The Nations Capital - Let's Go Redskins!

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After travelling many regions in this world hearing their admiration and distain towards the states. I was finally here. Finally looking through the gates to the white house, walking the steps of the Capital, looking up at Abraham Lincoln but apart from the major landmarks what is the capital like of - as the politicians would say - ‘The greatest nation in the world.’



My first night here was spent in Adams Morgan, which is one of the few concentrated major nightspots in D.C. The capital has a typical capital feel like Canberra and Ottawa. It’s a city but kind of quite at times and many people just stick local after work.



Walking the streets and there’s life but something’s missing. I’m not going to make a cheap joke about politicians and lack of human beings. But work seems to take over the city and if there is action it seems inside the office buildings or the past. In the form of statues and monuments that roam the city of great moments of triumph or sacrifice.



At Adams Morgan I met up with an American buddy who I met on the bus to Moldova and spent a few days with. He took us to an eccentric bar, which had an eclectic mix of hetro’s, gay’s, lesbians, transsexuals and transvestites. It had a Latin theme and Robert Parish feeling uncomfortable said, “I knew there was something different between you and me.”



I remember being told that gay venues are great pick up joints and my friend had the same idea. So my open mindedness is helped by the fact I am trying to pick up some girl who is hetro but has a lesbian or gay friend and thinks I am open minded enough because I’m hetro and in a gay transsexual/vestite bar… Get it?



It had three levels in the small intimate set up and upstairs and downstairs was not the place for me to pick up the target audience. So that left the middle level which had booths. Robert Parish was sitting up on the bench between the two benches and so too was this pretty fit looking girl.



Latin music was mostly played here and so this girl started rubbing up with her butt to Robert Parish’s butt. I left it there for a while and eventually I was a good mate and informed him before it got any further. “Ummm you do realise that that is a guy?” “BULLSHIT!” “It is”. Parish asks my friend later in the night and it was reconfirmed. Robert asked soon after if we could move onto another bar.



I caught up with another friend Kathryn that I met in Uganda and Ethiopia. I stayed at her place and joined her on a trip to Fed Ex Field, the home stadium of the Washington Redskins. I had been a Redskins fan since I was a kid from a Super bowl from way back and since I had a hat of them when I was like 9 than its official, its my team. Boosted by the signing of an Australian punter I had bought my ticket before I arrived in the states.



But the Redskins are a hard team to follow with pretty much a dismal record since their last super bowl. My friend invited me to tailgate with some people she knew and the tailgating was quiet compared to Pittsburgh’s effort.



I spoke to a 5^th generation Washingtonian, which is hard to find. 20 years ago the city was much smaller and the fan base was very passionate, the home ground was close by. Now it’s either a long drive out or a cramped train ride for 20-30 minutes.



I’d say it’s a unique venue to watch an American football game because the spectators are more evenly spread out. Unlike college or the previous matches I’ve seen. D.C has so many people from around the country working there that when the opposition scores there is at least a substantial noise.



This game was against San Francisco 49ers another disappointing team over the years and when I bought the ticket I figured a better chance of victory. But 49ers decided this is the year they’ll be competitive and the fans of the Redskins turned up assuming the worst - a lose of around 30 points.



Still when you pick a team you pick a team and stick with it. Had I had my time again I’d be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan (won the most titles and my favourite alternative place so far in the states plus I saw them beat the Patriots). But fate places me as a Redskins fan.



As the American anthem was sung inside the stadium I was handed a beer bong and requested to put down a can of beer from a funnel and tube. I polish it off no problem after probably a 5-6 year hiatus and yell out after, “LET’S GO REDSKINS! LET’S GO REDSKINS!” Trying to sound as American as possible.



I am sitting on my own and I am toward the back of the 1^st tier. Cost me $50. Even before I sit down I know it was a shit seat. But I didn’t realise a seat could be so bad. About 2/3rds of my seat is blocked off by a cement slab holding up the stand that lies above me and about 3000 seats are in a similar position.



From what I gather the stadium is not that old and even so a view like that should not be acceptable for a sport like the NFL. Still that didn’t let me spoil my time here. I walked around the whole stadiums lower tier and took photos. Including Sav Rocca punting. I bought a jersey earlier and wanted Roccas number but they didn’t have it. The guy said, “Yeah we have been getting a lot of Australians this year asking for him but we don’t have any. You can get it online.” Instead I got Hall of Famer - Riggins #44 a running back from the Super Bowl winning days (Yes this team is holding onto its glory years just like Parramatta.)



During the game there was a lot of Military presence. The big one was the fighter jets flying past every so often with loud cheers from the crowd. There is always something on the Marines, Navy or Army. It kind of feels like propaganda in a way. Reinforcing military power and the importance of protecting their shores. This is exactly what happens in ex-Soviet and Socialist countries.



So whilst I was going through all of these thoughts a game was going on. It was the second half and my friends helped me sneak into behind the goals so I had unrestricted views for the first time. Had I not moved to this seat a may have left with a bad taste of my Redskins experience. They lost, Rocca kicked okay and I support a team that boos its own team and tries to pick fights with over celebrating opposing fans because of years of frustration because the owner doesn’t give a crap about his fans or team.



In a way its current state is like the Capital or the Wall Street protest. Either not knowing what they are doing or lack of direction. The economy weakening many people I’ve spoken to or heard on the radio complain how it doesn’t matter which government is in they are only thinking of themselves. Just like the owner of the Redskins. One said that he is treating the team like it’s a fantasy league team. Without a decent quarterback for a while the team lacks direction just like the Occupy Wall Street protestors, which are all over the place not knowing what they want just that they want something to change.



In D.C I was expecting massive crowds of tents set up with signs around but that didn’t happen and that would mainly be because the massive water feature in front of the Abraham Lincoln Monument was being renovated. It was a big disappointment because I wanted to see the reflecting pool at its original state. But the added bonus of a protest would have been priceless.



The steps in front of the monument have seen some historic moments like the Martin Luther King speech. “I had a dream”. Those speeches were in front of the Monument of Lincoln. It’s the busiest of the monuments and the white marble image is imposing.



On the left upon entrance the words of Abe is chiselled in. The one where he says, “4 scores 7 years ago” a speech he said in Gettysburg. I started reading and about half way through on what is classified as great writing. I couldn’t help but think that it drags onto almost non-seneschal drivel. It’s all over the place a lot of “they” and “you” and you get to the point Abe stop generalising.



The National Mall is a long stretch of green grass where Smithsonian museums cover most of the sides. They are free and I didn’t really take advantage of that the best I could have. Still the National Museum of the American Indian was good and the Air and Space Museum is a standout.



The Washington Monument stands at the middle of the National Mall. To the east is the White House, which was smaller than I thought it would be. Back on the National Mall at the end opposite to the Lincoln Monument is the Capital where ‘democracy’ is discussed. On the way between all that are War memorials.



The nicest spot is toward sunset and walking the other monuments along the Tidal Basin (basically an artificial looking lake). Early November the trees still had leaves on them and with that the site had added colour. Here is the less popular monuments compared to Lincoln.



The Jefferson Monument is in a dome set up which dominates the site. A walk around takes you to Eisenhower Monument, which is a more modern take on monument making craft featuring Eisenhower statue more of a wall feature. The MLK Martin Luther King monument is a powerful site and perhaps maybe because of his words that line up behind his proud image.



There are two other sites that are worthy additions one can be taken on the subway the other if you have a car. Annapolis is in Maryland and is the home of the Navy Accadamy. Everyday a bit past midday they conduct a role call. It isn’t much really but nice for a few photos and can kill a morning. I was surprised at how easy it was to enter in. All this security in the world and I was able to take my backpack into a place with 10’s of thousands of Navy personal. The complex is quite impressive with original 18^th century architecture. You are free to roam around without being questioned. Couldn’t believe it.



In Virginia there are two sites next to each other. The first is the Arlington National Cemetery; here is where every USA soldier killed in battle is remembered in the form of a white marble tombstone. Apart from the thought that these poor people have died in a war the walk is quite nice. It has prime views back toward the nations capital and to the right the Pentagon.



The Pentagon is not actually in D.C its across the river a stones throw away in Virginia. You need to pre-organise a tour so the only site is to walk around and eventually get to the memorial of the plane that hit it. It’s a tranquil set up with rows of low lying water features. They have been spaced out by the years the deceased were born. Parking is only good late in the day when you can act important and park in the parking pass section when they have left for the day. Arlington National Cemetery charge for parking and to pay your respects so its better to just catch the subway from the futuristic stations in downtown DC.



To be honest if it weren’t for me knowing people here in D.C I would have felt D.C as a going through the motions type place. Tick the sites off on the list. But I was able to go to trash bars some more upper-class establishments and a bar with transvestites. I’m sure even without knowing someone its possible to find these places. Just get slightly out of downtown about 4 or 5 stops and hit the inner suburbs and discover the real DC with congressman, potential congressmen, people that work for the Pentagon or someone that knows someone who works there.

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