Europe vs the US

It's been a few weeks now since I have returned from Europe,Macedonia. It took getting used to as far as readjusting to American life and getting back to the grind of things. As I hopped on the bus coming back from Michigan Ave shopping this past Saturday(and getting a fab pair of Kenneth Cole boots),a stranger had asked my husband what language we were speaking. Russian? He asked which is common in this city since it does sound similar...Of course we told him it was Macedonian,and the conversation then went into America vs Europe,since he has been to Europe himself. Some of the points he made were so true and I knew all along,which have impelled me to finally write this post that I have been putting off for so long. Actually I initially had wanted to write about the country I had visited but I am more interested in this conversation that I had recently and had also wanted to blog about this for quite some time.

Here in the US, people work to live. In Europe,people live to work. I am sure you have heard this many times. Here,especially in Chicago,we are bounded by bills,mortgages,and work in order to have a decent life. We want the best cars,the best house,etc. In Macedonia for instance,things are a little more laid back. People invite each other over for coffee. People are more friendly. They may not have all the money in the world but they will offer everything and anything they have on them. You don't need one week advanced notice just to stop by your friend's place. There is no planning and things are done spontaneously.

Also,in the US, we don't talk to strangers because we were taught that they can possibly be some freak,or someone that may harm us. It is all about "me" in the US and the people here are definitely for themselves for the most part. We are an individualistic society.

Fortunately for us here in Chicago,there are many different ethnic neighborhoods and restaurants where we can relive and reminisce the countries we have visited and experienced. Perhaps though,we can learn a little bit from the Europeans and be a little more friendly to our neighbors,maybe invite them over for coffee from time to time,call that friend you have not talked to in awhile,or perhaps spending tons of money on a luxury car or home may not be necessary but rather enjoy the simple pleasures of life instead.

Maybe major corporations and firms can be more flexible and offer women longer maternity leaves and give us more vacation time so that we can come back to them refreshed, less stressful,and be even more efficient. This may in turn increase productivity and everyone is now happy.

Maybe one day,we will have that same lifestyle that the Europeans have. With the turn of the way the economy is going,maybe people will think twice about what is really important and what is not. That is a great thought.

Macedonia

Greetings from Macedonia!

I am currently in a city in itself called Strumica wedding planning and visiting the motherland.

Although not Chicago,Strumica is hailed as one of the best cities in Macedonia and known for their cafe-bars and nightlife.

Stay tuned as I blog about the differences between the two countries when I return. Also,I will be doing an extensive article on Gal About the Globe which you can click on the link in the lower right side of my page.

Prijatno i cao! (Farewell!)

Dijana

Shoutcast radio-don't stay home without it.

Saturday morning in Chicago. So far,the sun has been shining and I couldn't sleep in any longer. It is now 9:58 am as I write this,summertime in Chicago does not allow you to sleep in,since there is so much going on here. I am sipping on green tea and eating toast and marmalade as I write this. I am also listening to one of Shoutcast radio's house stations. What is Shoutcast you ask?

Shoutcast radio is a website that provides online radio stations 24/7-you can download the toolbar and in an instant you can type in any type of genre of music you want to listen to-ranging from Rock to Pop to Dance to Hip Hop. I love the afternoon mix that features live deep House and soulful music and my other favorite one is Deepvibes that also features House music.

If you got other things going on,just let the radio play behind you,it seems for me that getting tasks/chores done is so much easier when you got some great music playing.

Summertime in Chicago

I just took a picture of this when I was in the south loop area last Friday. For those who haven't been to Chicago, Millenium Park is a must see should you ever visit here. Visit the "Bean", pictured here, for some fun pics and nice memories to take back home. We took a few friends out here to check it out and it was a great day for it. What I love about taking out friends and family from out of town in this city is that I am able to relive the moment when I first came to Millenium Park and in Chicago through the eyes of others. We ended the night with cappucinos at Whisper's Cafe, an outdoor cafe in Mariano Plaza off of Rush St, a great hang out for people and car watching.



For any tips on Chicago and ideas,let me know, I'd be happy to be help!

I'm back!

After 2 grueling weeks without internet,I have finally gotten it back. I have installed another year's worth of anti-virus software and I am good to go.

In the meantime,I have been enjoying summer in the city of Chicago-I finally moved to my new apartment at the beginning of the month. So far I have discovered that I live close to two Ex-Yugoslavian import stores,where I can get my Nutella and Rose Hip jam fix whenever I want now. I also live by Dominick's, your typical corporate supermarket,all within walking distance. Aldi is coming soon and it's just around a corner from me-so I have no excuse not to cook so my mother says(ha!)

I also live around the corner from a hip coffee shop and also next to the coffee shop a dry cleaner's that is way cheaper than the other one that I used to go to that was by my old apartment. The fact that I don't have to drive to the cleaner's and the items are cleaned by the next day is such a big bonus for me.

Even better, I live very close to the lake and by various beaches and parks,which is where I have been doing my jogging and walking lately. To top it off I live smack next to the Red Line train where I can hop on anytime and hit up downtown in minutes. A tad noisy but somehow I sleep right through it(don't ask how).

All in all I like my new place so far and my neighborhood is great-I will let you know how things go for the rest of the summer,as I plan on hitting up festivals,the beach,and Venetian Night, A light boat parade that they do every year on Lake Michigan,something I have yet to see.

Letting go was hard to do,but I had to do it.

We are now in June. This month has just begun and already I know I will be busy,as I mentioned in my last post. I managed to clean out my old room at my parents house and donated two bags worth of clothes to the less fortunate. Rummaging through my closet and drawers brought back memories of the days where I hit up downtown and also all the major events that I attended. It felt good to clean all of that out because it brought back a sense of renewal,a sense of starting out new,even though I went through major changes already over the past year. However, throwing out all the things that I did not need anymore also gave me a sense letting go of the past and moving on with the future. Also,throwing out my old stuff was the remainder of all the things that I let go of over the past year,which included people that were toxic in my life.

Soon it will be July and I hope to not be as busy and start hitting up the beach. I live next to the lake now and will go whenever the weather is warm,but the real action is North Ave beach where all the youngsters hang out,play volleyball,and listen to live 80s music. Also,catch up with some friends that I haven't had time to meet up with is something I want to put on my to do list.

Time is of essence.

So I have been apartment hunting and actually,I may have lucked out. I did my second rounds of apartment hunting today and actually found an apartment with great space,with the amenities that I wanted such as laundry room,elevators,etc, and for a reasonable price. I had to go a little out of my price range but all the utilities are included so it all comes out the same. One block down I live by a major street with grocery stores,coffee shops,restaurants,etc. My favorite Ex-Yugoslavian import store is apparently a few minutes away walking distance as well(I am REALLY excited about this one).Hopefully I won't have to rent any much longer and soon I will be able to own my own condo in the city,something I have been dreaming about for quite some time now. I realized after looking for an apartment not everything you see for rent is "perfect" and unless you own your own place,you really can't be picky.

In the midst of all this I am still planning my wedding,it seems I just am all over the place now. I also have to go to my cousin's wedding in Detroit next month. And of course going to the gym,something I must stick to if I want to be at my ideal weight for the wedding.

One thing I had to let go was my former contributing author gig on GalsGuide. The requirement now is once a week you had to blog,and I had preferred blogging at least twice a week but it turned out that was not what they are looking for anymore. It was kinda a blow to my ego but what can you do? The guidelines seem to be more strict and not as lax as it once was *sigh*.

With my new life right now,I hope to continue my interests,or at least pick them back up once my wedding is all over,but for now everything is just chaotic right now. It's been also my one year anniversary since I began working for the company I have been working for so my performance evaluation is coming up(wish me luck!).

At least I still have my blog,and I may try to focus more on it,if I have the time that is. But at least I can control how often I can post :-)