THE LAST DAY IN VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON DC

And suddenly I was on the last day of my visit to the USA. How time flew. There were a string of activities that I did with my friend, Puan Khairul Bariah before leaving. First of all, we went for lunch at an Indonesian Restaurant called Satay Sarinah located in a place called Alexandria and there was someone else coming too. He was Mr. Wilkinson, my friend's student who was learning the Malay language.  The dishes comprised of noodles soto, fried rice and rice with duck.

So the lunch was educational in a way as I was expected to converse with Mr. Wilkinson in my mother tongue, it was something like a field trip for both of them. Initially it was a bit awkward and funny as well, especially for my friend and I, as we had to converse using complete sentences and accurate vocabulary which does not happen in real life. Anyway the session was a success. Mr. Wilkinson had done really well, the lunch chat went without a hitch  and I would not hesitate to award him an A for being a fluent speaker of the Malay language. And my kudos to the teacher for a job excellently done.

the interior decor

lunch Indonesian style

my new friend

Other than the lunch date, my friend took me to two shopping malls around Virginia. The first one was at Dulles Town Center and the other one was Leesburg Corner Premium Outlet - something like JPO that we have here in Malaysia. Actually there was one more shopping mall we went to before lunch but I could not remember the name of that place. I did not really shop when I travelled (nor when I am at home) so these were just mostly window shopping trips. 

shopping for Eid t-shirt:
angry bird for
this year

Coach handbag anyone?

The weather was actually a bit unkind on that day. It was more than the usual thunderstorm. While we were on the road, my friend received a message alarming the residents of tornado watch which had never happened in that area. In fact, when we were in the car, we saw this black cloud with two long tails but were not sure whether that was the tornado. Actually it was the tornado that did not touch down. (OMG!) And that was a big relief. Just imagine what would happen especially when I was expected to leave that very evening.

from someone's twitter
(copied from a website
"washingtonexaminer")

In the evening, Puan Khairul and Mr. Gupta took me for dinner at an Italian restaurant which served authentic Italian food.

going Italian for dinner

 

 

Mr. Gupta stopped at a spot where I could observe the Washington Monument and the other building if I a not mistaken was Thomas Jefferson Memorial. I guess that was one of the most beautiful sights of Washington D.C. that would remain imprinted in my mind. I miss Washington D.C. already.

Then only we bade our goodbyes at Union Station where I had to board my bus to my next destination, Toronto, Canada. I did not go to other cities in the USA but I think at least I had explored the essential sites of Washington D.C. and maybe, next time I will go to other part of the USA, or I will come back to DC for more. You will just never know.

LIVING IN AN AMERICAN HOUSE

This is an American house situated somewhere in Sterling, Virginia which is about an hour's away from Washington DC, by bus. Basically it has three levels so you have to be fit enough climbing up and down the stairs everyday. There are three bedrooms with four bathrooms, two full bathrooms while the other two half (It id s half bathroom because it does not have a shower stall, if you re wondering what it means). It is a very practical living area with a lot of space for a small family.

the main hall

the kitchen area

the backyard

barbecuing in the backyard

the ground floor

On the ground floor, there is a small study. There are also a treadmill, a big screen TV and a keyboard/piano in the room so I would consider that as a place where you can work and play and I like this section of the house very much because it made me feel I was at home. That was the bed I slept in when I was there and I sure am going to miss that spot.

One thing I noticed about the house is that there were a number of store rooms and built-in cabinets so many things could be kept inside them, unlike the houses in Malaysia. As a result, the house looks neat all the time. but still the compliment should first go to the owners who have made the house not only beautiful, but also a comfortable and warm place for the family and visitors as well.

GOODBYE VIRGINIA, GOODBYE WASHINGTON DC

I am about to leave Virginia and Washington DC in a few hours time. I have had a great time here and hopefully, with God's will, will be able to come back and explore more of the city. 

Thanks a lot to Puan Khairul Mansor and Mr. Mukul Gupta, and not forgetting their daughter Alisha , for accepting me as the guest in their lovely house. May Allah repay all their kind and good deeds.

Goodbye USA, for now.

BLOGGING FROM VIRGINIA, USA

Amsterdam in the background

Safely arrived in Virginia, USA at about 3:00 p.m. today. (3:00 a.m. Malaysian time 30th May). Still feeling a little tired after 19 hours of flight and 6 hours of transit time in Amsterdam but managed to explore a bit of the town.

I am looking forward to an exciting time. Hopefully there will be a lot to share with you later.