Devon (Deewan) pe Dewaaney

I was thinking recently I need to write more about where I live - Chicago! I mean Chicago is an interesting place (when its not trying to freeze your butt off!).

Also, I figured I should also talk about the Chicago I know - the 400,000 Muslim-strong, thousands-of-desis-strong wala Chicago. This is what makes Chicago so interesting. The diversity of its people. You have Chinatown close to the South Loop of Chicago; Pilsen (Little Mexico) is right next to China Town; Korea Town 2 miles from my house close to a cluster of universities; Arab Street which is also very close and where I shop for my halal meat; and finally Polish Town where I live where I hear more polish spoken than english when I roam around my neighbourhood stores. There is also an annual Polonia Festival (down my street that I hate!) where big honchos like George Bush and Rush Limbaugh came down in the 1990s to woo the US-Polish vote. The reason why I hate the Polonia festival is because everything from the posters, to the entertainment is in Polish! I feel so excluded!

Though the same thing happens on the weekends of 14th and 15th August on Devon Street. Devon (officially pronounced 'Deewaaan'). Read a bit of Devon Wikipedia History here. Originally settled by English immigrants in 1850s, the neighbourhood slowly moved from being English to now a strange rainbow of Jewish, Pakistani, Indian, Aghani and Bengali businesses. My boss who moved from Pakistan in the 60s recalled one weekend halal shop on Devon; my father, a student in Michigan in the 70s, recalls it a short strip of Pakistani/Indian shops.

Today, Devon approximately boasts of at least a hundred Pakistani/Indian hotels, restaurants, desi banquet halls, salons, real estate developers, insurance agents,
cell-phone shops, desi pots-and-pans shops, fabric shops, boutiques and tailors. Don't forget the scores of video, music, and photography shops all that offer you the special desi touch. And if your heart so desires, desi prostitue services can also be arranged...just pick your 'escort' from the many ads in Indian and Pakistani-language newspapers distributed on Devon street.

During 14th and 15th August there is a Pakistan and India Independence Day Parade (seperately). I have yet to witness, but my husband tells me that there are always India-Pakistan phaddey (scuffles) during parade time (usually hormornal teenage boys, I guess). I think there was some British wisdom in giving 2 seperate independence days (they must have figured that expat communities would have logistical issues hosting celebrations). There are floats, music, bands, flag waving and candy/confetti throwing during the parade. I've had lots of fun when a friend of mine invited me to her condo that overlooks Devon street. Lots of patriotic music by the way (dil dil Pakistan). You'll often see floats sponsored by local politicians or government officials who are currying favor with desi Chicagoans (see, see?! I do witty use of adjectives).

Pakistani Parade - Part 1 from Shahrukh Hasan on Vimeo.

You'll often have an Independence Day bazaar in the park behind Devon street. It will usually have a horrible, horrible singer and band trying to tune out popular songs from the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The hot weather in August and bad singing will leave you headaches but you'll still jostle in line for your halwa-puri-chola bag or try wave your dollars frantically in front of the vendor's face for some cold, dripping Kulfi (if you were in the line fast enough to begin with). Yes, you'll stand there. In your pastel green shalwar kameez, along with a couple of hundred other dedicated Pakistani-expat girls and women, dressed in various shades of green, trying to recapture the melas you attended in a not so distant past....and you'll be sweating bravely in the sun eating a dripping kulfi (hopefully) while you achieve your nostalgia....hai.....

Shoure Band from Shahrukh Hasan on Vimeo.

So the bazaar/festival in the park will be circled by vendors of all kinds. Some will try to convince you of a more 'better' Islam out there; some will entice you with pretty desi clothes that cost usually an arm and a leg; and some will delight your gastronomic cravings in greasy bags and brown paper.

Pakistani Parade 2008 Chicago - Part 2 from Shahrukh Hasan on Vimeo.

The most interesting part of the festival is closing time around 6 or 7 pm. Desis do not leave on their own accord. No, all us desis have party animal genes, recessed deep inside our DNAs. No normal, run-of-the-mill people could have come with the bhangra otherwise. It was us, us the fabulous, diva-like desis who know how to shake, shake our booties on special occasions. Likewise, closing time will come and go and, we, desis will still be grazing on those delightful channey ki chaats. And still be listening to that phata hua gala wala singer (headaches have graduated to migranes)...until...the Chicago police comes on mounted horses and basically herd the desis out gently like absent-minded sheep. Sorry boys, no drunken men and women in skimpy clothing here; just a couple of hundred people who don't know how the end of party even if it came up and slapped them.

You head home. Curse your synthetic pastel green shalwar kameez. Take a cool shower. Wonder if it was worth the nostaliga of going to Devon street....until you remember the twinkling little crystals on those pretty dresses....and that decadent chaat....and you whisper gleefully to yourself (hoping your husband doesn't hear in-between his anti-devon-stupid-traffic-and-stupid-desis-don't-know-how-to-drive rants): "Inshallah, soon! Can't live without my samaosa chaat, haina?"