Singh & the Windy City

 “ Welcome Mr Singh,  I think you have come at the BEST time to visit Chicago!” , the taxi driver told me , on my way from Airport to Chicago downtown. I smiled back at him and then at myself, as the taxi vroomed into the Chicago skyline and my heart skipped a beat. I was feeling excited and amused about my amazing tryst with this  city. I had landed at Chicago Airport three times earlier (2007 – 2009) but never got a chance to go out of the confines of the terminal and explore the city.

Call it sweet co-incidence, having joined Capgemini last July, I was on-boarded into the CNA account and was part Knowledge Transition program to be conducted from CNA Office in Chicago.

“ Summers is the most celebrated time in Chicagoland ! “ I was told. Indeed, it was a celebration of life. During my twin trips within a span of 3 months, I fell in love with ‘She-Ka-Go’, the Windy City ! 

Free musical concerts at Millenium Park ; Having Coffee at the 94^th floor of Hancock Tower, award winning Broadway shows at iconic Chicago theatre ; sun , surf and sand at the North Avenue beach ; fun, frolic and splash at the interactive Crown Fountain; making friends ‘on-the-way’ home;  watching the maverick ‘Blue Man Grroup’ at the Briar Street Theatre, going back  in time to watch ‘Sue’ the largest dinosaur at the Field Musuem of Natural History, watching sea life at the Shedd Aquarium, enjoying the best view of the skyline at Adler lakeside and picturing myself as the King of Chicagoland against the backdrop of majestic and historic Buckingham Fountain...are some of the memories that are still vivid in my heart.  

I feel lucky to have experienced the most amazing things that this city had to offer, both during the my first trip in summer (July-August) and then shortly after in fall (October-November). Through this pages, I relive some of those magic moments.

Drop Zone @ Chicago Air and Water show. The Chicago Air & Water Show was the most spectacular surprise event for me. It was thrilling to see over a million people packed on to the shores of Lake Michigan to witness the free extravaganza.  The day before the show starts was the “practice day” and in downtown could hear jets roaring overhead!  And during the show, there was sun, sand and some jaw dropping aerial acrobatics. 

An evening @ John Hancock center :  Soaring at 1,000 feet above the Windy City it offered breathtaking views of the city and lake.  Having Coffee at the 94^th floor and watching the sun go down on the Chicago horizon and the lights lit up the city below was like once in a lifetime experience!

Salsa @Chicago Summer Dance Festival : Walking back home one evening , I noticed a huge crowd  swinging at the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park on S. Michigan Avenue, hardly two blocks from CNA building. As I stood there capturing the revelry, a lady approached me and asked me sweetly, ‘Shall We Dance?”.I was on cloud number nine for the next one hour as I practised Salsa with her, trying to match her grace and perfection and in the process, living my ‘dance’ dream! 

Sunday Game @ Wrigley Field :  One of the oldest  baseball stadium that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916 named after chewing gum magnate, William Wrigley, Jr. Though I never followed the game , I wanted to enjoy the atmosphere in this iconic stadium. So I booked my ticket for a Sunday game and Voila ! I was amidst the crowd ,right from the train station where I boarded to my seat inside the stadium.  It was more like a picnic for families with fun, laughter, music and food mixed with the excitement of live action baseball. That was a pure’ American ‘ experience.

Unforgettable Chicago river n lake tour : The signature’ Wandella’ boat tour provided unique perspectives of the magnificent buildings and architecture along the Chicago River before venturing out to Lake Michigan where guests are treated to a rich view of the entire skyline. Apparently, for the odd 90 minute tour, I felt ‘transported’ into a different time-zone with panoramas that would remain etched forever in my mindscape.

On Top of USA @ Willis Tower : How does it feel to stand on all-glass boxes and look through the floor to the street 1,353 feet (412 m) below? Heart-stopping! For a moment, you might feel you are walking, on air and at that height; you are literally on the top of the tallest building in USA, which in fact was the tallest in the world a few years back! And what breathtaking views of the city and beyond: matchless!

Go A Little Overboard @ Navy pier :  From spectacular firework displays that lit up the night with color and sound  to the dashing Cirque Shanghai acrobatics, to the ride up on the giant ferris wheel,Navy Pier is host to an unparalleled array of events and entertainment including jugglers, magicians, marching bands, as well as cultural groups performing music and dance. In my 3 visits to this lakefront playground, I was overwhelmed by its sheer vivacity !

Falling in Love with Fall :  Amazing how in a short interval of less than 2 months the city had got into a new look and on my return to Chicago during October –November , the trees and leaves had changed color, there was chill in the air and the wind often whipped off from Lake Michigan. All this made me fall in love all over again with this beautiful colors of life . Some of the hues near the Cloud Gate (the Bean) structure and the Lincoln Park were breathtaking !

The BA@ CNA : One of the most common questions one gets around here is, "Hey! What's that big red building in the middle of the Chicago skyline?" Well, the answer is CNA Center.
It's not a massive structure but its position on Wabash Avenue, set back just one block from Michigan Avenue and the vast greenspace of Grant Park, makes it stand out like a fire alarm in the skyline.

“Where Do yo work”?

“Over there!” I could stand anywhere in downtown and point towards the ‘Red’  building with pride.

And inside CNA , I took pride in representing Capgemini  as the team who took the challange to transition one of the toughest applications in the shortest time frames , and that too , straight from the horses mouth!

Despite the strict KT schedule and the constant pressure to ‘learn and deliver’, I think our efforts paid off and for me, those interactions with some of the leaders and the SMEs resulted in strenthening the relationship as well as the confidence needed in such client –engagement. 

Well, it turned out to be an  amazing rendezvous  with this city and its wonderful people for me during both my short trips.

 My smile never ceases as I fondly recall those memories .  

“Mr Singh, One photo please ?!“

“Sure ! , My Pleasure !”

(To Chicago, With Love).

Thank You. And Sorry.

Thank you and sorry are perhaps the first words we learn.
And they stay with us right through our lives as yardsticks of our civility.
But when was the last time we said “thank you” or “sorry” without meaning to simply offload our burden of obligation or guilt?
Indeed, these words no longer express what they are supposed to. Instead, they are used flippantly, thrown around without care, often reduced to an easy way of getting off the hook and evading meaningful action.
They may well be the most used words in times of political correctness. But they are clearly the most abused as well. The emotions of gratitude and apology are vital to the chain of human reciprocity. But in stripping them of sincerity, we also seem to be closing the doors on their benefits for us.
“In ordinary life, we hardly realise that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
The quality of being thankful implies the disposition to turn goodwill into action and the inclination to return kindness. A “thank you” denotes the attitude of positive acceptance, a determination to employ the kindness or blessing imaginatively and inventively. It connotes the humility of considering oneself the recipient of undeserved merit. “He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first instalment on his debt,”
The lack of gratefulness is largely because we take things for granted, brashly presuming that they are either our rightful due or are far less than what we deserve. What holds us back from being grateful is such lack of contentment and an endless craving for more. Often, we insist on waiting for the results of an action or a blessing to show up before expressing gratitude. This indicates a dearth of trust and faith, which pays us back in our own coin.
In a way, gratitude helps us realise the benefits of mindful meditation, which is all about acknowledging and feeling connected with every breath and blessing of life.
We might wonder where the need for gratitude is if we pay for goods and services in money. Gratitude doesn’t even fetch us discounts. In fact, there is a subtle line of distinction between gratitude and ingratiation. So much so that when someone thanks us too many times, we start doubting his intention.
The act of offering and accepting an apology is as profound and healing a human interaction as that of expressing gratitude.
But while the offhand “sorry about that” keeps flying around, our ego prevents us from realising its full potential. The word loses its impact when we refrain from acknowledging our offence (“Sorry for whatever I may have done”) or throw in a self-serving conditionality (“I am sorry if you were hurt”). If the purpose of an apology is only to say, “While I don’t think I was wrong, I will apologise because you say so”, it is best not to offer one, for, the worst we can do is to insult someone’s sensitivity or intelligence by such treatment.

Bestowed with the power to effect reconciliation and mend strained relationships, an apology must involve acknowledging the offense adequately, expressing genuine remorse and offering appropriate reparations, including a commitment to make changes.
“A stiff apology is a second insult,” said novelist and poet G K Chesterton. “The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.”

The rewards of an apology can only be earned, not embezzled. With everybody from convicts to public figures seeking its refuge, “sorry” is not a quickfix for things gone awry, but the starting point of restoring order. The use of this word must be backed by sincerity of intention. “Never ruin an apology with an excuse,” advises American poet Kimberly Johnson. Seldom does an apology sensitise us to the responsibility of not repeating the same mistake.

A sincere apology helps both parties achieve greater harmony: While the individual making an apology is disencumbered of guilt, shame and fear of retaliation, the one who accepts an apology heals his own humiliations and grudges, rids his mind of the painful preoccupations of revenge and generates forgiveness to bring about greater peace in his own life and in the lives of others around him.
Expressing gratitude and apology without necessarily being grateful or remorseful people is an exercise in futility. Shallow expressions of gratitude and apology are not emotionally evocative and end up producing the contrary result. Often, they are so disengaged and superficial that they fail to motivate altruistic action and positivity.

What matter most here is honesty, generosity, humility, commitment, courage and sacrifice, for these qualities define our true dignity.