Photographs of the trip, posted on the website are courtesy of Tina DeMello.

Greta Dias

SENIORS’ WHIRLWIND TOUR OF CHICAGO
BY  ARMAND  RODRIGUES


Organized by GOA Toronto, a group of seniors from different walks of
life, found themselves on a coach bound for Chicago.  Whether most
people knew each other or not, social interaction and trivial banter
prevailed.  And, sanctimonious obligations were balanced by videos of
the irreverence of Russell Peters’ profane humour and Smirnoff’s clean
cracks at the English language.  As would be expected, bingo, snacks
and munchies punctuated the long drive down.  By way of baptism of
sorts, the heavens opened up and “cleansed” the coach and its
occupants, with a torrential downpour, for a fair distance. Before we
knew it, we morphed from Goans to Chicagoans.

Contrary to popular belief, Chicago is not a windy city as such.  It
got the negative nomenclature during a huge World Fair, from
journalists who were overwhelmed by the patter and bombast of
Chicagoans.

The city has a population of three million.  It has 77 neighbourhoods,
27 drawbridges on the Chicago river, nine marinas and 5,000 motorboats.
Paris is a sister city.  Outside Poland, it boasts the largest Polish
population.  Unlike other large U.S. cities, it has no factories on its
waterfront lapped by the waters of Lake Michigan. The water here is
pristine, the walking and bicycle trails stretch 30 km. along the shore.

The elite live along Lake Shore Drive with its amazing views, expensive
digs and roster of who’s who.  Some notables who lived or live in
Chicago include Al Capone, George Pullman, Obama and Oprah.  Lest we
forget, gospel music started in Chicago in 1920;  the first nuclear
reactor was tested here on December 2, 1942, by Enrico Fermi, and led
to the unspeakable devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki ; the Deep
Dish Pizza was invented here by Ike Sewell in 1943, and had to be eaten
with a knife and fork at a proper table.

Low-lying pea-soup fog hampered sightseeing to a degree.  Yet, we were
able to take in most attractions.  We visited Millenium Park with the
Jay Pritzker Pavillion and its enormous stainless steel ribbons framing
a modernistic  stage, and Anis Kapoor’s amazing “Cloud Gate” – also
known as the “Silver Bean”--- that reflects the whole skyline and
portrays distorted caricatures of spectators around it.  Whether by
design or accident, we went past the trendy shops of the Magnificent
Mile, but did not pause.  And, we braved the notorious Southside and
saw Chinatown, Little Italy and Greektown.  We also drove by Wrigley
Field and the renowned University of Chicago.  Navy Pier was a
destination in itself.  This 1916 attraction boasts a 3,000 ft. pier,
cafes, shops, a 15-story-high Ferris Wheel, and the Smith Museum with
its 150 priceless secular and religious, salvaged, stained-glass
windows. The pier is a magnet for some nine million visitors a year.

At the Lincoln Park Conservatory we were rewarded with an array of
exotic plants, unusual flowers and trees (including curry-pak).  And,
at the Cultural Centre, we cast our gaze upwards on the world’s largest
Tiffany stained-glass dome which is 38 ft. in diameter and consists of
30,000 pieces of glass.  The original was put together by men, but
restoration in 2008 was by females because they “are more adept at fine
handiwork !  The centre is an architectural showpiece where Carrara
marble, polished brass, exotic hardwoods, mosaics of Favrile glass,
mother-of-pearl and coloured stone were used to optimum advantage.

Late afternoon saw the fog lift sufficiently for us to take the
high-speed  elevator to the Sears’ Tower Skydeck.  Visibility from here
is an unbelievable 50 miles on a clear day.  A glass ledge jutting out
four feet provides stomach-churning views below.

There was no skipping mass on Sunday.  We received a special welcome--
with reserved pews-- at the Shrine of St.Jude in the Hispanic Church of
Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Needless to say, many a votive candle was lit
after mass, perhaps for atonement or in pursuit of favours.  That
night, Francis Fernandes of GTG fame, put on an impromptu skit, with
“pamprel” Merces Menezes and “cotrin” Clara Fernandes, in the lobby of
the hotel.  Merces also led the group in Konkani, English and Swahili
songs.  Reis De Lima put in his two cents worth.  All pitched in to
make it an enjoyable night.

Vagaries of the weather apart, road rehabilitation over vast stretches
of the highway into the city, made for a very slow and monotonous drive
to or from our hotel on the outskirts.  Shopping at Macey’s and Target
was less appreciated than it was at J.C.Penny’s.  Some avid shoppers
were seen in furtive pursuits at the duty-free shops, going and coming.

Rowena Clutton, Eurema Colaco, Clara Fernandes and others tended to
creature comforts as best they could.

All-in-all, it was a worthwhile trip, with scant attention being paid
to dietary constraints.  Congeniality prevailed throughout.