Oh Canada!

From SJC to ORD
Sitting in the crowded waiting area of SJC, my United Airline flight is about to board in ten minutes to taking off to Chicago. What a crazy morning - fighting against the cold morning weather, waiting for e-ticket check-in, standing for the intensive security check (yes, I have take my shoes off. I guess working at the security point is not a good job after all since one has to smell people’s socks everyday), and now I’m typing on my lappy to record the moment…

Where am I going? Canada. One fight to Chicago and a change flight to Detroit. I haven’t gone back to home ever since I moved to San Jose summer of 2004. That’s one and a half years. I forget the look of the snowing weather and the grayish sky. It’s too bright and too sunny in California…..

From ORD to DTW
Ok, now I’m sitting at Gate C21 of ORD. Four hours of fight, and I felt it was longer than the time that it took me from SFO to TPE. The big difference between SJC and ORD is that not only ORD is crowded, it is also big. I’ve heard about it long time ago, although I never had a chance to visit Chicago.

The sky is bluish. There is no dusty wind as the air traffic reported several times during the flight. I guess I’m lucky, but I need to wait until my flight to DTW takes off on time. Weather is unpredictable.

I met a lady on the fight who sits next to me. She grew up in Taiwan, but she lives with her family in Hong Kong now. Her daughter and son works and lives in the US. She was telling me how merciful Jesus is during the flight. I felt it’s interested because many Taiwanese we met in the last one year believe Jesus (I thought more Chinese believe in Buda than “western” religions, and I felt they were more pious than some of the white people. She showed me the pictures of her family, her son and her daughter in law, as well as her friends in Hong Kong ? No secrets at all. It made me to start thinking the influences that a religion does to a person. She was very open and friendly, and she said many times to me that I was blessed by Jesus to live the life I have at the moment - I really don’t know. If I agree to the point, then I am a true believer of Jesus. I guess I should pray and thank Jesus for his giving. If I don’t agree, I really can’t explain how my life ends up like the way it is at the moment. After all, I’d consider myself lucky to have many opportunities that I got, but I don’t want to deny my hard work and dedication.

Anyways, it is not something I have the knowledge to explain. Different life styles, different beliefs.

Oh Canada
Got out of DTW at exactly 7:05PM yesterday, a touch of snow caught me unprepared. The same old Detroit, the same old grayish sky, the same old busy Smith Terminal…Everything is so familiar.

Passing by the Canadian custom check-point, I told the lady I worked in California. She was about to ask me how long I would stay in Canada. Then she paused, and she said “Well, it doesn’t matter. Have a nice holiday!” I love the feeling of being home (Canada), no hassle, no stupid questions - I am a Canadian, and I am coming back home!

Not much changed in Windsor in the passed one and a half years, but the city looked much smaller in the night. There was much less traffic on the road, which was a contrast to the busy El Camino Real in Silicon Valley. Lazy neon signs did not want to attract the traffic for a quick stop. I guess it was a cold night. The car drives into the garage. I’m getting out, and I’m ready to check out the new house I never lived...