A Bulls Game, which I never told you about

The Bulls at United Center

As soon as I came back to Chicago in September, as you might recall from a previous blog entry, I went to a Cubs game, and had declared that I want to go to at least one game of each of the important Chicago teams. 

After such a declaration I could not miss the opportunity of attending a Bulls Game.  The Chicago Bulls are quite famous in the basketball world, and everyone knows Michael Jordan, one of their main players who is now retired and has a steakhouse on Michigan Avenue.

The opportunity came in the form of discounted tickets for Loyola students, brought about by the Water Tower Campus life, the department where I work.  We had bought the tickets quite in advance, and they were sold out quite early, because it was quite an offer.  We got our tickets for $15.  These same tickets generally cost in the region of $60.  Which definitely means I’m not going to be seeing the bulls play live very often.

The basketball game is very simple, but like everything here in America, it has been transformed into a show.  Watching game includes seeing dancing in intermissions  (and there are a lot of them), contests between spectators, flying T-shirts, and more. 

The opening of the game is quite spectacular, with this 3d rendering video of bulls trampling over the City of Chicago and arriving at the arena.  This is accompanied by a show of lights, music and fire effects.  After this, the players go onto the court and start the game, but not before a gigantic floating bull goes round the court.

The floating Bull

The game was a good one, and we enjoyed ourselves.  It was played at the United Centre, house of the bulls.  They however share this place with the Chicago Blackhawks, an ice hockey team.  In fact the pitch can be transformed into an ice-skating rink. 

The United Center, Chicago

What struck me is that the nearer the game is to its end, the more Time-outs the team take.  The last minute of the game could take half an hour to be over, especially if the score is really close.  This could be quite frustrating, but being at the stadium in good company I wasn't annoyed.  Probably watching the game from home, would have been a different story.  Anyway, finally the Bulls won, and we went home happily.

Christmas holidays

I have again abandoned my blog for a while. I'm sorry.  I wasn't idle though.  In fact I have written quite a lot in the last month.  I wrote 3 papers and a number of reflections.  I've also started writing some blogs for the University website.  Here's the link:  

http://blogs.luc.edu/globalambassadors/2012/12/17/studying-social-justice-at-loyola/

You should read it, if you're curious why I decided to come here :)

I've also had to decide what I'm going to do for Christmas.  I decided to stay in Chicago, because although I have no school, I still got loads of work to finish, and not much money left for traveling.  I will still spend some time with some friends in the suburbs, but I'll spend most of my Christmas holidays here in Chicago.  Thus, I decided I need to put up some Christmas decorations in my apartment.  I didn't want to spend any money, since I will need to get rid of everything in a few weeks, and also because this will be my first and last Christmas here. (At least that's the plan so far) 

I managed to get some sort of garland and some plastic ponsiettas.  I also have some christmas baubles which I had designed for WTC (the place where I work).  And the most precious of all is the little baby Jesus I got from Malta.  I'm pleased to say the result is not that bad. 

Now, that I have some Christmas spirit in my apartment, I'm looking forward to the snowfall which has been predicted for today, and ice-skating later this evening.  In the mean-time, I'll burn some wood in the fireplace and take some time to write some more blog entries to update you on what I've been up to in the last month.

In the meantime, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas!!

The festive season is now officially open

Michigan Avenue Bridge

Yesterday, the Festival of lights opened the festive season in Chicago.  This happens with a parade through Michigan avenue.  The parade is headed by Mini and Mickey Mouse, whose arrival is accompanied by the lighting up of the Christmas decorations in that particular stretch of road, and lots of cheering, especially by children.  The parade came to an end with a fireworks show at the river.  There was a nice atmosphere.  A Christmas feeling, although it is too early for Christmas, we’re still more than a month away, and advent will only start in two weeks. 

Mini & Mickey in front of Water Tower Place

Before the festival, our university organized a graduate student social at 16th floor of the Lewis Towers, from which Michigan Avenue can be seen well.  We had some egg nog and warm apple cider, and each student was given a bauble, or as they refer to it here an ornament.  I had designed this ornament for Water Tower Campus life, the department for which I work here, and I'm quite proud of my first venture into design of Christmas decorations.   

So after the social, we went out into the streets to enjoy the atmosphere and headed towards the river to watch the fireworks.  Walking down the streets, the reason why celebrations start so early, was obvious.  The Christmas period brings with it a rise in consumption and commercial activity.  Thus the longer such period is, the better for the enterprises.  We obviously ignore the fact that such lengthening of the Christmas period, not only degrades the value and anticipation to such days, but is also in my opinion harmful to the environment.

Nevertheless its hard not be carried away by the spirit, especially when the weather is already colder than it has been in all my Christmases throughout my lifetime.  Still, I will try to hold my horses, and go through the traditional anticipation for Christmas, going through advent first.  Will see how much I will manage this in the midst of all the Christmas decorations popping all over the place.

Obama again

By now, you should all know that Obama won another term in the White House.  Many were expecting this, but others weren't so hopeful.  Indeed it was a very long campaign, and by the end of it, everyone wanted it to be over and done with as soon as possible.  I guess, it is thus worth chronicling the night when all this came to a close.

In the evening I headed off to a bar where some friends were watching the results.  I had an evening class which ended at 9.30, so I couldn't go earlier.  Although the professor declared earlier that he will keep it short and let us leave an hour earlier, he did not.  I think he was carried away by his enthusiasm, which I must say, didn't infect us. 

When I finally arrived at the bar, at around 10.00, there was quite a nice atmosphere, with everyone looking at the big screens with expectation.  My friends where all gathered in the patio outside, which although enclosed was still very cold. On the tv's one could see the results for different states.  Then suddenly slightly after 10.15, a blue image with democratic party written on, flashed onto the screen.  This meant that Obama won.  There was an explosion of cheering.  Apparently most of the people there were Obama supporters.

All in all, it was a nice event, although it all happened so fast.  Backhome, it takes almost 24 hours to get a clear result of who won the election, and here its done in a few hours.  And the strangest thing to me, is that the results come out even before some voting places close, such as in Alaska.  What's the use of going to vote, if the result is already out?

The excitement didn't last long, and soon everyone started leaving.  So we decided to head off to some friends' house and continue the night there.  The streets were quite, no bar-coding like back home.  We watched Romney's concession of the defat, and Obama's appreciation speech from McCormick Place in my own Chicago.  I must admit I was quite proud to be in this City at this moment in time.  It's not as historical as 2008, but it still was an important event, and the President chose Chicago for it.

One other interesting fact I discovered, is that the President isn't sworn in immediately.  The official ceremony will be held on the 21st of January.  It will be obviously held in Washington D.C.  I'd like to go to it, but it will probably conflict with my school and work schedule.  

US election_2

And for those of you who want to keep abreast with the latest predictions, the link below, provides what some think might be the closest to what might really happen:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/

Election Day

It’s election Day, here in the US today.  Whatever the outcome of this day will be, it will surely affect not just Americans but people all over the world.  That's why all eyes will be on America tonight.  America remains a leader in the world we live in, and the man at the top surely makes a difference to direction in which our future goes.  

Most of my american friends here have already voted.  Some have voted by correspondence, or as it is called absentee ballot, because they are still registered in their home town, and others have already voted in the past days.  Yet the bulk of the Americans is making the actual decision today.  This notwithstanding, the city looks as if it’s business as usual.  The president himself is in town, and will be eagerly awaiting for the results at McCormick Place, described by Wikipedia as the largest convention centre in North America.  I guess this would be quite a nail biting night, especially for him, who would get to know if he is getting fired or not tonight.  

The odds are in his favour it seems, but anything could happen, as they are saying that the difference between the two candidates is not very big.  And the system is not as simple.  Apparently there are two types of voting.  One is the popular vote, which counts the votes of all the voters – like any normal election, and the other vote is the electoral college vote.  The electoral college should vote according to the popular vote, but still I haven’t yet understood why a simpler voting system would do.  In my eyes, the system doesn’t look so democratic, especially because seemingly the votes of some states have a higher standing.  But it’s also maybe because I didn’t really understand how the system works.

So tonight I’m heading off to a bar to watch the election results live as they come out, and hopefully by then I will have a better grasp of the system.  Until then I’d like to propose to you the video below.  For those of you who were following the presidential campaign and who are also acquainted with the music video of gangnam style, will surely find it funny.

Chicago Marathon

About a month ago, on the 7th of October (2012), there was the Chicago Marathon.  The event was a remarkable one for various reasons.  First of all I was impressed by the number of participants, around 45,000.  Coming from a town of around 10,000, and a nation of less than half a million, I’m obviously impressed.  Especially when you consider that all the participants have family and friends who support them, so the number of people connected to the marathon is over a million.  It is obviously a headache to organize such an event and have everything run smoothly.  It also means that the city of Chicago is paralysed during the event with a number of major thoroughfares closed.  Still what impressed me most, was the atmosphere that descends on the city throughout the marathon. 

For a while, 26 miles of streets in the core of Chicago become pedestrianised.  The city suddenly becomes far less noisy and an atmosphere of serenity pervades throughout.  Chicagoans and others line the streets from where the marathon passes and cheer friends and strangers on their journey to the finish line.  Everyone becomes like one family for a few hours, and everyone encourages the participants to go on, to persevere, not to surrender.  And then, when finally the participants start finishing the marathon a sense of joy and elation floods the city.  I was just an observer, but I couldn’t not be carried away by all these feelings, and felt part of it all.  I cannot explain what it was really, but it was indeed a nice experience.

Strange fact

One strange thing which I saw, was this pile of clothes.  I don’t really know how it ended up there, and what was the reason behind it.  But it was strange to see all those clothes thrown away, and people going through them, finding something which might be their size and is in good condition.  I must admit that I didn’t expect to find this sort of thing here in America.

I'm back..

I’m back.  I didn’t go anywhere really and I wasn’t blown away by Sandy either.  This has been probably the busiest period of my stay here in the US so far.  I didn’t have enough time to sit down and write, not even to think.  I was much absorbed that I even froze a ladle in some pasta I wanted to keep for later.  At least I did open the tin foil package before putting everything in the oven.  Hadn’t I done so, it would have surely melted, and ruined my lunch.

This semester is proving to be quite tough, considering I have an average of two reflection papers to write each week, apart from the various readings, and the work for my job.  Mind you, I’m not complaining, I’m enjoying every minute of it, but it’s also draining especially when you add in the cooking and household management.  It was much easier at home where I would always find good food on the plate as soon as I entered the door, fresh and clean linen and clothes, ironed shirts, and a house in which everything was spick and span.  

Obviously I don’t miss home just for these things.  I miss family and friends.  But I’m lucky enough to say that here I have also found new friends, and people which I can call my family.  This is definitely making me feel more at home here in Chicago.  The problem is that from now onwards I’ll be always away from home, even when I’m at home.  That’s why I now have to start considering the World as my home.

PS. Hopefully in the coming days, I will be able to update you with what I have been up to in the last month.

Catholic Social Teaching - a hidden treasure

Today I'm sharing with you a blog which I've written for one of our classes.  Social Justice is one of the main reasons why I'm doing this experience.  I hope it makes you more interested in what I'm studying.

Catholic Social Teaching is generally known as the Church’s hidden treasure.  I feel glad and proud that I form part of an institution that has always given great importance to social justice.  Simultaneously though, I also feel sad, that for most Catholics, and the rest of the world, these teaching remain hidden.

The question is why have these teachings remained hidden?  Is it the fault of the Church leaders?  I don’t think that this can be said, when considering the number of official Church documents written on the subject.  This topic has been at the forefront of the Church’s agenda for over a century now, with encyclicals being written by most Popes who have led the church in the last century. 

Personally, I attribute this fact to an ever-increasing sense of individualism and selfishness.  Aren’t after all the acts of mercy at the basis of social justice? To feed the hungry and the thirsty, to welcome strangers, to dress the naked and to visit and console the imprisoned are all acts, which stem from the respect towards human dignity, a basic principle in catholic social teachings.  These acts push us to think of others in a deep way.  They invite us to see beyond our urges and needs.  They invite us to be just, not only by providing to the poor, but also by seeing the dignity in the human person no matter what their social standing is, or whatever they have done.  This is not charity, but justice, because it is the right of every human being to have.

The world however alienates us from this fact.  Many times it makes us believe that what we have is ours by right and that no one should interfere in our freedom.  What we fail to see however is that this freedom sometime impinges on the freedom of others, who because of their situation cannot attain their own rights.  By looking solely at our personal interests, many times we fail to see the bigger picture, the picture which involves the common good of all.

For many it is just that people who are not born in a country, are not given permission to live in that country, because they will take the opportunities of that country’s citizens.  For others it is only fair that world policies are dictated by the most powerful countries, because they are the ones providing economic growth and progress.  Some might think that whatever we do with our bodies/lives, is only for us to decide.  Yet when we start thinking of others, this might change.  When we put ourselves in the shoes of those who have no say, are the victims in the situation, we might see things in a different way.

The common good many times contradicts our own personal goods.  Sometimes it means that we have to forfeit some of our personal choices.  We cannot have it always our way.  By thinking more of others, and less of ourselves, the relationships we have with others become more balanced, more just, more mutual.  They no longer are about what I can get from you, but a relationship built on mutual respect and love.

Social Justice thus is not just a world process, it is most of all a personal process, where everyone becomes more aware of others around him and their needs.  It is only when this personal transformation starts, that we can start to look at a world transformation.  Until this happens the church’s social teaching will remain its best hidden treasure.

A Cubs game at Wrigley field

There are a number of things that are a must when you visit Chicago.  One of them, as the title clearly spells out, is to go to a Cubs game at Wrigley field.  For those of you not acquainted with Chicago, the Cubs are one of the two major baseball teams of the city.  The other team is that of the White Sox.  Funnily enough, when I first came here I used to see a lot of people with Sox baseball caps.  But not knowing anything about the team, and the logo placing the letters in a particular way, I thought it was some particular brand called Sex.  It was only when I commented about this to a friend that I was finally illuminated.

But let’s not deviate too much.  This was my first ever baseball game, and trust me it’s not that exciting.  It lasted around 3 to 4 hours and most of the time there was hardly any action on the field.  I must also admit that even though my friends tried to explain the game to me, I still couldn’t understand what was really going on.  I understood though that the Cubs won, which was quite a surprise, because apparently this season they were doing very bad.  I also noted that one of the players’ surname was Rizzo.  I’m curious to know whether he is of Maltese descent, although he might also be Sicilian.  This guy was actually one of the best players of the game as he did a number of home runs.  A homerun is when the batter throws the ball so far out, that he can run safely home.  Usually the ball ends on the spectators watching the game who keep the ball as a souvenir.  So you see I’ve learnt something about baseball for sure.

However I’ve also noted that people don’t just go there to watch the game.   Its a social outing.  Everyone is chatting, and most of all eating and drinking beer.  The smell of grilled sausages permeates throughout the stadium, and makes you want one.  I myself enjoyed the company of my friends and ate so much.  The atmosphere is wonderful, with bands playing, people singing and so on.  And all this is performed with organ music being played in the background.  Its not a church organ kind of music, but if you have seen ‘The Simpsons’ you surely know what I’m talking about.

Wrigley field is also a place to go because the stadium is one of the oldest in the US.  It is also one of the smallest and has this scoreboard that is not automatic, but people change scores on it from the inside.  It is like a tall building with lots of windows.  The windows are filled in with words and scores.    This scoreboard really fascinated me, and I’d like to visit it from the inside one day.  Its quite big, and I imagine that when you are inside you realize the enormity of it all.  

This was one of my first experiences of American sport.  Next in line is Basketball.  Our school had an offer for some Bulls game, and everyone said that it was really worth it.  So late in October I should be telling you about that.  

Sweet home Chicago

I’m back to Chicago now.  Actually I’ve been back for a few weeks, but it is only now that I’m starting to feel settled down.  Having arrived, when the semester had already started made it more difficult for me to settle down quickly.  

As soon as I arrived, I had to get all the books, and do all the readings.  And we’ve had already a huge chunk of assignments to submit.  In the meantime I was also dealing with all the apartment issues, such as signing the lease, getting internet, and changing the utilities in my name.  I did some quick re-arranging of the apartment, but it still needs some touches.  However the bulk is now almost over, and I can now call Chicago home.  Having enjoyed those warm summer weeks in Malta, I am now ready to face Chicago’s cold winter, which seems to be approaching quite fast.  And I’m looking forward to keep you abreast with what’s going here in Chicago, hopefully weekly.

So let the year begin, and may the odds be ever in our favour. :P (I’ve just seen the hunger games)

Grape Harvesting

One of the things which I like most in Summer is grape harvesting.  Altghough it is quite tiring, I find it so much of a nice experience, almost magical, and I'm so happy that in the few days here at home I had the opportunity to do it again. 

My father and I wake up early in the morning, much before sunrise.  We do this, because as you can imagine, as the sun rises the temperature rises too, and it becomes almost impossible to work in the scorching sun.  When we arrive in the field it is no longer dark, even though the sun hasn't risen yet.  The atmosphere at this moment is so nice.  There is silence, the silence you can't hear when you're in a city, yet you can also hear all sorts of noises.  The rustling of the leaves of a tree, produced by a gentle blow of wind, and the birds whistling or the crowing of a rooster.   

As the sun slowly rises, we start picking the grapes.  Here you occasionally meet some surprises like a nest of bees or a spider like I did this time. 

The spider on its web

After picking the grapes, we select them and press them to produce wine.  Mind you we do this on a small scale, and the wine we produce is only for our family consumption.  Overall I find the whole process relaxing, and enjoyable and I do suggest you to try your hand at one such experience.

Gozo

When visiting Malta, one can't leave out a small trip to Gozo the second island in size of the Maltese Archipelago.  The island is quiter than the main one, and many Maltese go to this island to relax, and that's what I did.  I only spent a few hours on the island, so I didn't go to the nicest places like Dwejra or Ramla l-hamra (a beach with reddish sand).  Yet here are some of the photos of my short trip.

St. George's Basilica, Rabat, Gozo

Pastizzi and Qassatat - Breakfast in front of the Basilica

The road to the beach

Mgarr ix-Xini Bay, Gozo

Target in Mqabba, Malta

Look I found a Target in Malta too, :P  This one though specializes in Wines and Spirits it seems, and is not as big as the target I came across in Chicago. 

For those of you who read this blog, and are not familiar with the American Target, this is a big American retailing company with shopping centers all over the US.  In the Target shopping centres you can buy anything from groceries to furniture, books to electronic equipment and also clothing.  

Mind you I'm not marketing Target.  Personally, I tend to hate shopping in such shopping centers.  Their hugeness overwhelms me, maybe because I come from a very small country.  I feel tired and confused in such places, that's why I prefer this Maltese Target. :)

I’ll see you in September, Chicago

After about seven months in Chicago, it was time for me to head home for some real summer.  So here I am in Malta, in the sweltering heat, writing my blog in a dark room to avoid being hit by any direct sunlight.

Truly, although the temperature is very hot here, I wouldn’t have missed being here for anything.  I love Maltese summers.  I love being surrounded by the Mediterranean sea.  I love eating all this fresh fruits and sea food, and relaxing by the sea.  I love the fact that I have plenty of scenic beaches to choose from, and most of them are less than a 15 minute drive away.   My favourites are the rocky ones, where the deep water is so clear that you can see the seabed below even if this is metres underwater.  It is also good to see that the water is not as polluted as yet, and that life underwater is still abundant in most of these areas. 

Wied iz-Zurrieq, a deep water creek 5 minutes away from my house

So although this blog is about my experience in Chicago, in the coming days, I will be posting some photos, to share with you, my experience here in Malta too. 

I’ll be back in Chicago in a few weeks, and although I’m enjoying my time here in Malta, I’m also looking forward to all the new things I’ll be doing when I go back.  Until then I hope that you enjoy some of the Maltese scenes I will be posting here.

Taliesin, Wisconsin

Frank Lloyd Wright is not my favorite architect, perhaps because I have the feeling that he wasn't the nicest of persons.  Anyway his works are still very interesting and inspiring.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin.  Frank Lloyd Wright lived here after he left Chicago.  This complex of buildings served as his house, his office and also an architecture school.  To this day the building still houses the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.  

To this day people live in the complex, in what seems to be a self-sustainable community, with the residents growing their own food in the fields surrounding the property.  The views here are awesome, and there is a sense of calm and peacefulness.  The actual house is very nice and very homey.  It has been kept almost as it was when its owner lived in it, with the exception of some changes which were made by the late Mrs. Wright.

It is interesting to note that this house had a twin: Taliesin West in Arizona.  The whole household/school would move there in the winter months, because its warmer in Arizona.  Apparently it can get very cold here in Wisconsin in winter.  I will have to visit Taliesin West.

This is my favorite part of the house.  The u-shaped house is built to the side of the top of the hill.  This makes this garden feel like an enclosed courtyard, surrounded by the house on three sides and the top of the hill on the other side.  The garden as the house is decorated with sculpture and other interesting features.  The water trickling down from the various pool, adds to the serenity of the garden.  

On the Mississippi

Before I came to the US, the only river I knew of in the US was the Mississippi.  I remember it from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer's adventures.  Since the Mississippi is a very long river and flows through a good number of American states (about 10), it wasn't that difficult to come across it.  It also happens to form part of the boundary between the state of Illinois and Iowa.  

On the Mississippi

So on my first trip out of Illinois, I crossed over this river.  I didn't meet Tom Sawyer here, but I came across Buffallo Bill.  He was an american soldier who became famous by organizing shows with a cowboy theme.  I visited his museum on the river, which also houses a steam boat, the kind you see in those period American films.  I've also been to Buffallo's Bill's homestead, where I saw a buffalo for the first time.  The atmosphere here is very bucolic. 

Buffalo Bill's homestead

I've enjoyed my stay at the Quad-cities.  These are four cities, as the name implies, two on each side of the Mississippi river.  Davenport and Bettendorf are in Iowa, whilst Rock Island and Moline are in Illinois.  Compared to Chicago there's not much here, although there's an Art Museum designed by David Chipperfield and a number of Casino's.  

The Figgie Art Museum

One of the nicest structures I've seen in Davenport is a newly constructed pedestrian bridge which just takes people to a casino.  Apparently the city earns so much from the Casino business that it built this bridge out of public funds.

I've also been to John Deere's headquarters.  According to wikipedia this is the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world.  Some of the machines here are monstrous.  If my father came to the US, this place should feature on top of the list of sights to see, as agricultural machinery is one of his passions.  Anyway here's a photo for you to get an idea of the scale.  Some of the machines would do some of the work we used to do in a day in our field in 15 minutes.

I'm back

Those of you who have been following my blog regularly, might have been worried, for my absence of more than a month.  I’m so sorry.  I will try to catch up in the coming days, by posting a number of posts updating you with what I've been up to.

Indeed the last weeks were very busy for me, busier than ever.  I did some travelling (more on this to follow), but the most important thing was an intensive class on Global Economy & Justice.  I had daily classes, and lots of readings and assignments to do.  This class drained me of all my energies but it was very interesting.  My first interest in Social justice is owed to the topic tackled in this class.  

I learnt a lot and I must admit that now I can see things in a different light.  Before I was exposed to just one side of the coin, but now I can also see the other side.  Perhaps its a coin which has more than two sides....  It was interesting to learn more about Free trade, international markets and institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank and the World trade organization.  It was also interesting to understand better the financial crisis in the light of a historical context.  

I keep realizing the need to learn more on the ways in which we can develop our world in a just and sustainable manner.