CultureShock! Chicago

Orin Hargraves

Description

CultureShock! Chicago is an insightful and thorough guide that will help you make Chicago your home. Discover the real Chicago beyond the usual tourist attractions and the gloss of promotional brochures and be acquainted with the reality of living and working in this exciting city. Find out what lies behind the Chicagoan facade and how to make friends in your new community. Chock-full of useful information to help you settle in, CultureShock! Chicago covers a wide range of practical issues such as how to negotiate the grid and get around the city, what to expect from Chicago's extreme weather, how to find suitable accommodation and how to conduct business and manage your finances, among others. It also explores the many excellent recreational facilities in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city. CultureShock! Chicago is the one book you will need to make a success of living, working or studying in Chicago.

Sujets

• Illinois

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 01 février 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9789814484794
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

This 3rd edition published in 2011 by:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
99 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001
www.marshallcavendish.us
First published in 1999 by Times Editions Pte Ltd; 2nd edition published in 2007 by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited.
Copyright 2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone], fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 Marshall Cavendish International. PO Box 65829, London EC1P 1NY, UK Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
eISBN: 978 981 4484 79 4
Please contact the publisher for the Library of Congress catalog number
Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd
Photo Credits:
All black and white photos by the author except pages xii, 171, 197 and 203 (Photolibrary). All colour photos from Photolibrary.
Cover photo: Photolibrary
All illustrations by TRIGG
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
CONTENTS
Preface
Dedication
Map of USA
Chapter 1
First Impressions
Habla English
The City That Works
A City of Neighbourhoods
Chapter 2
Overview of Chicago
Welcome to Chicago
A Tale of the Three Cities
Zeroing in on Chicago
Geography and Climate
History
Economy
Political Machinery
Landmark Status
Places to Know About
You and Uncle Sam
The Status of Immigrants
Social Security and Taxes
Chapter 3
Behind the Fa ade
Ethnic Demographics
Religion and Spirituality
Language
Roles of Men and Women
Stages of Life
The Place of Race and Class
Cracking the American Nut
Chapter 4
Meeting Chicagoans
A Word about Names
Home Life
Dining with Chicagoans
Talking the Talk
The Life of the Party
Short Social Occasions and Rituals
Chapter 5
A Place to Call Home
Where to Live
Types of Housing
Renting a Property
Buying a Property
Connecting to Services
Getting Domestic Help
Your Address and Mail
Chicago on the Ground
Getting Around in Chicagoland
Public Transportation
Driving in Chicago
Healthcare
Safety
Drug Use and Abuse
Education in Chicago
Money Matters
American Retailing
Tips about Tipping
Chapter 6
Tasting Chicago
Food for Your Table
You say Tomato...
Food Labelling
Beverage Basics
Eating, Chicago Style
The Meal Plan
Eating Out
Specialty and Ethnic Foods
Special Dietary Requirements
Drinking Out
Chapter 7
Chicago at Play
The Great Outdoors (And Indoors)
Your Media Diet
The Holidays
The Chicago Calendar
Chapter 8
Learning the Language
What Sort of English?
English on the Street
The Informal Classroom
The Formal Classroom
Finding a Tutor
When in Rome...
Chapter 9
Chicago at Work
The City Workplace
Division of Labour
Doing as the Natives Do
Business and Politics
Self-Employment
Alien Entrepreneurship
Chapter 10
Chicago at a Glance
Famous Chicagoans
Culture Quiz
Do s and Don ts
Glossary
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Author
Index
PREFACE
Welcome to Chicago! Whether you are already in Chicago or just a virtual visitor at this point, you have the opportunity to enjoy the unique flavour of one of the world s great cities.
If you ve picked up this book in a bookstore with a view of acquiring it, chances are that you did not find it sitting on a shelf alone. A city of nearly three million people, hundreds of fascinating attractions and 35 million visitors a year does not escape the notice of the tourism industry. What s more, Chicago and its charms are the subject of hundreds of Internet sites, which may raise in your mind the question of whether a guidebook on the subject is even necessary.
With all of these facts in mind, I have tried to write a book that will be a valuable vade mecum for the traveller, visitor or new resident who wishes to make Chicago home-whether for a weekend, a week or for the foreseeable future. I lived in Chicago during three periods in my life-as a young boy, as a university student and as a working adult-and each time in a different part of the city. Through all of these experiences, Chicago became a home for me in a way that can be renewed whenever I return there, which I do frequently. So I have tried in this book to provide the material that will help make Chicago, the City that Works , a home for you.
DEDICATION



For Paul Pierron, longtime Chicagoan and longtime friend who always keeps me coming back for more.

I adore Chicago. It is the pulse of America. -Actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)

C HANCES ARE YOU HAVE SOME NOTION of where on earth Chicago exists before you get there. This location is of vital importance, and it has a major influence on what are likely to be your first impressions of the city.
Chicago is a crossroads. Largely because of this, it has grown to become the largest non-coastal city in the United States. For many years, its largest airport, O Hare, has nabbed the title as the world s busiest airport. If Chicago s smaller airport (Midway) is added, Chicago is never out of the running as one of the top two or three air traffic cities in the world. In addition, Chicago is the hub of US railroads, the meeting place or terminus of many of the United States most vital roads and highways and a gigantic inland port, thanks to adjacent Lake Michigan that connects it to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The upshot of all this: people and things are moving in and out of Chicago constantly. When you are one of these for the first time, the scale of the phenomenon in relation to one person can be pretty overwhelming. Fortunately, Chicago also has one of the best-organised transportation systems in the US, well-integrated at the internal, interstate and international level.
HABLA ENGLISH
You have the opportunity to hear languages from all over the world in Chicago, but two of them predominate: English, of course, and Spanish. No language enjoys official status in Chicago, but English is the default language as it is everywhere in the US, and Spanish holds a place as a very respectable second language in Chicago. Chicago s Hispanic population has roots mainly in Mexico, but also in many other Latin American countries. People who identify themselves as Hispanic account for more than a quarter of the population within the city limits. Most public signage today is in these two languages.
Chicago is in the Midwest, an area of the country that most people associate with a very standard American accent. You will probably find that most Chicagoans speak with a typical American accent, with minor regional inflections that may be obvious only to a dialectologist. There is a particular working-class accent associated with Chicago that can be heard mainly in the city s south-west side. This accent is perhaps parodied more often that it is actually spoken these days. Its most typical feature is the substitution of d