What's Your Passion?

Don't get me started on the stock conversation. Oh wait, do get me started on the stock conversation because that shit needs to change. Ok. So if you don't know the term "stock conversation" I'll give you an example. Take for example, Mike and Steve. Mike and Steve live one floor apart in the same dorm, they have one class together, and they're both members of the college democratic club. They're on good terms, but they aren't really friends. An average conversation between the two, if they say, happened to run into each other on the way to class, would look like this:

M: Hey, how's it going?
S: It's good, it's good. How bout you?
M: Not bad. My legs are really sore from practice yesterday though.
S: Basketball, right?
M: Yeah
S: Yeah, that seems like it would be real tough. Hey, did you do the problem set?
M: About half of it, I faked the rest
S: Oh yeah, me to BLAH BLAH BLAH

Notice how they managed to basically talk about nothing the entire time. Neither of them will come out of that conversation particularly impressed with the other, and they will remain mere acquaintances forever until someone breaks the ice. Welcome to the stock conversation. You have probably at least 25 a day. You don't like them, but they're better than the alternative of just saying nothing. Or is there another option? Is there a way you can actually talk about something for once?

Enter "What's your passion?" It's basically a joke, but not really. It came about when I was trying to think of a way to have an interesting conversation with the custodians that clean my building. I mean, I don't particularly care how there day is going or who they're going to vote for, I want to know if they used to be lumberjacks or dated a bank robber, or can draw extremely convincing sketches of woodland creatures. So the idea came up to just say, "what's your passion?" to them, and see how they respond. You don't have to use those words exactly, but the idea is to make some sort of question or statement that dislodges the avalanche of truth and knowledge that the average person holds back in the stock conversation.

I mean, think about all the best conversations you've ever had. Were they about homework or classes, or were they when your friend told you he likes to make engines out of scrap he finds at the dump, just because he likes the idea of making something from nothing. You never know who's a badass until you ask.

Now if you're like me, you've probably noticed that you've had a lot of your best conversations when you're drunk and high. Why do you think this is? It's cause your goddamn stock conversation inhibitions go out the window and you're not afraid to ask or answer the kind of insightful question that would make you feel awkward when you're sober. Well fuck that. Just ask those kind of questions all the time and have those kind of conversation and discover all those friends you're too much of a pussy to make. Otherwise it's just a waste of time.

The King and I: Chicagoland's Best Thai Food in America EVER!

Well, it's 4 AM. Again. Another perfect time for a blog post. I'm not sure what I should write about, so I'm going to tell you about The King and I, the best Thai restaurant in the Chicagoland area, according to me.

Okay, let me preface this thing by saying you will probably be able to find better tasting Thai food somewhere in the Chicagoland area if you look hard and are willing to pay more for it. That being said, The King and I is the tits. It's run by two really nice middle-aged ladies and they are very attentive servers. This is really important in a Thai restaurant, as spicy food is a specialty, so it's really nice to have them frequently refilling your water glass and bring rice if you request it. The menu is pretty broad, offering a wide variety of Thai classics, from curry, to rice dishes, and of course, pad thai. Now I've been going there pretty regularly for almost a year now, so I've developed a usual. The chefs know exactly how I like my pad thai, and the ladies always know what I'm going to order when I come in. The restaurant has a really good atmosphere, the single dining room is well lit, never feels crowded with tables, and I've never had to wait for a seat. It's always just a really good experience, and being in the place is very soothing, especially after a hard work shift.

Now the dealbreaker for The King and I is the price. While most Thai restaurants will have you paying in the $10-13 range for an entree, most King and I offerings are between 6-9 dollars. In addition, until 3 pm they offer a $6 lunch special which comes with soup (Hot and Sour is delicious), spring or egg roll, and an entree. This may not seem like a huge deal, but with these prices I can afford to go there regularly, only having to pay as much as a Chipotle burrito, which I think is a great deal for really good Thai food.

King and I is located in my hometown, Chicago-suburb Oak Park. To view a Google Map, click here. Otherwise, the address is:

105 N. Marion St. (Just North of the train tracks on Marion)

Oak Park, IL 60302

(708) 383-2975

I recommend you stop by and check it out. Hey, you'll probably see me there.