Eating Beignets in New Orleans
T and I spent Thanksgiving on a trip that started in New Orleans. Here we are making a big mess eating beignets (French doughnuts) with my mom's friend at Cafe Du Monde. Yum...
My room is available
I'm moving Dec. 1 to a place closer to the metro (subway). The posting for my place is at
the link below. Bye bye small room, hello basement studio!
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/roo/477786420.html
Myself as a Simpsons character
Looks just like me! What I want to know is, where can I get this shirt? You can create a Simpsons "avatar" at
www.simpsonsmovie.com 
Montreal
Celebrating Canada Day on a Segway!
T's friend owns a Segway rental place during the summer months, and he let us take them around the Old Port.
At the Jazz Festival, this guy was making roses out of mangos.
Mmm... yummy, edible flowers!
Just in case you start getting a little too trusting of those friendly Montrealians...
This sign was posted in the bathroom of an expensive, all-vegetarian buffet. Perhaps they are saying something about us hungry, broke veggies?
My Caribbean cruise photos
Check out
pics from my first cruise!
City life, London style
My last post reminded me of something I wrote after living in London for almost a year.
So how did I enjoy London? Let me count the ways…
1. Number of times I was asked (at work), “Would you like some tea?”
2 times a day (average) x 4 days a week = 8 x 36 weeks = 286
“Are you sure?”
approximately 200 times
2. Number of times I actually drank “tea”*
4 times
*By tea, I mean the proper English tea, black tea with milk and sugar. I don’t know what’s so great about the stuff, but the British drink it like it’s the nectar of the gods. Or kind of like how Americans drink coffee.
3. Money lost in payphones before I realized British payphones don’t give change
£2.00 (Approx. $3.50)
4. Money spent in “launderette” (laundromat) getting clothes not very clean nor very dry
£5 x 3x a month = £15 a month x 9 months = £135 (Approx. $230, or about enough to buy my own washing machine.)
5. Number of times I was stopped by people on the street asking for directions
3 times a month (average) x 9 months = 27 times
I take this to mean that I was accepted as a “local”. By the tourists anyway.
6. Number of times I was shouted at by crazy people on the street
3 times
7. Number of times I ran to catch the bus
8 times a month (average) x 9 months = 72.
72 x roughly ¼ mile sprint = 18 miles. Not bad!
There’s something about seeing your bus about to drive away that inspires everyone, young or old, morbidly obese or with children in tow, to run like their life depended on it. Anything but have to wait those extra minutes for the next bus to come.
City life
As of the past week, I have now been living in the DC area for 2 years. It struck me that I've become quite accustomed to the unique culture here. But at the same time, what's so unique about DC that's not true of any big city? It got me thinking. Here is something I jotted down a little while back that I think helps illustrate what it's like working in downtown DC.
On the metro (subway) escalator...
Stand on the right, walk on the left. This usually refers to "escalator etiquette" (which tourists never seem to grasp), but also applies more generally. As in, if you are not moving quickly, GET OUT OF THE WAY!
Walking to the office...
Standing at the edge of the crosswalk, with head turned and one foot poised in the air, waiting for the walk signal- or, for the opposite signal to stop flashing, or for a millisecond break in the stream of traffic... anything but to be caught on the edge of the crosswalk while others have bravely started walking ahead of you. This is, after all, a race.
City life? It is a race. But it's also an opportunity to push yourself, to be amongst the best of the best in whatever it is you want to do. Just don't be caught off-guard, or you'll be left behind.
the link below. Bye bye small room, hello basement studio!http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/roo/477786420.html
