This afternoon I had my haircut. Have I ever shared that I love having someone cut my hair? It feels great! And to make it better today, the woman cutting my hair spent the last 30 seconds giving me a scalp massage - it was completely unsolicited and unexpected. But boy was it nice!
Anyways, as I sat in the barber's chair I began to think back on my day and the various people I had encountered in one way or another. Suddenly I realized how incredibly diverse this great city is.
At 11:00 this morning I met with my professor and lab colleagues for an end-of-semester lunch. This group includes the individuals I worked most closely with during my time at Columbia. The diversity amongst us is striking. The professor is ethnically Chinese and was raised in Canada. The lab members include a man from Iran, a man from Nepal, a woman from Hong Kong, a woman from Singapore, an African American woman, as well as ethnically Indian and Chinese men raised in America. I think there were twelve in our group at lunch. Only two of us were white males.
Following lunch I stopped at the Columbia bookstore where an African American woman helped me get my cap and gown for graduation.
A bit later this afternoon I took some pants to the tailor downstairs to have them hemmed a bit. The shop is run by an Asian family - I would guess Southeast Asia, maybe Laos, Cambodia, or even Indonesia. I take any clothes here that need to be dry cleaned - they always do a great job.
And then there I was in the barbershop this afternoon. I drop in there about once a month for the regular trim. Two Hispanic women work there. They know me well by now and always fit me right in. Although I sometimes find it difficult to understand everything they say to me as they cut my hair, they always treat me well.
I should also mention my favorite pizza joint just downstairs run by an Italian family. Also, there is the Eastern European family who manages the apartment building.
There is so much diversity in this city... and then I go to church. It is odd because despite the heterogeneous mixture of race and nationalities all around me, when I attend church the group is very predominantly - although not exclusively - white.
This has become a familiar sight on the trip - many hours have been spent in this truck!
Trent regrets bringing his Garmin GPS! He has to put up with me trying to improve the projected arrival time at our destination. Here you see me racing the Garmin.
After arriving in Chicago we parked the truck near Wrigley Field and rode the subway into downtown Chicago (the public transportation here is terrible!). Here you see me and Trent catching some sights near the Chicago River.
Lunch at Giordano's. This is the affect ESPN has on us - we are captivated.
Wrigley Field! The Mecca of baseball stadiums. Perhaps the most exciting event of the night was in the 3rd inning when Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee hit a home run right at us. The ball bounced off several hands before sneaking into the row behind us about eight feet away. Due to a missed opportunity earlier this season at a major league baseball, I was not timid to do what was necessary to come away with the prize. I dove down the bench and began jostling and groping incessantly with about 6 other guys to find and grasp the ball. Within a short moment another fan emerged holding the ball. When I came to my senses and found my way back to my seat I realized the damage that had been done. Beer now soaked my hair and back. And since it was only the third inning, all I could do was let the brew dry while I enjoyed the remainder of the game.
Here is a picture taken from Pat's looking back at Geno's. We first ate cheesesteaks at Geno's (along with cheese fries and a Coke). Then we walked across the street to try Pat's version. We later returned to Geno's (after the baseball game) for a one last cheesesteak before calling it a night.
Citizens Bank Park!
Nice Hats!
The rain began to fall late in the game. They delayed the game in the bottom of the 8th when lightning began to flash. Due to the heavy rains, we decided to leave. The Phillies beat the Rockies 7-4.
After spending all day in the truck, we finally arrived at GreatAmerican Ballpark in Cincinnati.
We promptly bought some bratwurst and found our seats to watch the Reds pound the Pirates 9-1.
We each came away with a small souvenir.