around town

It feels like summer has disappeared rather abruptly - grey, cooler, rain, all signs of fall. We did get a respite - Sunday and Monday the sun was back to grace us for a few hours.

It's been nice to have my sister move to town. Our cousin was in town, too so we all got together a couple of times.

Friday my lab had a "good-bye" lunch for me and another woman and presented us with very official looking desk plaques:



Saturday my sister and I checked out this dessert place called Chikalicious (Chika is the owner, a Japanese lady) - yummy, but small (space and servings). I had corn ice cream with a cornmeal pound cake and grapes.

Sunday E and I hung out at Madison Park where they had a "US Open Live" area with a huge screen, viewing area, bleachers, vendors, etc...wasn't a bad way to go. Last Tuesday we got rained out and switched our US Open tickets to tonight...unfortunately the forecast calls for showers (50% chance of precipitation) but I told E we're going no matter what, Davenport vs Henin-Hardenne and Federer vs. someone.





At church I met a new guy. He was nice, but I thought it was funny how he stuck out because he was tall and white. Emmanuel is majority Asian American now I think. He's also a resident. Two things went through my mind - hmm, anyone he'd be good with in my rolodex and huh, it really is an advantage in our society to be a tall, white, good-looking white guy. He was friendly but I wonder if more people talked to him than would have talked to a nondescript small Asian girl. Although if she was missed it might be because people would think maybe they just didn't know her whereas with this guy it was obvious he was new.

Yesterday we saw some action ourselves and jogged around the Central Park Reservoir. It's a nice view of the city and a not-too-long distance (the reservoir is 1.5 miles, the park loop is 6 miles). We also continued watching 24 - we borrowed it Sunday and we're already halfway through the 24 45-minute episodes. I was joking with E, "Who says we don't have any hobbies in common?"

We celebrated some family birthday two Sundays ago. With the eldest and youngest of the Kang women: