It's time...
---------------------------------------------
addendum:
It's 6:45 AM on Saturday June 3rd...
In about 2 hours, I will board a plane from Chicago Midway Airport
to Los Angeles International Airport, thus finally closing the book on
a 4+1 = 5 year history in the city of Chicago...
A lot of things running through my mind...I could write a cohesive
paragraph about my feelings right now...but instead, please allow me to
ramble just a few phrases and thoughts that are in my mind and in my
heart right now....
-I'm a freakin' doctor!! Graduation was yesterday, June
2nd...and when they called my name "Dr. Christopher V. Chien", my heart
raced...I heard voices in the distance...all I could think about was
NOT falling on stage and NOT letting my cap fall off...and I probably
didn't look as cool as I wanted to walking across the stage.
-Quick note: never ask my mom to attempt to explain why they gave me
my specific middle name. Apparently, you'll get a convoluted
non-sensical half answer that will leave you more confused than
satisfied...followed by a period of silence. Then again, if
you're into that, go for it.
-Congrats to the CMS/Scholl Classes of 2006...that means you Cathy Tong, you Steven Paik, and you Wenyin Choi
-For all you that came to graduation, huge eprops....real life
props...and then some. To Steve, Rich, Darren Ma, Allen, Alice,
Daniel, Dan(g), and of course, my family...I was touched by your
presence at my graduation....thank you
-In the case of Daniel Kwan's attendence, I was actually touched
physically...but that's something I never want to talk about ever
again. And I'm not thankful for that 
-And those who were unable to come to graduation, but came to the
graduation dinner the previous night...Tim, Janet, Ken, Denver, Karen,
Tommy, Chung-wei, Darren Poon, and Tiff...that was no joke either...
-Darren Poon, I hope the chance you finally had to meet my mother was everything your filthy minded hoped for and more.
-Also of significance: June 2nd, 2006 marked the 10th year anniversary of my baptism. That's a W W in and of itself...
-I met some unlikely friends in Chicago...but I'd go to war with them anyday...
-The worst moment of yesterday was when I got into an elevator going
up to a restaurant on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building...a
group of black people got into the elevator and my dad muttered very
audibly "Now you know we're in Chicago". To make it worse, he
looked very proud of himself for saying that...and it made my mom
giggle out loud. That was a long elevator ride....
-In this moment, I'm not as excited about returning to LA as I am
sad about leaving Chicago. I didn't see that coming. And
the fact that it's Erin Cokeh's wedding today (woo!) is the only thing
that makes it even remotely close...
-Chicago's a great city...she can be a harsh mistress during the winters, but she's still my lovely lady!
-It's kind of hard to explain the whole title of doctor...what it
truly means. I mean, people have been calling me doctor for the
last few years...and my friends have called me that even longer than
that. (Probably some of it has to do with the fact that my xanga
name is drchrismd...although I'm not the one who created this
thing)...still, whenever I got called doctor in the past, it was almost
a cruel reminder of how I WASN'T a doctor yet...and that I still had
some time to go. Now, when I hear it, it feels...earned...that's
right baby...
-But don't be the first person to call me "Mister Chien". I'm gonna bust into a "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM???" rant...
-After that, I'll be back to normal...and I don't think I really
have to say this, but for the record, "Chris" is still fine...and
preferred. If I start becoming a jerk, please stop me...
-I'm gonna steal the comment Gilbert Lee would have made in response...What do you mean 'START' becoming a jerk?"
OK, I'm about to picked up to go to the airport. So let me end
with this...I've come to the end of a long, exciting, fun, incredible
era. I've been changed and stretched in ways I did not think were
healthy or possible, but I came out on top. Words can't
define...this...for all of you that I'm leaving, I'm gonna miss
you...but not really cause we're still gonna be talking, keeping in
touch, and visiting...and because like 98% of you will inevitably be
moving to California at some point in time, whether you realize it or
not...
Chicago, I'll miss you...but I'll be back to visit, so stay classy...and thanks for stopping by...but mostly, stay classy | 
