Recently, at the end of November, I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by our partner company - Gideons - to visit Chicago, USA where I would attend the world-renowned Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Congress. It is the largest medical imaging congress in the world, a high-tech mecca of medical technology where leading hardware and software companies congregate and showcase their latest ideas and technologies in medical imaging.
As Chicago was 14 hours behind Malaysian time, we were totally out-of-sync the moment we arrived at O'Hare International Airport. For the first few days, we literally became creatures of the night, sleeping in the day and becoming wide awake at night. This was a crazy experience, but thankfully, the windy nights gave us plenty of time to reflect upon life's experiences, so it was not a total waste staying up till the late hours of the morning - not that we had a choice.
The weather at Chicago was capricious. On the first day, the weather was cool. On the second and third day, it was warm. I was actually walking around with a sweater and bermuda. After that, the weather became really cold, reminding us that winter is near. You never get this change in weather as drastic as what we have in Malaysia. No wonder Chicago is also called the Windy City.
One of the most interesting sights of Chicago is its architecture. Since Chicago's fame dates back to the 19th century, and has attracted many architectural talents. There are many majestic and grand buildings which define the cityscape of Chicago. I took pictures of the Wrigley Building, the Chicago Tribune Building (where they filmed the recent blockbuster - Transformers: Dark of the Moon) and also Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the Skydeck Chicago on top of Willis Tower. The Skydeck has the unique observation deck where you can step on it and it felt like you are floating in the air. It was a wowing experience and I was very nervous about the height when I first stepped on the observation deck. Still, after a while, I got used to it. This is one attraction that is definitely not suitable for the acrophobics.
The RSNA was a bustling exhibition attracting people from the entire spectrum of the radiology field. I managed to take a picture with the Neusoft 64-slice CT Scan which will be launched in 2012.
It is an exciting environment where I had the opportunity to meet a few old friends and also to make new friendships. As with all trips, just when you got used to the place, it was sadly time to head back. See you another time, Chicago!
