On books

On re-reading:

The real secret of re-reading is simply this: It is impossible. The characters remain the same, and the words never change, but the reader always does. Pip is always there to be revisited, but you, the reader, are a little like the convict who surprises him in the graveyard — always a stranger.

The books that I could re-read and do re-read are often different. The books that I've re-read at least 20 times range from The Westing Game to Pride and Prejudice to The Great Gatsby to Harry Potter. If I could name three books to re-read, it would probably be The Life of a Cell, John Adams, and Atonement.

Working towards peace

Honored to have met George Mitchell through the scholarship program.  The other Mitchell Scholars - well, they are the ones who have traveled extensively and know multiple langugages.  In short, they are incredible people.  

Lego NY

I can only imagine what Baltimore would look like. Maybe a black and white Natty Boh sign or a red crab.

New York in Legos

Superbowl Steakhouse

I am an oyster-shucking machine.

I dubbed tonight's Sunday dinner theme as "Superbowl Steakhouse." We started off with Atlantic oysters from the Asia supermarket. Neither one of us had ever shucked an oyster. Enter YouTube and Google. The Food Network and YouTube seem to have done more than almost anything else to teach Americans the how-to's of atypical fare. I loved the pop of the oyster shell breaking its seal. These oysters were slightly sweet with little brine flavor in its liqueor. I just hope I don't meet the Vibrio sp. tonight.

Then, we had 10 minutes of waving towels at the smoke alarm before our high iron meal: steak, broccoli, and rice.

Stimulating the economy, one home-cooked meal at a time.

Let's build on what we have

American society can evolve in its provision of health care.  Requiring everyone carries health insurance is one such step.  Gawande elaborates in The New Yorker.

Purple Tickets

I do not know if it makes me feel better to know that I was not the only person to not see the Inauguration from the Mall because the Purple ticket checkpoint was poorly planned.  Ridiculously devastated when I think about the experience.

No information.  No signs.  We even had Homeland Security Vans and police cars honking at people to move so they could drive through the crowd.  Of course the people had nowhere to move.  At one point in time, people were brushing past me so closely that I thought that they would tear off my coat buttons.  

People tried to remain polite, but as the time inched closer to 10:30am and the start of the ceremony, the crowd's emotions shifted to one of celebration to one of desperation and worry.  Time was of essence.  Moving six inches in thirty minutes was not going to get enough people onto the Mall.  Nobody knew why the gates opened at 9am (the general public portion of the Mall opened at 4am).  Nobody knew where to go or what to do to get inside the Mall.  

Finally J and I left the chaos.  We got seats at a bar to watch the events unfold on TV.  It was not what I had imagined for this celebratory event.  Luckily we did not stand hopelessly outside the gates as the inauguration started, without speakers or a jumbotron in sight.  We watched Barack Obama take the oath of office live - just not as live as planned.

"a moment that will define a generation"

There is one picture taken on Inauguration that describes how I felt. Exhausted. I'm incredibly happy that I went to inauguration. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience to be on the Mall at 5am and meet people from across the nation. I met a family from Newark, some guys from Chicago, heard voices of people from California. I felt almost like a local, coming from Baltimore. We literally had Caucasians, African-Americans, Indians, and Asians, old people and little kids united in their excitement and frozen feet.

I've really never seen so many flags in my life, being waved (courtesy of the inauguration volunteers). After September 11, I felt that there was this pseudo-flag-waving with people placing flag bumper stickers on their gas-guzzling SUVs. Somehow, this blend of commercialism and patriotism felt detached and unreal. Inauguration Day was the biggest display of patriotism that I've seen.

Which lasted until all 2 million of us wanted to leave the Mall at the same time through one exit. By the time that A and I reached the Lincoln Memorial, we were starving. [My honeycrisp apple and chewy granola bars were frozen.] The hot dog stand was never so welcome nor did a skinny hot dog with a cold bun ever taste so good.

All relative

I suppose it is all relative. It's certainly cold here; the temp this morning was 13 degrees F. However, after 3-4 days of subzero temperatures in MN (current temp -24 degrees F with the same windchill), my first thought was that Minnesotans would call this warm!

However, with the thousands of us trekking into the crisp winter air for Inauguration events, knowing how to dress warmly (and own the proper apparel) is going to be a decent challenge. After all, even Minnesotans don't normally stand in this cold for hours. Unless you like ice fishing. Even then, I think of ice fishing as involving heated shacks and beer.

Inauguration will involve neither of those.

With malice towards none

Media coverage highlights the problems facing the nation: war, economic crises, broken health care system, antiquated infrastructure, etc.  Obama reports re-reading Lincoln's second inaugural address - a high standard to say the least.  Parallels may be drawn between's Obama's address and a speech Obama holds in high esteem.  The address is much shorter than Lincoln's first inaugural address (where Lincoln made a plea to preserve the Union).  

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

What strikes me is the magnanimity and generosity of Lincoln's words to rise above the bloody conflict and foreshadows his preparation for the aftermath of the war.  Lincoln is diplomatic yet prepared to sacrifice much for an end result that he desires.  Unfortunately the speech gives little insight onto what actions lay in the future.  I'm hoping Obama hints at how he is going to approach the next four years and to shape the country's direction.