Washington DC 1

Photos taken during the late winter in Washington DC in February 2007.

Standing outside the library at Catholic University of America where I did emailing

and in front of the

Immaculate Conception

Basilica inside the

CUA campus.

With my goddaughter

Camille Dowling, her elder

sister Christine and

her brother-in-law

Marbin.

At the graveyard of

JFK at the

Arlington Cemetery.

The graveyard markers

of JFK and to the right

side is that of Jackie

Kennedy-Onassis.

Fr. Roy Eco of

the Diocese of

Florida.

The Lincoln

Memorial at

the
National Mall

in Washington DC.

The Vietnam

War Memorial.

At the Mall with

the Capitol at

the background.

Again with Fr. Roy.

A Letter to Friends:

I'm writing this letter from the house of Judy Francia-Reyes, who lives in Virginia, just outside Washington DC. She is the sister of the former Provincial of the ICM, Myrna and I knew her from way back the time when I worked with Maryknoll in the l970s.
It's her birthday today and it is great to be in her house for this occasion as there is rice, adobo, pancit, palitaw, letche plan and the rest of the Pinoy cuisine that one misses very much when one is in the USA.

It's our week-end off and there are many places to visit around here. Fortunately, the Center where I am doing my sabbatical is quite near a subway stop and from that stop one can get around practically the whole of Washington DC and parts of Maryland and Virginia. Saturdays, I do get a chance to find a computer with internet, so somehow I get to have some contact with confreres, family members and friends.

It is a wonderful day today, with the sunshine very much like back home. Here in this room, one needs air-conditioning even if it is winter outside. The beginnning of winter in the eastern side of the USA remains quite mild. One prays it remains like this until the first few months next year. But there could be the rare snow later. I've been only two months here in the USA and it is difficult not to be like the natives here who are most conscious of the weather. Back home, of course, everyone takes the weather for granted. Unless there is a major typhoon or the pito-pito rains, one hardly has time to bother with the weather. Here, it is the most common of topics to talk about.

The big day for the Americans was last Thursday - Thanksgiving Day. My companions at the Renewal Center all wished they were home; but since we had sessions, they all felt bad they had to stay here and not be home. They say it is a much bigger fiesta than Christmas; most families would rather have their reunions on thanksgiving Day than during Christmas-New Year season.

Naturally, we had turkey in its various forms, I was surprised there is turkey bacon here too. And tastes much better than pork bacon. One wonders how many thousands of turkeys got massacred for the Thanksgivng dinners last Thursday. If travel around the Philippines becomes chaotic during the Christmas season, think how it is here durign their Thanksgiving week-end, considering that airports have remain paranoid about security. One was glad he or she was not travelling during that week-end as crowds descended on airports.

Yesterday was Black Friday, another Day that is of interest to foreign anthropologists when they come to the USA. Like boxing Day after Christmas. Black Friday is known as Black because most malls and businesses turn black (versus turn red or lose money) on this day as thousands upon thousands of consumers attack the stores given the big discounts. At Macy's New York, 250,000 people were expected to shop at that store on one day alone. You can imagine the stampede; no wonder,it made the front page of The new YOrk Times today. There is your best image of consumerist America! The dream scene for not just Americans but would-be Americans from the rest of the world!

Thanksgiving day was a bit dreary as it was cold, dark and gloomy. On that day, many Americans do have many reasons to be grateful for. The Democrats, of course, are quite grateful that they have once again taken over Congress and the Senate. However, I wondered how many American families prayed for the Iraqi people on that day and for peace in that troubled land as well as other places like Sudan, Afghanistan and other places of strife. Despite the Democrats' major victory in the last elections, no one can really push for the withdrawal of US troops in Iraq. And despite the fact that most Americans would like to make that happen - thus the shift in the voters' preference - there is something about the decision-making processes in Washington that will not make that happen. It is Vietnam all over again. Unless the US troops really are booted out, perhaps they won't leave Iraq.

This is getting to be a longer letter than I intended. I end by writing that things are really fine with me in terms of my sabbatical. This is such a major gift to me by my congregation and my higher Power. It is not so often that one can have the time to rest, relax, recreate, do art work, read as much as one wants, have all the time to pray and meditate and be in touch with one's core being. I'm so glad there are no major upsets, problems, disturbances affecting confreres, family and friends which can get in the way of me fully enjoying my sabbatical. I pray it remains so until it is time for me to pack up and go home.

And one last thing: rest assured that I do have a lot of time to remember you in my prayers.