From where we stood, we could see the Jefferson Memorial in a great distance.
It is a beautiful architecture dedicated to the American Founding Father and the 3rd President of the USA, Thomas Jefferson. In case anyone does not know who Thomas Jefferson is (then you really ought to read more), he is the primary person who drafted the Declaration of Independence for the USA, of which one of the famous quote is really worth reciting here:
We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these ends, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government shall become destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, & to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles & organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness.
Reading this a looking at my mother land, i weep for my country... sigh...
As we were rather far from the Jefferson Memorial and we had limited time, we decided not to give it a miss.
Our next stop was the Lincoln Memorial, which was quite a distance to walk as well.
We gotta walk past the Reflecting Pool in the Constitution Garden. Along the way, we could see a lot of faeces of the loons on the ground.
As we were approaching the memorial, i saw the whole crowd of people in blue again. I was thinking to myself that it would be really awkward if i were to meet the young guy who asked to take picture with me at the WWII Memorial. Luckily, they were actually leaving the memorial, and i saw them getting on to the busses.
When we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, i could see a huge sculpture of Abraham Lincoln seated in the center of the main hall.
The memorial is of Greek temple architecture, beautiful and grand.
Above the statue was this dedication:
IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION
THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IS ENSHRINED FOREVER
The significance of this place was not only that it was built to honour Lincoln, the President who ended slavery in the USA, but also it was the site where Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered. Again, some part of the speech is really worth reciting, drawing comparison to the current situation in our home country:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring - when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children - black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics - will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
At the two walls at the sides were inscriptions of the speeches by Lincoln.
From the Lincoln Memorial, we had a very nice view of the Washington Monument from afar, with its reflection on the Reflecting Pool.
I asked my subordinate to help take a picture of me with this nice view in the background. We waited for a while for the people to clear away (as there were many visitors taking pictures too), and then i chose my spot and posed for the picture.
Just as i was ready for the shot, a few ladies simply came right in front of me and told their friend excitedly to take picture of them. They totally ignored and disregarded me, who was standing right there, about to take my picture too.
I was so so so so so pissed.
Whenever i visit any tourist attractions, i would get out of the way or wait patiently whenever other tourists are taking pictures. This is being considerate, as we would hope other people would do the same too, especially when we were travelling and visiting places of interest.
And need i ask you to guess what nationality these ladies belong too? Yes, women from China!
So, can you blame anyone for stereotyping them, when they always behave in such rude, inconsiderate and selfish manner wherever they go? And to think that i can't escape being a victim of their selfishness even after having travelled half the globe! I really have very bad karma with these people.
Labels: travel
