The Day Heat Exhaustion Socked It to Me at the Harpers Ferry PTA

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

I'm a white guy so let me tell ya 'bout Asia!

Twelve days after rain forced a cancellation, my daughter and I were able to take in a minor league baseball game. See below...

For Mother's Day last month, my daughter and I gave my wife one of those DNA testing kits (for this one, you spit into a kind of test tube, mail it off to the company and wait for the results. And not try to think that a private company now has a sample of your genetic makeup). Shu-E sensibly suggested that Amber provide the saliva sample instead, so that the results would reflect the makeup of both her parents. Those results came back a couple of weeks ago and to almost no surprise, they were as follows: my daughter is 49% "China"; 28% "England, Wales and northern Europe"; 22% "Ireland and Scotland"; and 1% "Philippines". That last one may look surprising, but it reflects the Austronesian makeup of most Taiwanese. The first Han Chinese migrants to Taiwan were almost all dudes, so it should come as no surprise that there was a lot of pairing up with the native aboriginal women. The only surprise for me, in fact, is that the "Philippines" figure wasn't higher (and by "Philippines", as a friend pointed out, the "1% matches the DNA of the majority of people who currently live in the Philippines", meaning that Taiwanese aborigines and Filipinos share a common ancestry). The test results also show just how much a child of the British Isles I am based on the DNA handed down by my ancestors. I still think pulling out of the EU is a big, big mistake, however.

It's all good fun, and not really meant to be taken seriously, except that when you share the results on Facebook, there will always be one or two earnest folks who feel compelled to interject with a "Well, actually...", followed by factual but dry statements that only a grad student working on their thesis or dissertation would find interesting. Things like "any country has numerous haplogroups and those haplogroups are found outside of those countries as well", no doubt written with sincere intentions of starting a reasoned discussion, but sucking the life out of the party nonetheless.

But then, while looking over the comments, I was reminded of a subtle, yet disturbing (though probably unintentioned) undercurrent - that of the white person taking it upon themselves to explain to other white people what it means to be Taiwanese (or Chinese, or Japanese, or Korean, or Thai - just insert the Asian ethnic group of your choice). For an example of what I mean, mosey over to a FB group or website in the Taiwan blogosphere, casually drop references to "Han Chinese" or "Chinese culture" or similar trigger words, then sit back and read the fireworks as the overwhelmingly Caucasian/Western commenters debate each other over the definition of "Taiwanese". Bonus points in particular go out to those white folks who direct their well-researched conclusions directly at recipients who themselves are of the Asian persuasion.

Which, of course, may one day include my offspring (or at least the 49% + 1% of her that isn't from "England, Wales, northern Europe, Ireland and Scotland"). In preparation for that day when a young white male from the New or Old World greets Amber with a confident "你好" and suggests going to a place he knows where they prepare "the best boba tea in town", I will suggest she read Orientalism by Edward Said. Though it's more than 40 years old and was primarily concerned with the Middle (as opposed to Far) East, most of Said's assertions (for example, that people in Asian societies are reduced to broad stereotypes that focus on their "otherness" so that they can in turn be "explained" to a Western audience) are still as relevant as ever. Reading the book while living in Japan opened my eyes and changed the way I consciously approached Asia as a Western observer (thanks Sean Jorgensen, wherever you may be these days, for loaning me your copy). Perhaps Said's work will help to prepare my daughter for when the aforementioned Caucasian gentleman tries to, say, "educate" her on Taiwan's place in the "great big wheel of migration out of (Southeast) Asia, into what is now coastal China, then to Taiwan", and how this contributed to her genetic makeup and who she is as a "Taiwanese", before inviting her to a "cool" restaurant he knows that serves "the most authentic 牛肉麵 in town". It's only a matter of time, I'm sure...

Meanwhile, back in the present, the clock counts down to the end of Amharic training and our departure to Addis Ababa. As the weather continues to get warmer, I at least seem to be slowing down, going out less often and doing fewer things of note compared to when we returned to this area last fall. But go out occasionally we still do, as when we had dinner one evening at my wife's favorite local Korean restaurant, Yechon:

One reason I may be slowing down is that on Flag Day earlier this month I became another year older (but not necessarily wiser). To "celebrate" the fact that I'm eligible for senior discounts at some establishments (as well as to observe Father's Day), my family and I went out for dinner at Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church:

The Saturday between my birthday and Father's Day was a glorious one in terms of weather:

Taking advantage of the break between rainstorms, I dragged took Amber to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, our first visit there in almost seven years:

The museum has been in the news of late for the reopening of its dinosaur hall. It's certainly an impressive collection of fossils, though like most teenagers, much of Amber's interest in prehistoric creatures has diminished since early childhood:

A paleontologist (presumably) at work behind the glass, looking a little like a zoo exhibit:

Because a.) the museum is free; b.) it wasn't our first time to visit: and c.) having the advantage of living in the Washington, D.C. area, neither one of us felt the need to explore every room and exhibition (unlike that first time we went). The African Voices room had very little on Ethiopia - here my daughter points out the range of teff and other grains cultivated in the Horn of Africa:

Amber did take an interest in some of the gems and minerals on display, including the legendary Hope Diamond:

Flourite:

Looking down on the fossils room:

"Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt". Egypt is one of those places I hope to visit during our tour in Addis Ababa:

This suit of armor was a diplomatic gift from Emperor Meiji 明治天皇. It was presented to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 for his efforts in mediating an end to the Russo-Japanese War:

Back outside on the National Mall:

Father's Day was muted this year as my daughter left that morning for a four-day trip to the Florida Keys that was organized by her middle school. She had a fantastic time, enjoying a variety of activities including swimming with dolphins, snorkeling over a coral reef and visiting a hospital for sea turtles:

Four young women at that awkward but still enjoyable stage in life, too old for unicorns and ponies but not yet old enough for boys:

Walking back to the bus stop after seeing off my daughter, I passed by this work by Richard Beyer, a sculptor from Washington state best known for Waiting for the Interurban:

I've been taking a lot of walks lately through the local cemetery:

This poignant statue sits atop the grave of a young woman who was killed in a car accident while driving back to college from her home in Falls Church. There are a lot of stores to be told in the various gravestones:

The cemetery is home to a lot of fireflies, but capturing some of them on video is a challenge, one I have a lot of trouble meeting:

Our area has been experiencing a spate of late afternoon downpours. These clouds were the harbingers of one of them:

Fortunately, though, the weather cooperated this past Friday when Amber and I made a return visit to Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in suburban Prince William County. A couple of weeks before, a game for which we had tickets had been canceled due to heavy rain, but we were able to use the rain checks for another game. This night's contest pitted the home team Potomac Nationals (a Washington Nationals affiliate), against the visiting Carolina Mudcats (a Milwaukee Brewers farm club):

Waiting for the game to begin:

The view from our seats. The Mudcats and the Nationals play in the Carolina League, a Class A-Advanced league in the Minor League Baseball organizational hierarchy:

Scenes from the contest:

Carolina triumphed over Potomac 6-2 (recap and box score). This was my first time to see a minor league game at this level, having only previously attended Class AAA contests in Sacramento and Tacoma. The stadium isn't far removed from a high school or American Legion facility, with few mod cons (and is a big reason why the team might be moving to Fredericksburg next season), but the small crowd was into it, and afterward Amber got to run the bases just as she did in Seattle last year. This was the National Pastime at its local level, a chance to take a break from the past-paced modern world, sit back with a hot dog and a beer on a warm summer evening, and watch a group of young men (including the umpires) pursue their dream of reaching the Major Leagues. Most of them won't make it:

Saturday was a day spent shopping in preparation for our upcoming departure. For lunch, we stopped in Fairfax's trendy Mosaic District, where we ate at the Jinya Ramen Bar. Jinya is emblematic of the problem with Japanese restaurants in North America. Not so much for the food (though a friend described the Karaage Ramen Bowl I had there as a "heresy") as for the presentation. Or, more precisely, the pretentiousness of the presentation. Too many Japanese eateries in this country are marketed as "concepts" aimed at the foodies and hipsters who are generally clueless as to what Japanese cuisine actually entails (sorry Anthony Bourdain). The result is prices in the $14-15 range for a bowl of what is essentially a working man's (or woman's) dish back in Japan, drawing in customers like the bleach blonde in front of us inquiring as to whether the outdoor table she had reserved was ready yet, or the couple in their anime アニメ T-shirts sitting behind me. I had the creeping feeling that some of the clientele present that Saturday afternoon would be more than happy to "explain" Japan to anyone willing to listen:

Curmudgeonly rantings aside, I wouldn't mind living in the Mosaic District, though there's no way I could afford to. As I often tell Amber, I don't like hipsters, but I like their lifestyles:

As one week comes to an end, and another set to begin soon, I face the prospect of temporary bacherlood, for my wife and daughter will be away for a few days, visiting my father and sister in the opposite Washington. Before taking them to the airport on Sunday afternoon, we had lunch together at Little Saigon. I have no idea how "authentic" the food is, because I don't care as long as the food is high in volume and low in price. Two conditions which "Chef Minh's Special Pho" satisfied:

The building with the clock on its facade is the Ban Thanh market in Ho Chi Minh City. A replica of it can be seen at the Eden Center mall down the street from Little Saigon:

Seeing off the girls at Dulles:

I'll leave you with this cell phone photo, shot from inside our rental car on Saturday afternoon on our way to the Mosaic District. This expensive-looking Mustang bore a temporary-looking license plate that read "U.S. Department of State" underneath the blacked-out (by my daughter) numbers. Assuming this is legit, I was left with two questions: 1.) Does my employer keep such sporty chick magnets in its motor pool and if so 2.) How can I get assigned one to drive around?: