26 January

I really must get a better system. After being all ready for an early night, by the time that I did the photos and wrote up my diary and then my blog, it was after midnight by the time I got to sleep. I need to get to sleep earlier because there is just so much to see and do.

I was awake at 6, up at 6:30 and then out before 7. I had breakfast out (fast food, because it’s only one door up) and was on the train in the Metro by 7:30. Dawn was just breaking and the snowfall from last week is still on parts of the ground. The wind over it is cool enough to stop it from melting. I went off to the White House. On foot it is easy to view from over the font lawn. I elbowed the tourist aside to get a good photo (yes, at that time there was only one other tourist there, and given the temperature, not even the police on duty wanted to be there). I asked for directions back to the Mall (the street, not the shopping area, for those of you who are still young enough to want to spend someone else’s money) and was given the street directions to walk along. However, being a good Aussie, I just took the shortcut across the lawns. I can’t have violated too many ordinances as they didn’t come after me with guns drawn!
I wandered down the Mall wanting to see a few things before they became crowded and, as I saw the Capitol building in front of me, it seemed a good idea to visit the Library of Congress (where one edition of every published book is reputed to be stored. However I got waylaid by yet another Park Ranger who assumed that, because I was walking past Congress, I wanted to visit it. I was duly given my ticket for the 9:30 tour, so waited and chatted with two men from Ireland (who picked my accent, but admitted they only did so because they had just been to Sydney recently). We swapped tales of what it was like visiting the US and then, in what seemed like a moment (because it actually was) we were off. Firstly we had to form a, yes, you’re correct, a queue. This queue had to be on the left (but only this time – each other queue we had to form was on the right). We were told the regulations for visiting, including the prohibited items (pistols and explosives topped the list, but fortunately no-one had any) and then we set off for the mandatory screening. This time, even with my jacket off, change out of my pocket and camera separate, I set the detector off. An earnest young police officer duly swept me with a wand and pronounced me okay. As I gathered all my belongings together, I told him about the time at Heathrow (in 1980) where I had done the same and the officers there had walked me towards a door and tripped me so they could frisk-search me while I had my hands out. He thought that was too severe a course of action, but that that time the British security forces had experience of many years dealing with the IRA and too many fatal incidents had occurred. I was not upset by it then (or now) as it showed me I was travelling safely.
We then headed out (with me in the lead, a fatal flaw as shown by giving directions in terms of “turn left, then turn right, and when you reach the blue flag, turn right.” Those of you who know me well know my dyslexia exhibits itself by not being able to distinguish left from right or anything similar which involves mirror images (such as printing b and d, or p and q, which is why I prefer to write rather that print). However by interrogating the police at each possible turning point, I eventually got to the right spot. Once inside the Capitol Building we queued (but two queues this time, just to stop us getting too complacent) and met our guide. She, Zona, was Russian. The irony of being shown over the US Parliament by a Russian guide brought a smile to my face but was lost on her. When I am in Russia later this year, I doubt I will be shown over the Kremlin by an American guide.
The tour inside was interesting, going through the major features and the development of the current building, the operation of the houses and the relationship between the legislature, the judiciary and the executive arms of government. The difference between the US and Australian models was made quite clear – there will be no dissolution of the Houses by decree in the US as there can be in Australia, but we cannot impeach our Prime Minister (or at least, if we can, it hasn’t been done). We didn’t get to see the actual chambers (not shown on weekends) but finished in the crypt and the old Supreme Court chambers.
As we left, I engaged a young policeman in discussion. He picked me as English (yuk!) and commented that our use of language, in words such as fortnight, was antique English, unlike the evolved US English. I would differ, but I wanted to make sure of my facts first. He had no knowledge of Australia’s geography or climate, a situation I am finding extremely common (unless they have actually been to Australia). I headed away to go to the Museum of the Native American Indian, but got waylaid by the United States Botanical Building. This side trip was interesting, as they had sections of the building simulating different climates and areas. The flowers particularly interested me, as you’ll see in the pictures. The building had many explanatory displays and a lot of hands-on areas, especially for children up to the age of 99. I finally got into the Museum of the Native American Indian and opted for going up to the fourth floor and heading down to the first (US terminology, which I found was not adhered to in another museum just down the Mall).
The displays wandered around, which lead to a confusing path but a rewarding one. The Indians were truly American, and information covered the far north to the far south (of South America). It proved interesting and provided parallels with Dreamtime interpretations. I somehow found myself in discussion with George and Dawn, father and daughter, from Texas and Washington respectively. George has retired and, when in Washington, Dawn shows him around and also gets to see more of Washington herself. She is a Court Stenographer. During our discussion we got onto cell phones, where a student gained notoriety for ringing (FROM CLASS) to the Snow Supervisor to complain that school was still on while snow was falling. He got his wife, who then proceeded to tell the student what she thought of him doing this. The conversation was recorded and the supervisor’s wife had to apologise after this hit national news (must have been a slow news month!). The conversation wandered into many areas and I am convinced that real people the world over know what need to be done and how to do it, but not one politician in any country knows either. We called it quits after I heard that in a courtroom, a gun was checked for safekeeping after screening, but faces became red when it was found the owner was a criminal who was repeatedly coming up on charges (and the police were keeping his gun safe for him). On the next level a man form New Orleans was photographing his lady friend as a silhouette against a prismatic display. The teacher in me came out as I explained how it worked and how all rainbows were double rainbows. After the physics lesson, we went on to geography as I went through the location and weather of different parts of Australia.
Then it was on to the Museum of Natural History. I couldn’t help myself and went to the exhibit on Australia and ended up explaining some of the display boards to people going past. Then the child in me came out and I went to see the dinosaurs. The skeletons looked large, but clothed in flesh and mobile they would have been huge and menacing. I’m glad I’m not quite as old as some of my students believe I am, otherwise the dinosaurs and I would have shared the world stage (but not for too long, as I would soon have been a belch rather than a memory).
I decided to see the Hope Diamond. Security was evident but not excessive and all us hopefuls were only tens of centimetres from it. I noticed some women comparing their rings with it, while others were estimating what setting they would have it put it before it adorned their finger rather than the necklace it is currently in.
I returned to the Metro and decided to play the tourist a little further and visit the Pentagon. The station is right outside, but photos are discouraged, so I don’t have any. Discretion is the better part of valour. However I did see more advertisements in the station – anyone after a strike fighter? I didn’t realise the average person would be able to buy one, let alone afford one.
By this stage, 5 p.m., I decided to have lunch, then retire to my room as it was already getting dark. I have written this up so I can get to sleep earlier. I just have to do the photos.
And so the seventh day ends and I rest.