baggage's Diaryland Diary

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Who's scared of a missing fork?

Monday morning

8:14 am

I think I got about 3 hours of sleep last night.

After sending off an excited email declaring my safe arrival (and therefore rendering the Missing Fork Issue dead)-I went back to the room, unpacked and listened to the thermostat shut on and off.

I was na�ve enough to think that sleep would come quickly. Instead, It didn�t come until after my 6 am wake up call (6 is when the gym opens).

I went back to bed and woke up at 8 (around 6 back home andjust 30 minutes passed my standard rise and shine) Clearly, I�m still on California time. I hope to make the switch soon.

Monday evening

6 pm, maybe 5

To fully realize the convenience of Washington D.C.�s cab system, I need to tap into my penchant for overdramatics.

I was headed down Constitution today, my cheeks numb from the cold, and my eyes numb from the brightness of snow, when I realized that cabs in DC (and, I assume, everywhere else where cabs are popular) are not hailed by a simple flick of the wrist.

One must wave the arms dramatically, perhaps proclaim something potentially rude like "hey cabbie!," or in my case, stop in the middle of a crosswalk and accost said cab driver while he waits at a red light.

Too many cabs had passed. And with the promise of sunset and another snowstorm within the hour, I decided to simply walk up to the cab instead of waiting for the cab to drive up to me.

The driver didn�t like it.

His doors were locked, and the half-rolled down passenger window exposed a face neither friendly nor annoyed. Mr. Cab Driiver was neutrality personified-not unlike the US before Japan made the mistake of bombing Pearl Harbor.

"Whereyagoin?," he asked, or rather, barked through the half-rolled window. Nuetrality was fading. I wondered if, in the Star Wars of his mind, I was Darth and he was Luke.

"The Madison," I replied trying not to sound too much like a tourist-although I�m almost sure the camera around my neck made me as transparent as scotch tape (and not the kind that yellows after a few months either).

He looked away-as if considering the consequences of giving an Asian Darth Vader a ride back to his hotel room. With a twist of the neck, he allowed me into his cab. The force, it seemed, was with me.

The whole day had actually gone quite well. So well, that your casual Star Wars fan would most likely agree that the force was with me indeed. I saw a majority of the Smithsonian, rode the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument, walked through the Vietnam Veteran�s Memorial and visited the awe-inspiring Lincoln Memorial.

It was the first time I had seen these pieces of American History in person. And although I am by no means a history buff, it was easy enough to recognize the importance of these places-and the reason why they�re hallowed ground to Americans everywhere.

Quite simply,, there is magic here in Washington DC. And although I don�t see myself leaving the sunny confines of Southern California anytime soon, I now, at least, understand the area�s appeal.

And that�s not over-dramatizing.

9:54 p.m. - 2004-02-04

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