First off, if you cannot pronounce the word 'catafalque', don't worry. It it a hard word to pronounce. Secondly, if you do not know what a catafalque is, I shall tell you momentarily. Thirdly, I am really beginning to like saying the word 'catafalque'. It sounds so important and sophisticated. And french. Maybe that is why I can actually say the word, now that I know how to pronounce it. If I am pronouncing it the right way, hopefully I am pronouncing it the right way. Oh dear, am I pronouncing it the right way??!! Whatever. Anywho.
So, one thing off my list was going on a Capitol tour and it was amazing. I kind of wish the tour guide gave us enough time in each room to take pictures but sadly that was not the case. The tour started in what is called the Crypt Room. It was one of the original rooms built in the Capitol and is held up with 40 pillars. As I was leaning on one of the pillars, the tour guide told us that those pillars are helping hold up the 9000 pounds of steel and rock that the Capitol is made up of. And what did I do - I stopped leaning against the pillar. I realize that I am not strong, nor big, enough to push a pillar to make the 9000 pounds of steel and rock come crashing down, but it was an innate reflex to stop leaning against the pillar. In the middle of the room was a white compass star which signified the middle of DC. Not sure if it is still the middle but back when the Capitol was built, it was the middle. And a fun fact was that under the compass star is where the tomb of George Washington lies but George is not there as he died after the Capitol was done, there was an argument, the Government was going to sue to place George under there but the estate prevailed and he is still buried at Mount Vernon. Kind of a fun fact. So after we walked through the center of DC, we made our way to the Rotunda. This was what I was waiting for. The Holy Grail of the Capitol. Sadly it is under construction and you can't see the beautiful floor or the gorgeous ceiling. But at least we got to go into the room.
If anybody does not know what the Rotunda is, it is the place that important people's bodies are laid in state so that people can go and pay their respects. JFK was there. That is really all that matters. And some others. But JFK. But the Rotunda is amazing. I cannot put into words the beautifulness of the place but I shall try. If you start at the ceiling, there is a painting called the Apotheosis of Washington, which depicts Washington inbetween Lady Liberty and Victoria and 13 maidens, symbolizing the 13 original colonies. Kind of like looking at the American version of the Sistine Chapel. Although, and no offense to the Rotunda, the Sistine Chapel would be far more awesome to see. But this is kind of like that. Coming down from that painting, around the dome area is what originally looked like sculpture of the history of USA but it is actually a painting. I swear it was a sculpture as it looked like some of the figures were sticking out.
Then as you continue down the walls, there were I think 13 paintings of different historical moments of America as well. It was just an amazing room. So many things to look at and see and take pictures of and just stand in wonder of the beauty of it all. While internally giggling that in the War of 1812, the British (aka Canada) burnt it down and they had to start rebuilding it. One of the only things Canada has in its history that I can tell Americans about. But I thought it not a good thing for people to connect that back in the day the British was Canadian and I was a Canadian. Did not want to get thrown out of the Capitol because my history peeps burnt it down.
The next room we went into was the old room that representatives used before the two houses were built (or something along that lines). Basically it is where the laws and states were passed, a very tiny room that housed a lot of people. I would be very unhappy in that room as a) it is tiny b) it would be loud with all the people and c) it would be very hot. Three things I really dislike. However, there is a pretty nifty spot in the room called the Whisper Spot. Apparently since the room is shaped like a dome and stuff like that, the acoustics is wonky. We all stood in a huddle around a particular spot and our tour guide went to the other side of the room and spoke in a whisper and we heard her as clear as if she was standing right beside us. Another reason why I would have hated that room - I want to throw my shoes at people in class when they talk so being in that room when I could hear that clear of the people across the room, oohhh there would be showdowns happening. And not governmental showdowns that probably usually occur. The architecture in the rooms we went to are amazing. The tiles, the statues, the roofs. Simply gorgeous. Oohh so one of the statues, each state has 2 statues to represent them and they get to pick who they were, was Ingalls. My first thought - Little House on the Prairie Ingalls - but not the case. Sadly. I wished it was cause then I could actually know something about somebody.
So now here comes the story about the Catafalque. We get down to the museum part of the Capitol and the helper guy tells us that behind where he is standing is *the* catafalque that is actually used when the body lays in state. So JFK was on this. And other people. We slowly make our way to the other side. And find this pedestal (the left picture). Which Kalyn and I first thought it was the catafalque. We were standing in front of it, honestly trying to figure out how the hell the put a casket on this little table - it must have been a jenga balancing act to make sure the coffin didn't tip over and god help anybody who touched the casket as that would have off-balanced it. Thankfully, and after probably laughing at us, a helper came by to point us to the real catafalque, which is this thing (the right picture). That makes much more sense now that we looked at it. We were laughing pretty hard about it as we must have looked like idiots trying to figure out how that little table could hold a coffin. Casket. What is the proper term to use?? 
Also, very very exciting news!!!! Making his very first blog debut is Liam Reilly-Wiseman!!!! Colleen, the wonderful Mama that she is, went through about 3 days of labour, which I hope she uses against Liam when he is being a pain in the ass for her. First off, he was huge - 9.4 pounds. She is very tiny. Laws of nature were not working in her favor, but she wanted to try natural labor first, sadly, not the case as she had to get a c-section. Meg was our correspondent at the hospital and kept us in the loop as to what was happening and when the arrival of Liam was going to happen. In all the texts, I do not think I have ever read the word 'cervix' more in my life than I did these past couple of days. Between cervix, effaced, membranes and other medical jargon, this birth gave me another reason as to why I do not want children. Colleen was such a trooper and when we went to visit her, she looked wonderful and such a proud Mama. I am in awe of this woman and am so glad I could be part of this stage in her life. So, without further ado, I present to the world Liam Thomas Wiseman. Such a cutie. I can't wait for Colleen to bring him to the school so that Toby has a conniption and puts a policy in place that underaged children cannot be on campus. Or something foolish like that. We are policy changers people. We take our job seriously.
Anywho, my next blog may be about all the goings on about job huntings, where I am going to live and how the husband hunting has been going so I can stay in the country to find a job. Sadly I do not know about any of these things yet but hopefully soon I will. Hopefully. Love and miss you all!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment