Vocal Expressions

Well Summer is on the verge of winding down, so my brother and I decided to head back to D.C. to visit a few more museums. This time we visited the following museums/gardens/sights: The Sackler Gallery/Freer Art Gallery - The Exhibitions were breathtaking (Perspectives - Hai Bo, this artist photographed himself in the same location during the four seasons; Gods of Angkor; Cornucopia - ceramics from Southern Japan; masterpieces of Chinese paintings; Arts of the Islamic World Galleries; Ancient Egyptian Art; Korean Art). When I was viewing some Hindu art, I noticed a very interesting belief held by the Hindus. They believed everyone should aspire to four gods for life on earth: 1. Dharma - righteous living 2. Artha - wealth acquired through the pursuit of profession 3. Karma - human love 4. Moksha - spiritual salvation The Smithsonian Castle - I really enjoyed the "Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection," which opened in June 2010. This Former Secretary of State used p

Today, my brother and I spent the afternoon in Fell's Point, a historic waterfront neighborhood in Baltimore. We walked along the cobbled stone streets, browsed through a few boutique stores which offered a wide variety of jewelry, clothing, furnishings and antiques. We stopped at the Broadway Pier and watched folks lining up for the water taxi that would take them to different sides of the Harbor. Then we had lunch at The Waterfront Hotel - good food but service could have been a lot better...oh well, it appears not everyone is cut out for giving great customer service. So here are some pictures of my day :)

I went there today for my cousin's surprise birthday party. It was a brunch celebration and I had the English breakfast but when I looked at another table and saw the Cobb salad, my mouth started to water. Anyway, I enjoyed my meal and at the end we had the pineapple cake - Yum. It was a very nice occasion and I would likely go back but will definitely make a reservation. There was a long wait on our way out! Very popular for a Sunday morning/afternoon. Check out their website: http://victoriagastropub.com/

Downtown Silver Spring is the new spot to hang out at on the weekends: lots of people, kids playing at the water fountain, music wafting through the air, etc. This evening I met a couple of my friends there and we had dinner at Red Lobster. We had a good time laughing, talking about movies and books, and the weddings that there were recently in. When we walked out of the restaurant we were greeted by a live band performing songs reminiscent of strolling through the streets of New Orleans. We then we stopped at Ben & Jerry's for ice cream before browsing DSW and Borders (gossip magazine section - lol, then the newest releases). Very nice outing!

Dark Blue: one of my favorite police undercover shows premiered tonight on TNT (2 hours). This is another hit from Jerry Bruckheimer. In the pilot which aired on July 15, 2009, Dean (Logan Marshall-Green)was suspected of murdering an FBI agent and it was up to his boss Lt. Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott) to prove Dean's loyalty. Since then the team has gone undercover in some very dangerous situations. It was a great ride and I was happy the show got picked up for a second season. Well, Season 2 is here and I can't get enough of the team: Dylan McDermott - Lt. Carter Shaw (unhinged, dedicated, defiant, protective of his team) Omari Hardwick - Ty Curtis (married, loving, cautious, extra marital affairs undercover??) Logan Marshall-Green - Dean Bendis (serious, secretive, edgy, aggressive) Nicki Aycox - Jaimie Allen (secretive, lied to fiance about who she really is, past drug addicted life, very good liar, reinvented herself/new identity to become a cop) Tricia Helfer - Alex Rice

Well, my brother and I decided to take a daycation in Washington, DC to visit the museums and simply enjoy the day. We started out at 11 a.m. Our first stop was at the African Art Museum. The artifacts, masks and art work were awesome. I couldn't get enough of the rich history and the stories behind the creation of the various pieces. Our next stop was at the Holocaust Museum. While it was solemn, it was very interesting to see Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the end of the concentration camps and the opening of Israel. We walked through the Hall of Remembrance and watched the visual documentaries and testimony films of Holocaust survivors. On a lighter note, we did a rather quick tour of the National Museum of American History. The first exhibit we saw was the First Ladies of the Smithsonian - it was interesting to see the transition of the first ladies styles throughout the years. Then we popped in to see "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Sha