 |
 |
From Value One, Summer 2005 No.09 |
 |
Metal One America, Inc.
 |
Enjoying Pro Sports Year-round |
 |
When you describe the size of an American city, one determining factor is whether it has a pro sports team. In that respect, Chicago is a major city.
Chicago has a full complement of pro sports teams, including the Cubs and White Sox in baseball, the Bulls in basketball, the Bears in football, the Blackhawks and Wolves in hockey, and the Fire in soccer. This means that you can relieve job stress, as well as tough out the long, cold winter, by cheering on your favorite team.
One game that left an impression was a football game that took place last year. The temperature was minus 15 C, with the wind chill factor actually making it an incredible -25! I went to see the game and the people around me were saying, "Unbelievable!" However, I was amazed to see excitedly cheering fans naked from the waist up. |
 |
| There is no middle ground at games; you either cheer for your team or boo the opposing team. Dedicated supporters are called "die-hard fans," by the way. |
 |
| Chicago's pro teams offer all sorts of products for their fans. |
|
|
Wherever You Are, Your Wife Is Boss |
|
| It might seem strange, but not a few American men drink with their male pals to relieve work and family stress. Released by their wives, they have fun relaxing and getting drunk with just the guys. Once they start to get tipsy, they start telling incomprehensible jokes and doing boring tricks, which causes my stress to build up (laughs). However, watching them fool around like this, I sometimes feel sorry for them because I sense that the reverse side of all this is how much they worry about their wives. During last year's presidential campaign debates, when the moderator closed with a request for a comment about the candidates' wives, Kerry replied that his wife was the most important person in his life, while Bush answered that his wife won all their arguments. Even now, I personally think this was why Bush won. |
|
Beef a Fast Friend |
|
When an acquaintance asked me, "What is the last thing you would like to eat before you die?" I hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Surf and turf." I hesitated because I like steak and lobster (as well as shrimp) and it was difficult to choose between them. "Surf and turf" is a convenient menu item that combines the two.
There are many fine steakhouses in Chicago. After mad cow disease broke out, I was listening to a discussion about meat safety on the radio in the car and the host made a comment that was quite plain: "You're not an American if you don't eat meat, so I eat meat. That's why I'm going to eat a hamburger for lunch today and a steak for dinner." |
|
Getting a Sense of the American Dream |
|
| In the U.S., people who make an effort to accept the country are warmly welcomed. Understanding this proved to be the most important thing for me both in terms of work and my private life. People who speak English, understand American culture and history, love the U.S., and intend to try to contribute to the U.S. are accepted without fail. Even a foreigner like me can seize business opportunities here. |
 |
| Downtown Chicago. The Sears Tower (center, background) and other typical, soaring American skyscrapers. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 2011 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
HOME 
Back
Terms of Use