Long Walks On Leafy Streets

12/12/2013 Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
It is a gorgeous sunny winter day here in NW Washington, DC. I just got back from a quick trip to Chinatown where I dropped off my parents’ passports for renewal. Although it was freezing cold outside, even for this time of the year, I enjoyed the walk to the Takoma train station and then the ride to Chinatown. Yesterday also I spent most of the day taking care of some business for my parents. I have come to view these interludes as a sort of unexpected break from the routine of daily life. I try to enjoy the scenery outside and inhale lots of fresh air, just relax and maybe think about some things.
When I was younger and by myself I used to have time to take lots of breaks like that. I would go for long bike rides or walks or trips out of town or hikes in the mountain and so on. It helped me to keep myself fresh and not get bogged down and stifled by the stresses of daily life. These days I have much less time to do that.
So I try to take advantage of whatever opportunity comes along, whether it is walking home from work or taking care of family.
Sometimes the body simply breaks down and forces you to take a break. That happened to me last week. I woke up Thursday morning with an itchy feeling in my throat. It turned out to be a rather persistent cold virus, but at first I refused to accept that I was sick. I continued with all my normal activities and even went running in the cold weather on Thursday and Saturday. Although the running helped to boost the immune system it wasn't enough. As the cold persisted I realized that my body needed a rest in order to give the immune system a chance to fight back against the virus.
So I took it easy a little bit. It was hard to concentrate on work anyway. During the nights I watched parts of a Cricket test match between the West Indies and New Zealand. Since I got tired of watching American football I have been spending more time watching soccer and cricket matches between various countries. It is still a bit commercial but much less so and less jarring to the senses and the soul.
These games in particular were really nice to watch because they were happening in picturesque New Zealand. It was very calming to watch these players in action on those green grassy fields surrounded by such natural beauty. The game itself, while intense and fun to watch, is played at a relaxed pace with less of the hostility and violence of football. The players seem to have a good time and often congratulate their opponents.
On the fourth day of the test match it started raining. While they were waiting to restart the game it was fun to watch the birds of New Zealand have fun in the puddles on the field. I was particularly happy to see some birds that seem to be native to New Zealand, for the first time. I think one of them was of the oystercatcher family.
I am also looking forward to the World Cup games starting in Brazil in June of next year. Much as I would love to be in Brazil to watch some of those games it seems unlikely that it would happen. So for now I have to satisfy myself by looking at videos of the qualifying games that have been played so far. I also enjoy looking at the cities of Brazil via Google Earth. Particularly fascinating is Manaus in the Amazonian jungle. It is truly a unique city in the world set deep in the jungle. During the draw to pick the teams they announced that the mascot for the games would be Fuleco, a species of Armadillo unique to Brazil. They also mentioned that respecting and protecting nature would be one of the themes of these games. Brazil holds one of the greatest natural treasures of the world and it is gratifying that they are taking steps to protect the environment.

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