to reflect on my life journey.
Perfect way to end the day!
We spent most of the time travelling on foot. The public transport is expensive, it cost about USD 3.00 for a single trip on a bus or train. It was a good decision to spend 2D1N due to the hefty accommodation costs.
I really needed a good Indian meal before I leave this windy city. Lucky for me, there were plenty of choices. It was a 15 minute walk from the hotel. I have to thank my GPS for being an efficient provider of my life.
Must Try Every Dish on the Menu!
As I was having this amazing meal, there was an African woman who spoke loudly and behaved in a weird manner. At the start, I did not focus on her actions but I decided to observe her actions after finishing my meal. She ordered ice cream and took out a credit card which she kept in one of her sock. She was exclaiming and speaking to what it seems to be her “pet dog.” She kept saying “Sit down boy” and kept knocking on the table. At this point, I felt like recording a video to show it to my friends and family back home.
Then it struck me. Why must I do such a thing and “make fun” of another person who I do not know of. She might be unsound, but I am not aware of her past. What if she became “mentally unstable” after losing her most precious pet? What if she was a loving dog owner? What is the benefit of recording a person just to share it with others. There are many people going through a daily struggle and sometimes a video on social media can be a breach of privacy, destroying a person’s reputation.
Amidst all the stereotypes, I observed that most people here mind their own business, they do not get surprised or shocked when they see a crazy person on the street. I’ve seen a few of those unsound people in the streets. It can be quite scary especially when they are giving random remarks to the people they see. I am thankful for this experience, it helped me broaden my perspective of the world that we live in. End of my vacation, back to Purdue.
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.
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