So I have been in Washington DC for over three months and someone just asked me recently how I am liking my new job, new apartment, new city, etc. etc. And my initial thoughts were “great everything is great,” but I realized I was quickly answering it without really putting much thought into it. And today while sitting on the couch or should I say couch surfing, I put some real thought into it.
New Job. It is going good, I like my new coworkers and I think that this is a great opportunity for me to try something new and different. So far the work is challenging and interesting, which is good. I do however sometimes feel slightly overwhelmed by everything, since at my old job we didn’t do as much paperwork and documentation as we do here. I was used to conducting data gathering, analyzing the data, and then writing a report. Here it is similiar but we have a documentation part that is very, very meticulous. I guess that is the difference between a technology and management consulting firm and an accounting firm.
New Apartment. I like the new place, it is a bit pricey compared to San Diego, but it is spacious enough for me and I enjoy the fact I am on floor from the top floor. Although since I am mildly scared of heights, standing on my balacony 20+ stories up is a bit nervewracking. However, I am westward facing I can see the sunset and think of my friends on the West Coast. In fact, I like my new flatscreen and my HD DVR (I mentioned it once before) so much that I sometimes I tend to stay home more than go out and explore. That is the negative side to having a place you like to live in, you don’t mind staying home more.
New City. Well I don’t know really what I think about DC. It is different, but yet familiar. The commute reminds me of London and riding the Underground. The people are like a mix of California and London, people are in their own world like London and not as friendly as California. On the flipside, people in DC are less flakey than people from California. Here if they say they’ll meet you for happy hour, they’ll meet you for happy hour. Life here is fast paced, a little superficial, and very status focused. Other than that, its not so bad yet, but I do miss a lot of things from California: amazing sushi, great Hawaiian food, knowing where to drive and how to get there, and my friends.
I was reading an article (at 4am this morning since I can’t sleep) about how in London (my second home) it has become difficult to take public photos with a Digital SLR (my second hobby btw). This stems back from a campaign launched in February with the Metropolitan Police. Essentially it was urging citizens to contact the Metropolitan Police if they saw “odd” photographers. So I thought to myself, ok what is the definition of odd? And then asked myself, ok let’s say I wanted to report this where would I go? And voila on the Metropolitan Police’s website there is a place to report suspicious activity.
And when I went there, the guidance on cameras was, “Camera – Terrorists need information. Observation and surveillance help terrorists plan attacks. Have you seen anyone taking pictures of security arrangements?” That makes complete sense, if someone was photographing security arrangements I would probably agree that they should be stopped and spoken with.
However, there seems to be some confusion among the police and the local Public Community Support Officers (PCSOs). People are regularly being stopped, questioned, and occasionally informed that they cannot take public photos. That used to be my favorite pasttime in London, taking random photos in Trafalgar Square or on the street, but now apparently it carries the risks that I would be stopped and questioned, or possibly searched for taking pictures in public, in a public place, of public people. I can’t believe that impromptu street photography has gone this way, and I thought this article must have been mistaken. But sure enough, today there was an opinion piece in the Guardian discussing this very interesting predicament.
So at 4AM in the morning, it still seems that I can be very topical. And with that, I am off to go back to bed.
…the more they stay the same. I was riding the Metro earlier today and I had a flashback to riding the Underground in the UK. I get on the Metro and everyone, I mean EVERYONE is crammed into the doorway area. Nobody moves to allow you on, and seems to glare at you if you make the attempt to board.
Normally, I would just back down and wait for the next Metro. However, today was different. First, I looked at the middle of the train and it was as I had seen in London, almost empty. So basically, everyone was crowding the doorway to avoid having to move into the middle of the train. At this, I knew what I had to do.
I took a deep breath and said, “Excuse me, can you please move into the middle of the train to allow us to get on?” Grudgingly they started to sift into the middle of the train, which allowed more than 10 of us to get on at my door. Sure I got dirty looks, but come on…why cram yourself into the doorway when there is plenty of room in the middle of the train!
The only thing I can think is people have a fear of getting trapped in the middle of the train. I guess the fear is that they think nobody will let them get off, so they crowd the doors to be near the exit. Hey if that is you, that is fine, but make way for the rest of us who are brave enough to go into the empty middle of the train.
When I was in London I lived in Swiss Cottage and commuted to Charing Cross (the Strand) every day. Everyday, I would get up and wait or the tube to pick me up, and I would crowd into the train and be crammed until I got to my stop. During the summer the train could get sweltering and be extremely uncomfortable. I have seen people pass out on the train due to the heat.
Fast forward to now. I live in Virginia and commute into Washington DC every day on the Metro. Ironically the Metro can be just as packed as the tube back in London. In fact, the past two days I have been crammed in the train, wedged in against a wall or against a railing. People on the Metro must have thought I was crazy because every time that happens I can’t help but smile as I remember my underground commutes.
There is one major difference between the Metro and the Underground. The Underground gets a nice breeze blowing through the cars (they have windows at each end), while the Metro is a contained car without air ventilation at each end. The reason for this is because “normally” there is air conditioning in the trains. However, tonight my train’s air conditioning was not functioning…so it had a nice funky sweat mixed with body order smell. To make it worse, it was humid and steamy on the train. You could literally feel the dampness in the air. Pleasant it was not.
Work has, as all things, taken over my life. I am finding myself having less and less time to do personal things. For example, when I get home from work I am looking for a new Apartment (Flat for you UK types) for April. I have been renting a colleagues condo in San Diego while she was on a project, but her project now ends and she returns at the end of the month. This means I have to start to look for new housing soon.
And then there are taxes, which I need to start preparing as well. Let’s just say March is going to be a busy month.
My plans to return to London at the end of the month have been put on hold until April. *sigh*
I must say I was shocked and amazed when I read the report the other day about Prince Harry serving in the front lines of Afghanistan. I personally think it is extremely admirable that Prince has been serving his Country out in the field, and wish more leaders would do so. Albeit, Prince Harry is only third in line for the throne, but it sickens me when political leaders (US, UK, etc.) push for military action without having seen military action themselves.
I will be completely honest, I was in Army ROTC when I was in University (yes, I almost became an officer in the US Army), but for personal reasons I had to turn in my scholarship and walk away. I however did attend an officer boot camp one summer, and I will say I have a strong admiration for anyone who serves our Country in the military. I can remember the hardworking, eager, and bright officers I trained with that summer and following years. People don’t join the military for glamour or fame, but instead for patriotism, desire to make a positive difference, and service.
While some people would probably argue Prince Harry is probably in a very controlled environment. Anyone who has served would tell you that you can’t truly have a controlled environment. Colleagues and friends who have served in the Iraqi Green Zone will tell you that while it “should” be safer, it often is more dangerous than some of the other hotspots in Iraq.
Kudos to Prince Harry! I am glad he is getting to fulfill his dream of serving his Country, and being treated like a solider (not a Prince) for his tour. I am sad that this news link by the Drudge Report will most likely shorten his stay in Afghanistan due to security issues.
So when I left the UK a few months ago I exited using IRIS, which by the way is a clever acronym Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS). Actually I sometimes wonder who comes up with these clever acronyms. Does someone sitting in a room say, we need to come up with a meaning for the acronym ULTIMATE. Sorry that was a bit of a tangent.
Anyway, I exited a few months ago and enrolled in IRIS, which for some of you who are privacy fanatics the thought of providing your iris biometric scan is probably horrifying. For me however, I have worked on numerous biometrics projects in my career and at one time was considered a biometrics SME (Subject Matter Expert for those who were wondering). So in my case, my biometrics are probably stored in many different government databases, so one more is not an issue.
When I returned to London on Tuesday, I had the opportunity to use it. The way it works is you walk into a booth that is closed on both ends (the end you entered and the end you exit). You present your iris and follow the audio prompts, “too close” and “too far” and if you are recognized the doors open and you can leave the booth.
I must say I am a fan now, because I whizzed through immigration in about 20 - 30 seconds. I was so incredulous when I got through I just stood there a second and asked the Home Office official, if they wanted my landing card or if they wanted to stamp my passport. And he just said, “No, you are all done you can go.”
Wow, that’s fast…that’s painless…I am a TOTAL fan of the program and I hope they keep it.
I am heading back to London this week. I know a lot of people are wondering why do I go back even though I finished up my degree in July of last year. I have found two things to be true. One, I have lots of “stuff” still in London, whether that is clothes, books, binders from school, etc. etc. that all need to migrate home to San Diego at some point. Two, the cost of migrating said “stuff” is going to run me about $3,000 to ship it all back.
So I have just figured out it is easier to migrate stuff slowly. It is easier to migrate 100 pounds a trip back to the US at the cost of $600 - 700 round trip, than to pay $3,000 for shipping back 300+ pounds of stuff. Not to mention I can catch up with classmates, and friends in London for a short vacation while I am over.
I know it may seem irrational, and it probably is. But heck, what can you do, right?
Many people haven’t heard the latest news on what happened at Heathrow Airport today in London at approximately 1pm GMT (5am PST). Funny, news like this doesn’t really pop up on the American News Media as noteworthy. However, when I was in the UK I always found I get some of the best international news coverage. Anyway, as an “occasional” commuter to London via Heathrow…I found this piece of news a bit concerning.
A British Airways 777 landed slightly short of the runway. Luckily nobody was seriously injured (at least not by the latest reports) and the pilots are pretty much heroes in my book for landing a 777 without power at all. These planes are not really made to glide long distances (from what I read 60 miles is about average with complete power failure). The Boeing 777 has a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) that deploys when both engines are lost to generate power for hydraulics and power. This allows the pilot some control and maneuverability to get the plane down in a forced landing.
Now why should that all matter to me? Well I almost always fly Boeing 777s on American Airlines, so at least now I know that in the event we ever lose power on a plane that there are safety mechanisms in place to help the pilot glide the plane down…assuming we are close enough to an area to put the plane down safely.
As one of my coworkers pointed out, “I’d hate to have been a passenger on that flight.”
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