Washington was always a loved place! The climate was cool in February, that time I landed up in the Dulles Airport where I stood at the conveyer belt of steel to pick up my large suit cases. Once out a friend guided me through and got a taxi cab, a fairly large one at that. The Driver of the cab was a good natured guy who showed me a map and enquired if the point he was showing was the place I wanted to go. The Seminary Towers of Alexandria was a the place he was showing and I agreed.
He stopped at the Towers and we were guided to a friends place. The office to which I was selected was in Washington and work started the next day. Then there was the usual in house training, introducing seminars, and so on. Getting other paper works to stay on etc. took a couple of months and at last it was just office work and falling back home after tedious office hours late into the evenings.
The walk to the Farragut West is in my memory and then it is Pentagon where we waited for a metro bus for Kenmore Avenue. Many years passed and now it all seems to be a dream. The car we drove, a Honda Civic once were covered with white white fluffy snow which hardened overnight and then taking out the car was a tedious work. While cleaning the car the key was lost and it had only one key and that was it. The old technician of AAA tried to open the car in the middle of the night for a couple of hours and retreated saying : 'I shall send somebody in the morning if you don't mind" We did not mind and they next morning a Chinese looking (or was he of Korean origin? I don't know) young gentleman came up in the sunshile with a great smile! He was an expert and the morning sun helped him with warm sunshine. He used a baloon to pressure open the door and once inside connected his computer to the car and told us "I have to first deactivate the old key, then shall make a new one". He did it with elan and worked on for an hour and more and at last the new key was ready and the car got started! He collected a tidy sum for AAA and left. We were relieved that the car can now be used.
The Magruders, the Landmark mall and the Grandmart were all in the daily routines one day or the other.
At other times I was working away in the office. At times running for the fire drill along with all others. This happens once or twice in an year when an alarm is set off an Fire Marshalls appear to guide all who are walking down the steps for many floors. Their guidance seemed to be invaluable. Once outside people kept standing speaking to one another or smoking or moving a little more away for snacks etc. In a matter of half an hour or so the clearance will be sounded and all are called back. Now one can use the elevators, as lifts are called there.
One interesting thing noticed are the hapless people along with way from Farragut West to the Centre asking for alms either showing a large cappuchino tumbler or a hat etc. One African American Gentleman was always seen doing a beautiful bugle everyday in the moring. He is neither a beggar nor a great musician but the energy he gave the morning office goers were tremendous. I was touched when on a rainy morning, I could distinctly hear his bugiling sound from afar and there he was sitting in the rain and bugling as if there was no rain. While departing Washington I walked up to him and gave a few dollars and asked him what makes him do this everyday without fail. He replied "This is the only work I know. And I am trained to do this from my childhood!" That was some courage! He was doing it as a job, with out any complaint to any one. He accepted any small donations given by any one and thanked them profusely. But never complained of anyone for not giving him anything at all. He went on doing his songs on the bugle to the great enjoyment and enlivening of all around him.!
He stopped at the Towers and we were guided to a friends place. The office to which I was selected was in Washington and work started the next day. Then there was the usual in house training, introducing seminars, and so on. Getting other paper works to stay on etc. took a couple of months and at last it was just office work and falling back home after tedious office hours late into the evenings.
The walk to the Farragut West is in my memory and then it is Pentagon where we waited for a metro bus for Kenmore Avenue. Many years passed and now it all seems to be a dream. The car we drove, a Honda Civic once were covered with white white fluffy snow which hardened overnight and then taking out the car was a tedious work. While cleaning the car the key was lost and it had only one key and that was it. The old technician of AAA tried to open the car in the middle of the night for a couple of hours and retreated saying : 'I shall send somebody in the morning if you don't mind" We did not mind and they next morning a Chinese looking (or was he of Korean origin? I don't know) young gentleman came up in the sunshile with a great smile! He was an expert and the morning sun helped him with warm sunshine. He used a baloon to pressure open the door and once inside connected his computer to the car and told us "I have to first deactivate the old key, then shall make a new one". He did it with elan and worked on for an hour and more and at last the new key was ready and the car got started! He collected a tidy sum for AAA and left. We were relieved that the car can now be used.
The Magruders, the Landmark mall and the Grandmart were all in the daily routines one day or the other.
At other times I was working away in the office. At times running for the fire drill along with all others. This happens once or twice in an year when an alarm is set off an Fire Marshalls appear to guide all who are walking down the steps for many floors. Their guidance seemed to be invaluable. Once outside people kept standing speaking to one another or smoking or moving a little more away for snacks etc. In a matter of half an hour or so the clearance will be sounded and all are called back. Now one can use the elevators, as lifts are called there.
One interesting thing noticed are the hapless people along with way from Farragut West to the Centre asking for alms either showing a large cappuchino tumbler or a hat etc. One African American Gentleman was always seen doing a beautiful bugle everyday in the moring. He is neither a beggar nor a great musician but the energy he gave the morning office goers were tremendous. I was touched when on a rainy morning, I could distinctly hear his bugiling sound from afar and there he was sitting in the rain and bugling as if there was no rain. While departing Washington I walked up to him and gave a few dollars and asked him what makes him do this everyday without fail. He replied "This is the only work I know. And I am trained to do this from my childhood!" That was some courage! He was doing it as a job, with out any complaint to any one. He accepted any small donations given by any one and thanked them profusely. But never complained of anyone for not giving him anything at all. He went on doing his songs on the bugle to the great enjoyment and enlivening of all around him.!
