D.C.

I love Washington D.C.  The first time I went was for a family vacation when I was around 7 years old.  I remember going to the Archives, the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the American History Museum.  I loved them all. 

 Washington D.C. was the first city where I rode on public transportation.  I've been on loads of mass transit systems all around the world since then but the Metro was the very first.

When I was a junior in high school I was fortunate enough to be a delegate to Presidential Classroom.  I was able to spend a week in D.C. wandering around the city and learning about the US legal and political systems.

Since then I have been back a handful of times.  Living in NC it is just a short train or car ride to get there.  It is the perfect place to spend a weekend because there is so much to see and do.  The thing that amazes me is how many people that I meet that have never been to D.C.  I would think that as an American it would be on the top of the list of places to visit in the US...maybe I am just oddly patriotic...or maybe I am just lucky that my parents introduced me to such a great place when I was young.

Time for audience participation...it has been awhile since I've asked for it so play along...

Have you been to Washington DC?  If so, what is your favorite part about it?

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Remembering...

I have been to Arlington National Cemetery a handful of times.  It is always a moving experience to see the rows and rows of headstones marking military service men/women, many of whom lost their lives during a war.

I'd have to say that up until this visit, the picture above is a good representation on how I'd walk away from my prior visits.  Seeing numerous headstones without really noticing anything about the specifics of them.

Having just been in Vietnam in an area where US soldiers had lost their lives my perspective has shifted a bit.  I wanted to find a headstone of a soldier that died while fighting in Vietnam.  It may sound odd or silly to you but in a way it is how I can close the loop on the piece of history I've been able to learn about recently.

This is the headstone that marks the grave for Bromley H German from Connecticut:

I'm not sure if he walked on the same paths that I did in Vietnam but he was there and he made the ultimate sacrifice. 

As we were walking out of the cemetery I noticed (partly because I've been guilty of this myself) that most people were just walking through to get to the Tomb of the Unknowns or to see President Kennedy's grave site.  Both are very interesting to see but there are hundreds of thousands of other headstones and graves to see and honor as well.  Promise me that the next time you or somebody you know pays a visit to Arlington National Cemetery that you/they will take the time to read a few of the other headstones.  In a few minutes time you can remember those that have lost their lives or served our country in the military.  A simple but important thing.

I had also wanted to get a nice picture of the Vietnam Memorial.  Again, having just been in Vietnam I thought it'd been nice to blog about it a little.  We had been over the weekend but I didn't get any pictures that I really liked so we walked back to visit it again.

It was a little less crowded yesterday and Alan asked if I wanted to make a rubbing of one of the names.  At about the same time we both realized that I could get a rubbing of the name of the soldier that we just saw in Arlington.  I looked up German, Bromley H in the index and found that his name is on section 33E, line 57 of the wall. 

I don't know Bromley German, I don't know how he died, all I know is that he died at 24 in Vietnam, he was a Lieutenant, and was originally from Connecticut.  I do know that I appreciate his service to the US military and that 24 is too young to die...no matter what the reason.

When we got back home last night I spent a bit of time trying to find out more about Bromley German.  It took me a little while but I did eventually find some info.

I learned the following:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Bromley H German, First Lieutenant (Artillery), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Battery A, 3d Battalion, 82d Artillery, 196th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate), Americal Division. First Lieutenant German distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 5 and 6 January 1968 as artillery forward observer with an infantry company on combat operations in Quang Tin Province.

If you want to learn more about him you can check it out here: Bromley H German.

Oh, and his middle name was Howard...that is what the H stands for in Bromley H German.

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The things you stumble upon...

Walking around yesterday we noticed loads of kids in Boy Scout uniforms.  Initially we thought that it was because it is summer and they were likely on a Scout trip.  It wasn't until we saw them on just about every corner and all over the Mall that we realized something else must be going on.  Sure enough...in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts, there was a parade.

They actually marched down Constitution Avenue which is the official National parade route.  Typically only four parades are allowed on the National parade route each year but this year they allowed the Boy Scouts of America to host a parade yesterday.  This is a shot of the start of the parade route:

Let me just take a minute to tell you that living outside of the US makes you miss certain things.  Seeing the American flag is a big thing for me.  I'm a proud American and I always, always, always stand and put my hand over my heart when singing the National Anthem.  Seeing a giant flag, hoisted by the local fire department, to signify the start of a parade for the Boy Scouts...holy cow...welcome back to the US Kate!  It was pretty awesome.  It was totally American and I loved every minute of it.

Here is a picture of some of the Boy Scouts marching in the parade:

And...of course, it isn't a parade without a band.  Now, if you were not aware, I was in my high school marching band.  We were really good, if I do say so myself.  I have a hard time seeing a marching band and not stopping to watch it.  We just happened to see this drum corp from Kalamazoo, MI (you should be able to click on the video to hear them):

If it hadn't been so bloody hot outside we would have stuck around for more of the parade.  However, even only seeing a small portion of it I had a great time.

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The bomb!

I made it home safely from Singapore.  It was a long route but almost all of my flights were either on-time or early and the flight crews were all really friendly.

Friday night Alan and I flew to Washington DC.  We're staying out in Alexandria, VA and heading into DC via Metro each day.  I'll blog more about the trip later and include lots of pictures.  For now, please know that it is pretty hot here in DC...as is the rest of the US...heat index of 111 degrees Fahrenheit.  To cool off a bit yesterday we stopped and had a bomb pop...

You may remember that a popsicle is a hard thing to come by in Singapore...so this first one...in the heat of the day yesterday...and being a bomb pop on The Mall...was just perfect.

Off to explore more before the lines get too long...

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Change in plans...and planes...

The perk of traveling by plane is that you get places pretty quickly (I use the term quickly in a loose manner given that none of the flights I am on can be considered quick).  The downside is that sometimes you are stuck with the changes the airlines make.

I'm flying United home tomorrow, which I haven't done before, so I got online to check which terminal they fly out of here.  I'm SO thankful that I did because I found out that my 6:40 am flight was canceled.  I would not have been a very happy camper had I gone to the airport at 4:30 am only to find out there was no flight for me. 

Thankfully I have already been rebooked and I'm now flying out at 8:15 am.  This means I get two extra hours of sleep...give me a WOOHOO for extra sleep!  Unfortunately, it means that I now have four stops to get home tomorrow instead of just three.  I'll be SIN to NRT to SFO to ORD to RDU.  It is by no means ideal but I'm getting home and I found out tonight instead of at o'dark thirty tomorrow morning.  I'm also flying a new airline on one leg so I'll get to see what sort of service they provide.

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How did it get to be Sunday?

I can never decide if a weekend that goes by quickly is a good or a bad thing.  I think this weekend it was a good one because it was a nice mix of outings as well as some quality time at home.

Friday night I met a group of friends for a BBQ.  In Singapore a lot of the hotels have BBQs on the weekends.  There is a ton of great food and free flow beer, wine, and margaritas.  The more people who are in your party the cheaper the per person cost is.  We had about 12 people on Friday night.  Most I have met previously but there were some new folks too.  We are all expats but from all over the world...Ireland, Australia, US, England, etc.  It is nice to get out with a bunch of people and enjoy good food and good conversation.

Saturday turned into a great day to sleep-in.  I was awakened at about 4 am by a horrible storm that lasted for a couple of hours so it was nice to get up and take a nap...I rarely do that so it was fun.  Plus, I had AliG over for the weekend again so he helped to convince me that a cat nap was the best thing for me.

Speaking of AliG...

Yes, that is him standing in my washing machine.  I couldn't find him at one point and there he was, just hanging out in the washing machine.  He's a goofy little guy but a lot of fun to have around.

Today I spent part of the day packing...yup...I'm headed back to the US on Tuesday morning so have begun gathering all of the things I need to take back with me.  AliG almost got packed a couple of times...due to his kitten behavior more than anything else...but he's gone home now so I can prep to come home too.

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Mekong River

After we toured the tunnels we went on to the Mekong Delta.  We actually got onto a boat and wandered via the Mekong River.

We went to a small river island near the city of My Tho.  It was a great way to wander through a local village without being too intrusive.

The village was what I expected it to be.  Lots of tropical plants and trees with small homes.  The people get around primarily by bicycle or walking but there were a few cars on the island.

One of the really interesting things to see when driving through the country are the cemeteries.  The primary religion in Vietnam is Buddhism which believes in reincarnation.  So when you are buried in Vietnam you are put into a grave in the ground.  However, most of the graves have beautiful covers on them and are made from brightly colored tiles.  I wish I could have gotten pictures of the larger cemeteries but it just wasn't possible.

The picture above is one that we walked past on the island.  If you double-click on the picture to make it bigger you can see the green tiled boxes where the caskets would be located.  There were three people buried within this one and there were three other covered areas preparing for the next family members to be buried.

We ended the tour by traveling down one of the canals.  These tiny women (couldn't have been more than 5 feet tall each) were rowing the boats.  They were amazing strong and the boats moved quite fast.

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Undgerground in Vietnam

One of the districts of Ho Chi Minh City is Củ Chi.  This area was a key area during the Vietnam War because beneath Củ Chi is a series of tunnels that were used by the Viet Cong.  They used the tunnels to hide, to transport people and food, as well as serve as communication routes.  

It was really interesting to be on a tour of a war area in another country.  Obviously, the Vietnamese have a different perspective on the war than the Americans do.  Our tour guide actually acknowledged this and did a pretty good job of not bashing America during our tour.  A few other Americans from my office have been here and actually took quite a bit of offense to the tour.  I guess you have to be somewhat open-minded to enter a former war area when you are from the opposing country.  Especially one that is still so fresh in so many minds.

The Củ Chi tunnels cover an area of approximately 75 miles...from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cambodia border.  It must have been very frustrating for the American soldiers to walk through an area and then all of a sudden have somebody pop up virtually out of nowhere.

The entrance to the tunnels were well hidden in the soil.  If you weren't looking for them you could easily miss them. 

They were also incredibly small.  You probably can't tell from the picture above but that guy isn't a big guy.  To give you some perspective here is a shot of the entrance to one:

I wear a US ladies size 7.5 shoe.  The entrance to the tunnel was just a little bit larger than my shoe.  I'm actually not certain that I would even fit down through the hole.  Granted, the Vietnamese tend to be a bit smaller than Americans and most of the guys fighting were probably 16-25 years old so would have had a smaller frame...but man, it would have been a tight fit.

Wandering through the war memorial park it is pretty clear where the entrance to the tunnels were because they were marked.  However, this is what the area would have looked like to the soldiers who were there:

The tunnels were two and three levels deep underground.  The first level was the tallest and where most of the living quarters and meeting rooms were located.  The lower levels were primarily used for moving from one section of the tunnels to another.  There were a series of dead ends and to this day there is not a complete map of the system of tunnels.  Apparently you would only know the section that you lived and worked in.  This was done as a safety precaution in case you were ever caught.

On the tour you are actually allowed to get down into the tunnels.  It was dark and incredibly hot underground.  I cannot imagine living there and spending more than the 10 minutes I was in them.  This is a picture looking up the steps from level 2 back up to level 1 of the tunnel:

Walking through the tunnels you had to bend over or do a sort of duck walk in order not to bonk your head on the ceiling.  It was not easy and I wouldn't want to do it for any significant length.

The thing to take note of in the picture above is that they have actually widened and made the tunnel taller.  As I was walking through my shoulders were brushing up against the walls in some spots.  It is certainly not a place for you to go if you are claustrophobic. 

You may be wondering how they were able to breathe underground.  They used bamboo pipes to vent in air and to vent out smoke from cooking.  The ventilation holes were then hidden in termite mounds.  Apparently, the Viet Cong would come up and reshape the mounds a couple of times a week since real termite mounds were always changing shape.

It was a really interesting place to visit and I especially liked getting the opinion from the opposing side.  I honestly think I got a small feeling for what it must have been like for the Viet Cong during the war.  I also feel like I understand a little better what the conditions must have been like for the American soldiers as well.  I realize that I didn't have bad weather or guns or bombs or the other things that come along with war but I did get to see an area where our soldiers fought.  Whether or not you agree with war I think it is good to get an understanding of what our soldiers go through to defend our country.

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Ho Chi Minh City

If the rest of Vietnam is anything like Ho Chi Minh City I am really looking forward to exploring it. 

We arrived late Thursday night and arrived at our hotel around 10 pm.  Neither of us had eaten so we went to the hotel bar to grab a drink and some food.  Here is the view from the hotel bar:

We stayed at the Hotel Majestic Saigon.  It was built in the 1920s and has a very French feel to it.  (If you weren't aware, the French had control of most of Vietnam from the mid-1800s until the mid-1900s.  As a result, there are many buildings in Ho Chi Minh City that have a French influence.)  They have done a really nice job of maintaining the original look and feel of the hotel.  I had planned to take a bunch of pictures around the hotel but totally forgot to do it.  I did get one of our room as we arrived so I'll share that with you (check out the old fashioned phone on the table between the beds).

As you can tell from the first picture, the hotel is right across the road from the Saigon River.  It was great watching the barges and boats and ferries along the river.  I'm not sure why but I get mesmerized watching boats traveling on a river.  I could sit and watch them all day long.  

The part of Ho Chi Minh City that we stayed in is actually still referred to as Saigon.  It is a safe area to walk around and explore.  As with all of Asia, there are some great markets and lots of shops with deals on items that are made locally and exported. 

Friday was a leisurely day for us.  We slept in and then just spent the morning and early afternoon walking around the city.  We did a bit of shopping at the local market.

If you notice the in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture above, you'll see that the woman is wearing the typical conical hat you see in pictures and on TV.  I'm always interested to see if what we see on TV and in movies is actual truth or if it is just Hollywood hype.  There were women wearing them all around Ho Chi Minh City as well as in the countryside.  They are a nice way to shade your entire face from the blaring sun.

Speaking of the women in Vietnam, let me just take a moment to tell you how friendly the people in Ho Chi Minh City were.  They were so welcoming and helpful.  I did not run across anybody (except the annoyingly rude immigration guy as I left the country today) in the city who did not have a smile on their face and was not super nice.  They all seemed genuinely nice.  If we entered a shop and just browsed around they wished us well on our way out the door.  If we happened to purchase something they were amazingly friendly.  And, the staff at the hotel were just exceptional.  Not rude and not in-your-face either.  It was great!

On Friday afternoon we took a cooking class at the hotel.  We learned to make a shrimp salad, spring rolls, and chicken pho.  It was not as detailed of a course as the one we took in Bangkok last year but was still fun.  The woman who taught us had a good time showing us tips on Vietnamese cooking as well as laughing with us when we weren't as good at it as she was.  The next time you eat pho be appreciative of the fact that in order to get good stock for the base you have to spend 8 hours keeping an eye on it while it cooks.

Me...I'm not such a great cook so I was busy watching the boats go up and down the river...

Friday evening we went to a wonderful spa and had a massage.  My friend was celebrating her birthday on Friday so we thought she needed a little pampering.  We went to this great spa which would have been considered high end in the US and it only cost us $38 for an hour long massage.  If I lived in Ho Chi Minh City I'd be there every week...maybe a couple of times a week.  I'll definitely go back to the spa on my next trip.

We finished the evening back on the rooftop bar to have a cocktail to toast her birthday!

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SIN to SGN

I should make you try and guess where in the world I'm going.  SGN isn't the most intuitive of airport codes. 

Where do you think it is?

Any guesses...

Have you googled it yet?



Okay, fine...I'm headed to Vietnam.  Ho Chi Minh City to be exact...used to be called Saigon hence the SGN airport code.  I'm headed for a long weekend with a friend for her birthday.  Neither of us have been to Vietnam before so I'm really looking forward to it.  Expect blog posts and photos when I return.

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Reminders

I haven't had a kitten in the house in about 9 years.  I can forget a lot in a day let along nine years...having AliG here this weekend has reminded me of having a kitten.  A few things...

• Kittens are cute
• Kittens are curious
• Even cute kittens have claws
• Kittens like to bounce and trounce and pounce
• Kittens sometimes need to be in the other room...RIGHT NOW!
• Kittens play with the silliest things...the empty toilet paper roll has been the favorite this weekend
• Kittens take longs naps
• Kittens sleeping on top of you make you take long naps too
• Kittens chew on lots of things
• Kittens like to be upside down
• Kittens fall down a lot...but get right back up
• Kittens will eat the chicken out of your salad if you are not watching them closely
• Kittens are very cute
• Kittens climb things 
• Kittens are hard to photograph

I'm going to miss AliG when he goes back home tonight...

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House guest

This is AliG who is my house guest for the weekend.  More to come...

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