Chicago: Day 39 - 40

*Monday*


Steph and I went for dinner last night at RJ Grunts. It's one of the places on my hit list. The diner is situated conveniently near Lincoln Park and is just a walking distance away from Steph's place. It's a legend for great burgers and an awesome salad bar. (Think Sizzler's - just better!) We were famished after dance so we decided to check the place out. Here are some of the pics:

Waiting at the bar area for our seats.

Salon-style dining.

Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip

Quesadillas

The signature Gruntsburger. A juicy beef patty with blue cheese and deep fried onions. Mmmm.

Vanilla Ice Cream with a large, hot cookie smothered in chocolate sauce.

At the end of our meal, we were at a loss about what to order for dessert. Upon our request for a recommendation, our friendly server asked us if we had ever been to Grunts before. We said no and she replied, with a smile, that she knew just the right treat for the both of us. She soon returned a few minutes later with a bowl of vanilla ice cream laid on top of a large piping hot cookie, drizzled generously with chocolate sauce. It was oooo so sinful! But the perfect ending to a scrumptious treat.


*Tuesday*

Today, I decided to do a little exploration on my own. I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, in the city, near The Magnificent Mile. There was a farmer's market ongoing and I wanted to see what things I could do there. I thought the exhibitions might be a little boring, but they turned out more thought-provoking and visually stimulating than I had expected :) 

I got some crepes from "Sweet B". after that. Coincidentally, it was the stall that Steph and I wanted to try out at the Randolph Street Market, but were too full to. 

Sweet Sensations - banana with chocolate sauce and nutella :)

Dates with God

Prior to my day-out, I had asked God to be my "date". To guide me through my adventure and explore the city with me. I wanted him to be the one in-charge. And it was indeed a fantastic date. I finally got to do some shopping thereafter! I went to Macy's at the Water Tower and I got a pair of black COACH shoes to wear to work when I return to Singapore. I also got a black tube dress (one of those casual, tropical-looking, comfortable ones that I've always wanted) from Soma Intimates - I was glad that it actually complemented and fitted! Then, we headed to Guess further down Michigan Avenue. I had been to these shops previously, when Mum and I last visited, so it felt good walking down familiar territory again. 

God was good. I found some versatile, sleeveless blouses at Guess that I could wear, not just to town for a casual day out, but also for social dancing :) It really felt good. The city, the people, the energy - and the things to do. 

Steph came home later at night. We had dinner before heading out to Alhambra Palace for social. (I needed to go social as I had lost touch and was feeling rusty after my last salsa class). Knowing my nervousness at socials, I uttered a quick prayer, asking God to dance with me or be with me as I danced. I prayed that I would get to enjoy the night and Steph would get to enjoy it too. Thankfully, we both had a great time! God was truly good and faithful:)

Chicago: Day 36 - 38

Dear Diary,

Guess what? Today is officially the 1st of July!! My gosh, it's the beginning of a new month and a new season of exploration :)  I just can't wait to start my activity-plan for this month. Being in Chicago for about a month now, there are just some things I realised that can't be missed.

While June was a month of settling-in and acquainting myself with my surroundings here, July will be a month of gastronomical and cultural explorations. I'm looking forward to going on a Chicago Cupcake Crawl, a Chicago Dawg Trail and/or a Pancake-cum-Crepe-and-Waffle Walk.

Ambitious I know. Given the indulgent nature of my exploration, I definitely need to balance it with a low-carb, sugar-free diet for my other meals. Hopefully, this translates into healthier home-cooked meals on most weekdays!

I've also planned to visit more museums and read more this month. In addition, Steph and I will be heading out of town sometime in mid-July for a bachata festival in San Francisco and a vacation in Vegas. Being the only "free" one, I've been tasked to plan the itinerary - which means I'll need to start doing my research real soon!

So that's a foretaste of what to expect in the coming month;) In the meantime, here's a quick update on what was memorable for me over the past few days and - as you've probably guessed - it's mainly about food! 

Friday *Day 36*
Steph had printed some online vouchers for a neighbourhood tavern situated at the corner of the road near our place. We've been eyeing it for a few weeks now so I was pretty excited when he came across the deal.

One thing I can say about the "Four Farthings Tavern & Grill" is this - it's more of your local neighbourhood joint than your stellar eatery. Hence, service can be a little shabby but the food overall is good. Steph and I were careful this time not to over-order, so we got one appetizer to share and each a main. Here are some pictures that we took:

Relaxing while waiting for our appetizer.

Crabcake, which the tavern is known for. They also have this as an entree.
Worth the price of US$13.

Steph's very first lamb shank ;)

My herbed tilipia. 

According to Steph, my tilipia was fresh. Unfortunately, I did not know how to appreciate it as it tasted a little bland! I liked my side dish of corn and roasted potatoes with grilled onions better. The crabcake though was excellent :) I'll definitely order that as my main dish next time.

Saturday *Day 37*
On Saturday, Steph and I wanted to go to the Art Institute of Chicago. On the way there, we stopped by a farmer's market located at the carpark of Lincoln High School. There were a lot of stalls selling fruits and vegetables from the various farms, including breads, oils and stalls selling hotdogs and crepes. The fruits we tried were really sweet ;) So I hastily got a portion of cherries and some nectarines. Unfortunately I'd forgotten to bring my wallet!

We had to make a detour twice back to the apartment - once to get my wallet and a second time to put the fruits in the fridge. (We doubt the museum would let us in with them.)

To my surprise, the museum was gigantic! We spent some time (about one and a half hours there) browsing the various exhibits and halls. There just wasn't enough time to explore them all! I promised myself that I would go back there again with my camera and savour the various artworks when I have more time. Fortunately, we made it to the Roy Lichtenstein Exhibition, an iconic American pop artist who explored just about every art historical style out there. He is known for painting serial comics and generic everyday products in primary colours shaded with his signature Ben-day dot effect.

Part of Litchenstein's iconic works focuses on the portrayal of women as the "damsel-in-distress" and men as the stereotypical heroes in comic strips.

We had to do some grocery shopping later that evening for Chef Steph's indonesian ox-tail soup. Our search led us to a vietnamese-cum-thai neighbourhood. After scouring 3 supermarkets, we finally found the spice we needed for Steph's dish. We also had the benefit of tasting some really good, authentic vietnamese food:

Finally. Asian condiments.

Fried chilli! :)

We each ordered a bowl of "pho" - vietnamese rice noodles in beef broth with cuts of rare beef, flank, tendon and tripe.
Yummmm.

Additional garnishings that you can add to your soup - bean sprouts, mint leaves (which actually makes the soup taste sweeter) and lime.

Avocado smoothie with tapioca pearls.

Deliciously slurping up our meal. 

The generous portion was enough for me to eat over two meals. And the price was very reasonable too -USD $6.50 for a giant bowl. Even after slurping up the portion I'd taken home, it still left me wanting for more. Unexpectedly, one of the best meals I've had in Chicago ;)

Sunday *Day 38*

Our first Sunday of July, I finally had the privilege of trying Chef Steph's variation of the indonesian dish rawon (i.e. spicy black beef soup). The soup is made of ground mix­ture of garlic, shallot, keluak, ginger, candlenut, turmeric, red chili and salt sauteed with oil until it gets aromatic. The sauteed mixture is then poured into boiled beef stock with diced beef. Lemongrass, galangal, bay leaves, kaffir leaves and sugar are then added as seasonings. Thankfully, all we had to do was to get the pre-mix. The recipe then becomes simple: (1) fry the pre-mix in a pan with some oil and garlic (2) add in some stalks of lemongrass to the pan and continue frying (3) once fragrant, transfer the mixture into a pot (4) add some water or beef broth and (5) boil together with the meat. Enjoy with a plate of steaming, hot rice :)


Note: If using ox-tail, the soup is best left to boil over a small fire. The longer the ox-tail is cooked, the softer the meat actually becomes :)

Indonesian-styled ox-tail soup!

Chef Steph serving up our meal! :)

Ta-daaaah! 

The spice pack behind it all.

We ran some errands thereafter for Laurie's wedding. Steph had dance practice so I stayed at home and caught up on my series of Heroes (yes, I'm backdated! I know) We went for mass thereafter, had a quick dinner at home before heading down to a 24-hour Starbucks nearby to escape from the heat.

Chicago Retreat: Day 32 - 36

Dear Diary,

It's been awhile since I last blogged! I'm currently on silent retreat and resisting the urge to have any connection via internet. But I decided to update this so I can keep my memory fresh :)

The last time I had a silent retreat was in April 2010 at Seven Fountains, Chiangmai so I was really looking forward to this one, even prior to my arrival here.

I checked-in at the Cenacle Retreat Centre on Monday. Sr Emma Exconde, my spiritual director met me at the lobby and she brought me around. The centre is extremely lovely! Although the silence is a little overwhelming :P When she showed me to my room, I was immediately in heaven! The room was not like anything I had seen in Chiangmai. It was much more cosier and reminded me of a hotel room. "You have the city view!" Sr Emma said."You'll get to see the lights at night. It's very beautiful."

The best part though, for me, was that my room was located directly in front of the prayer chapel - which meant that I could walk over anytime I wanted and spend some time there without disturbing anyone. It meant a lot to me that God had taken care of this tiny detail just to ensure that easy access was given to me. Thankfully, the washrooms were also just a short walk away. 

As I continued on my tour of the building, I realised that the retreat centre had a lot of lovely places and spaces for the individual to pray and reflect. Apart from its outdoor gardens, I was struck most of all by the Lady Chapel, a large chapel where the Cenacle Sisters congregate to pray together with visitors and guests to the centre. The moment I entered the chapel, I was drawn by the beautiful stained glass panes on the walls.

I could only imagine what worshipping God in such an environment would feel like. That is an instinctive silence and reverence that befalls upon the beholder in the face of such artistic beauty. Later on that day, I walked quietly among the Stations of the Cross, admiring and contemplating the faces of the persons portrayed. There was something about the faces being carved so life-like in wood that I could not help but gasp internally at each one. Here are some of those which stood out and struck me:

The Thirteenth Station:
The body of Jesus being taken down from the cross by his mother.

The First Station:
Jesus being condemned by Pilot to carry the cross.

The Twelfth Station:
Jesus dies on the cross, with Mary his mother and John his disciple.

The Fourteenth Station - Jesus is laid in the tomb.
I was struck by the image of Mary gazing upon her son's body. Somehow, this image moved me.

The Third Station - Jesus falls the first time.
The man standing at the back, I presume, is the Pharisee staring on and "upholding" the law in his hands

The Fourth Station - Jesus meets his mother.
It struck me that the first person whom Jesus encounters, after he fell, was his mother.
It struck me further that she was kneeling on the ground with a pleading look on her face.
I was really moved by this somehow - it reminded me of my own mother and the concern she exuded,  in spite of my stubborness, because of my decision to do what I felt I had to (of course, the only difference being that I'm not Jesus!). 

At the entrance of the chapel, there was a winding staircase that led right to the loft. When I saw it, I couldn't help by gasp internally at how beautiful and personal the space was. It was like a page out of a dream.

The stairs leading up to the loft.
A statue of Saint Therese Couderc, the co-foundress of the Cenacle can be seen on the LHS.

There are cushions and old pews with kneelers for persons to pray and reflect.

The stained glass at the back of the loft.

A retreat at the Cenacle is like a quiet, restful vacation in an amazing art museum - just that you're often caught off guard by the treasures that you find, unobtrusive and hidden, along corridors and stairwells. The nature of these art pieces themselves are often striking and stirring - like the beauty of God dwelling in all things, waiting to be discovered.

"Let It Rain (Holy Ghost Rain)"
by Leslye Ong
I love the image of the character opening up his mouth to drink in the rain!
Or was he singing...?

"The Tree of Life"
by Leslye Ong

There are quotes hidden along the stairwells and corridors as well, for the unsuspecting guest.

One of the things that struck me when I first checked into the Cenacle, was the vast amount of books that they had for one's spiritual inspiration and personal reflection. Here are pictures of some books that inspired me on my journey :)

A moving book written by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin,  an Archbishop of Chicago,
in his last days during his battle against pancreatic cancer. 

The bookshop :)

I found this gem of a book in the prayer chapel across my room. 

Apart from the chapels, I had a few other favourite spaces, including the room where I meet Sr Emma for my daily spiritual direction and (of course) the dining room! :)

Cosy meeting rooms for personal direction :)

The dining room! :)

An espresso machine and a microwave - essentials for any retreat!

Retreats are always a healthy - not just for the soul, but for the body too :)

The menu for the day is usually displayed on the wall.
(This was the best one I had all week;)

I have to say, the lasagne was wonderful.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My portion :)

Since good things were meant to be shared, I could not resist sneaking out a tupperware for Steph! :)

I have to admit, I was a little distracted during my retreat as I had dance classes ongoing, so I would leave in the evenings for classes. To be honest, it was really hard for me to be silent during my retreat, but God is good. Already on my first day, I was struck by some of the things Sr Emma said. The materials I found by chance, which accompanied me in the days that followed, were also amazingly relevant and on point. I was deeply moved that God was the one in charge. I didn't have to plan my itinerary or program. He just met me wherever I was at, and in the least expected of places. Even on the last day of my retreat, I felt like it was still the beginning - God was still doing some work in me and we had only just begun.  

At the end of my retreat, I felt like a toddler just learning to walk again. I felt a lot more connected to God than I had been when I first arrived here in Chicago but I knew that that connection was something which I needed to "grow" in the days to come thereafter. And the only way of doing so, was to set aside some quality time with God. 

Thankfully, Sr Emma sensed where I was in my walk and she encouraged me to return for further spiritual direction. "You've only just begun!" She had exclaimed with a smile. I look forward to meeting her again next week, but not before I've done my part in spending time with God ;P