Day 69 (Sat) (Washington DC 2nd Day) **D-DAY**

It's 6.30 am in the morning when the alarm clock rang...JK was the 1st to wake up and he decided to full blast the radio and tv to wake the whole room up...can't blame him for his morning insolence as we needed to shift the car out of the place where we parked last nite since we were parking in a car towing zone...the locals had suggested we shift the car by 7am...but seriously damn hard to wake up until JK full blast the TV...so shiok air con...though we were sleeping on the hard bed...we had let the gals and the driver FX sleep on the soft bed...aiyah at least got bed to sleep...after much struggle got out of the bed...went to take a shower to freshen up and had some tea from the hotel lobby...so at ard 8.30am we check out of the hotel...the plan for today...spend around 2 hours visiting the memorials at the southeastern part of the city...den move on to the central part to visit FBI, Capitol Hill and pick up some souvenirs before saying Adieu to Washington DC...we plan to leave by 1pm as the gals have to report for work at the pier by 5pm...as for the meals plan to pick it up as we move along the way...

a sleepy sight early in the morning...JK took this shot while trying all means to wake us up

morning view of DC from my hotel room

all freshed up after the shower...nb forgot to bring my gel...did'nt know going to stay overnight...everything can dun bring but gel is a must must!!

took another shot with JK juz before checking out

Our 1st stop - the national monument...couldden go up the monument as the tickets were all snapped up...what a waste...

me and half the national monument

people playing soccer at the field next to the national monument!! wah 1st time see people playing soccer and right in the heart of USA!! feels like padang back home

Next stop - the World War II Memorial

embracing the marine corps outside the War Memorial

A solemn message right at the center of the memorial

Group Pic at the World War II Memorial

the names of every state neatly engraved on all the columns

*Sobz Sobz* Byeeee New Jersey...when will i see u again?? *sobz*

D-Day Message - turns out the message might juz be for me...what's going to happen next is indeed the D-Day of my life

Our next stop - the Lincoln Memorial...this lake is known as the reflecting lake as it reflects the Memorial and the National Monument depending where u see it

A Group Pic juz before we start to stroll along this scenic and beautiful lake on our way to Lincoln Memorial

duckie duckie...mother duck and kiddie duck having their morning walkabout

"landmines" everywhere along the xiao jing (small path) beside the xiao he (small river)

Me and the gals at the lincoln end of the reflecting lake

V-shaped outside Lincoln Memorial Hall

the Memorial Hall upclose...damn grand...Americans sure have an excellent way of honouring their past presidents

Abraham Lincoln - one of the most illustrious President in US's history...the statue certainly looks imposing upfront...

Paying my respects to the man

Lincoln and his 3 prodigies

Making our way down the Memorial Hall towards Vietnam War Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

tourists paying tributes to the thousands of names along the Memorial

saw a touching letter on the floor along the vietnam war memorial

after the memorial went down to pick the car and left for the central district of downtown...spent some time taking photos at the FBI Building and bought a few t-shirts to give friens...after which drove down to Capitol Hill...laze around the grass patch in front of Capitol Hill and took more pics...before deciding it's time to leave washington DC for good...without a clue to what's going to happen next...one of the most traumatic, horrifying and near-death experience of my entire life...i will never wanna go thru this feeling of coming so close to losing my loved ones...seriously an experience i will never forget...

outside the FBI Building

mai ga lim beh siao siao ok...i am with the FBI International Organised Crime Unit

Capitol Hill Building...looks like our old supreme court

lazing ard outside the Capitol Hill Building...wah lau whose finger is that???

Give me a 5 high high in the sky

Bought these 3 shirts for friens at DC...anyone wanna make order now??

so at ard 1.30 pm...we set off for wildwood from washington DC...took over the navigation so i sat at the front passenger seat...with FX the driver and the rest sitting behind...route back is somewhat straightforward...figure out my laptop together with JK's one should be enough to last for the whole trip since Ken has expended his one on the way here...stopped by to top up patrol before turning into I295S which will lead us to I95 the highway connecting maryland and new jersey...somehow we could not find I95 on our way...have to stop over at a convenience store and ask for directions before we carry on...

Driver and Navigator...juz an hour before the accident

we finally found our way to I95...it somehow started to pour damn heavily...really raining madness...the raindrops hit us so hard that we thought the windscreen is going to crack anytime...and visibility was poor...it restricts us to barely making out the car ahead...FX was however still travelling at a rather fast speed when repeatedly we asked him to slow down and watch out...because he was tailgating dangerously close to the black sedan in front when driving conditions were so bad...

it was at this fateful moment when FX asked after I95 where do we go next...i checked the navigation and confirm that it's back to I295...and he questioned how come is I295 when we juz passed it...i looked down the laptop and checked again...and the next thing i heard was "Stop Stop Stop STOP STOP!!!!"

it was too late...we had hit the black sedan in front...and to avoid being sandwiched FX swerved to his right and an oncoming lorry hit us heads on or rather where i was sitting heads on...the impact was so strong that it drove us off the roads and we hit the trees on the side of the roads...

the accident scene...the lorry as big as a normal bread delivery lorry...this pic taken while i still trapped in my seat...half conscious...

actually i got no clue to what happen at all...all the details i juz described was gathered from the rest...the whole thing happen too fast...too quick...my mind became a total whizz right after the impact...i have no idea exactly what happen...all i can remember is Ken getting to me and telling me not to worry and that he will be there...i struggled very very hard to keep my eyes open for i know if i close it that might juz be the last time i ever see the world...my family flashed across my mind...i juz kept tinking of them to stay awake...i know i cannot close my eyes...simply cannot close my eyes for them...

ken told me that when he got to me..my face was strewn with blood and broken glass...and he tried lifting my face only to find hs hands covered with my blood...there's a stream of blood flowing profusely down my nostril...kind passer-bys had dropped by to render any help if needed according to him...there was this kind lady who came down and took a look and prayed for everyone in the accident...there was also an off-duty fireman who came down from his car to help out...according to Ken he tried to support my neck fearing i might have suffer a broken neck...i can't remember all these but i hope i can thank them in person if i have the chance...

i was still fighting hard to stay awake...the firemen have arrived...i was trapped in my seat as the lorry had closed off all access to me...according to the rest...they had to drill out the driver's seat to extracate me and i was soon evacuated by a helicopter...in fact they had closed off the whole highway for the helicopter to land...i have bo recollection of the helicopter ride...nb my 1st heli ride actually have to be like that...i only remember asking the paramedics whether i was going to die repeatedly with my Dad, Mum and both sisters only on my mind...i really thought i am going to die...my whole mind was in a daze and i was soon getting tired falling asleep...in fact ken said i was simply going in and out of conciousness and my eyes were flickering...that really shows how much i wanna stay awake...for my family...i really dun wanna to die juz like that...i still have so many things to do...so many unfufilled dreams and ambitions...

i remember waking up on a treatment bed...and surrounding me was all the medical equipment...there was tubes on my right hand and my right shoulder feels a little sore...and i was tied up with all the freaking wristbands...similar to those at the pier and the waterparks...i also saw a yellow ribbon on my left hand and the spooky thing was i remember a dream few days back when there was also a yellow ribbon on my left wrist...i saw ken for the 1st time since regaining consciousness...he looked perfectly fine thogh a bit dazed...i asked him what happen to the rest...and he told me the rest are fine with JK in neck brace now waiting to get X-rayed...and the gals were juz crying and shocked by the accident but were generally fine...and FX only have few cuts on his face...apparently i came off the worst of the lot...bearing the brunt of the impact directly...he told me that he feared for the worst after seeing me evacuate by helicopter and at one time 6 doctors attending to me in the emergency room...but the doc did a cat scan on my brain and still waiting for the results...i asked him why my right shoulder so sore...and he said the nurse had injected a super huge needle into it and apparently he saw me looking at it...and i had no recollection of that either...

slowly but surely he breathed in all the details to me...as i wait for the doc's report...i asked for my stuff back and juz den i realise i am completely naked with only a thin blanket to cover my modesty and heart rate stick pads all over my body...apparently the paramedics had cut up all my shirt, jeans and even my underwear...wah lau that's my fav red undie k...but i slowly realise the extent of my injury...

my cut-up aeropostale shirt...wah lau i juz bought it last week and i like it alot loh

my jeans has served me over the years and this is its xia chang

even my red undie is not spared

i was served turkey bacon and peas and diet pepsi in the emergency room when andie from CIEE called me...asked me about the accident and the people on the car...i was still dazed at that time but i remembered telling her what she wanted...after dinner i was transfered out of the sickening emergency room into another observation ward...i guessed a good sign that nothing was too serious...they gave me a hospital gown to wear before that and put me on a bed with a TV...i watched the last samurai while waiting for the report to be out...one of my fav movies and one of the few i will actually spend time watching twice...a fillipino chinese service assistant came over and started talking to me in chinese...he told me the nurses tot i vietnamese haha...he went on to tell me maybe i have to be kept overnight for observation...

the report finally came...there is nothing serious abt my condition...except they put it as mild head injury...explaining why i feel a painful bump on my head...the cat scan also show no damage but they did add in the scan report that it reveals overexpanded ventricles in the brain for my prestated age of 23 andden the word suggesting early volume loss...i panicked and asked the nurse and she told me it's not becoz of the accident and the doc say it's juz a natural variant...meaning it maybe normal to me but not normal to the rest...wad they trying to say?? my brain bigger den the rest is normal issit?? and what is early volume loss...but the nurse reassured me nothing to worry about...

my medical report

i was able to discharge and JK's X-ray also show nothing was broken and his neck was juz strained by the accident...thanks heavens!! a sigh of relief...seriously when at one stage i thought i was going to die...CIEE had booked a motel with 2 rooms nearby and the hospital staff was kind enough to ask the security to give us a lift...coz they dun wanna a traumatized patient (thats how they label me) to walk...

reached the hotel finally...with my head still feeling very heavy and juz very drowsy...stil not fully aware of what's happen and the extent of the damage...i juz wanna quickly bathe and sleep...still in my flimsy hospital gown apparently...all i know is i almost lost my life today...and i am juz thankful that i am still alive escaping with juz a bump on my head and a light cut below my nose given the extent of the damage...

Day 68 (Fri) (Washington DC 1st Day)

All set!! ready to embark on the journey to Washington DC...woke up at 8.30 am after sleeping for like 5 hours plus...spent last nite chatting with the taiwanese gals and catching up on my blog...FX and Ken went down to Cape May to pick up the car...told the gals to meet at our apartment at ard 9.15 and they sure are on time...but the car is still not back yet...did some final checklist...laptop for navigation...had downloaded the directions and maps from mapquest last nite and together bringing 3 laptops including Ken, JK and mine...passport...mp3 player...camera...shades and fit all into my reliable 8 year-old army market sling bag...the car finally arrived close to 10...and we set off for Washington DC at 11 o'clock sharp...

Fiddling with the steering wheel before setoff...the car - a 2005 Chevrolet Impala

The Washington DC Travel Gang - (Clockwise frm left: Angela, JK, Me, Ken, FX & Jessica)

the car on the whole was still acceptable...i mean it can be better...air con not strong enough and no CD player in the bloody car...but i do love its flashy red sporty look...very eye catching on the roads...haha...FX is the official driver for the to and froth journey...it's been agreed that Ken is the navigator for the trip to washington and i will be in charge of the journey back to wildwood...so off we leave..driving out of Magnolia with me and JK squeezing with the gals at the back seat...decided to drop by Wawa to stock up on some snacks and bottled water...went back start the car ready for set off den the damn engine could not start...keep on flashing change engine oil sign...wah piangz need to call down the car rental pple to come down take a look...and spent like 15 plus minutes waiting for them...who knows the car rental guy came down, went to start the engine and did it on his 1st attempt...wah kaoz!! waste our time man...the man told us if we dun feel secure with the car all the way to DC can request to change straight away...but we decided to stick with the Impala...a bad bad mistake as it turns out...finally after the morning hiccup...on our way to Washington at last...

wadda hell...US is really freakin GIGANTIC...the map really see until seh

Spotted this large wheat field 1 hour into the journey and decided to hop out and take some pics

the rolled up wheat, the field, the sun, the clear blue sky and the fantastic weather...everything seems to be pointing towards a good and eventful trip...ahhhh

the sun, the clouds, the sky, the wind, the open field, the green pastures...really sets one's mind totally at ease

JK struggling to get up the wheat ball for a photo shot

finally did it after exhausting almost all his energy...hahaha

the journey there was loads of fun...we played cards at the backseat though it only lasted for one game of daidee before everyone started to complain of giddiness...but still we had fun chatting, eating chips, taking pics of the scenery and simply enjoy this summer road trip to washington...Ken turns out to be a rather excellent navigator as we only lost our way twice on the way...had to stop over at Maryland visitor center and a jockey club to ask for directions but overall the journey is still rather smooth...however i cannot say the same for the driver...FX is super reckless and arrogant on the roads...told him to slow down a million times but he still went ahead to speed...demonstrating how he drove to Niagara and all that...seriously need to tink he is not driving on his grandfather's china roads...at least we made it safely to DC in the end...at ard 4pm after almost a 4-hour journey...

Crossing the Delaware River - From the state of New Jersey to the state of Maryland

Yeah!!! can officially say i have been to 5 states - Alaska, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and now Maryland!!

asked for directions at this jockey club after we "holland" turning out from the maryland visitor center...not without taking some pics in the process

finally at ard 4pm we reached the outskirts of washington DC...it's seriously a long journey and putting 4 people at the backseat really made all our butts ache...haha...took over the navigation once we reached DC...so we decided to make White House the 1st place to visit of coz...aftall this whole DC trip is juz abt the white house issn't it?? so i suggested parking the car at ard 8th street andden we walk to white house which is about 6 streets away...man turns out that the streets are damn bloody long...in the end took 20 minutes to reach there on this hot humid weather...but also a good walk to stretch those limbs and to breathe in some downtown DC air...

driving into Downtown Washington DC

there's a chinatown everywhere in US...and naturally in the capital too!! this chinatown signboard is the biggest in the whole of US

the international spy museum!! wanted to visit this but it turns out i am the only one interested and the ticketing price of 13 bucks really stinks

The National Portrait Gallery outside where we parked our Impala

On our quest for the national treasure

Wah piangz so fast...the news groups have already received news that Leon Low will be in washington DC

Downtown Washington DC...along F street

another street pic for the collection...Washinton DC!!

spotted another unique building on our way to the white house

The US Department of Treasury - juz right beside the White House

"Huat ah!! Huat ah!!" Money come come...Money come come

Guys forget about all the banks in the world...this is the place to rob lah...US treasury...who wanna chup in my plan come email me!!

Posing with Albert Gallatin - the man who laid the foundation for US's riches today

acting punk on the square juz behind the white house...security is damn tight here...angie was juz putting her cam on one of the retractable barrier and she got questioned by the police on what she's doing

dun prey prey...lim beh has been to the white house k...i am not some bao lai ah hia

wah lao cheyyyyyy white house like that only ah...why look so diff from the one i see on CNN?? only to realise this is the backside

now this is den the white house i read on the news everyday

this is like a dream come true...can't believe the white house is juz behind me

segways like these are common around the white house

24 hour anit-war protest juz outside the white house

after hanging around the white house district for around 1.5 hour...we crossed over to the ellipse...an oval-shaped garden juz in front of the white house...we were contemplating whether to go ahead and visit the licoln memorial or maybe stay for one night in DC andden resume the travel plans tml early morning since it's getting late...we came to a conclusion to stay overnight in DC...so FX and Ken will go fetch the car at 8th street while the rest will hang around the ellipse...den we will go in search of a cheap hotel on the travel book that jessie had brought...wash up and rest a while before finding a good place to eat den some drinks before going back to rest for the day...so me, JK, Jessie and Angie hang around taking pics, play games and simply juz chat away...wah these taiwanese gals are really great travel companions...always so full of ideas on what sort of pics to take...wad games to play and all that...haha had fun while waiting for the 2 to come back...but plans are always plans...they never include times of contingencies...who was to know they didn't come back after 1 and a half hour of waiting...we decided enough is enough and were worried they may have met with an accident or the car has been towed away or wad...so i volunteered to go look for them where we parked the car...wah damn shag...this hot sweaty and panicky chink crossing the streets of DC looking for his friens without a map in hand...i planning for the worst...wad if they all left me behind and go off together?? wad if i get lost...den how to get back to wildwood?? really chiam...i tried to walk at fater pace and finally i reached where we parked only to see the car gone...so i went back to where i had left the rest...tinking that most prob the 2 clowns shud be back liao...wah byden i really quite tired liao...walked non-stop for like 45minutes...true enough they were back...somehow they lost their way and were turning circles ard ohio ave...wah kaoz...so off we went to look for the hotel...reached the sheraton and realise the price is almost twice of what is originally stated in the travel guide...so spent the next 2 hours hotel hunting...was looking for courtyard marriot when we lost our way...the damn dupoint circle (similar to newton circus) confused us and lucky we met someone who knows the way well and directed us to the hotel...we checked in after tinking it's the best deal...120 bucks for a nite and so each person pay 20 dollars...rested for a while at the hotel room andden set off in search of some good washington dinner to chase the tired blues away...by den it was already 11plus nearing 12...

the national christmas tree at the ellipse...s'pore should have a national angsana tree so we can decorate during national day

the gals made us do all sort of shots while waiting - pan gui lian

zhuag ke ai

zhuang hoo tu

finally something normal - the waiting quartet

made to do a jumping shot after losing shi tou jian dao pu 2-3...i was leading 2nil btw

resting before dinner after checking in...the hotel room still beh pai...got one king-sized bed...huge tv...nice bathroom and of coz the much needed air-con!!

my dinner - simply grilled chicken breast...wah lau i only eat breakfast the whole day...so mall piece where got jiak eh pah??

following taiwnese tradition...muz pan gui lian after dinner

Kramerbooks Cafe & Grille...where we had dinner

after dinner we explored ard Dupoint circle...their version of Holland V...decided not to head to the pubs and go back to rest for the nite instead so have energy for the travel itinerary tml...head back to the hotel room where we played card games...taiwanese version of heart attack aka xing zhang ping!! (muz say with dia voice den work), taiwanese bluff...taiwanese bridge and taiwanese dai dee...haha...after everyone took their shower decided it's time to sleep liao and we were perhaps making too much noise...dun wanna get chased out of the hotel...it's already 3am in the morning...

evidence of my presence at Dupoint circle

wah look at their mrt tunnel...so damn freakin deep...escalator break down really hong kang...

the look up looks equally intimidating...but juz imagine the lights out...u and ur loved one laying down a straw mat...with red wine and chocolate fondue...juz looking at the stars and whispering sweet nothings...so sweet and lovely

back to our hotel...in the wee hours...time to hit the beds and rest those tired legs

card game in progress - DND