Seeing Art Deco in Downtown WashingtonDC

Going home on the bus recently, I glanced out the window and snapped a shot of the old Greyhound bus terminal building on its 11th street side. I am very glad some preservationists fought the good fight to ensure this landmark didn't get torn down in some improvement scheme. I remember reading and hearing about this when I first moved to DC and was glad when they won Historic Building status in 1987. You can read some history of the building here or see some historic photos here.  Of course it's no longer a bus terminal and the entrance serves as an entryway to another much bigger edifice -- and there's other businesses using the window space --  but nevertheless, in my mind, it's important to keep pieces of the past around us, especially when they are so distinctive and evoke a different time and place so strongly. And I've always been a fan of that guy Art Deco! Apparently, there's a museum in the lobby at 1100 New York Avenue that I'll be sure to go and visit some time. And kudos and big thanks to the people who fight to keep our history with us!

Winter Leaves But Wisdom Stays

On my way to work the other day I looked up and saw that there were still some maple leaves on some of the trees on the street on the way to my bus stop. With the miracle of my cell phone camera I snapped this photo as I so loved the sun shining through the yellow leaves against the dark branches and blue sky. It's at these moments that I realize how much I have been influenced by a poem I learned as a child. Here it is:
Time to Stop and Stare
What is this life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep, or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
--  William Henry Davies 1871 - 1940

I remember learning this at age 7 when we had to memorize some poem for some English literature study we did while being home schooled. Of course, that was back when my mind was blotting paper soaking up new things avidly, not like it is now when the Random Access Memory program occasionally fails due to the  Information Uptake plugin software being "overloaded."   Or at least, that's how it now feels when I have to learn some new text -- it's just too hard to do. But at the least, all the words I've taken in, have had an effect and have lead me to action.  So it's just as well I read the Bible then or I'd probably be a real mess by now.

Trams and Bikes Rule in Amsterdam

While there are cars in Amsterdam the 740,000 city residents pedal around on bikes or take trams to get around.but it seems like bikes dominate. You can't go down any street or alley or go over any canal bridge without practically tripping over a bike locked to a fence or pole. While you're avoiding these, at least a dozen bikes will whiz by you, the users pedalling madly over the cobblestones or transporting any type of good on a front or back bike rack, or on both ends. We saw more than a few parents with children perched on the handlebars and great loads of books and boxes and other material carried along on the back of the bike.  There is even a parking lot for about 9,000 bikes at the train station since commuters leave their bike at the station when they leave Amsterdam to work elsewhere. It turns out that at their destination they may have another bike that they use to go from the train station to the job. It was certainly eye opening to see so much day to day business carried on by bike. And it didn't look one bit like DC at all!

Image via Wikipedia

Shopping on K Street for Bags and T-Shirts

You can't go far when you're downtown in D.C. without seeing something being sold on a corner such as bags or T-Shirts, usually brightly-colored and priced for more than you really want to pay. I've never really had much luck with buying items on the street although I've tried a couple of times.  The bags are usually copies of designer bags once removed but there must be purchasers for these as there are so many such sellers.  I saw this stand at the corner of K and Vermont NW in front of the Citibank today. There's been a stand there for as long as I can remember as I use that Citibank, but the guy used to sell clothes. I once bought from him a wool pants suit in bright blue with gold buttons. It was labeled for my size but since you can't try them on in the middle of the street you are taking a risk. And sure enough, when I got home, it was way too big. I never threw it out and since I'm now 10 years older and at least ten pounds heavier, the items fit me now although they are totally out of style. I tried to buy a wheeled bag at another stand once but the guy wanted a much higher price than I wanted to pay and it was just too hot to stand there and negotiate. And I had a suspicion the zippers would not last very long.  I really not too sure who buys three white shirts for $10, or $4 for one, but you can see these stands all over town as well. Some of the shirts seem like decent or useful souvenirs -- such as for sleeping in --  embellished with "Washington DC" or "FBI" or "I'm in the Witness Protection Program" or some other silly slogan. If I come across a jewelry table, another common stand on K street, I'll add that photograph to this. No end of shopping in DC! Such bounty!

Hostel Droid Does Apps

Well I couldn't resist snapping this word line-up at the corner of 11th and K streets where the International Hostel is located. They've put a brand new sign on the hostel building and on the old building adjacent they've hung another one of those giant fabric ads that says "Droid does apps" and which you see just about everywhere. We drove by the hostel and saw a horde of young people -- all very Euro looking with backpacks and guides and maps in hand -- perched on the steps and sidewalk in front of the hostel. The fabric ad is wrapped around the building and has the giant globe thing on one facade. I'm not sure what that's all about but I guess it's high techie and spacey and sells a lot of Motorola phones using Google apps on the Android wireless platform on the Verizon network, none of which you need to call to God. I also like the red convertible racing through the intersection too which my miraculous little LG cell phone with no apps -- a couple of widgets only! -- caught in the image of the hostel droid snapped while we were at the red light. I'm just amazed with technology these days.  For instance, 20 years ago who would have known what "droid does apps" means?  Does anyone not know what it's about? It's hard to believe how fast we accept all the new stuff. What a creative world we live in!