Thursday, October 12, 2006
Speech 4 for Toastmasters
Journey into the heartland:
How would you feel if you were to journey back in time to witness the making of this nation? Coming from the country with the largest democracy, I was looking forward to see a part of the making of the oldest democracy.
I invited my parents to visit me in the US and offered to show them around this vast and beautiful country with very hospitable people. They agreed and gave me another reason to plan my trip to Washington, DC.
With the right attire and a good pair of shoes, we arrived at Washington, DC by mid June. We were part of the tour conducted by Greyhound and were very lucky to have a very informative guide. We started out by 7AM, in the crisp morning sun. This set the ball rolling for a wonderful day ahead.
Our first stop was Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, gardens and farm. The view from the front of the home was breathtaking and scenic. The lush and green lawn stretched out for about 100 yards from the door and was a good introduction for things to come. We were guided thru all the parts with knowledgeable caretakers letting us all that we wanted to know. It was amazing to know that Washington had around 1000 visitors from all over the world, every year since he finished his term as president. We were shown the various gifts presented to him, like a key from France. After the house, we headed to his farms and saw people working like they did during his time.
Our next stop was the Lincoln memorial. This memorial is a true tribute to Lincoln for his efforts towards abolishing slavery. We then headed to the Vietnam and Korean War memorials and the Arlington cemetery. These are fitting tributes to the men and women who lost their lives in war. The drive through the old part of Washington was interesting. We got to see strange houses and places of historical interest in the Old Town Alexandria.
In conclusion, I would like to say that this trip to the heartland helped me to get a feel of how things were at that time. The challenges both countries faced looked big and despite all odds were overcome. Washington became the icon for America just like Gandhi would, for India.
How would you feel if you were to journey back in time to witness the making of this nation? Coming from the country with the largest democracy, I was looking forward to see a part of the making of the oldest democracy.
I invited my parents to visit me in the US and offered to show them around this vast and beautiful country with very hospitable people. They agreed and gave me another reason to plan my trip to Washington, DC.
With the right attire and a good pair of shoes, we arrived at Washington, DC by mid June. We were part of the tour conducted by Greyhound and were very lucky to have a very informative guide. We started out by 7AM, in the crisp morning sun. This set the ball rolling for a wonderful day ahead.
Our first stop was Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, gardens and farm. The view from the front of the home was breathtaking and scenic. The lush and green lawn stretched out for about 100 yards from the door and was a good introduction for things to come. We were guided thru all the parts with knowledgeable caretakers letting us all that we wanted to know. It was amazing to know that Washington had around 1000 visitors from all over the world, every year since he finished his term as president. We were shown the various gifts presented to him, like a key from France. After the house, we headed to his farms and saw people working like they did during his time.
Our next stop was the Lincoln memorial. This memorial is a true tribute to Lincoln for his efforts towards abolishing slavery. We then headed to the Vietnam and Korean War memorials and the Arlington cemetery. These are fitting tributes to the men and women who lost their lives in war. The drive through the old part of Washington was interesting. We got to see strange houses and places of historical interest in the Old Town Alexandria.
In conclusion, I would like to say that this trip to the heartland helped me to get a feel of how things were at that time. The challenges both countries faced looked big and despite all odds were overcome. Washington became the icon for America just like Gandhi would, for India.
# posted by Kiran @ 11:15 AM 
