Monday, October 31, 2005

Martha's Rock and Rosa's Fleeting Visit

T.S. and I took a drive along the Skyline Drive of Shenandoah National Park this weekend. The weather was a pleasant 65 degrees and sunny so it would have been wrong to pass up an opportunity to get out of DC. The entrance to Skyline Drive is only 50 miles from DC but when you are skipping along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains there's no hint of the city on the horizon - just pastoral Virginia countryside as far as one can see.

From the Panorama Visitors Center we hiked four miles roundtrip to a summit called Martha's Rock. It was good exercise but frankly, the view was no better than it was from the highway. The trail was almost crowded with day hikers like ourselves so there was no pretending we were in wilderness. If Martha's Rock is not in "1000 Places to See Before You Die" I'm going to write it in and check it off - because I'm not going back to that particular summit.

I showed up at the Capitol Building today to pay my respects to Rosa Parks but she had already left. She was the first female to lay in state in the Rotunda but she didn't stay long - only from 6 pm Sunday night to 10 am Monday morning. What's the hurry?

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Movies

Walking through Georgetown this morning I happened upon Niccole Kidman and about 50 of her colleagues shooting a film at the corner of M Street and Wisconsin. The film is "The Visiting" a remake of the "Bodysnatchers".

Last night I went to see "The Weatherman" starring N. Cage and Michael Caine. It was a gloomy film but thought-provoking. While I enjoyed it I hoped Cage's character would come to some sort of epiphany regarding his messed up life but that never happened. At the end of the movie he's in a parade in NYC and in the most hopeful moment in the film acknowledges that while he's "behind the firetruck he is, after all, in front of Sponge Bob Square Pants".
Some people enjoyed the sunshine after a long day at the museums. Posted by Picasa
It was a nippy afternoon on the DC Mall this afternoon as the temperature dipped to 55. The shadows are long now and the trees are losing their leaves. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Napoleon

After school I popped over to the National Geographic Society building to see their Napoleon exhibit. His odd-looking hat was there, as were his school books, letters and his tent. This exhibition leads me to believe he wasn't as looney as I thought. He was intelligent, invested in the arts and culture, and was loyal to his family. And his first language was Italian.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

The Subways of DC

Today at the Rosslyn Metro station a group of 20-something women got into a shouting match with each other. There were dozens of people waiting quietly for the train when the screaming, shouting and cussing started. The women seemed to know each other because the insults were pretty personal and revealed detailed knowledge of each other's personal life. The odd thing was the reaction of the bystanders. Everyone acted as if nothing was going on. A train finally arrived and as we pulled away from the platform the women were still in a circle screaming and pushing each other. This sort of thing doesn't happen in Peavine. Mainly because we don't have a subway in Peavine.

Monday, October 24, 2005


Grumpy blueman Posted by Picasa
Grrrrr.

Calisooner sez the Redskins are just grumpy. They beat their opponent. Shows how closely I follow professional sports.

The Redskins are not the only gloomy people in DC. I don't know if it's the drizzly weather or everyone awaiting indictments, but there's a sour mood in DC these days. I love drizzly, cool fall weather but I have to be careful not to show my upbeat mood. If there's anything that gets under the skin of grumpy people its someone that doesn't share their bitterness.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Redskins and Ambassadors

Going into DC on the Metro (subway) this morning I was surrounded by excited people in Redskin red. On the way back into the Virginia burbs this afternoon I was surrounded by somber people in Redskin red. I'll wager that the Redskins lost today. Either that or Redskin fans are a determined grumpy lot. On the way into DC I overheard one of their fans complaining about Peavine U. getting to play in a recent college football championship game. "It should have been Bayou U. in that game with Hollywood State," he growled. I kept my mouth shut but quietly put a curse on his team. Did it work?

Had lunch with Tom at Teaism. Edamame, ginger salad and mint tea. Not exactly Ron's Hamburgers. Tom asked what edamame was. "It's momennem without the mayo", I said.

Now I'm taking various diplomatic training in addition to reading classes. Last week we learned the protocol for dealing with ambassadors. The main point? Always make sure the ambassador is riding on the side of the car that will pull up to the curb.
Redskins and Ambassadors

Going into DC on the Metro (subway) this morning I was surrounded by excited people in Redskin red. On the way back into the Virginia burbs this afternoon I was surrounded by somber people in Redskin red. I'll wager that the Redskins lost today. Either that or Redskin fans are a grumpy lot. On the way into DC I overheard one of their fans complaining about Peavine U. getting to play in a recent college football championship game. "It should have been Bayou U. in that game with Hollywood State," he growled. I kept my mouth shut but quietly put a curse on his team. It worked.

Had lunch with Tom at Teaism. Edamame, ginger salad and mint tea. Not exactly Ron's Hamburgers. Tom asked what edamame was. "It's momennem without the mayo", I said.

Now I'm taking various diplomatic training in addition to reading classes. Last week we learned the protocol for dealing with ambassadors. The main point? Always make sure the ambassador is riding on the side of the car that will pull up to the curb.

Thursday, October 20, 2005


Sleeper II Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Busy Week

It's been a busy week. I made a quick visit to Peavine last weekend, returning to DC in the wee hours of Monday morning. Then I turned my attention to cramming for my language test. I passed it today. Now I can rest for one evening.

I'm taking classes at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) which is operated by the State Department. FSI is a campus centered around the old Arlington Hall in Arlington, Virginia. As I relaxed in the restored building after my test today I thought about the history that happened here. This is where codebreakers worked feverishly throughout WW2 to break German and Japanese codes. The work here continued during the Cold War on the supersecret Verona Project.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Leftovers

Sometimes I leave food in my refrigerator a bit longer than I should - but I've never left anything this long before throwing it out.

Sunday, October 09, 2005


Pool Posted by Picasa

Rain Posted by Picasa

Smithsonian Leaf Posted by Picasa
Secret Weapon

I went to the Sculpture Garden in DC to study outdoors but it just didn't work out today. The weather was dry for a change but something else foiled my efforts to concentrate this time. The cafe in the Garden plays music over the outdoor speakers and today was apparently "play the most awful form of jazz" day. They were playing the most discordant, loud, grating version of jazz possible. Trumpets, saxophones, and unidentified instruments that made clanging noises. Jazz is the only genre of music I know of in which the performers have a much better time than the listeners do.

To top it off, there was a religious extravaganza on the Mall today and they had the world's most powerful sound system fully engaged. The preacher was a screamer and was backed up by a thumping bass that reverberated off the buildings surrounding the Mall. I didn't know this until today but if you mix a screaming preacher with loud jazz, well, the result is toxic. I had to give up on studying and retreat to the Virginia suburbs.

I've heard that the US Military uses heavy metal music to blast at enemies and disorient them. I suggest they experiment with mixing the recordings of screaming preachers with loud jazz. Nothing in the universe could be more debilitating.

Friday, October 07, 2005


Wet Archives Posted by Picasa
Koreans in Space

For the first time in a couple of months its raining like crazy in DC. It's a three-day weekend for those who still have Columbus Day on their calendars but it will be a good weekend for watching movies or reading.

Tonight I watched "Save the Green Planet" at the Korean Film Festival at the Smithsonian. This is a strange, interesting and appealing film about a "crazy man" that kidnaps a Korean industrialist because he believes he is an alien out to destroy Earth. The film bombed in Korea but has become a cult classic abroad. I enjoyed it because it was not predictable, it was strange, and it was very funny. It is, however, not likely to be coming to a theatre near you anytime soon.

Monday, October 03, 2005


Lincoln Memorial Posted by Picasa

Bicycle Posted by Picasa
Trends in Barbering

I predict that Vietnamese-Americans will takeover the barber business in the US just as they have the nail biz. I went to the Ballston Barbershop recently and to my surprise, all the barbers (and there were at least 8) were polite, smiling,Vietnamese-American ladies. First, the hot scented towel over the head. Then your face is washed with another hot towel. Then comes the haircut which is followed by a neck and shoulder massage. Then out comes a rubber-tipped pile-driving machine that pounds your shoulders, neck and head into relaxed mush. Then comes the straight razor shave - something I hadn't seen except in old Mayberry RFD reruns. All this for $13!

This reminded me of my first haircut in Korea years ago. After the haircut the barber suddenly and quite unexpectedly starting pounding on my shoulders and neck with karate-chop ferocity. It took me a few moments to figure out that this was a massage - something I had never associated with a haircut. The barbers in Peavine didn't massage their customers, much less touch them if at all possible. But in Asia, the neck and shoulder massage is a free add-on after the haircut. Unfortunately, for the Korean barber anyway, I was so shaken up by my initiation that I forgot to tip him.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Humidity Bad, Art Good

The heat and humidity of July and August lasted well into September but has finally given way to moderation. DC's summers are just too humid for comfort.The air conditioner is retired for the year and I can once again enjoy reading on the balcony. With all the skyscrapers surrounding my apartment building however I always feel like someone is reading over my shoulder.

After classes today I tried a new art form - audio walks. At the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum visitors can checkout an iPod and follow an audio short story called "Words Drawn in Water" as the author takes you on a tour around the Mall. This isn't a guide to the artwork in the museum - it's a work of art in itself. The story lasts about 45 minutes and ends in a corner of the Freer Gallery.