It felt really like the real Chicago, as by the evening the temperature dropped down to freezing. The howling wind gusts of 25 miles (40 km) per hour gave me a cold slap, forcing me cover my other cheek with the jacket hood and rush seeking warmer comfort.
It's not unusual for the weather in middle America to plummet in a few hours, as unlike India, there is no Himalayas in North to protect the cold winds blasting its way from Canada. Himalayas stands tall as a barrier from the marauding Siberian chill, while the runt Rocky Mountains in USA hardly help prevention the cold intrusion from North.
It felt so refreshing to see some snow on the ground - not a whole lot, but the sight of snow after 5 years was deeply exhilarating for some one visiting from the Deep South.
The north-west Chicago suburb is as white as snow, with a few Desis (Indians) and Chinese strewn in. Having stayed in the Dixie Land for a long period of time, it was a very different sight with a difference.
Chicago is located in the midst of the Northern Prairies. One can sees miles of its famous grasslands, undulated mounds of meadows interspersed with a few bald trees, some of them still sporting golden fall leaves, glistening under a setting fall sun, like Donald Trump's hair.
The commercial minded Americans have converted these rolling Meadows into Golf courses, a few I saw criss crossing the Chicago suburbs. The accent of the midwesterners is as flat as the flatlands of the Prairies. It is far cry from the Southern drawl I am more conversant with. Didn't hear anybody talking y'all at all.
The English accent varies a lot between the North and South, with the New Yorkers having their own Yankee accent. Same as in Odisha, we have Katati (coastal) accent, Barhampuri Southern accent and Sambalpuri western accent.
When a Minnesotan says "you betcha", it reminds me of "GAMATA EKKA" (Fun only), in Barhampuri Odia. Same as Mein (in Allahabadi Hindi), Hum (Bihari Hindi) vs Apoon Ka Hindi in Mumbai. Accents do vary, with regional punch in every language across the world. More later...
It's not unusual for the weather in middle America to plummet in a few hours, as unlike India, there is no Himalayas in North to protect the cold winds blasting its way from Canada. Himalayas stands tall as a barrier from the marauding Siberian chill, while the runt Rocky Mountains in USA hardly help prevention the cold intrusion from North.
It felt so refreshing to see some snow on the ground - not a whole lot, but the sight of snow after 5 years was deeply exhilarating for some one visiting from the Deep South.
The north-west Chicago suburb is as white as snow, with a few Desis (Indians) and Chinese strewn in. Having stayed in the Dixie Land for a long period of time, it was a very different sight with a difference.
Chicago is located in the midst of the Northern Prairies. One can sees miles of its famous grasslands, undulated mounds of meadows interspersed with a few bald trees, some of them still sporting golden fall leaves, glistening under a setting fall sun, like Donald Trump's hair.
The commercial minded Americans have converted these rolling Meadows into Golf courses, a few I saw criss crossing the Chicago suburbs. The accent of the midwesterners is as flat as the flatlands of the Prairies. It is far cry from the Southern drawl I am more conversant with. Didn't hear anybody talking y'all at all.
The English accent varies a lot between the North and South, with the New Yorkers having their own Yankee accent. Same as in Odisha, we have Katati (coastal) accent, Barhampuri Southern accent and Sambalpuri western accent.
When a Minnesotan says "you betcha", it reminds me of "GAMATA EKKA" (Fun only), in Barhampuri Odia. Same as Mein (in Allahabadi Hindi), Hum (Bihari Hindi) vs Apoon Ka Hindi in Mumbai. Accents do vary, with regional punch in every language across the world. More later...
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