My Favorite Chicago Habits

1. Jogging along Lakeshore on a Saturday morning – since I am fighting putting on those pounds, I try to regularly jog along Lakeshore drive. It’s a good place for running since it’s a long uninterrupted stretch where all other joggers get in shape. It also has this refreshing view of the beach (it’s technically a lake but it looks like a beach). I like those moments when I jog because I get to do some physical activities and feel good that I am somehow still taking care of my health and my body. Just me and my iPod and some calories being burned.
2. Thursday gimmick by the core group. – There are weeks that are very stressful and a Thursday night out is a much-deserved fun time for me. You see here, everybody works from home on Fridays so people spend Thursdays here much like how we spend Fridays in Manila – gimmicks. This gives me a sense of normalcy and I just simply enjoy hanging out with the core group.
3. Bi-weekly grocery at Jewel – as I said in my last post, this is therapeutic in some way for me. Just did it last night.
4. Lunch and dinners with my team mates – I like being with my team mates because I feel that they like me too. Haha! These guys have been very generous and accommodating to us. They would cook dinner for us, invite us in what is usually just for family activities, drink with us, open their homes for us, bring food for us etc. They are awesome.
5. Getting freebie tickets – for some reason, I always get freebie stuff. Whether it’s a Bears game, a Van Halen concert or a Bulls game. I’m not complaining. Keep it coming!
6. Shopping at outlet stores - need I say more? Filipinos love shopping wherever you put them. In this case, I enjoy the bargain hunt. Plus electronic gadgets in the US are the cheapest in the world.
7. A nice pat on the back after a long day’s work – I would say that it is my experience that it’s harder to get compliments from Filipino supervisors than American bosses. If you did well, they’ll make sure you know it. If you did badly, they also make you feel it. Fair for me.
8. Fall clothes – Anybody who know me well knows that I like wearing long sleeve shirt of 3/4 sleeve. Fall is that perfect time. You don’t get the shirts and shorts of summer nor the bulky, too-covered clothes of winter. It’s just a nice amount of layer and the shirts that I cannot usually wear in Manila are very used here.
9. Just simply being a tourist – I don’t try to hide it. I enjoy discovering new things and seeing places for the first time. I find excitement in planning my next trip and getting lost along the way. I enjoy tasting new food and eating at different places and meeting interesting people. All these things make this trip more pleasant.