A Report Card on Your Life

Most of us have grown accustomed to receiving report cards while we were in school. While currently my job is to write report cards for children, I thought I would take stock of my life since it is the end of the year, end of the decade. I stumbled upon a quiz that rates different aspects of your life and gives you a score; a report card. I had an idea of where I wanted to focus my improvements for the next decade but thought it couldn’t hurt having some data to back me up. I took this quiz to get me focused.

https://survey.smith.queensu.ca/jfe/form/SV_0oKbWy5WleYxiVD?Q_JFE=qdg

The results were troubling.

The score has 8 different categories

Relationships

Career & Work

Finances

Health and Wellness

Contribution to the world

Spirituality

Living Environment

Planning my life

Without taking the test, what areas do you think are your strengths? Weaknesses? Well it turns out; my life needs a lot more work than I first imagined. Here are my results.

Relationships: 82.5%

Career & Work: 59.67%

Finances: 27%

Health and Wellness: 34%

Contribution to the world: 10%

Spirituality: 57%

Living Environment: 38%

Planning my life: 57%

Relationships-82.5%

This score seems about right. I think that I am good at staying in touch with friends, visiting home during the summer and planning trips to meet up with friends who live abroad. Lacking a significant other probably hurts this score but probably helps my overall happiness level so relationship score is a win.

Career & Work-59.67%

I can't help but imagine what this score would have been ten years ago. I like my job and being around kids all day. I like that most days are different and I may or may not have some type of positive impact on my students. I suppose it would be nice to not have to go to work or to get paid to write posts like these but overall I’m satisfied with how teaching has influenced my life.

Finances-27%

This score seems low for me. Especially after paying off $31 500 and climbing to a credit score of over 800, I feel like my score should at least be in the 60’s. True I don’t have an emergency fund yet or making money off investments but I have made gains and will continue to focus on this area in 2020 and beyond.

Health and Wellness-34%

This seems about right. My daily activity is limited and most days I am not even meeting the 10, 000 steps my phone tells me I need to make every day. I bike in Seoul but now that it is winter, my desire to go for a ride has decreased. My plan of action is to join a Seoul basketball league, workout with a guy from work and do yoga twice a week then go bike crazy come spring. I am most excited to tackle this weakness since it creeps into many other areas of my life.

Contribution to the World-10%

10% is embarrassing to be frank. I don’t volunteer my time and am not donating the recommended 3-5% of my salary to help causes that I am feel strongly about. This will be an easy area to improve. I think this area is super personal and what I might view as contributing to the world, you may feel differently. I think that as long as you believe you are making an effort to make a world a better place to live, that is what counts.

Spirituality-57%

Spirituality to me doesn’t necessarily mean going to church or spending x amount of hours reading a religious text. It seems like it would be important for you to define spirituality for yourself so you know how to improve this area. My overall view of spirituality would be to be connected and mindful about your time and impact on the earth, to those around you, your relationship to yourself and your thoughts.

The University of Minnesota’s websites writes that "Nurses Ruth Beckmann Murray and Judith Proctor Zenter write that "the spiritual dimension tries to be in harmony with the universe, and strives for answers about the infinite, and comes into focus when the person faces emotional stress, physical illness, or death."

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/what-spirituality

Spirituality is a massive topic and I will write a more detailed post once I learn more about it.

Living Environment-38%

I live in a big city in a small apartment so this one makes sense. I like the country I live in but I am not in love with it and don’t see living there long term. Ideally, I would like to live in northern Japan with close access to mountains, nature and snowboarding.

Planning my life-57%

I like to plan trips, my weekends and summer vacations. My love of planning does not translate to planning into my 40’s or eventually retirement. I have vague ides about what I want in the future but I also feel like life happens and just because you have a plan, the world has a funny way of putting its own stamp on things. It is important to plan for career growth, the importance of family and relationships as well as financial and health goals. All areas I need to focus a little more closely on.

What did we learn from all of this? If you took the quiz, you would realize that you are ‘beating me’ in life. That probably is the case and I congratulate you. What I take away from all of this is that we all have areas to improve and that the point isn’t to jump from a 40% to a 90% over a weekend. I am learning lately that small and consistent gains add up over time. This isn’t a race and you should do what brings you joy, be kind to others and think about how you can leave this planet a better place than how you found it. 

My challenge to you is to find 1-2 areas to focus on in 2020 and see how it improves your life. Remember that when setting goals, it is helpful if they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. For example, an easy one to start 2020 will be for me to write a guest post on someone’s blog or write an article for a magazine before the end of 2020. That would help improve my work and career score while also reaching a goal that I have had for a while. I hope the end of this year and decade leaves you time to reflect on where you went right and what areas need a closer look. I wish you an exceptional 2020.

“To all the students-no school report card can tell you whether you can achieve your dream or not. Know your purpose, know your dream, know your vision, stay focused, do your job and do not listen to anyone including your report card. Don’t let the board results or rankings bother you. Do what you are passionate about, work harder, do better but don’t let your mark sheet tell you anything.” 

Sharad Vivek Sagar 

How to Stop Worrying

 Do you worry about events that never occur? Do you worry your afternoon when you should be focused on your morning? Does your mind conjure up scenarios that have literally 0% chance of coming true?  If yes, then you are officially human. If you want to worry less, Dale Carnegie and I have you covered. 

When I think about someone who worries, the image of my grandmother Phyllis Campbell comes to mind. I think it is just natural for older people to worry and maybe especially for mom’s but I feel like that might be sexist so don’t quote me on that. The next image that comes to my mind when thinking about worrying is a rocking chair. 

(rocking chairs: underrated) 

Earlier this year, I read a book called How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. I feel that I worry about as much as the average person. I worry less about my future than other people but probably worry more about flight prices that the rest of society. According this NBC article, 85% of what people worry about, never comes true.

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/praise-worry-why-fretting-can-be-good-you-ncna757016

Of course, people worry; there’s an endless amount of topics to worry about:

Climate change

Israel and Palestine

Gender inequality

Your blood pressure

Facts and the public discourse

Big Tech

People stealing your Amazon packages

Polar bears being spray painted

Putting dish soap in the dishwasher  

Falling through roofs

Volcanic eruptions

Your credit score

The first 8 seasons of Terrace House not having English subtitles

Not knowing how to cut vegetables correctly

Monkeys

Having grade 2 students laugh at your drawings on the whiteboard

Buying a pair of chopsticks and having one chopstick go missing

Being naked at a Korean spa and having Korean men look at you and laugh

You know, normal stuff. Well Dale Carnegie has some tips to help us out.

Think of your life as an hourglass. Thousands of grains each slowly pass through and evenly. When we start in the morning, we have many tasks. Take them one at a time, slowly, and you can make it through your day. One grain of sand at a time. One task at a time.

Folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. 

Half of all the beds in our hospitals were reserved for patients with nervous and mental troubles, patients who had collapsed under the crushing burden of accumulated yesterdays and fearful tomorrows.

 1-What is the problem

2-what is the cause of the problem

3-what are all possible solutions of the problem?

4-what solutions do you suggest?

Get the facts. Analyse the facts. Arrive at a decision and then act.

Lets examine the record: what are the chances according to the law of averages, that this event I am worrying about will ever occur?

I am going to meet people today who talk too much people who are selfish, egotistical ungrateful. But I won’t be surprised or disturbed for I couldn’t imagine a world without such people.

To raise grateful children, we need to be grateful.

There are two things to aim at in life first to get what you want. The second is to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.

The north wind made the Vikings.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right-for you’ll  be criticized anyway.

I have realized that I myself in the last analysis am to blame for almost all my misfortunes.

Clear desk of all papers and things not needed to solve problem at hand.

Do things in order of their importance.

Don’t put off making decisions. Gather facts, act.

Don’t try and wash tomorrow’s dirty dishes today.

A chief cause of fatigue is boredom.

Keep busy.

When you are worried use your muscles more and your brain less.

Patience and time have a way of solving our troubles.

I would add my analysis here but I feel like he summed it up perfectly. So pick a few of these sayings and keep them in mind next time you are wondering where your wife is and it’s past midnight on a work night. She probably just lost track of time at book club. Probably.

My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never occurred

My Newest Obsession: Terrace House

I try and not get too carried away with most things in my life. I attempt to not get too high or too low. But some things cannot be helped. Are you currently super into a book series, place, movie or person? If you are, then we share something in common. My newest obsession is Terrace House.

In my English class, the kids learn about the 5 W’s. Who, what, where, when and why. Let’s try and use that format to explain how I am currently not maximizing my free time.

What is Terrace House?

Terrace House is a Japanese reality TV show that puts 3 single men and 3 single women in a house in Japan while people watch and hope they fall in love. Think of a toned-down version of Real World that you could watch with your mother. The show provides them with beautiful cars to explore with and it basically chronicles the daily lives of young Japanese people trying to figure out their careers and find love. Many people join Terrace House to gain recognition for their band, their art work or add to their Instagram follower count. It has been around since 2012, is gaining in popularity worldwide and is brought to you by, to no shock to anyone, Netflix.

Who?

Age range is from 19-31. The members are either full or half Japanese and tend to be quite attractive. They seem to be mostly well behaved, don’t party that much and is just a wholesome overall vibe to the entire show. There is also a cast of 6 comedians/hosts who begin each week recapping what happened on the previous episode. They cut to the hosts a few times each show to show their reactions and their general takes on what is happening in the show. They might be better than the actual drama taking place. Curiously, one of the hosts has been caught not paying his taxes in Japan so his future on the show is in doubt; I am not pleased with his criminal activity influencing my down time.

Where?

The current season is happening in Tokyo. The other season I am watching right now takes place in Karuizawa, near Nagano. They go snowboarding and enjoy nature. It’s quite cute. They have also done a season in Hawaii and in Shonan area.

When?

New episodes every Tuesday. When they are released, the time of that episode was about two months ago. So the next episode that comes out on Tuesday would have been filmed towards the end of September. Some seasons can last up to 40 episodes and last about 30 minutes.

Why?

I have no idea. Why do I watch it? I love anything to do with Japan and gaining insight into their daily lives. It’s good clean fun and people are trying to fall in love. Since the only woman I talk to these days is my Japanese teacher online once a week, it is safe to say I am living vicariously through these Terrace House guests.

Why is it on the air? People love reality TV and the Japanese approach to dating is much different than in the West. They go on a ton of dates before saying they like each other; they are super polite and formal; they are also aware that they are on this popular show so they follow along with the comments online so it’s not like they are living in some bumble. The humanness of it all is a pleasure to see.

Do I seem like the kind of person who would buy a Terrace House shirt and then go to Japan and hope people ask me about it? Well the answer to that question is surely yes I did that and no, nobody approached me which should also not be a colossal surprise.

I would like to use the excuse that it is helping with my Japanese learning but they speak so fast that I’m not sure what the net benefit is to my learning. I am catching on to some expressions but without the subtitles I would be lost. How do I know that? Because one week I went to watch the episode but the woman who translates from Japanese to English hadn’t done the translation yet so I had a choice to make. Either wait a day or two for the translation to be up or watch it without the translation, see what I could pick up then WATCH IT FOR A SECOND TIME to see what I missed. I obviously watched it twice. In doing so, I realized that not much actually happens in an episode. It’s a lot of talking about past dates and planning for future dates. The women on the show are usually in a small disagreement with one of the other women and the men are just oblivious to their surroundings.

Most of the people that are on the show are fine. Some are terrible and some just make the show. Here is my current top 3

Armen. Half Japanese/Half American. Some people only stay on the show for about 2-3 months. He stayed from episode 11 until the final episode, 45. People would come and go and he would just be hanging out, drinking and trying to fall in love. Great work. He also dated my second favourite person

Masako Endo. She's fun, she's cute and she got together with my main man Armen but sadly they aren't still together.

My current favourite Terrace House guest is 

Hana! She's a wrestler, has a great vibe and is extra super cute. She's searching for a romantic adventure. I hope she finds it.

Do I recommend that you watch this show? Well if you have read this far, you might as well watch a trailer or two and see if you dig it. I attached a link to a ranking of every Terrace House cast member and a trailer to one of the seasons to peruse at your own leisure. Do I follow some of them on Instagram? Maybe. I try and not watch too much TV but I am powerless against the Terrace House spell. This is all for today. I wish you an abundance of free time for you to follow your obsession. 

"I plan to stay as long as I can." Arman

PS:

I just read a little unknown titled name To Kill a Mocking Bird. You’ve probably never heard of it but if you have the time it has a great message.

Rankings: https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/every-terrace-house-cast-member-ranked.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qBl7_t0M_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qBl7_t0M_U

Thoughts on my first trip to Japan

Thoughts on Japan

Where do I start?

I have never wanted to go to a country so badly. 2009 was the year I decided I wanted to experience living abroad. I applied online to a bunch of English language schools in Japan and even had some interviews in Toronto (that is an entire other blog post). Long story short, I didn’t get the job I wanted and my most recent attempt to work in Japan was thwarted due to my inability to answer the question, “What is the difference between safe and safety?”. I believe that my efforts to live there and being denied time and time again has only fueled my intrigue and motivation to explore Japan. It’s like Japan is a woman who is playing hard to get. It’s not fun if it’s too easy so Japan has been this 10-year challenge. However, while most women continue to deny me, Japan was gracious enough to allow me entry into its borders. Here is that story.

One reason I moved to Korea was its proximity to Japan. All of my upcoming holidays are in Japan and I am (slowly) trying to learn Japanese. I booked a flight in September for Tokyo but due to some unforeseen Korean visa work issues, I had to cancel this flight. I don’t remember ever having to cancel a flight before in my entire life. It felt as thought I was in the movie The Truman Show and while people said Japan existed, I started to feel like the world was conspiring to keep me out. After my cancelled trip, I looked towards November where I could take a day off and found a cheap flight to Osaka. I would not be kept away. 

The day finally came. It was a Thursday. I was jacked up and high on life. My students were confused that an adult could be this excited. I felt like a child who was told they were about to get on a flight to the North Pole and meet Santa Claus. I get assigned an emergency window seat because that’s what happens when you travel alone; ticket counter people feel sorry for you that you are unloved. Three female Japanese friends were sitting in the seats beside me. I had my Japanese notebook with all of my Japanese phrases and words that I memorized ready to use. I was nervous and couldn’t find the courage to try and speak Japanese to them. I waited for a different opportunity. 

When the drink cart came around, I bought them and myself Asahi beers. Beer is a universal sign for let’s be friends. We eventually started talking and I got to say a few short sentences of my very limited Japanese. They were mildly impressed. We finally land. I couldn’t wait to get off that airplane. I asked why nobody is getting off. We have been rerouted to Nagoya because Peach airlines apparently isn’t a real airline that can be relied upon. The Truman Show.

I decided to make the best of the situation so I start playing some Japanese music from my Japan Spotify playlist, ask these Japanese young adults some Bert questions and order another Asahi. I am having the most fun on the aircraft by far; nobody else is enjoying this experience so it should not have come as a surprise when the flight attendant told us to keep it down and turn off the music. Japanese people really do love rules.

Two hours later, we take off and eventually get to Osaka. I planned on having three nights out but due to this delay, I have lost a night. The Truman Show.

I spend a few hours killing time eating at a traditional Burger King at the airport and make my way into downtown Osaka on the first train into the city. Here. We. Go.

Japanese salary men started getting on at different stops. I kept thinking, “Who is that? Where is he going? How Japanese is his job? What’s he thinking about?”.

I get to the station, find my hostel, and go straight for Koyasan, a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s about an hour and half away from the city. The leaves are changing and is in a remote part of the Japanese mountains. Here is what that area looks like:

 

After spending most of the day there, I went back to my hostel for a quick nap since it had been over 30 hours since I had slept and apparently our bodies need rest. After my nap, it was time to explore. I stayed near Namba station which is essentially a lesser Times Square. Tons of people, this famous Glico sign which is famous for reasons that are a little unclear to me and countless bars and restaurants. I had a list of places to eat and drink at but the endless amount of choice made a simple dinner decision impossible to make so I went with what I knew and found a Thai restaurant that offered to make me food that I have only ever found in Thailand. It was so great that I went back the next night. I don’t regret this choice. I can get Japanese food whenever I want. This Thai dish was specific to this restaurant and I would make the same choice again. One takeaway from this trip has been that while my Japan dream was coming true, it seemed like the travel Gods were sending me a message: Yes, Japan is great but don’t forget where you came from.

My night did not involve partying because I am over clubs and I just wanted to take in all the sights and sounds. While they say Osaka is the party capital of Japan, I know how going to a club alone goes and wasn’t super keen on drinking alone and not talking to anyone on my first free night in Japan.

Day 2: You know how people say the train system in Japan can be confusing? They aren’t lying. I got lost numerous times trying to get to my Cycle Osaka bike tour. I ended up arriving just in time and got lucky with a fun group of Australians and a couple on their honeymoon (show-offs). Since everyone had someone in the group to talk to, I took this opportunity to pummel the guide with every question I had about Japan. It was an enlightening experience. Coles notes version of Osaka is that it was decimated during the war, was the capital until Tokyo took that title and is known as the party capital of Japan. The most interesting piece of information he taught us was that an American who was living in Japan during World War 2 told the US government that bombing Kyoto would be akin to cultural genocide so the government spared Kyoto from destruction out of respect for its cultures.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33755182

Here are some of the sights we visited on the tour:

 

I used to love walking tours but bike tours are much more entertaining and active. You get to see way more of the city and biking is a bit more fun than walking around like a postman.

After the tour I got lost again on the train system and eventually retreated back to the safety of my hostel. Hostels. My next topic. I get that people stay in hostels to save money but it seems like people really aren’t trying too hard to be social. I know, I know, I’m not the most social person but at least make a small effort to get to know people. I understand some hostels have a more social atmosphere than others but people area way too obsessed with their phones and technology. I wanted change the vibe. I asked a Japanese worker if many people hung out or partied in the common area. Her answer was essentially no. I had one night to change this. I travel with red solo cups for this purpose. 

So, I asked a gentleman from Singapore if he would like to help me finish the bottle of gin I picked up at the airport. A few other people agree to my offer of free gin with ice and mix. I come prepared. Usually, someone would come in, see the vibe was zero then go back to their room, but now there were people talking, drinking and listening to music. We started playing beer pong then eventually had a group of about 10-12 people playing kings cup. I went back to the front desk to show them this masterpiece I created. They weren’t as excited as I was that I had brought this party together, they probably just thought of the mess we were making. The games came to a close when the group decided to go to karaoke. I declined to join because I had done my part and wanted to keep exploring on my own. At one point during the night, I told everyone to sign the guest book that was in the common area. A new person to the room asked if I was their leader. One of the guys replied, yes, he is our leader. It was the high point of my night.

Day 3: Woke up not feeling 100% but was determined to eat some Okonomiyaki. I attempted to find an Okonomiyaki spot that I found online but I had a difficult time finding it in the mass of restaurants and shops. Walked around for an hour super patiently until I decided no food is worth this expense of energy. I walked back to my hostel and talked with some Nigerian guys I met the night before. Interesting facts I learned about Nigeria:

-People in Nigeria speak Pidgin English

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/15-nigerian-pidgin-english-phrases-you-need-to-know/

-There are over 250 local languages.

-If I went there, I might be kidnapped but was assured I wouldn’t be murdered.

Before catching the train to the airport, I remembered seeing an Okonomiyaki spot in the neighbourhood I was staying in so decided to try one last time. Let me tell you, it was not worth the effort. I guess there are a bunch of different kinds to get but I did not like any part of this meal. I’m glad I experienced this famous Osaka food but would not recommend you do the same.

Therefore, is Japan overrated? I can’t answer that question. While I do love to hate what other people love (which may make me a hipster), I feel that I do not have enough first hand experience in this fantasy dreamland to make an informed decision. I like to view my first Japan like this:

I have found a famous and well-rated all you can eat buffet (Japan is the buffet if you are having trouble following along). My first plate I grabbed a few things that looked good but it wasn’t exactly my taste or what I had in mind. However, while I was getting my food, I saw a bunch of other things I wanted to try so now that my first plate is finished, I can’t wait to get back in line and taste something even more delectable.

Those are my thoughts on Japan. Living in Seoul is comfortable and I understand why people stay here long term. I am going to Shanghai the first weekend of December then spending the Christmas holiday in Hokkaido snowboarding and striving for a more authentic Japanese experience. I will also be returning to Japan for my January and April break. I wish you good health and good fortune. Dreams do come true people; just need to wait a decade or so.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

Japanese proverb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huW8KYdCUbM

Friday Night Seoul Baseball

Last night was my first Korean baseball experience. You know who loves baseball? Koreans. America has had a big impact on their culture since helping South Korea during the Korean War and having US military bases in Seoul since the 1957. Hence the Mountain Dew drinks and Twix candy bars at 7-Elevens throughout the country. How could I say no to watching the Doosan Bears play their rival, the KIA Tigers after work on a Friday night? I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

A teacher who works at my school asked if I wanted to join him, his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s friend to watch the game. He was clear in stating that this wasn’t a date. However, if someone comes up to you on the street and says, “I’m not trying to scam you”, rest assured that person will attempt to scam you.

The first thing I noticed was that they have convenience stores inside and outside of the stadium and it seems like you can just bring your own food and drinks to the game.

(side note: Koreans love convenience stores. There’s one just outside my house where people will sit on the patio furniture and drink till sunrise)

They have no metal detectors or people checking your bags. However, they do not sell Soju inside the stadium because people get too rowdy so if someone is drinking Soju in the stadium, I heard that they take it from you. If you are ever in Koreatown or somewhere where they have Soju, go with Peach. Hands down the best kind.

The Doosan Bears were the home team so we were obliged to cheer for them. Their record is 82-54 and they did not disappoint. They pummeled the KIA Tigers 6-2. I want to return not only because they seem to have a chance at winning the league, but also because of the environment. Going to see a Jays game can be fairly dull but games here are similar to a European soccer game or MLS in North America. They have cheerleaders, music playing, noise makers and individual song chants sung by the fans for each player. While it still is baseball which is by no means the most exciting sport to watch, just witnessing how much Korean people love baseball and support their team was heart-warming. 

We had tickets close to first base which cost about $20 USD but can go as cheap as $10. Food and drinks are about less than half of the price at MLB games and they hire people to blow a whistle to grab fans’ attention when a foul ball is hit in their direction. I’m assuming they do this because people are staring at their phones and have been struck by foul balls in the past. Safety seems to be a big priority because they have netting all along the entire infield to reduce baseballs hitting fans.

Other differences I noticed were selling fish and rice cakes outside of the stadium instead of hot dogs. During an intermission between innings, in Toronto they will have a fan answer a trivia question or get different fans to compete in a dance battle. In Seoul, they have a beer chugging competition. I think I’ll like Korea.

If you ever come to The Land of the Morning Calm, make some time to go to a game. Baseball diamonds are littered around the country with little kids playing and batting cages can be found in most areas of Seoul. Baseball is a massive part of their identity and a peak into how Koreans live their everyday lives.

 “Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!” Babe Ruth

4 days in Chicago

Before flying home, I took a quick little stop in Chicago to see what all the hype is about. The flight was also the cheapest way for me to get home so that was also a major factor in the timing of checking off Chicago from my bucket list (I have a list I made in 2013 that needs revisiting).  I’ll give a Bert description of my 4 days in Chicago but if you are at the airport trying to decide on a destination, go ahead and book Chicago.

People love Chicago. My brother goes every year. I haven’t heard anything bad except for all the murdering that happens. Apparently, the danger is more on the outskirts of the city so this Canadian was safe staying downtown. I didn’t have much on my to do list. My list included going to a country bar, wandering around the city, eating some famous Chicago hot dogs and pizza, taking part in the architecture tour, seeing a baseball game, seeing that famous bean thingamajig, and essentially embrace being in an English-speaking environment after finishing my time in Shanghai.

Let’s start with what I was most excited for: country music. I adore country music. Going to a country bar is much more fun that any other type of drinking establishment. They aren’t pretentious, they aren’t expensive and people aren’t there to start trouble. People are there to drink, ride bulls and listen to Alan Jackson songs. My theory is that people who like country music are much less likely to be murders. Prove me wrong; you can’t. So, here is what happened when I went out. First, if you are a guy and you go out in Toronto alone, people think you are super weird (which might be true) but in New Zealand people would invite you to their group. I was unsure where Chicago would fall on this continuum. Before making my dream come true and going to this somewhat famous country bar, I went to Guaranteed Rate Field to see the White Sox play the Minnesota Twins. Baseball teams have fun giveaways on the weekend and luck would have it that that Friday was COUNTRY NIGHT! Do you believe in miracles because I do. 

So, I take the subway out there, grab a few beverages, wander around the stadium, eat some unhealthy food and finally settle into some seats with hardly anyone around me. There did happen to be two married women behind me and I thought this would be a good time to approach strangers and pepper them with questions. My first question to them after confirming they had husbands was, "So.... is getting married a scam?"

I do not believe these women have ever been asked this question before in their lives. They had no reason to lie because their husbands weren’t at the game and they both agreed that it’s not a scam and that it was mostly about managing your expectations. I then rapid fired a few more questions before excusing myself and letting them enjoy the rest of their night sans Bert.

I take the subway south to Bub City and find there is a bit of a line to get into this establishment. I then come to the realization that Chicago is a bachelorette hotspot. The whole weekend, I am seeing groups of women in matching t-shirts drinking champagne and puking off speedboats. Whilst in line, a group of ladies from a bachelorette party ask if I’m married. My smooth response? “Ahhh I’m from Canada.” THAT’S NOT HOW WE TALK TO HUMANS BERT! 

Oh brother; we are off to a rough start. I get into the bar, order a drink and everyone in there is with friends and having a gay old time. I am not with anyone, drinking my gin and tonic just happy to understand what is going on around me. Then a lady who was in her late 20’s comes up and says her friend thinks that I’m cute and asks if I will join her and her girlfriends. If you can imagine, I joined them. It didn’t take that lady long to realize I am not as good looking or charming as she thought and I was soon left alone once again.

About 10 minutes later, a guy from the line I was in to get into the bar asks me if I want to come with him and his friends to another bar. Should you leave a place with a stranger you’ve never met? Yes, yes you should. However, I realized the bartender had my credit card so I had to decline his request after I realized this fact.

Back to being alone.

10ish minutes pass and a handsome man who was about 50 asks if I’m sitting at the table I’m next to. I said no so he calls his girlfriend over and only because he feels bad, asks me if I want to join them. SURE! I replied enthusiastically. So I’m sitting with this attractive older man with his lady who definitely has a biker chick kind of vibe who is blonde and slightly older than him. He’s telling me stories about being a musician and how much cooler her is than me. To show off, I told him I would go over to a pair of women and show him how smooth I can be. Long story short, I ended up buying these two people drinks then never talking to them again. Classic Bert move. 

Finally, alone once again, another lady waves me over and asks why I’m all alone. She’s from England and had a good heart but if we are being honest, I would have rather of been alone than talking with her so eventually the lights come on around 1:40am, I make my way to the local hamburger shop where the man working at the counter was by far the most interested anyone was in me the entire night. If only God made me another way, I would be much more successful in the love department. So that’s my Chicago Friday night country bar story.

The Saturday I did the Chicago architecture tour which was certainly worth it. I found it interesting that there was a man selling beer on the boat like they sell beer at a Jays game. Americans love boozing it. Here are some stolen pictures of the tour.

The biggest surprise about Chicago due to my limited research was how outstanding and expansive their waterfront is. It’s spectacular. People are biking, running and there are countless areas to jump into the water or find a nearby beach. Did I get lost going in the wrong direction? Yes. Did I take more than 41,000 steps? Yes. Did I find a massive beach volleyball event? Also yes.

A major highlight that my hostel recommended was a neighbourhood named The Pilsen. It’s a Latino community that has delectable food, creative street art and is not like the rest of Chicago. I went to Los Comales #3 and asked the waitress to bring me anything she thought was exceptionally good. She did not disappoint.  If you are interested in doing something a little off the beaten path in Chicago, it’s worth the quick visit. Also, I wanted to visit The 606 Bloomingdale Trail but didn’t have time but it is compared to NYC’s Highline.

Other notable mentions in Chicago was the 24-train system; I felt much safer than its reputation. Midwest hospitality/charm is a real thing. Chicago Riverwalk is a great spot for sightseeing, kayaking, coffee and drinks. Navy Peer is bustling and worth the visit even though this is where my getting lost confusion began so BE CAREFUL! Chicago has a crazy number of parks, has random street art, lots of museums but I have a no museum policy lately so I can’t give you advice on that but Chicago has lots of sports teams and music festivals to keep everyone happy. I left a few days before Lollapalooza took place.

The only real negative thing I can come up with is the high amount of homelessness around the city. I don’t know anything about the numbers or what the city is doing to improve the situation but there are people asking for change or food everywhere I went. It’s sad and disappointing to see that in such wealthy countries like Canada and America, people have to live like that. I don’t know what the answer is but it was the only downside to the trip.

I would most certainly advise you to go with a pal, co-worker or mistress because while traveling alone is fun, I’m sure hopping on a boat and exploring Chicago by water with friends would be even more more memorable. 

Also, I live in Korea now so you should be getting some Korea input soon. Let’s just remind ourselves that I didn’t like Thailand, New Zealand or Shanghai at first so let’s give this new spot some time.

“It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago-she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them. She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time.” Mark Twain