I had flown United before, on a short return trip between JFK and Washington DC in 2003. On my return flight from Washington DC, the glory of code shares meant that I was returning on an United flight instead of a Lufthansa flight. The airport was quite empty, which was rather surprising, but I am not going to complain about the lack of queues, and even security clearance was interesting.
United has a really horrible seat configuration in Economy class: 2-5-2 on a Boeing 777, rather than the more rational 3-3-3 seating plan. And, I had the middle seat in the middle row! But there were two things in my favour - firstly, I was somehow upgraded to Economy Plus ... I did not ask questions, nor did I seek to find an aisle seat after that bit of news. Secondly, it seems my row only had four seats in the middle, so I did not have to leap across two people to get to my seat! Economy plus was basically an economy seat with extra leg room - nothing too special, except I have to confess it is the first time I have been in an aeroplane economy seat that had more legroom than a train seat (and for that matter some back seats in cars). United also had seatback TV screens (something still missing from Lufthansa planes) and XM satelite radio, which was cool. The food wasn't great, but then only a few airlines have great airline food.
My return to Nuremberg created its own logistical puzzle. I had a tele-interview at 3pm. However due to a slight delay in baggage arrival, I missed the first connection of my optimal route back home, and had to settle for the less optimal route (bus) which then got stuck in traffic. However, I still managed to get the connecting bus, and managed to get home less than 5 minutes before the phone rang ... good enough to take off all the layers required to walk outside!
Oh, and the interview went well, and was invited to a full interview :)
Showing posts with label washington dc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label washington dc. Show all posts
31 October 2007
Airport Security
Ever since my first visit, I am always "randomly" selected for extra security screening at US airports. Once you are on the list it seems that you will never get off!
For the first time this year, I had experience with the new, improved version of the extra security check, featuring some very interesting explosive testing (new machines that check for explosives on the person) and then extra screening for explosives for bags and hand luggage. This extra screening takes a lot longer but does not require being patted down etc.
I must compliment the TSA officials actually - for the first time I have been through the airport security checks, I got the idea that the officials actually knew what they were checking for, and were not just going through the motions. They were also all friendly, despite being short staffed. It seems that the TSA vacancies are just not being filled, despite the demand. One of the officials confessed that the job is basically unattractive, and gave me the feeling that she would take a different job herself if she could.
Airport security is important, of that there is no doubt. But looking at all the expensive gadgetry, I wonder - is the cost of security working out to be more than the actual cost of the risks? After all, TSA can claim to have prevented a repeat of another 9/11 attack - but that is a hollow claim, because there is no evidence that there was any attempt at such an attack.
Furthermore, short staffing the security apparatus not only creates extra delays for passengers in being processed, but means that the security checks are rushed, and possibly not as thorough. In this scenario, not only are the security checks expensive, but ultimately ineffective: i.e. useless.
For the first time this year, I had experience with the new, improved version of the extra security check, featuring some very interesting explosive testing (new machines that check for explosives on the person) and then extra screening for explosives for bags and hand luggage. This extra screening takes a lot longer but does not require being patted down etc.
I must compliment the TSA officials actually - for the first time I have been through the airport security checks, I got the idea that the officials actually knew what they were checking for, and were not just going through the motions. They were also all friendly, despite being short staffed. It seems that the TSA vacancies are just not being filled, despite the demand. One of the officials confessed that the job is basically unattractive, and gave me the feeling that she would take a different job herself if she could.
Airport security is important, of that there is no doubt. But looking at all the expensive gadgetry, I wonder - is the cost of security working out to be more than the actual cost of the risks? After all, TSA can claim to have prevented a repeat of another 9/11 attack - but that is a hollow claim, because there is no evidence that there was any attempt at such an attack.
Furthermore, short staffing the security apparatus not only creates extra delays for passengers in being processed, but means that the security checks are rushed, and possibly not as thorough. In this scenario, not only are the security checks expensive, but ultimately ineffective: i.e. useless.
Georgetown
Georgetown, now effectively a suburb of Washington DC, is one of the oldest towns in the USA, and has a rich history of association with the political elites. Many presidents once lived here as did most of the "important people". Many comment that the USA is a relatively young country - does not have the historical culture of Europe for example. What is evident, especially in places like Georgetown is, Americans love to celebrate whatever much they do have - and they have had a rich history of preservation of their heritage.
In my previous visits to Washington DC, I had never got round to visiting the area; particularly because it is one of the few suburbs without any direct Metro connections. Having exhausted most other tourist options, I decided to have a walk around Georgetown on Sunday evening. It is reputed as one of the trendy and vibrant parts of the city, and it does hold up this end. It is full of cafes, bookshops, restaurants, bars and in many respects resembles a part of an European city, rather than a typical US city.
I did not actually eat in Georgetown, but I did spend a respectable amount of time in the Barnes and Noble bookshop, where I picked up U2's coffee-table book for 10 US $ ... a real bargain price, although it was really an impulse purchase.
In my previous visits to Washington DC, I had never got round to visiting the area; particularly because it is one of the few suburbs without any direct Metro connections. Having exhausted most other tourist options, I decided to have a walk around Georgetown on Sunday evening. It is reputed as one of the trendy and vibrant parts of the city, and it does hold up this end. It is full of cafes, bookshops, restaurants, bars and in many respects resembles a part of an European city, rather than a typical US city.
I did not actually eat in Georgetown, but I did spend a respectable amount of time in the Barnes and Noble bookshop, where I picked up U2's coffee-table book for 10 US $ ... a real bargain price, although it was really an impulse purchase.
28 October 2007
Travel Notes
So, I have been awake for about 21 hours and I feel fine ... makes adjusting to the US time zone a lot easier. Travelling was rather uneventful (well the flights anyway), except, for once German efficiency failed, and the flight to Washington DC was about 30 minutes late.
That was not the problem - the problem was the 1 and half hour queue at the immigration desk. Talking to a few fellow passengers, we were all in agreement that the Germans have really got this area covered well. It is very rare to get this kind of a delay at the immigration counter. Off course, they have less paperwork (actually no paperwork), no fingerprints and no photos. But where they really score is in the distributed nature of the immigration desks - they are not centralised in one area, as is the case in Dulles International Airport.
That said, Frankfurt airport is not the most pleasant connection. Actually, the problem is more Terminal B, the main non EU hub for Star Alliance planes. There are few amusements, but there is a Hagen Dazs shop to keep one satisfied, for a short while at least. Terminal A, which seems to be the EU hub is a lot nicer, and resembles a lot more like a shopping mall than an airport to be honest.
My hotel, from the outside resembles somewhat like a typical motel portrayed by Hollywood. It is not bad at all inside though - free WiFi, way too many TV channels to count, a balcony and a really comfortable room. And knowing the area (after staying for 2 weeks close by) is a bonus. Not a bad find at all!
That was not the problem - the problem was the 1 and half hour queue at the immigration desk. Talking to a few fellow passengers, we were all in agreement that the Germans have really got this area covered well. It is very rare to get this kind of a delay at the immigration counter. Off course, they have less paperwork (actually no paperwork), no fingerprints and no photos. But where they really score is in the distributed nature of the immigration desks - they are not centralised in one area, as is the case in Dulles International Airport.
That said, Frankfurt airport is not the most pleasant connection. Actually, the problem is more Terminal B, the main non EU hub for Star Alliance planes. There are few amusements, but there is a Hagen Dazs shop to keep one satisfied, for a short while at least. Terminal A, which seems to be the EU hub is a lot nicer, and resembles a lot more like a shopping mall than an airport to be honest.
My hotel, from the outside resembles somewhat like a typical motel portrayed by Hollywood. It is not bad at all inside though - free WiFi, way too many TV channels to count, a balcony and a really comfortable room. And knowing the area (after staying for 2 weeks close by) is a bonus. Not a bad find at all!
28 October 2006
Freak House
Halloween seems to be very popular in the US, and this being Halloween weekend, there seems to be quite a few themed events happening around here. I came across "Freak House" in one of the free newspapers here, and as the website bills it "Torture. Murder. Shark attack. You'll scream your tits off!!"; it was just too tempting.
It is similar to London Dungeon in concept; although, more adult in nature. Basically, they have taken a whole three story house and converted it into a 9 roomed, scary/freak show. In many of the rooms, audience participation is almost pre-requisite; and I am sure a psychologist would have a field day in analysing how people react to certain situations. It was very cool, although London Dungeon is certainly more polished.
It is similar to London Dungeon in concept; although, more adult in nature. Basically, they have taken a whole three story house and converted it into a 9 roomed, scary/freak show. In many of the rooms, audience participation is almost pre-requisite; and I am sure a psychologist would have a field day in analysing how people react to certain situations. It was very cool, although London Dungeon is certainly more polished.
Rights and Repression
Being the capital of the world's most powerful country, it has also been the scene of many civil rights protests, and with America's thirst for storing history, it has also preserved a lot. The day before, yesterday ended up being quite a sobering tourist attraction day - as I ended up going through the Holocaust Museum and also going through various neighbourhoods involved in the Civil Rights movement. I also went up the Washington Monument, which was closed for renovation in my previous two visits.
The visit to the Holocaust Museum was sad, and at the same time, it did have a ray of hope in the end. The detailed examination of what happened to minority groups before and during WW2 is downright frightening ... how can fellow human beings really do that? But what was most frightening is not that it happened; but the reactions of the other countries in the world to the plight of the persecuted. Not only did they not chose to interfere earlier; but countries like the USA, sent refugees back, and, during WW2, refused to bomb gas chambers in some concentration camps even if it was physically possible. It is the indifference that really shocks - and the scary thing is - we haven't really learned anything since. After all; Rwanda happened and the world stood by - and Darfur is happening - and the world still refuses to take action.
The ray of hope, however tiny, is that the Holocaust museum is starting to document other holocausts - and trying to raise awareness of pressing issues like Darfur. I hope that it is not too late - otherwise 50 years from now; we will have another museum to add to the list.
Walking around Adams-Morgan, U Street precinct in DC was less strenuous on the mind, although not less worthy. One guidebook I read while browsing at Exclusive Books before arriving, claimed that Washington DC is predominantly black and latino. Moving around in downtown DC, you wouldn't believe that. Thus walking around suburbia was interesting in itself - and gives a very different view of a city ... A lot of the old buildings are preserved, and the contrast in architecture and style is amazing.
The visit to the Holocaust Museum was sad, and at the same time, it did have a ray of hope in the end. The detailed examination of what happened to minority groups before and during WW2 is downright frightening ... how can fellow human beings really do that? But what was most frightening is not that it happened; but the reactions of the other countries in the world to the plight of the persecuted. Not only did they not chose to interfere earlier; but countries like the USA, sent refugees back, and, during WW2, refused to bomb gas chambers in some concentration camps even if it was physically possible. It is the indifference that really shocks - and the scary thing is - we haven't really learned anything since. After all; Rwanda happened and the world stood by - and Darfur is happening - and the world still refuses to take action.
The ray of hope, however tiny, is that the Holocaust museum is starting to document other holocausts - and trying to raise awareness of pressing issues like Darfur. I hope that it is not too late - otherwise 50 years from now; we will have another museum to add to the list.
Walking around Adams-Morgan, U Street precinct in DC was less strenuous on the mind, although not less worthy. One guidebook I read while browsing at Exclusive Books before arriving, claimed that Washington DC is predominantly black and latino. Moving around in downtown DC, you wouldn't believe that. Thus walking around suburbia was interesting in itself - and gives a very different view of a city ... A lot of the old buildings are preserved, and the contrast in architecture and style is amazing.
27 October 2006
Drug Free Zone
I came across this while walking around in DC suburbia ... and I was instantly reminded of various episodes in Season 2 of Weeds. There didn't seem to be any surveillance cameras though
12 November 2005
Dulles Monstrosities and Unsecured Access Points
I am sure that free Internet access was not part of the deal at the budget hotel I am staying at in London. Holly House Hotel, as recomended by Carl is tiny, but the price of 23 punds per night for bed and breakfast is only 3 pounds more than a dorm room elsewhere in Victoria - so very much worth it. And the free Internet access is a bonus! I just wonder whose access point this is - there does not seem to be any businesses around this area.
I know I have told a few people about the "trams" that shuttle people between various terminals at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. Because of how the airport has grown, some of the terminals are actually more or less in the middle of the airfield and while there is a subway system under development, the current mechanism is essentially some kind of a basket on some very big wheels. I was going to post a pic of the "tram" as well as of the hotel and the view from my room - but the net connection is quite slow so uploading pics not going to well.
On another front, I finally bought an iPod after threatening to do so for so long. The new models have an amazing battery life - I charged it up and transfered some music onto it before I left the hotel yesterday. I used it for most of the journey and when I got to the hotel in london, some 26 hours later, there was still some battery life left! The claimed 20 hours is thus not far off the mark - I am very impressed.
I know I have told a few people about the "trams" that shuttle people between various terminals at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. Because of how the airport has grown, some of the terminals are actually more or less in the middle of the airfield and while there is a subway system under development, the current mechanism is essentially some kind of a basket on some very big wheels. I was going to post a pic of the "tram" as well as of the hotel and the view from my room - but the net connection is quite slow so uploading pics not going to well.
On another front, I finally bought an iPod after threatening to do so for so long. The new models have an amazing battery life - I charged it up and transfered some music onto it before I left the hotel yesterday. I used it for most of the journey and when I got to the hotel in london, some 26 hours later, there was still some battery life left! The claimed 20 hours is thus not far off the mark - I am very impressed.
11 November 2005
Reflections: The Hilton
So as I prepare to leave the US, I thought I should make an appropriate post from the lobby of the hotel. For a big brand, expensive hotel, the price and the service certainly do not match. The rooms are certainly nothing spectacular (although the view was great), there are no complementary services (even WiFi needs to be paid for ... got it for free due to the conference), food is expensive, no windows and the taps are confusing. Comparing the "Hilton Alexandria Mark Center" to the "Quality Hotel Lisboa", the Quality Hotel had free WiFi, great free breakfast, a huge King Size bed, a wide variety of TV channels and all this for half the price.
But the quality to price ratio is not the only problem - the hotel is more or less in the middle of nowhere. The next nearest hotel is a mile away and across the highway. There is nothing to do outside the hotel and while there is a free shuttle service to the nearest metro, it's just not that convenient. The conference was great, but the venue could have been a lot better.
But the quality to price ratio is not the only problem - the hotel is more or less in the middle of nowhere. The next nearest hotel is a mile away and across the highway. There is nothing to do outside the hotel and while there is a free shuttle service to the nearest metro, it's just not that convenient. The conference was great, but the venue could have been a lot better.
07 November 2005
Meaning of Freedom?
Today was essentially a day of doing tourist things; mainly going to places I did not manage to go last time round. Started off at the Arlington Cemetery, interesting if only to realise the extent of the conflicts that the US has been involved in and the number of lives lost. Arlington Cemetery also has a brilliant view of Washington DC; and the autumn colours are beautiful and look even better from the sky.
I also visited two memorials - the Iwo Jima memorial that commemorates the very costly US victory in WW2 and the Roosevelt Island - which is really a nature reserve of sorts. The Iwo Jima memorial reminded me a lot about our DoD and DOW games and puts capture the flag into a whole new perspective. A note on scale - the pedestal is about 3m high.
Smithsonian's American Indian museum is the newest, and since I did not spend a lot of time in it last year I decided to go back. It is one of the most interesting museums; not only because of some really funky displays and the general content of the museum but also the presentation of the content. Unlike many other museums that have tried to showcase culture, the museum has tried to showcase both sides of the story with very little bias in the presentation. For example, most exhibits dealing with cultural clashes have two commentaries - one from each side of the clash and often with contrasting views of the same subject.
And this brings me to the title of the post - a lot of the content in the American Indian museum chronicles their fight to maintain their culture; to fight for the freedom to choose their destiny. It is no different to countries deposing colonial rule or "foreign" occupation. While walking between the Iwo Jima memorial and Roosevelt Island, I stumbled upon "Freedom Park" - a park which claims to chronicle the struggle for freedom. It has a large emphasis on press freedom with a memorial to journalist killed on duty from all corners of the globe (from WW2 IIRC). There are also pieces of the Berlin wall, a bronze statue of South Africa's ballot box from 1994, a casting of Martin Luther King jnr's jail cell door (well one of them), cobble stones from polish war camps in WW2, a broken statue of Lenin, a replica of the "Goddess of Democracy" from Tiananmen Square, a display of banners from the Suffrage movement and a replica of the Freedom statue that sits on top of the US capitol. My criticism of the park is that while there is a celebration of freedom; it is based too much on the fights for the right to vote. Other fights for freedom like the fight against colonialism or the American Indian tribes' fight for recognition and control of their own future are swept aside. And of course the other essential freedoms are
I also visited two memorials - the Iwo Jima memorial that commemorates the very costly US victory in WW2 and the Roosevelt Island - which is really a nature reserve of sorts. The Iwo Jima memorial reminded me a lot about our DoD and DOW games and puts capture the flag into a whole new perspective. A note on scale - the pedestal is about 3m high.
Smithsonian's American Indian museum is the newest, and since I did not spend a lot of time in it last year I decided to go back. It is one of the most interesting museums; not only because of some really funky displays and the general content of the museum but also the presentation of the content. Unlike many other museums that have tried to showcase culture, the museum has tried to showcase both sides of the story with very little bias in the presentation. For example, most exhibits dealing with cultural clashes have two commentaries - one from each side of the clash and often with contrasting views of the same subject.
And this brings me to the title of the post - a lot of the content in the American Indian museum chronicles their fight to maintain their culture; to fight for the freedom to choose their destiny. It is no different to countries deposing colonial rule or "foreign" occupation. While walking between the Iwo Jima memorial and Roosevelt Island, I stumbled upon "Freedom Park" - a park which claims to chronicle the struggle for freedom. It has a large emphasis on press freedom with a memorial to journalist killed on duty from all corners of the globe (from WW2 IIRC). There are also pieces of the Berlin wall, a bronze statue of South Africa's ballot box from 1994, a casting of Martin Luther King jnr's jail cell door (well one of them), cobble stones from polish war camps in WW2, a broken statue of Lenin, a replica of the "Goddess of Democracy" from Tiananmen Square, a display of banners from the Suffrage movement and a replica of the Freedom statue that sits on top of the US capitol. My criticism of the park is that while there is a celebration of freedom; it is based too much on the fights for the right to vote. Other fights for freedom like the fight against colonialism or the American Indian tribes' fight for recognition and control of their own future are swept aside. And of course the other essential freedoms are
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