Chicago. -21 degrees. Hilarity and Chillarity.

ok..perhaps chillarity is not a word that will catch on...but its my contribution to the world's lexicon...so leave me be...this past weekend i attended a conference for law students in chicago...i also happened to go at the COLDEST moment in chicago's winter this year...being a goh'gia boy...i did not have much to take with me warmth wise - not even gloves - this would later prove to be almost fatal....


we left on friday...we being rakesh and anita (hey anita! you are officially mentioned on the blog!)...anyway...we get to the airport on time...only to find out that our flight is a teeny weeny jet...so small that even our carry-on luggage is checked at the gate...so we get to chicago an hour late as expected...the icy air hits us like a sack of marbles ( i dunno who still carries around a sack of marbles...)...so we figure out where to take the train that goes to our hotel...in a race to escape the cold and catch the train...we make a mad dash...we almost lost anita to a turnstile as she valiantly fought its three arms of steel in attempting to transport her luggage and self through its vice-like grip...she made it...we finally made it to the hotel..


after some rest...we decide to venture out...there was a party planned at Club Funky Buddha (i'm not sure who picked that for a S. Asian Law Student Conference - definitely not tuned into the cartoon riots)...we get there a bit early and plan to walk a few blocks to a thai restaurant...as we begin walking...we realize that no on else is on the streets...we also realize that unless we keep moving our cheeks they would freeze over...snot bubbled out of our nose and then proceeded to freeze...it was straight out of a survival movie...apparently the wind chill that night was -21 degrees...realizing we were idiots...we turned back and found a cool little italian place for dinner...after some really good food...we went across the street to the club...only to find that we had missed free cover by 5 minutes and would have to pay 20 bux to get in...hell no...so the three of us found a coffee shop and had a great time on our own...


the next day was the conference...we got up on time...again froze our faces walking to the IIT-Kent Law School...but the conference was great...great discussions on civil rights...networking...profiling..and much more...they fed us and kept us happy...later that night...we went to a place for drinks and appetizers...then later that night we went to a club called mix...but turns out that we still had a watch on EST...so rakesh and i are dozing off and anita is yelling at us to get to the club because it almost 11pm...so we rush and get there at.....10:15PM!!! yea...we had the wrong time...so we end up sitting around for people to come...meanwhile anita has found an old high school friend who has come out of the closet since...rakesh and i like a couple of lame-os crash a booth and watch scarface to the backdrop of hip-hop music...its still a good movie...then the girls get in...anita and i decide to start it off with some dancing..a few people join us...just as the music gets good...rakesh complains his tummy is aching...so we call it a night around midnight...and head back...


later that night...i was awoken by a blue aura coming from the room...i get up to see that rakesh has his laptop perched on his stomach and appears to be surfing the net...so i go back to sleep...only to hear a loud crash! apparently rakesh was not asleep and the laptop fell...later that morning we would find out that the screen cracked...doh! we returned to the Law School for closing remarks...they were awesome...inspiring...then we headed back to the hotel...checked out and went to explore the theater district...after a good lunch and some shopping (while avoiding a huge fashion faux paus with anita picking out a granny dress)...we headed back to ATL...

we didn't think we would make our flight...only 30mins left to board...but in true delta fashion...our flight was again delayed an hour...oh joy...we finally got home around 9pm...to WARM 50 degrees in hotlanta...then we made a pit stop at anita's house for some really good southern cookin...i mean southern indian cookin'...her mom made a feast of all these cool things....we all tucked in till we had to open the belts a couple notches...then back to athens and in bed around midnight...

that's the trip...