Chicago Contradictions 3 to 8 of 8

I reckon these will sit on my desktop till kingdom come. So, I'm just going to post it in its draft form. Sometimes, an incomplete piece is also an masterpiece. Think "Unfinished Symphony."

3. Pretty but ugly

Pleasant views reside within the ocular region of the external observer. Or, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. It is perhaps the high latitude that Chicago is on and the relatively mild summer this year, many plants are in bloom in Chicago. They look lovely, even if they were generally in small patches. The wild flowers and weeds, though, were in full bloom and glory.

And when one compares what nature offers, man-made architecture in Chicago pales in comparison. While Chicago is home to some of the tallest buildings in the US, such as the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Tower, the rest of the buildings are not as spectacular.

Despite being one of the larger cities in the US, Chicago architecture is largely northern European, which is rather functional but boring. Most buildings are built with brick and have flat roofs and large windows. It is perhaps the harsh winters and massive snow storms that require such a construction to ensure that the buildings survive. So when we juxtapose the man-made stuff and nature, one begins to note the kind of beauty that Nature is capable of.

4. Nothing to buy but have things to buy

If you look hard enough

5. Cheap but expensive
11% tourist discount vs 10.25% regular state tax (non-refundable, unlike European VAT)

6. There is a need to eat even if there is no need to eat
Weather, perhaps, makes you hungry the minute meal times arrive. You may have had something big 2 hours before but your brain thinks you’ve digested everything. So you wanna eat again.

7. It blows hot to cold
Hot sun, warm streets, cool breezes, cold rain

8. Safe but not that safe
Don’t feel threatened, cf other major American cities but still there is no end of blaring siren and police vehicles