From Sunny California

It's Thanksgiving here in the States and boy oh boy do these people take their holidays seriously! Thanksgiving is always on Thursday and most companies give their employees Friday off as a holiday as well. I took advantage of this 4 day weekend to fly down to Napa Valley (near San Francisco) in California to visit a classmate who just started working there. Her family here has a very lovely and spacious house able to accomodate not just me but another classmate who flew with me (she's also at MS). Her backyard has a man-made-ish lake and therefore families can take out their paddle boats and go for a ride around the community. I thought the warm sunny weather would be a welcome change from the cloudy chilly weather in Seattle.

Yesterday, we drove out to San Francisco. In order to get into San Francisco, we had to cross the Bay Bridge. And before crossing the Bay Bridge, we had to pay a toll at the toll booth. Now, San Francisco is a big city and since it's a big holiday, there were many people lining up at the toll booth. For people in Toronto, waiting in traffic is a regular thing right? You deal with it and road rage is never really too bad. And what's the worst that anyone has ever seen? Maybe the flipping of a finger? Well, yesterday while lining up at the toll booth, the three of us were having a nice conversation in the car when to the right we notice that these two cars are side by side in a line. Usually cars line up behind one another, not side by side. One of the cars was not letting the other in. They were almost at the toll booth and still they were side by side. The car that was in the line had a man in the backseat and we saw him roll down his window (this is never a good sign) and start splashing the other car with a bottle of water (phew, only water). Then, as the car inched forward, he was able to splash the driver with water. We thought that maybe the car trying to cut in would stop and cut in behind this car instead of in front but still, they inched forward side by side. Finally, the guy in the back seat got impatient and opened his door to get out (yes, at this point i'm expecting gunshots... o.m.g.) and started beating up the guy in the other car through the open window. I cannot believe what I was seeing. The guy in the other car somehow manages to get in front and as we're passing our toll booth, I can see the fear on his face. I hope that he would be reported something like assault or harassment at the toll booth.

I don't know how to react to something like that. I don't think i've ever witnessed an act of violence in person before. You see these things on TV all the time but when it's happening right in front of you ... it seems so much different. My reaction at first is that someone (me!) should intervene, stop the chaos! But then another instinct kicks right in and says, are you crazy? do you want to get shot?!

Anyhow, we have another couple of days here but I think we'll be spending it in the country - we're going to the wineries today - and staying away from the city core.

Err.. Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for.