The three of us, Ian, Mahirah, and myself, took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 2:30 pm (23rd Apr). A 7-hour flight to Haneda, Tokyo, a 2-hour stopover, followed by a 10-hour flight to the Los Angeles International Airport, and we’re all just adrenaline-fueled zombies staggering about – and we weren’t even done yet. Another 3-hour stopover was to be followed by a 5-hour flight to Washington D.C., our intended destination (final destination just always sounded too morbid).
At Dulles International Airport (5:20 am, 24th Apr), first thing I noticed was a small, moon-sized crater on my luggage that beckons belief. It’s a real solid piece of luggage and I suspect that the Hulk must’ve been part-timing at the airport – there simply was no other way. Sorted it out with the baggage authority, who were very polite and helpful about it, and then headed to Hyatt Place … not before a bacon and egg bagel and a hot American coffee.
At Hyatt Place, the other two got their rooms hassle-free, and I took a little tumble finding that the room I was given was occupied, and the substitute room key won’t work – fixed when someone came from the lobby to help me out. Well, it was only 9:00 am; plenty of time for the day to get better – and get better it did.
After a nice Italian lunch at China Town, Ian and I took a stroll to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The place was amazing – if we only had a little more attention span and a lot less jetlag, we would’ve emerged significantly wiser. Here are some of the things I found interesting the museum:
Of course, after successfully stretching my day out with Ian, we got back quite late. And, I slept at a respectable 9 pm, waking up fresh and recharged the following morning for breakfast. Kidding, I got up at 3:30 am along with roommate (now, buddy) Reeve from Singapore and thereafter failed to muster another wink of sleep – both of us.
The next day (only the 25th April now) was simply terrible, save for the good company of newfound YSEALI-an friends … and not forgetting Tony and Kara.
YSEALI Professional Fellows Program 