On the Road: Miami & Naples, Florida

From Palm Sunday (my last blog entry) to palms on the beach!

It is the time of the year again for my annual migration to the US to attend the American Real Estate Society (ARES) Meeting. This year, it will be held in Naples, Florida. Prior to that, I am visiting Florida International University (FIU) which is based in Miami. This will be my first visit to Miami, but my second trip to Naples, which I first visited in 2001.

In Miami, I will be staying at Sofitel Miami, which is close to the airport and FIU. It overlooks a blue lagoon (see photo on the right). The ARES meeting in Naples will be held at charming The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. It is Southwest Florida's only resort with its own 18-hole golf course.

.

Facing the Gulf of Mexico, there is nothing much to do in Naples besides lingering on the gorgeous white sand beach (see photo below) and play golf (which I don't). Rather than being fronted by tall condominium buildings, the backdrop for the beach here is all the mansions along Millionaires' Row. Everything in Naples is laid back. But the guide book warned that this is not a place where little ones will have fun. Leave them at home. Also, it's not a swinging singles scene whatsoever. More of a romantic spot for couples.

It will be a busy meeting for me this year. I present a seminar at FIU, followed by three research papers at the ARES meeting. On top of that, I have to read a paper for a colleague and chair a session. These together with catching up with friends in the real estate academia circle as well as working on research with collaborators, will leave me little time to enjoy the beach.

New Year Superstitions

“a belief, not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, that future events may be influenced by one's behavior in some magical or mystical way."

... that is how SUPERSTITION is defined on the wiktionary. In a much stronger tone, Charles Swindoll (Come before Winter..., 1985) wrote, “conceived in the mind of ignorance, superstition cultivates insecurity and sends a legion of structural cracks through our character. It feeds on exaggerated, self-made lies which grow so thick that the boughs hide common sense and worse, God.”

.

Whether we like it or not, we find superstition everywhere. In sports, professional players testify how they go through strange warm-up rituals to get properly "psyched up" for a game....

....

Most would agree that the Chinese are generally a superstitious lot. As the Chinese New Year approaches, there are many superstitions that are believed and practiced for good luck. One example is the color red which is considered to bring luck. The practices of tossing of “yu sheng” or exchanging mandarin oranges, by virtue of their sound (pronunciation), are also associated with good fortune and wealth. On the other hand, washing hair or sweping the floor on the first day of the Chinese New Year should be avoided as this is believed to wash (or sweep) away the good luck. Similarly, do not use scissors or knives as it is believed to cut off good fortune and wealth. And the list goes on and on…

Over time, these superstitions have become a tradition. Just as a foreigner in Singapore observed, “While many Chinese people today may not believe in these do's and don'ts, these traditions and customs are still practiced. These traditions and customs are kept because most families realize that it is these very traditions, whether believed or not, that provide continuity with the past and provide the family with an identity.” Source:

http://wuerstelstand.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-year-superstitions.html

Recall that at the beginning of this year, we celebrated the New Year in the deep south of America. Not unlike the Chinese, we learnt that the Americans also have some interesting superstitions pertaining to what food to eat to bring good luck on January 1. In particular, U.S. Southerners eat pork, black-eyed peas and collard greens (served with rice and cornbreads) on New Year’s Day because they are supposed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year. We learnt of this interesting traditions when we visited Stacy Sirmans’ family on New Year’s day:

.

Because of their resemblance to coins, the black-eyed peas are considered lucky.

Collard greens being green, is associated with the US dollars, thus, symbolizing more money. The collard greens, despite its uninviting look, tasted surprisingly good (like the chinese 'mui choi') that we went for 2nd helping.

.

Pork is also considered lucky because pigs eat their food moving forward, thus eating pork on New Year’s will assure the year ahead will be bountiful.

.

Hog jowls (left) are a tough cut of pork that are typically smoked and cured, and taste similar to bacon, except more fatty. Note: The jowl comes from behind the jaw of the pig, weighing a pound and a half at most.

.

Wakulla Springs, Florida

"The principal reason for visiting Wakulla Springs is to enjoy the scenery and to appreciate a part of Florida that remains pristine after hundred of years." - The Rough Guide to Florida

Fifteen miles south of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs State Park is a 6,000 acre wildlife sanctuary quietly hidden in Spanish moss-draped Florida woodlands. The heart of the park is the world famous Wakulla Springs, which is believed to be one of the biggest and deepest natural springs in the world, pumping up 1/2 million gallons of crystal-clear pure water from the bowels of the earth every day. In addition, the Wakulla Springs Lodge, styled in Spanish architecture and completed in 1937, provides a quiet retreat from the modern world.

Note: "Wakulla" means "river of crying bird" or "strange and mysterious waters." A number of films have been shot here, including several of the early Tarzan movies and parts of The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

One of Wakulla Springs' main attractions is the guided boat tours that operate 365 days a year, depending on the weather. The 45-minute river cruise glides under moss-draped bald cypress trees and past an array of creatures, including precious manatees, massive alligators, tribes of turtles, and graceful wading birds, such as anhingas, green herons and white ibeses, up close.

.

Below is a slide show of the photos we took on our visit to the Wakulla Springs on 31 Dec 2009.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig-trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills - Deuteronomy 8:7-9

.

source: The Rough Guide to Florida, Lonely Planet Florida, & Florida State Parks' brochure.

On the Road: Tallahassee & Atlanta

Question: What is the capital of Florida state?

Answer: Tallahassee!

Huh, where exactly is it located? It is located north-west of Florida, just across the border from Georgia state.

Well, we will be spending four days in Tallahassee (photo on the right), visiting a friend. Our journey will take us via Singapore-Tokyo-Atlanta (20 hours by air, excluding stopovers) and then Atlanta-Tallahassee (6 hours, by car) .

After Tallahassee, we go back to Atlanta where we will be staying for another 3 days. I will be attending and presenting a research paper at the annual ASSA meeting.

We leave for the airport in 2 hours time, and will be back on January 7. Until then, our prayer for you is that may 2010 be an exceedingly prosperous year for you. May whatever you plan and do prosper and bear fruits in abundance.

Scripture for 2010: "Blessed is the man ... whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." - Psalms 1:1-3

Monterey, USA

Monterey is a city of natural beauty with a rich cultural heritage. Founded in 1770, it is the oldest city in the state of California, and was the state capital for a time. Situated 115 miles south of San Francisco and 320 miles north of Los Angeles, Monterey Country is the virtual heart of California's Central Coast. To the east, the county includes the Salinas Valley, a lush growing region, which is today the "Salad Bowl of the World". The region alone produce 80% of the nation's lettuce supply, generating more than US$600 million annually.

Below are some photos I took during my recent trip to Monterey.

On the first day, after checking into the Marriot Monterey, I took a 3-hour stroll along the coastal road towards the Cannery Row. At the turn of the 20th century, this part of the downtown Monterey area was where fish processing companies canned fish fresh off the boats. Monterey was then the Sardine capital of the world! Today, the stretch is home to galleries, shops, and fine restaurants.

On the evening of the second day, I took a short stroll to Fisherman's Wharf. In the 1800s, this part of town was the epicenter of Monterey's whaling industry. Now, visitors climb aboard modern vessels and journey out to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to admire and appreciate the whales. From the wharf, one could also see harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters and seabirds.

On the afternoon of the third day, we toured the Pebble Beach, which is best known for its luxury resorts, golf courses and stunning 17-Mile Drive tour that passes through the Del Monte forest. There are approximately 20 stops along the well marked route, each with a landmark of interest and paved parking for the vehicle. The stops include popular tourist icons such as the Lone Cypress tree (left photo), the Restless Sea, Seal Rock, Spanish Bay, etc. We stopped for high-tea at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, which is best known for its luxury resorts and golf club. On our way back, we stopped at Carmel-by-the Sea, an exclusive shopping enclave bursting with charming boutiques, fine art galleries and luxury retailers. Clint Eastwood was once the town's mayor (1986-1988).

photo: charming historic garden at Cooper-Molera adobe

On the final day, I followed the Old Monterey's Path of History. Following the yellow-and-brown tile markers set in the sidewalks, the walking tour bring me to the oldest houses in the county which include California's First Theatre, Old Whaling Station adobe, Cooper-Molera adobe, Case Soberanes, Cotton Hall, etc. I particularly enjoyed the tantalizing fragrances of the many historic gardens.

On the Road: Monterey & Chicago

It is the time of the year again for real estate academics to make their annual pilgrimage to the US to attend the American Real Estate Society's annual meeting.

internet photo: monterey

This year the meeting will be held in Monterey, which is a spectacular coastal community in northern California. Endowed with natural beauty, cultural resources and rich historic past (spanish), Monterey is located 115 miles south of San Francisco and 350 miles north of Los Angeles. The ARES meeting will run from April 2 to 4. I will be chairing one session as well as presenting a research paper. One of my research students will present another paper.

photo: Chicago (Oct 08)

Instead of coming home immediately after the meeting, I will be going to Chicago to present another research paper at the Real Estate Research Institute (RERI) research conference, which will be held on April 7&8.

My flight to the US depart in the early morning of April 1. I will reach home just in time to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday. During my travel, I am unlikely to update this blog. In the meantime, may I take this opportunity to bless you with a benediction as we remember the passion of Christ:

"The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The LORD turns his face towards you and give you peace." - Numbers 6:24-26

The Great Apple Rush

One more posting on apples! Do you know what is so incredible about Johnny Appleseed and the apple story in America? Actually, John Chapman’s apples were neither the first nor by any stretch the best, for his were seedlings trees exclusively… The fact, simply, is this:

• Apples don’t “come true” from seeds – that is, an apple tree grown from a seed will be a wildling bearing little resemblance to its parent. Anyone who wants edible apples plants grafted trees, for the fruit of seedling apples is almost always inedible – “sour enough to get a squirrel’s teeth on edge and make a jay scream”, wrote Thoreau.

Every seed in an apple contains the genetic instructions for a completely new and different apple tree, one that, if planted, would bear only the most glancing resemblance to its parents. If not for grafting – the ancient technique of cloning trees – every apple in the world would be its own distinct variety, and it would be impossible to keep a good one going beyond the life span of that particular tree.

Joining a bud or shoot from one plant onto the roots or trunk of another plant so that the two parts will unite and grow together.

Chapman, somewhat perversely, would have nothing to do with grafted apples, “They can improve the apple in that way, but that is only a device of man, and it is wicked to cut up trees that way. The correct method is to select good seeds and plant them in good ground and God only can improve the apple.”

So, why did it succeed? In particular, how could the man have made a living selling spitters to Ohio settlers when there were already grafted trees bearing edible fruit for sale in Marietta. According to Pollan, Americans’ “inclination toward cider” is the only way to explain Chapman’s success.

It was the seeds, and the cider, that gave the apple the opportunity to discover by trial and error the precise combination of traits required to prosper the New World. From Chapman’s vast planting of nameless cider apple seeds came some of the great American cultivars of the nineteenth century.

.

Whenever a tree growing in the midst of a planting of nameless cider apples somehow distinguished itself – for the hardiness of its constitution, the redness of its skin, the excellence of its flavor – it would promptly be named, grafted, publicized and multiplied. Through this simultaneous process of natural and cultural selection, the apples took up into themselves the very substance of America.

.

In the years after John Chapman, America witnessed what has sometime called the Great Apple Rush. People soured the countryside for the next champion fruit…

And every farmer tended his cider orchard with an eye to the main chance: the apple that would hit it big. The discovery of a Golden Delicious (left) or Red Delicious (right) could bring an American fortune and even a measure of fame.

source: botany of desire

Johnny Appleseed - The Apple Evangelist

“John Chapman is a hero for our time - his philanthropy, his selflessness, his Christian faith. Chapman was also America’s first environmentalist.”

– Bill Jones

John Chapman (1774-1845), aka Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He became an American legend, largely because of his kind and generous ways, ... , and the symbolic importance of apples (source: wikipedia).

Most of what’s known about Chapman comes from accounts left by the many settlers who welcomed him into their cabins, offering the famous appleman/evangelist a meal and a place to sleep. In exchange, his hosts were happy to have Chapman’s news (of Indians and Heaven, of his own fantastic exploits) and apple trees (he’d usually plant a couple as a token of his thanks).

There was, too, the sheer entertainment value of a guest who was, literally, a legend in his own time.

• To a pioneer laboring under the brute facts of frontier life, confronting daily the indifferent face of nature, Johnny Appleseed’s words and seeds offered release from the long sentence of ordinariness, held out a hope of transcendence.

Johnny Appleseed preferred to spend his nights out of doors… a vegetarian living on the frontier, he deemed it a cruelty to ride a horse or chop down a tree; to punish his own foot for squashing a worm, he wore no shoes, even in the snowy winter. He liked best the company of Indians and children. The Indians regarded Chapman as a brilliant woodsman and medicine man.

Johnny lived everywhere and nowhere. He was constantly on the move, travelling in Autumn to Allegheny County (in western Pennsylvania) to gather seeds, scouting nursery sites and planting in the spring, repairing fences at old nurseries in summer, and wherever he planted, signing up local agents to keep an eye on and sell his trees, since he was seldom in one place long enough to do that work himself…

• Like a shrewd real estate developer (which is one way to describe him), Chapman had a sixth sense for exactly where the next wave of development was about to break. There he would go and plant his seeds on a tract of waterfront land (sometimes paid for, sometimes not), confident in the expectation that a few years hence a market for his trees would appear at his doorstep. By the time the settler came, he’d have two- or three-year-old trees ready for sale... In time he would find a local boy to look after his trees, move on, and start the process all over again.

Johnny was apparently the only appleman on the American frontier pursuing such a strategy. It would have large consequences for both the frontier and the apple. He was an agent of domestication. With every cider orchard he helped plant, the wilderness became that much more hospitable and homelike. It was said that his millions of seeds and thousands of miles changed the apple, and the apple changed America.

By the 1830s John Chapman was operating a chain of nurseries that reached all the way from western Pennsylvania through central Ohio and into Indiana. He died in 1845, leaving an estate some 1,200 acres of prime real estate.

Chapman saw himself as a bumblebee on the frontier, bringer of both the seeds and the word of God – of both sweetness, that is, and light.

Chapman’s ability to freely cross borders that other people believed to be fixed and unbreachable – between the red world and the white, between wilderness and civilization, even between this world and the next – was one of the hallmarks of his character and probably the thing that confounded people about the man, both then and now.

source: The Botany of Desire

Below is a Walt Disney movie clip on Johnny Appleseed.

part 2

An Apple A Day ....

“The apple served as the American grape,

cider the American wine”.

Michael Pollan, Botany of Desire

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Do you know that this is actually a marketing slogan dreamed up by apple growers who were concerned that "temperance" by puritan Christians would cut into their sales. .

During our sabbatical in the US, we enjoyed drinking apple cider - 100% pressed cloudy apple juice! You could either drink it cold or hot. I learnt to like the drink so much so that it was the only food item that I brought back (two boxes, each containing 10 sachets of powdered apple cider) to Singapore.

In the olden days, apples were something people drank. Cider was the fate of most apples grown in America. Allowed to ferment for a few weeks, pressed apple juice yields a mildly alcoholic beverage with about half the strength of wine. For something stronger, the cider can be distilled into brandy or simply frozen; the intensely alcoholic liquid that refuses to ice is called applejack. Hard cider frozen to -30* yields an applejack of 66%. visit this blog has a good write-up & pictures on the tedious process involved in making apple cider: http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/press/making_cider.html

In the 1800s, virtually every homestead in America had an orchard from which literally thousand gallons of cider were made every year. In rural areas cider took the place not only of wine and beer but of coffee and tea, juice, and even water.

.

Indeed, in many places, cider were consumed more freely than water, even by children, since it was arguably the healthier – because more sanitary – beverage. Cider became indispensable to rural life that even those who rallied against alcohol made an exception for cider, and the early prohibitionists succeeded mainly in switching drinkers over from grain to apple spirits. Eventually, they would attack cider directly and launch their campaign to chop down apple trees.

The apple growers then came together to save the industry. Thanks in part to the PR slogan: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, Americans began to eat rather than drink their apples. Around the same time, refrigeration made possible a national market for apples, and the industry got together and decided it would be wise to simplify that market by planting and promoting only a small handful of brand name varieties.

Two qualities counted: Beauty and sweetness. Beauty in an apple meant a uniform redness; and sweetness in an apple meant sugariness, plain and simple. And so, the Red and Golden Delicious, began to dominate the market... Apple breeders lean heavily to the genes of these two apples, which can be found in most of the popular apples developed in the recent years, including the Fuji and the Gala.

Hence, it wasn’t until this century that the apple acquired its reputation for wholesomeness!

The identification of the apple with the notions of health and wholesomeness turns out to be a modern invention, part of a public relations campaign dreamed up by the apple industry in the early 1900s to reposition a fruit that the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had declared war on.

photos: taken in State College (2008)

source: Botany of Desire (2001)

Oranges: Navel vs Valencia

"An orange a day keeps the doctor away?" Between apples and oranges, I would choose oranges anytime. For me, eating apple is hardwork because you have to bite and chew on it. It is no surprise then that most of the fruits I like, such as orange, banana, papaya, watermelon, and honey dew, do not require much chewing. In fact, if they are ripe enough, they can melt in your mouth.

There are essentially two varieties of oranges, even those marketed under the popular Sunkist brand: Navel and Valencia. I hope this posting will help to clarify the key difference between the two varieties.

Valencia, which is the dominant fruit of Florida, is extremely juicy, composed almost 50% juice, but the fruit’s flavor is relatively undistinguished. Over the years, Florida growers concentrated on producing juice from Valencias. Today almost 97% of Florida’s oranges wind up in juice, and chances are good that you have never eaten a Florida orange. Nevertheless, you can still buy Valencia oranges in the supermarket, but they are usually produced from other parts of the world, such as South Africa. But they are not that tasty as compared to navel oranges.

In contrast, navel, which is the dominant fruit in California, is recognized as one of the world’s best-tasting oranges. Besides their flavor, navel oranges have several attractive qualities that made them so popular: they are frequently seedless, they are relatively easy to peel, and they have flesh that is firm rather than watery. On the other hand, when juiced, Navels turn bitter within half an hour. Thus, if you intend to juice the oranges , then the Valencia variety would be a better choice.

photo: Navels are typified by a “bellybutton” that appears at the flower end of the mature fruit. .

Originated from a chance mutation in the Bahia region of Brazil in the early 19th century, the navel quickly spread around the world.

photo: a giant navel orange

Did you know?

Sweet oranges are believed to be a cross between pummelo and the mandarin. The first cultivation of the sweet orange was in China, where it thrived for several centuries before spice traders from the West brought it to Europe via Genoa in the early 1400s. Quickly adopted, the fruit became popular in the Mediterranean. The orange followed the missionaries to California and, most notably, Florida, where the Spanish planted extensive orchards.

..
Source: How to Pick a Peach

Abraham Lincoln, 16th USA President (1861-1865)

One of the most significant sites we visited during our recent visit to Washington DC was the Lincoln Memorial. It was built to commemorate Abraham Lincoln, which is regarded as one of the greatest presidents in the US history.

No one in this country has received more praise and many Americans would argue that he is the greatest American who ever lived. Leo Tolstoy, the brilliant Russian historian, said this of Lincoln,

"The greatness of Napolean, Caesar, or Washington is only moonlight by the sun of Lincoln. His example is universal and will last thousands of years.... He was bigger than his country - bigger than all the presidents together... and as a great character he will live as long as the world lives."

What made Lincoln so great? His assasination, indeed the first US President to be assissanated in office, made him a martyr. Lincoln is also credited for preserving the union of the American states. If not for Lincoln's determined and resolute leadership, the nation of America, as we know today, would have been divided into two countries - along the north-south divide based on the pro- and anti-slavery camps. Lincoln also signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the eventual abolition of slavery in the US. As he signed the Proclamation, he told colleagues who witnessed the act:

“I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.”

.

As a person, Lincoln is generally personifed with the classical values of honesty and integrity, as well as respect for individual and minority rights, and human freedom in general. Often depicted as a burdened man on whose shoulders weighed the concerns of the states, Lincoln is the only president whose entire tenure was bounded by the parameters of war. Because of the civil war, Lincoln’s constitutional duties as commander in chief superseded normal presidential activities. He devoted most of his efforts to shaping the union army aims, mobilizing armies, devising strategy, goading commanders, and holding together a fractious coalition of radical republicans, moderates, War Democrats, and border-state unionist who supported the war (souce: wikipedia). Even Lincoln himself once confessed, “I am the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not one cheerful face on earth.”

Asked what was Lincoln's greatest characteristic, a historian answered, "His ability to bring out the best in other people, especially among those with whom he worked in the White House." He went on to describe the personalities and enormous egos of the men in Lincoln's cabinet:

Several of them had contested Lincoln for the presidency, and each considered himself superior to the president in both intellect and ability. Because they had been political rivals and harsh critics, Lincoln could have shut them out after winning the presidency. That's what most politicians do. But he did just the opposite: he recognized their talents & knew they had something of value to offer, so he asked them to serve their country during a time of great crisis - the Civil War.

Lincoln was not only the greatest president but also the most humble. He didn't care who got the credit. He just wanted to serve his country. And in doing that, he served the diverse group of men in his cabinet. He pointed out their strengths, told them he and the country needed them, and thanked and praised them often. In short, he brought out the best in them. A 900-page book, Team of Rivals, the result of ten years research by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, captures the essence of Lincoln's humility, integrity, empathy, and servant leadership. She says that Lincoln's real genius was revealed:

"through his extraordinary array of personal qualities that enabled him to form friendships with men who had previously opposed him; to repair injured feelings that, left untended, might have escalated into permanent hostility; to assume responsibility for the failures of subordinates; to share credit with ease; and to learn from mistakes."

Source: Hal Urban, The 10 Commandments of Common Sense

Ah, Summer!

Ah, summer is here! Or is it argh, summer is here! The answer depends very much on whether you like hot and humid weather? Officially, summer starts on the first day of June. Even if you are not one of those who keep up to date with the calendar, the hot humid weather will surely remind you that summer is finally here! This afternoon, the temperature went up to 105 degrees (40* C)! Usually, it doesn't get this hot until July or August, and that it would last for a week or so at most, we were told. A colleague even jested today that they have specially arranged this weather for us so that we can re-orientate back to the weather in Singapore more quickly.

As a result, both temper and temperature have also been rising in the house :)! Despite drawing the curtains during the day to keep the heat out, and switching on the huge ventilator fan at night, the house is still very hot. We find it particularly difficult to sleep in our normal bedroom, which is located on the top floor. So, we shifted down to the basement, which is much cooler than the other areas in the house. If the weather stays this way, I suppose we will be sleeping in the guestroom in the basement. So, we have came one full circle!

In our first week in Happy Valley, we stayed in the basement. And in our last week here, we will also be staying in the basement : )

Incidentally, basement is a common feature of American houses. As far as we are aware, all the houses we visited in the US have a basement. For us, they are wonderful, chiefly because they are cool and amazingly spacious. In most homes, you can find the laundry room and carpentry/workshop in the basement. Others, will convert some part of the basement to a studio, games room (pool table, pinball machines, or playstation), or a playroom for children. Yet, for some, the basement will always be the dark dingy cellar where you dumped all your unwanted stuff.

Another great feature of American homes, at least in this part of the country, is the screened porch – it is kind of a summer room on the side of the house, with walls made of a fine but sturdy mesh to keep out insects. They are a wonderful thing because they provide all the advantages of being outdoors and indoors at the same time. In Bill Bryson’s words, “it will always be associated in my mind with summer”. It’s true – most Americans live out there in the summer. This is where they would do most of their reading, writing, or just relaxing, staring out a sunny garden, watching the playful squirrels, listening to twittering birds and the hum of a neighbor’s lawn, whilst being caressed by a light breeze. And in the evening, dinners would also be eaten in the screened porch too.

Summer wouldn't be summer without the screened porch.

bill bryson - notes from a big country

Washington DC - Arlington

"And so my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you but what together we can do for the freedom of man." - J.F.K.

photo: Arlington House

On Memorial Day, we visited the Arlington National Cemetery where over 290,000 servicemen and their family members rest on the 624 acres of Virginia land acros the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. About every 24 burials are conducted every weekday.

...

As we alighted from the subway station, we were greeted with an overwhelming large crowd. Walking into the hallowed grounds, the welcome sign reads, "WELCOME TO ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, OUR NATION MOST SACRED SHRINE - PLEASE CONDUCT YOURSELVES WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT AT ALL TIMES".
...

photo: The Kennedy Graves

"With a good conscience, our only sure reward with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love asking his blessings and his help but knowing that here on earth God's works must truly be our own." - JFK

Arlington is a place of ritual and remembrance. A funeral with full military honors is a dignified and moving occasion. All who are remembered here have this in common: service to their country. To each one, no matter what rank or station, whether decorated hero or unknown, belongs a place of honor.

...

Because they answered their country's call, their stories will be remembered.

...

Did you know: Long before Arlington was a cemetery, it was part of a 1,100-acre estate of George Washington Parke Custis, a grandchild (by marriage) of George Washington. Custis built Arlington House between 1802 and 1817. After his death, the property went to his daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, who wed Robert E. Lee in 1831. The couple made Arlington House their home for the next 30 years.

...

In 1861, Lee turned down the position of commander of the Union forces and left Arlington House, never to return. Union troops turned the house into the Army of the Potomac's HQ, and 200 acres were set aside as a national cemetery (source: Washington, D.C., 2008 - Fodor's).

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, this holiday commemorates US men and women who died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who fell during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action.

file photo: White House, Washington DC

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 pm Washington time. Another tradition is to fly the US flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Some Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen.

file photo: Washington Monument (Jan 2002)

The Memorial Day is also traditionally viewed by many as the unofficial beginning of summer. Hence, in addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, family gatherings, and sporting events.

....
Note: The Memorial Day was originally fixed on May 30. However, the problem with a fixed date, just like birthdays, is that it can fall on any day of the week, whereas most people like to have their public holidays on Mondays (Bryson). Hence, one pattern we noticed during our stay in the US (as well as in England) is that most of the holidays are fixed on a particular Monday of the month/year, rather than on a fixed date, so that Americans get to enjoy a nice long weekend.
....

We will be visiting Washington D.C. from Sunday to Thursday. On Sunday and Monday, we will watch the Memorial Day parade as well as visit some of the famous landmarks in the capitol city. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, I have signed up for a housing conference. It will be a good opportunity to hear some good research papers on the sub-prime and mortgage crisis in the US. On the way home, we plan to stop over at Gettysburg, one of the most significant battlefields during the American civil war.

..

Washington DC is one city that is full of memorials and monuments to commemorate the service of famous leaders, such as Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson, as well as common soldiers who have died in the various wars. There is also a tomb for an unknown soldier.

..

Reflection: The way you live today will determine how you will be remembered by others. When your life is over, will people remember more than just was in your bank account or the number of years you lived? What you do now does matter!