An example of a stripmall in one of the suburbs of Chicago.

One of the routines I badly miss in the Philippines is malling after office and watching the latest movie whenever I feel like it. Here it is different, it is not much fun. For one, they don't have SM or Ayala Malls where almost everything is in one building. What they have are strip malls where they have about 5 to a dozen of different stores placed side by side, in not so attractive red brick (or brown) buildings. Getting to one strip mall to another requires driving. The hassle worsens on winter too.

There is Woodfield Mall of course, Chicago's largest mall (world's largest mall in 1975), it is very similar to the malls in PI but it's a good 45 minutes drive from my place.

Hugo Boss, Nordstrom and Kenneth Cole (the latter a personal favorite - only when on sale)

About a few months after I arrived here in the US I was disappointed with downtown Chicago, there weren't really that many stores I would expect from a big city in america, plus my impression of it was dark because the whole time my view of it was under the loop, the rails of the elevated train.

If not for Carlo and Emilie's (my filipino friends) visit on the 5th month of my arrival, I wouldn't have probably been led to the Magnificent Mile. I have funny feeling that my dear husband deliberately kept me away from it. Why? Magnificent Mile is a good one mile stretch of reeeaaalllly upscale stores and boutiques(read: very expensive). Needless to say it is impressive. Being in the middle of it you can't help but be convinced that yes indeed you are in the america you see on TV and read in the magazines.

Don't take my word for it, to see photos is to believe.

Darling, this is where Jennifer Aniston was recently spotted doing some shopping since she is here in town to shoot a movie.

Currently listening to: our autmated litterbox whirring
Currently reading: Child Of My Right Hand
Currently watching: none