Tuesday,July 22/08

How it feels to be 82

Monday , July 21 Frank Obina was tendered a Birthday Party at 6234 N. Washtenaw by his daughters Minda, Rosa and Chelang , son, David and wife Teddy with tasty lechon on lemon grass, Guam's favorite dishes of kilagwin chicken- half-broiled chicken chopped into small pieces with lemon and lime juice, salt and pepper to taste , kilagwin shrimp - the shelled shrimps sliced with lemon and lime juice, salt and pepper. There was the eggplant in coconut milk another Guam's specialty. Also the very tasty potato salad (rosette potato diced, eggs , sweet relish, pimiento in bottle, mayonaise)

Ist Stop
With Frank Obina, his wife, a son ,3 daughters, Buddy (Nissan driver) , my wife and I- we journeyed to glimpse Illinois' what's- near- to- Chicago's spots to see. We tramp ride- to view what's in the Botanic garden in Glencoe. The Garden amazed us with its nature's abundance of fauras and faunas. Varieties of flowers, trees, shrubs and herbs. Geese dots its ponds not to mention squirrels in glee hopping through the branches. The Japanese garden offered awe, serenity and tranquility.

2nd Stop
China town in the Southside on Cermak was the launch's break venue. Jolly Jee welcomed us with its sumptous menu of gustatory delight. Ordered were: soup, duck, beef, pork, seafood, eggroll, chilled avocado. Nine people were satisfied.

3rd Stop
Navy Pier enticed us to its Chicago River Architecture Cruise.( Price: $24.00 regular & $21.00 for Seniors). Brigitte, the teacher turned tour guide soaked our inquiring minds and amused us with her phrase of " in the world" on the salient informations about the history of the "windy city" that is Chicago's nickname due to its politicians referred to as "full of winds'; hence "windy"and its architectural designs manifested on its array of buildings - condos, offices, residentials, hotels. As the boat plowed and slithered across the Chicago river, the guide showed us the remnant from the shooting of the movie "The Dark Night" and the building that Spider man climbed.
Chicago derived its name from the native Indians who called the low-lying, prairie area as Chicagou, "smelly onion patch." The forest of skycrapers dotting the Chicago river had its primeval roots in the 1770s. Chicago's architectural history is shaped by 2 major events: balloon frame construction and the famous Chicago fire. The balloon frame construction started in the 1830s. This is a Chicago invention of building in sections that let homes be assembled" as quickly as you could inflate a balloon." This innovative concept was used later to build towns from Chicago across the nation to the West Coast."

4th Stop
Broadway and Argyle- the Vietname-Chinese business hub. Frank's friend Joe Co spoled us with the "so much food" at Furama , a Chinese restaurant.

Stories Revealed:
Joe Co & Frank Obina on the next blog.