Hey, Folks! Right now, I’m in the Metro Atlanta area, and loving the weather here. When I was in Chicago during the past winter, it snowed every other day, and the temperature reached subzero degrees. So how can I express my joy in feeling warmth from the sun rays on me; feeling a gentle breeze touch the tendrils of my hair. Smile. Such contrast to the dreary winter in Chicago, and yet there are some good remembrances of my stay in the Windy City. Chicagoans are the nicest people on Earth. I think they’re smart and so conscientious about everything. No wonder, the city has been consistently ranked in the top ten places to live. The people, culture, and the mix of city/suburb feel has a lot to offer to many seeking a new place to live or visit. 

I am staying at a place located in the middle of suburbia which given my city upbringing, is like visiting a foreign country. First, a car is required to get anywhere. No MTA or EL here. A car is treasured in the suburbs as someone pointed out to me how some folks keep their cars/trucks well maintained in appearance. Shiny, spic and span with decorative decals. Having a car certainly is convenient. Don’t have to waste time to wait for public buses. Someone said to me it took an hour to go the nearest shopping mall by bus when it’s 10 mins by car. Second, the area is so unlike a city in landscape and in the people. I see greenery wherever I am driven in the area. The place is spotted among the greenery with office complexes, warehouses and new business and residential developments. We recently needed to visit a plumber and we drove to  a converted house, umm, office located, and I really mean, in the woods. I was lucky or cautious not to have gone into the office but my companions who were also apprehensive about entering the office, needed a flow valve. Afterwards, my brave companions said that the plumber and his assistant were true country folks. I am wondering what the plumber and his assistant said about my companions.

Along with true country folks, there’s quite a contingent of Koreans living in the North Side of Atlanta, and I understand other Asians are moving into the area as well. I remember visiting the area about 5 years ago, and there weren’t many Korean businesses as there are now, and now there are plenty of Korean food eateries as well. I’ve tried a few Korean restaurants and there are two that stands out for me. I like Tofu House located in the H-Mart shopping center where I had a bowl of cold arrowroot noodle soup with asian pear slices. Lovely and refreshing on a sunny day. Banchan or side dishes were pretty and plentiful. At another Korean restaurant, TTO TTO Wah Catering House, I had bim-bim bop with a side bowl of mung bean sprouts in clear broth. It was delioso! 

Buffet places were kinda new to me simply because buffet places were not common in New York City where I lived for many years. Oh, there were some in NYC but prices were at the high end, and the okay food quality and poor selection did not justify going. When I visited the area five years ago, we had a fun time sampling buffet places because of the unbeatable pay one price for all you can eat. There is even a KFC buffet here, something a city would never have because of two words –  No Profit.  Some buffet places from back then are still around, and one that is new and that I like is Sweet Tomatoes that offers a soup and salad buffet. Fantastically healthy and reasonably priced at 7 bucks for lunch and 9 bucks for dinner. 

It seems I write more about my ramblings than our knit-along. Afraid there is no update to the Paris Jacket knit-along. I will attempt to write the reason for this blog next time, fer sure!