International Perspective: Cubs Edition

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I'm not sure how to write this very well, so I'll start off awkwardly: With what I was wearing. I have an orange flannel shirt that I don't think is particularly fashionable, urban chic or cool, but it's excessively comfortable and I like to wear it once or twice during Autumn. It's a Fall rite of passage for me and I like it's agrarian feel. I usually wear it with a black shirt underneath for the orange and black Halloween feel. I think the flannel aspect helps accentuate the autumnal aspect. Living in a big city I miss wearing flannel shirts, and this shirt remains my only flannel one. Anyway, I wore it today, that will come up later.

So today I was taking the el back home and I saw a foreign-looking guy staring at his Chicago el map. His eyes didn't leave it for like 4 minutes solid. So I approached and asked if he knew where he was going. After being carless in the city for 5 years and working in a hostel for about 18 months, I don't know anyone that knows the train system better than I do, so I try to help people when I can.

With a thick accent, but very good grammar, this guy told me he was trying to get to the Navy Pier. That's the single biggest tourists-only destinatiton in Chicago, so after telling him how to get there from here, I asked where he was from. He said South Korea, then asked if I was American. At first I thought of a smart-ass answer along the lines of, "Well, I'm wearing a Halloween-themed orange flannel shirt (with a Nautica logo on it, no less), olive-colored khakis and a pair of Chuck Taylors, I kinda thought that would make it obvious. Oh, that and I asked you if you needed any help, and I asked in perfect English."

But I didn't feel like being a dick to a tourist, so I just politely said "yes". Then he asked if I lived in Chicago, and I' though, "No, I'm from Argentina, but I just felt like asking if you needed help on the Chicago Public Transit for shits", but I demured and just said, "Yeah, I live here in Chicago. I'm waiting for the train to take me home."

He became excited and told me that he likes Chicago and that last night he watched the Bulls game on television. He had the politely infectious tourist smiley enthusiasm that you have to love. He was smiling as he said it, he hoped I'd be impressed. So I said that was cool, and he said that Michael Jordan was a huge, huge star in South Korea. After working in a hotel for over a year and meeting countless people new to Chicago- this was expected. Foreigners know a TON about New York City and Hollywood. But Chicago? Al Capone, Michael Jordan and the Sears Tower. Sometimes they know Oprah, R. Kelly or Kanye West, but they don't know they're from Chicago. That's it. So we talked about the Bulls for a bit, and how they aren't as exciting anymore without Jordan. I conceded that nowadays Kobe and Lebron were cooler.

He later asked where in the city I lived. So I grabbed his map and showed him that I lived not too far from Wrigley Field- where the Chicago Cubs baseball team plays. At this mention his face lit up. "I know the Chicago Cubs!" he proudly blurted. He went on to start a sentence and then stop it, I think he was going to say something to the effect of, "They lose a lot", or "They are never very good" I forget exactly, but he politely cut himself off, and said, "Yes! They are....they are known for having bad ruck."

Very impressive that he knew that. Very diplomatically phrased. Why should he know anything else about the Cubs? For the record, he were was our final exchange upon his train's arrival.

Me: Ok man, this is your train. Take this to State and Lake, get off, then your map will tell you how to walk to Navy Pier.

Him: Ok, Thank you. Thank you very much.

Me: Hey man, no problem. Have fun here in Chicago.

Him: Ok, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a wonderful day. Have a very wonderful day!


Sadly, that was my favorite Cubs-related converstion in about 6 months.

And I base that Seoul-ly on his politeness...Hello-ooooo!











That's how I roll.