i heart ...

While collecting pictures (from tens of different cameras), I am recollecting each moment of this trip -- weekend of July 27.

Chicago remains as beautiful as or becomes more beautiful than my last visit.
Different from last time, I laughed and danced a lot this time.

I didn't dance tango, actually.
Dear tango dancer Ray, who emailed me worth-going milongas and called for managing transportation for me, even though he and I had never met. I didn't meet him, still. Now he must be disappointed and decide not to include me in his tango connection. Oh, well... sometimes there are things more important than tango.
Out of expectation, I danced and had greatest fun in a wedding! Everyone wanted to keep on dancing when Mr. Deejay played the last song. Everyone, including great grandmas and single-digit-year-olds and of course all the generations in between. Rarely, I enjoyed dancing in a wedding reception than on a tango dance floor. It was the people who make the difference.

Rose and Zach were awesome! Their friends were awesome! I had been a bit worried that I would not have fun by the fact that I would be one of the only two guests who know Rose for less than a life time.
Love and happiness and joy. This couple effortlessly spreads positive feelings to everyone around them.

Rose&Zach's W-day

First of all, I could not believe Zach was such a hip dancer!!! All the floor moves. All the foot works. Oh, he's the man. Who would've thought the previously zen-practicing Zach could move like that?
His people, who invited me and Liu to their table once noticing two random Asians possessing alcohol for an entire table, were also great party creatures! I loved them. They rescued us from lonely Table 10 to fun-making Table 9.

Second of all, as I have always adored Rose, I adore her even more now. She was totally the queen of her own party! I've been to non-Chinese weddings. But the brides were usually being much more quiet than usual and not showing their true selves. Rose ruled and rocked for the entire night. She was also a good dancer. Her people were great helpers for the entire thing. They well controlled or trouble-shot everything.

Third of all, the ceremony in the church was a nice culture lesson. They did a lot of readings and prayers for various reasons. Candles and songs. Holy blood and body. Details were taken care of.
The priest told a story, which was supposed to link love and relationship.... but I personally could not appreciate it. Dear Priest, please practice more about that story telling. Not engaging and too corny. Even though you lived in Tokyo for 30 years and wrote Chinese characters pretty well, I could not give you a preferring nod on that speech.

Away from the paradise for single people (NYC), I realized that I hit the age of having more married friends than single ones. To make the case stronger, even my new friends are in fact mostly married or engaged, rather than being single.
At Table 9, everyone was married or engaged. One exception was Ms. S.
"She would definitely say yes if he proposed, even though a voice in her head actually has tried very hard to break her up from him." This was what I thought when Ms. S shared her story about her 7-yr relationship.
It's written on her face saying "Marry me." She was the most physically attractive person of the night. Her personality was shining too. But she was under a cloud. Her careless appearance was not convincing in front of my eyes. She wants to be certain if the relationship is going somewhere more promising.
I wish she will find her light somehow.
Look at Rose and Zach! Are you happy like them? Are you the best friend of his? Can you be so yourself in front of him? Is him being himself in front of you? Being in a wedding can make one see things much more clearly.

Some time ago, an ex went to a wedding of his good friends. He realized he would never feel as happy or as in love with anyone.
That was when I learned a necessary life experience called heartbrokenness. Thank him for that. That I experienced it before getting too old to recover.

I could see the sky between Chicago Tribune and Wrigley Building with eyes closed.
I could smell the summer breeze from the Chicago River with the hot humid Jersey air.
I could hear myself laughing and dancing in streets of Chicago with the noise around my cubicle.
What a beautiful city!
What a great wedding!

Now I just came back from the city -- Manhattan -- from a dinner in the west village. I know where I belong.
Like that bird, standing on the sky, praising Chicago but not actually participating in it because her heart is somewhere else.


See you next time in November, dear Chicago.