Smelling...

...the air of Chicago

Time and tide permitted me to travel downtown Chicago today and what a memorable journey it was! Forgive me if I can't remember names, one afternoon is too less a time to remember names of inter-states, bridges and roads. I just have the essence with me to share. When we entered a big bridge, I was told that part was North Chicago, the century-old part of the city and you wouldn't believe, I felt I was travelling through parts of Old Chennai and Mumbai in India. For the first time, I thanked the British for their two-century presence in India, giving the country an international character with its buildings, transport systems and the English language.
The roads in Chicago are indeed good, neat and clean. However, there is no kind of a paranoia or an obsessive compulsive disorder in straining every nerve to keep it smooth, polished and shining as is done in some developed countries. A little lack of attention with a pothole here and there is relaxing and gives a feeling of being at home, in tune with the jagged edges of Nature's surface.
During my evening walks in Western Springs village, all I would see is hardly one person on the road or most often not even that. But today I breathed people and people and people as I walked down Michigan, La Salle and other Avenues around the Sears Tower. I was impressed to see women on the job at heavy duty traffic policing on the intersections, nonchalantly organising chaotic traffic and issuing tickets for violations. A significant change in attitudes accosted me. The line defining the city and the village of Chicago is a complete dropping of all the "Hi's and bye's" while greeting strangers. People are focussed on their work and the fast paced lifestyle with a sandwich in one hand and a cup of coffee on the other is writ large.
Just as Buddha watched three incidents that drew him into a life of contemplation- a sick man, an old man and a funeral procession, I watched three incidents that made a significant impact in my understanding of the city life - an autistic man nervously crossing a main intersection back and forth, two beggars holding coffee cups for cents, dimes and quarters and a couple of minor accidents that led to a traffic hold-up.
The ambience of the tall buildings, wide pavements and trash bins on the road gave me a feeling of walking on Chennai's Second Line Beach Road or near the Taj at the Gateway of India Mumbai - both areas that were developed during the British period in India - the functional cleanliness was impressive. The signboards which said, " Caution Falling Ice,'" reminded me of the caution signs in the Himalayan trekking route about falling boulders.
My trip up the 103 floors of the world's tallest building was impressive, being well aware that visibility was zero. Introduced to the sights and scenes of Chicago through a film show at the entrance, I boarded the lift with a bunch of excited children sheperded by their parents, zipping to the top in just a minute. It was actually a top of the world feeling, only I couldn't see the world below - a possibility only when the sun shines bright. But a sharp observation through the glass walls showed the snow flurries moving about the clouds - almost like seeing snow at its origin.
Spending American currency for the first time, I bought stuff right at the top and below the Sears that will take the memory of my visit to all back home. And for myself, I carry a memorable experience...