Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Chicago!





This last December ESL students had the privilege of visiting one of America’s most famous cities: Chicago!
It was a dark and brisk Saturday morning on December 10th, 2011, when 34 ESL students crawled out of bed to brave the adventure that awaited them. Oh, and did I mention it was 4:00 in the morning? J
I believe students, as well as trip leaders, were trying to calm the butterflies in our stomachs as we boarded the busses, checked off lists, and made sure everything (and everybody) was accounted for. With just a couple forgotten items that needed retrieving and a few minutes to spare, we were able to take off on our merry way. It wasn’t too long before the day started heralding it’s coming as the sky turned from black to lighter shades of grey, and then pink. It was going to be a beautiful day. Just as we had hoped!  As the scenery changed from flat farmland to rolling hills, the students began to awaken and partake in a small breakfast of cereal bars, juice, and fruit. As peaceful as this mental image may appear, the moments never grew dull as the petitions for temperature change could not be settled. “It’s too cold in here! Turn the heat up!” “Hey, could you please turn the heat down? …turn on the AC!” Maybe someday we will get it right.
After what seemed about half a lifetime on the road, Chicago’s skyline eventually started to take shape. It could be said that the rise of the student’s excitement grew in proportion to Chicago’s disclosure on the horizon! Shouts of joy and noise of gladness could probably be heard coming from each vehicle in the UIU caravan. Not only were the joyous noises increasing, but the traffic too! Soon one realized that he was in a crash course for Chicago driving! Let’s just say the keyword here is “Aggressive”. (Oh, and the word “crash” had nothing to do with vehicles, only lesson learning)
Once the students had packed away their things at the hotel, they were ready for their first day of Chicago. Half the students went to tour the Art Institute while the other half went to stroll around and enjoy the Field Museum of Natural History. Students came back talking of fine art they had seen as well as SUE, the largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton ever discovered.
The next thing on the agenda was Chicago’s Shed aquarium! Here students got to see fish from all over the world, placed in environments that reflected their original homes. Neon colored jellyfish could also be seen as well as the fish’s, shark’s, and stingray’s lunch time - fed right out of the hand of a scuba diver.
After the aquarium, students trekked up through Millennium Park viewing the giant, artsy, outdoor, theatre, as well as the “big silver bean,” or more sophistically entitled, “Cloud Gate”. Beautiful Christmas lighting could now be seen as the night progressed and even a collage of graceful ice skaters could be glimpsed weaving their way in and out of each other on the Ice Rink nearby. Though this night could have ended here, the John Hancock Observatory was still yet to go on the schedule. Going north on the famous “Magnificent Mile” students arrived to the Hancock Center and traveled 100 stories up to the top! While there, students were able to dine in at a cafĂ© and enjoy the breathtaking landscape and audio tour of Chicago. After the descent back down to the street, the group headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest…especially for the feet!
Day two dawned just as brightly as the first and even greeted us with some warmer weather. Students were able to partake in a delicious continental breakfast as the group leaders bustled about for the day’s preparations. Once everyone was accounted for, the group headed off to Chinatown!
In China town, students were given a brief historical overview of the place by one of the ESL instructors and then set free to explore the area. As students returned from their explorations, it was noted that many of the Asian students were able to buy things they had not yet been able to obtain since leaving their homes in Asia. It was fun to witness this as they were able to eagerly share and discuss a bit of their country with the rest of the students, and leaders too!
After the Chinatown excursion, one last destination loomed on the horizon: the Museum of Science and Industry. Students spent the remainder of the last day exploring the endless displays that filled each room. Walking through the museum, one could experiment with tornadoes, avalanches, fire, lightning, chemical balancing, and much, much more. One special tour gave the students a chance to see the ominous U-505 submarine that was captured in the Second World War. A state of the art walk through tour gave everyone a new respect for submarine crew members!
After two fun-filled days in Chicago, the trip was nearing its end, or was it? No way! As every Chicagoan could tell you, a trip to Chicago is not complete without trying Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza! Before heading out of town, everybody indulged in Lou Malnati’s famous Chicago style pizza. Cheese, Sausage and Pepperoni pizza was had by all until all could eat no more. Now the trip could end on the right note: a full stomach!