Finally made it down to the Air and Space Museum on Saturday 26 May. Still blown away by what's in there. Entry foyer includes the Apollo II command module, John Glenn's first American around Earth in space module, module from first balloon around the world, heaps of other stuff, etc.
Was very crowded in pm so this time didn't get the real sense of how quickly technology developed from the first (successful manned) Wright flyer in 1903, to commercial flyers in 1910ish from the Wrights, to the Great War planes and then the great leaps forward in WW2 and the jets of the following years. Technology advances of those 50ish years were just incredible.
The Smithsonian's Museum of American History is closed for renovations until sometime in 2008 but we did see a special room with highlights from that collection, including Kermit; Abe Lincoln's hat; George Washington's army uniform; Dorothy's shoes and the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz; plus Jackie's dress from JFK's inauguration. They also have the full exhibition available to view online.
They also have another museum out at Dulles airport which has a space shuttle etc in it which will have to wait until another day ...
Malcolm
Saturday, May 26, 2007
St George v The Dragon (or: are we there yet??!!)
Have spent too much time this past week battling the bureaucracy inherent in American life. A visit to the Air and Space Museum will be required to remind me that this is the same country that put man on the moon! Part of our problem is the lack of a social security number. This is ingrained in every financial transaction and part of your credit rating. Quite different from the privacy inherent in our tax file number in that regard, but has a similar government function from what I can tell.
In hindsight, I should have applied for a social security number as soon as we arrived. Having it now would simplify things a lot. Anyway, we went down on Tuesday afternoon thinking the crowd would have gone. Wrong! Two Aussie girls told me they had been waiting three hours and best best would be to get there before they open in the morning. So was there on Thursday morning at 8.35, waiting 25 minutes as number six in line for them to open, got my ticket and sat down to wait for 15 minutes, and then took 5 minutes for their officer to key in my completed form and details from my passport. I now have a receipt which should mean I get a number in two weeks time. See what happens!
I then went into battle to open accounts for electricity, gas, water and telco services into our rented Maryland home. Remember here that accounts for all but telco services go directly to the Embassy who pays them on my behalf so risk is negligible for the providers. Embassy advice is that I should just have to turn up with my passport to get the accounts opened.
Couldn't get through computerised phone registration or online registration for electricity without a social security number. Managed to slip under their guard on that one using a dummy social security number on their website registration that hopefully I remembered correctly from the one that the bank used to open our account a couple of weeks ago. Stay tuned to see if I end up getting burnt on that one!
Turns out that I can't get the water account into my name until I can get a meter reading so have yet to engage in that battle.
The fun one has been the gas guys. Got most of the way through phone registration with a real(!) person on Thursday until the social security number came up. That ended the conversation! Was told to front up to their office with two forms of photo id. So went down first thing on Friday morning. Went to NE Constitution Ave rather than NW which cost me some extra blocks looking for an office that wasn't there and then three long blocks to walk down to NW. After the usual explaining why I was there to a guy who registered me in the queue, I waited until permitted to enter the inner sanctum. This went fine for 30 seconds until I was asked for, no not a social security number, but a copy of my lease. Fortunately the conversation from the day before was recorded on the record she was looking at so I was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to remain in the game. A copy was faxed down later so presumably this is now ok. However this episode took me two hours from home to work, two train rides and walking 25 blocks. Admittedly me going to the wrong address took some time etc, but why I couldn't have just faxed down a copy of my passport is beyond me.
This contrasts with the account I opened with Comcast to supply phone, high speed Internet for three computers and cable tv for two tvs to the house. I broached the dreaded social security number issue at the beginning of that conversation and was told that it wasn't an issue! So they are sending their guys out on Thursday to install it all, supply three cable modems and two digital set top boxes in return for a cheque for the first month's fee. Their risk seems much higher but they were so much easier to deal with. They supply the same services in our apartment plus our landlord went with them for their new house so hopefully we will be just as happy with them. Of course the hundreds of channels available on the tv cable don't include any worth watching but that's just America!
Must also admit that we managed to get Donna a local SIM card for her mobile phone today. Having a local bank account to which they can debit a monthly charge kept them happy. Not a great deal but ok and much better than the pre paid offers. Still no risk for the company as can't make calls if have no remaining credit on your account. Once your credit is down to zero, can choose to either put $15 or $25 multiples of credit on your account or wait until the automatic debit for the next month before using your phone again. Other 'tough' part of the deal in the US is that you get charged for airtime - so you pay for receiving and making calls on your mobile or cell phone! I've already put all our numbers on the 'don't call' list.
Malcolm
In hindsight, I should have applied for a social security number as soon as we arrived. Having it now would simplify things a lot. Anyway, we went down on Tuesday afternoon thinking the crowd would have gone. Wrong! Two Aussie girls told me they had been waiting three hours and best best would be to get there before they open in the morning. So was there on Thursday morning at 8.35, waiting 25 minutes as number six in line for them to open, got my ticket and sat down to wait for 15 minutes, and then took 5 minutes for their officer to key in my completed form and details from my passport. I now have a receipt which should mean I get a number in two weeks time. See what happens!
I then went into battle to open accounts for electricity, gas, water and telco services into our rented Maryland home. Remember here that accounts for all but telco services go directly to the Embassy who pays them on my behalf so risk is negligible for the providers. Embassy advice is that I should just have to turn up with my passport to get the accounts opened.
Couldn't get through computerised phone registration or online registration for electricity without a social security number. Managed to slip under their guard on that one using a dummy social security number on their website registration that hopefully I remembered correctly from the one that the bank used to open our account a couple of weeks ago. Stay tuned to see if I end up getting burnt on that one!
Turns out that I can't get the water account into my name until I can get a meter reading so have yet to engage in that battle.
The fun one has been the gas guys. Got most of the way through phone registration with a real(!) person on Thursday until the social security number came up. That ended the conversation! Was told to front up to their office with two forms of photo id. So went down first thing on Friday morning. Went to NE Constitution Ave rather than NW which cost me some extra blocks looking for an office that wasn't there and then three long blocks to walk down to NW. After the usual explaining why I was there to a guy who registered me in the queue, I waited until permitted to enter the inner sanctum. This went fine for 30 seconds until I was asked for, no not a social security number, but a copy of my lease. Fortunately the conversation from the day before was recorded on the record she was looking at so I was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to remain in the game. A copy was faxed down later so presumably this is now ok. However this episode took me two hours from home to work, two train rides and walking 25 blocks. Admittedly me going to the wrong address took some time etc, but why I couldn't have just faxed down a copy of my passport is beyond me.
This contrasts with the account I opened with Comcast to supply phone, high speed Internet for three computers and cable tv for two tvs to the house. I broached the dreaded social security number issue at the beginning of that conversation and was told that it wasn't an issue! So they are sending their guys out on Thursday to install it all, supply three cable modems and two digital set top boxes in return for a cheque for the first month's fee. Their risk seems much higher but they were so much easier to deal with. They supply the same services in our apartment plus our landlord went with them for their new house so hopefully we will be just as happy with them. Of course the hundreds of channels available on the tv cable don't include any worth watching but that's just America!
Must also admit that we managed to get Donna a local SIM card for her mobile phone today. Having a local bank account to which they can debit a monthly charge kept them happy. Not a great deal but ok and much better than the pre paid offers. Still no risk for the company as can't make calls if have no remaining credit on your account. Once your credit is down to zero, can choose to either put $15 or $25 multiples of credit on your account or wait until the automatic debit for the next month before using your phone again. Other 'tough' part of the deal in the US is that you get charged for airtime - so you pay for receiving and making calls on your mobile or cell phone! I've already put all our numbers on the 'don't call' list.
Malcolm
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Sir John Franklin
Just watched a fascinating doco on PBS on Sir John Franklin's ill fated exploration looking for the North West Passage and what is likely to have happened to members of the expedition: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/arctic/. Ok, if you can't be bothered reading, they hit a particularly cold spot of weather, got their ships trapped in the ice for a couple of years, tried to walk out, tried a bit of 'the last resort' foodwise, didn't make it, last four documented as still trying to walk out six years later, he died much earlier. The PBS / Nova version is much more interesting!
For non-Tasmanians, he was Governor of Tasmania from 1836 - 1843 and many links to his rule remain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Franklin.
Malcolm
For non-Tasmanians, he was Governor of Tasmania from 1836 - 1843 and many links to his rule remain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Franklin.
Malcolm
Mothers' Day
Started the day with Mothers' Day presents when the kids woke up. After some arguments (which they were sent out to sort out) Donna opened her new diamond and gold bracelet (see the Macys' story from during the week) and 'The American Quilt' book.
To celebrate Mothers' Day, we Metro / bussed down to at Sequoia restaurant in Georgetown: http://www.arkrestaurants.com/section_home.cfm?section_id=1&location_id=2&restaurant_id=15. Malcolm had been there before courtesy of an IMF colleague. Our attempt to book an outside table failed but we ended up with a window table which, given the cool wind on the day, was probably a better proposition anyway. Sequoia offers views over the Potomac River and the Watergate Hotel (yes, that one!). We had a reasonably good meal, some ordinary service (should I have to send the waiter back three times to bring the correct wine??!!), and a good time.
Exploration of the Shops at Georgetown shopping center and Big Wheel Bikes finished our day out.
Kieren managed to leave his favourite new orange hat on the bus coming back which led to more tears when we realised ...
Malcolm
To celebrate Mothers' Day, we Metro / bussed down to at Sequoia restaurant in Georgetown: http://www.arkrestaurants.com/section_home.cfm?section_id=1&location_id=2&restaurant_id=15. Malcolm had been there before courtesy of an IMF colleague. Our attempt to book an outside table failed but we ended up with a window table which, given the cool wind on the day, was probably a better proposition anyway. Sequoia offers views over the Potomac River and the Watergate Hotel (yes, that one!). We had a reasonably good meal, some ordinary service (should I have to send the waiter back three times to bring the correct wine??!!), and a good time.
Exploration of the Shops at Georgetown shopping center and Big Wheel Bikes finished our day out.
Kieren managed to leave his favourite new orange hat on the bus coming back which led to more tears when we realised ...
Malcolm
Arlington Cemetery
On Saturday 12 May 2007 we caught the Metro over to Arlington Cemetery: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/. As Australians, the grave sites of JFK, Jacqueline and Bobby Kennedy were the main things that attracted us to the Cemetery, although I had already been through back in June 2002 with John Meyer as my guide! The Arlington page on Kennedy is here: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/JFK.html. If you are as interested in his life and legacy as I am, have a read of Robert Dallek's wonderful benchmark biography: http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Life-John-Kennedy-1917-1963/dp/0316172383/ref=ed_oe_h/104-2673433-6635931?ie=UTF8&qid=1179184786&sr=8-8
We went through Arlington House which was General Robert E Lee's home prior to the Civil War. His wife was George Washington's great-granddaughter (by adoption of a child from his wife's first marriage) and the house was built as a memorial to George Washington and, pre war, housed much of the nation's Washington memorabilia. Short story is that it was taken by the Federal Government and used to bury Union soldiers so the Lees would never want to return to the home. A fuller version: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/arlington_house.html.
Arlington also has a wonderful ceremony involving the the Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns. I've always found going into the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the ANZAC Day Dawn Service to be a powerful experience. But the pomp and ceremony of The Old Guard is spectacular. On my previous visit, I only experienced the guarding of the Tomb. We saw the changing of the guard on Saturday as well. Something that has to be seen to appreciate the solemnity and dignity of the ceremony but see: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ceremonies/sentinelsotu.html.
With two tired and hungry kids, we then headed off to Pentagon City for lunch and some shopping. Panda Express couldn't understand why we wouldn't upgrade the basic bowl of fried rice and one entree for only $1 extra to get another entree. The fact we were the only ones in the centre not to do this but still had trouble getting through our meal speaks volumes for the need for PORTION CONTROL people!!
Malcolm
We went through Arlington House which was General Robert E Lee's home prior to the Civil War. His wife was George Washington's great-granddaughter (by adoption of a child from his wife's first marriage) and the house was built as a memorial to George Washington and, pre war, housed much of the nation's Washington memorabilia. Short story is that it was taken by the Federal Government and used to bury Union soldiers so the Lees would never want to return to the home. A fuller version: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/arlington_house.html.
Arlington also has a wonderful ceremony involving the the Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns. I've always found going into the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the ANZAC Day Dawn Service to be a powerful experience. But the pomp and ceremony of The Old Guard is spectacular. On my previous visit, I only experienced the guarding of the Tomb. We saw the changing of the guard on Saturday as well. Something that has to be seen to appreciate the solemnity and dignity of the ceremony but see: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ceremonies/sentinelsotu.html.
With two tired and hungry kids, we then headed off to Pentagon City for lunch and some shopping. Panda Express couldn't understand why we wouldn't upgrade the basic bowl of fried rice and one entree for only $1 extra to get another entree. The fact we were the only ones in the centre not to do this but still had trouble getting through our meal speaks volumes for the need for PORTION CONTROL people!!
Malcolm
Friday, May 11, 2007
Domino's Oreo Pizza
This is evidence that portion control is not the only cause of obesity in the States. Let's get real, cream biscuits on pizza?? Calling it a 'desert pizza' does NOT make it right!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkEc67m_jvM
FFS!
Mal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkEc67m_jvM
FFS!
Mal
Thursday, May 10, 2007
National Geographic Museum
Donna took the kids to the National Geographic Museum on Thursday - it is only a couple of blocks from our apartment.
We had a busy afternoon there while Olivia and Kieren:
We had a busy afternoon there while Olivia and Kieren:
- found the buried treasure and the mummy's tomb;
- steered a boat towards the North Star;
- went camping;
- built a pyramid;
- flew a plane;
- went on a family adventure.
Getting a Macy's store card
Arranged to meet Donna at Macy's department store on Wednesday morning so she could pick her Mothers' Day present. They had a large sale on. Typical discount offer was 50% off a range of jewellery, another 20% off on the preview day of the sale, and then another 20% off if you bought it on a Macy's store card that you opened that day.
Having found the bracelet she wanted, we then went into farce mode. To be fair, I had left my passport and our completed application form at work. They started with my driver's licence and credit card. Then wanted another photo id. My JITSIC building pass didn't pass whatever test they were applying so that was me out. They had already told me that they wouldn't open a joint account for us anyway.
So then it was Donna's turn. She was better prepared than me. However they couldn't understand that her passport was a passport rather than a visa because it was only issued for 18 months when everyone knows passports are issued for 10 years. (Yeh, we don't understand why work decided to issue an eighteen month passport either.) Having got past that and various other minor dramas, they decided to issue Donna with a store card. Which was interesting in that she is on LWOP for the year so has no income source. Having borrowed a pen and paper from Donna, the sales assistance wrote her card number down for her.
So all was fine to buy the bracelet. Except that the card had no credit on it! Turns out that it did but not quite enough to buy the bracelet. So they gave her some kind of credit extension and let us leave the store with the bracelet.
I wasn't game to go back to try and open an account in my name. Figured the story was probably worth more than the bracelet!
Malcolm
Having found the bracelet she wanted, we then went into farce mode. To be fair, I had left my passport and our completed application form at work. They started with my driver's licence and credit card. Then wanted another photo id. My JITSIC building pass didn't pass whatever test they were applying so that was me out. They had already told me that they wouldn't open a joint account for us anyway.
So then it was Donna's turn. She was better prepared than me. However they couldn't understand that her passport was a passport rather than a visa because it was only issued for 18 months when everyone knows passports are issued for 10 years. (Yeh, we don't understand why work decided to issue an eighteen month passport either.) Having got past that and various other minor dramas, they decided to issue Donna with a store card. Which was interesting in that she is on LWOP for the year so has no income source. Having borrowed a pen and paper from Donna, the sales assistance wrote her card number down for her.
So all was fine to buy the bracelet. Except that the card had no credit on it! Turns out that it did but not quite enough to buy the bracelet. So they gave her some kind of credit extension and let us leave the store with the bracelet.
I wasn't game to go back to try and open an account in my name. Figured the story was probably worth more than the bracelet!
Malcolm
Weekend Escapades
On Saturday we walked up to the Meridian International Center to the First Annual International Children's Festival. Unfortunately they made us take the kids back home with us. Was a good day put on by around 16 Embassies, including Australia's. All the kids got a helium balloon with a map of the world on it when they came in. Each country then put a star sticker on the balloon as the kids 'visited' each country. Liechtenstein's star probably took out most of central Europe! Lots of activities and the kids brought home lots of pages to colour in.
After much discussion on Sunday, the kids got their way which was to show me around the zoo. Think it was just a ploy to go watch the stingrays again. Baby panda was great to see, he can put away bamboo! Was watching him on the web cam (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/) before we went and he didn't see to have moved all day, other than reaching for another stick of bamboo. Had enough of walking around by the time we left. Oh, and the catering guys at the zoo need to understand that a plastic container full of lettuce, a light sprinkling of cheese (if you look hard), a sachet of dressing and five pieces of chicken is NOT a Caesar salad and is NOT worth $6. Even Maccas does this better ...
Malcolm
After much discussion on Sunday, the kids got their way which was to show me around the zoo. Think it was just a ploy to go watch the stingrays again. Baby panda was great to see, he can put away bamboo! Was watching him on the web cam (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/) before we went and he didn't see to have moved all day, other than reaching for another stick of bamboo. Had enough of walking around by the time we left. Oh, and the catering guys at the zoo need to understand that a plastic container full of lettuce, a light sprinkling of cheese (if you look hard), a sachet of dressing and five pieces of chicken is NOT a Caesar salad and is NOT worth $6. Even Maccas does this better ...
Malcolm
Friday, May 4, 2007
Brickskeller
Just back from the pub which has the Guinness Book of Records record for the most beers available and which is just around the corner - Washington is so great! More pages of beer on the menu than anyone else has on the wine list. But was so cold that the waitress got a couple of clean tableclothes for the kids to wrap around themselves! I had a buffalo burger, bison is lean so kind of the local equivalent of roo. Tasted fine, actually had meat in it unlike most burgers. The beer list is on a link at the bottom of this page: http://www.thebrickskeller.net/
Malcolm
Malcolm
Bee Sting
Kieren was walking down to the supermarket with Olivia and Donna yesterday when they had to cross the road to get around an around that was roped off with police etc. While waiting to cross 16th Street, he started screaming. A bee had bit him on the back. Fortunately it was through his t shirt so the sting didn't stay in him and it settled down fairly quickly.
Photos and a short note in today's Washington Post that a swarm had started forming a hive on a fire hydrant. Looks like the beekeeper had captured most of the bees just before they walked down the street. Wrong place, wrong time ...
Copy of the Post's photos / comments here: http://picasaweb.google.com/malcolmdonna/BeesOn16
Malcolm
Photos and a short note in today's Washington Post that a swarm had started forming a hive on a fire hydrant. Looks like the beekeeper had captured most of the bees just before they walked down the street. Wrong place, wrong time ...
Copy of the Post's photos / comments here: http://picasaweb.google.com/malcolmdonna/BeesOn16
Malcolm
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Navigating central Washington
So easy to get around here as the streets are lettered and numbered. All you have to remember is that the lettered streets run from south to north and the numbered streets run from east to west and you basically know your way around. Confused somewhat by the diagonal avenues and a couple of other streets through in but this is the basic pattern.
Having timed second countdown timers on most of the pedestrian crossings also helps. I was allowing 12 seconds as the minimum needed to cross a road but have been informed that 8 seconds is all that is required. Pedestrians tend to gather in the first lane waiting to cross rather than waiting on the sidewalk which appears dangerous to me but haven't seen anyone hit yet ...
Malcolm
Having timed second countdown timers on most of the pedestrian crossings also helps. I was allowing 12 seconds as the minimum needed to cross a road but have been informed that 8 seconds is all that is required. Pedestrians tend to gather in the first lane waiting to cross rather than waiting on the sidewalk which appears dangerous to me but haven't seen anyone hit yet ...
Malcolm
Washington Zoo
On Wednesday Donna, Olivia and Kieren caught the metro to the National Zoo. We started with the 'Asia Trail', enjoying the antics of the asian small-clawed otters and sloth bears. A favourite for all of us was the fishing cats. Of course, the giant pandas were a great attraction, particularly the baby panda chewing on bamboo. Other highlights during the day included the elephants and hippopotamus, gorillas, cheetahs & komodo dragon. The kids also enjoyed brushing the goats and donkeys at the Kids Farm. Our last visit was to the quite spectacular Amazonia exhibit. Favourites here were the giant arapaimas fish and the stingrays (which Olivia counted 17).
We were all very tired by the end of the day, but there is still much more to see so we will, no doubt, be making many more trips to the zoo over the coming months.
We were all very tired by the end of the day, but there is still much more to see so we will, no doubt, be making many more trips to the zoo over the coming months.
Why Kieren Likes Washington
Kieren tells us that he likes living in Washington because:
- the toilet is easier to flush (a push down lever on the side of the cistern rather than having to choose which of the buttons on top to press)
- the bath is easier to drain (push on the lever rather than pulling the plug out)
- it is easy to get water and ice from the dispenser on the front of the freezer.
How easy it is to impress a four year old!
Malcolm
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