National Air & Space Museum

Welcome welcome.
Pls come in and visit me, and pay me US$12 per entry.


See all the planes in the background?


Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird... what a beauty

F-14D(R) Tomcat. This plane was credited with one MiG kill in Libya.


Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F.
Soviet Union's first truly modern, 2nd generation jet fighter.


Kugisha MXY7 Ohka Model 22.
The feared Japanese Kamikaze planes, ie the "suicide" planes.


Rheintochter R I Missile, an experimental German missile.
It seems to be made of wood... hmm


A variety of aircraft machine guns.


An artifact from the World Trade Centre, recovered after the terrorist attack of Sept 11, 2001.


Space Shuttle Enterprise... yup it is looking straight at you.


Some floating satellites...


Full-scale engineering prototypes of the Mars Pathfinder Lander and Sojourner Rover.

bad ass coffee

lets talk more about this "bad ass coffee" that's been capturing my attention.

you see, i been drinking the 100% kona coffee each time i go there.
so i decided to try something new this time.
and when i saw this very interesting Volcanic Roast on the display,
being curious and adventurous, i bought a cup.

it was really good, tastes better than the other kona coffees.
strong, smoky, dark... just like what the owner told me.
actually she said that's why they named it Volcanic Roast
(no no, not because it was grown on the slopes of some lava spewing volcano).

actually i think it was this coffee that pushed me over the brink of my sore throat debacle.
but in all fairness to this marvellous coffee, it wasnt the coffee's fault.
i was already on verge of getting sore throat, so eating fried chicken would also have pushed me over the brink.


My Bad Ass coffee, and the legend behind its name.
Once upon a time....

"The native people of Kona, Hawaii remember the days of the "bad ass ones." The bellows of the donkeys could be heard echoing through the mountains as they hauled the heavy loads of coffee up and down the mountainside. In honour of these hard working donkeys, we name our coffee company. The legend of the Kona Nightingale lives on right here at The Bad Ass Coffee Company"

Interesting legend.

aftermath of a sore throat...

a simple sore throat can be soooo much fun.

it makes you poorer by US$300,
it cancels your intended trip to NYC,
it give you fantastic body ache & headache
it forces you to stay in bed and not drive around.

thankfully i had panadol to counter the body ache and headache.
i love you panadol.

do not fall sick in america!

a sore throat in america costs more than US$300!
doctor fee: US$200
medicine cost: US$110

this is crazy!
and the only medicine i got in return was 20 tablets of antibiotic!

*faints*

weak and tired,
sore throat with slight runny nose.
i better sleep now.

do... not... fall... sick... in... america
do............. not............

*Zzzzzzzzzzzzz*

Manassas National Battlefield Park

virginia... i thought i would be quite bored.
what is there to sightsee, to shop or to eat?

then someone told me that is a historical place.
(and of cos did lots of shopping, and ate many good food)

the very first state of the USA,
the very first battle where the American Civil War took place.

i see...


Somebody's house, on the Battlefield


The fence around that somebody's house.


Robinson House... more like the site of the former house belonging to James Robinson, a freed slave


A lone tree...


"There stands Jackson like a stonewall", said a general from Jackson's enemy forces. Thereafter Jackson was known as Stonewall Jackson.


A row of canons, just like guard dogs protecting their territory, forming part of Stonewall Jackson's artillery line.


Stare what stare? blast you to pieces then u know

Thanksgiving Dinner

And there i was in the supervisor's house for Thanskgiving Dinner.
a genuine thanksgiving , in a country that celebrates thanksgiving (it is a public holiday by the way).

my first actual thanksgiving...

yes yes, i know i am a mountain tortoise... but so are most of u! HAA!


say hello to his pet iguana, 'hiiiiiiii"
and that is not all, he has like 5 ferrets, 4 cats, 3 dogs or smthng like that? it's a mini zoo...


Now, this a real fireplace with actual burning logs...
Yes, i know, the mountain tortoise speaks again.


the backyard, with a little playground.
the place is quite out of town, in a secluded area abt 1 hr drive from where i stay


A view from his house. sooo pretty right?


the country side just looks sooo good


all trees... a treat to my eyes. so calming...

oh yah, sorry, no picture of the dining table nor the turkey nor pumpkin pie etc.
forgot to whip out my camera for that.

coffee with an attitude

Colleague: You guys wana try Kona Coffee?
Me: What's that?
Colleague: Hawaiian coffee beans!
Me: Oh cool, lets try it!

And so that's how i ended up at The Bad Ass Coffee (... coffee with an attitude).
Catchy name for the cafe, quite attention grabbing.



NB: The author is a coffee lover (or addict, as some of you put it) and will always try new coffee for the adventure and plain fun of it.

a little peek at Washington

The White House, just like in the movies... this time it was not blasted to pieces by aliens


Intended to take picture of me shaking a real bush outside the White House, but could not find any. So oh well, took picture of me touching the grass instead... the closest relative to the bush. hehe


Washington Monument, in the evening glow


The Capitol Building


Honest Abe, in his temple.

high time...

1st day under Virginia skies, downed a pint of Yuengling.
what is Yuengling one might ask? i thought was some hanyu pinyin stuff.
well it's actually beer from THE america's oldest brewery.
i had a high time.

went to Washington DC over the weekend, had beer & lunch in a microbrewery for lunch.
i insist all of you must go to this microbrewery, seriously... it is called District Chophouse.
they serve fantastic food, honestly.
i had a high time.

and angmohs just love to drink, even after work on weekdays.
today is monday, and we been drinking already
took in vodka lime, which was filled with Greygoose vodka. too strong, too much.
i had a high time.

being high keeps me warm in chilly virginia.

now i need to sleep.

a little rambling...

virginia morning, noon and evening,
chilly, cloudy & mostly raining.
weather the same throughout the day,
with the sun hiding, I can't really play.

a dude told me it will get colder soon,
ice will form, not so much of snow.
so should i stay home and watch cartoon?
and blow dry my hair to prevent a cold?

Somewhere in Virginia...

Destination: Fairfax,Virginia
Weather: Rainy, sub 20C, & possibly going to snow?
Who: Blubber man, who will just get blubbier due to consumption of fatty American food & little exercise
Purpose: Work... main purpose is to stay on after 1 week.

got lost immediately after coming out from Ronald Reagan Washington Airport;
reached my inn 2hrs later, instead of the expected 30mins drive.
i really need a proper map.
still unfamilliar with the GPS instructions...
but then again, at least i got lost while driving a Pontiac Grand Prix.
freaking cool!

ok dudes, time to shop for groceries and drive around the vicinity


The awesome Pontiac Grand Prix. Some coconut told me to treat it with respect. So there, RESPECT k! :)


Residence Inn, by Marriott... they have really nice & spacious rooms


A lone tree, dressed in autumn leaves... at the courtyard of Residence Inn