Friday, October 30, 2009
Happy Halloween
Just thought I'd share my Halloween pumpkin, not the most elaborate I've ever done but I think it's a good for the occasion.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Martin
Given my habit of procrastination when it comes to clothing (as stated in my previous post), it won't come as a surprise that I've had a too-big pair of pants for several years. I probably shouldn't admit this, but during the time when I also didn't own a belt, I used to make it through the day by tying a piece of yarn through the belt loops around my waist. Deborah, my colleague, was rightfully shocked and teased me to no end, but I continued to live with what I thought was a perfectly functional solution.
About 8 months ago, an idea popped into my head--a tailor! I should take my pants to a tailor! But I had no idea how to go about doing that, and when I started asking around I kept hearing horror stories. I found a few viable options on Yelp and set the pants aside so I could take them in. Then the week would get busy, I would run out of things to wear, I'd pull out the same too-big pants (with a belt that I bought along the way), and then put them back aside at the end of the day so I could take them to the tailor. This has gone on for 8 months now.
Today, however, was a new day. Today I packed the pants in a bag and set off in search of Sew Special. I hoped the tailor would have pity on a girl with no tailoring experience. I expected to be greeted by either an Asian couple or a petite man with a lisp and an attitude when I pulled open the door, so I was surprised to find Bob Marley drifting out the door as I walked in. There at the sewing machine sat my new tailor--a loose, knitted cap in black and green sat on top of his dreadlocks, a salt and pepper beard, a black-yellow-green sweatshirt. "Hello there, how are you? What can I do for you?" he asked in a strong accent.
I showed him my pants. "I need these taken in."
"Yeah, mon. Why don't you just go put them on for me."
He was Jamaican. Very Jamaican. And while I went behind the curtain to change into my pants. He and his friend lilted away in the patois of which I could understand only every third or fourth word. While he measured my pants I told him about the two weeks I had spent in Jamaica while in college learning about the culture. I proudly told him the two words/phrases that I had learned in Jamaica: pickney: child; and nyam de food: eat the food, and he nearly split his side he was laughing so hard.
"I never thought I would meet an American who could speak Jamaican!"
I quickly reminded him that those were the only two words that knew. But never the less, he asked me what my name was (in Jamaican patois), to which I replied, "Twenty-one?" And then he proceeded to tell me about how he is also a DJ at a Jamaican club down the street, and I should come by sometime!
We sang a folk song together (Mango Time), and he sent me on my way with homework. I have to buy a yard and a half of some "funky" fabric so he can make another pair of my pants into a skirt for me. (When I saw a photo someone had taken recently I realized that these pants were actually not very flattering at all.) Good thing I have Martin in my life now!
About 8 months ago, an idea popped into my head--a tailor! I should take my pants to a tailor! But I had no idea how to go about doing that, and when I started asking around I kept hearing horror stories. I found a few viable options on Yelp and set the pants aside so I could take them in. Then the week would get busy, I would run out of things to wear, I'd pull out the same too-big pants (with a belt that I bought along the way), and then put them back aside at the end of the day so I could take them to the tailor. This has gone on for 8 months now.
Today, however, was a new day. Today I packed the pants in a bag and set off in search of Sew Special. I hoped the tailor would have pity on a girl with no tailoring experience. I expected to be greeted by either an Asian couple or a petite man with a lisp and an attitude when I pulled open the door, so I was surprised to find Bob Marley drifting out the door as I walked in. There at the sewing machine sat my new tailor--a loose, knitted cap in black and green sat on top of his dreadlocks, a salt and pepper beard, a black-yellow-green sweatshirt. "Hello there, how are you? What can I do for you?" he asked in a strong accent.
I showed him my pants. "I need these taken in."
"Yeah, mon. Why don't you just go put them on for me."
He was Jamaican. Very Jamaican. And while I went behind the curtain to change into my pants. He and his friend lilted away in the patois of which I could understand only every third or fourth word. While he measured my pants I told him about the two weeks I had spent in Jamaica while in college learning about the culture. I proudly told him the two words/phrases that I had learned in Jamaica: pickney: child; and nyam de food: eat the food, and he nearly split his side he was laughing so hard.
"I never thought I would meet an American who could speak Jamaican!"
I quickly reminded him that those were the only two words that knew. But never the less, he asked me what my name was (in Jamaican patois), to which I replied, "Twenty-one?" And then he proceeded to tell me about how he is also a DJ at a Jamaican club down the street, and I should come by sometime!
We sang a folk song together (Mango Time), and he sent me on my way with homework. I have to buy a yard and a half of some "funky" fabric so he can make another pair of my pants into a skirt for me. (When I saw a photo someone had taken recently I realized that these pants were actually not very flattering at all.) Good thing I have Martin in my life now!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
TJ Maxx
I have been let in on a secret. Lately, more and more, perhaps because of the recession, when I've spotted a particularly striking article of clothing on a friend and inquired after its origin, the response at the ready is "TJ Maxx." TJ Maxx has never really been on my radar, but yesterday, in need of some boots so I can finally wear some of the fall/winter skirts that hang in my closet I google-mapped and headed out.
Upon walking into the store, my eye immediately fell on a royal blue Asian cocktail dress. Curiously, however, it was marked at $200. Interesting, I thought, and passed it by. The next thing I gravitated toward was a beautiful gray wool, hip length coat. $1568.00. !!! What about all the super savings??
It turned out the Super Savings were crammed in the back half of the store on racks with aisles so narrow that when someone approached and murmured, "Excuse me," I practically had to crawl underneath the rack to let them pass. (Note: I think actually doing so is frowned upon.) But then I saw a rack of dresses for $15-20. Grabbed a handful of those. And oh! a few shirts too. Made 2-3 trips to the dressing room to try on my finds. Wait, what did I come here for again? Oh, boots! Over to the shoe aisle. Chaos. Actually it was kind of like the DMV. Some shoes were side by side with their mate exactly where they were supposed to be, waiting for would-be buyers. Some shoes were standing with their mate in the wrong aisle, not understanding why their number never popped up on the screen. Then there were the unlucky few that were sitting there all alone. Their mates having gotten lost in the confusion. Luckily I found the one pair of boots that seem to fit around my enormous calf muscles (tango-or at least that's what I like to think). The only reason they were still waiting around was because they were sitting on the size 5 shelf. (I am not a size 5.)
I think it should be noted that I do not have a healthy relationship with shopping. Some people shop regularly, buying 1-2 items each time or sometimes coming away empty-handed if there weren't inspiring clothes or good bargains. My shopping habits can really only be described as a combination of anorexia and bingeing. I find shopping somewhat inconvenient, so I tend to go for really long periods of accumulating things I need but not doing anything about it. Then one day I'll finally get around to it and try to find everything I need at a one-stop-shop. Inevitably the sticker shock factor is much higher this way.
My TJ Maxx experience fell into line with my stated habits, and I ended up lugging a pair of boots, a sweater, an AMAZING dress, 2 pieces of wall art, and a set of pillows up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment. The boots and the dress hit the bulls-eye (minus the neon green size 8 sticker that is stuck on the sole of each boot, which a friend graciously pointed out to me at last night's cocktail party. Classy.). The jury is still out on the pillows. Some of you might have heard about the unfortunate incident my pillows recently had with the washing machine.
Will I go back? Yes. Now I need a set of sconces to go with the new metallic wall art. However, I will try to avoid having my return visit fall on a Saturday.
Note to my sisters and parents: Thanksgiving this year is going to be a black tie function, because I need another occasion to wear my dress. Plan accordingly.
Upon walking into the store, my eye immediately fell on a royal blue Asian cocktail dress. Curiously, however, it was marked at $200. Interesting, I thought, and passed it by. The next thing I gravitated toward was a beautiful gray wool, hip length coat. $1568.00. !!! What about all the super savings??
It turned out the Super Savings were crammed in the back half of the store on racks with aisles so narrow that when someone approached and murmured, "Excuse me," I practically had to crawl underneath the rack to let them pass. (Note: I think actually doing so is frowned upon.) But then I saw a rack of dresses for $15-20. Grabbed a handful of those. And oh! a few shirts too. Made 2-3 trips to the dressing room to try on my finds. Wait, what did I come here for again? Oh, boots! Over to the shoe aisle. Chaos. Actually it was kind of like the DMV. Some shoes were side by side with their mate exactly where they were supposed to be, waiting for would-be buyers. Some shoes were standing with their mate in the wrong aisle, not understanding why their number never popped up on the screen. Then there were the unlucky few that were sitting there all alone. Their mates having gotten lost in the confusion. Luckily I found the one pair of boots that seem to fit around my enormous calf muscles (tango-or at least that's what I like to think). The only reason they were still waiting around was because they were sitting on the size 5 shelf. (I am not a size 5.)
I think it should be noted that I do not have a healthy relationship with shopping. Some people shop regularly, buying 1-2 items each time or sometimes coming away empty-handed if there weren't inspiring clothes or good bargains. My shopping habits can really only be described as a combination of anorexia and bingeing. I find shopping somewhat inconvenient, so I tend to go for really long periods of accumulating things I need but not doing anything about it. Then one day I'll finally get around to it and try to find everything I need at a one-stop-shop. Inevitably the sticker shock factor is much higher this way.
My TJ Maxx experience fell into line with my stated habits, and I ended up lugging a pair of boots, a sweater, an AMAZING dress, 2 pieces of wall art, and a set of pillows up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment. The boots and the dress hit the bulls-eye (minus the neon green size 8 sticker that is stuck on the sole of each boot, which a friend graciously pointed out to me at last night's cocktail party. Classy.). The jury is still out on the pillows. Some of you might have heard about the unfortunate incident my pillows recently had with the washing machine.
Will I go back? Yes. Now I need a set of sconces to go with the new metallic wall art. However, I will try to avoid having my return visit fall on a Saturday.
Note to my sisters and parents: Thanksgiving this year is going to be a black tie function, because I need another occasion to wear my dress. Plan accordingly.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Fall 09
I just wanted to put some pictures up from the arboretum today. I think this might be the prettiest fall since our first year in Illinois. The trees were gorgeous! Unfortunately my camera died so I wasn't able to take as many pictures as I would've liked. Guess I'll have to go back tomorrow for more! There were so many people out enjoying the colors, I don't think I've ever encountered so many people on the roads in the arboretum.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Food for Thought
I have been hearing a lot of pieces on NPR related to healthcare reform lately. (Then again, where is healthcare reform NOT a hot topic?) One I found particularly poignant compared our current healthcare structure to a grocery store.
Imagine that our employers collaborated with grocers to provide food for us each week. We could go into the grocery store, pick out whatever we wanted, head to the checkout counter and pay our "co-pay," be it $10, $15, $20 or what have you. We could have lobster tail and caviar every night if we wanted for no more than the cost of our co-pay! With no direct link to the cost of our food, we would have no incentive to balance high- and low-priced items.
Grocers, on the other hand, could hike up prices of their products exponentially because we, the consumers subsidized by our employers, would still happily buy them. Before long, however, we would be entrenched in a system where grocers had pushed prices up so high that those without the benefit of employer-related subsidies would no longer be able to afford to eat.
And then where would we be? Hmm.. precisely where we are right now...
Imagine that our employers collaborated with grocers to provide food for us each week. We could go into the grocery store, pick out whatever we wanted, head to the checkout counter and pay our "co-pay," be it $10, $15, $20 or what have you. We could have lobster tail and caviar every night if we wanted for no more than the cost of our co-pay! With no direct link to the cost of our food, we would have no incentive to balance high- and low-priced items.
Grocers, on the other hand, could hike up prices of their products exponentially because we, the consumers subsidized by our employers, would still happily buy them. Before long, however, we would be entrenched in a system where grocers had pushed prices up so high that those without the benefit of employer-related subsidies would no longer be able to afford to eat.
And then where would we be? Hmm.. precisely where we are right now...
Friday, October 02, 2009
Cause and Effect
My spring and summer were filled with the discovery that I could incorporate the European lifestyle into my own life right here in Chicago. 10:00 or 10:30 am several days a week would find me at a downtown cafe sipping an espresso with a friend/coworker before heading back to the office.
I rarely drank coffee before, let alone espresso, but it really helps one get in the mood..
Now that fall is here, I'm realizing how long it's been since I've taken care of certain things, such as visiting the dentist. Since I lost my dental insurance a few years ago, I haven't been in a while. Yesterday I went in and had my general cleaning and x-rays, and Dr. Born broke the news that I have two cavities! I was very surprised given that I have had a clean record until now. When I expressed this, Dr. Born informed me that the principal causes of cavities are diet changes and sugary beverages like soda. "But I NEVER drink soda!" I exclaimed.
"How about coffee with sugar?" he asked.
GASP! The sugar is what makes the espresso palatable! And so, my friends, the moral of the story is that even the lovely langour of the European life is not without pitfalls.
Today I ordered a latte to wean myself off the sugar. No sugar, but a lot more milk. It wasn't bad. But it's not the same.
I rarely drank coffee before, let alone espresso, but it really helps one get in the mood..
Now that fall is here, I'm realizing how long it's been since I've taken care of certain things, such as visiting the dentist. Since I lost my dental insurance a few years ago, I haven't been in a while. Yesterday I went in and had my general cleaning and x-rays, and Dr. Born broke the news that I have two cavities! I was very surprised given that I have had a clean record until now. When I expressed this, Dr. Born informed me that the principal causes of cavities are diet changes and sugary beverages like soda. "But I NEVER drink soda!" I exclaimed.
"How about coffee with sugar?" he asked.
GASP! The sugar is what makes the espresso palatable! And so, my friends, the moral of the story is that even the lovely langour of the European life is not without pitfalls.
Today I ordered a latte to wean myself off the sugar. No sugar, but a lot more milk. It wasn't bad. But it's not the same.
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