I took the subway to Chinatown today because I was craving some cheap, Chinese vegetables (e.g. bok choy) that usually cost an arm and a leg at the Japanese or American grocery stores. After loading up on groceries at Dynasty, I went to Joe’s Shanghai to eat lunch. When I went in the restaurant, the only seating that the staff could provide me was at this rather large table that could easily fit six people. I was actually glad when another single diner came in shortly after me and the staff ushered him to my table as well. We struck up a conversation shortly after we both ordered our respective meals. I told him that I was a student still on holiday break. He told me that this was his first day of jury duty and that he didn’t have to report in until 2 pm. Conversation was touch and go in the beginning, but within 10 minutes we were chowing down on our pork soup dumplings and talking like good friends. I learned that he had moved to NYC from SF because of a girl and a job (mostly because of the girl though) and soon afterwards, he married the girl and bought a condo with her on the Upper East Side. I told him that I had also moved here from SF and we waxed nostalgic on the warm weather (warm compared to here, that is) back in the Bay Area. We talked of other things – T, my nephew, his younger sister in medical school, my older sister in part-time law school, snowboarding, how there are no good resorts here in NY. When we finished up our meals and were paying our bills, I realized that almost an hour and a half had passed and there were still things that we were chatting about. Sometimes, conversations with random strangers can be the best.

School starts next Monday. Already, two of my professors have e-mailed us letting us know of the homework that would be due come the start of class on Monday. I’ll probably wait until Sunday to look at my assignments. I find that I work well when I’m doing things at the last minute.

The bulb in my desk lamp has burned out!