Friday, September 28, 2007

Lone star

I feel very lucky that there are so many places/people I feel at home and at ease with. I am travelling great distances at times and finding the company of old friends so soothing and comforting. They are my real destinations. Maybe am finding out what happiness is in its infinitely small unassuming quiet appearance.

It is not the long journey that makes the destination more rewarding. The journey brings about the physical challenges, the time for reflection and retrospective, the rest that awaken the eyes. It makes me consider the value of what has been left behind, and what is worth coming back to.

I often feel anonymous on a journey, a blank slate ready for any imprint. New faces, attitudes, emotions that reflect or clash against my own. I bask in adventurous foods, dances, beliefs. I often find beauty that give me faith in life and people. But I don't stay because there is more elsewhere to live.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The men that make the law and those who die defending it

I did not see the Confressmen in session but I visited the Library of Congress where they do research and consult previous cases.

Then in the afternoon I went to the Arlington National Cemetery where I shed a tear at the tomb of the unknown soldier, hearing the lament of the lonely bugle at the changing of the guard.

I have never been surrounded by so many dead people before!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Traditions and progress on the Mall

Of course I hit the Mall! I stuck to the Smithonian building, the Space Museum and the new Museum of Native Americans.


I tried to join a guided tour in the Smithonian, but all the participants were over 80 year old, so I felt a bit too young. Besides, the inside of the castle wasn't that exciting..beauty was truly only outside for this one!

I know I have been into the Space Museum on the Mall before but somwhow I cannot find any picture of it. So this time I snapped away and listened carefully to what Billy said (that's the dguide's name). And once again I touched the moon.

And the control module that held the astronauts that flew the Apollo 11 mission and walked on the moon.


And then I got lost in the Universe!

The tour lasted about 90min, and because there was no restaurant nearby, just museums, I was forced to eat at Mc*Ronalds...happy meal for me.

Next to that hall full of powerful engines and amazing feats of engineering sit the new museum of native american. It's a beautiful building. I cuold look at it forever and feel so peaceful.

It's a very nice museum that gives lots of information on the beliefs, customs and way of life of Native Americans, from the tribes in south america to the ones living in Alaska. There are loads of workshops and hands on activities as well to discover the crafts and music.



This is what the conquistadores were after though: GOLD

Hello Baltimore!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Why isn't it Friday?

Of course, it's whining day today. AM waiting for the weekend with much impatience, mainly because I get to sleep without an alarm clock, like billions of people. The extra reason is that I need to forget the traumatizing audition I had with the Philharmonic Choir last night. Surprisingly then, I wasn't loud enough (gasp), but then again I never auditioned in a huge hall. As expected my sight reading was catastrophic, and my scales were probably hardly passing grades...
Why did I bother? Because in my haste and enthusiasm I didn't realize who I was auditioning for! Go figure. On the other hand the rehearsal was very enjoyable, and it gives me even more strength to visit more choirs and work on my piece.

Until then it's goign to be much noise in my area...

Friday, September 07, 2007

Can you read my mind



Can you read my mind?
Do you know what it is you do to me?
Don't know who you are,
Just a friend from another star
Here I am like a kid at a school
Holding hands with a god, I'm a fool
Will you look at me quivering
Like a little girl shivering?
You can see right through me
Can you read my mind?
Can you picture the things I'm thinking of?
Wondering why you are
All the wonderful things you are
You can fly, you belong to the sky
You and I could belong to each other
If you need a friend,
I'm the one to fly to
If you need to be loved,
Here I am, read my mind!

Thank you for Friday

Oh Lord, this has been a funny tiring week. Work has taught me phone manners in French (yes yes, I am clueless), and tested my own limits in social interactions (because we all know I am a bear when it comes to it). But it seems I survived the first week and therefore more weeks are to be spent reading, learning, practicing, annoying people trying to work, bringing coffee (ahh yes, I have to give some to get some), more reading, picking up the phone (no, I don't use the sexy voice!), and resist the temptation of hitting everyone (mainly because they don't know me well enough), though some one was unfortunate enough to be around me one afternoon and got hit as I instinctively reacted in rage and moved my hand (ok I dont know my own strengh).

In any case, the techie part is fun, even if I haven't had a chance to break anything yet (muahahaha). The main drawback? The whole ironing business...I miss my baggy-out-of-bed jogging pants and plain old crumpled jeans. And at the same time I kinda enjoy to dress smart:) At least I don't look 12 in those clothes...

TGIF though...my poor brain is saturating with acronyms...I am so traumatized I am starting to think with them

CD: completely Dead
BMC: 'Bring Me Coffee'
MHH: My Head Hurts
ALU: Am Liking U
OFL: Out For Lunch

It's depressing when words in a whole conversation dont exceed 4 letters, but I'll have to get used to it....mama mia! Tatsukete!!!

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Monday, September 03, 2007

I am the new kid

Sometimes it is quite fun to be thrown into a new environment: new people, new canteen, new boss, new work...mostly, I get to find everything new so it's all exciting and shining and oh so motivating.
Even if I can't access the material I need to work on, I did a good impersonation of the annoying kid who goes from grown up to grown ups asking aboutt heir job, sitting on their (......not that!)...their calls, and doing chit chat...it's a bit awkward though because it's a fine line between annoying bitch and cute first-starter.

In any case, I survived my first day and even booked my holidays..yatta!
God, 4 more days before the weekend...am not made for regular office hours (sigh)

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Post-trip blues

However sweet it is to find my own bed, it's a bit depressing to get back to the various bills awaiting me as well. Added to that slap-in-your-face confrontation with reality is the feeling that I left a friend in emotional confusion and that I could do nothing really but share my point of view and hope she'll be alright. The inability to help is very distressing. No matter how hard I try though, I know that it is her choice ultimately and that the best I can do is be there for her.

The trip back was unusual, on one of those planes with the wings on the roof, so that even if one is seated mid aircraft, one sees nothing but the earth below. Oh how I missed having the view of the landscape blocked by those large wings! Instead I was staring straight at heights and vertigo soon clouded my brain. I could also hear and feel every roar of the engines in the wing next to me. Landing was a chair gripping affair, with loads of turns and changes of accelerations. Nevertheless, the City airport was small enough to let me out with my luggage merely 20min after touchdown...

I passed by my future work on the way home. Enough said, stress is paralyzing me.
I will hibernate this weekend and finish my first homework.