Variations on a Straightup Posture

Plaza Bar Illustrations off Jackson Street

I like these illustrations, in the vicinity of Union Station, just off Jackson Street.  They portray well Happy Hour for professionals and business people in the urban jungle.  It's just a smattering of them, so far, and that lends an air of casual and easy-going.

An Evocative Stroll in Downtown Chicago

I love downtown Chicago.  It was one of the things I missed the most, after traveling and living abroad much of the last decade.  Well before we had our daughter was born, and long before life hit its toughest patch, my wife and I frequented shows, museums and restaurants in the city.  I had the privilege of actually working downtown for many years, so it was easy enough to hang out after work for drinks and chats.

So from ads fit for a green trash compactor, to ones that span parking levels, to a simple glass panel, my little stroll in the vicinity of Union Station was evocative indeed.

It will always be the Sears Tower to me

In the weeks following September 11th 2001, there was such fear among Chicagoans that the venerable Sears Tower would be a next terrorist target.  I had a consulting client that managed the building and had offices there.  For years thereafter, ugly concrete barriers surrounded it, just to pose some defense, even if feeble, against would-be car bomb attackers.  

One pleasant autumn afternoon, 13 years later, the world is at peace, at least according to the unspoken message of a steel globe.  The tower that could very well represent the heavenward conceit of humankind, and therefore recall Babel, sports a new name.

But it will always be the Sears Tower to me.

Stories of Girls and Tigers in Chicago

I had time on my hands, after a lunch meeting in downtown Chicago, so I strolled in the vicinity of Union Station before catching my train home.  With just my trusty iPhone, I photograph things, and my photographs will never win any awards but they speak to things that catch my eyes and capture my imagination.

I love promotionals that also tell a story.  Google reasons that via their TrueView model on YouTube, when people opt to watch a video, it is no longer an ad, but content.  So, no doubt, Debbie is a happy girl.

When I am in a casual conversation, and someone asks what my favorite animal is, here it is: tiger.  That's what drew me to this promotional.  Humankind does not have anywhere near the unique physical prowess that certain animals have, but our predatory mindset and muscle must be unrivaled in nature.

Speaking of stories.

Wonderful Chat with Adris En Route to Woking

(image credit)

Woking is a town about an hour southwest of London.  I was glad to have a business meeting there on Wednesday, January 22nd.  My client graciously arranged for his driver to pick me up at Radisson Blu Portman, and in fact my overall itinerary was perfect: check out of the hotel, meet and lunch at Woking, then ride back to Heathrow for my flight home.  I was home by evening time in Chicago.

I had a very pleasant chat with the driver - Adris (sp?) was his name - as he was quite a gentleman, knowledgeable, articulate and friendly.  We talked about how green the landscape was, even though it was the dead of winter.  The trees were bare, mind you, but the grasses looked as though it was spring.  So I loved the drive through narrow highways toward Woking.  

He shared a story that explained why the British rode on the left side of the street, opposite to that of Americans.  Drivers of horse-drawn carriages naturally whipped the horse to prompt it to walk.  Unfortunately the whip would get tangled in the trees, so they learned to ride on the left side: whip on the right hand, the trees on the left side.  

I learned that a British driver could drive to other countries, where cars and traffic were similar to those in the US, without obtaining any special license or permission.  Of course they were tasked with navigating the roads capably and safely.  Adris said that he and his wife traveled to Paris on car.  They spent two hours by boat to cross the channel, car and all, then drove a leisurely four hours to Paris from there.  

Apparently he's driven to the northern tip of Norway, where in the summer the sun hardly sets.  I told him about an old friend in Stockholm, who helped me realize that in the summer it was daylight virtually 24 hours a day.  Altogether he made me want to drive not so much in London per se, but outside the city, and to a select destination I shall determine later on.  

Adris also told me about a mosque that is about 300 years old, built by an Indian emperor - Sharjahan (sp?).  The mosque was for students who were studying in the United Kingdom, a subject I don't quite remember.  

Woking was a lovely town.  My client and I walked out for a sandwich, amid cobblestone pavements and small to medium size buildings.  I loved it all, and I was thankful for my client.   

Musing and Walking About Oxford Street

I was back at my hotel that early that Tuesday evening, January 21st, my client having been so kind as to have me join them on the taxi ride back from their Pall Mall offices.  I had planned to try again to walk a route back to the Radisson Blu Portman, just as I had tried the day before, but I readily accepted this invitation.  Speaking with my client was my priority the entire trip, of course.

Instead of spending an hour on the elliptical in the gym, though, I went out for my exercise walk later that evening. I needed to eat dinner at an affordable eatery, McDonald's as it turned out, and perhaps also buy souvenirs for my family. I knew how to get to Oxford Street easily (above), so I headed there.

It was cool and drizzly, but not bad at all. London was otherwise sunny and in the 40°s for the four days I was there this week. Such a welcome relief from Chiberian (Chicago + Siberia) weather. Post-holiday Oxford Street wasn't so populated or trafficked, and that was perfectly fine with me.

I did my T'ai Chi workout right before heading out, so I was warmed up and well stretched. But I was baffled and aggravated that my left shin got so painful. I had to stop several times to massage it, and I was thankful to have found that McDonald's after 20 minutes of walking. It was a bit better on the walk afterwards. It must've been my shoes. I don't normally wear gym shoes when I walk.

I reminded myself that I did a very good job locating the Radisson on foot, late one night in December, when my client transport never showed up. Years ago, when Karen and Eva were with me, we managed to find the Conrad at night time as well and then the Fulham station the following day, both on foot. I have had a handful of other walking abouts, and found places quite well, really.

So getting turned around the evening before, and flat out getting lost, was exception for me.

I found myself in a stretch of getting lost, when I lived in Dubai, that I decided to formulate an Algorithm for Spatial Orientation. It was a dramatic improvement right away: from finding my way just one out of five times, to four out of five times.

An algorithm is smart, and it learns, and it adapts itself to particular situations. So I will try that walk again, when I'm back in London, and let's see how well I do.