In Chicago again

Happy New Year! Well, if I hadn’t been so tardy with my blog entries that statement would carry more weight. Ah well, its January 12th and I suppose we won’t complain about too much tardiness.

I am back in Chicago after my two weeks in California. I had a ton of fun out there in the “home-land” but I am glad to be back in Illinois (gee who would have ever seen THAT coming?). Getting back to close proximity with Jeong and being back to work in a regular schedule is actually something I readily include as part of my vacation package; a great ending to a great time off.

Had an experience on the train this week I thought I would share. Riding home from work, I was sitting next to an older woman who was singing softly to herself while reading sheet music. I don’t know what the melody was, but the language was Chinese (or so it seemed from the writing) and it was a welcome, warm sound in the harsh world of subway din and dirt. As I focused in on her voice, I gazed across the train to see a homeless man applying ointment to his wounded hands from a single-serving antibacterial pouch. The container reminded me of fast food ketchup packets. I remember looking over at him, his cut up hands and the sores that the cuts had spawned glistening with ointment sheen. The older Asian woman’s vocal practice stood out as a stark contrast to the younger (yet grizzled) homeless man’s distressed phalanges. I don’t have a cool ending to this story; I just left the train at my stop and walked home, enjoying the cold air and reflecting on the two people I had left on the train. I wondered if they noticed each other. I looked at my hands and hummed a few bars of the song that I remembered. Not the same. I kept walking home.

I don’t have much else to report. I had my job review today (wee!) and was very pleased with the outcome. Saying more than that in a public forum would be inappropriate I think. Ask if you want to know. :)