The Most Amazing Coincidence Ever

What are the chances.  What are the chances, really.  It's simply amazing that you could meet old friends and colleagues in a foreign city on a remote tour, when you least expect it.

CAPT Perdue, me, Luke and Lulu

Luke and I, at the last minute, decided to take the London for Free tour.  We met at Hadrian's Arch and took at 2 1/2 tour of the city, covering a lot of ground and history: Buckingham Palace, Churchill's War Rooms, etc.

I met Lulu during the tour, a student from Sydney, and we immediately started sharing stories about our European backpacking trips.  But throughout the tour, I was enamored by someone who resembled an old shipmate from Bethesda.  Nah, couldn't be.

The name, I was drawing a blank, but I never forget a face.

So I told Luke that if he is this guy, this would be the most astonishing and amazing coincidence ever.

Midway during the tour, I simply walked up to him, thinking that he would think I'm crazy.

"Are you from the States?"  "Yes."

"Are you in the Navy?" Affirmative.

I knew right there and then, that the person I was staring at was CAPT Phil Perdue, MC from Bethesda and the National Naval Medical Center.

I was floored, but for the rest of the tour we had a good time sharing stories from Navy Medicine and the Navy.

Not to mention that the tour guide was just fantastic: Charismatic and interesting, especially the last story at Westminster Abbey about how Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Westminster in 1605.

What a tour, What a coincidence.

Trafalgar Square Celebration

We are the Champions

Neil Proposes to Jill at the Eiffel

Reflections from Normandy

On June 6, 2009, I had the golden opportunity to meet many of the Normandy Veterans during the D-Day Ceremony at the World War II Memorial. So it was a great honor and a huge dream come true for me to actually get to finish the Normandy Beaches. I was fortunate to be able to visit all three beaches from the Allied: Omaha, Gold, Juno.

Here is an exerpt from the post

June 6th -- just another ordinary day at the Mall, so I thought as I laced up my running shoes looking forward to the familiar sound of rubber soles sliding gently over loose gravel along the worn, weathered path leading from the Nation's Capitol. Just another day on the Mall, or so I thought.

Actually, yes, the tourists from all across the land were just as plentiful and delightful to see, as you would expect for a slow, breezy June, weekend afternoon, enjoying the transformation of America's front yard to a open-field sports mecca boasting a hodge podge of football, kickball, anything-goes-ball, and then there was me -- running carelessly along, completely absorbed by my surroundings, oblivious to the sun rays breaking through scattered clouds and the great streams of brow sweat trickling slowly down a side or two.

And then I reached welcomed destinations -- World War II -- the pillars, the bronze sculpted rope, the fountains that danced like it was V-J Day all over again -- it was such a sight to admire, desire, behold.

There were a lot of people out today, to honor, to pay tribute, perhaps to pray. There was also a large gathering of veterans -- more so than normal. Then I wondered if I missed a holiday. Did society come and invite the band and not include me? At that moment, it dawned on my, like the coming of spring after a hard winter -- the 65th Anniversary of Normandy!

I would meet a lot of veterans that afternoon, some from the Atlantic theater, others from the Pacific theater -- all real-life Heroes in my book. Here's my story

Visiting France

I'm currently backpacking in Europe. Please check out my blog:


http://runinfrance.blogspot.com/

The Landing -- Our Greatest Generation

Today, I paid homage to the D-Day troops in Normandy.  Americans, British, Canadians.

Today, the hilly seaside bears few scars from the dark and gray day of June 6, 1944.  But on that longest day, things had turned to hell.

I could not imagine these young soldiers jumping out of their LCAs, crossing the slippery beach and climbing the cliff face via ropes and grappling hooks in the face of fire.

It was sad to see how so many young lives were forever lost on this bloody beach.

At the American Cemetery, I could see thousands of white crosses or Stars of David are facing towards the US. This is the final resting place for 9.400 Americans along with a monument to 1,500 more listed as missing in action.

Thankfully the beaches still bear witness to the immense human sacrifice.  Many of the German battery sites are maintained in good condition (since many of the young Germans had surrendered without putting up a fight).

At Pointe du Hoc, the famous site where heroic Rangers assaulted the German battery site on the precipitous cliff, there are dozens of very deep craters caused by mortar from the Allied bombs and shells that had missed their targets. It was here where a navigation error caused the Rangers to miss their mark, losing valuable time and the element of surprise.

One cannot be but deeply moved by the sacrifices of thousands of soldiers who gave it all for the liberation of Europe.  And it was not just the Americans that risked their lives.  Tomorrow, I will visit Juno Beach where the Canadians had made their landing.  The next night I will make an overnight trip across the British Channel to Portsmouth where many of the soldiers sailed from.

Eiffel Tower Saga

Capital Crescent Trail Beckons Me

There are many bike trails in bike-friendly DC.  Many of them just go around in circles, never really going any place.  The Capital Crescent Trail actually goes from one signature world-class city to another.

The Capital Crescent Trail is scenic, refreshing and popular with cyclists and joggers alike.

It is paved, easy to follow and there are several stretches of serenity that causes the Georgetown and Bethesda urban setting to peacefully evaporate.

And today, the weather cooled down just enough to allow half of DC get out, to enjoy the leafy trees, the leaf-lined trail and the cool mountain breeze from the spectacular Great Falls and Potomac Gorge. 

So off we went the three of us, the accidental cyclists, enjoying the view, the company, the work-out, and the occasional laughter.

And when we arrived in Bethesda, we laid back, sampled some gelato, tasted some wine and truly appreciated all that life has to offer.

And where did we go for supper -- where else but the Southwest waterfront, where we dined on delicious King Crab legs, jumbo shrimp, oysters, and an aromatic wine from Chile

Mary Poppins and the Balance in Life

Reflecting

I remember watching Mary Poppins as a young child in the 70's in Singapore with my sister, Pearl.
The story of a magic nanny coming to work a cold banker's unhappy family resonated in my heart back then.  I remember singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite"as I skipped along the Chinatown maze of streets crowded with shops and street vendors with a delicate Asian paper kite in hand.

Mexico Inside Out

Beautiful Malaysian Dance at the Folklife

"Jai Ho" at the Folklife Festival

Fox-5 Live at the Folklife Festival

Running on the Mall often brings me access to great opportunities--especially this time of the year where there is a lot going on.


Had the unique pleasure to watch Fox-5 Holly Morris and videographer David Rysak participate in a hand casting demonstration with Smithsonian's Lora Collins.

Flying Dancers from Mexico

As part of the Opening Ceremonies, the Flying Dancers from the Teenek community from Mexico climbed a 40 foot tree trunk.  Then with the rope wrapped around their waist, they lept from the top of the tree trunk and swung around it a dozen times until they reached the ground.

The Teneek people are an indigenous group from Central Mexico.  The purpose of this dance is to ask the lord of corn for a season of good crops.

While the fliers swung around, the females waited for their descent.  This ritual has roots in the Mayan Culture.

During the ceremony, five men climb a wooden pole (normally at least 50 feet long).

One man remains on top of the pole playing a flute, while the other four jump off and spin around with their feet tied to the pole in a motion that makes them appear to be flying.

Symbolic
The four flyers represent the four winds, the four corners of the Earth and the four seasons.
Also, the rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year

Also performing was Canadian Rock/Blues superstar, Derek Miller who is an aboriginal Canadian singer-songwriter from the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation.