Dour, 電通-controlled, family-centric Belgian Neocolonialism, enthusiastically jaded observations, support for state-owned neoliberalist media and occasional rants from the twisted mind of a privileged middle-class expatriate atheist projecting some leftist ideals with my ridicule of Tucker Carlson (from The Blogs Formerly Known As Sponge Bear and Kaminoge 物語)
*see disclaimer below
It was once a cutting-edge independent record label. Now it's an airport boutique trading in grunge-themed nostalgia (flannel shirts, anyone?). Getting old bites at times...
I've been placed on waivers, and having not been claimed by any other foreign ministry, the State Department has rescinded the request and is keeping me on its roster...for now. As noted in the previous blog post, I didn't reach the required level of proficiency in Amharic, though I did significantly improve my reading score following a retest on Wednesday morning. In any event, my employer has decided to damn the torpedoes and send me full-speed ahead to Addis Ababa . So we leave this evening, flying from Dulles Airport via Frankfurt to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The next two years are going to be interesting, to say the least. Ethiopia is going to be very different from our previous tours in China and Lithuania...or perhaps it won't. Only time will tell...
From all reports Internet service is far from reliable in Ethiopia, prone to periodic shutdowns and slowdowns. So there's no telling when I'll be able to start posting again on this blog once we've settled into our new abode. Hopefully it won't be too long. In the meantime wish us well on our travels and see you in አዲስ አበባ!
Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea 一芳台灣水果茶 inside the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington. The most Taiwanese tea shop I've patronized so far in the U.S. - namely because my wife and daughter were able to order entirely in Mandarin when they visited last month
Mount Rainier, as seen from my window seat soon after takeoff from Sea-Tac Airport. I made a lightning-quick visit to the Pacific Northwest over the weekend to say goodbye to my father and sister
Apparently while I was away in the other Washington, the DMV was battered by yet another violent windstorm, at least judging by this large tree which collapsed next to the local soccer pitch
Takeout Thai for dinner on our last evening in Falls Church
Coming face to face with a Confederate soldiers' cemetery. I wish I weren't in Dixie...
Time continues on its inexorable march, much like Sherman's soldiers to the sea. Our departure for Addis Ababa is fewer than a dozen days away, and that time will be spent sorting through our possessions trying to determine which objects go in which kinds of shipments. That is, if my waiver is approved and/or I do better on the reading part of the Amharic exam. Because to no one's surprise, especially my own, I muffed it. I did well enough on the speaking component, but when it came time to read a few short passages in Amharic, I froze. It took some bureaucratic wrangling, but I've been granted a last-minute reprieve to do better, even if it's only a tad bit. The Amharic sword of Damocles is hanging over my head...
In the meantime, I was busy this past week with a mandatory security-related training in the West Virginian countryside. I can't/won't go into the details, but suffice it to say I passed while learning a few things about my physical limitations, namely that I can, in fact, crawl on my medically-suspect knees when necessary, but that at the same time I am prone to motion sickness when riding as a passenger in a fast-moving vehicle. I was housed in a hotel in the small burg of Shepherdstown, population less than 1800. On my first night there, I went out for a walk and soon found myself standing in the grounds of the historic Elmwood Cemetery. One section of the cemetery is home to the remains of two hundred-plus Confederate troops killed in the Battle of Antietam, which took place not far from Shepherdstown, across the Potomac River in Maryland:
A bit of Revolutionary War history as well in the cemetery:
This house reminded me of Lithuania for some reason:
Shepherdstown is small, but West German Street, the town's main drag, makes for an interesting walk:
The origins of St. Agnes Catholic Church may date back to 1795 (according to a couple of signs), but the church building itself is clearly of more recent origin:
Being the home of Shepherd University, Shepherdstown has a liberal, tolerant vibe. Think pride flags, dyed hair and tattoos, used record stores, people addressing you as "bro" and so on. I went out on a couple of evenings for dinner, and can recommend Maria's Taqueria...:
West Virginia, or at the least the small part of it where I stayed, is a land of contrasts. The rural scenery is beautiful, but like many places in America, the homes of the well-to-do coexist uneasily with the rundown residences of those struggling to get by. Shepherdstown might be a liberal college town, but I also saw several Confederate flags being flown, including one pickup truck-driving idiot who had both the Stars and Bars and the Stars and Stripes flying from the back of his vehicle (suggesting the duality of man?). Which is somewhat surprising, considering that West Virginia broke off from the rest of Virginia and sided with the Union during the Civil War.
I've had enough of Confederate symbols during my brief stays in Virginia (care for a drive on the Jefferson Davis Highway, anyone?). I've also had enough of training and am looking forward to getting back overseas. In the meantime...
We had a spectacular lightning storm one late evening:
Addis Ababa will be our first post where we are authorized a shipment of consumables from home to bring with us. We're allowed to bring up to 2000 pounds (907 kilograms), but other than toilet paper and Asian-style white rice, there isn't much that we actually couldn't live without, and our final purchase from the local Costco was on the comparatively slim side:
One thing that will be missed is enjoying ice cream on a warm summer afternoon at Lil City Creamery:
A bunny either enjoying the weather or trying to blend in at the local cemetery:
My daughter is old enough now to start making dining recommendations based on what she's heard from her friends and classmates. Which is how we ended up taking a dessert break from last-minute shopping at Magnolia Dessert Bar & Coffee:
This may or may not be the last dispatch from the DMV before we ship out to the Horn of Africa. Stay tuned...
The view looking down on Harpers Ferry from Overlook Cliff
I'm not really sure what happened on Saturday. Was it age, a lack of exercise, the heat and humidity of a summer day, or a combination of all three? Whatever the reason(s), a day of hiking didn't quite turn out as planned.
Things started off well, with the 90-minute drive through some hella scenic Virginia countryside (think horse ranches and wineries) to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Yes, West Virginia, which turned out to be a lot closer than I'd always thought. The historic town of Harpers Ferry sits at a point where two rivers (the Potomac and Shenandoah) and three states (Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) meet. If the name sounds familiar, it probably means you're thinking of the abolitionist John Brown. Brown and 21 men (including two of his sons) raided the arsenal in Harpers Ferry in October 1859, hoping to seize the weapons and distribute them to slaves in order to spark an insurrection. Federal troops led by Robert E. Lee attacked, capturing Brown, who was eventually hanged for treason. Today he's remembered by many as a martyr for the cause of emancipation.
It was 88° Fahrenheit (31° Celsius) when I parked my rented VW Jetta at the National Park Service headquarters near the entrance to the town. Not too hot, but somewhat muggy. Still, I'd hiked many times in Taiwan in similar hot 'n' humid conditions without any serious difficulties, so I wasn't anticipating any problems with this hike, even if my guidebook described the route as "difficult". My hike began on a section of the famed Appalachian Trail:
A short side trail led to Harper Cemetery, a 4-acre (1.6 hectares) hilltop burial ground laid out by Robert Harper in 1782:
Jefferson Rock overlooks the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers:
In the foreground is the neo-Gothic spire of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. In the background arw the US 340 bridge and Loudoun Heights (Virginia):
The ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church, abandoned in 1895 after a new church was built elsehwhere in town:
The aforementioned St. Peter's, built in 1833:
The inside was air-conditioned:
The B&O Railroad Bridge, spanning the Potomac. I crossed it to reach the Maryland side:
Now in Maryland, and the ruins of Lock 33, the unloading point for goods destined for Harpers Ferry. You can see the towpath where workers maintained water levels and kept the barges moving. The C&O Canal operated between 1836 and 1924:
Envying the rafters floating down the Potomac toward where it meets the Shenandoah:
The first sign that things might be amiss came when I started walking up the Maryland Heights Trail. The path is described in my guidebook as being "steep" as it covers more than 500 feet (150 meters plus) of elevation gain in only ½ mile (800 meters or so), but I've walked steeper trails in the past without much effort. Ah, but I was younger and in better shape back then; this time I found myself stopping every few feet in an effort to catch my breath:
The nadir was reached soon after reaching an intersection and going on the Stone Fort Trail, per my guidebook's instructions. I was sweating profusely, feeling dizzy and my heartbeat was starting to race. The trail was a three-hour round-trip walk that would've taken me to the remains of a Civil War Union fortification and a scenic viewpoint (Civil War fun fact: the same Robert E. Lee who crushed John Brown's attack captured Harpers Ferry in September 1862, taking 10,000 Union soldiers prisoner in the process). I had to sit down for an extended break, resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to be able to do the trail:
Clint Eastwood summed up the situation best:
The smart thing to do would've been to return to my air-conditioned vehicle, but instead at the trail junction I took the shorter, supposedly more moderate Overlook Cliff Trail. It was tough going, but the view at 1400 feet (427 meters) was worth it. The rock pictured below is usually the spot where hikers can take in the vista, but the area close to it was roped off so as not to disturb a peregrine falcon nest:
Vultures soared overhead, waiting for me to keel over (thanks Jeff!):
While I was admiring the view a train pulled into town:
The Potomac:
Finally, it was time to head back down. I played around with the colors on my camera to take this shot:
The site of a Civil War Union battery:
This lone fawn drew a lot of attention from passing hikers:
Walking back to the railroad footbridge and really envying the rafters by this point:
Looking up at the Maryland Heights:
Crossing the bridge back to West Virginia:
The building where John Brown made his final stand, resulting in his being wounded and then captured by Federal troops. The arsenal that was the target of Brown's raid stood behind this building before it was destroyed in a fire in 1861:
By the time I dragged myself to the Roman Catholic church, I was really feeling the effects of what I'm pretty sure was heat exhaustion. The air conditioning was a welcome respite yet again:
As I was leaving the church, one of the volunteers pointed out the shadows of the roof on the ground out front:
It was with a great deal of effort that I walked the final 0.3 mile (483 meters) to my car. I was confused, dizzy, fatigued and soaked in sweat. Had the car not been so close, I'm sure I would've collapsed. Sitting for a while and letting the AC blow over me helped a lot, but I didn't feel completely right as I left town for the drive back to Falls Church, and I really had to focus my concentration on the road. Fortunately, I didn't take the freeway and I soon felt better as I drove through the countryside. Unfortunately, as I approached Falls Church, my right leg seriously cramped up, to the point that I had to stop in a high school parking lot in order to get out and try to walk it off. I made it back in one piece and later that evening drove out to Dulles Airport to meet my wife and daughter, who had been spending the week visiting my father and sister in the other Washington. But Saturday night right before bedtime, my left leg developed one of the most painful cramps I'd ever experienced, leaving me close to tears.
So did I overdo things on Saturday? Do I need to start exercising? Or is my age beginning to show? This was probably the last chance to go hiking before we leave for Ethiopia next month, so it might be a while before I'm able to try again. In the meantime, I probably should start taking better care of myself, don't you think?
The face of confusion. I don't even remember taking this picture with my phone
