Glenn: Hey Kenneth!!
Kenneth: Hey dude, wassup! How'ya doing?
Glenn: Good! Just had tea with Bush. How about you?
Kenneth: Awesome! I'm great too.
Glenn: Where are you right now, bang?
Kenneth: Right beside you bro.
Glenn: Wicked!

*does the hi-5, handshakes and finger pointings*

Glenn: Tell me Kenneth, do you know the difference between an American and a Singaporean?
Kenneth: You got me there, man. What's the difference?
Glenn: When an American swears, he says "F#%@ you", but when a Singaporean swears, he says "F#%@ you lah"
Kenneth: Oh my goodness. *fits of laughter* you got me there man! I can't stop laughing!

*blah blah blah blah* (ie, crap that you DON'T really wanna hear. Ask us when we get home.)
Glenn: So where are we meeting lah?
Kenneth: Hmm dunno sia..too many places...hmm if only the Volans ppl can come also..
Glenn: SIA LAH! happening man..togetherness!!!
Kenneth: Hey IR coming to Spore in 2009 right?
Glenn:....ah.....
Kenneth: Vegas Baby!!

~~~~~

Washington DC is a place so characterised by monuments, museums and statues that it will not be wrong to say that you can't go a few blocks without seeing some of the above mentioned. They can have buildings given to the funniest societies you ever heard of, and "gifts" in the form of bronze monuments scattered all over the cities. "Gifts" because Glenn and I agreed that it almost feel like a vassal state giving tribute, something of that sort.




Over the mist,
The mountains yonder




The trip to Washington was not very eventful, since I took an overnight train into the wilderness of West Virgina, but I was greeted in the morning by the rivers and moutains of West Virgina, hidden behind the dawn mist, until the sun commands them away. West Virgina is really a very scenic place, as the train weaves in and out of the mountain tunnels, the clear rivers and high cliffs burst with life on this September morning.

On a side note, I must say that I'm highly impressed by graffiti, despite it being all bad and stuff in context. On the train travelling though the not so good districts, there were graffiti all over the walls and buiildings, and my, these people have talent! They look really good and how they manage to do their artwork on top of the roofs and on the underside of the high bridges beats me.

After being delayed for 2 hrs, I met Glenn at George Washington University (where he is currently on exchange), before being shown my "East Wing" for the two nights that I'll be there. Thanks Glenn! It was a cool room all to myself *laughs*

Not much time to waste, since my Washington trip was short, we walked to the White House and around it, seeing the Washington Monument on the way, together with all the official state buildings like the Federal Reserve and the likes. Walking on, its just more monuments and more magnificant buildings.

The night was not too bad, after having dinner with the international students (who cooked delicious dinners! they take turns, like the Japanese + Singaporeans will cook one day, the French the other etc, and just imagine the variety!), a few of us went down to a cafe (with Veronica's recommendation, which is near her studio) for some more food and drinks. It's good o see NUS students again, and we had many laughs, especially Shuli's dramatic Arts-Rag alike movements.

The second day, after a good old Starbucks Coffee (read Glenn's take on it) at GWU, was filled with monuments and more monuments visiting while Glenn was in school. I must have walked through all of them on the map, from the Korean War Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol... If you are really bored, you can read about them online here. The weather was pretty bad, overcasted and even drizzled, and I had to protect my precious map and camera. I even met a new Columbia friend while we were stuck in the rain waiting to cross the road. haha, and decided to walk a while together till our objectives differed.





My new Columbian friend at the Vietnam War Memorial
Unfortunately, could never figured out how to spell his name!






My favourite monument is easily the Jefferson Memorial. From the Lake of Refection, it looks absolutely georgeous, with its dome shaped Memorial standing proudly by the riverside, and nothing but greenery around it. It looks like it just got out of Rome and into US. The Washington Memorial and Capitol Building comes close too.

I met Glenn and we went into the Holocaust Muesum, with his recommendations of course. It was awesome, and even touching, as we see the artifacts left behind by the Germans POW camps and pictures of families who died. It was the atmosphere and ambience I believe, and the lighting, which made everything so realistic and so fatal. As you glance down the pillars lined with pictures of victims, you can't help but have a shiver run through your body, and be appreciative of life now. We lighted a candle for the victims.

After that, we visited the Pentagon. Yeah the Pentagon. But I must say that the Pentagon looks A LOT nicer when view on TV from the air. Because on the ground, you can't see its shape and the fantastic construct. It just looks like a very air-tight security place with no windows, which is kinda ugly up close if you ask me.

Khim Nyang's favourite of the moment, as the timing was right, we went to the nearesy iPod store and checked out the Nano. Georgeous stuff, but I'm sure my elation can't match up to Khim's when he got his, so you should just check out what he feels about the awesome player.

It was a pity that I wasn't able to meet Benny (RI Headprefect 1998, and someone whom I have TREMENDOUS respect for, and since that doesn't really come often, you go figure), since he was so caught up with his work and the timing was bad. After a breakfast with Glenn, I was off.

Back to the Sunny state of California.

~~~~~~

View my Washington DC photos here.