I am in a hotel in Capitol Hill waiting to meet with a group of public health people and the hotel is overtaken by people in leather clothing, dark dyed hair and halter tops. I thought some kind of biker convention was going on but apparently it's an "alternative" conference for the Black Rose. I can't check the website from here but the suspence is killing me...
November 30, 2007
City to Boost Anti-Gang Efforts After Spike in Violence
By Allison Klein
Friday, November 30, 2007
At least five violent ganglike "crews" of young people are warring in the
Since early October, people in the neighborhoods have reported more than 100 gunshots, said D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D- Ward 1), who represents the area and has been pleading for more police attention. Officers have made two arrests in the cases involving the 11 victims.
It's absolutely incredible more people aren't wounded and shot," Graham said yesterday. "This situation is red-hot."
D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) joined Graham yesterday at
The police department is streamlining its gang intelligence unit, giving $1.2 million to community partnerships for gang intervention and spending $1.8 million to expand the ShotSpotter system, Lanier said.
"These crews are a very, very strong driving force behind the crime," Lanier said. "We have to get right to the heart of that."
ShotSpotter, a collection of gunshot recognition sensors, finds gunfire within seconds and alerts police to where the bullets were fired. D.C. police began using the technology last year in the 7th Police District, the southern half of the city east of the
[…]
Halloween night was one of the most violent in
[…]
"Police are reluctant to give us adequate coverage," Smith said. "We've been begging for foot patrols, for them to actually get to know residents, get to know business owners. They don't seem to have any ownership in the community or really care."
November 29, 2007
Apartment troubles
I love my apartment. I truly, truly do. I share it with an architect (female), and a guy who works with a construction company who is never home. Unfortunately, said guy is planning a move outside of the city and closer to his girlfriend.
We each have separate full-baths, so we never fight about whose nasty hair is clogging the sink. We live three blocks from the metro, Giant, dry-cleaners, and have at least 5 bus routes to services our area. It's located a mere 20 minutes by bikes from the White House.
We have a cool-assed dining/living space with tons of light, bohemian furniture, and a nice TV corner. We have the cutest bricked-in yard, a roof space with 2 barbecues, and lots of cooking utensils. To top it off, we have a washer and dryer, and a dishwasher.
So why is it that we've advertised for our house four times and are completely unsuccessful at getting a renter? Could it be that the rent is expensive for the area? It's not exactly
I'm starting to think that I'm not cool enough, or I smell. Sigh, I'm going to start to buy strong bath salts.
November 26, 2007
Omigod it works!
Omigod, the blogging-from-your-email thing works! It's quick too!
I'm happy to report that the stupid fly is walking daaaangerously close to the sticky fly trap. D'oh, it avoided it again. Perhaps it is smarter than it looks? Perhaps it is extremely cautious to steer clear of its pathetic friends trapped in goo?
I'm happy to report that the stupid fly is walking daaaangerously close to the sticky fly trap. D'oh, it avoided it again. Perhaps it is smarter than it looks? Perhaps it is extremely cautious to steer clear of its pathetic friends trapped in goo?
Trying this new thing...
So, I seem to have firewalls bigger than the Great Wall of China at work, and consequently have not been able to access my blog for the last 6 months. I am trying, instead, the blogging feature that allows one to blog from the email. We'll see if it works.
Let's see, it's been months, and what do I have to say? I have a fat fly dancing around in my halogen lamp and I periodically hope to see it land on the fly strip that hangs from it. My mouth is still burning from the reheated turkey soup (courtesy of Thanksgiving of course) from two days ago.
Wow, well, it all makes for a fascinating blog entry.
Let's see, it's been months, and what do I have to say? I have a fat fly dancing around in my halogen lamp and I periodically hope to see it land on the fly strip that hangs from it. My mouth is still burning from the reheated turkey soup (courtesy of Thanksgiving of course) from two days ago.
Wow, well, it all makes for a fascinating blog entry.
October 12, 2007
The Green Revolution
2005 First place winner - University of Colorado, Denver and Boulder
You may have heard that Al Gore won the Nobel Prize for Peace. I was very surprised given that he’s such a polarizing individual. Though I haven’t seen the movie An Inconvenient Truth, I am totally onboard with his message of global warming.
I feel like people react defensively about the subject because they are scared to change their habits. Call me a dork, but I imagine that this green revolution that is taking place, will be a lot of fun. I’m a little biased because I have lived in several foreign countries, where being green was a requirement.
Take Canada, for example, where large households pride themselves on having just one small trash bag to throw out by the end of the day (the rest of the garbage goes into recycling or composting). When I lived in my tiny apartment in Japan, we have 4 or 5 trash containers to sort a variety of things from plastic, to glass, to food waste, etc.
But that’s not the fun part. I think the green revolution will challenge people, their habits, and their environment. In Washington D.C. for example, the Solar Decathlon will quick off a full week of wonders. If you love home-design TV shows, wait 'till you get a load of this.
According to the website:
The Solar Decathlon is a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. The Solar Decathlon is also an event to which the public is invited to observe the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency, and the best in home design.
The event takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., October 12 - 20. The team houses are open for touring everyday, except Wednesday, October 17, when they will close for competition purposes. An overall winner is announced on Friday, October 19 at 2 p.m. See the
Teams of college students design a solar house, knowing from the outset that it must be powered entirely by the sun. In a quest to stretch every last watt of electricity that's generated by the solar panels on their roofs, the students absorb the lesson that
And you should see these houses! They’re modern, have gardens growing on the walls, large windows and sunroofs, collect water in garden cisterns, and make imaginative and efficient use of space. Some teams are so organized that they actually market their houses to potential buyers.
It’s futuristic! It’s entertaining! It’s science fiction!
September 24, 2007
This was my idea first!
I haven't been blogging regularly and it's true that it's just not the same to be in Washington, D.C. with nothing exciting to write about.
It is my duty to report on a new gadget though. I am not really a gadget-kind of person but this time, this is something I can wholeheartedly support. But only because I thought of it three years ago!
It is my duty to report on a new gadget though. I am not really a gadget-kind of person but this time, this is something I can wholeheartedly support. But only because I thought of it three years ago!
The $100 computer!
Can socially responsible design change the world? Fuseproject's product design of the new One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO computer can. Honored by "Popular Science" magazine's "Best of What's New" Grand Award, the XO computer marries fuseproject's high-concept design with cutting-edge technological solutions for a very low price.
The goal of the project is both simple and worthy: to give every child a laptop computer, especially in developing countries, where the machines will be sold in bulk for about $130 each. The revolutionary child-size laptop was created by the nonprofit OLPC, which was formed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Nicholas Negroponte. It brings learning, information and communication to children where education is needed most: in developing countries.
The result is a cheap and energy efficient computer. The machine's reduction in energy use by 90 percent is ideal for a device that could be charged by hand cranked power in rural villages. The OLPC is designed as a compact, durable and expressive product. Every design aspect of the machine serves a dual purpose to achieve a sense of economy and efficiency. When closed, the entire unit is sealed, protecting it from dust and dirt.
It's not the price tag I like, or the fact that "every child" will have one (that's laughable). But I think the following features are essential for business workers in the developing world:
-a computer that uses a different source of energy than electricity;
-a computer that's durable and can bear the wear and tear of humidity, dirt, and dryness;
-a computer that has very basic functions (word, excel, and picture loading capacities).
Voila! There's no need for super technically sophisticated machine. Rather, the machine has to be adapted to the particularities of developing country settings.
August 29, 2007
A Hodge-Podge of cultures
08. 24.2007 continued
You would think that, after Senegal, the Congo, Australia and Madagascar, I was an adventurous person. But actually, I'm not adventurous at all. I'm just impulsive and make rash decisions. So in the evening of the 24th, instead of roaming the streets of Waikiki in search of a cool dinner place, I stay on the premises of the hotel.
I enter a Japanese restaurant, because it is moderately priced and I ache for proper Japanese food (I live in Nagoya for a year, teaching as my students would say "Engurishu"). Sure, you can get nice bastardized Japanese food in Washington D.C., but it's sometimes hard to find the real thing. The awning is oh-so Japanese, and the waitresses greet me with an "irashaimase!" in their best high-pitched Hello-Kitty voices. It's a great sign already. They sit me at the sushi bar, overlooking raw pieces of fish and thick, curled and suckered octopus. I know a lot of people eat in restaurants alone, but I find it really awkward. I am not sure where to look and whether I should occupy myself by reading a book. Ultimately, I feel very rude to be reading while eating, and just focus on enjoying my sushi. And "oishi" it is! This is the real thing: Japanese staff and sushi chef, who cater to the sophisticated palates of Japanese tourists.
Perhaps feeling sorry for me, a single lady looking uncomfortable yet enjoying her meal, one of the sushi chefs engages me in conversation. He lived in California for 19 years (but speaks English like he only was there for one) where he owned a restaurant. Now, in order to relax, he is in Hawaii, working in this resort restaurant. He has been here for 6 years but professes that he will never be able to own a place, as one bedrooms sometimes go for $1,000,000 in this part of town. For dessert, I head to the cookies place, and sample the best macadamia nut, chocolate-dipped cookie in the shape of a pineapple, I've ever tasted.
On the way back to my room, I see Hawaiian dancers sway their hips and move their hands in wave-like patterns. They wear neon-colored sparkly dresses and assorted bras well-matched to their long long hair, and the men are dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Though the dance has become a cliché, it is really an experience to see it in person, accompanied by a live music arrangement. The bottom parts of their bodies mark the music's beat, the faces are fixed in a seductive smile, and the arms mimic the ocean, the pulling of a neat, the sunshine, and schools of fish. It is so enchanting that I don't see time pass. I now understand why sailors flocked to the Hawaii after long and lonely journeys (Ok Ok, other than food and fresh water)!
You would think that, after Senegal, the Congo, Australia and Madagascar, I was an adventurous person. But actually, I'm not adventurous at all. I'm just impulsive and make rash decisions. So in the evening of the 24th, instead of roaming the streets of Waikiki in search of a cool dinner place, I stay on the premises of the hotel.
I enter a Japanese restaurant, because it is moderately priced and I ache for proper Japanese food (I live in Nagoya for a year, teaching as my students would say "Engurishu"). Sure, you can get nice bastardized Japanese food in Washington D.C., but it's sometimes hard to find the real thing. The awning is oh-so Japanese, and the waitresses greet me with an "irashaimase!" in their best high-pitched Hello-Kitty voices. It's a great sign already. They sit me at the sushi bar, overlooking raw pieces of fish and thick, curled and suckered octopus. I know a lot of people eat in restaurants alone, but I find it really awkward. I am not sure where to look and whether I should occupy myself by reading a book. Ultimately, I feel very rude to be reading while eating, and just focus on enjoying my sushi. And "oishi" it is! This is the real thing: Japanese staff and sushi chef, who cater to the sophisticated palates of Japanese tourists.
Perhaps feeling sorry for me, a single lady looking uncomfortable yet enjoying her meal, one of the sushi chefs engages me in conversation. He lived in California for 19 years (but speaks English like he only was there for one) where he owned a restaurant. Now, in order to relax, he is in Hawaii, working in this resort restaurant. He has been here for 6 years but professes that he will never be able to own a place, as one bedrooms sometimes go for $1,000,000 in this part of town. For dessert, I head to the cookies place, and sample the best macadamia nut, chocolate-dipped cookie in the shape of a pineapple, I've ever tasted.
On the way back to my room, I see Hawaiian dancers sway their hips and move their hands in wave-like patterns. They wear neon-colored sparkly dresses and assorted bras well-matched to their long long hair, and the men are dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Though the dance has become a cliché, it is really an experience to see it in person, accompanied by a live music arrangement. The bottom parts of their bodies mark the music's beat, the faces are fixed in a seductive smile, and the arms mimic the ocean, the pulling of a neat, the sunshine, and schools of fish. It is so enchanting that I don't see time pass. I now understand why sailors flocked to the Hawaii after long and lonely journeys (Ok Ok, other than food and fresh water)!
August 27, 2007
First Impressions of Hawaii: Waikiki
08.24.2007
Work seemed to have sucked all the life out of me lately. A positive thing though, is that my bosses have sent me to Hawaii for a “work” conference. Snicker. "Work", "Hawaii", in the same sentence. That’s kind of funny. No but seriously, I am here for work.
The taxi trip from the airport to the resort was blessedly refreshing after nearly 18 hours of plane travel and airport waits. My taxi driver is a pleasant old guy, with a white, linen shirt and old 1940s-newspaper-boy cap to match the shirt. He has almond shaped eyes that reveal pupils that stare at opposite directions. He is a hodge-podge of ethnicities, perhaps half native Hawaiian, with a hint of Pilipino and Japanese— the essence of Hawaii. He senses my need for peace and quiet, and drives in total silence, except for the Beyonce blaring on the radio (“to the left, to the left; everything in a box to the left”).
I quickly arrive to the resort, set my bags down and fall asleep by 8 pm. The Hilton Hawaiian Village has graciously given me a decent rate, that falls within my per-diem allowance. This is a monstrous complex of hotel rooms, expensive stores, smiling hosts with their ubiquitous flowered shirts and beach drinks. I swear, I almost got lost there.
The trouble with jet lag is that you are up and about by 3 am, starving from last night’s lack of dinner. I wait for 5:30 am, get dressed, and go to the cheapest restaurant in the resort for breakfast. I end up spending $8.32 for a ham and cheese pastry and a cup of Earl Grey tea. This is absolutely outrageous!
Around 6:30 am, I go for a quick run to explore the streets of Waikiki. The sands near the resort have been neatly combed so that the beach looks perfect and pristine. Two people are combing the beach and the swallow waves with metal detectors to find the various gold, and diamond rings wealthy tourists have lost the day before. The day has barely started, and to beach and streets are cool and nearly empty.
The streets are packed with high end stores like Fenti, Louis Vuitton, LeSport Sac, and Bulgari. Interspersed are street cleaners, beach bums sleeping on the sand with their plastic bags and flowered shorts, old Hawaii men parading billboards from water sports, and hotel staff in head-to-toe Hawaiian cloth uniforms. All streets are lined with hibiscus flowers, ponds with potted water lilies, and orchids. Everything is man-made and everything is for sale. The majority of signs are in English and Japanese. A few jet-lagged tourists and joggers are walking in the streets as well, in ill-fitting and neon beachwear.
I stop at the local convenience store, ABC store, that is located every two or three blocks (I swear, in one hour, I saw six or seven different ABC stores). I buy 2 fuji apples, 2 onigiri squares, 2 bananas, 3 instant noodles, for the same price of my breakfast. I'm starting to realize that ABC is much more reasonable option that eating at the resort.
Work seemed to have sucked all the life out of me lately. A positive thing though, is that my bosses have sent me to Hawaii for a “work” conference. Snicker. "Work", "Hawaii", in the same sentence. That’s kind of funny. No but seriously, I am here for work.
The taxi trip from the airport to the resort was blessedly refreshing after nearly 18 hours of plane travel and airport waits. My taxi driver is a pleasant old guy, with a white, linen shirt and old 1940s-newspaper-boy cap to match the shirt. He has almond shaped eyes that reveal pupils that stare at opposite directions. He is a hodge-podge of ethnicities, perhaps half native Hawaiian, with a hint of Pilipino and Japanese— the essence of Hawaii. He senses my need for peace and quiet, and drives in total silence, except for the Beyonce blaring on the radio (“to the left, to the left; everything in a box to the left”).
I quickly arrive to the resort, set my bags down and fall asleep by 8 pm. The Hilton Hawaiian Village has graciously given me a decent rate, that falls within my per-diem allowance. This is a monstrous complex of hotel rooms, expensive stores, smiling hosts with their ubiquitous flowered shirts and beach drinks. I swear, I almost got lost there.
The trouble with jet lag is that you are up and about by 3 am, starving from last night’s lack of dinner. I wait for 5:30 am, get dressed, and go to the cheapest restaurant in the resort for breakfast. I end up spending $8.32 for a ham and cheese pastry and a cup of Earl Grey tea. This is absolutely outrageous!
Around 6:30 am, I go for a quick run to explore the streets of Waikiki. The sands near the resort have been neatly combed so that the beach looks perfect and pristine. Two people are combing the beach and the swallow waves with metal detectors to find the various gold, and diamond rings wealthy tourists have lost the day before. The day has barely started, and to beach and streets are cool and nearly empty.
The streets are packed with high end stores like Fenti, Louis Vuitton, LeSport Sac, and Bulgari. Interspersed are street cleaners, beach bums sleeping on the sand with their plastic bags and flowered shorts, old Hawaii men parading billboards from water sports, and hotel staff in head-to-toe Hawaiian cloth uniforms. All streets are lined with hibiscus flowers, ponds with potted water lilies, and orchids. Everything is man-made and everything is for sale. The majority of signs are in English and Japanese. A few jet-lagged tourists and joggers are walking in the streets as well, in ill-fitting and neon beachwear.
I stop at the local convenience store, ABC store, that is located every two or three blocks (I swear, in one hour, I saw six or seven different ABC stores). I buy 2 fuji apples, 2 onigiri squares, 2 bananas, 3 instant noodles, for the same price of my breakfast. I'm starting to realize that ABC is much more reasonable option that eating at the resort.
Don't erase my blog!
I just signed on to my blog, when I encountered this message:
Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What's a spam blog?) Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.
We received your unlock request on August 27, 2007. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam.
Find out more about how Blogger is fighting spam blogs.
Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What's a spam blog?) Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.
We received your unlock request on August 27, 2007. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam.
Find out more about how Blogger is fighting spam blogs.
Source
The message also notified me that if I didn't respond within two days, my blog would be erased! Yikes! That's completely crazy, what if I was on vacation and unable to use the internet for a few days?
Wow, loosing my blog would really, REALLY piss me off.
August 17, 2007
Another one of those emails...
So I just received another one of those scamming emails:
Greeting to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Thanks for your reply and i am very glad you are ready to recieve my donation and also use it as directed by me and also i thank you very much for your prayers. i want my contributions to be used for the development of churches in your country.I had to deposit the funds in a private overseas credit commission in Europe because my late Husband's brothers are moslems and since i converted to be a christian.They have been very angry with me and they try their best to seize all my late husband's property and assests,i will forward the transfer security code numbers and the contact details of the overseas credit commission which will include the name of the Director but you will have to assure me that you will go to Europe to claim my donation and let me know if you can go to Europe to recieve my donation or not.i want to be sure that i am dealing with the Right person which is you because i dont want anybody to take advantage of my illness. I want to forward to you my photo with my doctor in the hosiptal two days ago.I await your reply
God bless
Mary Collins Jones
This one is particularly good because it exploits:
-the religion angle,
-the I'm-converting-to-Christianity-from-Islam angle,
-the sweet Mary Collins Jones angle,
-the illness angle,
-the taking-property-of-a-women angle.
Again, my main concern with this email, is the grammar and the flow. If this scammer took a little bit longer to draft this email, it would have been so much more convincing. I'll give him/her an C- minus for effort though.
Greeting to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Thanks for your reply and i am very glad you are ready to recieve my donation and also use it as directed by me and also i thank you very much for your prayers. i want my contributions to be used for the development of churches in your country.I had to deposit the funds in a private overseas credit commission in Europe because my late Husband's brothers are moslems and since i converted to be a christian.They have been very angry with me and they try their best to seize all my late husband's property and assests,i will forward the transfer security code numbers and the contact details of the overseas credit commission which will include the name of the Director but you will have to assure me that you will go to Europe to claim my donation and let me know if you can go to Europe to recieve my donation or not.i want to be sure that i am dealing with the Right person which is you because i dont want anybody to take advantage of my illness. I want to forward to you my photo with my doctor in the hosiptal two days ago.I await your reply
God bless
Mary Collins Jones
This one is particularly good because it exploits:
-the religion angle,
-the I'm-converting-to-Christianity-from-Islam angle,
-the sweet Mary Collins Jones angle,
-the illness angle,
-the taking-property-of-a-women angle.
Again, my main concern with this email, is the grammar and the flow. If this scammer took a little bit longer to draft this email, it would have been so much more convincing. I'll give him/her an C- minus for effort though.
One Man's Amazing Journey
I know I haven't been blogging for forever, but my job's been sucking me dry. I've been preparing various briefing books for a U.S. Government official travelling to Africa, working 60 to 80 hour weeks for the past 3 weeks. Definitely not what I have in mind when I decided to leave the Congo, and come back to the United States.
I just finished my work and the stress is slowly melting off my shoulders. I just came upon this photo-story of a man from Cameroon and his exhausting journey to come to Europe, in search of a better life:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19227137/?story=king1
I have to say, it puts everything in perspective.
I just finished my work and the stress is slowly melting off my shoulders. I just came upon this photo-story of a man from Cameroon and his exhausting journey to come to Europe, in search of a better life:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19227137/?story=king1
I have to say, it puts everything in perspective.
July 27, 2007
Timeline of a vacation
(or "How not to plan a trip")
I've been back for a few days after a short trip to Europe, which a friend kindly organized. But I must admit that I'm still feeling pretty comatose from the whole affair. Case in point, here are the instructions on how to plan a completely exhausting trip:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Go to work, as per usual. Leave by 5:30pm to catch the metro and then the bus to Dulles International Airport. The trip takes about 1:15 minutes. Wait for 3 hours for the plane to take off. Stay up for 24 hours while traveling. Do not sleep on plane.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Arrive in Geneva. Rent a car, and travel for a couple hours to Montreux. Attend the Van Morrison show at the Jazz festival. Drink a lot of water, smile, and pretend not to mind the slowly dissolving part of your brain that demands sleep. Go to bed by 1 am.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Drive to Turin, Italy for 4 hours--make sure to transit through France and stop in Argentière for a nice view of the Mont Blanc. Try to take pictures of the formidable mountain from a moving car, and half asleep. Look for restaurants as suggested by the "Slow foods" guide for hours. Give up: Turin is a labyrinth. Gorge yourself on heavy Italian food (delicious) suggested by the hotel staff instead. Go to bed by 11 pm.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wake up with extreme difficulty and jam toothpicks between your eyelids to keep your eyes from closing. Spend hours in the hot Museum of Film and drag your feet until you've seen every exhibit on the 4 floors. Drive an hour to Pinerolo, arrive in the hotel, shower and change in 20 minutes and join friends for dinner. Smile at the wedding party while desperately trying to stay awake. Excuse yourself to go to bed by eleven pm.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Spend the morning trying to get "said" friend's suit pressed. Try to stay calm, composed, and awake. Realize you have just 2 hours until the wedding and that you want to cram the sight of a medieval forteress located one hour away from the church. Spending 20 minutes there, grab a 2-minute lunch. Attend a nice wedding, smile and congratulate all-around. Have a 12-course meal, gratiously served by the wedding party. Go home at midnight.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Wake up at 5 am. Shower, and pack. Drive 5 hours back to Geneva. Return car. Depart in plane. Arrive in Gatwick airport in London. Decide to spend a couple hours eating sickingly sweet chutney and brie sandwich in a loud park in London--while dragging your suitcases around. Arrive in Heathrow airport--at this point, you've probably spent 9 hours in the U.K. Wait for your plane to depart. Whatever you do, do not attempt to sleep. Try, if you can, to get a cold from the recycled air of the cabin. Arrive in Washington, DC and get to bed by 2 am.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Arrive bright and early, and certainly fresh-looking at your office staff meeting at 9 am. Spend the rest of the work-week fighting your cold, as evidenced by very itchy throat, teary nose and reddened nose.
Voila! It's simple really. And it only costs US$ 2,000.
I've been back for a few days after a short trip to Europe, which a friend kindly organized. But I must admit that I'm still feeling pretty comatose from the whole affair. Case in point, here are the instructions on how to plan a completely exhausting trip:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Go to work, as per usual. Leave by 5:30pm to catch the metro and then the bus to Dulles International Airport. The trip takes about 1:15 minutes. Wait for 3 hours for the plane to take off. Stay up for 24 hours while traveling. Do not sleep on plane.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Arrive in Geneva. Rent a car, and travel for a couple hours to Montreux. Attend the Van Morrison show at the Jazz festival. Drink a lot of water, smile, and pretend not to mind the slowly dissolving part of your brain that demands sleep. Go to bed by 1 am.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Drive to Turin, Italy for 4 hours--make sure to transit through France and stop in Argentière for a nice view of the Mont Blanc. Try to take pictures of the formidable mountain from a moving car, and half asleep. Look for restaurants as suggested by the "Slow foods" guide for hours. Give up: Turin is a labyrinth. Gorge yourself on heavy Italian food (delicious) suggested by the hotel staff instead. Go to bed by 11 pm.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wake up with extreme difficulty and jam toothpicks between your eyelids to keep your eyes from closing. Spend hours in the hot Museum of Film and drag your feet until you've seen every exhibit on the 4 floors. Drive an hour to Pinerolo, arrive in the hotel, shower and change in 20 minutes and join friends for dinner. Smile at the wedding party while desperately trying to stay awake. Excuse yourself to go to bed by eleven pm.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Spend the morning trying to get "said" friend's suit pressed. Try to stay calm, composed, and awake. Realize you have just 2 hours until the wedding and that you want to cram the sight of a medieval forteress located one hour away from the church. Spending 20 minutes there, grab a 2-minute lunch. Attend a nice wedding, smile and congratulate all-around. Have a 12-course meal, gratiously served by the wedding party. Go home at midnight.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Wake up at 5 am. Shower, and pack. Drive 5 hours back to Geneva. Return car. Depart in plane. Arrive in Gatwick airport in London. Decide to spend a couple hours eating sickingly sweet chutney and brie sandwich in a loud park in London--while dragging your suitcases around. Arrive in Heathrow airport--at this point, you've probably spent 9 hours in the U.K. Wait for your plane to depart. Whatever you do, do not attempt to sleep. Try, if you can, to get a cold from the recycled air of the cabin. Arrive in Washington, DC and get to bed by 2 am.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Arrive bright and early, and certainly fresh-looking at your office staff meeting at 9 am. Spend the rest of the work-week fighting your cold, as evidenced by very itchy throat, teary nose and reddened nose.
Voila! It's simple really. And it only costs US$ 2,000.
July 09, 2007
Best Euphemism Ever
I have to laugh at American euphemisms. I mean, what's with all this political correctness?
In Senegal, if things are too expensive, the shopkeeper is called a "voleur" (thief) and in Congo, when someone is showing signs of contagious sickness, people say that person is "très malade" (very sick). In the United States, you would hear of the competitive advantage of quality over price and a person with a potential infectious, suspected case of Tuberculosis instead.
But by far, the best euphemism I have come across is one for really hot days. As you know (or may still question if you are very science-phobic), global warming is a reality today. Again, even the words "global warming" are euphemistic. Africa would perhaps call it "la grillade de la planète" (grilling of the planet).
Our office building is desperately trying to save money on electricity during summer months, which is excruciatingly difficult given that:
1-there are 18 floors and hundreds of offices in the building;
2-most people work with unlimited budgets and don't bat an eyelash about leaving every single light and computer equipment on during the weekend;
3-office buildings in the U.S. are very badly designed. There are no openable windows, trees shadings or air shaft and thus A/C becomes a necessity at 70 degree weather;
4-the A/C is set for those people (men) who wear heavy suits in all types of weather. The receptionists in open cubicles use their heaters when the A/C is blasting (and it's 98 degrees outside) . I swear I have not kidding.
Anyways, our office has instituted special days when people have to be extra vigilant about using the electricity. These days tend to be hot, humid days, when the A/C is on full blast. The days have been dubbed Gold days. Gold day???? That's like calling bloody wounds "ruby openings" or forest fires "Cheery outbursts"!
******************************************************
NOTICE
PEPCO has declared today, July 9, 2007, a "Gold" day, meaning the humidity and temperature will have a significant impact on energy consumption. Building occupants can do their part between the hours of 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm to reduce the energy demand by closing blinds, shutting down non-essential equipment, lights and fans and ensuring that the energy functions of their computers, printers and monitors are operational.
Lowering consumption on "Gold" days and practicing conservation on a daily basis will help reduce energy usage and cost. Thank you for doing your part to conserve energy.
Building Management Branch
In Senegal, if things are too expensive, the shopkeeper is called a "voleur" (thief) and in Congo, when someone is showing signs of contagious sickness, people say that person is "très malade" (very sick). In the United States, you would hear of the competitive advantage of quality over price and a person with a potential infectious, suspected case of Tuberculosis instead.
But by far, the best euphemism I have come across is one for really hot days. As you know (or may still question if you are very science-phobic), global warming is a reality today. Again, even the words "global warming" are euphemistic. Africa would perhaps call it "la grillade de la planète" (grilling of the planet).
Our office building is desperately trying to save money on electricity during summer months, which is excruciatingly difficult given that:
1-there are 18 floors and hundreds of offices in the building;
2-most people work with unlimited budgets and don't bat an eyelash about leaving every single light and computer equipment on during the weekend;
3-office buildings in the U.S. are very badly designed. There are no openable windows, trees shadings or air shaft and thus A/C becomes a necessity at 70 degree weather;
4-the A/C is set for those people (men) who wear heavy suits in all types of weather. The receptionists in open cubicles use their heaters when the A/C is blasting (and it's 98 degrees outside) . I swear I have not kidding.
Anyways, our office has instituted special days when people have to be extra vigilant about using the electricity. These days tend to be hot, humid days, when the A/C is on full blast. The days have been dubbed Gold days. Gold day???? That's like calling bloody wounds "ruby openings" or forest fires "Cheery outbursts"!
******************************************************
NOTICE
PEPCO has declared today, July 9, 2007, a "Gold" day, meaning the humidity and temperature will have a significant impact on energy consumption. Building occupants can do their part between the hours of 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm to reduce the energy demand by closing blinds, shutting down non-essential equipment, lights and fans and ensuring that the energy functions of their computers, printers and monitors are operational.
Lowering consumption on "Gold" days and practicing conservation on a daily basis will help reduce energy usage and cost. Thank you for doing your part to conserve energy.
Building Management Branch
July 08, 2007
Killer Sunstroke!
I have the unfortunate experience of having one parent of France origin (mom) and one of South African origin (dad). Any reasonable person would assume my mom to be the lighter skinned one, but oh no. You see the French, though they will not admit it, have some Northern African influence in their gene and tend to develop a nice, olivey skin when exposed to the sun.
My father on the other hand, was born and raised in South Africa. His parents are both English and have traveled extensively (his mom for one was born in India, his dad was in the army and moved around I suppose). Which means that -when his hair is not gray- he is red-headed with tons of freckles. His skin looks tan, but upon closer look, his freckles have only blended with each other, making it look like a solid, orangy color.
I studied genetics in undergrad and I understand that assortment of the genes for skin color is incredibly complex. So, by some genetic freakiness, I have developed skin that is much whiter and more sensitive than my mom and even my dad's.
This is quite unfortunate for a family that enjoys being on the beach. My parents caught on quickly that, as a baby, it was safer and wiser to place me in the shade, with a hat, long sleeves, a thick layer of sunscreen and plenty of water to drink. Yes, I was that freaky kid that couldn't make sand castles with others and went in the water with full clothing.
I went to the beach as a baby with my cousins once, and to this day, my uncle says I owe him hundreds of dollars in sun cream.
I can't remember how many times I was so sunburnt that it hurt to lie on the sheets. A good dermatologist will tell you that if you have been strongly burnt more than 3 times, you are very likely to develop skin cancer. Try being severly burnt at least 40 times.
I remember taking antibiotics once and going shopping in the strong French sun. The sun was weirdly intense and every ray that fell on my face and arms felt like little needles digging under my skin. When home, I developed a painful headache, and my hands swelled up with hundreds of itchy pimples. The next day, I went to see a pharmacist who flinched when she saw me and quickly reached behind her counter. She came up with two products: 1) Biafine cream which is given to burn victims and chemotherapy patients to cool their skin, and 2) SPF 100 that she routinely gives to albino people. I swear this is completely true.
To this day, I still have people that say to me "I don't believe you can be so white. All you need is to expose yourself progressively to the sun". Not many things annoy me in life, but I CAN'T STAND IT when people say that. Trust me buddy, I've tried it for the last 25 years and it just ain't working for me.
Needless to say that at 29, I know exactly when I have had too much sun. My body temperature hits a certainly level and I know it's time to go home, despite my darting in and out of the shade all day and drinking like a camel. It's just time, that's it.
Yesterday, enthralled by the Folklife Festival organized by the Smithsonian on the Washington D.C. Mall, I spend 4 hours in 92 degree, humid weather. When I hit my peak of sun, I decided to go home but was swayed by the various cultures represented in the festival. I stayed one hour too late and:
1-Instantly developed a throbbing headache behind my eyes and in the back of my head
2-I noticed that I barely sweat in the whole 5 hours there
3-Felt weak and had a hard time holding onto my bike while taking the bus home (some dude made fun of me for not biking home--asswipe!)
4-I couldn't get enough air into my lungs and sighed a lot
5-Took a cold bath and went to bed
6-In bed, the headache worsened and I constantly changed position for comfort
7-I tried to drink but water was making me nauseous (this is a telltale sign of sunstroke for me)
8-Threw up violently three times
9-Finally slept like a log for 10 hours
I feel so much better today! And this morning, I still can't believe how stupid I am for overstaying my welcome in the sun. After 29 years, you would think that I would have learned my lesson. But no, I obviously haven't.
OK time to get ready to go to the last day of Festival!
My father on the other hand, was born and raised in South Africa. His parents are both English and have traveled extensively (his mom for one was born in India, his dad was in the army and moved around I suppose). Which means that -when his hair is not gray- he is red-headed with tons of freckles. His skin looks tan, but upon closer look, his freckles have only blended with each other, making it look like a solid, orangy color.
I studied genetics in undergrad and I understand that assortment of the genes for skin color is incredibly complex. So, by some genetic freakiness, I have developed skin that is much whiter and more sensitive than my mom and even my dad's.
This is quite unfortunate for a family that enjoys being on the beach. My parents caught on quickly that, as a baby, it was safer and wiser to place me in the shade, with a hat, long sleeves, a thick layer of sunscreen and plenty of water to drink. Yes, I was that freaky kid that couldn't make sand castles with others and went in the water with full clothing.
I went to the beach as a baby with my cousins once, and to this day, my uncle says I owe him hundreds of dollars in sun cream.
I can't remember how many times I was so sunburnt that it hurt to lie on the sheets. A good dermatologist will tell you that if you have been strongly burnt more than 3 times, you are very likely to develop skin cancer. Try being severly burnt at least 40 times.
I remember taking antibiotics once and going shopping in the strong French sun. The sun was weirdly intense and every ray that fell on my face and arms felt like little needles digging under my skin. When home, I developed a painful headache, and my hands swelled up with hundreds of itchy pimples. The next day, I went to see a pharmacist who flinched when she saw me and quickly reached behind her counter. She came up with two products: 1) Biafine cream which is given to burn victims and chemotherapy patients to cool their skin, and 2) SPF 100 that she routinely gives to albino people. I swear this is completely true.
To this day, I still have people that say to me "I don't believe you can be so white. All you need is to expose yourself progressively to the sun". Not many things annoy me in life, but I CAN'T STAND IT when people say that. Trust me buddy, I've tried it for the last 25 years and it just ain't working for me.
Needless to say that at 29, I know exactly when I have had too much sun. My body temperature hits a certainly level and I know it's time to go home, despite my darting in and out of the shade all day and drinking like a camel. It's just time, that's it.
Yesterday, enthralled by the Folklife Festival organized by the Smithsonian on the Washington D.C. Mall, I spend 4 hours in 92 degree, humid weather. When I hit my peak of sun, I decided to go home but was swayed by the various cultures represented in the festival. I stayed one hour too late and:
1-Instantly developed a throbbing headache behind my eyes and in the back of my head
2-I noticed that I barely sweat in the whole 5 hours there
3-Felt weak and had a hard time holding onto my bike while taking the bus home (some dude made fun of me for not biking home--asswipe!)
4-I couldn't get enough air into my lungs and sighed a lot
5-Took a cold bath and went to bed
6-In bed, the headache worsened and I constantly changed position for comfort
7-I tried to drink but water was making me nauseous (this is a telltale sign of sunstroke for me)
8-Threw up violently three times
9-Finally slept like a log for 10 hours
I feel so much better today! And this morning, I still can't believe how stupid I am for overstaying my welcome in the sun. After 29 years, you would think that I would have learned my lesson. But no, I obviously haven't.
OK time to get ready to go to the last day of Festival!
Pfew, the Show went well
So the photo expo I had two weeks ago went very well. In my estimate, close to 80 or 90 people showed up to support me, with the obligatory unknown, old people in tow (who came for the company and for a free meal of wine and cheese--I swear, they were at the cheese table just munching as fast as they could).
Thank you so much to all who came to visit!
A few people came to congratulate me on the pictures, one came to ask me about the Congo as she was going to move there incessantly, and an old friend from high school came to reconnect with me after 10-years!
The only minor mishap was that a picture had fallen to the ground before the show and the frame had fractures. The glass cover was thankfully intact so I came with some superglue, only to find that a large paperclip kept it together nicely. The music was 80% NOT Congolese but blended nicely in the background and no one faulted me for this.
The evening was very relaxing (something I did not expect) but it's blessedly over.
For a montage of the 20 pictures I exposed, see below! They are still on display until the September 10, 2007.
Thank you so much to all who came to visit!
A few people came to congratulate me on the pictures, one came to ask me about the Congo as she was going to move there incessantly, and an old friend from high school came to reconnect with me after 10-years!
The only minor mishap was that a picture had fallen to the ground before the show and the frame had fractures. The glass cover was thankfully intact so I came with some superglue, only to find that a large paperclip kept it together nicely. The music was 80% NOT Congolese but blended nicely in the background and no one faulted me for this.
The evening was very relaxing (something I did not expect) but it's blessedly over.
For a montage of the 20 pictures I exposed, see below! They are still on display until the September 10, 2007.
July 07, 2007
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