National Aquarium in Baltimore

On Friday evening I went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I went there a few years ago also, but remember it being bigger and better for some reason. Maybe it's just awesome the first time you go. I was a little disappointed with it this time around. We made it through the whole of it in an hour and a half. To annoy me more, if I would've gone just an hour later at 1700, I could've saved about $10 in parking, and $13 off the entrance (normal tickets are like $22). I think the aquarium is open late only on Fridays tho, so if you are planning a trip. Go after 5 on Fridays.

Great Falls, VA

Since it was an unseasonably warm (73F) day, we went for a walk in Great Falls on the Virginia side. This side is a lot closer (15 min drive) from home, but my friends think it's not as fun (i.e. challenging) as the MD side. Yeah, it's true, but still it's a nice walk.

There were a lot of people out there today. I would have thought everyone would be home cooking turkey or watching football, or the parade. Then again, we only stayed couple hours and then came back and began cooking. I have a visitor over this holiday weekend, and so I decided I will try cooking turkey for the first time. It's in the oven as I write. Hope it comes out edible.

The Transition - from Karate to Kung Fu

I've been doing Kung Fu for 3 or 4 weeks now. While I still enjoy it, I must admit I miss being an "advanced student" like I was in karate. It's not just about being able to do the advanced forms, techniques, etc., which are more fun. It's about being good at what you do. In karate, I could walk into class with confidence and feel good about my performance at end of the class. I can focus on such things as speed, power, and fine tuning since I have the fundamentals down. In Kung Fu, however, I'm a clueless nobody (they call us "novices") stumbling around trying to master a single stance. Looking at myself, I almost can't believe I actually have a black belt.

Kung Fu is very different from karate. Even between karate schools there are usually some slight variations in techniques. However, none have been so significant. With Kung Fu, my body has to forget a lot of what became muscle memory. From pivoting on my heel, to the positioning of blocks and strikes, to the fluidity of forms - my prior experience in another style actually hinders me as I have to retrain my muscles. About the only thing that seemed to carry over is my flexibility and ability to kick. Even then, wearing shoes during training takes a bit of getting used to.

It's been a long time since I was a beginner in karate, but it seems like there's more to learn as a novice in Kung Fu. In karate, there are 13 ranks, or kyus, until you reach black belt. Generally you learn an average of 1 form per rank, amongst other things. Here, I haven't even been going for a month and I've already learned 7 forms. Sure, they are probably the most basic of forms, but as a novice Kung Fu fighter, it's a lot to take in. There's doing the form, and then there's doing the form right. Placement of every part of your body from your finger tips to your toes has to be precise. To complicate matters, each form looks almost completely different from the rest. At the moment I barely have the movements memorized. I still have to think through most of it. I am wondering how long it will be before it all becomes second nature.

At the moment I'm only going twice a week since my weekends have been booked with visitors. Clearly, this isn't going to cut it. Even the beginners who wear a gold sash (novices wear white) look like they've been training for years. As soon as I can clear out my schedule, I'm going to have to bump this up to 3 or 4 times a week. Still, for the forseeable future, I have to be patient, keep working on the fundamentals, and look at the more advanced students with envy and awe.

DC: International Spy Museum

The museum to see in DC these days seem to be the International Spy Museum. I didn't realize how popular this museum was until I got there and had to stand in line for a timed-entry ticket. This one isn't free either - it's $16 per person! While a part of me had a hard time justifying spending that much on a museum when there are so many good museums in DC for free, I have to admit it is a pretty good museum. It's not cheesy in any way. There is a lot of history on spies all around the world, from ages ago, and the more recent past. It's not just about spies either. You also learn about the art of deception, and you'd be surprised how it all ties into the history you learn from textbooks. Many real-life (not the kind you see in movies) spy artifacts are also on display. The museum is also great for older kids since there are some interactive exhibits. I could've easily spent 3 hours there, but we only got in at 4 and the museum closed at 6. I suggest going early for this one.

DC: Holocaust Museum

Yesterday I visited the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. It's my second time there, but probably it will not be my last. It is such a comprehensive museum that I am always learning something new there. Museums are typically educational anyways, but I think this one is especially good. It starts with the rise of Hitler and takes you through the atrocities carried out by the Nazis, all the way to the liberation of the prisoners. Artifacts, photos, and audio help you to understand better what it was like during this period. Various thoughts and recollections by survivors of the holocaust are also on display and add emotion to your experience.

The quality of the museum can be attested by its popularity. It's one of the few museums in DC for which you have to get a timed entry ticket for. On weekends, you may expect a line outside to get through security, though it will go pretty fast. You can get same day tickets for free at the museum, or you can get them on-line for a small fee ($3). Expect to spend 2-3 hours there.

National Air and Space Museum at Udvar-Hazy Center

Today I went to Smithsonian's new Air and Space Museum at the Udvar-Hazy Center. The museum opened in December of '03 and houses the world's largest collection of space and aviation artifacts. Here is the list of things you will find there.

While I do think their collection is impressive, I think I prefer the Air and Space Museum at the mall. There they have more varied themes and exhibits, and more on the space side of the house than its counterpart. While I live close the this museum (it's right next to the airport), the $12 parking fee isn't much of an incentive to visit again. Particularly when it only takes like a hour to walk around. If you do go, I would recommend taking one of those free guided tours they have scheduled periodically. I listened in on one and they had some interesting info to tell about the crafts on display.

On a completely different subject, I want to take back what I said in my last post about the colors not being so vivid this year. This whole week, I enjoyed every drive to and from work because the colors along the back roads I take are so beautiful. I don't know what they are like usually, but I am quite happy with how they look this year.

Great Falls, MD

Today I went for a short hike with some friends in Great Falls, MD. The national park is along the Potomac river and can be accessed from the Virginia side and the Maryland side. We went to the MD side because the hikes are supposed to be more challenging there. The challege comes from rock scrambling, not so much from altitude. If you go there, be sure to wear good shoes. The section on the map called the Billy Goat trail is very rocky. If it's wet, you may slip on the rocks so be especially careful. Pets aren't allowed on this trail, and rightly so. I saw one poor dog looking scared to death going down a steep rock climb. From the visitor center, I'd recommend doing the Billy Goat trail out, and then coming back along the canal to parking. This circuit is only about 2.5 hours so it's a good half day trip.

I don't care for rock scrambling much, but I liked the area. The "falls" aren't really a huge waterfall, but more of a rapid. Due to the drought, the water level is pretty low so probably it's good for the kayakers. We were waiting for couple kayakers to go down one tough looking rapid, but they paddled to the shore. They either chickened out or were doing a recon - probably a smart move. Anyways, it's just nice to be able to come to a place like this with out a long drive.

Right now is also a good time to see the fall foliage. Again though, because of the drought, the colors aren't as vivid as they would normally be. Still nice though. Definitely will try to check it out again next year for the colors.